After a couple of posts on airport codes, it is time, I turned my attention to airline codes and flight numbers! Every airline has a two letter code issued by IATA, the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Some are easy and recognisable e.g. AA = American Airlines BA = British Airways NZ = Air New Zealand UA = United Airways Others are more obscure such as: AY: Finnair – I discovered when I flew them originally carried the name Aero Oy 9W = Jet airways WN = Southwest airlines. There are multiple theories as to why Southwest is…
Exploring the Red Centre of Australia
Uluru (also known as Ayers Rock) has a deeply special significance for me and thousands of others. Along with The Sydney Opera house and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, it would have to be the three instantly recognisable symbols, of Australia: If coming to visit, I recommend at least three days in the Centre. Many of the 300,00 annual visitors come in and out for one single day as part of a “whistle stop” Australian tour. One day at Uluru is not enough time to experience this magical place. This last visit was my fifth and I could come back another fifty.…
Funny, weird and inappropriate Airport Codes – the definitive list
Following on from post on Monday about how to find airport codes, here are all of the codes I can find that are funny, weird or just downright inappropriate in English. The airports with an * are ones I have been to: ACK: Nantucket Memorial United States ALE: Alpine United States ATM: Altamira Brazil AWK: Wake Island US Minor Outlying Islands BAD: Louisiana’s Barksdale Air Force Base BAG: Loakan, Philippines BAH: Bahrain International, Bahrain* BED Bedford, Mass, USA BOM: Bombay, (Mumbai), India* BOO: Bodø, Norway BRO: South Padre Is. Intl United States BRR: North Bay, United Kingdom BUD: Liszt Ferenc…
Journey to the Centre of Australia with Jetstar
We recently spent a few days at Uluru (also known as Ayers Rock). To get to the spiritual heart of Australia means flying to its remote airport (code:AYQ) at an outrageous cost. Fares from Sydney can range from $450 to $1000 for the round trip. I could fly round trip to Singapore for $450 to $750 in the same period. Yet, Ayers Rock is three hours and 40 mins from Sydney and Singapore is just over eight hours! We chose to fly with Jetstar, which cost us around $490 round trip. I have never been a huge…
What’s that code? The ultimate airport decoder lists
I wrote a few weeks ago that I have been to 212 unique airports in 48 countries. Each of these airports, like most airports across the world has a three letter code which appears at ticketing, on documents and in airline routing procedures. Some codes are obvious eg SYD for Sydney or SFO for San Francisco and some of these codes can be quite obscure. eg EZE is Buenos Aires or IAD is Washington Dulles or ORD is Chicago O’Hare. If I am ever unsure of an airport code, there are two places I turn:…
Why are we so focussed on air accidents?
I do not want for one second to belittle the tragic loss of life that occurs with each air crash but I wonder, what is it about a plane crash that impacts on our consciousness? Every two days, approximately 66 people are killed on Egyptian roads; a total of 12,000 a year. 45 people per 100,000 die on Egyptian roads. Thats a horrific statistic but no one says anything about it. A year ago, a bus veered off the road at Giza into a canal leading to 35 people dead. It barely made a blip in…
21 times around the earth with Qantas -my 350th #QF Flight
Is there one airline that you have flown more than any other? I have flown on 90 different airlines. Almost one third of all my lifetime plane flights (I’ve flown 1089 times) have been with the Australian carrier, Qantas. I have just flown my 350th flight with them from Canberra, to Melbourne, Australia! Pictured here on the early morning 737-800 service. The plane on my 35oth Qantas flight itself (VH-XZG) was named Bungendore, after a small town outside Canberra. This is their 101st 737 and Boeing jetliner number 251. It was my third time on this particular…
Formula for Mapping the Tourists
I loved exploring the sights of Venice, Italy. I wandered through quiet squares where locals pegged washing out and gossiped. I was often the only tourist in the back alleys. Yet when I visited St mark’s Square, the place was crowded with tourists of every nation. Why didn’t those people stray far from the square? The same thing happened when I went to Petra. Most people walked the one kilometre (half a mile) to the amazing treasury building and went no further. Some went to the next section. I explored the furthest reaches and was…
Beautiful Blue Mountains: Review and Top Things to do
West of Sydney are one of the most beautiful and most visited parts of Australia: The Blue Mountains. This week must have been close to my 100th since I first visited The Mountains a baby! (half a century ago). As always, my review attempts to go beyond the superficial glimpse that many visitors have of this amazing place from their bus window! Aesthetics: 87% The Greater Blue Mountains are not just beautiful. They are stunning. Grand sandstone cliffs, twisting forest tracks, gorgeous waterfalls, peaceful glens, cute creeks all fill the 11,400 km² area of “The Mountains”. If the Blue Mountains…
Cool Video on the True Cost of Flying
Fascinating video on breaking down the true cost of flying. If it costs $2.50 for the fuel to fly me between DC and LA, why do the tickets cost so much? There are a lot more expenses and this video breaks them down. A hell a lot of money goes to airport costs, and taxes.The one that surprised me is how little the staff get! I like the comparison with driving. When I drive across the country, I need to consider fuel on top of the cost of the car. That makes airline fares pale in…
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