In 1947, a Malayan Airways six seater Airspeed Consul took off from Sinagpore to Kuala Lumpur beginning what became the five star Malaysia Airlines we know today with their 98 strong fleet including 380s flying to 60 destinations. Malaysia Airlines has for years, epitomised to me the romance of flying. Friendly attentive crews who worked hard to take passengers to exotic places like Sabah, Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Langkawi. Their clean comfortable interesting planes and great service have made my travels a delight. All of this will come to an end by September 1 under a restructuring…
Monthly Archives
Monthly Archives for May 2015.
Location Change gives cheap flights
When searching for a flight, I experiment changing the location on my computer to that of my destination or to that of a particular carrier. For example, I have saved $300 on a $1000 fare by booking a ticket on skyscanner.th (Thailand) compared to the same ticket, same airline, same date and same time on skyscanner.au (Australia).
Scrubba- a intriguing idea
Scrubba is a wash bag that is not just for storing your laundry- you can actually use it’s built in flexible washboard to wash your clothes in 30 seconds with 2 gallons of water! Its an Australian invention! The Scrubba wash bag measures approximately 54 cm x 32 cm (21 inches x 12.5) and weighs less than 145g five ounces). A percentage of all sales go to clean water projects in Ethiopia and Bangladesh. I do not have a Scrubba. Would you use one?
Don’t do Jetlag
In 2012, I flew so many times that I used to joke that I was so permanently jetlagged, I no longer felt it! (That year I flew 300 000km (200 000mi) to 15 countries on five continents with 22 airlines). That experience of flying so much for work required me to use my jet lag lessons! Jet lag is the fatigue and sleepless caused by raidly travelling across different time zones, usually by aeroplane. There is no cure but as mentioned, there are things I do to try and minimise it: Try and fly westwards.…
Don’t be pound foolish
This old English saying comes from the early 17th Century. It describes a person who is thrifty (or miserly) with small amounts of their money, but wasteful with larger amounts. Travelling I see plenty of people guilty of this! I used to work with a very wise man called Tom. He taught me the value of valuing my time and money. He noted that his predecessor used to drive across town two hours and back to save the $10 delivery fee on a particular supply. Tom noted it was costing the company $35 to save that $10. Tom noted…
My Favourite Markets
On business trips, one of the ways I develop some semblance of “normality” is by visiting markets. On vacations, markets for me, are a must. Either way, a half hour or hour strolling amongst locals and visitors gazing, eating and bargaining is a great way to connect with a destination. This week, I have been trying to make a list of my favourite markets around the world! Where is your favourite market? Here are my top 25: Asia and Middle East Ladies’ Market,TungChoi Street, Hong kong Cicada Markets, Hua Hin Chiang Mai Walking Street Markets Chatuchak…
In flight thief hides booty in underwear
I always store my carry on bags in the overhead bin opposite me, not above me. This paranoid action means I can watch when someone opens the bin and rummages in a bag. Hopefully it is not my bag they are rummaging in. I operate on the premise that while most people are honest, passenger’s bags are brimming with phones, ipads, and cash which is a very tempting situation. On American Airlines flight 22 from Los Angeles to New York’s JFK last Wednesday, a a flight attendant’s iPad went missing. The iPad turned up in the carry-on of…
Don’t eat near a tourist site!
I have three rules for eating when travelling: 1. Never eat in a tourist zone. They always have a higher price tag and lower quality than they should or could! Up a tall building, opposite a touristy square, next to a landmark, then expect to hand over the moolah! 2. I use yelp and/or tripadvisor to find nice places that the locals hang out in 3. Check if the restaurant actually has some locals eating there! I am amazed how often I have found amazing food in places just metres away from the tourists! At a third…
For Sale: Malaysia’s Six Airbus 380s
Having owned them for less than three years, Malaysia Airline’s is offering all six of its Airbus A380s for sale or lease. The Malaysia Airlines A380 has 494 seats with eight First class “suites”, 66 lie-flat business class seats and 420 economy seats. They are used to fly between Kuala Lumpur and London twice daily and Paris daily. I have not yet flown Malaysia’s version and it looks like my time to do it is limited. Also up for sale are four Boeing 777-200s. After years of losing money, the two incidents last year worsened that situation. Malaysia…
Alitalia Five Star?
Alitalia is one of my least favourite airlines! Out of the 90 airlines,I have flown, the Italian carrier sits in the bottom five of those still flying! In the early 1970s when I first flew them, they represented the chic side of Italy.The uniforms were stylish, cabin crew glamorous with the best of Italian food, bread and wine aboard. They even served Italian bon bons (candy) just before descent and landing which always endears an airline to me! By the 1990s, the brand had become well and truly tarnished. The Bonbons had long gone, along with consistent…
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