Design Applications APAC India MD misses his 2019 flight routine, has been reading a lot during pandemic

Praveen Rawal, Steelcase MD, India & SAARC, Design Applications APAC, is no stranger to being in the skies. But flying in 2019 and 2020 has proved to be completely different experiences. Rawal has recently taken a flight from Delhi to Udaipur and although he praises the staff, it’s just not the same experience.

Even though he was a frequent flier, time up in the air was never an issue for him. In fact, he loved it. “Flying almost every second day of the year pre-Covid still had me looking forward to the next flight since flying time is peace, reflection and planning time.” And he had a relaxing ritual. “Once I boarded, I would quietly go through the morning pages of TOI and ET while enjoying a relaxed coffee by a window seat. That is what my perfect morning flight experience looks like.”

Read-y for takeoff

Talking is something Rawal dislikes doing on flight, even before we had to wear masks. Instead, it’s all about the written word. “Reading through copious lots of varied topics excites me that I take note of and share with family and colleagues. Talking is just not what I look forward to whilst flying,” he shares.

Apart from reading, Rawal also enjoys the view – and the perspective it brings to him. He says, “I gulp in the magnificence of the sunrise and landscapes in various hues. Flying really broadened my horizons and made me think of the immense possibilities this wide open world throws at us at 30000 ft.”