But even though aircrafts are relatively fast compared to cars and boats, some aircraft manufacturers push the boundary on speed to get their passengers to their intended destination faster.

Gulfstream G450

The Gulfstream G450 is all about speed, improved vision and control. Featuring Mach 0.80 speed, the aircraft also has the capacity to land in low visibility conditions. It comes with an infrared camera in the front with display in the cockpit for additional vision.

Gulfstream G500

The G500 has the maximum speed of Mach 0.885. It’s the predecessor of G450 which quickly became an option for developing markets who wanted something fast as well as relatively affordable.

Gulfstream G550

The features of G550 and G500 are almost the same especially on the speed. However, the G550 has some improvements on fuel consumption because of the lesser drag. It also comes with additional features such as ability to land in low visibility conditions and “PlaneView” cockpit.

Falcon 7X

With 953km/h maximum speed, the Falcon 7x is one of the most popular business-type passenger jets in the world. It features the “Fly-by-Wire” technology which improves automatic control of the aircraft while on air.

Cessna Citation X

The fastest passenger jet in the world has the maximum speed of Mach 0.92. It’s also a long range aircraft which means it can stay on air for hours in order to take their passengers anywhere around the world faster. The revolutionary design of the aircraft especially on drag and addition of winglets improved its speed and performance.

The survey found that nearly 40% of the UK’s small businesses are planning to cut both travel and advertising budgets. Opus Energy and YouGov polled over 500 small business owners to discover how they were fighting the recession. The survey also found that large companies are more likely to cut staff bonuses. 33% of the big businesses surveyed said that employee bonuses would be the first area they would rein in.

Interestingly the survey found that the area companies were not willing to reduce their budget for was IT. The results also highlighted that the second least likely area to face budget cuts were staff perks, including tea, coffee, biscuits and entertainment.

Opus Energy’s Operations Director Andy Nash stated that while some value can be had from trimming a company’s excess spending, it is surprising to find that utility bills are not high on the list. 3% of small organisations said they would review their electricity and gas bills to see if there were ways to make savings. Research by the Carbon Trust has found that energy efficiency in the workplace could help businesses save more than 12% on their bills. Opus Energy believes this is an area that impacts a business’s bottom line and appears to be widely overlooked.

Have you seen a reduction in business flights at your company while the UK is in a recession?

Keeping Everything Fresh and Hot

When it comes to fresh and hot meals, Cathay Pacific is considered the leader. With toasters and rice cookers on board, travelers are assured that their meals are hot and easily enjoyable. A large selection of fruits and wines perfectly complements every meal.

From Business to Economy

Although most airlines serve their best meals to business class travelers, there are airline companies that ensure everyone on board enjoys a top standard of food. Singapore Airlines is known for serving the best meals for all class of traveler. They employ international chefs and wine tasters to ensure that they provide only top food and drink for everybody on their flight to Singapore and other destinations worldwide. It has even been mentioned that Chef Gordon Ramsey at one point during his career was part of Singapore Airlines.

Wide Variety of Choices

One of the most popular airlines in the world when it comes to variety is Turkish Airlines. Mediterranean meals are always expected from the airline but passengers can also request very specific meals such as Hindu food especially on their flights to and from India.

Sheremetyevo International airport in Moscow, Russia, is taking a step further when it comes to checking-in at the airport. Aside from the ability to check-in online, passengers boarding through Sheremetyevo International can use their Skype account to check-in before the flight. It’s a highly revolutionary method of checking-in since passengers don’t have to go through their airline’s online check-in feature. Everything could be done with their existing Skype account.

For the unfamiliar, Skype is regarded as the biggest VOIP provider in the world since they offer free Skype-to-Skype video calls via instant messaging. They also provide local phone number in major counties for consumers and businesses anywhere in the world. Many online users are now using Skype as their alternative landline as they usually rely in their mobile phones for communication.

“So why Skype?” was my first reaction to the news. To properly check-in using Skype, passengers should conduct a video call to username “svo_skype”. They will be interviewed to determine their flight times and tickets. Passengers are given up to 24 hours to Skype-in before the flight.

The main advantage of Skype video call is the fact that passengers can easily check-in through their mobile phones. With this technology, airport authorities in Moscow believe that it will reduce passenger traffic in the airport by at least 15%.

Brazil is an early pioneer of alternative fuel and the world’s second largest producer of ethanol fuel, after the US. Ethonal fuel is surprisingly the same type of alcohol we consume to get drunk, but in this case used as a motor fuel. Brazil’s successful biofuels economy serves as the perfect example to those that are still sceptical with regards to the feasibility and sustainability of alternative energy.

Since 1976, Brazil’s government made it mandatory to mix ethanol with gasoline. In 2003, flexible fuel vehicles were introduced in the market and they became an instant success.  of the first successful biofuels economy.

The proposal to use alternative sources for jet fuel is a joint collaboration from private companies and government. Airbus, Boeing and TAM Airlines are in the forefront of the proposal as well as funding. The project is undertaken by SG Biofuels – a California based company known for their extensive research and development of alternative energy sources.

The early stages of development are already promising as the alternative jet fuel is feasible and can adapt to the demands of the different types of jet engines. The current challenge for the companies that pushes alternative jet fuel is on its commercialization. It’s an impressive technology as it could save the environment but companies have to deal with commercialization process so that each airline could use alternative jet fuel. Although the technology already exists, funding for full commercialization is still limited. This could significantly slow down full adoption of alternative jet fuel in Latin America and worldwide.

Just like Brazil, other Latin American countries are making significant progress in the adoption of alternative and renewable source of biofuels. Mexico is also heavily investing in research and development for alternative source of energy. While Brazil is known for their aggressive development of sugar cane as alternative source of energy, Mexico is also developing the plant “jatropha” as a viable source of fuel.

All About Emission Control

Going green has nearly become a mandate for every airline carrier and the 787 Dreamliner is currently the leader in emission control. Fuel consumption is reduced by as much as 20% compared to past models and emission is also reduced at the same rate. Fuel consumption is remarkably less than its predecessor thanks to its lightweight feature. The 787 is five tons lighter than its best competitor the A330-20 by Airbus.

Smooth Ride Inside and Out

The 787 Dreamliner comes with a really smart stability system. Handling air pockets that causes turbulence is now a lot easier thanks to the sensor system installed in the aircrafts nose. The sensor will detect the air pockets which will respond by sending commands to smoothen the ride even during turbulence. From the outside, the noise level of the 787 Dreamliner will be reduced by as much as 60% during landing and takeoff.

More Features

The latest aircraft by Boeing will also feature larger windows. The new windows will be 65% larger than the regulation aircraft window and it will feature lighting controls instead of the traditional shades. Another noteworthy feature is its speed which maxes out at 903kmh or Mach 0.85. The aircraft will come with capacity of up to 290 passengers depending on version.

The name alone provides a good idea on the next generation of aircraft from Boeing. It’s practically an aircraft that takes advantage of the benefits from Next Generation 737 with additional improvements. Thus the name “Max” is added to signify improvement on the aircraft.

The main advantage of 737 Max is fuel efficiency. The current leader in fuel efficiency for aircrafts is the Airbus A320neo and Airbus A320. According to Boeing, the latest iteration of 737 will be more fuel efficient compared to the best from Airbus. Specifically, the 737 Max will be 16% more efficient that the A320. Compared to the Airbus A320neo, Boeing claims that it’s 4% more efficient in fuel consumption.

Additional improvements are also under development especially on the aircrafts design and engine weight. The design should achieve optimal noise reduction and help improve fuel efficiency with a lighter engine. The interior design of Boeing 737 Max will follow the Sky Interior concept. The idea will combine with the current design of Boeing 787.

Interest to the 737 Max Aircraft is high as more than 490 aircrafts are already on commitment for order. American Airlines is said to have committed to order 100 once available for commercial travel.

Gulfstream G500

Featuring a 673 miles per hour top speed, the Gulfstream G500 is one of the fastest and fuel-friendly passenger planes today. Complementing the flight speed is its ability to fly up to 6,000 miles without the need for refueling. It also features modern controls such as a master control for temperature, entertainment and even lighting.

Gulfstream G550

The later version of Gulfstream G500 is only bested by 2MPH. The Gulfstream G550 has a maximum speed of 675 miles per hour. Aside from the upgrade in top speed, the G550 also features additional conveniences such as on-board WLAN and satellite system for phone calls.

Falcon 7X

The Flacon 7X is not only known for its top speed (685 miles per hour), it’s also known for its size. With a length of 40 feet, the eight passengers will definitely feel spacious while it shoots across the sky. Because of its near Mach 1 speed (Mach .90), it comes with a technology that limits noises.

Cessna Citation X

The world’s fastest passenger plane has the top speed of 700 miles per hour. The seven-passenger plane also features an entertainment center with additional area dedicated for pre-landing preparation for passengers. Its Mach 0.92 speed makes it the fastest passenger airplane with near Mach 1 capability.

While the fuel efficiency of Boeing 787 is already an impressive feature, travelers will also enjoy another feature which they will notice as soon as they board the plane: the large windows of the aircraft. Specifically, Boeing 787 will install windows 65% larger than the standard windows of other aircrafts.

But the size is not the windows’ best feature. The Boeing 787 will not have any physical shades that you can pull down in case it gets too bright. Instead the aircraft will feature digitally controlled shades. The buttons control the electrified gel which will dim the window on command. It’s a very simple set-up but a very effective installation. The biggest advantage of the electronic dimming feature is that it works like a darkened glass which means you can still see something outside if you really want to see something.

The electronic control is not only limited to the passengers. Flight stewardesses and pilots will also have control on the windows. They can close a specific number of windows at will or they can close everyone’s window. This feature is added for airline regulation compliance especially during takeoffs and landings where shades are a requirement.

But helicopters in London are not just for touring the beautiful city. Premium travelers are increasingly considering the use of helicopters in order to visit the different places in the city and the nearby regions. Catering to the increasing demand of helicopter-based transportation is the increasing number of helipads in some of the most popular destinations in the country. A good example is the helipad in Royal Ascot as travelers from other parts of the country can skip the heavy road traffic and visit the racecourse by air.

Choosing a helicopter tour in London is very easy. The classic “window shopping” technique always works. Get in touch with at least three or four helicopter tour and travel companies near or in London and compare their rates. As much as possible, bargain so that you can get the best rates and also research on their reputation to ensure that you only get a really good helicopter pilot.