At a Qantas media conference today, the public were informed that the group made a statutory loss after tax of $244 million. Its first loss for 20 years. The group had a $95 million profit before tax. Again, Qantas shareholders will receive no dividend. Record high fuel costs of $4.3 billion, up $645 million made a major dent. We also found out the cost of the industrial action and grounding of the Qantas fleet ($194 million). What we didn’t find out was the actual cost of the industrial action versus the grounding. Of the industrial action, some cost the company nothing (for…
This Week: August 19 to 27
Sigh! I managed two mistakes in one week. I moved an airline to the wrong country and I accidentally published a draft post which was not finished yet. Apologies for both. My travel plans for the week are a little up in the air. Wishing you a good week!
A380 Picture upon Picture
Finally found a use for Pinterest! I have started using Pinterest to collect pictures of Airbus 380s and Boeing 787s. Some on the ground, some in the air and some mid take off or landing! If you would like to check out my images, please visit my Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/martinjcowling/
PLUNA Plunges [updated]
Don’t blog at 4am! Apologies for moving Pluna and its bankruptcy to the wrong country! And with friends from both countries, I should know better. PLUNA Líneas Aéreas Uruguayas S.A., headquartered in Montevideo, Uruguay (not Paraguay) was the country’s 75 year old flag carrier. The company was liquidated by its owner the Government of Uruguay on 5th July 2012, two days after employees went on strike. The airline had a mixed history of ownership and a series of financial losses. Thats the 17th airline to vanish in 2012 and the third flag carrier to go this year (Malev and…
Fish Soup in Baja, Hungarian
Type “Baja” into Google and you get the resort area of Mexico and not this ancient Hungarian city. Baja is approximately 140 Km south of Budapest, sitting at at the confluence of the Danube and one of its tributaries the Sugovica. The town has been settled since the Iron Age and has had town status for over 300 years. It was a major trading centre then manufacturing centre. It has been ruled over by the Turks, Austrians, Serbs and now Hungarians. Yet until a few months ago, I had never heard of it. Baja holds an annual…
Stop the Plane, I wanna get off
I knew I don’t like flying Air Asia for a reason. On Saturday 11th August, One of their flights from Miri in Sarawak state, Malaysia to Kuala Lumpur, the country’s capital was delayed for an hour when a man opened the emergency doors and leapt out of the plane just before take off. Other flights were also delayed. Fight passenger Siva Nathiran. said “The raft automatically opened. Other passengers started screaming. The plane was brought to a halt,” Flight attendants advised the captain who halted the flight (do the pilots know when a door is opened?). The passenger was arrested…
Slow Train in Hungary
Two weeks ago, I blogged about my High Speed ICE experience. Today’s Trip Report is a little of a contrast. A much more slower trip from Budapest, the capital of Hungary to Baja, a small city south of Budapest. Booking: 3 out of 10 MAV Start has the most complex train booking system I have ever experienced. The site also froze a few times. It does provide all of the fare and train options on the one screen so you can see which train has the cheapest seats and make up your mind easily about tickets. Eventually,…
What the H*ll is this Code Sharing? (Travel Tip #9)
I was at a party recently and a guy I was talking to, was reflecting on his recent holiday. He had been shocked to find despite being booked on what he thought was a Qantas flight, it was in fact operated by British Airways. “What the hell is this Code Sharing?” was his comment. This experience can be a bonus. For example, being booked on an American Airlines flight but the carrier is Qantas. The service will be better and the food better! I have also found it can save you money. When I booked…
Qantas Gold Frequent Flyer-again
Quiet week here with no travel anywhere! Qantas sent me through my new Qantas Frequent Flyer card last week. My Frequent Flyer membership ticked over July 31, 2012. I have retained Gold status for another year.I had contemplated a last ditch Platinum run but resisted it. I also have some points with Emirates, JetBlue, Southwest and United. My other two main Frequent Flyer programs are with Virgin Australia (Platinum Status until December, 2013) and Delta (Silver Status until January). I also reached 7000 vists in July which was a new record for me. 80 per cent of you are regular visitors…
The 787 heads to Ethiopia
This one snuck up on me. Ethiopian Airlines will take delivery of its first 787 on Tuesday 14th August (next Tuesday). A crew will fly the new plane from Washington, D.C. to Addis Ababa on Thursday, August 16, 2012. The plane’s maiden flight the following weekend dubbed “The Dream Tour,” will be on August 18, 2012, with a sightseeing flight to Mount Kilimanjaro for around 270 invited guests, consisting of Ministers, Ambassadors, other VIPs, Ethiopian ShebaMiles [Frequent Flyer] Gold Members and media. Jealous! The first Ethiopian Dreamliner conducted its first test flight on Monday, July 9,…
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