I first flew Alitalia almost 50 years ago!* I remember it as a chic airline flying people to the glamour and history of Italy. The jumbo era was not good for the airline and it ended up the 1970s a tatter of its former self. The airline feels very frayed around the edges. I have continued to follow Alitalia as it seems to gasp for its breath one last time, multiple times. I have seen their service plunge, briefly improve and then plunge again -multiple times. Alitalia is one of the last stand alone national carriers…
My Favourite Hikes in the World
I love hiking and have now explored rural paths in a dozen countries now. I was trying today to come up with my Top Ten hikes in the world. I got to 14 in my Top Ten! It made me realise how much more of the world, I have yet to hike! My Top Four: The Milford Sound Track in New Zealand, a 53.5 km walk which starts at the head of Lake Te Anau and finishes at Sandfly Point in Milford Sound. The track may only be walked in one direction and takes four…
Malaysia Introduces daily Tourist Tax
The Malaysian government has introduced a 10 Malaysian Ringgitt ($US 2.35) per room per night tax for foreign tourists. This will be added to your room rate and charged to you. On a seven night trip to Malaysia, you would pay $16. Malaysians will be exempt. According to Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz the tax could reap RM654 million (US$147.47 million) if the country has a hotel occupancy rate of 60% in its eleven million “room nights”. The money will be used to develop the country’s tourism industry. If you want to avoid paying?…
Comparing One World Emerald and Sapphire
I have previously written about the Star Alliance and Skyteam Frequent Flyer programs. Time to draw my attention to One World. The OneWorld alliance has three status tiers named after gemstones. The OneWorld alliance has three status tiers named after gemstones. Emerald Sapphire Ruby Thanks to Qantas for this handy list of the benefits linked to each status. My favourites are priority check in and lounge access. I do not check luggage in so that feature is one that I rarely use. Like the other airline groupings, it is really the top tiers that are the holy…
The Top Seven Cheap Airfare Mistakes
I love saving money on my airfares. I have scored some great deals such as Business Class seats that have saved me thousands for a few tweaks of date or destination airport. There are some mistakes people make in scrooging their travel. Here are the seven biggies: How reliable is the airline? When things go wrong, how likely is the airline going to be to help you? Look at this example from Allegiant where passengers were initially stranded. Cheap fare- High Extras: If you are only taking a small carry on, do not care where…
Which countries eat the most ice cream & what are their best flavours?
I am a huge ice cream fan. I try and have an ice cream in every place I visit. I was most interested to find that the World Atlas has identified the world’s top ten biggest national consumers of ice cream. This gave me the chance to share my favourite ice cream choices in those countries. New Zealand is number one with an average of 28.4 litres (7.5 gallons) per person eaten per year.My favourite is Tip Top Hokey Pokey which consists of Honeycomb pieces folded into Vanilla ice cream. Along with another delicious flavour Goody…
Excitement of Qantas Gold for Life Muted by Qantas non reaction
In the 2009 movie “Up in the Air”, George Clooney fantasises about the time, he will hit ten million miles. When it finally happens and the airline hands him his rare ten million miler club card, he is lost for words. I have just reached “Lifetime Gold” with Qantas after 20 years in their Frequent Flyer Program. This means I get all of the Gold-level perks including: 75% bonus on points Business Class check-in Greater checked baggage allowances (which I rarely use) Airport lounge access, and better access to upgrades For the rest of my life…
Laughing through the new British Airways Safety Video -for a good cause
Just watched the new British Airways safety video which will be rolled out onto their aircraft on September 1st, 2017. This safety video was produced in collaboration with Comic Relief, who are a major charity based in the UK, with a vision of a just world, free from poverty. Ten British celebrities are depicted auditioning for a coveted part in the new BA safety video in front of comedian Asim Chaudhry character Chabuddy G. There are eight sketches advertising the safety features and procedures on the aircraft. It starts with Chiwetel Ejiofor, who was nominated for…
Idiot Abroad: UK man in Thailand becomes vandal
When you are on holidays in a strange and exotic country, what do you enjoy doing? Shopping? Seeing the sites? Trying new foods? Visiting Religious buildings? What about graffiti-ing? A 38-year-old man from the UK decided that the Chiang Mai Railway station in Northern Thailand needed some new artwork so chose to get a spray can out and began to draw graffiti across the wall. On top of the stupidity of this, he did it on a weekday morning (Thursday, July 13) at 9 am in broad light. His actions were naturally observed by Thai railway…
Australia to Asia Comparing Eight Airlines
Over the last four years, I have averaged a trip from Australia to Thailand every two months. In that time, I have flown nine different airlines on about sixty flights between multiple Australian cities and Bangkok. Some have been direct and others have required transiting at various hubs across Asia. Overall Verdict for these flights Emirates has been the best airline, overall. I scored both my Economy and Business flights an average of: 100% on this routing. This has been my experience with Emirates on other routes. With Qatar slightly ahead, they are leagues ahead of…
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