There were some great travel related gigs, tricks and prinks this year. Virgin Australia launched Kid Class. I actually think it was a mighty fine idea -without the bubbles The London Eye announced it would convert two of its capsules into luxury studio penthouses, which would rotate 48 times a day, giving people a view of the English capital along with Champagne on request and a personal pillow fluffer. The North Yorkshire Moors Railway has created the “Pawfect” Car dedicated just to dogs. Citipark UK launched left-handed ticket barriers. Google made a mess of their mic…
I’ve Visited Airports starting with 23 letters of alphabet
As air travellers are aware, airports are marked by a three digit code managed by IATA. This system allows for 17,576 airport codes with all the combinations. Apparently there are 43,982 airports in the world so many apparently do not have commercial service! Some of these three digit codes are “logical” eg SYD for SYDNEY, SEA for Seattle and EDI for Edinburgh. Some are less so EZE for the Buenos Aires suburb that the airport is located in. Toronto Pearson, Canada is YYZ for historical reasons and IAD is Washington-Dulles. I was struck by a post on Boardingarea site: Pointswithacrew about…
Virgin America’s New Logo…um wait a sec…
Virgin America revealed their new logo today. Yes it does look like what you think it looks like… Interestingly it bear’s some resemblance to Aibnb’s logo which caused a stir when it was launched: It is an April 1st Prank but many people thought it was serious.Virgin have described this new logo as “A labor of love” and say “Fundamentally, this is a human-centered brand – one that hits you where it hurts.” They further say: ” They further say: “The combination of sharp angles and sleek, sexy, supple curves are meant to surprise and delight…
Avoiding weight scale shock
I gazed at the line at a hotel buffet in Perth, Australia and observed that almost every person in the line was overweight. Some were clearly just a little bit over their weight and others were in a concerning level. We know that being overweight increases the risk of many health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers. I know that frequent travel increases the chance that weight will build up. Much time being sedentary, poor food choices at many airports and the temptation to enjoy exotic foods all contribute to weight gain risks. My…
My Easter Prayer
Today is Easter in my tradition. It seems like a day to reflect on our world and think through what we can do to bring light.
After 299 times, I still don’t like the B737!
There are many reasons to like the Boeing 737. It is reliable. It is prolific (over 8,500 built). It has been around for almost 50 years. It has a fantastic safety record. It is fuel efficient. It is not an unattractive plane to look at. I have never liked it. This week I reached a milestone with my 299th flight on a 73. There is no other plane I have been on as many times. The 737 has taken me 340,000km (212,000) to 91 airports on five continents. I have disembarked as far south as Queenstown,…
Spicejet’s Non -Airborne Happy Holi Celebrations
I love Festivals and cultural events around the world. Today is Purim in the Jewish calendar, Maundy Thursday in the Christian one and for Hindus, it is Holi. Holi is known as the festival of colours or the festival of love and believed to signify the victory of good over evil. Those who celebrate do so by throwing brightly coloured, perfumed powders, and coloured waters at everyone! The Festival has given birth to The Colour Run which is billed as “the Happiest 5k on the Planet”,with 300+ events in 50+ countries. Last year, Spicejet organised a…
#JeSuisBruxelles #JeSuisToutLeMonde
I have been to Brussels, the capital of the small European country of Belgium three times. It is my 14th favourite city out of the 185 cities I have visited across the globe with a population of 100,000+ I have flown out of Zaventem the city’s airport. I have ridden the Brussels metro, enjoyed Belgian food, drink, art and culture. And I am a massive Tintin fan. On Tuesday, at 8am two coordinated bombings at that airport and one at Maelbeek Metro (subway) station at 911am killed 34 people (including the bombers). One airport bomb reportedly exploded near the…
Je Suis Istanbul
I love Istanbul. After two fantastic visits there, I feel at home in its hillsides, streets, quaint shops, ferry boats and cafes. My Turkish is slight but the hospitality I have experienced from the warm locals has made up for that. I guarantee that I have eaten from one end of the city to the other! I also love Turkish Airlines which I have used to connect through Istanbul. Istanbul comes in at Number 30 on my Top 200 cities over 100,000 people! On both occasions, I stayed not far from Istanbul’s’ most famous shopping street: İstiklal…
Je Suis Ankara (#2)
Last Sunday, on, 13 March 2016, at 635pm local time a 1995 BMW laden with explosives was exploded in a street location where there are many bus stops. 37 people were killed, 125 injured, with 19 severely injured, a bus was completely burnt up, along with many cars. The Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK), claimed responsibility for the attack. They had also been responsible for the 17 February Ankara bombing. They insisted that they were aiming for a Police station nearby and did not intend to harm citizens. This is either a monstrous lie or the group…
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