Video: Scandinavian Airlines pilot doing doughnuts in a Boeing 737

by Scott Carmichael on

Did you know that you could pull doughnuts in a Boeing 737? Apparently the pilot of this Scandinavian Airlines jet found out the hard way – by spinning his $50 million airplane on a slippery runway. One of the commenters on YouTube instantly figured out that SAS must mean “Slip And Slide”. The pilot reported that the incident was completely unintentional.

We spoke to an experienced pilot who says the stunt does not look intentional “as he instantly used opposite rudder to recover”. He also said that if it was intentional, someone should be sent back to the training academy…

Win a trip to Scandinavia

by McLean Robbins on

Want to explore your Scandinavian heritage or simply think a trip to Denmark, Sweden and Norway sounds fabulous? Thanks to Faces of Scandinavia, now you can.

To enter, simply comment on one of the Faces of Scandinavia travel stories, and explain why you like their story or the destination. A winner will be chosen at random on January 14, 2011. Want to be featured on the site? You can also upload your own photo and travel story, although it won’t increase your chances of winning.

The grand prize includes two roundtrip tickets with Icelandair to Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm, two nights in a fabulous hotel in each city, overnight cruise from Oslo to Copenhagen, a train from Copenhagen to Stockholm and City Cards for sightseeing in each city. The second prize is a 16GB iPad with Wi-Fi and 3G and the travel application Guidepal.

Europe tells several different online travel stories

by Tom Johansmeyer on

The EU may have brought us closer to having one Europe, but there certainly isn’t one European travel market. The latest report from travel industry research firm PhoCusWright sees the French market staying flat through 2011, with strong growth occurring in Germany. In the United Kingdom, the travel business will continue to tighten. Meanwhile, the mouse-clickers are in Scandinavia, which is leading the charge in online bookings.

The UK, France and Germany dominated the online leisure and unmanaged business travel market in 2008, accounting for 67 percent of all bookings. But, the UK’s position has been eroding and will continue to do so for the next two years. In 2008, it accounted for 31 percent of the leisure and unmanaged sector online, but PhoCusWright forecasts a drop to 26 percent by 2011. Blame the value of the pound for that one: devaluation will contribute to an erosion an actual buying activity. France owned 19 percent of this market in 2008 and isn’t likely to change. The real growth story, among the largest markets, is Germany. In 2008, it represented only 17 percent of the leisure and unmanaged business market … but PhoCusWright expects it to hit 20 percent in 2011.

Online penetration is greatest in Scandinavia, which now leads Europe. In 2008, this corner of Europe passed the UK, with 45 percent of travel booked online in Scandinavia compared to 40 percent in the UK. And, it isn’t slowing down. Click-and-buy is expected to break the 50 percent mark in 2010, while it will take longer for the UK travel market to get there. France’s online penetration is only 30 percent, with Germany at 24 percent but growing.

Ten Finnish festivals to finish the year

by Tom Johansmeyer on

We’re into the home stretch on 2009, with only three months left to enjoy. Then, the calendar page flips over, and we take on 2010. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways left to make the rest of this year memorable. In Finland, home to some of the strangest celebrations on the planet, you can find a few interesting distractions – and they’ll make for great stories when you get home. Of course, there are a few mixed in that aren’t so strange but could still be pretty interesting.

1. Rovaniemi Design Week
Head up to the capital of Lapland to enjoy its first ever design week. On its own, this seems pretty mundane … until you get a sense of what’s scheduled to happen. The event will host the 24th Design Challenge, which involves competing to develop the Arctic Circle: Santa’s home base.
September 28-October 4, 2009

2. Baltic Herring Fair
This festival dates back to 1743 in Helsinki and is the oldest event dedicated to Finland’s most important marine product fish. Look for it in the Old Market Square.
October 4-10, 2009

3. Carnival of Light at Linnamäki Amusement Park
The Carnival of Light involves fire acrobats and the Pumpkin Fest parade, not to mention an array of ghosts and witches. A laser show and Harry Potter-themed skating rink tie it all together.
October 8-19, 2009

4. Skiexpo
This is the largest winter sports fair in the Nordic corner of the world and includes downhill skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing and other bone-chilling experiences.
October 30- November 1, 2009

5. Etnosoi! Festival
Listen to Hungarian Gypsy music groups Romengo, Nadara (from Transylvania) and Dobet Gnahoré from Ivory Coast thanks to the Global Music Centre and Centre for Romany Art.
November 4-8, 2009

6. Moving in November
Like to dance? Or, just watch? The Moving in November festival brings contemporary dance acts from across Europe. This year, enjoy two Finnish premieres: riffy by Tommi Kitti (love the name) and Moe by Heli Meklin and Michael Laub.
November 3-8, 2009

7. Helsinki Motor Show
This is the only annual auto exhibition in Scandinavia! Go to the Helsinki Fair Center where you’ll see the work of Finnish importers and manufacturers from around the world. Look for a few concept cars while you’re there.
November 26-29, 2009

8. Ladies’ Christmas Market
Load up on locally made products from the women of Finland at The Christmas Market at Wanha Satama. On the shelves, you’ll find plenty of jewelry, ceramics, leather, woodwork, clothing, baked goods and Christmas goodies.
December 2-6, 2009

9. The Declaration of Christmas Peace
Spend Christmas Eve participating in a tradition seven centuries old: the declaring Christmas peace in the Turku Cathedral.
December 24, 2009

10. New Year at the Senate Square
Ring in the new year at Senate Square, where you’ll be treated to professional firework displays and all the liquor you can store in your pockets.
December 31, 2009

Viagra ice cream and other crazy flavors

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Do you think you’re exciting because you go off-menu at Cold Stone? That’s nothing! To find the strangest flavors in the world, leave the United States and see what the world has to offer. At the top of the list is a fake Viagra ice cream in Venezuela (maybe the placebo effect will help you get lucky). Taiwan has a smelly durian fruit ice cream – but that doesn’t compare to the raw horseflesh concoction you can pick up in Tokyo (as long as it’s not monkeys, right?).

The world’s biggest ice cream eaters are Australia and the United States, but volume doesn’t equal adventure. Candy and sweets dominate in the United States, something that changes in Europe, where fruits and tea become the bases for more flavors. Saffron is a hot flavor in the Middle East. Chocolate and peanut butter – that fantastic staple – only play together over here. But, I think that’s still better than the salty licorice mixed into ice cream in Scandinavia, which Travel+Leisure writer Katrina Brown Hunt likens to “the faint but horrifying aroma of ammonia.”

Don’t worry – if you need more ideas, Hunt has no shortage of them.

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