The mesmerising Singapore Airlines Suites | SYD-SIN-HKG

So it's my birthday on the 24th of September, and for this, I am flying the amazing Singapore Airlines A380 Suites! My itinerary involves flying from Sydney to Singapore on the 24th of September, and then Singapore to Hong Kong on the 26th of September. After several conversations with the KrisFlyer Contact Centre about stopovers, unaccompanied minors, the website not working properly and redemption nominees, finally the flights are booked. At this stage, I have just got off the phone with KrisFlyer, and will update the report accordingly. This will be an amazing two flights, especially the one on my birthday! It'll be amazing using the First Class drive-in check-in in Singapore and The Private Room in T3. Can't wait! ✈

Extra 10kg baggage for Singapore Airlines

As of 15 November 2013, passengers in all classes on Singapore Airlines can enjoy an extra 10kg of checked in luggage. Economy will now receive 30kg, Business will receive 40kg, and Firstr and Suites will receive 50kg. Star Alliance/ KrisFlyer Gold members will continue to receive 20kg extra on top of these new allowances. PPS Club members can receive double the base amount. That is, 100kg in Suites and First, 80kg in Business and 60kg in Economy. The universal maximum 32kg per piece still applies (for OH&S). When travelling to and from the US or Brazil, all customers in all classes are limited to 2 pieces not exceeding 32kg each. Star Alliance Gold may carry 3 pieces, and PPS Club may take 4 pieces. 

This increase in baggage allowance is the latest in the string of amazing improvemts to the world's best airline.

The end of the Boeing 747?

                                 

                                   The final resting place for many 747's (Photo: Airliners.net)


The '747', 'Jumbo Jet' or 'Queen Of The Skies'  may soon be a rare sight. Why? Airlines simply don't want to buy them.

The introduction of the 747 into commercial service with Pan Am in early 1970 saw massive support throughout the whole aviation industry. For nearly 40 years it held strong as the biggest and most amazing airliner in the world. Every major airline in existence had huge orders for the aircraft. Singapore Airlines once had over 50 747's in their fleet, and had the largest fleet of 747's in the world. In April 2012, they retired their last 747. Many airlines are beginning to do the same, and every day the chances of seeing a 747 take-off or land get smaller. 

Tata and Singapore Airlines to launch new airline in June next year

After lengthy discussion and a final 'OK' from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board, Tata-Sons and Singapore Airlines (SIA) have announced that they hope to commence operations of their new Indian based commercial airline in May-June next year. This announcement was provided by Prasad Menon, the Chairman of the new airline. Plans state that SIA will initially hold a 49% stake, with a $49 Million investment. Tata will hold the remaining 51% as well as provide $51 Million for investment.

Unsurprisingly no information about the name, branding, cabins or routes has been released as yet. However, the Chairman stated that they may be utilising aircraft from SIA's current fleet. This will most likely include the airline's older 777-200s, as they are progressively replaced by the 777-300ER, A350 and 787-10X. This airline will be a premium full service carrier, and in the midst of this, Tata have revealed plans to create an Indian budget carrier with Air Asia.

Left to right: Goh Choon Phong (SIA CEO), Ratan Tata (Tata-Sons Chairman Emeritus), Anand Sharma (Indian Minister For Commerce And Industry) - Photo : AFP

Singapore Airlines New Cabin Launch and New Indian Carrier

It was recently revealed by a Singapore Airlines spokeswoman that the new cabins, that were revealed earlier this year, will be launched into service on September 27. SQ 318 on the day will be the first commercial flight of the first of the airline's brand new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. SQ 318 operates from Singapore to London, departing Singapore at 12:45pm. This aircraft features new Economy, Business and First class seating, along with the new KrisWorld entertainment system. It is apparent that the aircraft will not operate regular flights until October. Up until October 27, it shall be operating on various different flights between Singapore and London.
As well as this, Tata and Singapore Airlines have announced plans to create a new full service premium carrier based in India. Tata will own a 51% stake, with SIA holding the remaining 49%. This is another huge step into making SIA into a larger airline. Currently, the SIA group consists of a full service premium long haul carrier (Singapore Airlines), a full service premium short haul carrier (Silk Air), a budget long haul carrier (Scoot) and a budget short haul carrier (Tigerair). This new Indian airline will add to the airline's growing group.

The new Business Class seat (Photo: Singapore Airlines)

Singapore Airlines Launches New Ad Campaign

Singapore Airlines (SIA) yesterday premiered it's 3 new advertisements that will feature in TV, digital media (e.g. YouTube) and in print form. The ads se part of the theme "The Lengths We Go To", which is all about showing how the airline will do whatever it takes to make you feel comfortable and at home when flying. The ads focus on three aspects including bringing you tea from China, art films from Italy and soft leather from Scotland. 

The first ad shows an SIA flight attendant in the foggy tea fields off Fujian China. It continues to then show a man in a Business Class seat drinking the tea. The final scene (which is used in all the ads) is of the stewardess talking to the man and then a transition to an animation of moving clouds behind a gold SIA logo. The second ad displays an SIA stewardess in a foggy Scotland. She is shown in a leather shop, and the intricate cutting and application of leather to the Business seats are shown. The third ad portrays the stewardess in Venice picking out vintage art films. The cabin of the aircraft is then shown with people watching films on the entertainment system.

The airline's YouTube channel has updated their logo to the new gold/ beige that was used in the ads. 

The new ads clearly display how the airline will go places to bring back things for passengers to make them more comfortable. 

Along with this, SIA launched a new website: www.thelengthswegoto.com which displays a whole new aspect of the airline. It allows customers to discover more about the ads as well as seeing how the concepts of the ads are carried through. So, for the ad regarding leather, there are pages that show pictures and describe the seats onboard (in particular the next generation seats). There are also a variety of wallpapers to download as well as a screensaver that changes between those wallpapers.

The new branding will hopefully bring SIA back into the number 1 or 2 spot along with the next-gen cabin launch in a month's time. The airline continues to improve in many areas, keeping it as the world class airline it has always been.

First Commercial 787 Lands In Australia - Air India

Today (Friday 30 August), marked the beginning of a new 787 Dreamliner service to Australia. Air India previously operated the Australian routes, but after a 16 year halt on their Australian flights, the airline has returned with a bang. 

The flight operated was AI 312 that will fly Delhi - Sydney - Melboourne. It touched down this morning in Sydney at 8:29 am (14 minutes behind schedule), and then landed in Melbourne at 11:59, 39 minutes late. 

The aircraft was greeted with helicopter fly bys for photos as well as a traditional water salute courtesy of Air Services Australia. 

Air India is offering these flights for around AUD$1,100 return depending on time and date. They are one of the few airlines, along with United Airlines, who operate the 787 in the 3-3-3 (9 abreast) configuration in Economy. The airline offers an 18 seat Business Class cabin at the front in a 2-2-2 configuration.

The troublesome Dreamliner has caused setbacks in many airlines since its 2011 introduction to service. The world's 787 fleet were grounded by the FAA in January this year after battery and fire faults. Qatar Airways was scheduled to launch the first commercial 787 flight to Australia with a Doha - Perth route, however this was put back because of delivery delays. 

This all comes soon after Boeing revealed the first finished Boeing 787-9, the stretched, longer range edition. Air New Zealand will launch this aircraft next year. The third 787 edition will be the 787-10X, of which Singapore Airlines is the launch customer with the largest order. These should enter service some time in 2015-2016, and will be equipped with SIA's next generation cabins.

The Traditional Water Salute In Sydney (Photo: Rob Homer)

The aircraft on the ground in Sydney (Photo: Rob Homer)

On the runway in Sydney (Photo: James Morgan)

Amazing Video by Wolfe Air

Take a look at this unbelievable video by WolfeAir, using a heavily modified LearJet 25B. WolfeAir specialises in in-air filming and photography. I own none of this video. It is the sole property of WolfeAir.

New Singapore Airlines Ad Campaign

It has been a while since SIA released a new ad campaign. The previous one 'Across The World With Singapore Girl' was widely used on TV. Previous to this, the campaign in use was travel videos (about destinations) and new product ads regarding the launch of the A380.  SIA has recently released a series of print ads in Australia on buses and billboards that display the ease of travelling through Singapore to Europe.
Come next week, TV screens around the world will display the new series of commercials that have been in production over the past months. It focuses around showing customers the lengths the airline goes to, to make you feel comfortable and at home. This includes getting tea from China, art movies from Venice and leather for the seats from Scotland.
The airline has released a behind the scenes video. The title suggests that the ad campaign is called "The Lengths We Go To". The video clearly shows what the ads will look like and itself is like a well constructed advertisement.
SIA continues to be one of the world's leading airline, and this ad campaign aims to bring the airline back up to the top spot on the airline rankings.

SIA has continued the 'Fast Forward' theme with a competition to win flights to Europe. This is accessible through the airline's Facebook page

128GB and Gold iPhone to come?

It's fast approaching the reveal of the next gen iPhone as well as the long rumoured low-cost iPhone. And with this comes a host of new rumours. Ming-Chi Kuo is an Apple securities analyst that has released correct information on unreleased Apple products in the last. It has now released information speculating that the iPhone 5S may feature a 128GB option as well as a gold and champagne coloured option. These changes are to further separate the 5S from the current 5. They also speculate the A7 chip will be introduced with improved 1GB LPDDR3 RAM as opposed to the current A6 and 1GB LPDDR2. 

Along with the long and eagerly expected sapphire fingerprint scanner on the home screen button, Apple is expected to release the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C (plastic, low-cost model) at a special event on September 10.

  A possible gold iPhone casing (Photo: MacBoutic)

Asiana Pays US$10,000 to Survivors of Asiana 214

Over a month on from the crash of Asiana Airlines flight 214 in San Francisco, it has been revealed that the airline is offering all 288 survivors of the incident a $10,000 payment. Lee Hoymin, a spokesperson for the airline, explained that the payment is not some sort of settlement, and passengers still posses the right to sue the airline. The purpose of the payment is mainly to assist families with any expenses needed that may have come as a result of the incident. A mother of one of the passengers refused to accept the payment, as Asiana simply made a phone call to them. She felt that because there was no official writing or contracts, that is was some sort of scam. 

Asiana has provided payments to families of the passengers who were killed, however, this sum has not been released.

(Photo: John Green)

UPS A300 Crashes in Birmingham, Alabama. Both pilots killed.

On the 14th of August a UPS Airbus A300-600F was on approach to runway 18 at Birmingham airport in Alabama, USA. The aircraft apparently undershot the landing, meaning it impacted the ground early. This would have caused huge damage, but the post-impact fire would have completely destroyed the aircraft. From pictures it is clear that the aircraft has broken into several pieces. Being a domestic freighter flight, only two pilots were aboard, however they were both killed from the impact. The incident occurred early in the morning during darkness. The aircraft burst into flames after impact, but the fire was brought under control fairly soon. The wreckage is heavily damaged, and the pilots unfortunately would have had no chance of survival.
The A300 is an older aircraft that most airlines no longer use. There has been many, many accidents involving A300s over the years, the most recent before this being an Afriqiyah Airways and Libyab Arab Airlines destroyed in fighting in Tripoli in August 2011. These were passenger aircraft. In 2010 an Aerounion A300, also a freighter, was destroyed on landing in a similar incident in Mexico.
This is an aircraft that is being phased out and they are seeing their last flights around the world as newer, safer aircraft take to the skies.

This incident is the latest of the several air incidents that have occurred during this year, including the Asiana Airlines Boeing 777-200 that crashed on landing in San Francisco in July.

(Photo: AFP) 

(Photo: AFP) 

(Photo: Reuters) 

JetBlue Announces Transcontinental First Class Suites

Progressively, most US airlines are focusing on premium cabins onboard narrow-body A320s for the medium haul route across the American continent. After United and American both introduced new cabins (Including American's 3 class A320), JetBlue, which is seen as an all economy, low fare airline has surprisingly introduced a First Class Suite to compete with the bigger airlines.
In the second quarter of 2014, JetBlue will progressively introduce the new cabins on 11 A321 aircraft. These aircraft will be used solely for the transcontinental routes, in particular for flights from New York JFK to Los Angeles or San Francisco.
Despite being an all economy airline, JetBlue passengers have said that they would much prefer a premium cabin, and some even say that they would fly with JetBlue for the longer routes in a premium cabin, rather than in a premium cabin on one of the major airlines.
The cabin itself consists of 16 lie-flat seats featuring a high degree of control and massage functions. Each seat has a 15 inch HDTV. The configuration of the seats is interesting, and does not make a lot of sense. The odd rows (1, 3, 5) feature 2-2 seating, with more of a Business Class feel. The two even rows (2, 4), however, are far more 'First Class'. These rows feature a 1-1 config, with each seat having a sliding door and converting to a private suite. Why the airline didn't put the 'suites' together, and then the business seats is a mystery.
But for travellers regularly flying on the transcontinental route, the new suites or Business Class seats will be a popular choice. And the airline itself will benefit wholly with a much higher price tag than economy. WHATCH THE VIRTUAL TOUR HERE

Photos: JetBlue

iOS 7 Beta 4 Almost Confirms Fingerprint sensor in Next-Gen iPhone

With the release of the 4th Beta of iOS 7 this morning, root files in the  'Accessibility' area of the system points to a 'biometric' kit. Lines of code in the kit display text such as "Photo of a person holding an iPhone with their left hand while touching the Home button with their thumb " and "A fingerprint that changes colour during the setup process.". This almost certainly confirms that a fingerprint sensor will be present in the next generation device. Judging from the text, the sensor may be on the home screen button, and act primarily as a security and/or accessibility feature. 

(Photo: MacRumours)

Singapore Airlines Launches Cash + Miles for bookings

Singapore Airlines today announced the introduction of its cash and miles offer when making flight bookings. Guests can now make Singapore Airlines or SilkAir bookings by adjusting the ratio of miles to cash. A minimum of 5,000 miles must be used, and the more miles used, the less cash to pay. Some other airlines already have this feature, and it is a very prominent feature when with airlines and frequent flyer stores. 

The new system opens up a huge number of more affordable seats. SIA's  previous system of award flights severely limited availability of flights being booked with KrisFlyer miles. Next year, KrisFlyer members will also be able to use miles to pay for airport, carrier and fuel surcharges/ taxes. A feature that several other airlines already use. Saver flights are now available in all classes on all aircraft. This includes the new Business and First class onboard the new 77-300ERs, and the A380 Suites. Suddenly, flying at the front of the plane on a world class airline like SIA has become a whole lot more affordable. 

Qantas increases A380 capacity

Qantas has increased the seating capacity on its A380 fleet by boosting Economy and Premium economy numbers, whilst reducing the number of Business class seats. This brings the total capacity up from 450 to 485 (a 34 seat increase). Previously the airline had 332 Economy seats, and the increase sees 371 Economy seats. Only 3 extra Premium Economy seats have been added (one extra centre row at the rear of the cabin). But all this comes at the cost of removing 8 Business class seats, self-service snack bars, and the new issue with lavatories onboard. The 8 Business seats have been removed to push forward the size of the Economy/Premium cabin on the  upper deck. Previously, only Premium Economy and Business was seen upstairs, but the aircraft are now equipped with 3 classes on the upper deck alone, whilst the main deck stays in the same 2 class configuration. Qantas used to have several self service snack bars in all classes except First. By removing a few in Business class, the airline managed to increase capacity and revenue.
The conversions have been in progress over that past years, and currently all A380s in their fleet follow this configuration. Qantas has several more A380s on offer, some for deliver in 2018 and beyond. The airline is not sure whether the configuration in these aircraft will remain the same.

(Photo: Qantas)

Singapore Airlines Unveils Next Generation Cabins

On July 9 Singapore Airlines held a special event for the media to launch their next generation Economy, Business and First Class as well as their new KrisFlyer entertainment system. The new products will be deployed in September onboard brand new Boeing 777-300ER (77W) aircraft. The cabins will in future be delivered with new 77Ws as well as the A350s and 787-10Xs. The Business and First class seats have had the largest overhaul.

First Class
The new First Class seats have been design by BMW Design Group USA. The seats are laid out in a 1-2-1 configuration. In the 777-300ER, the cabin features 8 seats.

The new 'mini suite' boasts a 35 inch wide seat, which can be converted to a 82 inch long bed. The previous seat held a 80 inch long bed. The bed is deployed in the same way as the previous Business seat, in that the seat back folds down to provide a larger, more comfortable bed. (Photo: Singapore Airlines)

The new seat contains a 24-inch widescreen, HD entertainment screen, up from the previous 23 inch screen. The mini suite provides a much larger degree of privacy than the previous seat. The walls next to the seat and next to the entertainment screen provide the privacy, whilst the entry gap provides a feeling of space. (Photo: Singapore Airlines)

More storage, space and utilities are available in the seat, and are still fully accessible when the large bed is deployed. The colour scheme has changed very much. Instead of the deep brown and tan colours, there are now lighter beiges, metallics, and off greys, used in the linen and suite itself. (Photo: Singapore Airlines)

The seat itself is handcrafted in plush leather, coloured in a deep maroon. The contrasting orange stitching and headrest provides added style. SIA will continue to use the Givenchy tableware to serve meals. (Photo: Singapore Airlines)

Business Class

The new Business seat was design by JPA (James Park Associates). It is also in a 1-2-1 configuration. Several other airlines continue to use pre-designed Business class seats. For example, the SIA medium-hail business follows a pre-designed seat that is widely used by other airlines. American Airlines' new Business Class follows the exact same design (aside from colours) as Cathay Pacific's new Business Class. Airlines using these default seats lack individuality and innovation. However, as Mak Swee Wah (EVP Commercial) said at the Boeing 747 Farewell in April 2012, "The spirit of innovation lives on at SIA...". The new Business seat follows a completely individual, patented design that will not be used by other airlines. 

It is easily visible that the new Business seat rivals most other airlines' First Class cabins. The seat follows the same concept and design and SIA's new First. The new storage area on the side provides room for headphones, amenities and other items, as well as a dedicated laptop stowage area. The new seats provide 28 inches in width and 78 inches in bed length. 

(Photo: Singapore Airlines)

The previous seat reclined up to 128 degrees (but is flipped over to be flat), whilst the new seat can recline further, up to 132 degrees (also being flipped over for a flat bed). It features the new KrisWorld system on an 18 inch (up from 15.4 inches) HD screen. (Photo: Singapore Airlines)

In a bed format, the seat uses similar coloured linen to the new First Class. There is now more space on the sides of the bed, as well as easier access to storage when in the flat position. (Photo: Singapore Airlines)

SIA continues to use Givenchy linen. The new pillow designs are visible, and are very different from the current plain blue. The idea of patterns and textures are visible throughout the new cabins. (Photo: Singapore Airlines)

The seats feature a cocktail tray on the front seat back, as well as a vanity mirror. Other accessories, including the ICT panel is located near the seat. The dining table is larger and fully height adjustable. (Photo: Singapore Airlines)

Economy Class

The new Economy Class features a complete redesign of the visual aspect. It is presented in a 3-3-3 format in the 77W. Whilst other Star Alliance airlines are adopting the 'Star Plus' Economy seat design (put in place to provide a uniform travel experience across the Star Alliance network), SIA has gone for their own, individual design.

The 3-3-3 configuration provides much more space and comfort compared to some airlines that use the 2-5-2 configuration in 777 Economy Class. (Photo: Singapore Airlines)

The new seat features a brand new colour scheme. The alternating brown and blue seats follow the same concept as the previous Economy seat. The new stitching adds to the theme of texture and pattern carried through the new products. (Photo: Singapore Airlines)

1 more inch of recline has been added to the seat. As well as this, there is slightly more legroom. New seat cushions provide more comfort and ergonomic support. The headrest has been specially designed to add to comfort through the extended availability of positions. (Photo: Singapore Airlines)

An 11.1 inch (increased from 10.4 inch) HD screen has been added, and features the new KrisWorld. It keeps the in-screen reading light, allowing Economy passengers to have further control over lighting (being able to change brightness from the screen light as well as turn on the overhead lamp). (Photo: Singapore Airlines)

KrisWorld

The new KrisWorld entertainment system boasts the new Panasonic eX3 system. An upgrade from the eX2 system currently used. The new system features larger screens across all classes with much higher resolutions. The software has been completely redesigned and moves away from the blue coloured theme. All seats have access to power, HDMI ports and USB ports. The IFE (In Flight Entertainment) screen provides a document suite for the editing and creation of word processing and spreadsheet documents, without the use of a laptop. The eXport port is added (it is available on the A330 and A340 currently) to connect iPod/iPhone/iPad to the IFE for viewing photos and videos. The new aircraft will feature wireless connectivity. Passengers will be able to connect their devices to Wi-Fi, as well as use mobile phones onboard, when connected to the onboard network. The IFE screens themselves are networked, and passengers have the ability to Tweet or Facebook their location through the screen itself. The new system will have a large array of other software features, which will be discovered when the aircraft enter service. The new system will be far more responsive than the previous generation. They also feature touch screen capabilities, a feature enjoyed by many passengers. The remote for the IFE is the most innovative feature of the system. It is a touchscreen monitor itself with a high definition display. It is a secondary display that can be used to select entertainment options, control playback, act as a game controller and more. It still features some physical buttons on the front face. 

The new cabins are a major leap in air travel. SIA currently does not have plans to retrofit current aircraft with the new seats, but it is an available option for the future. The new cabins will be deployed on the 777-300ER in September on the Singapore-London route. Currently, the iconic A380 Suites will remain onboard the A380 as 'A Class Beyond First'. If SIA does decide to retrofit the A380 with the new cabins, it is not clear whether the Suites will be removed for the new First class, if the Suites will see a major update, or if the Suites will remain onboard the A380s for years to come. 

All photos in this post are owned by Singapore Airlines Ltd. 

Information gathered from Singapore Airlines Ltd.; Previous Knowledge; Australian Business Traveller

Apple Unveils iOS 7, new MacBook Air, new Mac Pro and new OS X Mavericks

The iOS 7 Banner in the Moscone West Centre (Photo: imore.com)

Apple has unveiled a host of new products at the WWDC 2013 Keynote, held at the Moscone West Centre at 10 am PDT on the morning of the 10th of June. iOS 7 brings the biggest change ever seen in the iOS. Jonny Ive, leading the iOS 7 design, did away with the linen, paper, leather, felt and stitching textures previously seen throughout the iOS, and went for a futuristic, contemporary, sleek design. iOS 7 contain many new features including a completely redesigned lock screen, a white themed layout, new keyboard, new camera features, wallpapers that move with the tilt of the device, AirDrop and the long awaited Control Centre. iRadio has also  been revealed with this. It is a music streaming service, currently only available in the US. iOS 7 has been released to developers today, and will be available to the public in Spring (southern hemisphere)/ fall (northern hemisphere).The new MacBook Air features minor updates, mainly to battery life. The battery in the 13 inch can now last up to 12 hours. It also carries the latest Intel 4th-generation processors. It has begun sale today. The Mac Pro is well overdue for an update, and Apple has gone all out with the physical design of the tower. It is now shown as a tall, black cylinder, instead of the conventional metal rectangle. It features a host of new updates, the most impressive of which is the ability to connect up to 4 external displays, each up to 4K resolution. The Mac Pro will be released later this year and more information will be provided. OS X Mavericks (OS X 10.9) is the latest update to the Mac OS. It features few updates, although iBooks for Mac seems to be the biggest. Another feature of OS X Mavericks is the enhancement of using an external display with a Mac. The display now works much better with the Mac an allows you to run fullscreen apps on either display without altering the other. Finder Tabs is another new method of tagging and tracking files in finder. As usual, some of the nifty new features of iOS 7 that connect with the Mac (e.g. pushing notifications between devices) will only work with Mavericks. The name? Well, Apple has run out of 'Cat' related names. They have decided to go for a theme that will last the next decade. Hence the theme of 'most loved California cities' was chosen. Mavericks being the firs. OS X 10.9 is available to developers now and will be available to the public with the release of iOS 7. Again Apple has launched some innovative new products, and developers and enthusiasts will be eagerly looking forward to more.

OS X Mavericks wallpaper, in relation to the surfing location (Photo: Apple)

iOS 7 features a complete redesign of the UI (Photo: Apple)

The new Mac Pro also looks completely different to previous generations (Photo: Apple)

Jetstar's First 787

Jetstar has released images of its first Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner in the Boeing factory. The aircraft is due to enter service in November. Jetstar will be the first Australian airline to receive and fly a B787, as well as being the first airline overall to fly the B787 in Australia. The aircraft will be delivered to Jetstar in September, for service in November. Jetstar plans to use the Dreamliners to replace the A330s for their medium-long haul routes. By the end of the year, the airline will have 3 B787s, and 14 by 2015. The revolutionary aircraft will improve Jetstar's standards greatly, with its new technology. It will begin flying on domestic routes, before progressing to international routes. Qantas will be the second airline to receive B787s, in 2016.

Jetstar's New Dreamliner (Photo: Jetstar) 

Jetstar's New Dreamliner (Photo: Jetstar) 

Source: http://www.news.com.au/travel/australia/first-look-at-jetstars-787-dreamliner-plane-in-seattle/story-e6frfq89-1226657823374

Boeing 787-9

Boeing has begun construction of the next generation 787 Dreamliner, the 787-9. The stretched version of the already troublesome Dreamliner will be able to carry 40 more passengers, whilst providing over 555km extra range and using 20% less fuel. Air New Zealand will be the launch customer some time in 2014. So far, airlines have ordered 355 787-9s, making up 40% of the total 787 orders. The Boeing Company hopes to put the 787-8 battery incidents behind it in hope of a better future for the 787 with the announcement of the new aircraft. Airlines are having greater hope with the 787-9, in the belief that the lithium-ion battery issue will be sorted.

The 787 in the factory: news.com.au (Photo - Boeing)

Another 787 Battery Issue

A Japan Airlines Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner has has an issue with one if its replaced lithium-ion batteries. Following the battery fire risk in all 787s earlier this year, most 787s have had the batteries replaced. The aircraft, whilst still on the ground in Bostan Logan International Airport, experienced an issue with the sensors in the battery. The aircraft has been grounded and the issue is being looked into.

      Photo: The Washington Times (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

Singapore Airlines A380 Severe Turbulence

11 people have been injured after Singapore Airlines flight SQ308 from Singapore to London on 26 May encountered a very sudden loss of altitude in clear air turbulence. Debris was scattered throughout the aircraft. The 11 injured were treated upon arrival in Heathrow. The A380 (9V-SKH) stayed in London for 28 hours, and was unable to complete its scheduled return flight to Singapore as SQ319. Passengers booked on SQ319 were transferred to other flights. The aircraft flew back to Singapore the next day with flight number 'SQ319D'. This flight had the suffix 'D', denoting 'delayed'. It was operated as a ferry flight and had no passengers on board.

    Photo: Aviation Herald

BREAKING NEWS: Pakistan Airlines flight incident

The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight that was diverted to Stanstead with Typhoon fighter jets has landed safely. At this stage it is known that authorities have arrested 2 people after the plane arrived and was isolated from the terminal building. A PIA spokesperson said "The passenger was simply causing a disturbance on the plane and threatening passengers and staff." PIA has also described that the aircraft was 20 minutes from arrival when air traffic control received reports of a terror threat, and notified the relevant people in such a threat. The Typhoon jets were deployed to check inside the aircraft to make sure everything was in a stable state. These RAF jets are often used for purposes of investigating other aircraft in the air as they can get close to the aircraft and the pilots are able to see inside the aircraft and communicate with the crew. It is still not completely clear what caused the initial disruption.

    The aircraft in an isolated area

              Emergency crews

      The Rerouting Of The Aircraft      From FlightAware

BREAKING NEWS: Pakistan Airlines jet escorted by RAF fighter jets after security threat

A Pakistan Airlines aircraft flying from Lahore, Pakistan to Manchester, England has been diverted to Stanstead, by RAF fighter jets. The RAF scrambled the jets after a security issue onboard. The airline, police and airport have released NO information as yet as to what the nature of the incident is. It is not known what has occurred or what is occurring onboard. The aircraft has landed safely in Stanstead about 10 minutes prior to this writing. There will be further updates as the information becomes available.

How to fly Business, First or Suites for cheap prices!

Good evening everyone. I'd like to let you know about something I realised a little while ago. If you know how to earn frequent flyer miles wisely, then flying on the world famous Singapore Airlines Suites onboard the A380 may be a much greater reality. Now, I have flown SIA (Singapore Airlines) business class a fair few times as well as Virgin Atlantic Upper Class. But not once have I paid for it with money! The trick to earning lots of miles quickly is to USE YOUR CREDIT CARD!

The Singapore Airlines American Express Ascend Card

Almost all credit cards let you earn points for every dollar you spend with it. Some let you earn more points that other. American Express cards earn 1-1.5 points per dollar and these can be directly transferred to a variety of frequent flyer cards like Singapore Airlines Krisflyer, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and a few more. Most airlines offer their own credit cards, which earn EVEN MORE points for every dollar. Singapore Airlines has 4 different credit cards on offer for Singaporeans and 2 cards for Australians.

Singapore Airlines Krisflyer

So BE SMART! Know about this points system! For every dollar you spend in everyday life, you will earn miles. Over time you will accumulate many, many points. When you have the right number, transfer them over to your frequent flyer card and you've got yourself a free flight! Now how much will you need? Well, a Singapore Airlines Suites redemption ticket from Sydney to Hong Kong (this involves TWO Suites flights), will cost 75,000 miles if you book over the phone, or 63,750 miles if you purchase it online.

Singapore Airlines Suites

Surprisingly a flight from Sydney to Singapore is THE SAME price (in terms of points) as from Sydney to Hong Kong (two flights)! For only 25,000 points you can fly from Sydney to Hong Kong in Economy, and for 55,000 you can purchase a Business Class ticket. Now, for even less, you can get an UPGRADE ticket. Purchase an economy flight with money, and you can upgrade it to Business class for as little as 25,000 miles! (By the way, all the information on prices was correct at the time of writing and relates to Singapore Airlines award and upgrade flights).
So think of this! Flying upfront or up top in Business Class, First Class or the Suites may be much more affordable than you think!

Singapore Airlines redemption chart:
http://www.singaporeair.com/pdf/ppsclub_krisflyer/charts/SQMI_OneWayAwardCharts.pdf

Singapore Airlines upgrade chart:
http://www.singaporeair.com/pdf/ppsclub_krisflyer/charts/SQMI_OneWayUpgradeCharts.pdf

- Ashan ✈

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