The world view
We're going global every day by going social. Meet us in the virtual world via Twitter and Linkedin. Here's just some of digital chat you may have missed...
It's a dog's life
Air Transat was named the World's Best Leisure Airline at the Skytrax World Airline Awards and if you want to know why, perhaps consider their policy towards pets!
The carrier is now offering UK passengers the chance to take their pets in the aircraft cabin on flights to Canada. Perfect for those planning longer holidays and designed to give passengers greater peace of mind when travelling with furry friends. The majority of flights now welcome cats and dogs 10kg or less (including the cage) onboard. The animals must be kept in a cage and placed under the seat in front of the traveller. Thank goodness for that!
@airtransat
Going, going, gone
Gamification took a new twist this summer as Etihad Airways launched dynamic live auctions for customers who want to bid for a premium seat in a higher cabin class. Customers can take part in a bidding system where real-time notifications of their bid are displayed on their screen, allowing two or more individual bids at the same time. The move is meant to add a fun element to travel before the journey begins, with passengers competing for upgrades and paying whatever they want, trying to out-bid. Bidding takes place from 24 to six hours before the flight's departure, with the successful winner notified immediately.
@EtihadAirways
High-flying kids
Emirates has responded to a survey that shows parents are taking their kids abroad earlier than ever, with 43% of those surveyed experiencing their first flight by the age of one. This jet set generation's parents first got on a plane at an average of 10 years old so it's clear that kids' are ever more important customers. Emirates has teamed up with author, actor and mum Giovanna Fletcher to create a limited-edition series of family holiday milestone cards to help highlight those memorable landmark moments.
@Emirates
In it for the long-haul
Singapore Airlines (SIA) will launch the world's longest commercial flight in October, with a non-stop service between Singapore and New York using the new Airbus A350-900ULR (ultra-longrange). The aircraft will be configured in a two-class layout, with 67 Business
Class seats and 94 Premium Economy Class seats. Flights will cover a distance of approximately 9,000nm (16,700km), and travelling time will be up to 18hrs 45min.
@SingaporeAir
Blogger watch
TV chefs used to reign supreme, when it came to trend setting but now it seems it's bloggers and social media gurus you need to keep an eye on. With 162.6 million Instagram posts using the hashtag #foodporn, making food pretty is now just as important as making it tasty. And there's a smorgasbord of content creators proving that social media chefs are a recipe for success. As palates diversify and trends change, these online followings seem to represent a cultural shift to watch. Followers want variety and attainability, according to these social media kitchen maestros being championed on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube and Twitter.
#foodporn
Private lounge sir?
Slovenian business men Mihael Meolic and Grega Mrgole have a new vision for the passenger experience when transiting airports, and the vision is AirPods. AirPods are effectively a private lounge - a capsule-like unit designed to be installed in public locations as private places to relax, sleep or work. Features include an ergonomically-designed seat that converts into a bed, free high-speed wifi, air conditioning and air purifiers, power sockets (USB/electricity), storage and information about flight status. Airport trials are underway and the first commercial trial is to be implemented in EU airports in autumn 2018.
@air-pod.io
Party time
Brussels Airlines is taking passenger 'experience' to a new level with party flights from all over the world taking festival goers to Tomorrowland in Boom. Some 240 flights brought music fans from 83 different airports to Belgium, uniting 100 nationalities at the 'World's Best Music Festival' and the party started as soon as they stepped in the aisle, with music pumped out onboard. Nine flights even hosted live DJ-sets at 30,000ft and there were some 30 gate parties preboarding too!
@FlyingBrussels
Vending ventures
Looking to offer food-to-go from the departure gate? Well forget pre-order and instal a pizza vending machine.
Their popularity is apparently spreading, with the Japanese the latest to get in on the trend. Japanese consumers shop for food on the go from over five million vending machines nationwide and the pizza one is the latest incarnation. Japan's first ever pizza vending machine is a 24-hour selfservice machine which delivers the pizza of your choice in just five minutes. For less than £10 a serving, it comes in Margherita or Four-Cheese options, delivered in a ready-to-go box and bag. Ideal carry on? pizzaself24.com