Ryan Air is Europe's largest budget airline so no surprise they would be the ones to come up with this idea.
Apparently, they are considering implementing a £1 or €1 "toilet fee" on flights of one hour or less. A coin-deposit slot would unlock the lavatory door. It's not definite yet.Wonder how long before people will bring their Snapple bottles on board to avoid the fee... You've heard of trucker bombs, now the new one will be urine bottles turning up in the seat-back pockets on the planes.
Friday, April 30, 2010
air france a380 cabin interior pictures
lower deck Picture taken during my round-trip flights between JFK and CDG on the first Air France Airbus A380. 
The FIRST Class cabin looks exactly as one on the 77W. I was expecting a SUITE of some type since they only have 9. With a new flagship AF should do something innovative like when Singapore Airlines intoduced their A380's.
economy class cabin 
air france a380 interior
Air France A380 861 pics gallery
Air France A380 wallpapers pics galleryMSN033 - A380-861 - F-HPJA 1st A380 for Air France 1st CABIN FLIGHT - Hamburg (Germany) 25th Sept. 09
The A380s are equipped with a 3 class 538-seat layout.Normally, the average A380 three-class seat counts is "around 505".The upper deck of Air France's A380s will hold 186 seats - 80 business class and 106 economy.On the main deck there will be 352 seats - 9 first class and 343 economy.
iberia airbus a340 600 seating chart
Iberian airbus A340-600 (A346) seat charts
business class configuration is 2-2-2,economy class configuration is 2-4-2
best seats in coach are 22a/22c/22j/22l 35c/35j according to seatguru.com
I recently flew MAD-HAV-MAD in IB J and although we didn't sit in row 1 or 6 I could see no obvious advantage to either of those over the other rows in terms of space etc though row 1 at least is slightly more private. I would be wary of row 6 as the cabin crew use the galley just in front of it quite actively during service and rest periods and there is no curtain drawn across. Also the small rear cabin directly adjoins the Y cabin so you might get quite a lot of noise disturbance from both sides.
Just fly Iberia (MAD => EZE) last Friday (IB 6843 departure 00:05) on Business Plus. It was A340-600 (so only one business cabin - 9 rows).
I was on a middle seat (2H, there is no row #1 in the middle).The Business Plus seats are relatively comfortable (lie-flat at an angle and the pitch is 60 inches), You will receive a very nice blanket and amenity kit.
I have noticed a HUGE difference between these 2 seats and the others: The seat reclines flat AND very close to horizontal (foot rise to horizontal, and the back small angle, but I was able to sleep on my side). No split down at all, comfort similar to first class seat).
On Iberia web site, it is obvious that the legroom is more important for these 2 middle seats.
air france economy class food New York to Paris
Air France has some of the best catering when it comes to the European Airlines. 4 out of 5 stars.I just flew AF economy class last month New York to Paris and you do get 2 meals each way. Typical airplane food, not the best but who cares when you are getting free French wine. The plane is nice and roomy, and there are only two people in my three-person row down the center of the plane. We leave the middle TV screen on Géo Vision, and I can’t help but take pictures of the screen every time it changes. I love maps.
So far, I have slept a little, watched two movies, and had the Dinner and breakfast, pretty decent on AF's trans-Atlantic flights.
Airplane food on the flight from New York to Paris.
it was actually goood the menu include
green beans+mashed potatoes+roast beef with carrots and mushrooms
brea cheese lil baguette water bottle
some sort of cake type thing with a cranberry in the middle
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Best way to spend 5 hours in Frankfurt airport
Traveling from Venice to Frankfurt and then connecting to go home to Canada, but we have have a 5 hour layover in Frankfurt airport. It was during the day, so I left the airport to explore the city.You would probably not want to drag your luggage all over Frankfurt. After you exit from immigrations there should be a baggage storage service that will look after your luggage for you for a fee. I'm not sure if they have lockers now (or if they will be large enough). The best option, of course, is if you can leave the luggage with the airline, but because I was switching between two different airlines, they made me retrieve my luggage and check it in again with the second airline, and they wouldn't let me check it in until less than 4 hours before departure. You may want to check with the staff about that, and the location of lockers / baggage storage service.From the airport, there are frequent trains which bring you within 15 minutes into Frankfurt city center. There, you find a lot of interesting museums,hop on the subway at the airport, you can take the s-bahn (public transportation) no. 8 or 9 to frankfurt, get off at the "hauptwache" station (about 20 minutes train ride) and either do some shopping at the "zeil" (main shopping mile) or walk down to the river main, and pass the "römerberg", with plenty of restaurants on the way - i wud recommend the "steinernes haus" near the römerberg.
The airport is a sucko place to be for any amount of time. Period.
Don't be afraid to take the S-Bahn from the basement level of the terminal to Mainz or Wiesbaden. Both are only 20-25 minutes away on the comuter train. Then a walk will be good for you.
I, personally, would go to Mainz and find the Käsebrochen and Pizzabrochen kiosk just outside the Hauptbahnhoff.
The trains run every 20 minutes or so. Five hours is way too much time for the FRA terminal. And it's even plenty of time for entering Germany, buying a RT rail Fahrfarten, the short train rides, a walk, a snack, and exit formalities! You'll be glad that you did it.
remember to leave plenty of time to get back
The airport is a sucko place to be for any amount of time. Period.
Don't be afraid to take the S-Bahn from the basement level of the terminal to Mainz or Wiesbaden. Both are only 20-25 minutes away on the comuter train. Then a walk will be good for you.
I, personally, would go to Mainz and find the Käsebrochen and Pizzabrochen kiosk just outside the Hauptbahnhoff.
The trains run every 20 minutes or so. Five hours is way too much time for the FRA terminal. And it's even plenty of time for entering Germany, buying a RT rail Fahrfarten, the short train rides, a walk, a snack, and exit formalities! You'll be glad that you did it.
remember to leave plenty of time to get back
Lufthansa Avro RJ85 seat layout
LH Lufthansa Cityline Avro RJ85 has cramped 6-abreast seating, much less spacious than the very comfortable 5-abreast configurations on LX and SN.in business class the middle seat will not be occupied,offering additional spacerow 15 to 16 is 3-2, this cabin had a 3+3 configuration and the seat pitch was very tight as well, appears a bit small and cramped. If your RJ85 has a last row 2 seater, grab one.
Lufthansa CityLine AVRO RJ85 Florence-Frankfurt
flights on Lufthansa City Line for inside Europe,Not as lavish service as on long haul flight but good.My first outgoing flight is usually LH CityLine Regional Florence-Frankfurt, then I connect to Lufthansa.
The aircraft is an AVRO RJ85, code AR8, with about 95 seats.
The flight is 1 hour and 20 minutes. In coach free drinks/wine/beers/cofee/tea and one small sandwich, usually to be choosen between ham or cheese.
Cityline has smaller aircrafts but comfortable and good service. The downside of AR8 is that the wings are fixed and extended from the roof therefore rows 5 to 9 have limited space for handluggage above your head. Better to choose a row from 10 and higher. If I am not wrong the Munich-Zagreb flight is also operated with AR8 aircraft. Connecting in Frankfurt (or Munich) to Cityline means that being smaller aircrafts they are not parked at the finger gate of the terminal as for larger planes but you take a 5 minutes bus from the terminal gate to the external aircraft parking area.
Yes, definitely a good service in Lufthansa style.
Monday, April 12, 2010
SAS Economy Extra class seats review
I've flow Scandinavian airlines EconX product and it is premium compared to UA product, not just increased legroom. Also, larger seats, armrests, greater recline, fewer seats, separated from econ, better service.
I have however gotten free upgrade to bus when flying on full fare EconX seat. Bus in SAS is very nice product, good seats, excellent service.
Economy Extra (long-haul) A class of its own – Scandinavian airlines economy plus
SAS at Seatguru airbus A330 and A340 have a small section between Business and Economy called Economy Extra with 24-28 seats
SAS offers smooth and time-efficient
travel solutions for both the modern business traveler and
leisure passengers wanting that little bit extra. SAS is therefore
one of very few airlines worldwide to offer a economy plus
class. With one of the most generous cabin classes in the sky,
SAS’ Economy Extra passengers receive a range of Business
class benefits, but at a much lower price.
SAS has created a separate cabin that offers a more spacious
and peaceful environment, seats are featured in
a 2-3-2 configuration passengers enjoy wider (47cm/
18”), more comfortable seats with almost a metre (38”) of
legroom in a separate cabin. Besides manually adjustable neck
rests, the specifically designed and ergonomic Economy Extra
seats also feature foot rests for a greater level of comfort.Entertainment
All seats are equipped with a 6.4” personal tv screen that offers
audio/video-on-demand with a wide range of entertainment for
all passengers. Each seat also features a laptop power outlet.
Economy Extra passengers can skip the queues by checking in at Business class counters.
they can enjoy priority boarding. They can
also take advantage of a greater baggage allowance, including
one additional piece of hand luggage to take onboard.
Meals and drinks
During the flight, our crew will serve a cocktail and snack; a three-
course dinner and coffee/tea with liqueurs; drinks, fruit and cold
snacks between meals; and a light meal prior to landing. All
Economy Extra passengers also receive a personal water bottle
for improved wellbeing.
EuroBonus
SAS EuroBonus members receive 150% EuroBonus points
when traveling in Economy Extra.
SAS Economy Extra in brief
• 96.5cm/38” seat pitch.
• 47cm/18” seat width.
• Separate, secluded cabin.
• Improved meal service.
• 150% EuroBonus points.
I have however gotten free upgrade to bus when flying on full fare EconX seat. Bus in SAS is very nice product, good seats, excellent service.
Economy Extra (long-haul) A class of its own – Scandinavian airlines economy plus
SAS at Seatguru airbus A330 and A340 have a small section between Business and Economy called Economy Extra with 24-28 seats
SAS offers smooth and time-efficient
travel solutions for both the modern business traveler and
leisure passengers wanting that little bit extra. SAS is therefore
one of very few airlines worldwide to offer a economy plus
class. With one of the most generous cabin classes in the sky,
SAS’ Economy Extra passengers receive a range of Business
class benefits, but at a much lower price.
SAS has created a separate cabin that offers a more spacious
and peaceful environment, seats are featured in
a 2-3-2 configuration passengers enjoy wider (47cm/
18”), more comfortable seats with almost a metre (38”) of
legroom in a separate cabin. Besides manually adjustable neck
rests, the specifically designed and ergonomic Economy Extra
seats also feature foot rests for a greater level of comfort.Entertainment
All seats are equipped with a 6.4” personal tv screen that offers
audio/video-on-demand with a wide range of entertainment for
all passengers. Each seat also features a laptop power outlet.
Economy Extra passengers can skip the queues by checking in at Business class counters.
they can enjoy priority boarding. They can
also take advantage of a greater baggage allowance, including
one additional piece of hand luggage to take onboard.
Meals and drinks
During the flight, our crew will serve a cocktail and snack; a three-
course dinner and coffee/tea with liqueurs; drinks, fruit and cold
snacks between meals; and a light meal prior to landing. All
Economy Extra passengers also receive a personal water bottle
for improved wellbeing.
EuroBonus
SAS EuroBonus members receive 150% EuroBonus points
when traveling in Economy Extra.
SAS Economy Extra in brief
• 96.5cm/38” seat pitch.
• 47cm/18” seat width.
• Separate, secluded cabin.
• Improved meal service.
• 150% EuroBonus points.
Frequent flyer program lh Miles & More vs Eurobonus SAS
Choosing a Frequent Flyer programme is like choosing a shampoo... which one does what, when , what's it like, etc etc.It mostly depends on your travel patterns, how often you fly, what tickets you fly on etc. Also what you want to get out of the program...
There really isn't a right or wrong answer.
If you only join an FF-program to earn miles I would go for the program of the airline you mostly fly, i.e. if you're only planning to fly LH then go for M&M.
Lufthansa's Miles and More programme is good for retail earning if you live in Europe. Otherwise you'd have to earn miles by flying!
Business travelers will love Lufthansa Miles & More. The program gives you up to 3.75 award and status miles for every mile flown in first class on any partner airline -- and that's not including any promotions. For example, a Miles and More status member flying FRA-IAD in first class would earn the following: 4,065 base miles + 8,130 mile class-of-service bonus + 3,849 mile status bonus (25%)=15,244 award and status miles.
Miles and More is also the only program that gives you status for two and more years based on one qualification period. The program has two levels of elite membership: Lufthansa Frequent Traveler/Star Alliance Silver and Lufthansa Senator/Star Alliance Gold. To achieve Frequent Traveler status, you must accumulate 35,000 status miles (50,000 for Germany residents) or 40 economy segments (one first or business segment=two economy segments) in a calendar year. To achieve Senator status, you must accumulate 100,000 status miles (150,000 for Germany residents) or 120 economy segments in a calendar year.EuroBonus members earn actual miles flown on all Star Alliance carriers and partner airlines, and business-class passengers earn double miles. On short-haul flights, a minimum of 600/1200 miles (Economy/Business) are earned.
There are three membership levels: Blue, Silver and Gold. Members qualify for Silver elite status when they accumulate 25,000/25,000/35,000 points depending on their residence (outside Scandinavia/Denmark/Sweden-Norway). Gold is achieved once a member has earned 55,000/60,000/100,000 points respectively.
Points can be redeemed for hotel nights at all 108 Radisson SAS Hotels (though popular hotels are often sold out for award stays).
The Diners Club card is a program partner and offers extra point-earning opportunities.
There really isn't a right or wrong answer.
If you only join an FF-program to earn miles I would go for the program of the airline you mostly fly, i.e. if you're only planning to fly LH then go for M&M.
Lufthansa's Miles and More programme is good for retail earning if you live in Europe. Otherwise you'd have to earn miles by flying!
Business travelers will love Lufthansa Miles & More. The program gives you up to 3.75 award and status miles for every mile flown in first class on any partner airline -- and that's not including any promotions. For example, a Miles and More status member flying FRA-IAD in first class would earn the following: 4,065 base miles + 8,130 mile class-of-service bonus + 3,849 mile status bonus (25%)=15,244 award and status miles.
Miles and More is also the only program that gives you status for two and more years based on one qualification period. The program has two levels of elite membership: Lufthansa Frequent Traveler/Star Alliance Silver and Lufthansa Senator/Star Alliance Gold. To achieve Frequent Traveler status, you must accumulate 35,000 status miles (50,000 for Germany residents) or 40 economy segments (one first or business segment=two economy segments) in a calendar year. To achieve Senator status, you must accumulate 100,000 status miles (150,000 for Germany residents) or 120 economy segments in a calendar year.EuroBonus members earn actual miles flown on all Star Alliance carriers and partner airlines, and business-class passengers earn double miles. On short-haul flights, a minimum of 600/1200 miles (Economy/Business) are earned.
There are three membership levels: Blue, Silver and Gold. Members qualify for Silver elite status when they accumulate 25,000/25,000/35,000 points depending on their residence (outside Scandinavia/Denmark/Sweden-Norway). Gold is achieved once a member has earned 55,000/60,000/100,000 points respectively.
Points can be redeemed for hotel nights at all 108 Radisson SAS Hotels (though popular hotels are often sold out for award stays).
The Diners Club card is a program partner and offers extra point-earning opportunities.
Scandinavian Airlines sas A330 300 Seat Map
sas airbus A330 300 Seat MapScandinavian Airlines International is currently operating eight intercontinental destinations originating from Copenhagen. Three to the west: New York, Washington and Chicago and four to the east: Tokyo, Beijing, Bangkok and Dubai.
Copenhagen - Dubai is a seasonal flights and operates only during the European winter
they have 34 business Class sleeper seats, 35 Economy Extra Class seats and 195 Economy Class seats.
business Class in 6 rows of 6. Economy Extra is Rows 7-29. Exit Rows are 31A 31B and 31g/h and they have "infinite" legroom.
http://www.flysas.com/en/au/Promotions-and-prices/Worldmap-and-Seatplan/
Scandinavian airlines A340-300 Seat Map
Aircraft Scandinavian Airlines sas Intercontinental Airbus A340-300business seats configuration 2-2-2 have 46 Lie-flat seats with seat pitch 79.0" 170 degree recline
Economy Extra - layout is 2-3-2 Economy Extra Class: 28 seats with extra recline
seat pitch 38.0" width 18.3"
Economy class
exit row 31 a/b/G/H seats have extra legroom
Ryanair B737-800 cabin seat layout
Ryanair the Irish budget carrier,EI-DYO - Boeing 737-8AS
Boeing 737-800 seat layout Ryanair will use the aircraft in a single class configuration 189 seats economy class
Seat pitch is 30 inches and seats do not recline. There are no seat pockets which allows for a bit of legroom and no window blinds. The seats are pretty slim
There are 189 seats onboard Ryanair's Boeing 737-800, the maximum allowed aboard such a plane.
Ryanair is the absolute no-frills airline! Flight attendants have to pay for their training and uniforms.... even a cup of water will be charged.
Be careful and check what airport your flight will really land at.... when they say Frankfurt, they really mean Hahn, which is about 100km away..... Paris? They use Beauvais in Northern France