Daily Pampering: V Australia Business Class service to Sydney

by Grant Martin on

Seats 5H and 5K are the best two seats in V Australia‘s fleet. Nestled in the back right corner of business class, these two lie flat seats are separated from the rest of the cabin by a series of curtains, creating a minature, private room in which one can cross the Pacific Ocean. Combined with V Australia’s top quality service and inflight product, its a 14 hour journey that will breeze by in a flash.

From Los Angeles, you’ll start the journey near midnight local time, resting up in the V Australia lounge above Terminal 3 before making the quick transition to the 777-300 bound for Sydney. After a few Hendricks and Tonics in the in flight bar, a wide variety of dinner options will be served, capped off with a glass of port and one of the hundreds of shows available on the inflight entertainment system.

Once you’re ready for bed you can change into your free pajamas and sandals in the lav while flight attendants turn down your bed, leaving a sheet, duvet and chocolate. Then, after you fill out your breakfast card it’s an easy 9 hour sleep until you gently awake 3 hours outside of Australia to find a flight attendant handing you a strawberry smoothie.

Before you know it you’re on the ground in Sydney, salt and pepper shakers, sandals and pajamas stuffed in your carry on as you prepare to disembark into the southern hemisphere. After a flight like that, what else is there to look forward to?

Get your daily dose of Pampering right here or at 4PM every weekday at Gadling.

Air Canada ordered to offer a no-nuts option for allergic flyers

by Katie Hammel on

The Canadian Transportation Authority has ruled that Air Canada needs to create a “nut-free” zone on all of its flights, to accommodate those passengers who are severely allergic to nuts. The order came after two passengers complained that the airline had failed to properly accommodate their allergies, which the CTA ruled should be treated as a disability.

According to Toronto’s National Post, the airline has “30 days to come up with a plan to create a ‘buffer zone'” to separate those who have nut allergies from the rest of the passengers, who may receive a snack with nuts in it.

I feel for people who have severe nut allergies, really I do. The constant worry that something you eat may contain nuts, the fear that someone may eat a nut near you and cause you to have a bad reaction, the pain of not being able to enjoy all the delicious nuts out there in the world. I mean, have you ever had a macadamia nut? Those things are pure heaven.

Should passengers be denied the right to eat something delicious because there is a chance that another person on the plane might be allergic to it? It’s tempting to say no, but really, when you think about it, is offering a peanut-based snack so important that it is worth risking someone’s life? Some allergies really are that severe and there are plenty of other snack options out there that don’t involve nuts. I actually have to side with one of the complaining passengers on this one – it just makes more sense to get ride of nut-based snacks altogether.

[via USA Today]

Bring headphones – Airplane tip

by Gadling Staff on

Headphones are an absolute “must-have” when traveling on an airplane, for several reasons —

  1. On longer flights, it’s common to show a movie, and you probably want to hear it well.
  2. On other flights, the plane may have on-board games or on-demand music.
  3. Of course, you may bring your own pre-recorded music to help get away.
  4. The largest benefit, though, is simply to help cancel out “airplane noise.”

Airplanes can be very loud — for example, engines, crying babies, or a snoring aisle-mate can all make a flight more stressful. Headphones are an important accessory to help you relax, tune out the sounds, and pass the time.

An a pinch, you can always put headphones on to avoid a chatty seatmate (you don’t even need to turn on music to silence your talkative neighbor).

[Ed’s note: See all Gadling’s posts about headphones here.]

What are the odds of a terrorist attack on your flight?

by Aaron Hotfelder on

Well, that’s a rather unsettling question to start your day, isn’t it?

Fortunately, blogger Jesus Diaz is here to reassure you: You are twenty times more likely to be killed by lightning than a terrorist attack. (Somewhere, a Congressman has just asked a staffer to start drafting anti-lightning legislation.)

In an entertaining infographic over at the gadget site Gizmodo, Diaz writes that over the last ten years, there has one terrorist attack for every 27.2 million hours flown, or about one every 11.2 billion miles in the air. That’s the equivalent of over 24,000 trips to the Moon and back.

See? Nothing to worry about. Carry on with your day safe in the knowledge that the odds are overwhelmingly on your side.

Check out Gizmodo’s chart here.

Galley Gossip: 10 signs there’s a newbie in first class

by Heather Poole on

1. PHONES HOME – As soon as the first class virgin settles into the big, comfy, leather chair, they immediately begin to phone everyone they know during boarding to share exactly where they are, and they do so in a very loud voice as they recline the seat all the way back, giving a detailed description of just how far the seat actually goes. Amazing, isn’t it? Calls are followed by a self portrait which gets sent via text. Hi mom!

2. WON’T GIVE UP THE COAT – Flight attendants working in first class hang coats during boarding. Because the virgin is unfamiliar with airline procedures, they’ll usually wad up the jacket and shove it inside an overhead bin. If a flight attendant offers to hang it in the closet, the virgin always looks a tad bit worried about parting with the item. Don’t be afraid, coats will be returned fifteen minutes prior to landing.

3. STRANGE USE OF HOT TOWELS – Hot towels are distributed in first class before the meal is served. Most passengers use the steamy cloth to wash their hands, while some will use it to clean their eyeglasses or wipe down the tray table, all of which are acceptable uses of a hot towel. The virgin has been known to do things a tad bit differently. I’ve witnessed quite a few passengers giving the old armpits a good rub down. A couple of coworkers have even spotted passengers trying to eat the thing as if it were a spring roll.

4. ORDERS THE BREAD BASKET – Menus are passed out in first class. Inside passengers will find a selection of appetizers, entrees, desserts and wine. Off to the side it mentions that sourdough and multigrain rolls are served alongside the main course. The virgin has been known to order the bread basket as an entree choice.

5. GETS UPSET OVER MEALS – It’s common knowledge amongst frequent fliers the order in which meal preferences are taken in flight and the elite flier chooses their seat accordingly. Because the airplane is catered with the exact number of meals as there are passengers on board, not every passenger in first class will be offered more than one meal choice. Flipping out and using the word “ridiculous” only screams newbie on board!

6. LOOKS DAZED AND CONFUSED – Nothing says first timer more than a passenger who just stares blankly when the flight attendant appears with an armful of table linens. After the flight attendant discretely asks the passenger to pull out the tray table, the confusion kicks in when the first timer starts frantically searching around for it. Check the armrest next time

7. DRINKS NONSTOP: Except for a cup of coffee or a glass of water, the frequent flier can be counted on to stick with their drink of choice throughout the flight. The virgin samples all four wine choices after finishing off the entire bottle of Champagne. For dessert Baileys is poured over ice cream and Kahlua is stirred into coffee. Mmm…smells good. They’ll even ask for a couple of minis to go.

8. BINGES – The first class service is elaborate. There are appetizers and drinks, salads made to order, entrees presented with an assortment of bread, followed by fruit, cheese, gelato, and more. The frequent flier has had enough of the never ending (never changing) service and would rather work than eat. The virgin samples it all. Go ahead, enjoy!

9. CAN’T FIND THE TOILET – The virgin has no idea where the lavatory is, which is why they’re trying to open the closet, or even worse, the cockpit door! Don’t panic, the air marshalls know what they’re doing. Just like flight attendants they’ve seen it all. Otherwise there’d be one less newbie in flight.

10. COLLECTS SOUVENIRS – Those little salt and pepper shakers are kind of cute, aren’t they?

Photos courtesy of Creepyed and Vkiperman