I am writing this blog post on a plane, in Economy class, on a low-cost carrier.

I’ve recently spent quite a few hours on flights between my home in Brisbane, and the home of my ailing mother in Cairns, 140 flying minutes away.

And every time, I vow to make use of that two-hour-plus window – writing, or catching up on paperwork, or something else productive.

But in general, I give up pretty much as soon as I start – because the cramped conditions of economy don’t lend themselves to something even as small as my trusty Asus Transformer, compact as it is.

That’s even more difficult if you buy a drink and snack – taking up even more valuable real estate.

But tonight, I’ve managed to snaffle seat 13D – one of the ‘emergency exit’ seats, so I get a bit more room.

It’s still not the most comfortable spot for bashing out breathless prose – but it’s certainly better than a middle-seat in the back of the bus, where every movement of my elbows prods fellow passengers.

Oh, for the luxury of business class – with its wider seat configurations and its USB and power sockets.

However, I’m on Jetstar, which doesn’t even offer Premium Economy – not that I would choose it anyway, since I am a semi-retired blogger whose penurious state doesn’t allow for such fripperies.

But a  man can dream, can’t he?