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.
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.
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
