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Best Business Class Lounges in the World

by Sandy Maple (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas

Those who travel frequently often find themselves in between destinations, killing time in an airport. Whether it is a flight delay or a long layover, that downtime can be anything but pleasant. Huge crowds, long lines, and the general chaos that reigns in an airport is not conducive to working or relaxing. That's where the business-class lounges come in. A respite from the madness, these havens range from the very basic to the very luxurious - and knowing which is where can come in handy when planning your itinerary.

Each year, Skytrax ranks the 10 best business-class lounges in the world based on data that includes customer surveys and business research group interviews. The results are in and in the number one spot is Virgin Atlantic's Clubhouse at Heathrow Airport. In addition to a complete office, library, and video projection system, those looking for first class relaxation will find everything they desire. Take a cat nap on a daybed in a hideaway mezzanine, enjoy a meal in one of several dining options or have a drink at the bar. Or use the time to visit the Cowshed Spa, where you can get a facial, massage or even a tan. If all that pampering musses your hair, you can stop by the Bumble and Bumble Hair Salon.

A few North American carriers are beginning to upgrade their lounge offerings, but for now you won't find any of them of Skytrax's top ten list.

Tags: airplane, airport, business, business class lounge, BusinessClassLounge, cowshed spa, CowshedSpa, flight, heathrow airport, HeathrowAirport, lounge, lounges, luxe, luxury, skytrax, spa, top ten lounges, TopTenLounges, travel, virgin atlantic, VirginAtlantic

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

Singapore Airlines To Auction Off Seats On The A380

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings, Auctions, Charity

As I've mentioned in the past, Singapore Airlines is the first commercial airline to get their hands on an Airbus A380. They have now announced that they will be auctioning off seats on the first commercial flight of the A380 between Singapore and Sydney. Tickets for the first flight of this doubledecker jet will be offered on eBay, with the proceeds going to Singapore's Community Chest, Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwich, The Children's Hospital at Westmead and Doctors Without Borders. Exxon Mobil Aviation will donate the fuel for the flight.

Tags: a380, airbus, airplane, charity, doubledecker jet, jet, singapore airlines, SingaporeAirlines

Concorde Parts up for Auction

by Sandy Maple (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings, Auctions

Maybe you never got a chance to fly on the Concorde before the last flight in 2003, but soon you will have the opportunity to own a piece of it. Beginning September 28th and continuing through October 1st, 835 lots of Concorde related items will be sold to the highest bidder. Included in the sale is everything from spare parts to pilot's uniforms, with most bids expected to range from $67-$400. If you have a little more to spend and possibly a larger place to house your collection, you can bid on the plane's landing gear, which weighs 1.5 tons and is expected to fetch upwards of $2,700. Don't be surprised if these estimates are low. In 2003, the Concorde's trademark needle nose sold for $634,000 although it was valued at only $13,000.

The proceeds of the auction will finance a planned airline park in the French City of Toulou. The Aeroscopia will open in 2010 and feature the history of Aerospatiale Toulouse, the maker of Concorde.

Tags: aeroscopia, aircraft, airplane, auction, aviation, concorde, plane, supersonic, toulou

Boeing 787 Dreamliner VIP Edition

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which we heard about last October, just might be the fastest selling airplane in aviation history. It seems like all the big dogs want one, the latest being Hong Kong real estate tycoon Joseph Lau with his $153 million dollar 787 Dreamliner VIP Edition order. Once completed the Boeing will have 2,400+ square feet of luxurious space filled with amenities like vaulted ceilings, spiral staircases, and video wall displays.

And on a related note, new pictures have been released of the even bigger 4,786 sq foot 747 Dreamliner, complete with Skyloft feature. Gorgeous!

Tags: 747, 787, 787 dreamliner vip edition, 787DreamlinerVipEdition, airplane, boeing, dreamliner, fly, jet, joseph lau, JosephLau, lau, plane, private, vip, wings

Aruba has New Airport Terminal for Private Jets

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Wings

Fancy a trip to Aruba? Hate commercial flying and been frustrated in the past with lack of accommodations for your private jet? I'm more of a wannabe than an expert when it comes to globetrotting and travel, so in this case I'm not sure if I'm surprised that Aruba has lacked a terminal just for private jets or not. Being the romantic island getaway that it is I would have thought it would be a priority, but then it is a tropical island and they don't generally follow the normal rules and expectations ever anyway.

But none of that really matters now, as Aruba has finally opened a terminal for private jets -- apparently in a specific effort to attract more upscale patrons. It even has separate customs and immigration so travelers can get through faster and bypass the main terminal altogether.

Tags: airplane, aruba, caribbean, carribbean, carribean, fly, island, jet, plane, private jet, PrivateJet, terminal, travel, tropical, tropics, wings

BMW Enters The Jet Design Business With The 787 VIP Business Jet

by Erin Mays (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Luxury Cars & Autos, Wings

After designing such beauties as the stunning 3-series, M Coupe, 6-series and other models in the recent rollout of all-new BMWs, the DesignWorks design team took a little hiatus to work on the automobile's sky-faring cousin, the airplane.

Our sister site Gadling brings the news to us that DesignWorks unveiled some concept drawings at the Hamburg Aircraft Interiors Expo of the ultra-luxury 787 Business Jet, targeted toward, say, a rich 30-something Russian businessman "spends a significant amount of time traveling across the globe and needs an aircraft that function as a second home."

The plane is decked out with white leather lounge chairs and burgundy accent pillows, a full bar, artwork, luxury bedroom accommodations and glass areas on the floor so passengers can keep an eye on their rides in the garage below.

More photos available by clicking through to Gadling.

Tags: air travel, airplane, AirTravel, bmw, designworks, jet, plane, travel

Decor that Will (and Won't) Fly on a Private Jet

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Wings

The whole idea of having a private jet, besides the obvious privacy aspect, is that you get to have it decorated however you want, right? Maybe not, depending on exactly what features you're after. Any plane that wants to fly in U.S. airspace has the Federal Aviation Administration to comply with, and no matter how fancy you make it a plane just isn't any fun when it's stuck sitting on the ground.

On the bright side, many features can be modified or changed to where they're still enjoyable but don't break any laws -- like chandeliers are okay if they're retractable, and you can have all the heavy mahogany and big screen TVs you want as long as you're willing to trade off in terms of increased fuel and lower over-all capacity for things like passengers and cargo.

So what isn't okay, ever, on a plane? An open flame, which automatically rules out features like fireplaces and gas stoves.

But as long as you have a golden toilet, who cares.

Tags: airplane, decor, decorating, decorations, fly, flying, jet, plane, private jet, private plane, PrivateJet, PrivatePlane, wings

Jet Airways Offers Private Mini Cabins

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

Flying from London to India just got a lot more comfortable. Jet Airways has created a service that is basically like having a small cabin to yourself for the flight The 26 square foot room has two seats that convert into an 83-inch bed, dining for two and a 23-inch flat screen TV. The cabin has a pair of sliding doors for privacy. Meals are served on porcelain dinnerware. To fly from London to Mumbai in your own cabin costs £4,421.10 and the first luxury flight on one on Jet Airways' Boeing 777-300ER aircraft takes off from Heathrow on May 5. You can see more pictures in the article on This Is London.

Tags: airplane, england, first class, flight, flying, india, jet, jet airways, JetAirways

Cashmere Travel Set

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

This Cashmere Travel Set is a great stocking stuffer for the frequent traveler. Made of 100% exquisitely soft cashmere, it includes an eye mask and slippers in a satin-lined zip . pouch that can also be used for small toiletries or other relaxing things. The slippers have suede soles to prevent slipping wile walking, which is particularly useful on a plane where there can be some turbulence. The set is available in four colors: chocolate (pictured), garnet, camel and eucalyptus. Best of all, it's only $80.

Tags: airplane, cashmere, Cashmere Travel Set, CashmereTravelSet, goft, plane, stocking stuffer, travel, traveling

Luxury Jets Get Bigger and Better

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

As is the case with just about everything else in the luxury market, including yachts and homes, private airplanes are getting bigger and more impressive all the time. Instead of sticking with little six-seaters, jumbo jets that are made to carry hundreds of passengers on long-haul flights are being made over to carry only a handful of people in total comfort. Many are owned by companies and used to ferry around important clients, but some are owned by individuals.

The smaller jets include planes like the Boeing 737 and 747, of which there are around 40 privately configured jets, but the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner is going to be one of the best planes money can buy. The Dreamliner will have only 35 seats, as opposed to about 300 as a commercial plane, and most of them will double as beds. The rest of the interior is up to the buyer. Dreamliners will start at about $150 million and will be released in 2008.

Tags: 787, airplane, airplanes, boeing, dreamliner, plane, planes, wing, wings

Sam's Club Once-in-a-Lifetime Packages For 2006

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Wings, Events

Neiman Marcus isn't the only company to get epically splurgy for the holidays. Sam's Club offers several Once-in-a-Lifetime packages. The ultimate in extravagance is the Citation Mustang Jet Package which includes the Citation Mustang, S/N 510-0002, private jet transportation to Cessna Headquarters to choose your exterior and interior options, private jet transportation to pickup your new Cessna Citation Mustang Jet at the end of 2007 when it is ready and a lifetime Advantage Plus membership to Sam's Club. The package is available for purchase on November 9, 2006 and sells for $2,734,600.

The other packages are a lot less pricey but a bit more ephemeral. For $71,000 you can pick up the Pro Football Championship XLI package which includes four Lower-Level Premium tickets to the Championship game in Miami in February as well as four passes to the official tailgate event before the game, playing spots for two in the Championship Games' Golf Showcase, VIP tickets to the Player of the Year Awards, access to Dan Marino's VIP party at Nikki Beach and a Samsung Digital home theater package that includes a television, DVD player, DVD camcorder and more. For $44,000 you can fly to London to see Tony Bennett play and meet him in person. The package includes backstage passes, VIP concert tickets, a signed Tony Bennett lithograph, five nights deluxe accommodations and a traditional Scottish dinner for four.

Tags: airplane, cessna mustang, CessnaMustang, dan marino, holiday packages, sam's club, tony bennett

Please Store All Gucci Bags Under the Seat In Front Of You

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Handbags, Wings

A passenger on a Cathay Pacific plane in Hong Kong, bound for Tokyo, delayed the flight for more than an hour because she refused to stow her Gucci handbag under her seat for takeoff. The flight attendants tried to convince the woman, who refused even after airport security guards were called in and threatened to arrest her for disrupting the flight. After a long argument, the woman finally agreed to disembark from the plane, Gucci bag in hand, to the applause of the other passengers, who were eager to get the plane off the ground. "'It's not my fault, it was them who were too stubborn,' she shouted as she was leaving."

Tags: airplane, airplanes, cathay pacific, flight, flying, gucci, gucci handbag, handbad

More Extravagant Plans For The A380

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

We've heard of some extravagant plans for the Airbus A380 before but Lufthansa Technik has a bold new idea for their VIP version of the plane, an interior driving range for golf practice. According to an article in the Sunday Times, the deluxe private A380 will cost over £200m and will include en-suite bedrooms and a private dining room. Lufthansa Technik believes there are about 20 customers in the world with the desire for the ultimate private plane including such big spenders as the Sultan of Brunei and Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, a Riyadh-based investment tycoon. Other details of this dream plane include wireless internet, 50-inch plasma television screens, mood lighting to minimize jet lag, a mini gym and a sauna. It seems like my prediction over a year ago of an in-flight Jacuzzi wasn't too far off. You've got a little time to raise the necessary cash, the earliest delivery slot for a VIP A380 is 2011 or 2012.

Tags: airbus a 380, AirbusA380, airplane, jet, lufthansa

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

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