Photo Of The Day: Flying To Iceland

by Meg Nesterov on


Today’s Photo of the Day may seem a bit pedestrian: it’s a cup of (likely) mediocre airplane coffee. But the napkin comes with a fun fact about Icelandic settler Ingólfur Arnarson, whose trip from Norway took four days, and there were no napkins. Too bad he couldn’t fly Iceland Air, like Flickr user shapes of dreams, who snapped this on her way to Reykjavik. Bonus points for her stylish nail color, which she dubs Blue Lagoon. It’s a fun way to learn a little about your destination while enjoying one of air travel‘s last freebies.

Know any other clever airlines? Share your favorite travel photos with us in the Gadling Flickr pool for a future Photo of the Day.

Virgin America Unveils New Uniforms

by Grant Martin on

Five years after the birth of their airline, Virgin America is already mixing up their image and updating crew and staff uniforms. The airline, which has always been aesthetically sharp, tapped the team at Banana Republic for help with the new design. The result is a line of uniforms that are modern, professional and custom designed for an airline employee’s needs. For example, extra room has been factored into shirtsleeves to account for reaching up and into overhead bins, while select fabrics were used for durability and comfort. A gallery showing the new flight attendant, pilot and airport staff uniforms is below.

For those that are impressed enough by the designs, a line of Banana Republic gear will also be available for purchase in the onboard shopping system, while apparently some Virgin America branded gear will migrate into the clothing stores.

The airline expects to roll out the uniforms in August, and though there was never any risk of losing style points to the competition, this update should keep Virgin America on top for a long time to come.

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[images courtesy Virgin America]

Liquids Surrendered At Airport Security: Is There An Afterlife?

by Laurel Miller on

Ever looked at the mountain of liquids (or, in my case, that luscious, unopened jar of dulce de leche, and countless yogurts) accumulated at airport security and wondered where they end up? Yeah, me too. I’ve always hoped they go to charity and the water bottles recycled, because I have a bit of an idealist streak beneath my jaded exterior.

Our friend Andy Bender over at Forbes helped get to the bottom of this tricky question, and the answers are somewhat surprising. Rather than being palmed by greasy-haired or hungry TSA agents (cause for immediate termination), large airports divvy up the booty by category and dispose of it accordingly, although smaller volume airports may just lump it as trash.

If you lie awake nights pondering the fate of your spendy conditioner or lotion, here’s the breakdown:

  • Liquids are sorted by type (sunscreen, shampoo, alcohol, contact lens solution, etc.) and emptied into hazmat barrels, which are then collected by waste management companies. They’re disposed of according to environmental regulations (Forbes reports that “water-based solutions are sent to a waste water treatment facility or waste energy recovery facility aka trash-to-stream plant.”
  • Alcohol ends up being treated at fuel-blending facilities because it’s flammable.
  • Large quantities of bottles are “chipped” and recycled, but not smaller volumes, which go to the landfill.

For more information on current regulations taking liquids in carry-on, click here. And here’s a tip: by carrying a refillable water bottle, you help reduce the 1.5 million barrels of oil required for U.S. plastic water bottle production each year.

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[Photo credit: Flickr user stevendepolo]

Apple Granted Patent For Airport Check-In System

by Kraig Becker on

The U.S. Patent Office granted Apple a nifty new patent yesterday that could potentially have an impact on the way that many of us travel. The rather vague filing describes a number of unique ways that an Apple designed device could potentially interact with a check-in system used by airlines or other modes of transportation.

The patent, which was originally filed in 2008, outlines the use of Near Field Communication (NFC) protocols to interact with check-in systems using an app that was originally called “iTravel.” That app would be able to transmit data from an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch that could potentially confirm the identity of the person using it, finalize flight reservations and possibly even allow access through security checkpoints.

NFC technology has been around for some time but is just now starting to gain some acceptance in consumer products. The technology uses radio signals to allow two devices to share data with one another simply by touching or being within close proximity. Some experts believe that NFC could potentially replace the credit cards we carry in our wallets by allowing us to use our smartphones to pay for the things we want to buy. Others see it expanding further and being used for everything from subway passes and toll booths to sharing contacts and photos with friends and coworkers.

There has been heavy speculation that the next iPhone, due out in the fall, will include NFC capabilities. That speculation was fueled even further when Apple recently introduced a new app called Passbook that enables users to electronically organize and store everything from airline boarding passes and consumer loyalty cards to movie tickets and gift certificates. The iTravel app mentioned in the patent filing resembles an early version of Passbook, which is also scheduled to be released in the fall.

There is no doubt that smartphones have made our lives simpler in a lot of ways. But the inclusion of NFC technology and the kind of functionality that it can bring has the potential to be just as revolutionary. It remains to be seen if this patent will actually become a reality, but if Apple doesn’t do something similar, I’m sure someone else will.

’50 Shades Of Grey’ At 35,000 Feet

by McLean Robbins on

Ana Steel’s inner goddess is doing backflips. You can now hear the juicy details of the cult favorite “50 Shades of Grey” live via in-flight audio book on Virgin Atlantic.

The book follows the exploits of Anastasia Steele, a virgin who meets a wealthy businessman with particular tastes in the bedroom. It has already sold over 10 million copies.

“‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ has quickly gained notoriety as a ‘naughty novel,’ leaving some women embarrassed to read their copy in public. We want to give our female passengers the chance to enjoy the book in an intimate way, without prying eyes. Of course, we can’t promise to spare any blushes and can’t be held responsible for any risqué behavior that listening to the recording inspires,” said Sarah McIntyre, Virgin Atlantic spokesperson.

These audio books are a feature of the planes’ InFlight Entertainment Systems.

Let’s just say we think you’ll be able to tell who is listening by the squirming and shocked facial expressions. We hope nobody decides to try out some of the book’s signature moves in the airport lavatory, either.