Just having a poke around Guiness World Records looking for travel related achievements and I found this - a video of Niek Vermulen and some of his collection of airline sickness bags. Niek has collected 5,180 bags from 1,003 different airlines.
Martin Couzins, online editor
Remind anyone of a meme? I dub thee 'holcat'...
It's from a new £4 million TV, print and online campaign advertising Teletext's digital TV and online services.
I don't know whether the huge popularity of I Can Has Cheezburger and lolcats provided any inspriation, but if this was me I'd do a full-on kitty pidgin one, release it onto the web and get some viral going too.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Travel Rants links to some 3D videos of Heathrow Terminal 5, including arrivals, the champagne bar, the Club Lounge and so forth.
Here's a video of Troika's Cloud sculpture, which will hang inside Heathrow Terminal 5 hypnotising people into missing their flight.
Our aviation reporter Ian Taylor did a preview of Heathrow Terminal 5 a while back - take a look. The Guardian also has some recent Terminal 5 photos.
Want proof that there are some travellers who really, really need the help of an expert?
Look no further than peace campaigner Mark Boyle, who has cut short a pilgrimage from Bristol to India after language barriers prevented him from securing food and shelter.
Mr Boyle, who believes we should scrap money and live in a 'Freeconomy', had got as far as Calais on human kindness alone.
Upon arriving in Calais, Boyle realised none of his party spoke French, and was astonished to be taken for a 'freeloading backpacker'.
The French apparently lacked the subtlety to distinguish between a solvent young man dossing his way to India for fun and one who is doing it for a cause.
Boyle now intends to walk round the coast of the UK and learn French en route, a plan which it is kindest to call 'incomplete'.
Presumably he will gen up on German on the way through France, then cover the basics of Czech on the way through Germany, and so on all the way to India (whose constitution recognises 22 languages).
Get this man to an agent. All the atlases and web services in the world can't help him: he doesn't need information, he needs guidance.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Congrats to ABTA for being named a business superbrand in a poll of leading business brands.
ABTA demonstrated quality, reliability and distinction, according to the judges - exactly what the UK travel trade needs from its representative body.
Martin Couzins, online editor
Holiday ads crop up in the strangeset of places. One of Travel Weekly's sister brands, Personnel Today, is celebrating its 20th birthday with a look back to 1988. It has included this TV ad from Pontin's.
Can someone tell me the message of this ad?
Martin Couzins, online editor
What was your first clue?
Oh, okay - it's just a misleading headline. Said expert was talking to a Canadian emergency readiness conference, and pointed out that Canada should not consider itself exempt from threats. Fair point.
This is a classic example of why you need to get your keywords in if you want a news headline to make sense in search results.
Just inserting 'Canadian' turns this from a statement of the obvious into something specific and relevant.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Following on from news that Warner Leisure Hotels has launched an Experience Breaks brochure offering more than 600 breaks, I called up Ian Bradley, PR for the Association of Independent Tour Operators to find out what unusual activities his members offered.
This is what he came back with:
Martin Couzins, online editor
Disneyland Resort Paris has launched a web site to promote the opening of its new ride, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. It is a great looking site which really does give a sense of what is in store (believe me). The site is also running a competition for consumers to upload their very own TV or radio ad for the new ride. Visitors to the site can also upload their own pictures.
Martin Couzins, online editor
UPDATE: Ryanair now says that it met the OFT deadline but that pricing updates were delayed because of technical problems associated with the booking service relaunch.
The Ryanair website kerfuffle shows few signs of slowing down.
ABTA is incensed that Ryanair's website still does not comply with Office of Fair Trading pricing rules.
Remember there was an agreement between ABTA and the OFT that the former would crack down on operator pricing, and the latter on airline pricing, so the idea of a carrier still being in breach of the rules is no doubt galling to the travel agent body.
At the time an ABTA spokesman told Travel Weekly, "We will keep our side of the bargain and we expect the OFT to do the same."
As for Ryanair's website upgrade - which everyone expected would deal with the pricing requirements straight off - it has been the subject of 'mutterings', as Travolution puts it.
A Ryanair statement blames the problems on a traffic surge, which is what happens if you shut your booking engine over the weekend and come back online with a huge sale.
Travel technology blogger Alex Bainbridge comments:
Ah... a self inflicted wound created by the marketing team. In my large system projects we try to leave at least 3-4 weeks between system change and any major marketing push… because this gives you enough time to develop (and test) a further release and solve any teething problems
According to Travo, Ryanair has said that pricing will be sorted by the end of the day. For now we have the Ryanair USP writ large: the website's on the blink, the advertised prices are causing controversy, but OMG LOOK! SEATS FOR A PENNY!
Screamingly low prices will trump anything else, as Ryanair has consistently demonstrated - and all the media attention may not sit ill with the airline either.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
The new head of BAA is Colin Matthews.
Be interesting to see how it pans out for him as he faced certain 'customer service' challenges at Severn Trent water group.
Customer service is his number one challenge, with both airlines and consumers wanting a much improved airport experience. BA will be happy as he once worked fro them as technical director. Should help with the opening of Heathrow Terminal 5 on 27 March.
Martin Couzins, online editor
Here is No 1 Croydon, home to Directline holidays. I particularly liked the address which is based on London's best address, No 1 London - pictured below.
Martin Couzins, online editor
As you'll have heard, Greenpeace activists climbed on an aircraft at Heathrow earlier to protest against the proposed third runway.
The affair was over as soon as it began, but it left us with this small masterpiece of pathos and comic timing:
Anna Jones, one of the protestors, told reporters: "I am standing on this plane because our planet and the people who live on it are in danger. Climate change can be beaten but not by almost doubling the size of the world's biggest airport. The scientists say we only have 100 months to get emissions down so we are here to draw a line in the sand and tell Gordon Brown his new runway must not and will not be built."
An airport spokeman said: "The protestors have now been removed and this has caused no disruption to flights."
There's a good pic of the protest on this report from Reuters.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
The Guardian has just published some sneak preview shots of the shopping inside Heahrow's new Terminal 5.
And here's BA's terminal 5 website.
Martin Couzins, online editor
It is good to see a piece of Holiday Which? research which comes out on the side of travel agents - let's face it, this doesn't happen very often. It was particularly interesting to note that of the respondents to the Holiday Which? survey that used travel agents, 81% felt they’d received honest, trustworthy advice.
Trust is key for consumers and online players are still grappling with the issue. Agents are in a position of strength here because consumers still want face to face advice and transactions.
A search on 'trust' on the Travolution blog reveals some interesting discussion points around consumers' trust of online players.
Martin Couzins, online editor
The Guardian has a story which suggests that the UK wants to see measures identical to the 2007 PNR Agreement between the EU and US, under which airlines are obliged to share up to 19 pieces of data, covering domestic flights and sea and rail travel within the European Community.
It struck me that readers might like to know what the 19 pieces of information covered by the 2007 PNR agreement are, so I've dug them out. Here's the list:
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Here's a worrying story. During a recent flight to Barbados, a friend of mine told the cabin crew of a sudden and severe pain in her leg.
According to my friend, the stewardess looked puzzled and said she'd never heard of that happening before.
Bad answer.
As the aviation industry has been at pains to stress, the risk of developing a deep vein thrombosis is only minimally higher on a flight, and even then it is caused by immobility, not flying per se - a long car journey involves just as much risk.
But it should be obvious that a passenger complaining of severe leg pains could be suffering from, or at least worrying about a DVT, and you would expect cabin crew to respond accordingly. Especially on a big full-fare airline, which this was.
It transpired that my friend had developed a superficial thrombosis, which is less immediately dangerous but still very painful, and carries the risk of complications, including the development of a DVT.
Things did not improve on the ground. She spent virtually the whole trip in doctors' surgeries and on crutches, and said dealings with her package operator (again, a big name) left her feeling like a burden.
When it came to flying home, her requirements hadn't been passed on to the airline, and only bursting into tears (which I'd probably have done much sooner in the trip) secured her a bulkhead seat where her leg could be properly elevated.
I'm not naming companies, because this is all anecdotal. But it is dispiriting to hear that someone has put their money down with trusted brands and ended up with this standard of care.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
A press release arrives from Holiday Which?:
Tourists can avoid social gaffes when abroad by checking out local customs and traditions before they travel, says a new report from Holiday Which?
Oh... that's how you avoid social gaffes. No wonder I've been deported so often.
Whether anyone needs a report to tell them this is debatable, but Holiday Which? does include some nice travel trivia.
So remember to pack your worst shirt.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
A transcript of a Northern Ireland Assembly debate on tourism recently popped up on my theyworkforyou.com email alert.
What makes it particularly interesting is that Paul Maskey of Sinn Fein, whose motion initiated the debate, recommends developing political tourism.
I understand that people have sensitivities towards political tourism. However, I also recognise that it has massive potential to grow the tourism industry and will assist in the regeneration of many areas of social need throughout the North.
Robin Newton of the DUP later counters:
The aim of political tourism is to confuse the political process and to present a biased and prejudiced approach to the events of the past. That is a road down which Northern Ireland tourism must not travel.
There's much to think about here, even for those with no specific interest in Northern Ireland. Is there a time threshold beyond which dark episodes of history can acceptably be used to drive tourism? Does the mere possibility of bias make all 'political tourism' untenable? And if objectivity is vital, how is it to be enforced?
Anyone with even a passing interest in tourism and/or destination marketing should give it a read.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
A good summary of bad travel news from the Telegraph. No surprises that Heathrow and BA feature - lost luggage, fog, delays - the usual stuff.
It's not all bad though - London Cabbies voted best in the world by hotels.com . . . no really.
Let's see what the 21 Feb brings.
Martin Couzins, online editor
...to mark the 200th anniversary of the composer's death. Haydn Year will involve exhibitions, concerts and other events all over the country, especially in Rohrau, Vienna and Eisenstadt.
Why do I mention it? Because Haydn is the dead artist I'd travel farthest for (come on... everybody has one...) and I am there.
If you're interested too, get some other Austria ideas in this week's Central Europe feature, which, as followers of TW Blog on Twitter will know, was what kept me from posting this morning.
(Via Jaunted.)
Nathan Midgley, web producer
The New York Times reports that US rail operator Amtrak is to start randomly screening passengers' luggage this week. (Via Gadling.)
It will also have armed officers and bomb-sniffing dogs patrolling platforms, in a security push apparently modelled on measures in place on the New York subway.
Amtrak is promising minimal disruption - those that are searched will only be held up for a few minutes, the NYT's interviewee promises.
Even so, many will wonder whether this could be a first step towards the more rigorous security measures we have on Eurostar services.
I wonder how rail services that are in direct competition with air services would fare if the security playing field was levelled.
Would the other benefits of rail travel - directness, lower carbon emissions and in some cases lower cost - be enough to keep it in the game?
We may yet get a chance to see...
(PS - the Telegraph's Francisca Kellett started a lively discussion on Eurostar vs. flying recently - look out for TW Blog in the comments section...)
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Have you heard of skiers - and not those on two skis? I hadn't until last night when I spoke to Martin Edwards, a product manager at Bales Worldwide. He was telling me that he had started to hear of the term 'skiers' from clients. Skiers being those that spend their kids' inheritance on travel.
His was anecdotal evidence but could this be a new traveller who is hell bent on a) having a good time b) spending their cash to avoid tax and c) breaking the hearts of their children who will get less inheritance?
Martin Couzins, online editor
Travolution has a good story on how airlines fared in a recent study of brands' online reputations.
Virgin Atlantic came top, and Ryanair got a sobering score of minus 20. Here are the Kaizo Advocacy Index scores:
And I see on Gadling that the New York Times ran a 'cruise issue' on Sunday. This article on interesting land extensions has a little drop-down menu that takes you to most of the content.
The cruise revolution marches on... I wonder whether the freesheet that doesn't do cruise has relented yet.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Travel insurer Complete Ski has produced a list of top fracture resorts for skiers based on insurance claims made since 2000. France accounts for 53% of all claims followed by Austria and Italy.
Only French resorts make the top 10 . . .
And here is a map of the top 20 fracture resorts.
Martin Couzins, online editor
Regular contributor Brian Hordon (Silversea UK) sends this last missive from Australia... his next post will come from Singapore
It was nice to see ABTA come across well in an article in the Australian national press recently.The Australia Bureau of Statistics had announced that UK tourist numbers had fallen by 6% in November 2007 compared to the same period in 2006, although it conceded that the 2006 numbers were inflated by UK visitors supporting our Ashes campaign.
Arrival figures for Japan and Korea were also substantially down, primarily due to various cost implications. But ABTA rallied to the cause, saying that "Australia is a destination hotspot for British tourist this year".
And this was supported by predictions that the launch of the new wartime epic Australia would boost numbers. Indeed, the same article hailed star Nicole Kidman as a "potential saviour of the Australian tourism industry".
Kidman has an enormous following, but the saviour of the Australian tourism industry will be the creative and aggressive UK travel agent, who will continue to recognise the features and benefits of this enchanting destination.
I now wonder just how many of these agents will exploit the film in their promotional programme. It's a potential partnership opportunity (no matter how small) to die for.
Brian Hordon
Director of Training Development
Silversea Cruises (UK) Ltd
Heads-up for any cabin crew readers: the production company that does Gordon Ramsay's The F Word for Channel 4 is looking for some of you to appear in the new series.
We would like to hear from Cabin Crew who would like a cooking lesson from Gordon and are interested in learning about delicious exciting healthy food
...says someone from their offices, but requests for more information elicited a press release that was even more generic than the first.
This has not helped to dispel TW Blog's prejudices about TV people, most of which are taken from Charlie Brooker shows.
Anyway, if you're interested email fwordcooking@optomen.com telling them why you need Gordon's help. Tell us how it goes if you get picked.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Here's a look at Boeing's second flight-test 787 Dreamliner, which went into final assembly on Friday.
Photo: The Boeing Company
There are currently 21 Dreamliners 'in various stages of production', which includes two models for static and fatigue testing.
Nearly 60 airlines have Dreamliners on order (there's a list on Wikipedia), but the aircraft has been beset by delays. The maiden flight is now expected in June of this year, with deliveries beginning in 2009.
Quick addition: if you're following the development of the Dreamliner, read our stablemate Flight International's flightblogger, who specialises in it.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Okay, they're flocking! I heard you the first time...
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Here are some great pictures of Beijing Capital Airport Terminal 3 courtesy of Tom Van Dillens.
Pic credit: Tom van Dillen
Hey! Fancy reading the diary of a fashionable 19-year-old North Londoner as he parties his way around India and Thailand?
A polite no, is it? Guardian readers feel the same. Well, except for the 'polite' bit.
Travel Weekly contributor Chris Coplans spotted Max Gogarty's blog on the Guardian's Comment is Free site, and alerted us to the reams and reams of livid comments.
Many remark upon the similarity between Max's surname and that of Guardian travel writer Paul Gogarty.
(Update: the Guardian's travel ed entered the fray to say that "Max is the son of Paul Gogarty, who has written a few travel pieces for the Guardian over the years, though he isn't a Guardian employee.")
Uncomfortable reading. I feel duty-bound to point out, though, that Max has only filed one piece, and might turn out to be good.
What? He might.
(Another update: speculation abounds in the office as to whether this is a spoof. TW Blog recalls that its was the Guardian's sister title the Observer which carried Chris Morris's 'suicide journalist' spoof Richard Geefe back in the late nineties. Let us know what you think...)
(Yet another update: the Guardian travel editor Andy Pietrasik has posted a proper response to yesterday's carnage.)
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Much has been said about how poorly Ryanair treats disabled customers, so it was no surprise to read in the Guardian that a blind calypso musician and his band have been awarded damages after the airline threw them off an aircraft as suspected terrorists.
It’s amazing they got anything at all, but the £4,000 awarded for their mistreatment pales somewhat when compared with the £62,000 shelled out to Nicolas Sarkozy last week.
The French president took the airline to court after an ad used a picture of him and new wife Carla Bruni without permission. Clearly the Elysee provides a better class of lawyer than a bunch of calypso musicians can afford.
Matthew Hampton, features editor
Springwise reports that Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts is to add a pre-ordering service to its retail collection.
That means you'll be able to buy various holiday essentials such as toiletries, books, beachwear and baby stuff, and have them placed in your room ready for your arrival. The cost will just be added onto your bill.
Potentially very handy - yes, you can pick all this stuff up at the airport, but if you're anything like me you'll forget one or two items everything.
And hell, you're staying at a Jumeirah! You shouldn't have to carry stuff...
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Get ready Leicester Square, London. To celebrate Valentine's day, Ryanair is giving away flights to the best 50 kissing couples. We should have some pictures soon, but in the meantime we have found this Leicester Square web cam - view at your peril!
Love is everywhere and that includes 10km in the air. SkyEurope is attempting to set a world record for kissing at altitude. Heaven help you (!) if you are on one of the flights and you are not with someone you want to kiss.
Such stunts aren't new to the airline, according to Flightglobal. Last year they put on a speed dating service from London to Prague.
According to the Cruise Report 2008, last year was the year cruise agents started to set up up their own cruise blogs or Clogs in which they posted cruise reviews and invited customers to respond. Good on those agents who are enaging customers through blogs. Here are a couple of examples: Gill's Cruise Centre and Save and Sail Cruise Village.
Here's the TW story on the Cruise Report 2008.
Martin Couzins, online editor
Lukla Airport, which serves the Mount Everest region of Nepal, is getting a name change to Tenzing-Hillary Airport in honour of Sir Edmund Hilary and Sherpa Tenzing. Thanks to Jaunted for pointing out the exhilarating nature of the take-off - there is a 2,000 foot drop at the end of the 1,500 foot runway.
Martin Couzins, online editor
Think you know the cities of Europe? Take the Lufthansa virtual pilot game and find out just how much you really do know.
I ranked 93,149 out of 124,687.
Martin Couzins, online editor
Were you surprised at news that Ryanair's booking system would be down for three days while the airline finally makes its site compliant with new OFT pricing rules?
Of course you were. Everyone was. So I'm glad Alex Bainbridge, a go-to blogger for this type of thing, has posted some thoughts about what might lie behind the outage.
There must be some manual process to cause a three-day delay...if I am right, the process will be something like: take system down; change loaded prices in live reservation system (manual process); upload new functionality that corresponds to new style of loaded prices; put system back up
So is this, or something similar, the technical card that Ryanair played to win a reprieve from OFT rules while other carriers put their houses in order?
It sounds plausible. Alex also speculates about Ryanair making a 'political point' with the downtime, but rightly dismisses the idea: for Ryanair three days without online bookings is as good as three days without bookings at all, and no political point is worth that.
For our readers the key question would be whether this explanation for the downtime could justify Ryanair missing two OFT deadlines (July 31 2007 and February 1 2008) for pricing changes. Alex, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts...
Nathan Midgley, web producer
We all know the golden age of travel was a gentler time but it’s always nice to have it reaffirmed. This is why here at TW we are bringing to your attention this email from one of our many great agents, Eton Travel retail assistant manager Elaine Kane.
She spent her weekend ripping up carpets and in the process found a load of newspapers dated September 1957 which had been used as lining.
While there was the normal (rather dated) scandals about a doctor admitting to be homosexual on TV and an actress in court accused of “making violent love in the back row of a cinema”, there was also this rather charming travel story.
Elaine writes . . .
“The travel story of the day was a BOAC plane that was taking passengers from London to Trinidad. It took off from London, landed in Glasgow to pick up passengers and refuelled then set off on its way.“On approaching Newfoundland, where it was due to land for refuelling, the pilot found the airport closed due to fog, so radioed back to London to say he was turning back.
"Most of the pax were asleep and did not know that they were heading back to London until they landed. They had spent 16 hours getting nowhere! Amazingly, they were pacified with tea and sandwiches before being put back on the plane to do the journey all over again!! Glad they weren’t my customers!!”
Of course had they been Elaine’s customers we are sure they wouldn’t have caused too much of a fuss. After all in those days the stiff upper lip never weakened, even when on holiday.
Ed Robertson, reporter
Eos has just announced that it is launching a daily service between London’s Stansted Airport and Dubai International Airport starting on 6 July 2008. And from 5 May it is launching a service between London’s Stansted Airport and New Jersey’s Newark International Airport.
This is looking like a bad day for Silverjet, which earlier today announced that the Reuben Brothers would not be converting their £10m loan to the airline into shares.
Martin Couzins, online editor
A new post from regular contributor Brian Hordon of Silversea Cruises, currently out in Australia...
Travel at the sharp end only serves to confirm my belief that the position of the knowledgeable, creative and aggressive travel agent continues to strengthen.
And if you are an Australia specialist agent, what a great future you have.
Having listened to UK visitors in Perth, Melbourne, and the wonderful resort destination of Byron Bay (New South Wales) there is one consistent message that comes across - they all intend to return.
A fabulous endorsement for a truly great destination, and a real opportunity for agents to make real profits.
Get the little details right before your customers depart and they will return - they will recognise your professionalism. Take the time to walk them through the trip, covering:
And I close with what is still my personal favourite travel association statement, from the Australian Federation of Travel Agents: "without a travel agent, you're on your own".
Brian Hordon
Director of training development
SilverSea Cruises (UK) Ltd.
Interesting piece in The Observer which looks at some travel agencies that are being launched on the high street - at a time when high street shops are closing.
The piece highlights the value of the travel agent as personal travel advisor. For all the benefits of the web and telephone, there is no beating the personal touch. And this is especially so for more complex itineraries and higher value bookings.
Sounds like Black Tomato's new shop in Shoreditch, London, could be worth a look. It will be open till 9pm, has a bar, and every second month will be redecorated to reflect a different destination. Customers have to book for an appointment though.
Martin Couzins, online editor
The Times has published a piece on the 13 best travel scams. There are some usual suspects in this list. Travel Weekly ran a Stamp out Fraud campaign with ABTA last year which highlighted the scale of the problem for travel professionals.
For example, in 2006 cardholder-not-present fraud rose by 16% to £212.6 million, while card fraud against the travel industry increased by £800,000 to £24.1 million.
Fraud is a big problem in the industry - both for consumers and travel companies.
Martin Couzins, online editor
When you consider the source material travel writers use, it's startling how often glib, tired phrases creep in.
I'm not claiming Travel Weekly is innocent - after all, a magazine that insisted on absolute originality in every sentence would be lucky to publish two issues a year - but there are some coinages that are vetoed in our style guide.
I also asked our feature writers for a few nominations, and here's what they came up with:
What do you think? Unfair? Or are there some pernicious clichés that we've missed out?
Nathan Midgley, web producer
A report published by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau reveals that three Qantas Airbus A330 operated by Qantas out of Brisbane were forced to abort take-offs due to 'wasp-realted debris' found in parts of the planes.
Here is the Australian Transport Safety Bureau report.
I wonder what's worse: wasps, or mice?
Martin Couzins, online editor
TripAdvisor has released a list of the best places in the world to propose, based on the mention of proposals in reviews and forum posts - and with a smidge of input from the TripAdvisor editors.
If you can get past the entirely predictable winners (Eiffel Tower? Zzzzz) there are some undeniably nice spots here. I think my favourite is Neuschwanstein, because the 'fairytale castle', though breathtaking, is actually a monument to madness, questionable taste and utter profligacy.
You could probably have some fun with the true connotations of many of these beauty spots, but that's enough cynicism for now. Here's the list in full.
More romance on the site tomorrow when we publish the second part of our guide to wedding anniversary holidays - with ideas for every landmark year from the 11th (steel) through to the 40th (ruby).
Meanwhile, have a read of the first part, covering the first anniversary to the 10th.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
No genre of music attracts more snobbery and divisive opinion than jazz.
Woe betide the casual fan (is there such a thing?) that tries to tell a hard bop head that this trad stuff really is worth a listen. I should know; I am that hard bob head. So I was particularly piqued when I saw a press release announcing the line-up for the 2008 Tobago Jazz Festival.
The problem with the line-up is that there don’t appear to be any jazz acts headlining. Diana Ross, Rod Stewart, Whitney Houston… not completely without their charms but forgive me if I missed their jazz years.
Other acts: Smokey Robinson, Shakira and En Vogue. Still no jazz then.
Previous line-ups: Sir Elton John, Gladys Knight, LL Cool J, India Arie, Stevie Wonder, Sting… is anyone spotting a pattern here?
Does this lumping together of all ‘Music of Black Origin’ as jazz irk anyone else? Because that’s what seems to be happening here.
Can anyone else name a music festival trading under such false pretences? What’s next? Sting plays Monsters of Rock? Whitney Houston at the Verona Opera Festival? Actually that might be quite cool. But it sure ain’t jazz.
Matthew Hampton, features editor
Today French manufacturer Alstom has unveiled the Automotrice Grande Vitesse, a stunning and more energy-efficient train that will succeed the TGV.
The AGV will go 40km/h faster than its predecessor, with a top speed of 360km/h, or 224mph in English money.
If you think that's fast, look at this vid of a TGV hitting 575km/h in a one-off record attempt last year. I wonder what the AGV could do under similar circumstances.
I can't find anything about the routes on which AGVs will operate, but I bet many Brits will be hoping they can get one from Paris down to the south, further cutting the total journey time from St Pancras. Avignon here we come...
Nathan Midgley, web producer
The Sun has a story about Reaction Engines' Lapcat A2 - an aircraft designed to offer super-fast international flights by travelling through the stratosphere at five times the speed of sound.
Here are some pics from the British manufacturer's site - including one that shows how the aircraft compares to Airbus's A380. (Not so big now, are you? Eh?)
The A2 would whizz you to Australia in just four-and-a-half hours. Don't expect to see much, though: it doesn't have windows because going at Mach 5 would melt them...
Nathan Midgley, web producer
And there I was thinking I hadn't heard from Travelodge for a while. Well, today's news from the budget hotel chain is that it is offering customers the chance to look like characters in a 1950s sci-fi film, or maybe a Yazoo video.
But seriously, the hotel chain is trialling a new range of hi-tech pyjamas that will enable customers to get a better night's sleep. Research carried out by Travelodge showed that itchy night clothes and getting too hot and cold are the main resasons for disturbed sleep. These new PJs are made from 'dermasilk' - a new thread which promises to feel like a 'second skin', according to Travelodge.
Bid farewell to a bad night's sleep, but do we really need the hoods? . . .
Martin Couzins, online editor
Here is a list of the top ten passport disasters reported to Identity and Passport Service staff.
1 My wife fell off a cliff: While holidaying in Ireland, a strong gust of wind blew a Glasgow woman - and her handbag containing both her and her husband’s passports – over a cliff. Although the woman lived to tell the tale, the couple both had to re-apply for their passports.
2 My bag exploded : After using his passport to withdraw a large amount of money from the bank, an incident involving an ‘exploding’ plastic bag, designed to prevent hold-ups, left a man – and his passport – covered in luminous, red dye.
3 Grand Canyon disaster: A man travelling in Arizona had to apply for an emergency passport after his passport fell out of his pocket during a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon.
4 Hell hath no fury… : After favouring a ‘lads’ holiday’ with his mates over a romantic trip with his other half, a man from London had to re-apply for his passport as his was cut into pieces by his angry girlfriend.
5. Tug of war: A man from Peterborough who regularly enjoyed playing ‘tug of war’ with his Great Dane made the mistake of dropping his passport around his pet, which proceeded to tear it to shreds.
Some bitesize stuff on Worldchoice's deal with the Travel Trust Association (that's right: TTA beat Stella after all, though Worldchoice insists the decision was nothing to do with concern about the latter's future).
UPDATE: we have some follow-up stories online - Worldchoice will stay part of Triton under the deal, and the TTA will not be looking to cut costs in the wake of the merger.
Nathan Midgley, web prodcuer
Travel weekly's aviation expert Ian Taylor has provided a preview of Heathrow's terminal 5. Here's a rundown of when BA routes affected will be shifted to their new home.
Martin Couzins, online editor
This put a wry smile on my face - thanks to Kev at Travolution for pointing us to today's This Life cartoon in Metro. If you can't decipher it, the text reads:
'I'm a travel brochure copywriter, and I'm deeply ashamed of the way I've described Torremolinos, Father.'
Martin Couzins, online editor
This just in: JET BLAST IS POWERFUL.
After BA announced a business class-only service from London City to New York, our aviation guru Ian Taylor started crunching a few numbers... and sure enough, there was one detail the press release didn't mention.
...a spokesman confirmed the airline is considering where on the route to refuel as the Airbus A318 does not have the range for the outbound journey from London City
The aircraft is capable of making the return flight direct, though (it's a shorter flight path on the way back).
It all makes the proposition a little less attractive than it seemed first thing this morning, but I'd still stay out of Lawrence Hunt's way today.
The elephant in the room is advertising: after Silverjet spoofed a BA ad to promote its own business-only service, will BA have to spoof the spoof?
Nathan Midgley, web producer
BA has announced financial results for the nine months to the end of December with profits up 35% on last year at £788m. What it also included in its interim management report was this line:
"We have ordered two Airbus A318 aircraft to operate our planned business only services from London City airport to New York in 2009."
Flying out of City will put BA in a strong position in the business-only market as the airport is only a stone's throw from Canary Wharf and the city of London - let's see what the fares will look like.
Martin Couzins, online editor
