As I write this, news is coming in about a United Airlines pilot who issued a “mayday” call and had to make an emergency landing at Sydney Airport.
These sorts of headlines might concern those with a fear of flying, but in fact this incident, and others like it, should be cause for comfort.
Continue reading How ‘incidents’ actually improve air safety
Some bad news for Australians hoping to experience flying in an Airbus A380: Emirates, the biggest operator of these planes, is scaling back its services from Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, replacing the superjumbos with Boeing 777 aircraft.
As reported by Australian Business Traveller, this will effect people at the pointy end (or, in the case of the A380, the top deck) who won’t get the latest first-class seating or the use of a bar.
Continue reading Are Aussies giving the Middle East the miss?Eighteen hours and 45 minutes on a plane. Sounds like hell, eh? But maybe not so much if you’re flying in premium economy or business class — which is what Singapore Airlines will be offering on the new world’s longest flight, from Singapore to New York, starting on October 11.
The flight will cover the 16,700-kilometre route in one hop from Changi to Newark thanks to the capabilities of the new Airbus A350-900 ULR (“ultra long range”) aircraft.
Continue reading Do premium-only flights diminish the magic?There’s no doubt that budget airlines have shaken up the airline industry. With their cheap fares, they have allowed many people to have their first experience of flying.
But it’s also the case that no-frills flight isn’t for everybody. After all, budget carriers often have minimise onboard comforts, and put a price on extras, such as onboard food and drinks, and luggage space. And they sometimes use smaller, out-of-the-way airports, increasing travelling time.
So, why would the full-service carriers want to emulate them?
