There is no love lost between Ireland’s low cost Ryanair and Italy’s carrier. Ryanair have tackled Alitalia a few times over their perception that Alitalia has recieved unfair state aid. Now Ryanair have launched a new hub at Rome’s Fiumicino airport. They have stated they want to feed their routes into Alitalia’s international routes. Ryanair Deputy CEO Michael Cawley stated: “Ryanair believes that by offering to feed Alitalia’s international hub at Fiumicino and by searching for opportunities to work with and assist Alitalia in its turnaround, that we can help the new investors and the…
Google Maps does the Tardis
The British TV show “Dr Who” celebrated it’s fiftieth year with its 799th episode broadcast last week, simultaneously in 94 countries. This gained it Guinness Book of Records status for the largest ever simulcast of a television drama. Google Maps, in a clever move, has established an on-line tour of the Doctor’s time machine: The Tardis. On line users “walking” past London’s Earl Court station can enter a police box there. This, of course, is the Doctor’s time machine from Gallifray, in the constellation of Kasterborous. Google users can enter and explore a 3D version…
Chinese Students bridge culture gap
We’re not this alien ‘other’ group Four Chinese students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have set up their own YouTube channel called Channel C, to explain to Americans the key issues where Chinese students struggle to integrate into US culture. This can lead to many Chinese students feeling isolated. ,” Cecilia Miao, one of the channel’s founders, told the Wisconsin State Journal. “We should try to celebrate differences, not ignore it.” The students have worked to produce a series of entertaining and thought provoking video clips including: Why Chinese students don’t speak English? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgN7TsL8DtY Why…
Evolution: Etihad’s New Model
Etihad is adding its seventh “equity partner”, buying a 33.3% stake of Switzerland’s Darwin Airline. Darwin joins the other six, Etihad has gathered: airberlin (29%) Air Seychelles (40%) 19.9% of Virgin Australia (19.9%) 3% of Aer Lingus (3%), Jet Airways (24%) and plans in January 2014 to acquire 49% of Air Serbia (49% from January, 2014). All of these carriers have entered into agreements to feed traffic into the Eihad international network. Never heard of Darwin Airline? They are a Switzerland based European regional carrier. Their fleet consists of ten Saab 2000s operating from…
You Stink
I was on a completely full 10 hour flight on Sunday. Nearby to me was a passenger travelling with the worst body odour I have ever been in a confined space with! On an informal test, I discovered their smell could be detected from five seats away. The woman sitting next to the passenger feigned sleep and covered her face with a blanket in an attempt to block him out. I know Air Canada have de-planed a smelly passenger in the past. What would you do in this situation? Do/say nothing Silently offer deodorant…
Blue Ice: Fact or Fiction?
Many people are convinced that when they flush an airport lavatory, that the contents drop on the people below! This is fueled by the legendary stories about “blue ice” tearing through roofs across the world. “Blue ice” is the mix of sewage material and blue liquid disinfectant that freezes because of the plane’s altitude. One chunk in London tore a large hole in the roof of a Unitrainn Church in London, and is reprtedly one reason for the building’s demolition! Earlier this year, a guy in the UK lost part of his conservatory roof to Blue Ice. In the…
Etihad Ten Years
Last week, Etihad celebrated ten years of operations with a flyover of AbubDabi. From one A320 flying from Abu Dhabi to Beirut, the UAE carrier has grown to be one of the world’s largest carriers. The airline operates over 1,000 flights per week with 88 aeroplanes to 95 passenger and cargo destinations across the globe. In 2012 it carried 10.3 million passengers, up 23 per cent on 2011. Etihad is very good at growth. Just not good at making money. In fact growth seems to come before profit. For much of its decade, the airline…
Sweden is not Switzerland
Entries close next week for a competition asking Chinese people to come up with funny ways to help differentiate Sweden and Switzerland. Both nations’ names start with the same symbol in Mandarin. Sweden is Ruidian and Ruishi is Switzerland and many Chinese confuse the two. I suspect they are not the only people who mix them up. Spanish speakers can mix up ‘Suecia’ and ‘Suiza’. I have been told by people how much they love the Swiss furniture store Ikea. People also mix up Taiwan and Thailand. I once confused the Caribbean island of Grenada with Granada…
Remembrance Day 2013
Lest we forget In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not…
US Airlines switch On PED Devices
The US Federal Aviation Administration ruled on October 31 that Portable Electronic Devices (PEDs) may be used at every stage of a passenger’s air journey, that is from gate to gate. PEDs include e-readers, noise reduction headphones, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. The ruling is “based on input from the PED Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) which concluded that most commercial airplanes can tolerate radio interference signals from PEDs.” Most of the key US carriers are now allowing usage: Alaska Airlines from Nov 9 American Airlines from Nov. 4 American Eagle flights from Nov 4 except those operated by Chautauqua , ExpressJet Airlines,…
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