I begin writing this piece from seat 43G, located towards the rear of a Boeing 777-300 en route from Bangkok to Sydney. This will be the last of our three leg journey to the 23rd World Youth Day and the 10th international World Youth Day where we hope to meet Pope Benedict 16th and thousands of other young Catholics from around the world.

A cursory glance at the TV screens onboard the aircraft reveal the Bangkok runway before us. The engines begin to roar and we are forced gently back into our seats as the plane accelerates down the concourse. I look around to witness the twinkle of anticipation in our young people's eyes as we leave Bangkok behind us. Or perhaps it is tiredness; it would be the middle of the night back home in the UK.

Our hosts thus far, the Emirates cabin crew, have been excellent to us.

Inevitably on these trips, where we travel in such a large group, people want to move around and socialize with their friends and with over 24 hours of flying time ahead of us, there is plenty of time for that.

Seats are swapped, gangways are sometimes congested and the buzz of chatter is evident throughout the cabin. Serving our meals, Asian in style, is therefore sometimes challenging for the crew especially when those who ordered special meals have moved seats again. But the staff remain unphased, accommodating and jovial. Credit too is due to the young people who have continually been polite and courteous.

So as we head into the night once more, I feel somewhat contented. With the gentle clicking of games consoles around me via the interactive TVs, I wrap my complimentary blanket tight around me and drift off to sleep.