We often hear the word “tourist” being used disparagingly, but the fact is that more and more of us fit that description.
According to the United Nations’ World Tourism Organisation, demand for international tourism remained robust in 2016 despite challenges.
The latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer says that about 46 million more tourists (overnight visitors) travelled internationally last year compared to 2015.
Airlines and the environment have an uneasy relationship. Despite economies and advances in fuel technologies, there are fewer bigger polluters than jet airplanes.
It sometimes rings a little hollow when airlines boast about their environmental credentials, so it’s nice to hear any news of a “green” initiative.
Air India has responded to reports of sexual harassment in the air by introducing women’s-only seats.
The airline made the decision after reports of two separate groping incidents in the past month, and it’s difficult to argue against. But it raises a serious issue.
News that the search for Malaysian airlines Flight MH370, which went missing on March 8, 2014, has been suspended must be heratbreaking for the families of the passengers and crew.
It also means that some important questions about airline safety may be left unanswered.
Nobody wins when a tourist gets arrested in a foreign place for doing something they didn’t even know was illegal.
Of course, ignorance of the law is no excuse anywhere, but some places have a reputation for making things excessively difficult for people — often naive young people — who break the law.
So, it’s good to see that one popular destination is doing something about it.
Want to own an airline? Well you may be disappointed, but not surprised, to discover that Airbus has increased the price of its fleet from January 1 this year.
According to manufacturer’s website, after an adjustment, the entry level model, the A318, is now US$75.9 million.
We know that air flight has become ridiculously affordable in recent years, but this story really underscores that.
In England, a young woman who wanted to catch a train from Newcastle to Birmingham to visit her friend discovered that it was cheaper for them both to fly to Spain.
Ever since commercial air travel became a reality, we have been teased by the promise of faster and faster flight times.
In the 1970s, it became a reality with supersonic flight on Concorde. But only two airlines ever offered the service, it wasn’t commercially viable and, after a big accident, it was discontinued.
So in a world where we expect everything to be better, what is next?
Update: the final show on May 21, 2017 will be live streamed. Details at Ringling.com
The Greatest Show on Earth will soon be no more. The Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus, which has been touring the United States for more than 100 years, will soon fold up its big top for the last time.
Many will feel a tinge of nostalgia at this news; others will say it’s about time.
As frequent flyers know too well, very few flights ever leave on time. There’s always a reason (or at least, an excuse) of course. And a late departure doesn’t necessarily mean a late arrival — although it often does.
But for everyone except the most casual travellers, there are appointments and connections that have to be met, so on-time performance is important.
All ttavellers know that not all passports are equal. Some people have free access to foreign countries via via-on-arrival agreements, while others have to go to a lot of trouble and expense to organise visas in advance.
Every year, Arton Capital releases its Passport Index, which ranks the useful of national passport on the basis of the number of countries they can get you into. This year’s figures has just been released, and you may be surprised which documents are the most powerful.
Some of us get nervous if we’re not connected to our mobile devices. Others dream of an escape to a place where there are no phones and no internet.
If you’re in the latter category, you know that 30,000 feet above the ground is no longer one of those places. And it’s going to get worse.
It certainly seems counterintuitive, but sometimes you can get an airfare bargain by travelling further than you intended.
For example, return flights from Australia to London are often cheaper than fares from Australia to Dubai, which is the stopover two-thirds into the journey.
There are all sorts of tours for all sorts of interests. Many of them have culinary themes, and others — like ghost tours — can be quite morbid.
I’m not quite sure how this one fits in: an open-top double decker bus tour of London street meat eateries.
How much damage can a bird do to a jet airliner? Enough to take out an engine, apparently.
A Thompson Airlines flight from Bournemouth in England, heading for Tenerife, was reportedly forced to make an emergency landing at Gatwick after a seagull “shattered the core of the engine”.
Many travellers to London like to include a theatrical experience in their holiday itinerary. If you’re one of them, you might be wondering what the hot shows are.
Well, wonder no more. Here are some suggestions based on various authoritative sources. Many of these shows are long-running, or revivals, and I can vouch for quite a few of the shows (if not necessarily the productions).
The shooting in the baggage-claim area of Fort Lauderdale airport that claimed five lives has, once again, brought up the issue of airport safety.
It follows recent incidents at airports in Turkey and Belgium, and a passengers’ rights group in the United States says it is clear that airports are now the number-one “soft target” for terrorists.
Planning a flight to London? Well, as frequent travellers who’ve spent time and money to travel in taxis, trains or buses already know, London’s two best-known airports are not actually in the English capital.
The Advertising Standards Agency in the UK has cleared an advertisement by London City Airport that claims it is the only airport that is actually in London, which means London Heathrow and London Gatwick are not.
Although airline incidents are rare, and flying is statistically much safer than driving, we all sometimes have concerns when we fly.
I know a few people who refuse to fly with certain airlines because of a past incident or a belief that there is a greater risk of an accident.
So lists like that of the world’s safest airlines are eagerly read.
We’ve been hearing a lot lately about driverless cars: how they are being trialled by big names like Google and Uber in the United States, in Singapore and Dubai, and how their wide acceptance is just around the corner.
However, one car manufacturer says fully driver-free vehicles are a long way down the track — for one simple reason.
