I'd like to be adopted please.

Mum, its nothing personal, but I now have a hankering to be adopted by Dr. Vijay Mallya
chairman of Kingfisher Airlines.

I had a choice of airline from London to Bangalore - BA or Kingfisher - flight times were better on BA, but the thought of a few more inches of legroom with Kingfisher were just calling me loudly. Its a near enough 10 hour flight with one direction overnight! So Kingfisher it was.

Visa collected, flight booked.

Then I spotted "Upgrade Travel Option" through "Option Town"who's tagline is along the lines of "get an upgrade to business or first for 75% less". Hmm.. interesting, so I sign up. Desparately dubious about it...have to call OptionTown in India to throw my credit card over the fence - pay my sign up fee for each way on the flight that I want to be considered for upgrade. (about £6 in total), plus the £217 each way that I was quoted for the upgrade.

My card was charged, on the proviso that if I didn't get the upgrade I get my money credited back. They promise to let me know if I'm upgraded 4 hours before the flight. So that's an upgrade to first class for £217 for a 10 hour flight, that gives me a fully flat bed. The cost when I looked on the website for first both ways was TWO GRAND sterling. (which is definitely out of my price bracket!!). My economy class was actually cheaper than BA at £390, so its not like I paid over the odds to start with.

There was definitely part of me that was extremely dubious, that I'd never see my money again and it was all some elaborate scam, but you know I thought it must be real because its on the Kingfisher website (that'll be me trusting everything I read on the internet...) I searched and searched and could only find one reference to the service, on an obscure travel blog - and all they said was "new service launched".

So, I was a very happy bunny when I get the notification 36 hours before I fly that I've been upgraded - excited all the way to the executive lounge. Hurray. No longer am I one of the great unwashed at Heathrow terminal 4, no more fighting for a seat, an overpriced drink, and then joining a queue to sit in (admittedly 34 inches) of seat pitch (comfort) cattle class for 10 hours.

There are no two ways about it. It was an amazing experience. From the greeting as you get on the plane (my original seat was a "turn left" but it was an aisle seat, so I opted for 3k and the window), the acres and acres of space, three windows in my "suite", thats right I had three windows! And no neighbour - ok so there was a seat there, but it was empty. Wow all this space and I get to stretch out as well.

An amazing toiletry pack, with a wooden handbag sized hairbrush, smellies from Salvatore Ferragamo, jim jams (oh I'm sorry, a sleep suit), slippers. Papers, magazines, hot towels, man alive where am I going to put all this stuff? Ha, that's why I got the spare seat then...

Then Vijay, or do you want me to start calling you Pops already?, appears on the screen - the 17inch (I think it was 17inch, it needed to be that big, being at the end of my acres long suite...) screen and tells me that he's personally selected all the crew on board, and he's told them to treat me as if I were a guest in his home. Dr Mallya, after the Kingfisher First experience, I'm not sure just visiting is going to be enough for me. As my subject says, I think I'd like to be adopted.

I've been wracking my brains as to what wowed me the most - well it started with the onboard camera, that appears to be attached to the underside of the plane, so I could watch the runway from the bottom of the plane as we taxied, then watch London as we took off, and then the lights of whatever part of southern England we flew over, then Europe. Clearly I'm easily pleased.

But seriously, what wowed me the most? - there's no one thing, but there were plenty of them - it started with the offer of champagne - Dom Perignon no less, and yes I would like to drink my champagne in the bar - and yes I sat on the funky cream leather sofa watching Europe scoot past as I lived the high life and ordered my dinner.

After retiring to my suite, dinner (and obviously more fizz) was served. Oh boy. The marvellous tuna to start, and then a fabulous vegetable thali - served on a beaten silver platter. (ok it might not have been real, but I'm probably not the right person to judge, but wow, amazing food and superb presentation). I'm not sure I will ever be able to get back to a Ryanair sandwich again. (and it would probably cost me as much as this upgrade anyways!)

My fully flat bed was obviously prepared for me - and then the stars came out. Literally, the ceiling goes a midnight blue colour and stars appear, so I'm not only in heaven, I can see it as well.

Waking to breakfast and coffee served from silver jugs (I'm going to have to change the coffee machine at home now..) there was just enough time to move my chair into every position possible, (I'm sorry folks, its the little things), test out the massage options on it (yes seriously good), work my way through a little "Kingfisher Radio" and then we were in Bangalore. And of course I love being first off the plane, and seeing my bag the second one out.

Kingfisher - you did me proud, it was an amazing experience, I fear you've spoiled me for life. OptionTown, I'm sorry I ever doubted you - for me it was great, your support staff were fabulous, explained everything in great detail, your emails were timely, informative (and of course the one notifying me about the upgrade was sooooo exciting!)

And of course, the last word must go to Dr Mallya. Sir, you have done a grand job. (personally, you knocked spots off Virgin Upper Class) And should you ever feel the need to adopt me, then my mother would understand, so long as, of course that she gets upgraded.