The Flight Detective, Author at TravelUpdate

Finnair offered me a better upgrade price to business class. Did I take it this time?

Posted by The Flight Detective | Feb 26, 2020 | Airlines | 4

The arcane world of business class upgrade pricing is a mystery to me. Sometimes you can get a better upgrade price than you might have initially been expecting. Recently I wrote how Finnair offered me an upgrade for €172 for a flight from London Heathrow to Helsinki. Since the aircraft was going to be an Airbus A321 with just the middle seat kept free, general consensus was not to bother. A Better Upgrade Offer My return flight from Helsinki to London is on the Airbus A330. This is an internationally configured aircraft, with lie flat seats in the business...

Which airlines put something luxurious like an actual bar on their Airbus A380s?

Posted by The Flight Detective | Feb 25, 2020 | Airlines | 0

When the world’s largest passenger aircraft, the Airbus A380, was being introduced to the world, the marketing hype went into overdrive. Airlines could install a bowling alley, a gym and other unique or luxurious features as the plane was just SO BIG! Travel as we know it was supposed to be transformed. It wasn’t. Similar hype occurred in the 1960s when the Boeing 747 was coming up. Oodles of space apparently meant airlines could wow their passengers. While many airlines had a lounge on the upper deck, Pan Am used the space for a first class dining room, and...

Review: Cathay Pacific Boeing 777-300ER business class Hong Kong to London

Posted by The Flight Detective | Feb 24, 2020 | Airlines, Flight Reviews, Reviews and Reports | 2

Cathay Pacific are having a remarkable run of bad luck, what with the Hong Kong protests and now the Coronavirus affecting bookings. That does not take away from the fact they have a world class on board business class product, which you will read about here on a flight from Hong Kong to London. This journey was immediately after my flight from Sydney to Hong Kong. My eight hour layover was cut in half when my original flight was cancelled and I was put onto this one. The Pier Business Class Lounge I started the day off in The...

Does anyone remember the gigantic Saunders-Roe Princess flying boat?

Posted by The Flight Detective | Feb 23, 2020 | Airlines | 0

The Saunders-Roe Princess was the last large flying boat produced in the world. First flying on 22 August 1952, it featured two decks, capable of carrying 105 passengers on intercontinental flights. Powered by six Bristol Proteus turboprop engines, it featured a range of 9,210 kilometres and cruised at a 580 kilometres per hour. Just one aircraft took to the sky, as the flying boat era was essentially already finished when it was produced. Saunders-Roe Princess Video Following on from the last video about the Boeing 737-100, this time we cross the Atlantic and look at the Saunders-Roe Princess flying...

Did you know Boeing changed the design of the 727 due to a hijacker?

Posted by The Flight Detective | Feb 22, 2020 | Airlines | 4

Perhaps the most notorious hijacker in the world is a man who went by the name of D.B. Cooper. He hijacked a Northwest Airlines Boeing 727 on 24 November 1971, and despite an extensive investigation was never found. The way he managed to escape has become a bit of a legend. It also resulted in Boeing having to change the design of their Boeing 727 aircraft to prevent it happening again. The Hijack Northwest Airlines flight 305 was a short sector from Portland to Seattle. D.B. Cooper handed a note to a flight attendant and showed her a bomb...

Wow! They did land an Airbus A380 at Knock Airport in Ireland with video to prove it!

Posted by The Flight Detective | Feb 21, 2020 | Airlines | 4

Recently I wrote about how Air France were sending some Airbus A380s for scrap in Ireland. The first aircraft arrived at Knock Airport yesterday, 20 February 2020. Considering the airport sees the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 as its main equipment, this landing is quite the event. Happily just about anyone interested in aviation in the area turned out for the big event. Knock Airport A380 Landing Video The video below runs for a little over five minutes. Both a Ryanair flight to Liverpool and an Aer Lingus service to London Gatwick depart in the beginning. This illustrates the...

Did you know Qatar Airways have a 10% off sale for today only?

Posted by The Flight Detective | Feb 20, 2020 | Airlines, Deals | 0

Qatar Airways are running a 10% off sale for today only. They ran one of these on a couple of weeks ago which I managed to miss as I was not online that day. There is no special occasion part from the date. The previous one was on 02/02/2020 and today is 20/02/2020. It doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things though. Qatar Airways 10% Off Sale Various different dates are applicable. For economy class passengers, it’s up to 10% off the base fare for economy saver, value and promo fares for travel 20 February to 1...

Is SeatSpy the easiest way to find frequent flyer award seats on British Airways and Virgin Atlantic?

Posted by The Flight Detective | Feb 19, 2020 | Airlines | 4

Airlines have pretty clunky interfaces when it comes to searching for frequent flyer award seats. Usually you enter your dates and availability is returned for those dates only. Very late 20th century thinking, really. A new online tool called SeatSpy corrects this. Virgin Atlantic and British Airways customers can use the new tool, which is currently in Beta testing. This means all the features are currently available, some of which will become paid services later on. How Does SeatSpy Work? Searching with SeatSpy is incredibly simple. Enter your origin and destination, the amount of passengers and the cabin you...

What was flying Club Europe on a British Airways Boeing 767 like in 2015?

Posted by The Flight Detective | Feb 18, 2020 | Airlines, Flight Reviews, Reviews and Reports | 0

Originally titled “Speedbird From Sweden” when published in 2015, this report details one of my rare trips for work. I decided to upgrade my ticket at check-in, since I hadn’t paid for the ticket. It was worth it, as the Boeing 767 Club Europe cabin was lovely! Enjoy this trip down memory lane. Welcome to another of my trip reports! I was not flying for pleasure this time, having been in Stockholm on a business trip. All European trips for work at our company are booked in Economy Class and my flights were booked in that cabin. After two...

A €69 upgrade to business class on British Airways? Great, right? Well, not always!

Posted by The Flight Detective | Feb 17, 2020 | Airlines | 0

I do enjoy British Airways offering upgrades to business class in Manage My Booking. It certainly whets my appetite, especially when it’s a €69 upgrade price. This is the current offer on a flight I have booked from Dublin to London Heathrow and both the outbound and return are available to upgrade for that price. However, all is not as it seems. Is A €69 Upgrade Really Good Value? On its own, getting a €69 upgrade on British Airways is straight up good value. You get a higher baggage allowance, lounge access, fast-track security at both ends, the middle...