Hawaii and Australian have been linked by air for 61 years. Qantas began flying from Australia to Hawaii in 1941 (during World War Two). Jet service began in 1959 and 747s started plying the route in the late 1970s. Air New Zealand commenced its service to the islands in 1968. Pan Am, Continental, American and United have all plied the route in the past. Today Non stop service between “Down Under” and Hawaii currently consists of: Qantas QF3: Sydney- Honolulu -three times a week (Wed, Fri, Sun)- Boeing 767-300 Jetstar JQ3: Sydney – Honolulu -daily -Airbus 330-200 Hawaiian Airlines…
Wild About Berlin
Berlin Rocks! Every time I return, I feel the city gets better and better. In fact I rate Berlin the second best city in the world. Established as a cultural capital of a united Germany, Berlin became home to artists, intellectuals and hedonists who enjoyed its freedom before becoming the centre of Naziism in the 1930s. Hitler hated Berlin and longed to see it completely rebuilt architecturally -and socially. He almost got his wish as the city was 80% bombed in World War Two. For most of the rest of the twentieth century, Berlin operated as two separate cities split by walls…
A dozen please
Was amused by this sign in a New York Supermarket. Clearly a typo but it got me thinking. How nice would it be to buy some for a friend who needs cheering up or for a grumpy fellow passenger or for ourselves when feeling stressed or down? How about it, a dozen cheeries please!
Instant Upgrade Please
I like sharing some of the wackier things I see when travelling. A passenger on my Air France flight last week, moved himself from Economy to Business Class just on pushback from the gate. The flight attendant very swiftly chased the passenger back to the economy section. A few seconds later, while the plane was stil taxiing to the runway, the same passenger moved himself into an exit row seat (middle seat actually). I had a few questions: 1. Was this a regular trick he tries? If so, does it ever work? 2. Was he not aware…
Travel Tip: Walk
When planning a trip for a day, list the attractions you want to see in a city or area. Then group them by locality. Plan your itinerary for a day so you can walk between attractions. You will save money and time and see a lot more than from a taxi, bus or subway. Just make sure you pack good shoes! Related Posts: Travel Tip #6: Take Travel Insurance Travel Tip #7: Be Date Flexible .
My 880th Flight -ever
Saturday saw me step off my 880th flight. Suitably it was on a Qantas A380. I like that synergy- 380 for my 880th! The flight itself was wonderful- trip report soon! It was also my tenth A380 trip: four with Qantas, two with Air France, one each with Emirates, Korean, Lufthansa and Singapore. More information is at: http://My.FlightMemory.com/mjc3000
ANA Passengers love 787
ANA has surveyed 780 of of its passengers who have flown the 787 between Tokyo, Japan and Frankfurt, Germany. A massive 98 percent said they wanted another chance to fly the Dreamliner, no matter which airline it belonged to. One quarter stated they would go out of their way to board the new aircraft again. Now I am really jealous! Other key findings: Cabin lighting exceeded expectations for 90 per cent of passengers 90 per cent said air quality and cabin pressure met or exceeded their expectations 80 per cent said the amount of personal space met…
Less Luxury at Lux air?
I have been to Luxembourg once. This tiny Grand Duchy has a population of half a million in an area of just under 1000 square miles (2 586sq km) in an area bounded by Belgium, Germany and France. It is the 170th smallest country in the world and the second wealthiest. The Grand Duchy has a railway company: Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois with six lines. The last visit I had to Luxembourg was by train so I have not had the pleasure of flying the Duchy’s airline: Luxair. The carrier is rated a 3 star by Skytrax -but has very high customer reviews.…
No Birds
I like this sign on Toronto, Canada. I am not a huge fan of feeding birds – particularly invasive species such as sparrows or seagulls.
German Train Delays
Many years ago, when Germany first had its ICE (Intercity Express) High Speed Trains, I was riding one to Frankfurt. As the train conductor walked through the carriage I was in, three German Businessmen yelled angrily at him “Drei Minuten”. Yes, our train was three minutes late. That image of the punctual German Railway has stayed with me so it was with a sense of disappointment that I discovered on arriving at Berlin’s brand new multi level Bahnhof (Central Station ), that my Hamburg bound train was 20 minutes late. When the train finally rolled in…
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