A Traveller's Research

Category: Air Transport (Page 1 of 2)

Trailer » ‘The Nepal Traverse’ an adventure film about the first solo paragliding attempt across the length of the Himalayas

Trailer: The Nepal Traverse

The Nepal Traverse is a documentary style adventure film about the first solo paragliding attempt across the length of the Nepal Himalayas, starting at the Far-West of Nepal on the Indian border, between February and March 2020.

The film captures the vast remoteness and natural beauty of the Nepali Himalayas, as Steven Mackintosh, the solo paraglider pilot overcome the challenges of paragliding alone and unsupported, but never far from the generous hospitality of the local people.

Steve is raising funds through a GoFundMe page to complete the film.

On his GoFundMe page Steve writes »

… because of challenging weather conditions and the impending Covid-19 restrictions I was unable to complete the entire journey and finished at a half-way point in Pokhara. Fortunately, I have captured enough film rushes to be able to complete the film. Depending on permitted travel being allowed, I am still hoping to attempt to complete the solo journey to the Eastern border. If this can be undertaken then additional film footage would be included within the final film.

United Airlines adding bigger overhead bins

Most airlines have forced flyers to maximize their allowed carry-on luggage by introducing baggage fees for checked luggage. So it’s surprising they haven’t already had enough carry-on luggage space for every passenger.

This is another example that airlines prioritize profits over customer experience, despite what Toby Enqvist and other airline executives may claim publicly.

Dawn Gilbertson, USA TODAY »

The airline on Friday said the larger bins will accommodate one bag per passenger on domestic flights. On a 179-seat Boeing 737-900, that translates to room for an extra 65 bags.

Toby Enqvist, United’s senior vice president and chief customer officer, showed a photo of one of the larger bins with six larger roller bags comfortably tucked inside during the airline’s media day in Chicago Friday.

“This is like my Mona Lisa,” he said.

US Airlines collected $4.9 Billion in bag fees in 2018

JT Genter, writing for The Points Guy »

More than four months after the end of the year, we are just getting the 2018 statistics for airlines, and there are some jaw-dropping numbers. US-based airlines recorded $11.8 billion in after-tax profits for the full year. And a significant portion of those profits was baggage fees, which came in just shy of $4.9 billion in 2018.

That’s an increase of 7% from the baggage fees collected from a year prior. Alaska, American Airlines, Delta, JetBlue and United all increased their fees for first checked bag during the year.

In the fourth quarter of 2018 alone, airlines collected $1.25 billion in bag fees. That marks the 11th straight quarter that US-based airlines have collected over $1 billion in baggage fees.

10 Years After He Started, Norman Surplus Has Begun His Last Leg of His Around-the-World Journey in his Autogyro

norman surplus in his gyrocopter

From the BBC:

Nearly 10 years after he first began his mission, it was fitting that Norman Surplus left from his home town of Larne.

Mr Surplus will fly across Russia and complete what would be the first circumnavigation of the world in an autogyro.

On Monday, he took to the skies.

In August 2015, when he landed back in Larne, he set the record for single-handedly piloting his autogyro across the Atlantic Ocean.

He had previously flown across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North America.

However, due to flight path restrictions imposed by Russia he was not able to fly across that country and complete the circumnavigation of the world.

Read More…

The Guardian – 2015 article: Around the world in an autogyro: cancer survivor attempts a global first

The GPS wars are here, or why you need to learn to use a compass

It is important to recognise how vulnerable our technology is and how over-dependent we have become to fragile systems, some of which was built during a more trusting era.

Many things we do today, and much of our economy, relies on global navigation satellite navigation and time keeping. Much of the western economy relies on the Global Positioning System (GPS), an aging, fragile, and vulnerable US military project. Turns out that it can be easily be jammed, hacked, and turned off. And has been. Sometimes unintentionally.

All this makes for a good argument to learn how to use an old-fashioned compass and read a map. Continue reading

British Airways Travellers’ Credit Cards Hacked

Data breach leaves 380,000 customers vulnerable.

Hackers obtained the credit card details of some 380,000 British Airways travellers during a two-week data breach this summer that leaves the customers vulnerable to financial fraud, the airline says.

CEO Alex Cruz, said Friday that enough data was stolen to allow criminals to use credit card information for illicit purposes, and that police are investigating. Travellers who booked on the company website or mobile app from Aug. 21 until Sept. 5 may have been affected.


More at the CBC, Sunday Times

 

Two Cities, One Airfare

Airline carriers are offering free or discounted hotel rooms, meals, museum admission to passengers who want to spend some time in places they are connecting through.

From the NY Times:

George Hobica, an airline industry analyst, said that attractive stopover programs, created for destinations where the airline is based, are a growing trend. “Stopping in your connection city on the way to your final destination used to have an extra cost, but now, layovers are increasingly free and come with additional freebies for travelers like hotel stays,” he said.

Carriers are paying more attention to their stopover programs, Mr. Hobica said, because they help boost tourism in the country where the airline is based and increase the airline’s business at the same time. “Having good stopover programs generally don’t cost airlines a lot because they usually collaborate with local tourist boards and hotels to create them,” he said.

Video: Denali’s Raven

YETI Presents: Denali's Raven

YETI:

For Leighan Falley, Alaska is more than home — it’s a calling. Leighan spent years as a ski guide and climber on the Alaskan range, focusing much of her energy on Denali. But after becoming a mother, she found herself unwilling to pursue guiding (and the dangers that come with it), instead taking to the skies as mountain pilot. Follow Leighan on the Alaskan adventures that enrich her life and legacy in Denali’s Raven.

More:

Denali’s Raven

Video: Shots from Above

https://vimeo.com/255187744

Camp 4 Collective:

As much we admire the explorers traveling to the ends of the Earth on large scale Expeditons it’s the everyday man (or women) exploring their own backyard that often inspire the most. Guys like Chris Dahl-Bredine, who built an experimental aircraft in his garage in order to bring a new perspective to his life & creative vision. There isn’t much glamour in this type of exploration. No sponsors footing the bill. Just hard work, cold mornings & sometimes a bit of duct tape. Part cowboy, part photographer, part mechanic, Chris’ work blends a blue collar work ethic with a special eye for landscapes and the interconnectedness of it all.

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