Let me take you on a journey around the Isle of Man (or Mann), a unique destination that offers visitors a rich history, stunning natural scenery, and a huge variety of activities. Located in the Irish Sea between England and Ireland, the Isle of Man is a self-governing British Overseas Territory with its own government, parliament, and judicial system. Therefore, I counted it as the 84th country/territory I have visited! The Isle of Man is most known for the annual TT Races, one of the world’s most famous motorcycle races, attracting thousands of visitors yearly.…
Poor One World connectivity: When a booking goes Really Awry
I am a devoted fan of Qatar Airways, my preferred airline. I am a One World Emerald passenger, which is the highest level for frequent fliers in the One World system. I appreciate the benefits that come from heat arrangement. However, what should have been a seamless, terrific One World experience, however, turned into a more stressful experience due to the handling of a sudden change in my flight itinerary. I booked a four-segment flight from Jakarta, Indonesia to New York’s JFK and back, with connections in Doha, Qatar. The total miles for the roundtrip…
The World’s Most Unsafe Airlines
I wrote recently about the safest airlines in the world according to Airline Ratings. My attention was drawn to the most unsafe airlines. Airline Ratings does not officially release a list of the least safe airlines. Numerous airlines have received one-star ratings, however, and those at the bottom of the one-star list are as follows: The flag carrier of Algeria, Air Algerie, has had a number of serious incidents. They at least get 3.5 out of 7 for customer service, which is more than many of their one-star compatriots. Customers are scathing: “travelling to Algeria…
Unpacking the safest airlines in the world
I really enjoyed this recent RankingRoyals visualisation of the top 20 safest airlines in the world according to AirlineRatings.com. This is reproduced with their permission. In coming up with its list, the reviewers at airlineratings.com consider a range of factors, including audits from aviation’s governing and industry bodies; government audits; aircraft crashes and serious incident records; profitability, industry-leading safety initiatives, and fleet age. It’s also important to keep in mind that airline safety ratings are not absolute measures of an airline’s safety record, and different agencies may have different opinions based on their criteria and…
Australia’s Lakes District- an Introduction
The Gippsland Lakes system is the largest network of inland waterways in Australia. It is a popular tourist destination known for its stunning natural beauty, majestic lakes and pristine beaches. Lakes Entrance is the picturesque coastal town located (unsurprisingly) at the entrance of those lakes! The Gippsland Lakes system consists of lakes, lagoons, and rivers that stretch over 600 square kilometers (360 miles). The lakes are surrounded by lush vegetation, including banksia woodlands, eucalypt forests, and coastal heathlands. The clear, blue waters of the lakes reflect the surrounding landscape, creating a stunning vista that is…
Stunning Sunset over Philippines
I am not sure exactly where I am but it is at least nine kilometres (five miles) above the island nation of the Philippines aboard a Philippines Airlines flight. I cannot decide which picture I like. Your preference? 1, 2, 3, 4? Whichever, sunset from a plane is always phenomenal. S
Pleasant Surprise: A Comprehensive Review of Philippine Airlines Business
My expectations of Philippines Airlines were quite low. My only experience of Philippine Airlines had been a single adequate domestic flight five years ago. Instead, I found that PAL holds their own and offers service that is, overall, currently better than both Thai Airways and Malaysia Airlines. As those two airlines’ standards appear to have slipped, PAL has overtaken them. Best of all, I managed to snag business class fares that cost less than a third of those being charged by Singapore Airlines. I got a very comfortable ride. All my flights were marred by…
I have flown (and ranked) every One World Member Airline
With my recent hop from Casablanca to Doha, with Royal Maroc Airlines, I have now flown every one of the 13 One World airline members. The One World Alliance was formed in 1999 and includes 13 airlines which carry half a billion passengers a year via 14,000 flights a day. Each airline continues to operate independently but through the Alliance, they “work together to deliver consistently a superior, seamless travel experience“. One World has two major benefits for me. The first is the ability to earn frequent flyers points across the entire alliance. I use…
More food than I can eat- riding a Thai Train
The in-transit catering on Thailand trains is amazing. Streams of salespeople hop on and off at every station on the “all stops” trains. They are usually selling hot and cold coffees, ice cold sweetened Thai teas, and fresh fruit, meals, snacks, and take-home goodies. Basically if you want anything from a sliced apple to a Phad Thai, they will find it for you! The first time I rode a train in Thailand, I went to the supermarket to buy snacks beforehand, little knowing that every part of the 4,044 km (2,513 mile) rail system has…
Royal Air Maroc Business- Could do better
Overall, I enjoyed my first-ever flight with Royal Air Maroc (RAM), the Moroccan flag carrier from Casablanca to Doha in Qatar, aboard a very comfortably laid out Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The experience, however, wasn’t One World standard. RAM is owned by the Moroccan Government and is headquartered at Casablanca-Anfa Airport. They joined the One World alliance in 2020. I had planned to fly them that year, but obviously, I was grounded. Flying them means I have now been on flights with every One World carrier (existing and previous). Booking I used 42,000 American Airlines Advantage…
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