Premium Flights

Top 5 Fastest Passenger Planes

premium flights — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:31:50 +0000

Traveling by air is considered the fastest way to get from one place to another. You don’t have to travel through heavy traffic and you could be extremely comfortable in business and first class. Traveling by air is also considered the safest way to travel compared to traveling by boat or on land.

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.

Opus Energy survey finds small businesses plan to slash travel spend

premium flights — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:59:32 +0000

A new YouGov study commissioned by independent power supplier Opus Energy has found that small businesses have planned to cut travel budgets to weather the recession.

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?

Top Food at 100,000 Feet

premium flights — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:40:58 +0000

People don’t usually like airline food because it is often cold and can be quite bland. While some airlines still serve relatively bad food, some companies have improved their service to ensure their travelers have an exceptional journey. This is especially true in business class for international travel as travelers tend to expect the best.

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.

Russian airport lets passengers check-in over Skype

premium flights — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 11:20:30 +0000

Checking-in online is one of the most convenient ways for airline passengers to go through the airport terminal before their flight. By checking-in before even arriving at the airport, the passenger can forego waiting in line especially if the passenger doesn’t carry a lot of baggage. Or at least that’s what airlines want us to believe. The sure thing is that online check in is savings the airlines millions in staff costs. Airlines but also airports enjoy the advantage of attracting passengers as they introduce revolutionary ways to get into their aircrafts without too much effort.

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 Pushes for Alternative Jet Fuel

premium flights — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 09:30:41 +0000

The push for full adoption of alternative fuel is no longer limited to land and water-based vehicles that requires gasoline or diesel fuel. Brazil is currently pushing for early adoption of alternative fuel for jet engines. The proposal aims to encourage the Brazilian airlines to try out alternative jet fuel.

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.

Best Airline Flight Entertainment

premium flights — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 10:37:12 +0000

Almost all airlines boast about their wide range of entertainment, realizing they must provide something impressive, or else, their passengers will go elsewhere. Entertainment while in the air has become very important for passengers especially for long haul flights. Passengers are constantly demanding entertainment so that they won’t feel bored on long trips.

While almost every airline company has something to offer in the entertainment area, only a few of them stand out and provide the best in the industry. Often you will only find basic entertainment package such as movies, films and music but there are a few airlines that push the boundaries of entertainment.

Virgin America RED

Sir Richard Branson is well known for his aggressive and innovative style in attracting passengers to his airline. The entertainment system of Virgin America RED is a testament to how he can push the boundary in every industry. His RED features on-board chat system which means you can chat with other passengers on the aircraft. There’s also direct connection to satellite TV and they also have a computer server on-board that can instantly stream movies. The passengers all use on-board touch screen interfaces.

Emirates ICE

Another leader in the industry when it comes to entertainment, Emirates ICE consistently receives impressive reviews from passengers and industry experts. ICE features more than 1,200 films on board and passengers able to enjoy large entertainment through a touchscreen interface – even on economy flights. First class passengers enjoy large screen television with a separate touch screen remote for additional entertainment options.

No related posts.

Learning More About 787 Dreamliner

premium flights — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 09:18:01 +0000

Boeing started rolling out their 787 Dreamliner for various airline carriers in September. With more than 820 orders, it’s a testament to the new aircrafts’ impressive features. One point to mention is that the Dreamliner is the first new aircraft by Boeing in a decade. Showing how the company has focused their energy and time on the Dreamliner to ensure it is a success.

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.

Best Airlines to Sleep in Flight

premium flights — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 09:06:39 +0000

Airline companies are always looking for ways to attract travelers, especially for their long haul flight. Among the perks airline companies’ offer to their passengers for long haul flight is a comfortable ride before, after and especially during flight. A long haul flight that will last more than 12 hours can be very uncomfortable without several added perks.

Many companies have tried to bring comfort to long haul flights however only a few have stood out.

Thai Air – Flat Beds for Long Haul Flights

It can be challenging for an airline to give their customers enough comfort and space to sleep during a long haul flight. However Thai Air has found a way to give their customers full flat beds during flight. The beds allow travelers to truly have a comfortable sleep during their journey.

Singapore Air – Better Chairs

Singapore Air may not provide full bed for their long haul travelers but they have improved their seating for a comfortable recline. Complementing this feature is the improved entertainment feature. Enjoy some music and videos while on flight in a relaxing position.

South African Airways – Soft Seating

International flights in South African Airways are just like any other long haul flights, where you can enjoy different types of entertainment and comfortable seating position. But South African Airways is known for their soft and comfortable chairs which practically lull their passengers to sleep.

No related posts.

Airbus State Passenger Planes Set to Double in 20 Years

premium flights — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 10:30:18 +0000

The number of passengers will double in 20 years according to Airbus. In their recent forecast meeting, the aircraft manufacturing giant predicted that passengers will double in two decades with Asia leading the way of an increase in demand. According to Airbus, China will lead the demand for more airlines followed by Germany and USA.

The increase in demand for China, USA and German flights is based on the fact that access to airline travel is consistently improving. Travel by air is no longer limited to upper class families as middle class families are now opting to travel by air. Competition has also improved access to passenger flights as airline companies drop the rates of airline tickets.

Aside from the increase in competition among airline companies, the number of flights for low-cost airlines will also increase. Currently, the number of flights from low-cost airlines is only 5% of the total flights worldwide. According to Airbus, the number of flights from low-cost airlines will increase to 19% which will contribute to easier access of flights.

The projection of Airbus is not only on the fact that they want to increase the demand of their aircrafts. The aircraft manufacturer is backing their claim by building some of the most modern passenger aircrafts in the world. A good example is the upgrade version of A380. The A380 is currently a double-decker aircraft and Airbus plans to upgrade the A380 to accommodate more passengers. Airbus also predicts that aircrafts with a capacity of more than 100 passengers will double by 2030.

5 Top Tips for No Hassle Air Travel

premium flights — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 09:55:19 +0000

Traveling by air is the fastest way to get to your intended destination. But you could find yourself in trouble along the way which could make you miss your flight or become uncomfortable while checking in, while on air and during arrival.

The following are very practical and simple tips that will help you relax and even enjoy your flight:

Check-in Online – airline companies are encouraging this type of check-in because they don’t want their passengers to go through a very long line just to get to their aircraft. Almost every airline company has a dedicated portal for online check-in so take advantage of this feature.
Don’t bring liquids – while checking in online makes it easy to check-in for your flight, it doesn’t diminish the possibility of a long line during the security check. Make it a quick and easy security check for you by avoiding bringing any type of liquid. Any type of liquid could cause further interrogation from the security officer.
Bring only carry-on luggage or bag – a single bag can help you go through security check really fast. Additional luggage will only require you to go through different airline personnel just to ensure you get your bags back after the flight safely.
Arrive early – rushing to the airport can only increase your stress while traveling. Arrive at least an hour before travel time and two hours if it’s an international flight. The time frame for these types of flight should be more than enough for you to go through security checks and clearances.
Be polite – many people ignore this but by being polite to the people who handle your bags, meals, security and airline comfort could go a long way. It will not require additional payments but it will help you get a comfortable flight.