That connecting flight

Posted on August 18, 2019 | Leave a comment

So what to do when you have a connecting flight? Very often there is a limited choice when it comes to direct non stop flights out of Calgary.  You often end up connecting through somewhere…. But where or where in the world do you NOT want to do a connection?

Apparently a recent survey picked on Chicago as being the most unfavourite airport for a connection.  New York came a close second – with ALL THREE of its airports – JFK, La Guardia AND Newark.   But Atlanta was voted by some people as worst AND best – so who knows?  Apparently Atlanta has great facilities in the airport itself so maybe that is why – yoga rooms, art exhibits and putting greens are some of the attractions.  I guess if you have a long layover then this would be one way to pass the time.

In Europe the best airports for connecting through are (by popular vote) Vienna and Zurich.  Quick, clean and efficient.

Further afield – Africa to be precise – Johannesburg’s Oliver Tambo airport is the top choice.  It handles 28 million visitors a year. 

And while you are waiting for your next flight consider these facilities at airports around the world….

Hong Kong has a golf course.

Tokyo has an oxygen lounge.

Zurich Airport has nature trails you can explore in between the runways!

And Singapore just knocks out the competition all round ….

It’s impossible to pick just one insane feature from Singapore’s Changi Airport. The over-the-top aviation centre is home to multiple gaming stations, music video booths, a 4-storey slide, koi ponds, a rooftop swimming pool (with swim-up bar) and an on-site cinema. Most spectacular of all are the five gardens, which include an award-winning cactus garden and a butterfly garden in Terminal 3.

But really – can you keep all of the people happy all of the time?  Clearly not.  Sometime had the cheek to complain about the “outdated Western attire” of the airport staff in Calgary.  He was put right in no time when people jumped in to explain that this Calgary touch is a service offered voluntarily – and we are very proud of our White Hat volunteers – SO THERE!

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Emotional support and flight anxiety

Posted on August 11, 2019 | Leave a comment

Lots of people are scared of flying – and some overcome this by travelling with an emotional support animal…. BUT … not everyone is in favour of this including the flight attendant who recently had to have 5 stitches after having been bitten by an emotional support animal… here is the full story as reported online –

A flight attendant had to get five stitches after being bitten by an emotional support dog during an American Airlines flight, operated by its subsidiary Envoy Air, this week.

The incident took place on an E-175 aircraft that was traveling from Dallas, Texas, to Greensboro, North Carolina, American Airlines tells PEOPLE.

The customer with the emotional support animal “became ill during flight, and the flight attendant was reaching into the seatback pocket to retrieve the air sickness bag for them,” the airline says.

“The dog apparently felt threatened and bit the flight attendant on their left hand.”

The flight attendant was examined by medical personnel when the plane landed at the Piedmont Triad International Airport in North Carolina, “but did not require any treatment – he was cleared to return to [the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport].”

“Upon return to DFW, the flight attendant subsequently received five stitches,” the airline says.

The Association of Flight Attendants said in a statement Tuesday that the incident “is completely unacceptable and inexcusable,” calling for stricter “standards” when it comes to emotional support animals on flights.

 “For years, AFA has supported the role trained animals can provide to passengers in the cabin, but we have also called for action in regards to setting standards for emotional support animals,” the union’s statement continued.

“We need the Department of Transportation to take action now, so events like the one that happened yesterday do not continue to occur on our planes.”

Well this incident was probably unusual.  I have travelled on flights with pets before – but they were small dogs or cats in carriers placed under the seat.  If the animal is bigger then you would have to have them fly cargo in a proper carrier.  So if it is an emotional support animal that is too big for a carrier under the seat then they can sit on your lap or you might have to purchase another seat for your dog.  I say “dog” because most emotional support animals we see on flights are dogs…. But what about other animals..

American Airlines says only cats and dogs are allowed as emotional support animals in the cabin.  But strangely enough they also say miniature horses are allowed!

The problem is that flying can be very nerve-wracking and if you do have anxiety issues and have an emotional support animal to help with those issues then you really need that help when you fly. 

If you do have a fear of flying you might be comforted to know that you are not alone and you don’t really need to take a horse with you to overcome these fears.  Many celebrities suffer the same anxiety every time they need to get on a flight –

These are just a few of them….

Colin Farrell
Miley Cyrus
Ben Affleck
Taylor Swift
Kate Winslet
Kirsten Dunst
Sandra Bullock
Jennifer Aniston
Megan Fox
Billy Bob Thorton
Justin Bieber

So you are not alone – there are lots of websites with advice out there – breathing techniques, meditation, listening to music, natural remedies, prescription remedies…. The fact of the matter is that in this big world we live in it is the easiest and quickest way to get from A to B …. But I guess if it is really an issue then to get to Europe you could always drive or train to New York and then do the Trans Atlantic on the Queen Mary – now THAT’s travel in style – and no jet lag either!

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How to find suitcase heaven

Posted on August 2, 2019 | Leave a comment

Where do suitcases go when they get separated from their owners?  Do they go on world wide adventures collecting stamps along the way?  Do they brood in dark hangers in semi-deserted airport storage.  Do they shiver when spiders crawl over them and make their nets around the handles and the locks?

If you have ever lost a suitcase on a flight …..

OK – stand by people – I know there are lots of you out there …. BUT

Have you ever lost a suitcase on a flight and NEVER EVER seen it again?  The numbers that this happens to might surprise you.

When bags are unclaimed the airlines have to do something with it – so they sell it!  Surprised?  A business in Alabama buys unclaimed suitcases from airlines.  Once they get them to their warehouse they unpack the bags and launder most of the clothes for resale.  The website howstuffworks.com reports

“When a lost suitcase or backpack arrives at the Unclaimed Baggage Center, employees remove all clothing for laundering and search every zippered pocket and corner crevice for treasures. Their diligence pays: In addition to Egyptian artifacts from 1500 B.C. (which included a shrunken head), employees have uncovered a 40.95 carat emerald, a 5.8 carat diamond and a Muppet from the movie “Labyrinth.”

Some items are so valuable and unusual, you might wonder what happened to the person who lost them. The Unclaimed Baggage Center has returned an F-16 guidance system to the U.S. Navy and a space shuttle camera to NASA.”

In Britain they have a different way of dealing with lost unclaimed luggage.  They sell them off to specialist auction houses where you can go a bid on a suitcase (sometimes without seeing its contents).  So it is a bit like Storage Wars.  Who knows what you might get?  The bids are generally from about $20 up to $130.  That might be a lot of money to pay for someone else’s laundry but I guess those who bid take a good look at the type  of suitcase before putting a number on their bid. 

Some houses actually empty the suitcases because they feel that the suitcase itself is usually worth more than the contents.   But if you want to see what its all about check out this video

In all my travels I haven’t lost a suitcase or even had one delayed …. Oh my goodness are the travel gods looking down and laughing at me…. I leave on my next trip soon…..

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It’s all about the dress code

Posted on July 29, 2019 | Leave a comment

Did you hear about the massive brawl onboard one of the P&O cruise ships recently. It all started because someone dressed up as a clown.

So what was so upsetting about that?

Disclaimer – I don’t know what the cruise clown looked like – but this is what I imagine it to be to create such a fuss…

Well it was during one of the black-tie formal evenings on board – so a clown costume can hardly be described as formal wear.

But the main problem seemed to be that some of the other passengers were upset because they had specifically booked a cruise where there would be no fancy dress?? (I haven’t been on a cruise where people wear fancy dress at dinner – but maybe this is a British thing????) This is what was tweeted from the ship during the fight by a journalist –

“One witness, part of a group involved in the trouble, explained to staff that things kicked off when another passenger appeared dressed as a clown. This upset one of their party because they’d specifically booked a cruise with no fancy dress. It led to a violent confrontation.” 1:17 AM – 27 Jul 2019

By the way “fancy dress” is the term used in Britain to describe a costume – like a clown. This turned so ugly that chairs and plates were being hurled around but …. it was after midnight and a LOT of booze had been consumed.

It made me think about dress codes on board ships – lots of people say that they don’t want to go on a cruise if there are formal nights because of the dress code. Actually let me rephrase that – lots of MEN say they don’t want to have to wear a collar and tie in the evening – let alone a tuxedo! We women get away quite easily with a dress and maybe some sparkly jewellery.

However some cruise lines have done away with formal nights altogether and instead advise that the dress code is “casual elegant”. Well this means that the men can get away with no jacket and tie but a collared shirt is preferred and definitely long pants ….. BUT this code is open to interpretation as well. On the more casual cruise lines like Star Clipper I have seen men with shorts in the evenings – but then you are sailing on a tall ship and it is not quite the same thing as being on the Queen Victoria – no chance of having dinner with your shorts on that ship!

I somehow don’t think that would get past the Maitre ‘d

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Tourists behaving badly …again!

Posted on July 22, 2019 | 6 comments

We travel because we want to see the great sites of the world. We travel because we want to experience different cultures, exciting cuisines and, well, different stuff. But we are after all just humans. And sometimes (in fact quite often) the bad behaviour of tourists hits the headlines.

Like this fellow who had the bulk head and decided to operate his airline tv with his bare toes.

Now in the back of my mind I am thinking that this guy is pretty agile and quite clever to be able to pick out his favourite movie with his big toe. Also he clearly provided entertainment and amusement for those around him. I also wonder if bare toes are any dirtier than fingers?

And then Venice is back in the news with a couple of backpackers brewing up a cup of their own coffee just next to the Rialto Bridge. As reported by Bruce Parkinson in Open Jaw.

“The actions of a pair of German backpackers were reported to police by a local resident and the 32- and 35-year-olds were fined $1,250 under new rules introduced in May to preserve the city centre’s “decorum.“

Venice mayor Luigi Brugnaro said: “Venice must be respected and the rude people who think they can come to the city and do whatever they want must understand that they will be taken, sanctioned and removed.

“Our city will always be open and welcoming to all those who want to come and visit it,” the Mayor added. “At the same time, we will be intransigent to those who think they will come and do what they want.”

Now I understand that maybe the couple might not have been able to afford a cup of coffee in St Mark’s Square or maybe objected to pay the price (which is a rip off but you have to do it once) but they ended up with the most expensive cup of coffee of their trip.

Talking about back packers – there is a new breed out there. Now known as beg packers. These young people are travelling around the world – mostly Asia it seems – begging on the streets for people to help them see the world. To see these first world people begging for money in a third world country where many people are trying hard to survive from one day to the next really made my blood boil.

And then there are those who offer hugs in return for a donation …. and weirdly they blind fold themselves. I just really can’t get over this image in Kuala Lumpur – what on earth were they thinking ….

But let’s end this on a positive note and salute all those intrepid backpackers who work two shifts and save up all their money to travel the world, never expect something for nothing and have spent many a night sleeping at a train station. Go forth and conquer!

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Sleeping on planes

Posted on July 15, 2019 | 4 comments

Are you able to sleep on a plane? Some people just seem to be able to nod off the minute the flight takes off. Others spend long trans-Atlantic flights watching movie after movie only to emerge at the other end looking like a zombie.

In fact you could find yourself acting like a zombie if you are in the habit of taking Ambien for a good night’s sleep. A report recently on CNN by Sandi LaMotte relates the tale of a passenger on a flight from London to San Francisco who took Ambien on the flight and then spent the entire time “entertaining” the crew and passengers with demonstrations on how to tie a Bedouin turban with an airplane blanket and how to make paper airplanes which he then flew over the heads of his fellow passengers. The weird thing about this was that he actually thought he was asleep at the time and this was all just a dream. How embarrassing. You can read the full story here https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/planes-sleeping-pills/index.html

A story I heard about a friend of a friend (no names please) made me chuckle. She and her husband got onto the flight and settled into their seats. She always takes a sleeping pill so swigged down some water and her pill, adjusted her eye mask and promptly fell asleep. Problem was the flight hadn’t taken off yet – and yes – it went mechanical. The passengers were all asked to get off. Her sleeping pill was so good that her husband couldn’t wake her up and so they had to get a stretcher and carry her off the flight. Oh my goodness. How embarrassing. I have heard that they both have a good laugh at that story now but at the time it couldn’t have been that much fun.

But getting a good night’s sleep on a long flight is tough – especially if you are in the “back of the bus” and don’t have the luxury of a lie flat bed and a cooing flight attendant supplying you with soft pillows, blankets and eye-masks. If you take a walk around any shop at the airport you will find no end of “devices” to help you sleep sitting up. Neck pillows of all shapes and sizes, some so bulky and inconvenient you just have to wonder where the heck to store them!

This is a weird one

She looks comfy

But this one takes the cake …. it is a device for those who get the middle seat so that you have somewhere to rest your arms….

Geez … don’t they know the rule? Middle passenger gets BOTH armrests!

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Things a cowboy should never do…

Posted on July 8, 2019 | Leave a comment

It’s that time of year again – Stampede, the rodeo, the chucks and all things cowboy.  Just for a change instead of Calgarians heading out somewhere exotic, strangers from distant lands are coming here – thinking that we look exotic.  And for the most part we do…..

It’s a big thrill for visitors from all over the world to come to see the rodeo and it is a bit like us travelling all the way to Germany for Oktoberfest or England for the annual cheese rolling competition.  The locals think that is just part of the calendar while we, the visitors, are in awe of these foreign activities.

Cowboy culture is such a big part of Calgary life that we don’t really think about it much.  You just have to drive a few kms out of the city and you find yourself in small towns where people really do wear cowboy boots and hats all year round.  They don’t have to dust off their boots and hats – they probably have to shake off the manure – but it is an everyday thing. Cowboys are real here – not just at Stampede but all through the year.

So for those real cowboys out there – what are the rules?  And what are the things that a cowboy should never do.  I found a few (on yourdictionary.com – what do you think?

Things a Cowboy Should Not Do

Here are some words to live by according to cowboys. Some are really good advice and all are funny cowboy sayings.

  • Don’t squat with your spurs on.

  • Don’t let your yearnings get ahead of your earnings.

  • Don’t dig for water under the outhouse.

  • Don’t go in if you don’t know the way out.

  • Don’t mess with something that ain’t bothering you.

  • Never drive black cattle in the dark.

  • Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear or a fool from any direction.

  • Never miss a good chance to shut up.

  • Never ask how stupid someone is ’cause they’ll turn around and show you.

  • Never ask a barber if you need a haircut.

  • Never slap a man who’s chewing tobacco.

Everyone has a favourite cowboy – growing up in the UK it was a treat on Sunday afternoons to watch old films on the TV and John Wayne was the ultimate cowboy hero. But is this another thing that a cowboy should never do????

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