One of my dreams would be to fly through space. Not sure it will happen in my lifetime! That would take a lot of frequent flyer points to achieve! I found some really cool videos of Earth taken from the International Space Station. Enjoy! 1. This 4k HD space video shows the planet Earth from space views in various orbital paths of the western hemisphere 2. This video of New Zealand was taken by the crew of Expedition 42 on August 12, 2015 from 06:10:29 to 06:16:34 GMT, on a pass over the New Zealand…
My First Philippine Airlines flight
My 1.6 million miles of flying has never before included the Philippines or Philippine Airlines! That changed with this, my 1181st flight. PAL became the 96th airline, I have ever flown. (Not long until my 100th airline). Booking: 7/10 PAL’s system feels a little clunky. After selecting date and routing, the airline presented us with a seemingly confusing array of fare choices! It is really both extremely helpful in choosing the right fare and time and completely overwhelming! They do have a helpful summary explaining what each fare type includes: We chose the cheapest fare possible…
All about Star Alliance on their 20th Anniversary
Chances are you have seen The Star Alliance symbol on aeroplanes, airline check-in counters, airport lounges or Boarding Passes. Started by just five airlines 20 years old this week, it is the biggest of the six major airline groupings across the world. – The Six Major Airline Alliances These groupings of airlines share sales office, ground support and lounges, code share flights and jointly market their products. The benefit for us, is that the Alliance allows customers to get similar reciprocal benefits across the airline members. By size the alliances are: Star Alliance has 27 member…
Finnish Moomin themed Kids Hospital
Continuing the theme of my recent reviews of Finnair and Finnish capital Helsinki, comes today’s story which caught my attention. Finns are very proud of their Moomins, friendly trolls who live in the MoominValley. Moomins are happy go lucky warm hearted creatures who embrace adventures with gusto. They also face potentially ruinous situations with a positiveness and open ness that can be inspiring. Which is one reason why it makes sense for the new Children’s Hospital in Helsinki to adopt a Moomin theme. The New Children’s Hospital will have eight floors above ground, a basement, and…
Cathay Pacific Business Short Hop: Bangkok to Singapore
There is a massive amount of choice between Bangkok and Singapore with at least eleven airlines competing for passengers. I the midst of the clamour, the Cathay pacific option provides a nice calming option. The timing is really nice with an 11:50am departure giving one time to check out of the hotel at a civilised time and get to the airport after morning peak. Arrival into Singapore at 3:20pm gets you to your hotel just before the evening rush in Singapore, allows a check in and shower and then a chance to go for a walk,…
Testing the Best Booking Engines for International Travel
Two weeks ago, Frommers announced the results of testing airfare booking sites. Frommer’s tested sites on last-minute flights which left within 72 hours) and APEX fares which are booked six weeks out. They used major routeings such as New York to Los Angeles and secondary ones such as Philadelphia to Rome. They also had some interesting routeings such as Denver to Delhi and London to Barcelona. Their weighted scoring system included negative points for finding the worst fares on each leg. The final ranking of ten sites roughly correlated with my experiences. Over the last six to twelve months,…
Riding the Famous Thai Market Train – how You can do it!
Have you see pictures or videos of that train which goes through a Thailand’s Maeklong market? As the trains pass through, the market stands are packed up and then re -opened. I have been determined to visit the market for some time. Now I have done it! Location and Orientation The market is a genuine working market located in Mae Klong which is just 70km (40 miles) from Bangkok. The town has a very relaxed feel. There are just four trains a day through the market in each direction (eight trips in total) so you…
Watching the Destruction of Pompei
What is it with my fascination with disasters? For example, I watch Air Crash Investigations the night before going on a long flight! Many of us have been to contemporary Italy and seen the remains of Pompe. I just discovered this time lapse video of 21st August 79, the day Vesuvius erupted and wiped out the town. It is a very clever and gripping re-creation. Have you experienced a volcanic eruption? The Verdict: Slightly Wonderful Each week, I scour the internet for something weird or wonderful that has happened in travel land. if you…
Etihad Business Cairo to Bangkok summed up in one word: Inconsistent
Today’s review of Etihad’s ride from Cairo to Bangkok through their hub in Abu Dhabi is a perfect example of how I find Etihad’s product can be so inconsistent. When their service is good, it is excellent. When it is bad, it is average! Booking: 10/10 There are a vast array of airlines and flight options from Cairo to Bangkok. Cairo is a very cheap hub in the Middle East for originating flights. In fact, it was cheaper for me to fly from Dubai to Cairo and then fly onto Bangkok back through the UAE than…
Be Careful with Your Hands – When your innocent Hand Gestures might be Rude (NB Rude Images)
We use our hands all the time to point, wave and express our feelings. It has been a source of amusement that what is okay in some cultures can be an offensive gesture in another. The first time I went to Disneyworld, one of my friends excitedly told me about the way Disney employees are trained to point. They are not allowed to point with one finger. One reason is that it is easier for kids to see when you pointing with two fingers and another is that in some cultures pointing with one finger…
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