About two months ago, I flew business class for the first time. I have always flown economy, where things are tight and uncomfortable. Short flights are not too bad, but when flying abroad, the lack of room can be very bothersome. I was always envious of the people in the premium classes, who had room to stretch and didn’t have to sleep on the shoulder of the person next to them. I was flying an overnight flight on Alitalia, from Newark to Rome. I had the luxury of boarding before other passengers, without waiting in a long line. I was the first person on the plane and was greeted by friendly flight attendants who took my jacket and directed me towards my seat. After we took off, they served dinner which was, surprisingly, delicious. I was used to bringing my own food and snacks because I never liked the food in economy. My meal started with vegetable lasagna and a glass of Italian red wine. I skipped the second course, a tasty looking beef dish, since the lasagna was enough and I wanted to get some sleep. I had trouble figuring out how to recline the seats and, once I figured out how to lean back, I couldn’t get the footrest right. After fiddling with the buttons for a while, I gave up. I was somewhat comfortable, but would have been much happier if my footrest worked. I slept for a good portion of the flight and didn’t get to use my personal entertainment system. I woke just before breakfast — scrambled eggs, tomatoes, fruit and pastries. All were delicious. M first time in business class was very nice. The food was great and, besides having trouble with my chair, I was pretty comfortable and had a pleasant flight. -Jackie Adam, advertising and editorial coordinator