It’s four years to the day since I got upgraded to business class on a transatlantic United flight out of Newark and, resigned not to enjoy the same fortuity this New Year, I proactively procured myself a neck pillow to try and get some sleep and snooze my way in to the New Year on this overnight flight departing at 22:00 on New Year’s Eve.
We had already experienced an upgrade of sorts earlier, when the minicab company unexpectedly sent a stretch limousine to take us to the airport. No explanation was offered for this choice of vehicle and the driver did not once lower his partition screen, though did a surprisingly effective job of getting down some narrow alleys and around their tight corners.
The airport experience was agreeable by Newark standards, with no queue at bag drop or security, although the chap behind me was still in enough of a hurry to rush off leaving an entire tray of his belongings behind, including car keys and a mobile phone. Surprisingly, he did not return promptly and we handed his stuff over to a bemused official.
After a light dinner and a lot of waiting, we boarded and took our seats in the Premium Plus cabin, which on this occasion offered great value, costing less than the price of Economy plus a corresponding seat selection (the latter being free in Premium). To our dismay, the single passenger seated behind us was asked to move so that a couple could take her place.
The elderly gentleman was very thankful to both the cabin crew and the displaced young lady, while his diabolical female partner, who arrived in a fit of sniffs and coughs, took one look at the seat and asked how she could possibly be expected to sit there for any number of hours. They enquired about moving “up front” and were promptly provided with a price that apparently changed her opinion.
Keen to avoid jetlag, and with London now three hours in to 2024, I immediately pulled my Cabeau Evolution S3 from its carry pouch and strapped it to my headrest. It is these straps, combined with an adjustable clasp on the front, that differentiate this neck pillow from the competition, as the design effectively prevents your head from dropping forwards, or sideways, as you doze.
Unusually for me, I was asleep before we had reached cruising altitude, which was obviously an early endorsement for the Cabeau, which is large enough to cradle my head while resting on my shoulders. One difficulty I did however note was that it pushed my overhead earphones, issued by the airline to enjoy the onboard entertainment, unnaturally (and somewhat uncomfortably) high over my ears.
Determined to sleep and buoyed by my early success in that, I quickly replaced these earphones with a pair of earplugs from the provided amenity kit, but paradoxically it would now have been nice for the pillow to reach higher over my ears in order to keep those in place more effectively (although this is mainly because I am very bad at using earplugs).
A little while later, I woke up to the smell of chicken curry and promptly indulged in my second dinner of the evening. This revealed another weakness of the pillow, which is that it’s somewhat difficult to eat with, and the headrest straps make it too difficult to set aside for meals. You really have to stand and face the seatback in order to attach and remove the pillow.
Opening the front clasp is thankfully easier and does make eating possible, if not entirely natural, but that may be a matter of personal taste. The curry, meanwhile, was disappointing and, dinner service over, I quickly refastened the clasp and settled back in for the night. Only to be woken shortly thereafter by an over-enthusiastic stewardess shouting “happy new year” over the tannoy, followed by an impromptu champagne service, which I declined.
I slept a further four hours or so and missed breakfast prior to landing in London shortly after 10:00, local time. Which was quite an achievement, given the frequent coughing fits of the lady behind. Aside from eating and wearing overhead earphones, the pillow was extremely comfortable and I can see why CNN Underscored have named it the best overall travel pillow for three years running.
The memory foam pillow is covered in a breathable (and washable) quick-dry material and is remarkably light given its bulky appearance. The pillow includes a handy pouch on the left side, where earplugs or earpods can be kept and easily accessed, and also comes with a small carry case, which is less than half the size of the pillow and perfectly accommodates it once it has been rolled-up.
I’m glad I purchased this one and it will be accompanying me on my future long-haul flights too.