Briton Anna Thompson went to Rome with one ballgown but came back with two.

The general manager of Cathay Pacific for Singapore and Asia was supposed to attend a ball the night she arrived there but her baggage got lost in transit.

That led to a frantic search for a replacement gown and she managed to arrive at the ball suitably dressed. But her misplaced luggage eventually arrived too, leaving her with the extra gown.

Ms Thompson, 39, has lived in Hong Kong, Italy and Japan but now calls Singapore home. And while she has developed a taste for spicy local fare, she staunchly refuses to eat durian, which she says is like "custard that smells revolting".

Keeping her good company is her six-year-old godson Robert and her two black Labradors, Max and Molly.

Which is your favourite airport?

The airport in Hong Kong is certainly on the top of my list for a number of reasons. It's a beautiful Norman Foster design - very light and airy and has a huge feeling of space.

And there's also the feeling of coming home because I've lived there on and off for about 18 years now.

I also think Changi Airport is wonderful and I always enjoy flying from Singapore.

Which airline do you think has the best service and food?

As I work for Cathay, I'm going to have to exclude us from the list although I rate us very highly.

But I think that Qantas has some of the best food and wine onboard and its cabin crew are always very friendly.

Which airline do you think has the best uniform?

I think the Asian airlines have the most stylish uniforms. They've managed to get the right balance between elegance and practicality.

What do you always carry with you on flights?

A good book. I'd die without my book. The last one was The White Masai by Corinne Hoffman. It's about this woman who goes to live in Kenya and marries a Masai warrior. I enjoyed it so much that I've already ordered more of her books on Amazon.

How do you handle jetlag?

I am very fortunate to be one of those people who can really sleep anywhere and at anytime so I don't usually suffer from jetlag. I do, however, always adjust my watch to the time of the country that I'm flying to as soon as I board the plane.

Have you ever had an airline or airport lose your luggage?

In 2007, I went to Italy for the weekend and Alitalia lost my luggage. Unfortunately most of the shops were closed then so I had to wash and reuse my clothes every night. The people in the village must have thought that I only owned one set of clothing.

Another time my luggage was lost was in 2006 when I was going to attend a ball in Rome.

I arrived on a Saturday morning and the ball was in the evening so I had to search for another dress really quickly. Alitalia offered to pay for half the cost and since that dress has become one of my favourites, I'd say it worked out pretty well.

I eventually got my luggage back so I had two ballgowns instead of one by the end of the trip.

Ever had an interesting experience on a flight?

The most interesting would have to be when I flew on the Concorde, which was a supersonic passenger airliner, from London to New York to celebrate my 30th birthday with some friends. It was one of those experiences that will stay with me forever.

What do you think of budget airlines?

They have created a new market niche and expanded the overall market, which is very positive. I've flown on budget airlines a couple of times myself - to Saigon on Jetstar and to Phuket and Hainan on Tiger Airways.

This article was first published in The Sunday Times on Mar 30, 2008.