I have been to Luxembourg once. This tiny Grand Duchy has a population of half a million in an area of just under 1000 square miles (2 586sq km) in an area bounded by Belgium, Germany and France. It is the 170th smallest country in the world and the second wealthiest. The Grand Duchy has a railway company: Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois with six lines. The last visit I had to Luxembourg was by train so I have not had the pleasure of flying the Duchy’s airline: Luxair. The carrier is rated a 3 star by Skytrax -but has very high customer reviews.…
Monthly Archives
Monthly Archives for July 2012.
No Birds
I like this sign on Toronto, Canada. I am not a huge fan of feeding birds – particularly invasive species such as sparrows or seagulls.
German Train Delays
Many years ago, when Germany first had its ICE (Intercity Express) High Speed Trains, I was riding one to Frankfurt. As the train conductor walked through the carriage I was in, three German Businessmen yelled angrily at him “Drei Minuten”. Yes, our train was three minutes late. That image of the punctual German Railway has stayed with me so it was with a sense of disappointment that I discovered on arriving at Berlin’s brand new multi level Bahnhof (Central Station ), that my Hamburg bound train was 20 minutes late. When the train finally rolled in…
Travel Tip #7: Be Date Flexible
I am trying to identify the Top things I do to save me money when flying! Be flexible with dates. By doing so, airfares and accommodation prices can vary enormously. My Dad found on one occasion when booking an airfare found that the same fare was $1495 one day and $3050 the next. The difference? School holidays! When I book flights I always try to use the tools that let me see fares over a week. For example: kayak.com allows you to search for airfares three days before and three days after a selected date. Related Posts: Travel Tip #3…
19 000 miles in a week?!!
This is a crazy travel week this week! Starting with a 200km Hungarian train journey, I end up covering 31 096 km (19322 miles ) with four air carriers and a rail company. I get two A380 rides from Paris to Los Angeles and then onto Melbourne for Australian winter. Anyone else being so stupid?! Wishing you a good week.
Boeing Pips Airbus Orders this week.
At the Farnborough Air show this week: Boeing announced they took orders for 396 aeroplanes with a value of approximately 37 billion dollars US. Airbus bagged less then a third of that with 115 planes ordered valued at 17 billion dollars US. To be fair, 150 of the Boeing planes ordered are from one airline: United. Taking that order out, Boeing at 246 still got orders for more than double the number of planes of its European rival. The 737Max has been selling well with firm MAX of 649 jets. Boeing stated that the MAX has commitments for more than…
Awards confirm Qantas Service Plunge
Every time, I open my mouth and criticise Qantas, I get push back from Qantas staff and from some Qantas loyalists. Yet, the cadre of passengers I talk to are fed up with an airline that keeps on Jetstar-izing (cheapening) its service. And it seems we have some vindication. In 2005 and 2006, Qantas was rated the second best airline in the world by the World Airline Awards. In 2008, it took third place. By 2010, Qantas had fallen to eighth place. This year, Qantas was given 15th place. This is the first time, it…
“Damn it, we’re going to crash” AF447
I have been long fascinated by and worried by the pitching into the ocean of Air France flight 447 bound from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Paris, France in June, 2009. While it was in the middle of a tropical storm, it fell from the sky. This state of the art four year old A330 was piloted by a very experienced flight crew and belonged to an airline that is meticulous about maintenance. It should not have come down. For the families of those on board, answers were needed to explain the tragic loss of 228 lives (216 passengers and 12 crew). 02:13:40…
Stripping with Air Berlin
I am in the Air Berlin Business lounge in Berlin. Another passenger just removed his trousers – he was wearing underwear – and put on a new pair – in a corner of the lounge. There are three other passengers (including me) in the lounge and there is a men’s lavatory. But he chose to undress/dress in public! Was he taking the Air Berlin slogan: “Your Airline” literally? No I didn’t get a photo.
Trip Report: Virgin Atlantic to London in Premium
I am a bit of a Virgin with Virgin Atlantic, particularly compared to their sister carriers: Virgin Australia and Virgin America. Since 2011, Virgin Australia has transitioned to a full service airline and integrated their frequent flyer and fare offerrings with their UK and American counterparts. As a Virgin Australia Platinum flier (top tier), I am eligible for benefits with these partners. My experience is that the systems are still a bit creaky, as this trip illustrates. Booking 8 out of 10 I booked through Virgin Australia using their points on Virgin Atlantic. I got great service…
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