In 2010, Virgin Atlantic  Sir Richard Branson made a bet with Air Asia owner Tony Fernandes over who’s Formula 1 Racing team would finish higher in the 2010 season. Whoever’s team won would have to serve as a flight attendant on one of the other airline’s flights. Fernandes won.

Branson will fly dressed as a flight attendant on Air Asia’s Perth to Kuala Lumpur flight next Sunday May 12th. He will carry out all of the responsibilities of a flight attendant  on the six-hour flight.

Fernandes who worked for Branson at Virgin in the 1980s said: “who would have thought my mentor will be serving as a flight attendant on AirAsia…. And it’s hilarious to think now, that it’s Richard who will be working for me as a sassy flight attendant.”

The catch is that “As an AirAsia X’s flight attendant, [Branson] has to comply with our grooming standards and that includes shaving his legs, donning high heels, putting on some makeup and slipping into the AirAsia’s famous red uniform“. Branson will keep his beard.

AirAsia will donate A$100 from each seat sold on the flight to Australian charity Starlight Children’s Foundation. The bookings for this flight open from April 8 to May 12 (until sold out) for travel on May 12, 2013. The charity flight will also be filled with activities for the guests. Fares are $A399.

Branson said “I will dress up and make a splash in the name of Starlight, a fantastic charity. I’ve just got to practise walking in high heels first.” The publicity will no doubt help Air Asia – not sure how it will help Virgin Atlantic who do not fly to either Perth or Kuala Lumpur.

As an Australian, I am used to people reacting enthusiastically to the mention of my country.

Last year, however, at the launch of a  $180 million “There’s nothing like Australia” campaign, research was revealed that Australians have a mixed perception internationally. 80 per cent of international travellers see Australia as “different”, 60 per cent had knowledge of it, half thought Australia was a relevant place to them – but only 30 per cent held Australia in high esteem.

• Americans saw Aussies as “carefree and rugged”  but believed Australians don’t deliver quality or good value.
• British believe Aussies are “charming and independent” but untrustworthy
• Indians see Aussies as “daring” but arrogant

The results change for people who actually visit Australia so tourism Australia is encouraging people who have visited the land down under to tell the positive stores via Facebook.

Related Posts

The T shirt that stopped a plane (almost)

Hungarian Citizenship for Sale 

Croc on the Plane

Wednesday Wackiness: Tasmania- MIA

Following on from my post from two weeks ago about Air Samoa charging by the kilo to fly, Dr. Bharat P. Bhatta from Norway has proposed three models that he asserts would benefit “airlines, passengers and society” by cutting each flight’s fuel usage and carbon dioxide emissions.  His three “pay as you weigh” models are:

1. Total weight: A passenger’s luggage and body weight is calculated, with the fare comprising a per kilogram (kg)  cost. In this scenario a passenger weighing 80kg (178 pounds) with 20 kg (44 pounds) of luggage would pay a fare of a base amount times 100. This is the model that Samoa Air uses.
2. Base fare +/- extra: A base fare is set, with a per-kilo discount applying for “underweight” passengers and a per-kg surcharge applying to “overweight” passengers.
3. High/Average/Low: A base fare is set, with a predetermined discount applying for those below a certain weight threshold and a predetermined surcharge applying for those above a certain weight threshold. Bhatta prefers this option.

Weight could be ascertained through passenger self-declaration, with one in five passengers randomly selected and weighed to dissuade cheats (with penalties for cheaters) or by weighing all passengers at check in (which is what Air Samoa does).

Bhatta’s reasoning is that for every kilogram less a plane carries, an airline saves $3000 per year. Get 400 passengers to fly with a kilo gram each less, means a carrier could save $1.2million a year.

“The demise of James Dean is indeed sad and tragic….Jet Airways sincerely regrets the accidental demise of a pet cat”

These are the words on Facebook of Jet Airways, an Indian airline following one of their employees running over a cat the airline was transporting from Delhi to Singapore on flight 9W18 on March 23.

James Dean, the cat escaped from his cage while it was on the tarmac and was struck by a trolley train moments after.

The cat’s owner has posted an obitury and discussion over her experiences. These include her feelings when the airline refused her to see the site of her cat’s death for security reasons.

James was cremated at “Paws to Heaven”, an interfaith crematorium for animals.

The transporting of animals is a serious business and staff need to be trained in what can go wrong. In her blog, thr passenger describes her reaction to an employee of the airline mocking her grief.

It is hard to know if it is an April Fools Day prank but Samoa Air has announced a new fare calculation based on passengers weight.

The airline’s Chief Executive, Chris Langton, told Radio Australia this week that the policy is proving successful.The airline began flying in 2012 and introduced the pricing policy in January, 2013.

I tried it out booking a fare from Pago Pago, the main city of American Samoa to Asau which is situated on the north west coast of Savai’i island in Samoa. The total for the fare was 380 Tala for the sector (166.82USD) based on me being 85kg and my baggage being 15kg with a fare cos f 3.80 Tala for that sector. If I was my slim self from a couple of years back at 75kg and I carried no luggage then my fare would be 80 Tala less.

The weights are checked at check in. This means if I lie as a customer, I will be caught! My question is: If I gained 10kg by my flight I assume I would Pay 38 Tala more but what happens If I lost 10 kg, would I be entitled to a refund or credit?

And In case you are still skeptical over in Twitter land:
Craig Platt @FairfaxTravel
Lot of folks suspicious about Samoa Air’s ‘pay what you weigh’ fares. I asked them directly if this was an April Fools joke. They said no.

I once spent 13 hours seated next to a man who broke wind continuously across the Pacifc from La. On disembarking, a flight attendant asked him if his stomach was feeling better? I could have assured her that it wasn’t!

I was interested to read of a recent paper produced by a team of Danish and British gastroenterologists and published in the NZ Medical Journal. The lead researcher Jacob Rosenberg considered the issue worth researching after his own embarassing experience on a flight between Copenhagen and Tokyo.

The study recommends passengers and crew break wind on board as its less dangerous to personal health than “keeping it in”. Not farting they say results in discomfort and even pain, bloating, dyspepsia (indigestion)or pyrosis (heartburn).

To deal with the problem, the team considered:
Passengers wearing rubber pants with an attached air container for collecting gas
putting active charcoal in passenger seats
Encouragingbpassengers to wear charcoal-lined underwear
Conducting pre flight methane breath tests
reducing fibre in airline meals

Perhaps security checks could include ensuring passengers a wearing charcoal underwear?

For pilots, however, there are some serious safety issues. For example: if the pilot “lets go of the fart, his co-pilot may be affected by its odour, which again reduces safety onboard the flight.”

“On the one hand, if the pilot restrains a fart, all the drawbacks previously mentioned, including impaired concentration, may affect his abilities to control the plane.”

What advice would you give in a pilot training course?

I love Air New Zealand’s safety messages. They have to be the best in the industry. Previously, the airline featured a safety briefing where their staff stripped off bare for the cameras. It got lots of attention. Then came Richard Simmons and next Hobbits.

Now the carrier have enlisted Man vs Wild Bear Grylls in a new comedy feature which includes an extinct moa and a reappearance from one of the flight attendants who have appeared in most of the recent safety ads. I must admit some nervousness that Bear showed no reluctance in trying to hunt and eat an extinct bird. Wonder if there will be any outcry about that one?

Related Posts

Fly Hobbits Fly

Hobbits are known for doing lots of tramping but not much flying. I have been immensely enjoying Air New Zealand’s most recent safety video featuring many Lord of The Rings Characters. I love Gandalf as pilot. Not sure how I would feel about Orcs on board!

The video has been playing since November, 2o12 but I am still enjoying it. It is better than the current annoying Qantas cricket team safety briefing. It has clocked up ten million views to date on YouTube.

The 1987 Film: The Princess Bride is considered to be one of the funniest films ever made. It is number 50 on Bravo’s “100 Funniest Movies,” and 46th on Channel 4′s Fifty Greatest Comedy Films list.

It is regarded as a cult film by millions around the world who have seen it multiple times.

The film contains many memorable lines. One of which is oft repeated:  ”Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die”. This phrase has been nominated by the AFI as one of the world’s most memorable movie quotes ever

No one gave that information to passengers and crew aboard a Qantas flight from Sydney to Auckland. Passenger Wayne Mullins was asked to remove his shirt which had the above slogan om it because cabin crew member said: “Are you able to remove it because some of the passengers are quite intimidated by it?”

A Qantas spokesperson told Fairfax media: “Qantas does have dress standards for passengers travelling on our aircraft … particularly for slogans which other passengers may find offensive or threatening,”

For those who have seen the film this seems: inconceivable

Mullins and T-shirt Photo: Fairfax New Zealand

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-incidents/prepare-to-die-iconic-film-quip-triggers-flight-tizz-20130124-2d8jv.html#ixzz2JSPeQenY

The northern state of Queensland in Australia is having some of the most devastating floods ever (while the fires in the southern part are equally devastating!).

A Canadian astronaut Commander Chris Hadfield took photos of the floods while passing over central Queensland in the International Space Station. The 54-year-old shared the pictures via Twitter. This is an image of the floods roaring through Bundaberg. The other pics are here. 

@Cmdr_Hadfield You can see the floodwaters pouring straight through Bundaberg and into the ocean. Keep safe and dry down there!