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Luxury Luggage: Style Meets Airlines

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Handbags, Luxury Travel & Hotels

What kind of luggage you carried used to be a simple choice of personal style and durability, but in the post 9/11 world things are different. Regulations for air travel are not only much stricter than they used to be, but they're also changing all the time. Having a set of luggage that you both love and can use/is in compliance for more than one trip is a valuable thing these days!

But thankfully the luggage market is stepping up the the challenge, especially the brands with upscale globe-trotting clientele bases. They're coming out with bags that are lighter than ever, tougher than ever, and of course, more stylish than ever. Many companies are even providing carry-on essentials like ziplock plastic bags and appropriately sized plastic bottles. And that's helpful, seriously.

Tags: air travel, airline, airlines, airplane, airplanes, AirTravel, bag, bags, luggage, plane, planes, travel

Airbus A380 Luxury Plane Tickets Sell for $100,000

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

You've been reading about it, you've been hearing about it, and now it's finally happened: those two tickets up for auction for a luxury suite (plus all kinds of other goodies) on the maiden voyage of the Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 have finally sold -- for $100,000. That sounds like a lot of money to pay for a flight from Singapore to Sydney, but of course it's on an Airbus, it includes a lot of other perks, and that's actually a lot less than what the airline was hoping to get for charity (the "Buy it now" was $380,000). What a bargain!

Tags: 380, A380, airbus, airfare, airline, airlines, auction, bid, bidding, charity, doubledecker jet, DoubledeckerJet, flight, fly, jet, most expensive, MostExpensive, plane, singapore, singapore airlines, SingaporeAirlines, ticket, tickets, wings

The Top 10 Best First Class Airlines

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

Flying first class used to just mean more leg room and a better meal, but anymore some airlines are really going over the top. And the word is some airlines because not all of them even offer first class anymore, having done away with it to focus instead on business class. About 35 airlines offer first class right now, and the competition is getting steeper and steeper as they all compete to get that "wow factor" from customers. They're providing everything from fully flat beds, 3:1 passenger to crew ratios, exotic high end linens, pillows, toiletries, and even 7 course gourmet meals with caviar and Dom Perignon champagne. All that's missing is a jacuzzi!

Recently Skytrax came up with their annual list of the top 10 first class airline experiences, and here's who made their cut as the best of the best:

Agree? Disagree? I wouldn't be opposed to trying them all and giving my opinion, if someone else would sponsor me that is...

Tags: 1st class, 1stClass, airline, airlines, first class, FirstClass, flight, fly, flying

Sport Flying Goes Electric

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings, Green

In these days of global warming and high gas prices, flying for pleasure seems increasingly wasteful. Sonex Aircraft is working on the problem. They have announced their E-Flight initiative for sport aircraft and have created a prototype electric sport plane. The E-Flight Initiative also includes improving the efficiency and performance of existing planes. The company is focusing on electric power, ethanol fuel and efficiency enhancement as part of their three-part plan.

The E-Flight electric project uses a purpose-built AeroConversions brushless DC cobalt motor, controller, and battery and charging system. The plan is to develop E-Flight electric systems that will be able to power a larger aircraft to higher top speeds with greater lasting time. For the prototype, top speeds will reach approximately 130 mph and are expected to range between 25-45 minutes with plans to push the envelope up to an hour or more eventually. No dates yet on when an actual electric kit plane might be available to the public.

[via General Aviation News]

Tags: airline, airplane, electric plane, flight, sonex

The First Customer-Painted Airbus A380

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

The first customer-painted Airbus A380 has been revealed. Singapore Airlines has the honor of being the first to splash their logo on the ultimate doubledecker jumbo jet. It took 21 days for 100 workers in four shifts to polish and paint the blue and gold Singapore Airlines logo and the name "Singapore Airlines" across the massive plane. The job also took over 580 gallons of paint. Airbus is trying to minimize the ecological damage from the massive project, electrostatic pistols are used to minimize paint mist and used air is cleaned and washed through a multi-stage cleaning process. Singapore Airline will receive the aircraft in October.

[via Asia Travel Tips]

Tags: a380, airbus, airline, aviation, jumbo jet

MyJets Fractional Seat Ownership

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

I'm not someone who does a lot of travel for work, but for those who do the costs of flying back and forth can really add up, both in money and in time. To appeal to part of that large market of people, MyJets is now offering a program called FSO, or Fractional Seat Ownership.

For a one time fee of only $40,000 per seat (ouch) and then a cost of $150 per hour of flight time (plus a small monthly fee), you too can have the convenience of a private jet -- only without the private part. Albeit you will save time not driving to and from a big commercial airport and not waiting through long security lines and all that, but the price still seems a bit steep, doesn't it? I guess for some in very specific situations it might be economical and/or convenient, but I'd be really curious just what the conditions are like on board the plane. The photos don't look all that convincing...or maybe it's just me?

Tags: airline, airport, fly, fractional, fractional jet seat ownership, FractionalJetSeatOwnership, FSO, jet, myjets, plane, travel

Israir Airlines Introduces Sky Torah

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

We've seen all sorts of airline amenities but Israir Airlines has become the the first airline to maintain an authentic Torah scroll on the plane. The "Sky-Torah," was handwritten according by a professional Jewish Scribe for the airline. Each Torah scroll takes an entire year to complete and The Torah scroll on a plane was the idea of Rabbi Shlomo Elharar, Chief Rabbi of Colombia, South America. The Torah is only on one of the planes so far. Usrair Airlines is the second largest airline in Israel and flies between Israel and New York, the Mediterranean and Europe, as well as domesticly.

Tags: airline, israel, israir, torah

All-Luxury Airline... for Smokers

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Smintair is a new luxury airline concept that is being developed by a German entrepreneur. The name is derived from a longer title: Smoker's International Airlines.

On board, not only will smoking be permitted, but the airline promises to "bring back the exclusivity in flying encountered in the 1960s." The plan is to offer two jets, Boeing 747s, and round-trip service from Dusseldorf to Tokyo. There will only be 138 seats on each plane (compared to 347 on a normal commercial 747) and they will not offer coach or economy seating. Business class seats will have 70" of legroom (compared to the standard 55") and First Class will have 80" of leg room.

Alexander Schoppmann, the founder of Smintair, says that the "no smoking" policy of airlines was originally implemented so that companies could cut back on air conditioning systems; Schoppmann says that his airline will restore systems that can handle the smoking without problem. He is confident that fliers will be willing to pay for the comfort and services his airline will offer.

On a final note, Smintair does state on its employment application that "Allergics against tobacco smoke or militant anti-smokers are asked to not apply."

Tags: airline, fly, flying, german, germany, luxury, old fashioned, smintair, smoker's international airlines, smokers, smoking, travel

Co-Motion's Foldable Bikes: Stylish and Pragmatic

by Anne Metz (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

With Deidre's recent post about Bike Friday in mind, I thought I'd give some props to Oregon's other manufacturer of foldable bikes, Co-Motion. In both single and tandem varieties, travel-friendly foldable bikes are hand-crafted at Co-Motion's Eugene factory.

What gives Co-Motion so much commotion in the folding bike industry? The proprietary S+S coupling system developed for its travel bikes. In just a few moments, you can transform your suitcase into a smooth racing or touring bike while saving the $80 the airlines charge (each way!) for bringing a bike on board.

In other words, you get a collapsible bike that doesn't collapse your street cred.

The foldable version of Co-Motion's steel racer, the Espresso Co-Pilot (as if they couldn't get any more Oregonian, Co-Motion names its bike models after the Pacific Northwest's favorite caffeinated beverages), starts at $1925 for a hand-crafted frame and fork.

Tags: airline, bike, Co-Motion, espresso, Eugene, foldable bike, FoldableBike, Oregon, Pacific Northwest, PacificNorthwest, S S coupling, S sCoupling, steel, tandem, travel, travel bike, TravelBike

Braniff Uniforms to be Auctioned

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

Mary Sue Seibold remembers how glamorous she felt when she started to work for Braniff International Airlines in the early 1960s. The uniforms were multi-layered affairs, by designers like Emilio Pucci and Halston, and their unveiling at the beginning of each flight was as good as any fashion show. During the course of the 20 years she worked for the airline, she collected the uniforms that she wore and stashed them away. She has decided to put her collection of 19 complete uniforms up for auction. The collection has 86 pieces, including accessories like boots, handbags and hats, and will be sold as one unit by Chelsea Marketeers in June of this year. The minimum bid is $100,000.

Tags: airline, airlines, airplane, auction, braniff, fashion, flight attendant, flying, pucci, stewardess

Standing Room Only?

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Better start saving up your frequent flier miles because in the not-too-distant future, you may really need them. It is possible that air travel will no longer be an issue of first class versus coach and how much leg room you'll have, but whether you'll have leg room at all.

Some airlines are toying with the idea of eliminating seats from their economy classes and having the section be standing only. Instead of seats, there will be padded boards for patrons to lean against during takeoff and landing, as FAA regulations only require passengers to be "secure," not seated. Airbus, which is the airplane manufacturer heading this movement, has been pitching the idea to several carriers, mostly those in Asia that they perceive as more likely to accept the sardine-like travel arrangements than Americans. The capacity for a flight on an A380 is 500 passengers, but the standing configuration would boost that number to 853. All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines reported hearing of the plans from Airbus, but said they had "no interest in increasing seat capacity to [that] level."

There is little doubt that first class seats would be unaffected by a move towards this configurations, perhaps even increasing in size, as airlines add chairs than recline into beds and a wider than ever before.

Tags: air, airbus, airline, airlines, airplanes, coach, economy class, first class, flying, seats, travel

Flying In The Fast Lane

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

Would you pay to get through airport security faster? The plan to offer a security pass that will let you go through a faster security lane is picking up steam. The Registered Traveler program would require travelers to pay a fee, pass a government background check and submit ten fingerprints. It is expected that as many as 20 airports will have the program in place by 2007. A yearly pass through the Clear registered traveler service sells for $79.95. They currently operate the program out of the Orlando International Airport.

Tags: airline, airport, flying, security, wings

Versace To Design Jet Interiors

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

Not content with fashion and a burgeoning hotel empire, Versace will now be designing interiors for private jets. The fashion company has announced a new collaboration with Tag Group SA to design interiors for the Boeing BBJ, Bombardier Global Express and other private jets. The interiors will be shown at a British Air Show this summer. The prototype is described as having a white and black scheme including white leather chairs and black carpeting.

Tags: airline, aviation, boeing bbj, bombardier global express, flight, tag group sa, versace

Silverjet, Another London to New York Flight Option

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

The already competitive London to New York flight market is about to get a bit tighter. We've already covered Eos and MAXjet which both offer the same route. Silverjet Limited will offer low fare, all business class flights. CNN reports that Silverjet is currently raising money to get on London's Alternative Investment Market in May. They expect to start business class service from Luton to Newark within six to nine months after getting on the market. They eventually plan to run ten aircraft to a variety of destinations. Like MAXjet, Silverjet will offer around 100 seats which are flatbeds. The average roundtrip is expected to be $1,700.

Tags: airline, airline industry, aviation, business class, eos, flight, london, maxjet, new york, planes, silverjet

Luxury Hotels Feed Hungry Fliers

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Wings

Fly commercial across the country and starvation may set in. While some airlines sell fairly decent food they often run out and airport food can be a hit-or-miss proposition at best. Luxury hotels are now stepping in to fill the gap. The AP reports on a variety of food-to-go options. The Ritz-Carlton hotels now offer "Flight Bites," sandwiches and light fare that can be ordered off the room service menu, packed and ready to go. The Peninsula Beverly Hills sells platters like the ones shown here that come in cardboard boxes and guests at Hotel Plaza Athene in New York can order from their "Goodies to Go" menu. It's a good strategy to build brand loyalty and inexpensive word-of-mouth when the hungry passenger next to you asks where you got the lovely meal you are tucking in.

Tags: airline, airplane food, flight, meals, peninsula hotel, ritz-carlton

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