There is a downside to travel sometimes and that is the queues (or lines) depending on your country! An American friend and I were discussing the linguistic variations that refer to the action of lining up for something! Some countries do lines very well. For example, the British. In some the queues look haphazard but in fact are very well organised. In other places, queues are in fact non existent and the line consists of a mass of people shoving to be first. Lined up at Buenos Aires main airport, I was amazed at how…
787 Testing
Further to my post last week, Boeing plans to conduct two flight tests of its revamped 787 battery system.The flights would depart from and return to Paine Field, the airport in Everett, Washington, where the 787 Dreamliner is made. One flight would collect data for its own usage. The data from the second flight would be submitted for FAA approval. If successful, then this would be a step forward to Boeing getting the aircraft approved for service within weeks. None of the airlines using 787s have begun planning to get their planes up yet. In…
US & American begin “integration”
On Feb 14 US Airways and American Airlines announced their intentions to merge by October, 2013. I am not a huge fan of this merger. I don’t like the concentration of airlines in the USA, am not convinced that the merger will quickly fix some key AA issues and wonder what the result of merging two mediocre airlines. (I am not a huge fan of either carrier). This week, the two airlines appeared before the US Senate Judiciary Committee’s subcommittee on antitrust, competition policy and consumer rights for over two hours. It was noted that…
App for food finding
Find. Eat. Drink. The great thing about this app is that it sources recommendations from industry insiders—the chefs, sommeliers, bartenders who work with food and drink for a living. Download one of the PDF guides for the city you’re traveling to and you’ll get all the info without roaming costs. Find. Eat. Drink. app, Free for Apple Related Posts Know your tipping
787 Battery Fix?
Boeing announced this week their proposed alterations to the 787 lithium-ion batteries to prevent any major incidents in flight. Tellingly, the company has not announced the cause of he problem which suggests they do not still know it. The changes are designed not only to improve safety but reassure regulators, carriers and the public that the plane is safe. The changes include: improving the insulation between the eight cells in the battery. The batteries’ original insulation was made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) which can withstand heat of 300 degrees Fahrenheit (149 degrees Celsius). The cells…
Bosnian Airline back from brink
The national carrier of Bosnia and Herzegovina B&H Airlines was grounded last week for a 4.7 million US dollar debt owed to Austria’s Hypo Alpe Adria Bank. The airline began flying again on Wednesday 13th March after the bank unblocked the carrier’s accounts. This came after the Bosnia and and Herzegovina Federation’s Ministry for Transport and Communications provided government funds of $550,000 and promised to sell two ATR 72 aircraft. Most passengers were rerouted onto Croatia Airlines and Jat Airways during the grounding. In June last year, Turkish Airlines pulled out of a joint venture…
The Fake Wallet
This is a trick I have never had to experience. Carry a second wallet while traveling with a couple of fake or expired credit cards and money in small denominations. If mugged,I am told throw the wallet two metres away from your attacker in the opposite direction of where you will then run. Throw and run. They will go for the wallet while you make your escape. My fear is that I will throw the wrong wallet. Of course, being aware of your surroundings, looking confident, not wearing expensive jewellery can also reduce your risks.
No 787 for a long, long time
The fire and smoke from the event were so intense that firefighters couldn’t see even a few inches in front of themselves when they entered the electronics bay containing the burning battery, the report said. A fire captain on the scene told investigators that the battery was “hissing loudly and liquid was flowing down the sides of the battery case” before it “exploded.” Those words taken from the interim report of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) into the January 7 JAL 787 fire released March 7, may have killed off Boeing’s chances to have the 787 in the air soon. The…
Chinese Air Rage goes viral!
On February 19, Mr Yan Linkun, a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), arrived at Kunming Changshui International Airport with his wife and two sons. They checked in for their 1105am flight to Guangzhou in plenty of time. They then ate breakfast. When they arrived at their gate for their flight, they were too late so the airline switched them to the 1pm flight. The family then missed the last call for that flight. This is what happened next: This next video is from another direction with sound. Apparently the passenger is…
Carry On Inconsiderates
Having boarded a lot of planes, I have watched a lot of passengers stowing their baggage. So far I have observed the following Characters. Relate to any? Know any? Privileged Pete Pete believes he has the right to bring in a houseful of contents. On some carriers, he won’t get away with it but on other airlines, the staff turn a blind eye as he staggers on with a full suitcase, roll on bag, back pack and computer bag. Fling em Freddy Fred gets to his row and throws his bag into the overhead compartment without checking to see whats already there. As…
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