velvet | flying experience

The world’s five-star airlines

Skytrax, a leading global aviation advisor, conducts audits of the world’s premium airlines every year. The airlines that score the best – on a wide range of aspects such as the quality and efficiency of staff service both onboard as well as on the ground, the quality of onboard catering, seat comfort and in-flight entertainment [...]

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Plane Views: Sydney Harbour

Sydney is one of the great harbourside cities in the world, ranking alongside my other favourites: San Francisco, New York, Vancouver, Cape Town and Rio de Janeiro. Seeing Sydney from the air on a clear day is a breathtaking treat. The harbour, with its dozens of inlets, is absolutely magnificent. The views over the city [...]

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Plane Views: Vancouver to Portland (OR)

I just love looking at the view of our planet from above. One of the most spectacular sights I’ve ever seen was on a flight from Vancouver to Amsterdam in the summer. I couldn’t sleep so instead, I lifted the screen and I was totally bowled over. We were flying across the Canadian Arctic and [...]

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What’s your favourite plane?

Most travellers have a favourite airline or airport, even a favourite type of aircraft. As a frequent flyer, I’ve become a huge fan of Airbus planes. My favourite aircraft is still the Airbus A340 series (I have yet to fly with the A380). I love its sleek structure, the curvy wings and its spacious cabin [...]

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New plans for Air Asia’s KL hub unveiled

Update: 30th October 2009 The Malaysian government announced recently that groundwork for the new LCCT terminal will begin in November. The whole project is slated to cost about 2 billion Ringgit (EUR 400 million) and is scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2011. In addition to the new terminal and apron space, the present [...]

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Nail-biting landings

I just read a great article on Travel & Leisure on the world’s scariest runways (check out the slideshow) and it’s brought back quite a few harrowing memories. I remember a landing once in the days when Hong Kong had its Kai Tak airport. It was during the monsoon and the plane was shuddering continuously and [...]

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What’s the safest spot on a plane?

In the aftermath of the recent Turkish Airlines crash in Amsterdam, in which nine people died but others walked away with little more than a few bruises, many are asking which is the safest place to sit in a plane. The topic is currently a popular one among the Dutch media. I don’t believe that [...]

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Keep your seat-belts fastened

Thirty people were injured on a Northwest flight from Manila to Tokyo today as the plane encountered some heavy turbulence. This is not the first such incident nor will it be the last, unfortunately. The number of people who unbuckle their seat-belts as soon as the Fasten Seat-belt sign is turned off still amazes me. [...]

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In-flight food

To me, the food served on board a plane is one of the highlights of any flight, especially the long-haul ones. I don’t mind a simple sandwich or a cookie for the very short flights just as long as the quality is good. It’s during the long flights that the quality of food matters even [...]

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The best seat on the plane

I was once assigned a seat in the middle of a row of five on a Boeing 777 on what turned out to be my longest flight ever: strong head winds extended the flight time of the flight from Kuala Lumpur to Amsterdam to 14 hours 15 minutes!! I can’t remember ever feeling so elated [...]

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