All Time Fave

Don't forget my blog has moved to: http://boardingarea.com/blogs/wildabouttravel/

Love to see you there!

2011 Ranking Top 25 Cities

2011 Airline Ranking


US airlines ranked by moi for 2011
#1 Virgin America (in short a pelasure to fly)
#2 Jet Blue (pipped at the post slightly my Virgin, Jetblue continue to be a delight to fly)
#3 Air Tran (last time they appear separately now they have merged with Southwest)
#4 Southwest (fun, consistent airline who appera to care yo get to your destnation)
#5 Frontier/ Alaska (both reolabke soli airlines
#5 Delta- I am stunned at the improveemnst in Delta- wifi on almost all planes, better customer service set up, good websiet
#8 United- continental
#9 American – I make msyelf fly american only because I get qnatas points throigh tehir one world relatiosnhisp with them- these guys are nasty
# 10 US Air—so bad 

International Airlines
#1 Emirates
#2 Air New Zealand
#2 V Australia
#4 Qantas



(Hawaiian, Spirit , Suncountry, Alligient not flown)


(luggage, complaints, my experience)
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Oprah Aussie Love in

On eyear
questioned the worth of Tourism Australia's decision to bring out US talk show host Oprah Winfrey and her audience for a series of programs in December.

http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Oprahs-Surprise-for-Her-Ultimate-Viewers-Video

Wild about travel has moved!


As foreshadowed, Boardingarea.com is our new home. Come an join us.
I am still Wild about Travel. I love it. Both the journey and the destination. I will be sharing my experiences with both. Thoughts and observations from where I have been and how I have got there. Expect cities, nature, planes, trains, advice, hassles and good times.

This blog is moving!

The big news is my blog is moving to a new location from next week. I have joined the team at Boardingarea.com


BoardingArea was developed by the same people who founded some of the most popular business travel and frequent flyer Web sites on the Internet.

They say: "In our years covering topics of interest to the business traveler, we bookmarked the best business travel blogs we stumbled across, and even hosted one of the first blogs in this arena - View From the Wing. Now we're sharing those bookmarks with you.. all in one place."

The business travel blogs you will find on BoardingArea are the best of the best, the cream of the crop, the cat's meow ... you get the idea. Each blog in the BoardingArea network has been hand selected by our team for its quality of content, its timeliness, and, last but not least, for its entertainment value.

And I am joining them. Thank you for the vote of confidence and I hope to see you over there soon.

New site: http://boardingarea.com/blogs/wildabouttravel/





American Airlines Bankruptcy?

I am interested in what is happening over at AA.

Unlike most of the major airlines in the USA, American Airlines has avoided bankruptcy. This may change.

Their shares fell 33 per cent yesterday as people expected the worst after a 62 percent drop so far this year. This last fall came amid fears that the airline could be forced into bankruptcy. It has very high debt levels (17 billion), higher cost base, higher ages,  older planes (their average plane is almost 15 years old), a perception of inferior service in a slowing economy.

In July, 2011, the airline placed the world's largest plane order: 260 Airbus A320s and 200 Boeing 737s. This will help reduce their massive fuel bills by up to 25 per cent.

Bankruptcy may help them with staff costings and refinancing.  Their staff morale can't get much lower (AA staff are some of the most negative and disempowered I have seen in the air).

What is the future of AA?





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Tuesday Trip Report: US Airways


US Airways is not one of my favourite airlines. In fact, they rate in my bottom ten airlines based on my previous experiences of their service. I have given them an overall 2.9 out of 5 after a decade of flying them. My experience is that every time I fly them they have declined.

I try to fly airlines I actually like flying.  However, when I find a flight, that fits best schedule and price wise, then I will fly them, even with a carrier I don't like. It also gives me a chance to remember why I don't like that airline!  My client booked me on USAir which gave me a good chance to test them out!

Upon receiving my booking confirmation, I logged onto to US Airways.com to find my seats. The US airways site is clear and simple and works very well except for at times what appeared to be pages that would not load or took a long time to load. I chose an exit row seat for an extra $14 for my connecting flight from Charlotte but the seating chart for Houston to Charlotte would not load. I kept getting a message saying “your session is about to time out would you like more time?” Boy I do love that feature. I hate being logged out of airline websites. Thanks USAir.

It took 24 hours of trying until the seating chart would load. When it did, the entire flight was full with only three empty seats: 7A and 10A and 23E. I had been allocated 23E. The US airways site offered to sell 7A and 10A to me for an extra $20. I was puzzled. Why would those seats be better than other?

To find out, I looked at seatguru.com and found out that Seat 10A does not recline and is misaligned with the window if you want too look out, you have to lean. You will note Seat guru have give it a red flag!As I love looking out the window that seat was no good. 7A (in yellow) has no window at all!' No wonder they were empty. Who would pay $20 extra for that?

So 23E it was

Check in online was easy. Well done US Airways. 

As I travelled out to Houston International airport to catch my first flight to Charlotte due to leave at 540pm, US Airways emailed me to advise that my plane was delayed by two hours and 2 minutes. I knew immediately that I would miss my connection from Charlotte to Richmond.

I logged onto the internet with my phone, to see what alternative flights there were. There were none. Armed with this information, I rang US airways.
First up, the automated voice system. Yuck. I don't care what they are called: Cindy, Anne, Jennie, or Gene someone needs to tell the airlines in the US to program their automatic answering systems for Australian accents, I have a very clear speaking voice but my vowel sounds tend to foul up the American systems.

Machine Voice: In a few words tell me  how I can help you
Me: Delayed flight
Machine: I am sorry I don't understand. Please repeat.
Me:My flight has been delayed
Machine: I am having trouble understanding you. Are you wanting reservations, flight arrivals, frequent flyer Program
Me: Reservations
Machine: Welcome to Flight arrival information ...please say the name of …....

I then pushed “0” repeatedly. Sometimes that works to get me to an operator and it did today!

“Welcome to US airways my name is Barry, how can I help you?
Me: my flight has been delayed and I wont make my connection
Barry: I am sorry for the inconvenience let me see how I can help you

After giving him the booking reference number...

Barry: Ah sir, I regret to inform you that your first flight is severely delayed, You wont make your connection. [I think I said that] Let me see what I can do.
(minutes later) Sir there are no other flights tonight.
Me: Could you check other airlines please. Let me see I will check other airlines for you
Barry: Sir there are no flights tonight. Do you have any flexibility?
Me: No not a lot I have an important meeting at 830am tomorrow morning in Richmond.
Barry: Ah I see it. Let me look. Here we are. I have a flight leaving Houston tomorrow that would get you to Richmond at 240pm
Me: I have a meeting at 830 in Richmond I have to be at
Barry: I don't have any fights that will get you to Richmond by 830am from Houston but if you are  prepared to drive to San Antonio you could take one at 747pm.
Me: Do you realise how far San Antonio is from Houston?
Barry: Ah sir its 193 miles [310km]. You won't make that flight. [You think??]
Me: I said how about I fly to Charlotte tonight in my flight and then overnight there what time is your first flight to Richmond

This is what I did.

At Houston airport. I used the USAirways check in machine to print my boarding pass. There was long line of passengers waiting to talk to a human. As I started the check in process,  another passenger called out to me: "are you in the flight to Charlotte?"
I said that I was.
He said "its delayed". I thanked him and said “Yes I know”. He said: "the machine wont work. You will need to join the line.
I said: "let me have a try"




Clearly, Barry the human from Reservations had worked his magic an changed my flight as my flight immediately loaded for check in.

The plane was now showing half empty. The coveted exit row seats were available. This time there was no charge for 11F by the window in the exit row. My Boarding pass popped out..all in seconds

Security had a very short line so I was through in minutes.

I had brought snacks with me. Which was just as well. Food options in terminal C were very limited. There was a very busy McDonalds a Starbuck closing, a yoghurt shop , a pizza chain and a Chinese take out. Not many light or healthy options of for the Australian options like healthy choice or sumo salad or even a subway!

My plane landed at gate A19 and an announcement was made to gather board:  "Ladies and gentleman we are ready to board flight to Charlotte. Because of the delay we are boarding all zones, all rows."

 There was an immediate stampede. I don't understand that logic, why dispense with the normal boarding process when a plane has been delayed?  If a passenger has paid extra for :”First Class' or an extra seat (14 to 20) would probably feel a little miffed to be left to last?

Boarding was quick. I think people wanted to go . Business class was full, the middle was two thirds full and the rear was almost empty.

We moved to the runway. Safety briefing was rushed with the information regarding the exit rows

Take off we very fast. He really gunned us out of there. As we climbed off the runway we immediately started shuddering through heavy wind gusts, soon we were executing a 90 degree turn as we bounced up and own. We climbed gently from there steadily bouncing.

There were no announcement from the crew or the captain. I like the way Qantas regularly make announcements prior to this happening. For the nervous passenger, I think they like to known then bouncing is expected and normal; (I was far from nervous on this flight).

20 minutes from takeoff,  the cabin crew advised us that the captain had requested crew remain in their seats because of navigating round weather. It wasn't long before the seat belt sign went off and we had smooth flight for the rest of the shift.

USAir service was a free drink in a plastic cup. Coke products. No snacks. This was in addition to a plane with no entertainment or wifi.

This was followed by the FA making announcement that us air would like to have us all 30, 000 miles.
My ears pricked up. This was a very generous compensation for the delay

She continued “all you have to do is sign up for the us airways credit card". She then came through the cabin brandishing application forms. At the rear of the plane she made another announcement:" Congratulations to those five lucky people who have taken a form, there is still time to take one." And up she came again brandishing forms

I commented to the guy two seats away from me "Talk abut hard sell!" and he told me that they get $75 for each card application! She must have been saving for something!

The rest of the flight was uneventful. I found all staff to be very friendly in contrast to the past. This is despite industrial action currently taking lace between USAir pilots and the airline.

My ratings:
Flight 1: 3 out of 5: Bonus points for friendly crews, communication re cancelled flights, website, ease of check in, negatives for lack of on board entertainment, lack of catering
Flight 2: 4 out of 5.

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Monday's A380 Seating

I seem to have snagged the window seat of the exit row on my next A380 flight,
A lot can happen between now and check in so fingers crossed!

Watch for Tuesday Trip Report on 12th October

Wild about Travel reaches 20 000 page views!

A new record for September with my greatest readership yet and a new milestone achieved. Thanks everyone

Thursday Place Report: San Francisco in 24 hours



I started the day with a run along the waterfront near the Embaracdero with the city on one side and the Bay on the other: -outstanding! I ran 5miles (8 kilometres).

This got me ready for breakfast at the Ferry Plaza Farmers market. Held three times a week, it has an amazing range of local, fresh and often organic fruit and vegetables.


I bought the most delicious peach I have had for years, As the juice rolled down my fingers, I marvelled at the difference to the supermarket ones I buy from time to time. No comparison.

I also bought raspberries, strawberries and blackberries (the green bag in the photo is full of berries).

Listening to the music being played by the musicians around the market and watching the buzz i wandered inside the wonderfully restored ferry building. I was tempted to buy fresh buttermilk biscuits (thinks scones for Australians, New Zealanders and British people) or organic steamed pork buns but resisted. My destination was Recchiuti Confections, the best chocolate store in San Francisco according to me and yelp!). I love their Burnt Caramel Almonds. I learnt that they ship all across the United States but was disappointed to learn that their ginger chocolates no longer contain Australian ginger.

I popped across the road to Noah's Bagels on Market Street weaving my way through the outdoor craft market for a bagel with cream cheese!

Cover of "Transit Maps of the World"Cover of Transit Maps of the World

Nearby is the Municipal railway museum which for  a train geek is a must visit every time. It is small, friendly - and free. Best of all they are the nicest place to buy the Muni passes which are essential if you are planning to take  more than one a cable car because they save so much money. A cable car costs $6 and a daily pass is $14, three days is $21 and five days is $27. You can use the pass on every bus, streetcar and subway of the Muni transport system but not on the other systems that also move through San Francisco. For those I have a Clipper card which is the area's multi modal transport system. I bought three books from the Museum:
  • Railway Maps of the World by Mark Ovenden - and signed by him 
  • Transit Maps of the World by Mark Ovenden - also signed by him
  • History of the Muni system
Yeah, I am a geek.

The streetcar (tram) outside the Museum is for the F Streetcar line  to Fishermans' wharf. I always get on there because you are more likely to get a stop as the next stop is always very busy. This line uses historical trams form all over the world. I have even ridden a Melbourne Tram in San Francisco! Today's  tram was originally from Philadelphia.

Confession: I hate Fisherman's wharf and Pier 39 don't understand why every tourist feels they have to go there! I like the sea lions that have been living there for the last 20 years or so but that's about it.

The other feature I love is Ghiradelli  Chocolate Factory. A tradition of mine is that on every trip I have a Cable Car Sundae: Rocky road, chocolate chip and chocolate ice cream with marshmallow topping, home-made hot fudge sauce and  whipped cream. It used to have a chocolate cable car but now they just have a chocolate and a cherry. They also now use corn syrup in the fudge which has spoilt that a bit.

A San Francisco cable car on the Powell & Hyde...Image via WikipediaI took my sundae out of the noisy crowded store and sat in the Maritime Park opposite gazing at the water and out across to Alcatraz. Its  a very peaceful park. Sadly, I am assuming the sundae  cancelled out my run!

A short stroll to Hyde Street and the line up for the Hyde and Powell Cable Car. This is a very popular ride and if the line is too great, I walk up a couple of stops hoping to sneak on there. Today, was fine. I flashed my Muni pass so the ride was free.  My favourite spot is to stand at the back of the car with the conductor. This is my favourite cable car line with a couple of amazing hill climbs.  I rode to the top of Russian hill and hopped off to gaze at the view across the bay. I never get tired of it. Back for the next cable car - this time grabbing a spot standing holding the handrails at the front- and down the hill to California Street where this cable car line crosses the California Street line. I have now almost got my money's worth for my $21 three day pass with $18 worth of cable car rides! and my $2 streetcar ride).

From here I walked to Grace Cathedral. I got a tourist to take a picture of me but it didn't come out! The Cathedral has an amazing rose window and an indoor and outdoor Labyrinthh that I always try to walk.

Back on the cable car, down to Grant Ave for Chinatown. The sights, smells and noise of Chinatown are great fun. I grabbed a pork bun from one of the amazing noodle shops. After it, I ate the delicious apple bought at the markets earlier.

I walked back from Chinatown to the Union Square shops. I popped into Neiman Marcus which is a beautiful store (I have yet to buy anything there!).  I noted that my favourite Borders is gone and felt a little bereft of a rainy day browsing spot. I was looking for jeans but don't find any at Ross or Old Navy that I like. The shopkeepers told me the stores are full of Australians spending their Aussie dollars that are now worth so much more!

I cross Market Street into the SOMA (South of Market). This used to be dodgy but has been revitalized extensively. One of my favourite stores, the Container Store is here and I looked at Kitchen storage items which I cannot carry with me this trip!

A short walk away is SFMOMA, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Great building with very enjoyable exhibits. Right now there is one on about Dieter Rams, the top designer from Braun. Its amazing how art like many of their appliances are and an exhibition full doesn't seem out of place. He developed ten principles for good design which are used by other companies including Apple.

The Contemporary Jewish Musuem is near by. They also have great exhibits but I don't get to visit them today.

From there I caught BART to the Mission District where the City's Central American population are centred. I was in search of Pupusas, my favourite El Salvadorian food.  Its a tortilla stuffed with beans or meats or cheese.

The restaurant that I have been to before for my fix was completely empty. That made me worry: has this restaurant "lost it"? When my corn chips arrive, they are burnt.  Now I was concerned. However, the pupusas I eat are perfect. The accompanying salad is fresh and delicious. The store has none of my favourite Salvadorian drink: Kolashampan but I am still happy!

There are two ice cream shops nearby but I was good. (I will go back tomorrow for some from the Ice Creamery but give Mitchells a miss!).

From there I walked to Mission Dolores Park where there were hundreds of people gathered for an outdoor showing of Top Gun. Amazing atmosphere. After that, it was off to meet some friends for a drink.

A perfect day in an awesome city!


Air New Zealand ups its stake in Ansett er Virgin Blue

Air New Zealand took its stake in Virgin Blue (owners of V Australia and Virgin Australia) to 19.9% as a result of a fairly low share prices.

The last time they took an interest in an Australian airline, it almost bankrupted Air New Zealand and the end result was that Australia's longest running domestic carrier Ansett ceased to exist.

250Image via WikipediaTen years later, Air New Zealand are hopefully wiser and Virgin are a better business. Former chief executive Rod Eddington "described Ansett publicly and internally as a great airline, but a poor business".

It makes huge sense for Air NZ to have a strong relationship with an Australian carrier. The tie ups with V mean passengers can flow into and out of the Australian and New Zealand markets and Air NZ international routes.

It also makes sense for Virgin to join Air NZ in the Star Alliance network just as Ansett was a member. They are clearly out to compete heavily with Qantas domestically.  The question is long term whats the plan for V Australia, their international arm?. They will come in under the Virgin Australia banner in 2012 but what are their plans beyond that. Flights to Phuket and South Africa are halted. Fiji is off the cards and China seems on hold. Qantas is ramping up Asian expansion. Will Virgin focus on middle east  or do the same as Qantas?

In the meantime, an ex Virgin executive has gone to Tiger.

As always, the Australasian airline scene remains interesting.



Tuesday Trip Report: 777 on Air New Zealand 777


After 43 years of flying I flew on my 777th flight.

My plane parked at LAX gate
In a previous Blog post, I was trying to decide whether to fly my 777th on an Air New Zealand or V Australia 777. I appreciated the advice from friends to try Air NZ's new 777-300 and was glad I did. I have recently blogged about V's superb business class product on the 777-300. This Air NZ flight gave me lots of opportunity for comparison.

For those who haven't been following: I flew #737 on a Southwest B737, #747 on a Qantas 747, #757 with United and #767 with Qantas. For some the number 777 represents perfection and my 777th flight was indeed close to perfect! I took 78 pictures would you believe?!


Check In: 10 out of 10
Air NZ have a dedicated Check in for Business and Gold passengers at Auckland Airport.  The beauty of this is that a lift (elevator) leads straight from the check in straight into customs, immigration and security. The time saved walking around the long way is brilliant. Worth staying gold for just for this feature! I checked in early, was the only one using the check in area and was through the whole process in just under 10 minutes!

Lounge: 10 out of 10
V Australia use Air NZ's lounge so any comparison isn't warranted. The NZ lounges continue to be superb. I enjoyed wifi, meal, snacks and a shower. I ate carefully because I wanted to save room for the on board meal!

While waiting in the lounge, I met the on board Concierge, Belinda (pictured next to me).  I have not seen this innovation on any other airline and its beyond impressive.  My previous experience suggest that the team that Air NZ have chosen for this role are all very good and Belinda was no exception. Concierges answer questions, problem solve, help develop itineraries and make life aboard more pleasant for travellers. Belinda was saying she gets a huge variety of questions – from “can I store luggage at LAX” to “where do I connect?" to "what restaurants are good in San Francisco". I introduced myself to Belinda as the plane geek flying for the 777th time on a 777. She acknowledged me telling me that she had been sent a message from reservations to that effect.


Boarding 9/10
After leaving the lounge, we had another passport and boarding pass  check. Some passengers were randomly searched. How someone can have got through check in and immigration with a wrong or false passport I don't know. It seems like overkill. Do they really think they will catch them at this point?

There was almost no line up for the priority boarding line and I zapped through it being wished a good flight by ground staff. Belinda was on hand in the lounge area and welcomed me by name which was a nice touch.

There was a small line to get on the actual 777 but it was moving quickly. There was a sign in the passageway reminding passengers to have their boarding pass ready to show in the aircraft. I have not seen that before but it is helpful especially for people who are not expecting this. I have noted there are some countries where the staff don't look at the boarding pass as you enter the aircraft. On board, I was  invited to go left into the front business class cabin.

On Board: 10 out of 10
The Air NZ 777-300 has three cabins as does V Australia. V dedicates more of their plane to Economy.


Air NZ
V Australia
Economy
244
288
Premium Economy
50
40
Business
44
35

Air NZ
V Aust

You will see from the diagram that Air NZ have opted for the herringbone design resulting in four seats across the Business cabin as opposed to V Australia's more traditional layout with seven across.

The front cabin was about half full on this flight.  There were plenty of staff bustling around. Within seconds of putting my bags in the roomy overhead locker, a flight attendant appeared to take my jacket for hanging.
Seconds later, another approached bearing drinks. I asked for champagne.
She smiled and said:  "I can give you sparkling wine on the ground and champagne in the air. Well at least until we beat the French in the Rugby" (which they did indeed do, a few days later 37-17).

I said “oops. Forgot about the French". 

The Air NZ Business Class Seat: 9 out of 10

I sipped my drink and enjoyed my cashews as I inspected my seat.

The seat is leather 22" wide. It has a separate ottoman footrest which you can store stuff on, invite visitors to sit on when chatting to you or put your feet on. 
The seat has a 12" TV screen which could be moved into multiple angles, life jacket, a very small pocket (I felt Qantas and V Australia have a little more stowage room around the seat and I like the way QF has a slot available for a bottle of water. The Air NZ bottle didn't seem to quite fit anywhere.

Headphones were noise cancelling.


Next inspection was the all important amenities kit. Coming in a big box the kit consisted of a very colourful pair o f socks, and La Prairie brand moisturiser etc. Air NZ didn't provide a toiletries kit. I would love an airline to give me a quality clear sturdy plastic kit I can take through security anywhere in the world.


Auckland Newspapers and international  magazines were distributed. There was some disquiet from some passengers that there were no Wellington or international newspapers. 




Safety: 10 out of 10

The safety briefing was the humorous Air NZ rugby one. I always feel that Air NZ take safety seriously without officiousness and try to engage their passengers in the safety process. I did wonder what non-Kiwis would make of some of the "in-jokes" in the video briefing.


Takeoff: 9 out of 10
2130 (930pm) Takeoff out of Auckland was pretty with the city lights  spread out below. There were a few minor bumps out of Auckland but nothing dramatic. The seat-belt sign soon went off but came back on very quickly, however as we hit some turbulence. This  seemed to be the pattern for the first half of the flight. The sensation of sitting at an angle to the direction of takeoff and landing is one I have not got used to. It does feel quite odd.

Dinner: 10 out of 10
There were three choices with Business Premier for dinner:

  1.  Express option which gets a meal out very quickly 
  2.  Full meal option at the Crew's timing
  3. Meals when you wanted them
Sorry folks, I am not sitting up front to have an express soup and sandwich and I went for the works and must admit I was probably a little piggy.

  • Entree (starter for the Americans) was a cold mixed seafood dish with a choice of breads. Superb. I combined it with a Bird Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough.
  • I chose a streak for the main course. This was accompanied by a Syrah wine which was a little drier than I wanted.
  • For dessert, I chose an ice cream sundae which was delicious if not unusual. Vanilla ice-cream with popcorn and a yummy sauce. This was followed by a cheese platter. I accompanied these dishes with a lovely dessert wine which I forgot to note down.
The team turned my seat into my bed with a nice thick mattress, duvet and two pillows- duck feather and hypo allergenic. Air NZ do not appear to provide pyjamas. Qantas and V do so I wore my Qantas Pjs on this Air NZ flight!

Sleep came quickly and I reckon I got about seven hours. The bed is a little more comfortable than Qantas business class bed and about the same as V Australia's bed. Air NZ mattress is probably a little more comfortable than V Australia;s but I did feel a little strange sleeping at an angle. I must have overcome that because I slept for almost seven hours-soundly.

Snug in my bed-thank you


















Lavatories
I must tell you about the lavatories on board (I ended up inspecting almost all of them!). Two of the three business class ones have real windows in them so you can look out at the clouds while using the facilities. The lavatory for disabled people has a mural of a bookcase in it.








Breakfast
I was more restrained with Breakfast having fruit, muesli and yogurt and a croissant  This is where the 777 fun really started. The crew really went out of their way to celebrate the fact it was my 777th flight.

Using ingredients on board they had made Little decorative plaques celebrating with me. Thank you.





































Landing
We were right on time into a smoggy lax. We left at 930pm NZ time and landed into lax at 240pm the same day because of crossing the dateline.


The amazing Air NZ team
It was hard to fault this flight. It confirmed to me that on this sector that V Australia and Air NZ now lead business class with Qantas following. Way at the bottom on this sector is the woeful United offering. I haven't tried Delta's Business Class on this sector yet. That's for 2012!

Thank you to the Captain and the whole crew of NZ2 for a superb flight.

Next big flights? I was hoping for 787 for my 787th but that's not going to happen because the plane will start flying the week after that milestone. Instead I have A380 flights with three of the carriers I have not sampled the A380 with yet: Korean, Lufthansa and Air France. 










Below is a summary of my 777 flights and a world map showing where they have taken me. Some other Flightmemory facts:
I have flown Air New Zealand 39 times travelling 2 times around the world.
I have only flown the 777 17 times including this flight. 


See 787 handed over to ANA - LIVE

Apparently you can see the handover of the 787 from Boeing to ANA (at last) at 0900h US Pacific time Monday 26th- midday US Eastern time, 2am Sydney on the 27th and oddly 1am Tokyo on the 27th.

I would have thought an afternoon time in Seattle would have been better. It would allowed people to watch it live at a civilised hour in the Airline's home country. eg 8am Tokyo time which equals 4pm Seattle time.

Wonder why this timing?

Wild about Travel hits record audience numbers

The number of readers to this blog has been rapidly climbing which I am thrilled about. June, July and August were my three biggest months. September is shaping up to beat them. To do that I need 33 more readers every day. Love you to do one of four things please:

  1. Keep reading each of my blog posts
  2. Comment on them
  3. Tell me whats missing-what do you like reading about in my posts?
  4. Recommend to others please

Thank you for joining me in my travel adventures.

Way out Wadi Ramm (Wadi Rum)

Wadi Ramm or Wadi Rum as it is more commonly known,  is a long valley cut into sandstone and granite rock in southern Jordan about km from Amman (see my post about that amazing city).  It is one of the longest inhabited places on the planet with people living there since prehistory (at least 4500BC). The Nabateans who built Petra (see my Report on that amazing place) lived in Wadi Ramm.


T. E. Lawrence known as Lawrence of Arabia based his operations here during the period of the Arab Revolt from the Turkish Empire at the end of World War One. The 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia film was filmed there, a fact the locals are very proud of. In the 1980s one of the rock formations in Wadi Rum was named "The Seven Pillars of Wisdom" after Lawrence's book though there is no direct connection between the two.


I took a tourist bus from Petra to Wadi Rum. It was very cheap.
First stop upon arrival  the Wadi Rum Visitor's Centre. There the bus was swarmed by local tour guides looking for clients. 
I had booked my tour in advance online which I think on reflection was a mistake. I could have got a place on a tour when I arrived for cheaper.
The canny tourists bargained down the guides at the Visitor Centre where as I, like most Westerners had assumed the web price was the actual price. The others on my tour paid a quarter of what I paid! Learning for next time. On the other hand, I was happy with my price. In addition, the money was going to a local family. And if you are not a fan of bargaining, then just shrug your shoulders, grit your teeth and pay!


My two day trip included several stops at key points around Wadi Ramm, a dinner under the stars and a sleep at a campfire with a Bedouin family (well the males of the family)
After the Vistors Centre is the small village of Wadi Rum. It has several concrete houses and tents and lots of camels (see right) . There is a boys' school  and a girls' school. I found a few shops selling water. (interestingly my guide included lunch and water into my tour and made the others pay for their own!). The village is also headquarters of the famous Desert Patrol founded by the British and handed over to the Jordanians.


A few minutes walk from the village lies the remains of Allat Temple originally built by the 'Ad tribe. and rebuilt by the Nabataeans (who built Petra) in the first century B.C. 


From the temple, I walked a small part of the way up the hillside of Jebel Rum  (the second highest mountain in Jordan) to "Lawrence Spring" (also known as 'Ain-Shallaleh'). The village seems to still use this water as drinking water. It tasted very pure. 


As I came close to the source of the water, I overheard some women talking. About to round the corner, I noticed over the ridge (I am tall) that they were chatting with their burqas sitting on the ground next to them. I quickly and quietly retraced my steps, then started back up again very noisily. As I came back up to the ridge, I paused on the other side to "take in the view" , dropping my water bottle onto the ground. A few moments later, the women passed me fully dressed with a quiet but polite "salaam". I am sorry that I interrupted their day but I hope I preserved their modesty. 
The Bedouin people are very conservative and tourists need to take this into account. If you are an unmarried couple travelling together, the correct answer when asked "are you married", is "yes". One couple found they could not share a bed for answering that question wrongly, even though they had lived together in Europe for eight years. 


Likewise, I was stunned (and the locals horrified) by what some tourists wear. Despite the climate, the Bedouin (men and women) cover up. Having young women trip past in high heels and tiny shorts with low cut tops will get an urgent request to "cover up" or the silent handing over of a blanket or a hissing through teeth. 
Public displays of affection by men and women got a polite "we don't do that here". 


After lunch in the village, we were away, crammed into a single four wheel drive without seat belts. Our driver who was no more than 18 told us cheerfully he had had three car accidents as he zoomed off bouncing through the sands, rocks and tracks. Thankfully we didn't have a fourth!


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The sights were astoundingly beautiful. At times we were alone on the vast plains sitting in complete silence. At other times, another four wheel drive or jeep would join us. We encountered a family camped in the desert and passed herds of goats and camels being driven by young boys.  We saw rocks and oases and sand dunes.
We stopped at several tents and were offerred endless cups of sweetened black tea - very refreshing in the heat. 
There were tables of soap,  perfumes and jewellry for sale at almost every stop (bargaining expected).


Dinner that night was a delicious stew cooked over an open fire accompanied by a seemingly endless supply of pita breads.
A magical end to a magical day came with the setting of the sun in that amazing place, followed by the rising of a stunning moon amidst a star encrusted sky. Sleep came easy followed by an early morning (the Bedouin seem to rise early).

The area is not totally isolated. Cell phone coverage was very good it was amusing to watch young kids on camel back texting. The young Bedouin guys all had cassettes of Arabic music that at times, they would play at full volume.
Leaving Wadi Rum was tough. I could have stayed longer in this timeless place. 
I travelled with Seven Pillars tours run by Audeh Krayem. He was very nice and helpful. You will end up on a  tour run by one of his myriad of nephews. Just make sure you bargain first! Oh and he owes me 20 dinars which we never worked out he could get back to me.  If you claim it back from him, let me know! And say "Salaam" to him for me.

Another Jordan related post is my Trip Report on Royal Jordanian Airlines





Lufthansa names an A380 "Zurich".



On Tuesday13th September,  Lufthansa named A380 D-AIMF "Zurich", after the Swiss city which is hub for the Lufthansa owned SWISS airline.  This particular A380 was the sixth in the Lufthansa fleet and has been flying for them since April this year.

While the plane is named Zurich, there is no suggestion of it moving from its Frankfurt base to the Swiss city. Passengers will have to fly from Zurich to Frankfurt to connect with Lufthansa to its A380 destinations  (Beijing, Miami, New York,

Only a couple of weeks for my Lufthansa A380 flight, which will be my fourth A380 carrier (already flown Emirates, Qantas and Singapore)

New Names for Qantas Asia


Picture from The Age is a digitally altered plane. 
The fairfax Press (Sydney Morning Herald and The Age newspapers) are suggesting RedQ or RedQ Executive Express is emerging as the most likely name for Qantas Asia ahead of  RedSky and OneAsia.

The new 49% venture will be 49% owned by Qantas and is one part of Qantas restructuring. Alan  Joyce CEO of Qantas said that the move would create a “newer and stronger Qantas,” by tapping into the major growth that is occurring in Asia.

I hate the sound of RedQ. It doesn't sound enticing. It definitely does not sound like a Premium carrier. It sounds cheap and nasty. Perhaps Qantas discount subsidiary Jetstar could be renamed RedQ and the new airline named Jetstar. For Jetstar sounds classier than RedQ even with Executive Express tagged on the end. Will tourists fly an airline named Executive Express?

I can't think of a better name? Perhaps Offshore Airline? or Outsourced Kangaroo? to reflect the shift of Qantas services to the new cheaper version?

Exciting News Coming

I can hardly contain myself as I have a secret!

I have some very exciting news regarding this blog:  "Wild about travel"

Watch this space for more!

In the meantime, thank you for your readership and comments (more comments please!)



Stay Away from Seattle


Theres a very strange website around which called people to "Stay away from Seattle".

 Apparently September 16 is "Stay Away from Seattle Day. It is meant to  "give 'America's Best Place to Live' city a break from the influx of people moving to the area."

Tourists bring 5.5 billion dollars into Seattle every year but not everyone wants them it seems - at least one day a year.

There have been a few places in the world that I have been to where I have wondered if people actually want tourists. I have never been made to feel really unwelcome but I have wondered.
Many people say Paris is famous for not wanting tourists. My experience has been the opposite. However, I do get the sense that some Parisians get tired of sharing their marvellous city with gawking rude tourists who make no effort to really get into the la vie de Paris.


Have you ever felt unwelcome in a city?



In the meantime, Happy Keep Away from Seattle Day!