In the 80's I used to regularly commute between Munich and Heathrow, using either BA or LH. On one late Sunday flight to Munich in a very sparsely filled 727, our chirpy Lufthansa Captain announced to the few SLF's on board [about mid flight] "This is your Lufthansa Space ship Captain Hansie Xxxxxx informing you that we are at our cruising altitude, which is Flight Level 42 - pause - and a bit....[laughter from the flight deck]... and we will shortly be descending and arriving [with luck] ahead of schedule.........
I wasn't dreaming/sloshed/drugged and with a Bombers Moon we were for sure some considerable way off terra firma.
Presumably the altitude achieved was visible to ATC so maybe it was just a happy Captain looking forward to his Spanferkel mit Spargel and a huge stein of Spaten Bock Spring Beer....
teasing his SLFs.