Are you like me and LOVE Indulging in chocolate? I think it is a universal pleasure. Every human on the planet consumes an average of roughly one kilogram of food annually. I know I sample chocolate wherever I travel to! Good chocolate please. With a projected 5.6% increase in chocolate revenue, surpassing even the forecasted growth of the world economy, it’s evident that chocolate holds a significant place in our lives and markets. However, amidst this prosperity lies a stark reality: the plight of cocoa farmers, trapped in cycles of poverty and exploitation. Despite the…
Tarmac to Takeoff: A Blistering Hot Charity Run on Bangkok Airport’s New Runway 3
As the dawn broke last Sunday morning, 17th March 2024, I joined around 5000 runners for a charity run on Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport’s new Runway 3. In July, 2024 the airport will open this 4 kilometre (2.4 mile) new runway for active use on the western part of the airport, the same side as the main warehouse and the current western runway. The two existing runways presently handle 60 plane movements an hour. When Runway Three opens, the capacity will jump to 94 planes an hour. After some obligatory speeches, the 10km runners began their…
One of the World’s most Unusual Flights in the world’s most Controversial Business Seat.
Boarding Qantas Flight 291 is like stepping into a paradox where the expected norms are all flipped on their heads. The flight belongs to Qantas but Finnair provides the plane, pilots crew and service. Meals, amenity kit, and entertainment are all provided by Qantas and all carry Qantas branding. But the true twist comes with the cabin crew—rather than Finnish, they’re all Singaporean, adding another layer of fascination to this already unconventional flight experience. And right in the middle is the Finnair business seat, which is like no other and which has divided its users…
12 Expert Strategies for Conquering Travel in 2024
I adjust my headphones a little louder as I stride into any airport, train station or ferry port. I have even created a Spotify list for my train journeys and flying! I walk compassionately past the crying couples, smile at the cheeky kids with their harried parents and feel a deep pang of sympathy for the stressed, angry or fighting travellers. I have loved travel for at least five decades (I have to take a breath as I type that)!! In that time, I have flown over 1500 times, travelled to 87 countries (of which…
Maximising Qantas Double Status Credit deal to my Benefit
Being an Aussie based flyer, almost one-third of my 1585 flights have been with the Australian carrier, Qantas. In addition I have flown every current and past One World carrier! This volume of flights means that I have achieved Qantas Gold for Life status (equivalent to One World Sapphire) in the Qantas Frequent Flyer program. I have also been Qantas Platinum (One World Emerald) for nine of the last ten years (I slipped one year). This status earns me a level of One World Priority benefits, which includes priority check-in, airport lounge access, priority boarding,…
A Rank of the Qantas Safety Videos Over the Years
With Qantas dropping a new safety video, I have had a nostalgic journey over some of the previous videos from 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2020 and have ranked them below. And where do I rate this year’s safety video? Sorry Qantas. It slides into fourth place. My Ratings of Qantas Previous Videos Ranking Year Theme 1st 2018 Meet the Aussies sharing the spirit of Australia in stunning Australian locales 2nd 2020 Centenary Safety Video 3rd 2016 Showcasing Australia as an amazing place to visit 4th 2024 Fave places around the World 5th 2017 16 locations…
New Qantas Safety Video-is ten minutes too long?
Qantas, known as “The Spirit of Australia” has been around for more than a century, and in that time it has proven itself to be one of the safest and most dependable airlines in the world. The excellent safety record of Qantas is a reflection of the company’s dedication to safety, which is a core value. Qantas pioneered the long storytelling safety video, and they have now produced a number of them. I have loved them all. As a Qantas passenger who has flown them over 470 times earning me Gold for Life Frequent Flier…
All about the 737MAX and How to avoid Flying
In 1999, I flew a Swissair MD11 from Singapore to Zurich. I was in the middle seat of the emergency exit row with two passengers from Switzerland. In the aisle seat was an Italian Swiss guy who presented himself as a humorous, jovial warm guy. To my left, by the exit door, was a more serious French-Swiss woman. The Italian guy beneath his laughs and bravado confided in us that he was terrified of flying on the MD11. The fatal fiery crash of Swissair 111, an MD11 flying between New York and Zurich, just a…
Who Went Where? 2023 Busiest Cities, Routes, Airports
For all of us who travelled, we have seen the crowds of people in airports, train stations and in cities. Reportedly, air travel reached 99% of 2019 figures in November 2023. It sure feels like it! Most Visited Cities, 2023 The Top 100 City Destinations Index 2023, published by market research company Euromonitor International looks at the world’s key cities and evaluates them based on a range of characteristics. In terms of international arrivals in 2023, Istanbul had the most arrivals, followed by London and Dubai. The cities with the highest year-on-year rise were Bangkok…
Don’t Waste that Safety Briefing-Save a Life
The aviation year has started with a bang — literally. We saw the first Airbus 350 destroyed in a ball of fire. The pictures of the burnt-out shell are chilling. Then the USA grounded all Boeing 737 Max 9s after a brand-new Alaska airlines plane had part of its fuselage ripped out violently. Tragically, Japan saw five lives lost in the smaller plane on the runway that was hit by the JAL A350. People going to start others impacted by the recent Japanese quake. After 1580 flights with just one scary landing (plus three memorably…
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