For those of who have been to Dubai, you will have seen the gleaming towers, spotless streets, stunning shopping malls and clean hotels. Behind all of this are an estimated 7.8 million immigrant workers- 75 percent of whom are from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. There has been significant criticism of the working conditions of these workers. A charity that works with these workers is Smartlife Foundation, has a mission to “uplift the non privileged members of our community“. I was taken by a video of the people they work with dancing to Pharrell ‘s – Happy. It really humanises the…
Weird or Wonderful
Category Archives for Weird or Wonderful.
Standing Room Section for Planes? Will it fly?
A paper published this week concludes that a cabin dedicated to standing only passengers “has a potential to be applied by low-cost airlines servicing short-haul flight markets.” Sounds like just the recipe for Ryanair, Spirit Airlines and Air Asia! It brings a whole new meaning to the term “cattle class“! F. I. Romli et al in the International Journal of Engineering and Technology, suggest that by installing a “standing seat“, airlines could fit 21 per cent more passengers into a cabin. The distance between seats could be reduced from the usual 30″ to a mere 23″. By removing…
All by myself – passenger stranded in Las Vegas
What would you do when stuck overnight in an airport? Overnight at Las Vegas McCarran International Airport, Richard Dunn made a video lip syncing to Celine Dion’s All by myself using his ipad, watched by his bemused wife, cleaning staff and security personnel… (so technically, he wasn’t all by himself!) Celine Dion has responded to the video saying she loved it and inviting Richard to see his show next time he is in town.
Paris ‘Lovelocks” bridge railing collapse
I complained a few weeks ago about the eyesore of the locks being placed on Parisian bridges. It started as a cute idea in 2008 with lovers from across the world visiting Paris to “seal their love” by attaching a lock carrying their names to the railing of the Pont des Arts and throwing the key in the Seine. No one has stated whether relationships where the couple do this last longer! The Pont des Arts crosses the French capital’s river Seine just in front of the Louvre Museum. It is one of my favourite bridges in…
Man uses bag on lavatory less flight
What would you do on a two hour 50 minute flight in a plane without a bathroom? Not fly? Ask for the plane to be diverted? Use a bag on the plane? An incident on 30 April 2014, on an Air Canada Express flight from Deer Lake (YDF) on the west coast of Newfoundland to Wabush (YWK) in Western Labrador is being widely reported today. Air Canada Express is the brand name for “feeder flights” in Canada. The flight operator (not Air Canada) reportedly substituted the regular plane due to a mechanical problem with the…
Money can’t buy you happiness but..
What do you think? Related Posts Bangkok Airways ad declares love Southwest Airlines Attendant grabs safety attention
Bangkok Airways ad declares love
This Bangkok Airways ad brought a smile on my face in parts and made me laugh loudly in others! To the background of the 80’s song “Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love For You“, the ad shows in a slightly satirical sense, real-life experiences of air crews as they deal with a range of “interesting passengers“. The airline says they are attempting to show both Thai passengers and “farang” (foreigner) that their “exceptional service” comes from a “deep personal attitude“. Some people have labelled the ad “genius” and others “embarrassing“. Check it out and see what you…
Prince flies Economy
There have been many news reports of Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, flying Coach after attending a wedding in Memphis. He carried his own hand luggage onto the Dallas bound flight. The Prince was accompanied by his four bodyguards. He ordered a water on the flight. Why didn’t American Airlines upgrade William Windsor and a bodyguard? Or did he ask the airline not to? People were certainly impressed by the prince’s choice. eg US television reporter Eli Ross tweeted: “I am still amazed #Prince William flies COACH. That’s pretty humble/awesome. Who knew?”
Inappropriate Words?
The tourists stood gazing at the Bagan, Myanmar sunset. The ball of fiery orange turned more and more red as it slid down the sky. The colours reflected on the stone and wood temples and pagodas that spread across the plains. The gold on the roofs sparkled in the light. Faintly a star started to emerge. The hairs on the backs of the watchers tingled at the sensations: colour, noise and smells of this ancient, magical, holy place. All were entranced. Well almost all. The young Australian tourist turned to her companion and loudly screeched…
Southwest Airlines Attendant grabs safety attention
Southwest Airlines does it again! The airline is renowned for entertaining passengers with their staff commentary, attention and care. They now have a few examples of creative ways of keeping passenger attention during safety demonstration. This one “brings the house down” with her patter! The big question for me is will the passengers remember what she said if they need the instructions in an emergency? Related Posts Air NZ Bears it Fly Hobbits Fly Back to the 80s with Air NZ’s newest safety video Funny Safety Briefings Five Fun Safety Briefings …
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