Arrivals & Departures Weekly Travel News & Views 30 July 2024

EVER LONGER HAULS

Advancements in aircraft technology mean planes will continue to extend their reach … to fly further. Expect more ultra long-haul flights.

Qantas lists Perth to Paris as a 17 hour, 20 minute flight and London, at about 14,500km, in 17 hours, 45 minutes.

An Airbus A380 can fly more than 15,000km and the A350-900 Ultra Long Range can fly 18,000km, or 20 hours non-stop.

The world’s longest non-stop flight is Singapore Airlines’ flight from Singapore to New York — 16,700km in up to 18 hours, 45 minutes. I wrote about that here.

The Airbus A350-900 ULR that flies it is made from more than 70 per cent advanced materials — 54 per cent composites, 19 per cent AI/AI-Li alloy, 14 per cent no-corrosion titanium and 6 per cent steel.

TALKING THROUGH TIPS

In The Pod Well Travelled this week, we start a series on packing — starting with what to take aboard to make long-haul flights more comfortable. Led by host Penny Thomas, there is advice from fashion writer Megan French and a bit from me.

The series will also include packing for cold climates, hot climates, cruises, African safaris and much more. Subscribe to The Pod Well Travelled where you get your podcasts, and look out for our growing Packing Playlist.

ON AIR, IN THE AIR

… I always carry two self-inflating rectangular cushions for flights. They are about 30cm by 20cm. One tucks in to the lumbar region of the spine but I sit on the other, with a very small amount of air in in. It’s a bit like sitting on a “fit ball”, if you remember that, and helps to avoid compression of the spine and discs. You need just enough air so that you are “floating”, not sitting on a sometimes-hard seat, and can wiggle about to keep the spine moving. (And there’s a lot more advice in our podcast.)

PS I still think the most important thing to have on long-haul flights is patience.

AIRPORT APP AID

A reader asked this week about phone apps to help negotiate large airports. He’s heading into Bangkok airport and feels it could be helpful. Go to your App Store (Apple or Android) and search for AtAirports.

NOT A LEVEL FIELD

One WA traveller has just flown comfortably with Emirates via Dubai to Barcelona in Spain for a conference. After that, he’s travelling on to Boston in the US on business, and booked that leg with airline Iberia. All the ticketing is Iberia, but the actual flight will be with the low-cost long-haul budget airline Level in an A330 — which isn’t what he wanted or booked. Beware Iberia bookings, I say. Level shows a flight time of seven hours, 10 minutes from Barcelona to Boston.

(At least it’s not flying backwards. We wouldn’t want to fly with a receding airline.)

VERMOUTH TRADITION

Level website flylevel.com has this advice about Barcelona:

“Vermouth is in Barcelona what brunch is in New York. Hence it almost has a verb of its own. ‘Fer el vermut’ or ‘vermutejar’ is to accompany this drink with some of the most typical tapas in Barcelona: patatas bravas, olives and bombas (battered potato balls, stuffed with spicy meat). It is definitely one of the Barcelona traditions. The best sites? Visit the small wineries of neighbourhoods like Gracia or Barceloneta.”

LESS-SEEN ITALY

I’m delighted that we are announcing a West Travel Club tour to Italy here. In partnership with our trusted friends at Albatross Tours, it avoids the busy places and explores the pretty villages and coast to the east of the Apennine Mountains.

LOST & BROKEN PHONES

A new survey released this week by Vodafone reveals that Australian travellers spend a lot of money replacing and repairing their phones.

According to Vodafone, 23 per cent of respondents who have travelled internationally in the last five years have lost their phone, or had it damaged or stolen.

More than 22 per cent have reported paying up to $250 and 21 per cent paid up to $1000 in repairs or replacement.

The Vodafone survey shows Asia (41 per cent) and Europe (32 per cent) as the top two destinations for “phone mishaps”. It has been reported that a mobile phone is stolen every six minutes in London.

The survey also reveals that 11 per cent of respondents had had their phone pickpocketed, 8 per cent had a phone swiped from their hands and another 8 per cent had a phone stolen from a table.

But damage is still the biggest issue, with 54 per cent of respondents reporting having a phone smashed or waterlogged.

The phone company is using the data to promote its Vodafone Device Care plan. “For a small fee, you can return a broken phone or get a replacement for a lost or stolen one without ever having to give a reason,” says a Vodafone spokesperson.

IN THE FAMILY

And new research from the all-inclusive holiday group Club Med reveals that multi-generational travel is the new way to holiday. Nearly half of the respondents in their survey say they plan to take a “multi-generational holiday” in the next 12 months.

A Club Med spokesperson says: “The travel trend is so popular that 28 per cent of Aussies would actually prefer to travel as part of a multi-generational holiday group than with their immediate family, with 70 per cent favouring the quality time that is spent together.”

In response, Club Med has introduced packages called Generational Getaways by Club Med. It offers a range of benefits for groups of seven and more people, including priority room locations and reserved tables for dinner.

BIG HOTELS BACK

Recent findings in the Europ Assistance 2024 Holiday Barometer show a major shift in Australian travel preferences, with 59 per cent now focused on affordability and reliability when they choose a hotel. Big hotels are back in favour. More than 20,000 people were surveyed in 21 countries by Europ Assistance, which is the parent company of Australian travel insurance provider Insure&Go.

A spokesperson says: “Hotels with less than 20 rooms are also an unpopular option — with less than a quarter of all respondents from across the three continents choosing the accommodation type. Just 23 per cent of Australians, 20 per cent of North Americans and 24 per cent of Europeans plan on a small-hotel stay.

“Just 24 per cent of Australians will opt for free accommodation at a friend or family’s place, and a mere 10 per cent would consider camping or road trips in a campervan.”