The internet is undoubtedly the best first destination for would-be travellers. But with so much advice online — some of it contradictory — where do you go?
I’m biased because of my profession, but I always like to look at the online version of reputable newspapers’ travel pages for the advice of my fellow journalists and travel writers.
The other night. I was chatting to a stranger who told me he was an airline pilot.
He was also quite drunk. Nothing wrong with that; I’ve been there myself.
But it did make me wonder what checks airlines have in place to make sure their crew aren’t drunk at the controls. Continue reading Drunk in the cockpit
Is bigger always better? Not necessarily when it comes to the size of commercial jet aircraft. With the original jumbo jets, the Boeing 747, being all but phased out as passenger craft, focus in aviation circles has turned to the Airbus A380.
Airlines are divided on whether the double-decker A380 — which can carry as many as 853 passengers — is the best option for their fleets.
It continues to amaze me that so many people who work in the hospitality industry don’t understand the basic rules of hygiene I learned as a child.
And how, despite millennia of experience in creating public buildings, and decades of public-health research, many restrooms (bathrooms, toilets, WCs … call them what you will) are still badly designed from a hygiene point of view.
What’s wrong with Australia? That was the question posted recently on Quora.com, and it attracted some interesting replies.
As an Aussie myself, I guess I’m expected to say that there is nothing wrong with Australia. But that would be untrue. It’s just that the faults I find are not necessarily the ones others find.
“Understanding the psychographic … of our current and future guests is the key – acknowledging and realising what they want from a holiday and then providing it for them.”
That’s a quote from P&O Cruises senior vice president Paul Ludlow talking about the thinking behind the design of the company’s newest ship.
It’s your holiday; your once-in-a-lifetime dream trip. Or at least your once-in-a-year getaway. Of course you want it to be perfect.
But, let’s face it, nothing in life is perfect. And when you go on holiday, you have to expect some glitches.
“Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt: The countries Australians travel to despite warnings.” So says the headline of a recent story on the popular website news.com.au.
And it’s true, of Australians and other travellers, that we sometimes go to places despite warnings from ogovernments, travel agents or other expert advisers.
I’ve just booked another cruise — a seven-day trip up and down the Arabian Gulf from Dubai in February — and it’s given me the opportunity to revisit the booking process and offer some, hopefully useful, tips.
As I’ve written before, it’s often more expensive for solo travellers to take cruises because a single supplement — let’s not call it a “no-friends tax” — often applies.
The airline that travel snobs love to hate is poised to become the biggest in Britain.
According to reports from the UK, Ireland’s RyanAir is about to overtake British Airways sometime in 2018.
Whether you are in a boat, a plane, a train, a bus or a car, you are taking a leap of faith. You hope that the vehicle is fit for purpose and that the person in charge knows what they are doing.
And, as anyone who has done any travel at all knows, that isn’t always guaranteed.
If you follow the guest reviews on web forums — and, to be honest, I try not to do that too closely for fear of my sanity — you’ll notice that a lot of travellers don’t know what they are getting themselves in for when they hand over their money.
My attention was recently drawn to a review from a passenger who’d previously experienced one of the Cunard Queens and then took a cruise with another, less expensive, American line.
Despite the fact that more and more people remain, or become, single well into their adult years, most travel deals are still offered on a per-person, twin-share basis.
Quite often, that fact is buried deep into the fine print on the brochure or website, and many people have begun the booking process to find that that bargain journey is only going to be a bargain if they can find a friend.
In Beijing, volunteers in blue vests are chasing down people who covertly smoke in banned areas, and handing out fines as well as “criticism and education”.
Smoking is already banned in restaurants and other indoor areas in China and there is talk of a nationwide ban on smoking in public places. And China is not alone.
Smart gates at airports — designed to allow passengers to get out into the arrivals hall as quickly as possible by self-scanning their passports rather than queuing to see an immigration official — may seem like new technology. But the fact is that Australia already has plans to phase them out.
Don’t panic. It’s all good. They will be replaced by even newer tech that promises to make life easier for frequent travellers.
Birds on a plane? At first that idea seems a little ridiculous, but several airlines that fly in the Middle East allow falcons to travel in the passenger cabin.
These birds of prey, who compete in pursuit events across the region, are highly prized by their owners and are worth considerable sums. And, no, they can’t just fly to their destination (after all, they are not homing pigeons). Continue reading Fly like a falcon
Christmas markets, Christmas lunches, Christmas shopping … it’s all happening, and not just in traditionally Christian countries.
Not long after I moved to Abu Dhabi, somebody sneered on social media about “politically correct” Britain, where some councils had (allegedly) banned Christmas, and then added for good measure: “I bet you’re not allowed to celebrate it in the UAE, either.”
Where in the world would you expect to get the better 4G mobile coverage: Romania or Great Britain?
The answer might surprise you: it’s not Britain, According to the National Infrastructure Commission, the United Kingdom has worse coverage than Romania, Peru and Panama.
Marine life conservation will be a priority at the new SeaWorld on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, which is scheduled to open in 2022.
The park, a joint venture between the American company and the UAE’s Miral Asset Management, will join a growing number of attractions on the island, which is already home to a Formula 1 race track, concert arena, water theme park and an attraction devoted to Ferrari vehicles.
Mohamed Al Zaabi, chief executive of Miral, said there would be a strong emphasis on rescue and rehabilitation of marine life.
Another day, another report of an idiot doing what some idiots do on aircraft.
The latest involves an Emirates A380 business-class passenger who allegedly took liberal advantage of the free booze on a flight from Manchester to Dubai, then stripped off to the waist and started smoking a cigarette — all while the plane was landing.
