– This morning US time, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) issued an emergency security directive banning on certain electronic gadgets being taken brought into cabins on some flights to the USA. Of course, we knew about the ban already, because Royal Jordanian tweeted about it yesterday! Where they got the information from and why they announced it is a mystery. They also were in error suggesting that the ban applied to US originating flights. There has been a suggestion they inadvertently published information from a TSA circular that was…
Photos en route- showing respect
Picture this (particularly parents) Your 15 yo is sitting at the bus stop outside the corner shop 150metres from the school gates. She is sitting talking to her best friend. Probably gossiping. Probably not talking about homework! The location is a transport hub. Behind the shops is the ferry wharf and about 600 metres (650 yards) away is the train station. From the train station comes a foreign tourist in his late 20s/early 30s and his girlfriend. You can tell he is a tourist. Talking loudly in a foreign language, dressed in holiday clothes and…
All About New Low Cost Carrier “Level”, the new IAG airline
A new airline is always interesting. When it is backed up and owned by IAG, International Airlines Group which also owns Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia and Vueling, this is even more interesting. IAG announced last year they would be starting a Long Haul Low Cost Carrier. This week, the name was revealed. It will be called “LEVEL” and will start flying in June this year. LEVEL (I am not sure about the name personally) will join other low-cost carriers like AirAsiaX, Jetstar, Norwegian and Scoot by offering long haul flights. Most Low-Cost Carriers are…
Quarter Million dollar mouse stops aeroplane
The poor old mouse has had a rough time through history but always seems to make it out on top. I was fascinated/bemused by the announcement that a mouse probably ended up costing British Airways 290,000 Euro last week. Flight BA285, was due to leave London Heathrow’s Terminal 5 at 10:40am on 1st March for San Franciso. Just before push back, a mouse was found on board. Because mice can gnaw through the wiring on aeroplanes, a wide-ranging check had to done before the plane could take off. There are thousands of cables on a…
Snug & Comfy Thai Sleeper train Surat Thani to HuaHin
Last month, I travelled by train, the 1,500 km (900 miles) km from Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia to Bangkok, the Capital of Thailand. Stopping off along the way, the six train trips took 25 hours 35 minutes and it cost me $US72. The longest section (by time) was from Surat Thani, the jumping off place for beautiful Koh Samui up to the lovely resort town of Hua Hin. I chose to ride this section in a brand new Chinese-built First Class sleeping car. Scheduled Departure: 23:57 Arrival: 06:26 – 6 hour 29 min ride Total distance: 300 miles / 1,671…
Protect yourself: Robbers tell how they snatch
A new video produced by Thong Lor police in Thailand graphically illustrates how easy it is for thieves to snatch phones, bags and valuables. It is useful viewing for tourists irrespective of where your destination is. Based on confessions by real suspects with advice from the police, the video explains how you can reduce the chances of being a victim. It is well worth the first two minutes 22 seconds which are subtitled in English, of the three and a half minute video. There are three things that make a crime possible, according to Thai Police:…
Trust and travel
Trust is a commodity that is breaking down or under attack. I see posts that describe people who don’t agree with us as traitors. I had someone comment on one of my posts telling me that I am a ” liberal snowflake” whatever that means. (I don’t think the term translates into Australian)! Someone else on the same blog told me that my “right wing bias” was showing. I must have hit the right note! We currently spend time telling kids to be who they want to be and we trust them in their choices.…
Like a Mirror: Airline survey gives telling data about US Air Travellers.
Last Tuesday, some great stats came out about the state air travel in the USA. For example, the number of Americans flying last year hit a new record with forty-nine percent of the population taking at least one air trip. That does mean 51 percent of the US population did not fly in 2016. Eleven percent of Americans have never flown, down from the year before. I find it astounding that one in ten Americans have never been inside a plane for an air journey. Eighty-nine percent of people took less than five air trips last…
A 2nd Class Thai Train ride is almost 1st Class! Surat Thani from Hat Yai
Last month, I had five train journeys which took me on an epic rail voyage from Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok. As part of this week-long ride, I had two Second Class train trips with State Railways of Thailand. The first was from one of the southern most cities in Thailand: Hat Yai (E on the map below) 292 kilometres (181 miles) up to Surat Thani (jumping off point for Koh Samui). Scheduled for a 16:23 departure this four-hour eight-minute train journey in Second Class comes with a meal for nine US Dollars! The other Second Class train…
YOU MUST wear your seat belt on a plane- Graphic warning as to why
I noted on my last Air Asia flight, how much disregard was shown for the seat belt sign with passengers chatting in rows and aisles and wandering up and down the plane even while we went through turbulence. If you have any family members or friends who still believe wearing the seat belt in a plane during turbulence, is optional, show them this post. Last week, Canada’s Transportation Safety Board gave a very strong reminder for passengers to wear seatbelts in their report on Air Canada flight 088 . I am always fascinated by air turbulence stories and this…
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