It was the challenge that started when one of my friends told me that Dunedin is dull. It spurred me to action. Dunedin is a small city (just 118 000 people) located on New Zealand’s south Island. It is a city that punches well above its weight. Dunedin scrapes into my Top 40 cities (of over 100 000 people) at number 39. It sits between Liverpool, England and Krakow, Poland with a rating of 83%. (Paris, France my number one city scores 98% and Lagos, Nigeria gets 45% from me). Dunedin is located 310km (192…
Air NZ Bears it
I love Air New Zealand’s safety messages. They have to be the best in the industry. Previously, the airline featured a safety briefing where their staff stripped off bare for the cameras. It got lots of attention. Then came Richard Simmons and next Hobbits. Now the carrier have enlisted Man vs Wild Bear Grylls in a new comedy feature which includes an extinct moa and a reappearance from one of the flight attendants who have appeared in most of the recent safety ads. I must admit some nervousness that Bear showed no reluctance in trying to hunt and eat an extinct bird.…
How to Pack via YouTube
Found some great video clips on how to pack. They may give you inspiration In the first video the presenter shows how to pack a month worth of clothes into a small space but I have concerns on how he can access one picee of clothing if you don’t want to unpack the whole thing This presentation has some very practical tips but I cannot get over how many shoes she packed. Have never seen anyone show how to pack a snorkel set. I travel with only one belt and two pairs of shoes. This video: How to Pack for a…
Where can you find a 787?
Seven airlines have fifty 787s grounded at airports across the world: Tokyo Haneda, Japan: 12 Tokyo Narita, Japan: 7 Mumbai, India: 5 Houston, USA: 4 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia:4 Santiago, Chile: 3 Takamatsu, Japan: 2 Bangalore, India: 1 Boston, USA: 1 Chicago,USA: 1 Doha, Qatar: 1 Frankfurt, Germany: 1 Kumamoto, Japan: 1 London Heathrow, UK: 1 Los Angeles, USA: 1 Matsuyama, Japan: 1 Warsaw, Poland: 1 In addition, Boeing has about 20 undelivered 787s.
Bahrain Air
Bahrain Air held an Extraordinary General Meeting this week at which shareholders immediately suspended operations and declared bankruptcy. The carrier claimed that the kingdom’s political situation over the last two years had caused significant disruption to its operations with no compensation. The question of course is “does the kingdom with 1.3 million citizens need two airlines, particularly when Gulf Air the main carrier has lost money and three CEOs!” Bahrain air founded in 2008 has found the answer.
Fly Hobbits Fly
Hobbits are known for doing lots of hiking (in NZ Tramping) but not much flying. I (and ten million others) have been immensely enjoying Air New Zealand’s Hobbit safety video which has been playing since November, 2o12. Featuring many Lord of The Rings Characters and a Gandalf as pilot with orc passengers, the briefing presents its serious message in a light hearted and clever manner.Not sure how I would feel about those Orcs on board! It is better than the current (and annoying) Qantas cricket team safety briefing.
Great Luggage App
I found a great tool this week called Luggage Limits. It is available on line at http://www.luggagelimits.com and via Iphone and Android apps Type in airline, destination and origin and the site will tell you all of the airline’s luggage limits. You can check classes, carry on luggage sizes and luggage fees. They have a great tool which allows you to compare luggage between airlines on a particular route. Great for making decisions between carriers. Related Posts Travel Tip: Don’t Check in baggage Travel Tip: Take No Toiletries Main Airline Fees How many Shoes do you travel with
787 situation gets more serious
The 787 grounding has now been in place for a month and it looks like Boeing faces months more. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has indicated that it will be weeks before it identifies the causes of the thermal runaway in the 787’s lithium-ion-batteries. Boeing conducted a second test flight of the 787 from Seattle’s Boeing field across Washington state last Monday for an hour and 29 minutes. The flight was uneventful. Boeing advised that the flight data is being analysed but did not release any details. Boeing is basically guaranteed not to be able to…
American -US Merger
While, I know its pretty much inevitable, I am not a fan of this $11 billion merger. We know that: Merger will be completed by October, 2013 American will be the world’s biggest airline It will have two per cent more air traffic than United Airlines AA will have 6,700 flights to 336 locations in 56 countries The airline will have 1000 planes The new workforce will be close to 100,000 AMR creditors will own 72% of the combined airline and US Airways the other 28% of the ownership The American Airlines name will…
Know Your Tipping
There is a story (some say apocryphal) of my Great Aunt who embarked on a big trip in the 1950s. She being careful counted out every taxi fare and restaurant meal to the exact penny. When confronted by a burly taxi driver who said ” hey lady don’t they tip in your country, she turned on her heel and said “no”. Tipping can be incredibly traumatic for travelers because customs and amounts vary greatly. On a tour in the USA, our Grand Canyon tour guide chastised loudly a group of Scandinavian tourists for hopping off the bus without…
Recent Comments