About fifty airlines stopped flying in 2017. Two were biggies. One was Air Berlin and the other UK’s Monarch. Two of the airlines had been operating for a long time: 88 years and 50. One of the airlines that collapsed had operated for just one month. I have flown two of the carriers that collapsed (marked with an asterix in the list below): Air Berlin and Hawaii’s IslandAir. Of the 98 airlines I have travelled on, 54 still remain in operation. Details of some of the 50 airlines that vanished in 2017. How many had…
British Airways Magic Tear Jerker grants disabled child wish
No words for this. Christmas has come early with the help of British Airways for 12-year-old Scottish soccer fan, Finlay Sangster, who has cerebral palsy. British Airways has a program called #BAMAGIC which surprises and rewards people the airline views as special or deserving. This is the latest installment.
All my Trip Reports 2017
I flew 50 flights across nine countries in 2017. I also rode the rails in Australia, China, Finland, Japan, Laos, Malaysia and Thailand. Many of those voyages were written up in my trip reports along with my ratings and comments.Here are all of my trip reports for 2017 in alphabetical order by airline or railway. Asian Rail Voyage Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok Australia to Asia Comparing Eight Airline Cathay Pacific Business Short Hop: Bangkok to Singapore My First Cebu Pacific Flight: Cebu-Manila 61% My first China Eastern flight -with baby in exit row Etihad Business…
That cute Air NZ Christmas ad could have better sold NZ
Air New Zealand’s latest ad mocks the Kiwi (New Zealander) accent with its different vowel pronunciations and emphases. Air New Zealand crew save the day by fixing the linguistic glitches… It is a cute ad but one wonders if this is the best that Air New Zealand can come up with? The country punches above its weight internationally has some of the most amazing scenery in the world and just elected its third woman Prime Minister. The country has a lot to be proud of. And Australians, South Africans, Liverpudlians and Glaswegians all have their own unique…
Bali’s Mount Agung Volcano Disrupts- What to do if affected.
The Indonesian disaster management agency has raised the threat level for Mount Agung (around 75km from Bali’s tourist hub of Kuta) to the highest possible level 4, amid fears of a greater eruption. Ash up to half a centimeter thick has settled on villages around the volcano and masks were distributed on the weekend. Rumbling can be heard up to 12km away. Since July 2017, Agung has been discharging volcanic gases after being inactive since 1964. Its eruption in 1963 killed 1,549 people when Agung spewed ash ten kilometres into the air with lava flowing seven kilometres from the…
My New Year’s Eve 2017 Sorted!
Each year choosing a destination to ring in the new year usually comes down to where we can find the best deal and/or where I can cash in some Frequent Flyer points. I have now celebrated NY Eve in 15 different cities including Sydney, Australia, Dallas, Texas and Cebu, Philippines. Thanks to some excess Delta points, I was never going to use, we are off to Shanghai, China for the Western New Year 2017/2018. This will be the first time I have actually set foot in China (as opposed to traveling through). China will be the …
This year’s Heart Warming Heathrow Bears Ad makes eyes water- so does the airport
This heartwarming video may cause some sniffles! Based on the Heathrow Bear ad from last year (see video at end of post), this tells the story of how Doris and Edward Bear met in Christmas 1967 at London’s Heathrow airport when Doris returns Edward’s hat. It then follows their Heathrow reunions from then until now. Very sweet: Having been a LHR airport user since 1968 when I first flew out on a BOAC Viscount VC10, many elements seem familiar! Filmed in Heathrow Terminal One which opened in 1968, the year after the bears met in this ad! Poetic license is a…
Measuring Star, Skyteam, One World – Which is the “BEST” airline alliance?
Every airline passenger will have seen the name and logos of the three big airline alliances carrying almost two out of three of the world’s airline passengers. The names adorn planes, airline marketing materials, boarding passes, in flight magazines and airport signs. All three of the big US airlines (American, Delta and United) are linked to one of the alliances. In Europe, it is the same with the three major airline groups. There are also three smaller and newer alliances: U fly, Vanilla, Value. I list of all the members of the alliances at the…
Measuring Star, Skyteam, One World – Which is the “BEST” airline alliance?
Every airline passenger will have seen the name and logos of the three big airline alliances carrying almost two out of three of the world’s airline passengers. The names “One World“, “SkyTeam” and “Star Alliance” adorn planes, airline marketing materials, boarding passes, in-flight magazines and airport signs. All three of the big US airlines (American, Delta and United) are linked to one of the alliances. In Europe, it is the same with their three biggest airline companies. There are also three smaller and newer alliances: U fly, Vanilla, Value. I list of all the members…
Air Berlin’s Transatlantic Farewell Landing -Daring, Dangerous or Deserved?
The pilots of Air Berlin’s last transatlantic flight to Dusseldorf airport last Tuesday clearly did not want a normal landing. As Air Berlin flight AB7001, an Airbus 330 descended toward the runway, the pilot requested a”flyby” over the airport. A request that was refused. The pilot sought permission from Dusseldorf Control tower to make a left turn should a go-around be necessary. (A go around is a standard procedure when a pilot deems that the landing will not be a safe one). Clearly, the pilot decided a “go around” was necessary! As the plane came into land, it pulled…
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