The Flight Detective, Author at TravelUpdate

Nail biting landing and take-off from the shortest runway in the world

Posted by The Flight Detective | Oct 7, 2020 | Airlines | 6

The Dutch Caribbean island of Saba has a runway of just 400 metres or 1,312 feet long. Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport might have the shortest runway in the world for regular passenger service. With cliffs at either end, it is not for the faint hearted. Scheduled services are operated by Winair, which is short for Winward Islands Airways, who operate to Saint Barthélemy (St. Barts), Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten using the Twin Otter. Shortest Runway In The World Video The video below runs for just over two minutes and shows one of the aircraft landing and taking off....

Best deal ever? 50% off reward flights with British Airways

Posted by The Flight Detective | Oct 6, 2020 | Airlines, Deals | 0

Members of the British Airways Executive Club are currently being treated by the airline. From today, the amount of Avios required to book reward flights have been substantially reduced. This is easily the best deal seen in quite a long time for frequent flyers at the oneworld carrier. You had better get in quick though as it’s a limited time offer. Reward Flights Deal Those wanting to take long-haul flights can now do it for half price. A full 50% has been taken off the usual amount of Avios required for travel. For example, return flights from London Heathrow...

28 passengers on an Airbus A350-1000? Standard on Australia flights

Posted by The Flight Detective | Oct 5, 2020 | Airlines | 8

Imagine flying on a very lightly loaded long-haul widebody jet for 15 hours. All that space must be quite luxurious, especially in economy where you would have three seats to yourself. This is standard these days on Australia flights. I have written before about how the Australian Government is restricting international arrivals. Flights are arriving with few passengers on board due to this, however it hasn’t really been quantified. Until now. How Many People Are On Australia Flights? Qatar Airways have helpfully written how the restrictions are affecting their Australia flights. Services from Doha to Sydney are restricted to...

Does anyone remember the de Havilland Dash 7?

Posted by The Flight Detective | Oct 4, 2020 | Airlines | 4

The de Havilland Dash 7 is a regional turboprop with short take-off and landing (STOL) capabilities. Powered by four Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-50 turboprop engines, it first flew on 27 March 1975. Designed to get in and out of short airstrips, it could use smaller facilities such as the Avon STOLport in Colorado, Steamboat Springs, Telluride Airport and London City Airport. de Havilland Dash 7 Video Following on from the last video about the Dornier 328JET, this week we look at the de Havilland Dash 7. The video below shows Norwegian airline Widerøe demonstrating the STOL capabilities at...

Did you know Qantas and Cathay Pacific almost ordered Douglas DC-10s?

Posted by The Flight Detective | Oct 3, 2020 | Airlines | 4

In 1969 and 1970, three brand new widebody aircraft took their first flights. The Boeing 747, Douglas DC-10 and Lockheed L-1011 TriStar ushered in a new era of comfort for long-haul journeys. A little known fact is that Qantas and Cathay Pacific almost ordered the DC-10. Selecting the correct aircraft to operate your routes is quite important at an airline. Get it wrong and you could lose quite a lot of money, and in our capitalist world, nobody wants that. Qantas Almost Ordered The DC-10 During the 1970s, Australia’s Qantas operated a fleet comprising of Boeing 747-238Bs and Boeing...

Annoying? Free Main Cabin Extra gone for oneworld elites on American Airlines

Posted by The Flight Detective | Oct 2, 2020 | Airlines | 4

When flying economy class on American Airlines, there are a few different types of seating. There are the regular seats, preferred seats and Main Cabin Extra. A relatively obscure benefit for oneworld alliance elite members was free Main Cabin Extra seating when travelling down the back. Main Cabin Extra offers the same service as economy class, however you do receive some extra leg room. Seats are located right at the front of the cabin, which makes it quicker to get off the plane at the end of the flight. Free Main Cabin Extra Now Gone American Airlines have now...

Qatar Airways flexible change policy generously extended through 2021

Posted by The Flight Detective | Oct 1, 2020 | Airlines, News, Travel Tips | 2

Qatar Airways offers one of the most generous flexible change policies out there. Passengers are able to make a variety of flight changes without incurring any kind of fee. This applied to bookings through to 30 September 2020, for travel up to 31 December 2020. Now that this has passed, the web pages have been updated and things have been extended. Qatar Airways Updated Flexible Change Policy The oneworld alliance carrier has extended their policy. You are now able to make unlimited date changes on your existing ticket through to 31 December 2021. You are also still welcome to...

Aer Lingus tweet an Aer Lingus vs Ryanair landing video… and Ryanair clap back!

Posted by The Flight Detective | Sep 30, 2020 | Airlines | 0

Irish rivals Aer Lingus and Ryanair had a little fun with each other on Twitter yesterday. Carl Mullan created a short video of an Aer Lingus vs Ryanair landing for a bit of humour. The social media team at Aer Lingus picked it up and tweeted it, captioning it, “True story”. Not to be outdone, Ryanair clapped back with a burn of their own. Aer Lingus vs Ryanair on Twitter Having flown both Irish airlines over the years, the video could be considered quite true. Aer Lingus generally do have more comfortable landings in their Airbus A320 aircraft. By...

Here’s why I am not buying the £795 business class tickets Europe to USA on British Airways

Posted by The Flight Detective | Sep 29, 2020 | Airlines, Commentary | 2

At the moment there are some very competitively priced business class tickets available on British Airways for travel in 2021. These originate in Luxembourg and Brussels and fly via London Heathrow to cities in the USA. I’m not buying them, though I am sorely tempted. You can get to Boston for £795, Miami for £820, San Jose, San Francisco and New York for £920, Montreal for £995, Dallas and Toronto for £999 and Chicago and Seattle for £1,030 and £1,065. For Club World, these prices are as cheap as it gets. Reasons To Buy The main reason to buy...

What is the longest layover you’ve had between flights?

Posted by The Flight Detective | Sep 28, 2020 | Airlines | 14

Flight connections are a fact of life and airline business models are built on the hub and spoke concept. When searching for flights online, usually the one with the longest layover is the cheapest. Since people like to get where they are going as quickly as possible, the flights with short connections are more popular and therefore more expensive. After all, who likes sitting around in an airport terminal for fun? Is This The Longest Layover? In today’s topsy-turvy world, nothing is the same when comes to booking airline tickets. The new regime involves being patient as your flight...