Passengers on Qantas flight QF81 from Sydney to Singapore were treated to a pop-up concert at 35,000 feet when nine musicians from the Australian World Orchestra performed. Here’s some video:
Thai Airways is offering some of its Melbourne to Bangkok business class passengers to fly in first-class seats during October. This is due to a temporary aircraft change on the route. Details here.
Australian Business Traveller is a great source of news for the well-heeled Anitipodean. Usually its posts are straightforward, but this one is shrouded in mystery. It says that an unnamed airline will roll out “proprietary high-end super first class suites” on its Boeing 777 jets next year.
Kerala state in India is trying to broaden its appeal to visitors interested in seeing elephants, birdwatching and weddings. The Kerala Travel Mart 2016 in Kochi this week also heard from speakers about sustainable tourism. You can read about some of the highlights here
British Airways and Qatar Airlines have announced a codeshare agreement that will simplify travel for passengers to and from Europe, the Middle East and Africa. More here.
Qantas international first class passengers now have the choice of wearing new pyjamas designed by Martin Grant. The Australian airline has also struck and agreement with quality bedsheet maker Sheridan to “create the ultimate luxury sleep experience”. Qantas has also announced a new partnership with Sheridan to create the ultimate luxury sleep experience, designed exclusively for Qantas First Suites across its fleet of A380s.
Singapore Airlines will launch a thrice-weekly Sydney-Jakarta-Singapore service from November 23, using a Boeing 777 aircraft. More here.
Passengers aboard P&O’s Britannia have been given an advisory about a possible terrorism threat in Belgium. According to marine lawyer Jim Walker, they received the notice as they disembarked in Bruges.
Like many cruise aficionados, I’ve heard of Mario Salcedo, but never met him. Known as Super Mario, he’s been cruising an average of 350 days a year, and since 2000, exclusively with Royal Caribbean. If anybody knows about cruises, he does. Here’s what he has to say:
Newcastle, north of Sydney, Australia (as opposed to the two in the UK) is about to get hip. Under the Hunter Innovation Project, designed to attract people to the region, it will join the growing number of cities that offer free wi-fi in the CBD. More here.
Were the good old days of commercial aviation really so good? Maybe so, if you were lucky enough to fly SAS (Scandinavian Airlines) back in the 1950s, 60s, 70s and 80s. Some photos have emerged on the internet, including the one below.
Immigration authorities in Qatar have streamlined the process of arrivals for cruise passengers at Doha port. A passenger manifest will be sent to Doha 48 hours before ship arrivals, allowing preclearance. Morehere.
Saudi Arabian Airlines has acquired 63 aircraft as part of a fleet modernisation programme, according to a Saudi Press Agency report quoted by Reuters. The deal involves 15 Boeing B777-300ER, 13 Boeing B787 Dreamliners and and 35 Airbus planes comprising A320 and A321-neo models.
Starwood Hotels has officially confirmed its merger with the Marriott group in an email to members of its SPG (Starwood Preferred Guest) loyalty scheme. The message is headed “Marriott Merger Complete: Today We’re One Company with Three Great Loyalty Programmes”, and members are invited to link their SPG, Mariott Rewards and Ritz Carlton Awards accounts. The email says: “Starting today, you can link your accounts to receive two additional advantages: Elite Status Match and Points Transfer. This allows you to unlock a world of new destinations and possibilities while we work to build one combined programme.”
Bangkok city officials have been given a one-month deadline to come up with solutions to the Thai capital’s chronic traffic problems. Suggestions include road space rotation, new traffic courts, adjusting working hours to avoid peak-hour jams and quadrupling fines. More here.
Qantas is reportedly considering direct flights from Australia to Europe,which would represent a big change from its traditional “kangaroo hop”, once via Singapore and Bahrain, and now nonstop to Dubai and on to London. Australian Business Traveller reports: “Qantas CEO Alan Joyce has pencilled Sydney-Paris and Melbourne-Rome onto the ‘here’s where we could fly’ route map, in a move which would see the airline cherry-picking the top European destinations for direct flights using ultra-long range aircraft.” The story, quoting anAirlineRatings.com interview, adds that Qantas could never aspire to fly to the 40 European destinations its partner, Emirates, services, so stopovers in Dubai won’t entirely become a thing of the past.
Bangkok is the most popular travel destination in the world, according to a survey by credit card company Mastercard. “It isn’t a flash in the pan. Bangkok is in a strong position to be the top destination city for a long time,” Yuwa Hedrick-Wong, Mastercard chief economist, told Reuters. Travellers mentioned the food as a major attraction. Second on the list was London. More here.
The Thai capital of Bangkok has beaten London to be crowned the world’s most popular travel destination this year, according to an annual ranking by global payments and technology companyMastercardreleased on Thursday.
Tourism has been one of the rare bright spots for Thailand, Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy, which has grappled with weak consumer confidence and exports after a 2014 coup the military said was aimed at ending months of political unrest.
Last month’s wave of bomb blasts in southern Thailand, which police have blamed on Muslim separatists, appears to have had a limited impact on tourism.
Bangkok, also known as the ‘city of angels’, topped the 2016 listing of 132 cities, beating London, Paris and Dubai to become the city most visited by international travellers in the Mastercard Index of Global Destination Cities.
“It isn’t a flash in the pan. Bangkok is in a strong position to be the top destination city for a long time,” Yuwa Hedrick-Wong, Mastercard chief economist, told Reuters
London has beaten the likes of New York, Paris, Sydney and Dubai to be named best city in the Times, Sunday Times and Sunday Times Travel Magazine Awards, voted by readers of those British titles. Best airline was British Airways and best country was Italy. More here.
Qatar Airways is planning to increase its passenger capacity to Brazil and Argentina by 99 seats a day by using a larger aircraft on its daily service from Doha to Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires. The new Boeing 777-300ER service will begin on December 1. More here.
Swiss International has unveiled a la carte dining in its economy cabin — at a price. Choices range from a brunch (of Swiss bircher muesli, fruit salad and plain yoghurt, selection of Swiss cheeses and cold cuts, scrambled egg with chives, potato wedges, grilled tomato and bacon, Zöpfli, croissant, dark bread with butter, honey and preserves) to a full meal (with Gravadlax and salmon tartar as a starter, followed by Beef fillet with red wine jus and a dark chocolate Opera torte). Prices range from 29-40 Swiss francs (about $US30-50).
The best and worst airports in the world? Everybody has their own favourites. But what about the people who visit them the most — flight crew? On Reddit, pilots and crew were asked the question, and there seemed to be some consensus on one of the worst airports: LaGuardia in New York. One noted: “How bad is LaGuardia? So bad that pilots don’t want to return to it and prefer to land in the Hudson.” (There was, however, concession that its proximity to Manhattan made it popular with passengers.) On the favourites side, there was some love for Singapore. Follow the thread here.
Something else to add to the list of things that can get you kicked off a flight — drawing on the aircraft with felt tip pens. The pilot spotted two women doing just that as they waited to board a Flybe plane from Southampton in England to southern France. The women were not arrested, but the flight left without them. More here.
Gaol, which closed in 2013, is honouring arguably its most famous inmate, the poet, novelist and playwright Oscar Wilde. Until 10 October, visitors to the near-London prison can visit Wilde’s cell and appreciate orks across many disciplines, by a select group of artists, writers and performers including Nan Goldin, Marlene Dumas, Ai Weiwei, Steve McQueen and Patti Smith. More here. Ticket informationhere.
Royal Caribbean is looking for somebody to become godmother of its newest and biggest ship, Harmony of the Seas. The “hometown hero” from the Harmony’s home port of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale will join the likes of former US first lady Rosalynn Carter, comedian/actress Whoopi Goldberg, champion wheelchair marathoner Jean Driscoll, Olympians Michelle Kwan, Dara Torres, and Shawn Johnson, award-winning performer Kristin Chenoweth; singer and entrepreneur, Gloria Estefan; and fashion icon and philanthropist, Fan Bingbing. On this occasion, Royal Caribbean is looking for an educator to fill the role. Details here.
Qatar Airways will increase capacity on its Doha to Sydney route by 44 per cent by replacing the Boeing 777 service with an Airbus A380. The airline will offer 517 seats per flight. More here.
Transatlantic airfares have never been cheaper — but the current discounts are not as low as they can go. One airline — Norwegian — is expect to offer United States to United Kingdom fares for as low as $69 (£52) next year. It says this will be made possible when it takes delivery of 100 Boeing 737 MAX 8 airliners, which are more fuel efficient and reliable than its current fleet. More here.
A Belgian brewery has built a 2-mile (3.2-kilometre) long pipeline to deliver beer directly to its off-site bottling plant. The historic De Halve Maan (Half Moon) brewery in Bruges came up with the solution because it was increasingly difficult to transport the product through the World Heritage-listed city, which is a popular tourist drawcard. It funded the scheme through crowdsourcing by offering donors free beer. Detailshere.
When you think “safari”, you probably think of Africa. But it is possible to see large and impressive animals in the wild elsewhere — including in the United States. The Smithsonian.com has advice hereout how to find some incredible beasts, including 4,000 pound elephant seals and the largest bears in the world. It also reminds you to respect those animals and their habitat, which is a very good thing.
Looking for late-night activities in London? The Visit Britain site has some recommendations for night owls who plan to take advantage of the Night Tube service, where certain London Underground lines will operate all night on Fridays and Saturdays. More here.
Qantas has launched Qantas Out Of Office, a service that transforms the generic out of office auto email reply into a real-time photographic travel journal. According to the Australian airline, Out of Office connects an email address with Instagram and updates the auto reply message with holiday Instagram photos that are tagged with the hashtag #qantasoutofoffice. Details at qantasoutofoffice.com. Meanwhile, Qantas has also announced it will launch daily flights between Melbourne and Tokyo Narita from December 16.
Royal Caribbean has discontinued its “dynamic dining” concept where different menus were offered in its main restaurants. Instead, the cruise company’s ships will revert to the standard first and second sessions, plus “my time” dining for some passengers. Details here.
Want to visit a happy place? According to the World Happiness Report, you ought to go to Denmark. It ranks number one on the report, which takes into account such factors as GDP, health, life expectancy, generosity, the incidence of corruption and violence, and freedom. The other top-10 happy countries, in order, are Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, Finland, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Australia and Sweden. The least happy country? Burundi. More here.
Researchers have discovered what they believe to be the abandoned British ship HMS Terror 168 years after its failed attempt to sail through the Northwest Passage. The news coincides with a crossing through the passage by the cruise ship Crystal Serenity, made possible by melting ice.
An accident during a lifeboat drill on the Harmony of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, has left one crew member dead and several injured, two of them with life-threatening injuries. The accident occurred while the ship was in port at Marseilles. Operator Royal Caribbean extended its sympathies to the 42-year-old crewman’s family and said it would cooperate with any investigation. More here.
Myanmar (previously Burma) is streamlining its visa services to conform to international standards. Travellers will be able to apply for various types of multiple-entry visas, including for work, social, religious and research visits, the tourism ministry said. The cost of some visas will also be reduced in line with prices charged by other countries in the region. An e-visa is available for passport holders from 100 countries. Details here.
A woman has died and several people are seriously ill after an outbreak of gastroenteritis on the P&O Pacific Jewel cruise ship off the coast of Queensland, Australia. The 79-year-old woman was found dead in her room when the ship was docked at at Yorkeys Knob in Cairns. More here.
Those U-shaped pillows you see people take on planes are now so yesterday. The latest innovation is a “head hammock” that guarantees (or maybe doesn’t) a good night’s sleep in an uncomfortable seat. Morehere.
British airports may soon offer fast-track service through immigration crews for passport-holders who are prepared to pay between £5 and £17.50 for the privilege. According to The Telegraph, unions are calling the scheme a “gimmick” and have called for better staffing at passport control to avoid even longer queues for those passengers not prepared to pay. Passport fast tracks are already available to premium-class passengers at many airports worldwide — and it is possible that they may resent having to wait longer, too.
Looking for a holiday the whole family can enjoy? Well, the Cruise Lines International Association recommends going on a cruise! Of course, they would say that, but here are some of their reasons outlined in a media release: amenities for all ages, from kids’ clubs to karaoke and cooking lessons; flexible travel arrangements; stress-free travel; and immersion into new cultures. More here.
Turbulence is the fear of many airline passengers and, according to one scientist, it’s going to get worse. Dr Paul Williams, a Royal Society research fellow at Reading University, says that climate change will mean more clear-air turbulence: “There has already been a steady rise in incidents of severe turbulence affecting flights over the past few decades. Globally, turbulence causes dozens of fatalities a year on small private planes and hundreds of injuries to passengers in big jets. And as carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere keep on rising, so will the numbers of incidents.” More here. [Related: what causes turbulence.]
It’s September 11, so I’d like to share this: a reminder that tourism is an important driver of economies and in bringing people together. After 9/11, New Yorkers got together to let people to know that they should visit their city. The same is true of Brussels, Paris, Istanbul, Tunis … anywhere that has suffered terror attack but it generally safe. Of course, there are no guarantees when you travel, but if we all stay at home and withdraw into our own world, then the terrorists really have won.
Qantas’s Travel Insider has nominated the best new burgers available in Australia. In Sydney, they include Louis’s Lunch Burglar at Guilty in Darlingurst, and US Chain Down-N-Out’s Pokeburger. In Melbourne, Qantas recommends Burger Theory (which hails from Adelaide) and Changz Canteen in Elsternwick. In Brisbane, the suggestions are Getta Burger in the CBD and Miel Container, Sunnybank.
My resistance to such lists notwithstanding, Conde Naste’s top islands include the Maldives, Malta, the Seychelles and several Greek islands. More here.
According to reports, the US Federal Aviation Authority is considering banning Samsung Galaxy Note 7 devices from aircraft. This follows concerns about the batteries spontaneously exploding. More here.
A 6 September tweet from Delta airlines: “Yesterday was Delta’s 153rd cancellation-free day this year. That’s 2,843 mainline flights reliably delivered.” It was accompanied by a graphic featuring the slogan: “Reliability is what we live by.” It comes almost exactly a month after Delta was forced to ground hundreds of flights on a single day due to a computer outage. It also came on the same day that British Airlines hadhuge delays caused by an IT glitch that meant passengers had to be checked in via a manual process.
Discount carrier Tigerair has launched a book now-pay later scheme for some of its Australian passengers. The interest-free scheme gives those who spend more than $250 months to pay off their fares with no interest. More here.
Qatar Airways has launched a series of discounts for flights in and out of Doha, plus a “treasure hunt” for free fares. Details here.
Carnival Cruise Line and its parent company, Carnival Corporation, are giving $250,000 to charities to help victims of the recent Louisiana floods. Recipients include the American Red Cross, Louisiana Association of United Ways and Save the Children. Passengers sailing on upcoming Carnival cruises from New Orleans will be invited to donate when they check in.
Saint Petersburg in Russia has been named the top destination in Europe at the World Travel Awards Europe Gala. Lyon in France was declared Europe’s leading city break destination, while Lufthansa was named leading airline. More here.
More than 100,000 people have signed a petition to try to ban the consumption of whale meat in Iceland. The petition was launched by the International Fund for Animal Welfare, which aims to end commercial whaling in Iceland, Japan and Norway. More here.
British Airways has started flying directly to Tehran to London Heathrow, with the first flight arriving on Friday, 2 September. According to a BA press release, the route from Imam Khomeini International Airport is being serviced by six-weekly flights to Heathrow’s Terminal 5. This follows the recent relaxing of Western sanctions against Iran. Sean Doyle, BA’s head of network and fleet, said: “Iran is a fascinating country, full of amazing and surprising places for tourists to visit and discover its sophisticated and ancient culture.” Tehran is one of 20 routes British Airways has launched this year, including San Jose, Costa Rica, San Jose, California and Lima, Peru.
The travel news for August, 2016 is here. The travel news for July, 2016 is here. The travel news for June, 2016 is here. The travel news for May, 2016 is here. The travel news for April, 2016 is here. The travel blog is here. Start spreading your news: email me here.
