New Nonstop Service Between Detroit and Beijing

by Grant Martin on

Get your dose of cultural China now, before its all gobbled up by the West.

According to the Detroit Free Press, March of ’09 marks the beginning of new non-stop service between the Motor City and China’s capital on China Southern Airlines. This means fewer connections, better access to Asian routes and a fun trip over the arctic circle. Furthermore, as a member of the Skyteam Alliance, those flying on CZ will be able to bank frequent flyer miles on Northwest, Continental, Delta and your favorite junior alliance member.

For those of you concerned with flying on an unfamiliar carrier, I’ve flown China Southern before between Shanghai and Shenzhen and they’re a very legitimate airline — directly comparable to any domestic group. The nice thing about flying transpac in this case is that you’ll likely be on the 777, which is a usually a real pleasure to fly: large, quiet and spacious.

If any of you hipsters think that you would rather see Shanghai, the gateway to the west, take some time to consider the cultural benefit of Beijing. The Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and bucketsfull of cultural mishmash are in China’s Capital, with the Great Wall not a stones throw away. Before long, Google, Starbucks and Apple will have purchased and trademarked the entire planet- go before they take control.

Japanese Airlines First to Install Bidets in the Air

by Justin Glow on

Japan’s All Nippon Airways have announced they will be installing bidets in the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner, set to be delivered in May of 2008. This is a first for any commercial airline. (Vladimir Putin had a bidet in his private jet, however.)

With over 60 percent of Japanese households sporting a bidet, this makes sense. But I can’t help but wonder just how much larger the lavatory will have to be to accommodate this. Will the bidet be built into the toilet, or will it be separate? Or will it be a hand-held spray bidet that are common across Asia? The bidet-toilet combo makes the most sense due to the constricted space, but the Dreamliner is a big plane, so who knows?

Someone is going to have to teach me how to use one of those things.

787 Dreamliner: Clearing the Air

by Iva Skoch on

Following up on yesterday’s launch of the new Boeing plane (coming to airlines next year): the interior air should be substantially better than in current planes.

Here’s the thing: the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is made from three carbon-plastic composite “tubes” that are “snapped” together. These materials have a higher strength than aluminum (the current airplane material of choice) and can withstand higher pressures and higher humidity.

This means that the planes can be pressurized more and can contain air that is more humid than older planes. Essentially, planes are now pressurized at the equivalent of 8,000 feet of elevation when you’re flying at 35,000+ feet, so that there’s not too much strain put on the airframe. Likewise, the humidity inside is kept pretty low because water vapor can cause metal fatigue.

The new plane can be pressurized to about 6,000 feet equivalent, and can have much higher air humidity internally and operate just fine. This could make us much, much more comfortable in the air.

Not only that, but the materials can allow bigger windows!

Watch the Premiere of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner Live Today

by Justin Glow on

Today, Sunday, July 8, at 3:30 PM PDT (-7 GMT), Boeing will officially unveil the new 787 Dreamliner live on the Internet and via 35 international satellite TV networks. Why today? It is 07/08/07, of course. So grab some peanuts, get cozy, and watch the Dreamliner make its first official public appearance as its rolled out of the hanger at the Boeing plant in Seattle.

You may remember our post a few weeks ago about the not-so-official appearance of the 787, when a sharpshooter over at Airliners.net snapped a few spy shots of the unpainted plane as it left the hangar. Something tells me the 787 will be painted and ready to be photographed today.

Photos: First 787 Has Left The Building

by Justin Glow on

A sharpshooter over at Airliners.net got some spy shots of the new Boeing 787 as it made its first appearance outside of the hanger. I don’t know enough about airplanes to say this looks much different than, say, a 777, but I’m sure some of you out there will be interested! I know The Cranky Flier was, which is where I found the lead. “It almost looks like the love-child of a 777 and a 757,” he said. Whatever you say, CF. Thanks!

Click here to check them out!