Economy Class & Beyond

Oh Canada… Please pay $7 to enter….

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For those of you who are travelling by air to Canada, there are big changes that go in effect today as Canada formally requires inbound passengers arriving by Air to have e eTA's - Electronic Travel Authorization. The system which has so far been optional is now mandatory as of today, 15th March 2016. You can get one for CAD$7 at … [Read more...]

US Immigration Airport Wait Times: There’s a Web Page for that.

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I know this will shock some of you - but a lot people don't have Global Entry. Yes. Sit back. There. I've said it. People travel into the United States of America without Global Entry to speed their way through. And for those of us who don't (your coffee maker extraordinaire included), that means queuing up and waiting to be stamped into the United States. And at some … [Read more...]

Packing them in – The Lufthansa A320neo

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Lufthansa has finally made a song and dance over the Airbus A320neo entering its short to midhaul fleet. However - from a passenger experiance viewpoint - you might want to avoid it. Why? Lets compare and contrast - the Airbus A320ceo verses the A320neo The biggest number to take away is that the A320neo will pack them in with 180 seats installed on the plane, verses the … [Read more...]

Qantas to roll out Wi-Fi on its planes

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Qantas has taken a big leap forward with in-flight connectivity, with plans to roll out Wi-Fi across its domestic fleet. Qantas Boeing 737-800 at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport - Image, Economy Class and Beyond Qantas has tapped ViaSat who will be providing KA/KU Band connectivity through ViaSata nbn network for in-flight Wi-Fi connectivity, with promises that passengers … [Read more...]

IcelandAir offers Gate-to-Gate WiFi

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For those of us who want to be connected at all times in the air, IcelandAir have become the first airline in Europe to allow Gate-to-Gate WiFi on its fleet. IcelandAir Boeing 757-200 - Image, Icelandair  Gate-to-Gate in this case means you can hook onto the WiFi when you get on the plane at your origin, and disconnect from the Wifi when you walk off the plane - … [Read more...]

Icelandair Introduces Stopover Buddies!

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Lets put this out there first - the airline industry can be extremely boring and repetitive (the recent example over the excitement of American Airlines reintroducing snacks is just one thing that flags up on my radar that I file under "That it?'). Icelandair though... has always been slightly different. It's been promoting Iceland as a stopover point between Europe and … [Read more...]

Oh Gate A10. How I hate thee.

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With apologies to Shakespeare's Sonnet 18 - Shall I compare thee to a summers day? Oh Gate A10 in Heathrow Terminal 5. Shall I compare thee to a summers day? Or shall I compare thee to the third ring of hell, where souls are packed tightly into buses in the vague hope they will be going somewhere? Shall I compare these to unorganised human mess as opposed to … [Read more...]

Japan Airlines Sky Wider II seats – huh? 

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As I mentioned earlier - it seems the Japan Airlines are converting some of their Boeing 787 operations into something a bit more comfortable down the back of the plane. Japan Airlines Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner - Image, Economy Class and Beyond. One of my major complaints about the Boeing 787 Dreamliner (and I know I'm not alone on this one) is the implementation of 9 across … [Read more...]

United to bring Illy Coffee to its planes and lounges

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Airline coffee. I think it's the one thing that we can all agree that needs drastic improvement in the air. Let's face it, in economy class coffee is akin to day-old dishwater. Even business class coffee is a disappointment more often than not. In fact, thinking about it, the only really decent cup of coffee I've had in the air was when I flew Openskies. Coffee aboard … [Read more...]

KLM to start charging for Advanced Seat Reservations

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In news that is sadly not surprising, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will now be charging for Advanced Seat Reservations. KLM CityHopper Embraer 170 and Fokker F70 - Image, Economy Class and Beyond So to the nitty-gritty - the Advanced Seat Reservation fee will be €20 per person per segment - and goes into effect on the 1st December, for flights from 26th January. The charges … [Read more...]