The world view
Is that seat free?
Pop star Adele is the passenger British holidaymakers would most like to sit beside on a plane, ahead of Jodie Whittaker – the new Doctor Who – who came in second place and Kit Harington, aka heart-throb Jon Snow in hit TV show Game of Thrones. Politicians were further down the ideal companion rankings, with UK Prime Minister Theresa May winning 10% of the vote, and U.S. president Donald Trump 7%. Both, however, were ahead of Canadian singer Justin Bieber, who scored 4%.
@WTM_London
Contactless travel
Singapore's Changi Airport has opened a new five-storey terminal the size of 27 football fields and including an indoor rainforest and the world's largest indoor waterfall. It is so automated, passengers can pass through it without any contact with another human being. Check-in kiosks, security screening and biometric immigration checkpoints sit alongside cleaning robots and mechanised baggage systems.
@ChangiAirport
Beer o'clock
Lufthansa has launched an online beer map which allows passengers to suss out the best beer spots in Europe before they've even left the ground. Type in a city on the Lufthansa network and a direct link will appear to a list of pubs, bars and beverages recommended by locals. The interactive map also provides an additional link to Lufthansa's official
Travel Guide which offers local travel tips, top sights and general knowledge about the destination.
@lufthansaNews
Are we there yet?
A study by Emirates has revealed that boredom sets in for the under 12s just 49 minutes into their long-haul flight. Some 41% of parents admitted to bribing their children to behave and 33% resorted to electronic devices to keep kids happy. In a bid to help, the airline has teamed up with Dr Sandi Mann to launch the Child Boredom Quotient, which helps parents mix a perfect blend of active, passive, interactive, creative and sensory activities to catch boredom before it sets in.
@EmiratesIDUAE
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Champagne service
Onboard hospitality planners will be paying even greater attention to detail following a Canadian passenger's threat to sue airline Sunwing after his complimentary glass of Champagne turned out to be sparkling wine. The traveller claims the company marketing led him to believe that his complimentary onboard beverage would be Champagne. The airline argues its reference to a "Champagne service" denoted its high-level offering rather than being a description of a precise inflight beverage.
@Sunwing Vacay
Fear not
European travellers are less concerned about their safety and security abroad than other world travellers according research by Carlson Wagonlit Travel. Just 37% of European travellers worry about safety compared to 47% of Americans and 56% of travellers from the Asia Pacific region. Perhaps surprisingly, Europeans were less worried about terror attacks (35%), than forgetting something for work (40%), losing something important (38%), being robbed or attacked (37%) and the weather conditions (37%).
@Carlson Wagonlit
No runway flights
Indian budget carrier SPICEJET is looking to target billions of Indians who have never flown before - because they don't live near an airport. The carrier plans to do it by investing in amphibious Kodiak planes that can land anywhere, including on water, gravel or in an open field. India’s airlines handled 100 million domestic passengers last year, making it the world's third largest market behind China and the U.S. To handle growth, India will need at least 2,100 new planes in the next 20 years.
@flyspicejet
Functional paper
Multi-sensory, functional paper could soon allow menus, travel brochures and guides to include sounds, scents, 360-degree images and even an internet connection. A project at the University of Surrey is creating a new form of interactive paper in collaboration with Emirates Holidays. The next-generation paper will be interactive and will allow brands to track customer responses too.
@Emirates