Economy Class & Beyond

Last Week at Economy Class and Beyond (3rd January)

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It's Sunday again and we're in a new year. Must be time for me to ramble more in Last Week at Economy Class and Beyond We're continuing with a weekly photo from my travels (or lack of thereafter), least of all, it's forcing me out of the house to exercise occasionally. Welcome to Tier 4 life in Birmingham City Centre, with the crowds gone and those out to walk or gather … [Read more...]

Review 2020: My (Limited) Travels

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Welcome to the last part of Review 2020 at Economy Class and Beyond - This time focused on my travels. Or lack of them thereafter. A year of cancellations My trip list has ended mostly in the bin - like a lot of peoples did. Here's a smattering of what ended up in the bin: Hamburg for Aircraft Interiors Expo Chicago (both in Spring and Autumn) to catch up with … [Read more...]

Review 2020 – Turbulence Everywhere

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It's been a hard year for airlines and their staff in 2020 - one of the biggest way this has been seen is the slashing of fleets through the year. Let's look at some of the notable events of the year. Early Warnings: Air Italy and Flybe halt operations With COVID-19 starting to rear its ugly head, two airlines fell quickly, with FlyBe going to the wall (allegedly … [Read more...]

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi to launch on 15th January

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It seems that a pandemic is no excuse to start up an operation in Abu Dhabi, with Wizz Air Abu Dhabi taking to the air from the 15th January 2021. First Wizz Air Airbus A321neo – Image, Airbus The airline will operate out of Abu Dhabi International Airport, with the first destination being Athens. The airline will also start a route to Thessaloniki on 4th February … [Read more...]

Most of England to move into Tier 4 Lockdown, with travel impacted

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Her Majesty’s Government today announced that the majority of England will move into Tier 4 (lockdown) as the more virulent version of COVID-19 spreads through the country.  What Tier are you in? Read on to find out... Which Tier am I in? You can check at https://www.gov.uk/find-coronavirus-local-restrictions. There's a handy map at … [Read more...]

Emirates formally unveils its Premium Economy product

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With the delivery of a new Airbus A380, Emirates have has finally unveiled its Premium Economy product. Let us dive in and see what there is and what pitfalls there are. The Seat The core part of any premium economy product is the hardware - in this case, the seat. Even with all the embellishments, the seat is a Recaro PL3530. The customized seat design is a result of a … [Read more...]

Heathrow Express bids farewell to the Class 332, Hello Class 387

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Heathrow Express has stood down its stalwart Class 332 trains that it uses to connect London Paddington to the Heathrow Terminals. Farewell, old expensive friend. The trains were introduced in 1997, built by Siemens and CAF, initially operating "Heathrow FastTrain" to Heathrow Junction in January 1998 and then operating the full "Heathrow Express" service later in June … [Read more...]

Luton Airport partners with Collinson to offer COVID-19 testing

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With Test to Release being a thing (even if travel to destinations outside the UK is more restricted than not currently), Luton Airport is working with Collinson International Limited to develop a testing centre. The testing centre will be a drive-through screening facility at the airport. The service provides a variety of tests for travellers arriving to and departing … [Read more...]

Airplane Art – British Airways Boeing 747-400 “Negus”

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It's Sunday again, so it must be time for some airplane art (for the last time this year). This week, we're going to round off the year with a British Airways Boeing 747-400, painted in the retro Negus scheme arriving at London Heathrow Airport, after its trip to the paint shop. The British Airways Boeing 747-400 fleet has now been withdrawn as passenger demand has slumped … [Read more...]

Last Week at Economy Class and Beyond (27 December 2020)

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Welcome to the last one of these look back at the week, as we barrel towards the end of a very turbulent year. It's time for Last Week at Economy Class and Beyond St Philips Cathedral, Central Birmingham, with LED Angels. Very festive. Travel Restrictions and Testing I'm attempting to keep on top of the Travel Restrictions currently in play at the minute, with an at … [Read more...]