Day 28, februari 4, Buenos Aires - Toronto

We slept well, but the HAL bed was still more comfortable. After showering, we pack up and head to breakfast. Breakfast is included here. It's a very extensive breakfast buffet. This hotel is definitely worth it. Meanwhile, we charge our phones and e-readers. Jan watched TV this morning, but it's not very useful; 55 channels, but all dubbed in Spanish. We browse the internet, arrange for someone to pick us up from the station at home, and I email to inquire about getting the photos from horseback riding, which was offered. We'll have to sort out Jim's photos at home; it's too much to handle here. And I try to make a start on catching up with my backlog of the report. It's not easy because my notes aren't in a good order. But we have a long flight ahead, so I'll have to sit down and focus on it.

The taxi arrives fifteen minutes early, so we have to hurry. The driver chats away, like many do here. We're heading to EZE, where we arrived yesterday as well. Since we couldn't check in online and have no idea why, we're glad to be on time, but it's still very quiet. We suspect that the upgrade to business class, partly with Air Canada points and the rest with an additional payment, hasn't been processed yet, and that's why we couldn't check in online. We'll sort that out there. To our surprise, we're checked in without any issues, and we receive business class boarding cards for both flights. Huh? 😲 We only asked for the long-haul flight. Well, whatever. Then it's off to security. There's a long line here and nothing seems to be happening. Eventually, after about 25 minutes, we get through, and then we head to immigration. Another 25 minutes later, and we're going to the lounge.

On the boarding card, the ground steward wrote "no lounge," but he didn't say why, or we both missed it. But we have the priority card from the credit card and we'll just try it with that. The girls behind the counter at the lounge don't understand it at all because if it says business class on it and you're not Swiss crew, then you're allowed in the lounge. Thank you!

It's not very big and the selection isn't huge, but it's pleasant enough. Drink, some grapes, and time flies by. The Swiss flight is on time, and we've been assigned seats 12D and E. They're not very comfortable because every time you rest your elbow on the armrest, you end up pressing the buttons to adjust the seat and suddenly find yourself in a different position. Despite the buttons, Jan actually finds these seats quite comfortable, but they don't suit me.

We don't receive a welcome drink, but we do get real champagne with the meal. Pasta salad with cold cuts and fruit salad. It tastes fine. I put my bag and e-readers in the only compartment I have, and suddenly the flap won't close. At first, I think it's because my tray table is down, but after lunch, it still won't close. I call the stewardess (purser in this case), and she says it happens often. She had the same issue on a flight to Miami recently. She gets down on her knees and uses a fork to try to wiggle the sides. She calls over a colleague to show how it works because it happens frequently. Eventually, it closes. Phew 😊, I can access my stuff again. I continue watching my movie, "Notre Dame on Fire." It's very interesting, but I can't finish it. I could have if the flap hadn't been stuck. Jan watches "Australia," which is way too long anyway.

We land in Sao Paulo where everyone has to disembark, but many will return later to fly to Zurich with a new crew. We transfer here to Toronto. We still have to go through security and customs, but it goes smoothly. Then we search for the lounge. This one is much larger and looks cozy. Finding a comfortable seat is a bit challenging. There's plenty of space, and there are many different types of chairs, but they're not all equally comfortable. But eventually, we find ones we're satisfied with. We read, I write, we eat and drink a bit, and then it's time to board for the long flight with Air Canada to Toronto.

We are in business class again and still expect to have to pay for the upgrade. At boarding, we receive a different boarding pass, but otherwise, we can go through smoothly. Later, we'll have to see if the attempt with the credit card for the upgrade was successful or not. Jan doesn't find the Air Canada seats as comfortable, but I do. We have a nice crew, and it seems like it will be another classic Air Canada business class flight. We are offered a choice between water and sparkling wine, and we receive a ceramic bowl of nuts. It's extremely hot before departure, but the pilot promises that it will get better later, when the engines start. That does happen, but we were supposed to depart at 9:20 PM, and it's actually 10:00 PM before we take off.  

Once everyone is settled, we depart, and it's a smooth flight. As everyone is seated and we've just taken off, everyone receives the welcome drink.

The food, as usual on a plane, is so-so. For starters, there's smoked salmon with salad. Nothing wrong with that, but the salmon we chose for the main course is overcooked and therefore very dry. The wild rice that accompanies it isn't tasty either, so most of it, at least from my plate, goes back. For dessert, we opt for fresh fruit.

It's a night flight, so we try to sleep. We manage a bit. Towards morning, I give up and watch Jurassic World Dominion, which I also can't quite finish. Perhaps on the return journey.

Next day