Airbus A380 production finally getting up to speed – 30th plane delivered

by Scott Carmichael on

The Airbus A380 launch got off to a very rocky start – delayed deliveries and a sagging economy made this mega-jumbo look pretty bleak for some time. Thankfully, Airbus seems to have found the right rhythm, because they are now on target to deliver 20 of them in 2010.

On Thursday, the European aviation consortium delivered its 30th A380 to Dubai based Emirates, making it the tenth A380 in their fleet. At $346 million each – this is no cheap plane, but that has not stopped airlines ordering 202 of them.

Despite all the fanfare over which airplane builder is better – the A380 is an amazing plane, and one that is quickly on its way to becoming a common sight at airports around the world.

Virgin Atlantic’s pervy new in-flight cocktail

by Laurel Miller on

God bless Richard Branson.

According to Jaunted, Virgin Atlantic has come up with a summer promo designed to entice passengers into an upgrade. If you sit in Premium Economy or Upper Class on selected flights, you’ll get to enjoy a complimentary Virgin Redhead.

Relax, it’s just a cocktail: a saucy blend of muddled raspberries, fresh lemon juice, Cassis, and Framboise Liqueur, shaken with Bombay Sapphire Gin, and topped with float of Champagne.

The Upper Class elite can also have themselves a Redhead in VA Clubhouses in select cities. Scandalous!

[Image credit: Rocoto]

AirportDining.net helps take the unknown out of airport food

by Scott Carmichael on

Finding a decent meal at the airport is always a gamble. I suspect my ratio for good airport food is one good meal for every ten bad ones. For some reason, the airport environment seems unable to cook anything that doesn’t taste like baked shoe.

A new online resource is determined to help change that – AirportDining.net is a repository of airport dining reviews, and currently covers 409 different eateries.

Each entry provides a photo (when available), pricing, location, opening hours, whether they are kid friendly, and whether they sell alcohol. Users can add their own reviews to the location, and rate them on their taste, ambiance, cleanliness and service. Best of all, reviewers can add their own tips, recommending (for or against) certain dishes.

As of this morning, there are 104 reviews on the site, but over time that should grow nicely – especially if travelers take the time to add their own reviews. Click here to visit the site, and read some of the reviews – then, next time you fly and eat at the airport, add your review and help fellow passengers.

Lady attempts to fly out of Dallas Fort Worth airport – in her car

by Scott Carmichael on

Taking your car to the airport is usually a hassle – high parking rates, strict cops that refuse to let you wait more than 2 minutes in front of the terminal, and of course pesky toll collectors. At DFW airport, Yasmine Villasana really wanted to leave as quickly as possible – because she attempted to take off using the barrier at the toll plaza.

Upon landing, she managed to get out of her car (unharmed) and made a phone call while she watched her vehicle burst into flames. DFW spokesman David Magana told the Dallas Observer that “The driver was, as you might guess, suspected of inebriation and investigated for such and arrested for such.”

She’s very lucky she didn’t kill the toll booth operator or herself – that is one impressive jump – the Duke boys would be mighty proud of her. The Dallas Observer has her mug shot, along with a full police report.

GateGuru 1.5 adds JetBlue leaderboard contest, maps, local ads and more

by Scott Carmichael on

In the world of mobile apps, not much pleases me more than watching a great app slowly evolve into something amazing.

Take for example GateGuru. We first mentioned this fantastic app last year – and since then, the developers have slowly been adding new features.

In its latest version, Gateguru 1.5 really takes things to the next level – the app has added a leaderboard contest, maps and localized ads.

The new leaderboard contest is an awesome way to rewards active users. As you may already know, a lot of the content inside GateGuru comes from travelers – and when you add tips, new amenities or rate a current location, you earn points.

If you earn the most points in your area, you’ll win a $100 JetBlue gift card. The national leader will be awarded two JetBlue tickets. This contest is one of the largest ever held with prizes awarded for virtual points.

The maps are another very welcome addition – it means you can now look up an amenity, and find your way to it, all without having to stop and ask for directions.

With the localized ad feature, you are presented with ads that offer discounts for stores at your airport. During my test, I was offered a rent 1 – get 2 DVD offer for the nearby InMotion airport store. Seriously – if you are going to put ads in an app, this is the kind of stuff I love seeing. The ad discount was worth $5, and all you need to do is show the ad to the store clerk, and you get your discount.

All in all some brilliant improvements – and best of all, the app is still free of charge from the App store.

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