TRAVEL TALES

GET YOUR GOAT

American Airlines has revised its policy on support animals. Insects, goats, hedgehogs, ferrets, spiders, chickens and hawks will no longer be allowed inside the cabin as emotional support animals. Miniature horses however, will still be accepted.

BAPTISM OF FIRE

A week after completing “the most extensive renovation in its 115-year history”, the five-star Mandarin Oriental in London’s Knightsbridge was engulfed in flames, forcing the evacuation of 36 guests, including pop star Robbie Williams.

THAT JOKE BOMBED

A 26-year-old man caused a stampede from a Lion Air Boeing 737 due to depart from Borneo after falsely claiming there was a bomb on board. Passengers broke open the emergency exits and slid down the plane’s engines or became stranded on the wing. Eight were hospitalised with broken bones and head wounds.

ALWAYS BE PREPARED

A boy scout caused the evacuation of Houston’s William P Hobby Airport after a toy grendade was detected in his bag. Police told local news site KPRC, the 17-year-old boy was carrying the grenade as “part of a future exercise on what not to bring to an airport”.

ON HOLD

A Chinese woman held up thousands of passengers on a Shanghai metro train at rush hour after losing her phone and becoming convinced one of her fellow passengers had stolen it. She argued with station staff for 20 minutes, insisting she was the victim, before the train was able to depart.