The Flight Detective

What is Kerry Airport at Farranfore in Ireland like?

Posted by The Flight Detective | Aug 4, 2021 | Airlines | 2

Ireland has quite a lot of airports and one of them is at Farranfore in County Kerry. Kerry Airport is a small facility, which is fairly close to both Tralee and Killarney. It has the distinction of being the only airport in the Republic of Ireland with a railway station close by. Since only locals would really use the facility, here’s a look at what it is like. Kerry Airport Those used to large capital city airports will be in for a surprise as Kerry Airport is rather compact. As soon as you walk in, immediately in front of...

Rail Review: Irish Rail from Dublin to Kerry in first and standard class

Posted by The Flight Detective | Aug 3, 2021 | Reviews and Reports | 2

Iarnród Éireann or Irish Rail operate the train services throughout the Republic of Ireland with modern rolling stock. I took the train from Dublin to Farranfore in County Kerry, so I could check out the walk between the station and the airport. At the moment there is no catering due to the pandemic, meaning no excellent food like on my journey from Dublin to Limerick. That meant wiling away the hours checking out the view, which is no hardship, let me tell you! Irish Rail Heuston to Farranfore My train was scheduled for 7am which meant a 5:15am alarm...

How far is it from Farranfore train station to Kerry Airport?

Posted by The Flight Detective | Aug 2, 2021 | Airlines, Travel Tips | 0

Ireland has just one train station close to an airport, and that at Farranfore in County Kerry. Kerry Airport is located within walking distance of the railway line, which makes things easy when going from train to plane. People have said that it’s quite some walk, but after checking it on Google Maps, I didn’t think so. Therefore I decided to give it a try myself to see exactly how long it takes. Train Station to Airport When you alight from the train, you leave via the entrance in front of you, walk through the small car park and...

When flying from Europe to Australia, have you considered Japan Airlines?

Posted by The Flight Detective | Jul 31, 2021 | Airlines | 2

Once upon a time, trying to book a flight on Japan Airlines from Europe to Australia seemed impossible. Their website just would not let you book the flight, even though I knew they served both areas quite well. It seems things have changed and now it’s entirely possible to make a booking with them. There are a few things that set Japan Airlines apart which makes them arguably the most comfortable experience on the route, not to mention their competitive pricing. Japan Airlines Lounge Access Obviously passengers in first class and business class receive lounge access, which is the...

After Titanic sank, how did they make her identical sister ship Olympic safer?

Posted by The Flight Detective | Jul 26, 2021 | Cruises | 2

Titanic was an ocean liner operated by the White Star Line, which famously sank on her maiden voyage in April 1912. She had a virtually identical sister ship called Olympic which entered service the year before. After the sinking, Olympic was modified to become safer. Since the Titanic disaster was a major news event around the world, passengers and crew were reluctant to travel on Olympic. Something needed to be done and fast. Making Olympic Safer Since it is well known that Titanic did not have enough lifeboats for all on board, unsurprisingly that was the first thing addressed....

Does anyone remember the Boeing 717, the plane adopted from McDonnell Douglas?

Posted by The Flight Detective | Jul 25, 2021 | Airlines | 8

An unusual bird in the Boeing flock is the Boeing 717. It looks nothing like the other aircraft designed by the US manufacturer and that is because it was conceived by former competitor McDonnell Douglas as a Douglas DC-9-30 replacement. Renamed the Boeing 717-200 after Boeing absorbed McDonnell Douglas in 1997, it first flew from Long Beach on 2 September 1998. Powered by two Rolls-Royce BR715 turbofans, it has a range of 2,648 to 3,815km and entered service on 12 October 1999 with AirTran Airways. Boeing 717 Video Following on from the last video on the Lockheed L-1649 Starliner,...

Check out this cockpit video of a Boeing 747 landing in Tokyo in gusty conditions

Posted by The Flight Detective | Jul 24, 2021 | Airlines | 2

While sometimes disparaged as overpaid bus drivers of the sky, anyone with an actual clue knows that pilots are highly trained professionals with a huge amount of responsibility for the safety of their aircraft. These days people can’t visit the flight deck during flight, which makes cockpit video the next best thing. There are quite a few of these available online, where cameras are setup to record flights to entertain the armchair pilots at home. The most interesting ones are those shot in difficult or unusual weather conditions. Cockpit Video National Airlines is a cargo operator who use the...

Awesome! Fly in Aer Lingus business class flat bed seats for only €90

Posted by The Flight Detective | Jul 22, 2021 | Airlines | 8

Flying business class on long haul flights can cost quite a lot of money. That means things like flat bed seats are out of reach for most people. That being said, there are certain Aer Lingus flights where you can get these for just €90. The Irish airline has an excellent long haul business class product, which I have reviewed before. You can find it on both their widebody Airbus A330s and their new Airbus A321neo aircraft. Flat Bed Seats For €90! Aer Lingus operate daily flights between Dublin and Lanzarote and this summer they are using the Airbus...

Do you know Eastern Airways have started flying the Dublin to Southampton route?

Posted by The Flight Detective | Jul 21, 2021 | Airlines, News | 0

Eastern Airways of the United Kingdom has started services between Dublin and Southampton. This is great news for people looking to get cruises out of that famous British port. Once upon a time I took the Cunard Line’s Queen Elizabeth 2 on a voyage from New York to Southampton. Flying back directly from there would have been much more convenient than going via London which I ended up doing. Eastern Airways Schedule At the moment, flights are scheduled four times a week on Monday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. They leave Southampton at 08:50 and arrive in Dublin at 10:05....

British Airways day trips from Dublin to London for around €100 return

Posted by The Flight Detective | Jul 20, 2021 | Airlines, Deals | 2

A little known fact is that you can get day trips from Dublin to London on British Airways quite inexpensively. The oneworld alliance carrier is often cheaper than Aer Lingus on this route so they’re always worth considering. Jetting over to London for lunch and a bit of shopping with a same day return may sound outrageous, but it’s not. You save the expense of an overnight hotel, which can be better spent spending elsewhere. British Airways Day Trips At the moment, the schedule allows for this with a flight departing Dublin at 7:30am, which gets into Heathrow at...