The Flight Detective

Power nap pods, British Airways? Well that’s a surprise…

Posted by The Flight Detective | May 18, 2021 | Airlines, News | 0

British Airways have installed some power nap pods in their Galleries first class lounge at London Heathrow. These will also roll out to the Concorde Room lounges at New York JFK and Heathrow Terminal 5 as well, in due course. Called the ‘Forty Winks’ nap lounge (well, what else would you call it?), it sounds like a recipe for disaster to me. Getting too comfortable would mean a missed flight, or at the very least high potential for the airline walk of shame. Power Nap Pods The EnergyPods – billed as “the world’s first chair designed exclusively for power...

Does anyone remember the Ukrainian Antonov An-140?

Posted by The Flight Detective | May 16, 2021 | Airlines | 2

The Antonov An-140 is a turboprop aircraft designed and built in Ukraine to serve regional routes up to 2,100km in length. First flying on 17 September 1997, it carries up to 52 passengers and entered airline service in 2002. One interesting aspect about this plane is the fact it was also built in Iran from complete knock-down kits supplied by Antonov. These are designated the HESA IrAn-140. Antonov An-140 Video Following on from the last video about the Consolidated Commodore flying boat, this time we head over to Ukraine for a look at the Antonov An-140. The first presentation...

Did you know why this Korean Air Lines Boeing 707 landed on a frozen lake?

Posted by The Flight Detective | May 15, 2021 | Airlines | 6

On 20 April 1978, Korean Air Lines flight KE902 was a scheduled service from Paris to Seoul with a refueling stop in Anchorage. The 97 passengers and 12 crew on board the Boeing 707-321B would not make it to Korea that day. In fact, they ended up on Korpijärvi Lake in Soviet Karelia, near the Finnish border. When you need to make an emergency landing, any piece of flat clear ground will do. In this case the lake served very well as a makeshift runway, but what caused this to happen? KAL902 Strays Off Course During the flight, the...

Is booking an ocean view hotel room actually worth it?

Posted by The Flight Detective | May 14, 2021 | Hotels | 12

When staying at a hotel, there are plenty of rooms types available. One of the most sought after is an ocean view room, and hotels usually charge a premium for the vista on offer. I think everyone would agree that having a view of the wall of the building next door doesn’t really cut it. That being said, is an ocean view room worth the premium? Ocean View Rooms While there is a price premium, it’s often worth it. Nothing beats waking up in the morning and looking outside and seeing the sea. Considering most of us aren’t lucky...

How do you feel about hotels taking a one night deposit for bookings?

Posted by The Flight Detective | May 13, 2021 | Hotels | 6

When it comes to hotel bookings, I usually either pay in full upon booking to take advantage of advance purchase rates, or I select a rate where I pay on arrival. Recently I booked a room and the hotel took a one night deposit, which is unusual. Having not seen this before, I was curious as to whether it’s something common or if it’s appeared due to Coronavirus. It’s not something I have come across before, personally. One Night Deposit Apparently Hawaii is red hot right now among US citizens and even I am getting in on the act,...

Did you know Hollywood costume designer Edith Head made uniforms for Pan Am?

Posted by The Flight Detective | May 12, 2021 | Airlines | 4

Perhaps the most famous costume designer ever to grace Hollywood was a lady named Edith Head. With 35 Academy Award nominations and a record eight wins, she is the woman with the most Oscars ever. Miss Head’s first win was for the 1949 film The Heiress, starring Olivia de Havilland and her was last for the 1973 film The Sting. Virtually all the famous actors and actresses from that era wore her designs in a film. She also created uniforms for Pan Am. Pan Am by Edith Head Pan American World Airways, commonly known as Pan Am, was a...

Do you know Dublin Airport is getting a hotel connected to the terminal?

Posted by The Flight Detective | May 11, 2021 | Hotels | 2

Terminal 2 at Dublin Airport opened in late 2010 and provision was made at that time for a hotel connected to the terminal. It is finally going to happen, with an announcement made this week. Currently there are two hotels at the airport, however you need to get a shuttle bus or walk outdoors to access them. Not great in some of the Irish weather, that’s for sure! New Hotel At Dublin Airport The British group Arora is going to spend €100 million building a 410 room hotel right at Terminal 2. It will consist of 11 floors and...

Here’s a British Airways roster showing how cabin crew used to do really long trips

Posted by The Flight Detective | May 10, 2021 | Airlines | 4

Back in the day, cabin crew for major international airlines used to do really long trips. It was not all that uncommon for people to be away for weeks at a time for work. The advent of alliances and codeshares means that these long trips are virtually unheard of today. In fact, three to five days would now be considered a long trip. What does one of these long trips from the past look like? A Really Long British Airways Trip British Airways used to serve quite a number of stations in Australia and New Zealand. This resulted in...

Does anyone remember the pioneering Consolidated Commodore flying boat?

Posted by The Flight Detective | May 9, 2021 | Airlines | 4

The Consolidated Commodore flying boat, powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney Hornet piston engines, first took to the sky on 28 September 1928. Designed to fly up to 1,000 miles (1,600km) it usually carried 22 passengers and three crew. Its interiors, designed by Frederick J. Pike, featured different shades of pastel panelling in each compartment, made of waterproof fabric. Seats were upholstered in fabric, unusual for the time, making for a very luxurious cabin. Consolidated Commodore Video Following on from the last video on the Ilyushin Il-14, this time we head over to the United States for...

Which airlines are planning to use the Airbus A380 when travel returns?

Posted by The Flight Detective | May 7, 2021 | Airlines | 2

The Airbus A380 is an amazing aircraft from a passenger point of view. It’s quiet, spacious and usually features an airlines newest and best product on board. With the benefit of hindsight, it is clear that certain airlines ordered the A380 for prestige more than anything else. They had problems profitably filling the seats year round and looked to get rid of the aircraft. The pandemic only accelerated this trend. Airlines Retiring The A380 Several airlines have decided to remove the superjumbo from service entirely, with the latest being Malaysia Airlines. They have been trying to find something to...