Have you ever worked for an airline? Most of them are currently enjoying a successful period and I for one don’t begrudge them it.

Having spent a large part of my career at airlines I can tell you it can be a fantastic but sometimes bumpy ride.

25 years ago, almost to the day, I was contacted by my new boss at a large, well-known airline to inform me of the logistics for my first day in the job as account manager. And so began the best, most exhilarating day of my career (so far).

I was requested to wait at a bus stop outside the office rather than come into the enormous HQ building.

I was a bit bemused, but the bus stop was soon filled with about 200 of my new colleagues, and then coaches arrived and whisked us to London Studios where we gathered in a room with theatre-style curtains.

Everyone seemed excited. Grand music played and the curtains rose to reveal the highlights of a major new product lineup from said airline, including the revolutionary, world’s very first fully-flat bed in business class.

Since I was to be primarily selling this game-changer to the corporate market I wondered if this was what sales heaven looked like. I tried to play it cool, but it was all I could do to not spontaneously combust.

On a high, we re-boarded the coach to be told that a further surprise awaited. The coach made its way to the South Bank where we were invited to be amongst the first passengers on the pioneering giant observation wheel that the airline was to sponsor, which was a few weeks from opening to the general public.

I went home that night fizzing with excitement and motivation and wondering how day two could possibly top day one.

As I recall, week three involved announcing and implementing the (also revolutionary) removal of commissions to be replaced by more modest transaction fees, which was certainly a rather different kind of ride.

It’s all about the journey, not the destination isn’t it? But has anyone ever had a better first day in this wonderful, exciting rollercoaster of an  industry?