Route Singapore Changi (SIN) to Melbourne Tullamraine (MEL)

Class economy, seat 51C, which is right next to the galley

Seat pitch and seat width 31 inches and 18 inches respectively

Seat configuration three-four-three

Luggage allowance One bag no more than 23kg checked in luggage and one piece of hand luggage also no more than 23kg…but you couldn’t take an extra laptop bag or briefcase (although I saw many people doing this anyway)

Airport and lounge access Singapore Changi is a hub for many airlines including Qantas, until the Emirates deal kicks in and it switches to Dubai of course. I was only there for 45 minutes while my flight was refueled so I barely had time to investigate. However, as you’d expect, the airport was immaculately clean although very busy.

There are an abundance of shops to wander around although most of them are high-priced designer shops such as Gucci which really doesn’t interest me at all. There are plenty of duty free shops too and all the staff were incredibly helpful, which again, I love about Singapore. There are also plenty of food courts and coffee shops to choose from and they seem to accept many different varieties of currencies – I was able to pay for my double espresso with Australian dollars so saved me needing to exchange into local currency or US dollars.

What I really like about Changi is the outside rooftop area that is available. Although it may not be “fresh” air, it sure beats having to sit in the heavily air-conditioned departure lounge getting numb-bum on the rows of seating, or even the floor if all seats are taken. There’s a bar area up there too, should you wish to pay for a refreshment, and a cactus garden as well.

Scheduled flight time 6 hours 55 minutes

Punctuality The aircraft was about 15 minutes late leaving the departure gate, but we landed early so this lost time was made up for in the air.

Condition of the aircraft Being a new A380 the aircraft was as you’d expect, in very good condition. The seat area had no marks or tears and the toilets were kept in a clean condition, although for such a big aircraft I feel that they could do with more toilets overall – there were only three for my section of economy and then a further three for the section next to that.

In-flight entertainment Each seat features an entertainment system with more than 100 on-demand movies, 500 television programs, up to 1,000 audio CDs, 30 PC-style games apparently, but let’s face facts, the system is judged purely on the quality of the “new release” section of the movies.

As with every long-haul flight I’m on, once I’ve settled into my seat, the first thing I do is open the entertainment guide and plan my viewing delights for the duration of the journey: some comedy shows to get me started before a movie with dinner, then maybe a sleep followed by another movie and then probably watch the airplane tail camera or flight path video while dozing before we land. I’m always disappointed with the selection of comedy shows on flights. I know they have to cater for a wide demographic, but I honestly fail to see how How I met Your Mother and The Big Bang Theory can even be classified as comedy… Any show that needs that much canned laughter to try and prompt the audience into laughing really deserves to be cancelled and all copies deleted so nobody ever gets to see it again! Fortunately, the selection was saved by three episodes of Modern Family and I’m back on schedule.

The movie selection was actually pretty good. The new releases had films that I know haven’t even been released in Australia yet (Cloud Atlas, The Master) but also had the other usual suspects in there such as Life of Pi, Argo and Lincoln. There was also an impressive “Oscar Classics” selection that I dipped into for my second movie of the flight (Witness).

As for the actual IFE system itself, the screen was a decent size and gave an above adequate viewing experience considering I had just got used to my friends 55” LED TV for the last week or so. The control unit was housed in the top of the arm rest, under the padded bit. This did prove annoying when the person in the seat next to me was leaning on the rest so I couldn’t get to the controls without him moving his arm first. I much prefer when they put the remote control below the screen on the seat in front of you like some other airlines do. However, the system could also be adjusted by the touch-screen which wasn’t as clunky as I had remembered from previous flights and seemed quite responsive.

The system was easy to navigate and had more features than I needed, so didn’t investigate much beyond the entertainment. However, the clock showing a countdown until we landed was nice and the picture from the airplane tail camera was pretty clear giving a nice sunrise shot as I approached Melbourne.

Comfort I’m not the biggest of blokes so I find economy seat sizes perfectly acceptable – I’ve also never been in business or first class so don’t really know what I’m missing. I found the seats very comfortable although with a big fella being sat next to me, it did feel a little cramped. The base of the seat slid forward as it reclined giving you a better sleep position, but turning in your seat was a little difficult.

My seat row was right next to the galley which wasn’t ideal. However, it also didn’t bother me as much as I would have thought. I got my drinks and meals first and once I had my headphones on, I didn’t really hear any noise.
However, what really did cause me issues was the air-con temperature, which was set on Damn Cold. Despite myself and some of the other passengers around me requesting for the heat to be turned up, it seemed to remain on that setting for most of the journey. I’ve never really used the blanket they provide but I had to on this flight.

Service The service was OK. Nothing amazing, but they did everything required of them in a polite and nice way. They brought me drinks when requested, the food service was polite, they tried to turn the air-con heat up but didn’t seem to manage it… Like I said, OK.

What actually made me have mixed emotions was the treatment of the passenger in the window seat of my aisle. We had briefly chatted before take-off and he seemed a very pleasant chap. While taxiing before take-off, a steward welcomed Dr. Smith by name (name changed to protect the innocent although he was a Doctor) and wished him a pleasant flight. Then a minute later the head steward type person also came along, welcomed Dr. Smith again, said if there was anything she could do to make his flight more comfortable then he should let her know then wished him a pleasant flight. Wow, who was this person sitting in seat 51A? I felt annoyed that he was getting special treatment, why not me?!

Firstly, I felt very comforted by the fact that I had a doctor sat two seats away from me. If there was an emergency, I was covered. However, now I was intrigued… was this guy a celebrity doctor? A world famous surgeon perhaps? I had to know. As I said, this chap was very pleasant so I felt comfortable asking him why he was getting special treatment he smiled and said it was because he was a platinum frequent flyer member but he’d used his points to pay for the flight hence why he was in economy, not first class.

My intrigue now turned to envy. I wanted to be a platinum frequent flyer. I wanted to be singled out by name and wished a pleasant flight by the head steward type person. I’m not a platinum frequent flyer member though and neither have the time, job or money that will ever allow me to become a platinum frequent flyer… Doh.

Food and beverages After take-off there was a round of drinks served and the menu was handed out – chicken or beef – followed by the main meal. I chose the stir-fry beef with egg fried rice and was disappointed. The egg fried rice had one big lump of egg in and that was it and the beef was a little salty. I actually don’t mind airplane food for the most part, but this was a little disappointing even for me. The salad was OK, but who can’t do salad, right?

There was a choice of wine…um, red or white. So, I went with the Australian Shiraz and it was very pleasant. Another please. There was a morning snack as well, which consisted of a Danish, yoghurt and fruit salad. Although pretty basic, this was actually nice and refreshing without being too heavy. The coffee didn’t taste good at all though.

Flight frequency Twice a day in both directions

Cost of ticket AUS$1,977 return Melbourne to London Heathrow. I used the Qantas Points ‘n’ Pay option and my 84,000 points managed to get the price down to $1,124 which I didn’t think was too bad.

Website qantas.com

It was comfortable, but with a big fella being sat next to me, it did feel a little cramped

Being next to the galley was OK, but the air-con temperature, which was set on Damn Cold

The screen was a decent size and gave an above adequate viewing experience

This did prove annoying when the person in the seat next to me was leaning on the rest

The system was easy to navigate and had more features than I needed

The egg fried rice had one big lump of egg in and that was it and the beef was a little salty

James Brown

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However, this came as a surprise to President Obama, who recently remarked that no US airport ranked among the world’s top 25.

“There was a recent survey of the top airports…in the world, and there was not a single US airport that came in the top 25. Not one US airport was considered by the experts and consumers who use these airports to be in the top 25 in the world,” he said.

“I think Cincinnati airport came in around 30th. What does that say about our long-term competitiveness and future?”

Obama was referring to a ranking released last month — the Skytrax World Airport Awards, generally regarded as the industry’s most accurate benchmark and based on a survey of over 12 million travellers around the world. Out of 395 airports worldwide, LAX ranked 109th. It came in at 24th among 50 airports in North America.

Travel & Leisure Magazine rated LAX the nation’s second-worst airport last year, citing below-standard staff communication, terminal cleanliness, check-in and screening process and baggage handling.

Seating at the airport is limited, security staff are rude, signage is poor, bathrooms are in poor condition and travel between terminals is difficult and confusing.

The popular Guide to Sleeping in Airports website ranks airports around the world based on traveller’s experiences and currently rates LAX among the world’s 10 worst and the worst in North America.

It seems this sign is saying more than simply the name of the airport

This bad experience is not just limited to departures or stopovers. Poor services and rudeness abound on arrival too. According to Peter Miller, a spokesman for the Skytrax research group, passengers surveyed gave LAX low scores for the long time it takes to get through security and immigration and customs.

One frequent visitor to Los Angeles from London told Travel Snitch, “Every time to come to LA I’m excited, even if it’s just a work trip, but my bubble always bursts as soon as I get to Immigration.

“[Customs] is many people’s first impression of the US. Two-hour queues are not uncommon and once, I accidently stepped over the yellow line as I was deep in conversation. Within seconds security came down on me like I was the CIA’s Most Wanted.”

In 2011, LAX was the sixth busiest airport in the world and it is also the only airport to rank among the top five in the US for both passenger and cargo traffic.

The terminal complex was originally built in 1961 and is at a disadvantage when compared to newer, more modern, privately funded airports in Asia and the Middle East, according to Cheryl Marcell, a spokeswoman for Airports Council International, a non profit global trade organization of the world’s airports.

LAX could climb the ranking by improving its signage, cleanliness, ambiance and connections to mass transit, Marcell said. “International travelers really value having that direct connection with rail or bus service,” she added.

The $1.5 billion Bradley West extension, part of the multi-year $4.11 billion LAX improvement and redevelopment projects, will be completed next year and the Los Angeles City Council last week approved $4.76 billion in improvements to LAX passenger facilities and a transportation center, together with light rail links, new parking areas and a consolidated car rental facility.

Scott Snowden

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The thing is, most people in London are tired of life. You’ve only got to witness the queues in the Westfield multi-storey or the reaction to a crying baby on the tube to realise that this is a city which exists permanently at the end of its tether. People can live in London and be simultaneously tired of it, because – unlike in Mr Johnson’s time – London is no longer a few cobbled streets and a big old prison. It’s the last metropolis in a sinking country on a starving continent, an island within an island oozing out into the Home Counties like an unstoppable concrete oil spill.

I grew up in this city, as did my parents and my grandparents. It can be a great place to live – and, to be honest, I’m probably completely incapable of living anywhere else. There are plenty of reasons why one in ten people decide to make one of its 32 boroughs their home, but there are also plenty of reasons why people give up on life and move away to the middle-class creche that is Brighton.

Reasons like these.

Posh pubs
Somewhere along the line, London’s publicans decided that they weren’t happy with their lot. They decided they weren’t just there to provide sanctuary to people whose home lives were so grim they’d rather pay more money to drink less alcohol in a dank room full of deranged cirrhosis sufferers. The landlords decided they wanted to educate their clientele. They wanted them to learn about artisan bar snacks and cask ales, to fill their nostrils with the smell of food they couldn’t afford and to watch them play children’s board games as they sipped their £4.50 Czech rainwater pints.

At first, these places only existed in places like Muswell Hill and Sheen, but now even those pubs you see built into council estate blocks sell sandwiches prefixed with the word “posh”. Wetherspoons get a bad rep for their wipe-down decor, microwave eggs and Grey Rage glassings, but at least you don’t need a tertiary income to get pissed in them.

West End scum
Wonder why nobody goes out in the West End any more? Maybe because, every weekend, the area between the BT Tower, the neon TDK sign, Hyde Park and Centre Point turns into a Boschian wanker factory. Actually, maybe that’s unfair. It doesn’t produce them so much as it attracts them – spend early evening in the outer boroughs and you’ll see them closing in on their target: rapey dudes in bootcut jeans getting angry because unlit cabs won’t stop for them, pink Hummers shuttling squawking women along the Seven Sisters Road, men from Canary Wharf with faces as orange as the National Rail returns tucked in their wallets.

The game is up for Zone 1; soon it will exist only as a nucleus of tourist hell, the city will become defined by its sprawl and the heart of it will be like Centre Parcs, but with less wholesome family bike rides and more pay-per-hour Gumtree day brothels.

Forgotten what the West End is like on a Saturday night? Let us remind you

Quaint bullshit
There’s barely a trope of olde-worlde London that hasn’t been co-opted by the type of dickhead who subscribes to The Chap and spent all summer moaning about the Shard on Facebook. London’s got a grim and rich history to it, and bit by bit, every part of that’s being sold from an unfurnished shop in “Stokey” to new dads who dress like CBBC presenters and ex-pat Melbournites with antiquity envy. We’ve already had moustache waxing, ballroom dancing, opium (probably) and door frames, so I guess, if you’re a prick, you can look forward to getting cholera, air raids and a 48-hour shift in a child peasant workhouse for Christmas.

A chief symptom of this pandemic of quaint bullshit is the cupcake, a foodstuff that doubles as the most innocuous signifier of ingrained racism yet devised by man. Who actually likes cupcakes, anyway? They’re the sort of thing you eat half of at a village fete before feeding to a dog.

Clapham
Despite what house prices and official Met Police statistics will tell you, Thamesmead and Edmonton are not the worst places in London. The worst place in London is Clapham. What’s so bad about leafy, affluent Clapham, you ask? Well, mostly the people. Which might sound unfair, but probably only if you’ve never spent a terrifying Saturday morning watching Millwall fans fight over the last bath salts behind Clapham Junction station. Or a Saturday afternoon watching American city boys play ultimate frisbee on the common. Or a Saturday evening watching an endless succession of sneering Australian gym-freaks trying to chirpse your girlfriend.

Yeah, don’t go to Clapham, it really doesn’t matter how good the Slug & Lettuce is if you feel like you’re trapped in a kind of Grand Guignol Peep Show.

“Cyclists”
In life, there are two types of people. People who do something, take it as being just a necessary part of their existence and get on with their lives, and people who define themselves by what they do. This is the difference between people who eat food and “foodies”, people who have blogs and “bloggers” and, most extremely, perhaps, people who ride bikes and “cyclists”.

I have no problem with cycling to work. It’s good exercise, I get to see parts of the city I wouldn’t see from buses or tubes and it makes me feel like slightly less of a spoilt, planet-choking dickhead. But I don’t then explode that dim glow of self-respect into a towering forest fire of self-righteousness.

That said, there are other users of self-powered transport who are worse. Like graphic designers who spend their days posting hilarious Nathan Barley jokes in our comments section then riding around the “Silicon Roundabout” on micro-scooters, or those people who choose to spend their Friday nights parading through the streets on party bikes having “Wankers!” shouted at them. Though it is funny when that happens and you can watch the enraged beta males on board glower furiously as they disappear into the distance, steered off and away by the steam of the oblivious, chortling collective.

Londonistas
There’s a breed of Londoner (almost none of them originally from London, weirdly) who seems to think that the city is one big IRL RPG that they can only navigate with a Time Out “hidden gems” map. The amount of times I’ve stumbled away from the rubble of a house party, desperate for caffeine, protein and some kind of orange liquid to sate my hell-over, only to find myself confronted with “You’ve not been to Cafe Oto? You must! The gammon kedgeree is to die for.” Motherfucker, I just want something that’s hot and doesn’t taste like MDMA, I’m not interested in what blog-glorified greasy spoon you’re trying to impress me with.

The South Bank
Sure, there are some nice views of places that you might have seen in Pierce Brosnan-era James Bond films, but really, the South Bank should be left to tourists and Britain’s Got Talent quarter finalists. It’s a Richard-Curtis-at-Epcot idea of what London actually is, a gentrified, diluted, over-planned idea of a city that, in reality, is defined most by its constant, seething flux. It feels like a model village of London made by a provincial gardener who’s never actually been there – sure, the Tate Modern, BFI, Royal Festival Hall, etc, are all great institutions, but there are also pubs frequented exclusively by people who like rugby and hundreds of kiosks that’ll charge you £2.50 for a warm can of Fanta.

The city seems to have a permanent layer of litter surrounding it

Alternative caberet
There are two great media-crimes of the early 21st century. One is the Leveson scandal, the other is the perpetuation of the myth that cabaret and burlesque are anything other than utter shit. A finer writer than me once described burlesque as “stripping with A-levels”, and I couldn’t agree more. Yep, I’m sure you think it’s empowering, I’m sure you have some patronising half-ideas about “real women”, but that doesn’t excuse the fact that what you do fucking sucks.

Not only is it lame, it’s also dishonest. For some reason London has become the epicentre for this nonsense; Time Out has a cabaret section and BBC London News feel the need to do a feature on every ex-lecturer that’s clambered into a giant Martini glass. At least the creeps at Spearmint Rhino are under no illusions about what they’re there for. Leave it at the Edinburgh Festival, guys.

Tourists
Yeah, it’s easy to pick on tourists, but really, they are the forefathers of all this suckiness. And I’m not being xenophobic here, families from Rotherham (the ticket gates are open, just go through!) are probably even worse than the people who’ve come from abroad because they’re more complicit. They are the people who stand on the wrong side of the escalator, the people who were first prepared to pay over £4 for a pint, the people who go to see Spamalot, the people who justify the monarchy in a 21st century democratic society.

They are the originators of the fresh hell laid out above, the instigators, the Oppenheimers. They are everywhere and they are nowhere, faceless ghost armies in red backpacks that exist only as a wandering stereotype, a folk devil for full-time Londoners to pin their gripes upon. They are gone as soon as they appear, yet their happy-to-pay attitude sends the rest of us off to sleep at night fretting about the morning’s unboiled shower and the bailiff’s door-destroying boot.

Speaking of which…

The perpetual state of bankruptcy
Average Central London 1 bedroom flat rent: £495 (pw)
Average Central London pint price: £3.50
Average price of a meal for two (inc. wine): £40
Non-Oyster Card single bus fare: £2.40
Odeon Leicester Square single adult ticket: £13

Still, I guess that’s just the price you have to pay for not living in Skipton.

Clive Martin

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[via vice.com]

While the beach is nice, nothing beats the sensation of being surrounded by celebrities, special events and fellow fans. So before you buy those plane tickets, make sure you wouldn’t prefer one of these destinations instead…writes one of our all-time most favouritist website ever, io9.

Steampunk Worlds Fair – May 17-19

Location: Piscataway, NJ

Get your gears and your glue gun for the world’s largest steampunk event! This year’s fair will include musicians, a cabaret, a sideshow, and an appearance by K.W. Jeter, the author who coined the word “steampunk.”

Official Site: Steampunk World’s Fair

World Horror Convention – June 13-16

Location: New Orleans, LA

This year’s WHC is part of the Bram Stoker Awards weekend, which means you’re getting a bevy of the planet’s best horror writers. But it’s also taking place at the Hotel Monteleone, an iconic literary hotel in the French Quarter of New Orleans, which is totally haunted.

Official Site: World Horror Convention

Supanova Sydney – June 21-23

Location: Sydney, Australia

Australia’s biggest pop culture convention is lousy with celebs, ranging from Eliza Dushku to Alex Kingston to Ray Park to David Hasslehoff. Seriously, the list is insane. And that’s not counting events like Cosplay Chess, the Timezone Supanova Pinball Championship, trivia, karaoke, and tons more.

Official Site: Supanova

Botcon – June 27-30

Location: San Diego, CA

This Transformers convention is mainly about the awesome toy exclusives you get for registering. This include a five-figure “Machine Wars” set, which includes classic characters with awesome redesigns.

Official Site: Botcon

Anime Expo – July 4-7

Location: Los Angeles, CA

America’s biggest anime con is loaded with English voice actors and Japanese bands (Starmarie and remixer RAM RIDER are already confirmed), along with the biggest masquerade, Anime Music Video contest, art show and more.

Official Site: Anime-Expo

Days of the Dead – July 5-7

Location: Indianapolis, IN

Is the world Horror Convention a little too literary for you? Then try Days of the Dead, which has a horde of horror movie stars, including Angus Scrimm from Phantasm, Keith David from They Live, Gary Busey from the an unknown dimension of gibbering insanity, and a Blair Witch Project reunion!

Official Site: Daysofthedead.net

London Film and Comic Con – July 5-7

Location: London, England

The UK’s biggest sci-fi fest still pales in comparison to any of its US cousins, but…it does boast a pretty good line-up for the event, all things considered…including, Linda Hamilton, Amanda Tapping [swoon], Michael Shanks, Jason Momoa, Colin Baker, Peter Mayhew and quite a few others.

Official Site: London Film and Comic Con

San Diego Comic Con – July 17-21

Location: San Diego Comic Con

SDCC is the biggest pop culture convention in the world, but it’s getting a bit too bloated for its own good. Still, if you don’t mind waiting in line for several hours, you’ll be able to see panels and exclusive footage of movies like Thor 2 and Captain America 2, or you can attempt to buy one of the countless awesome, super-expensive toy exclusives, or check out the exhibits of movies, networks and companies on the show floor. Some people even go to Comic Con to buy comics, apparently.

Official Site: Comic-con.org

Star Wars Celebration Europe – July 26-28

Location: Meese Essen, Germany

Rancho Obi-Wan — a select portion of Steve Sansweet’s insane collection of SW memorabilia — comes to Europe, along with Carrie Fisher, every single dude who wore a Boba Fett mask in the movies, and a special tattoo competition.

Official Site: StarWarsCelebration.eu

Bronycon – August 2-4

Location: Baltimore, MD

Here are some of the events at this year’s BronyCon, which I swear I am not making up: 1) Who Line Is It Anypony? And 2) Bronypalooza, which will contain 33 different My Little Pony-themed musicians. I… wow.

Official Site: Bronycon.org

Otakon – August 9-11

Location: Baltimore, MD

North America’s second largest anime convention feels more fan friendly than Anime Expo, probably because it’s fan-run. It’s a bit too early for its guests to have been announced, but the con will have concerts, contests, an artist alley, an “Otakurave,” workshops, LARPing and even a maid café.

Official Site: Otakon

The Official Star Trek Convention – August 8-11

Location: Las Vegas, NV

Fresh from having their Guinness World Record for the number of fans in uniform in one room stolen by those pesky Europeans at last year’s one-off Star Trek Destination London event, the Trekkies Stateside will be keen to regain their crown. This is the biggest of all Trek cons and will have nearly 80 Trek stars in attendance, including everybody from William Shatner to Deep Roy, the guy who played Keenser. And since it’s Vegas, there’ll be a special Trek-themed dinner party, a Trek Broadway-style musical performance, a Trek cabaret, and more.

Official Site: CreationEnt.com

Wizard World Chicago – August 8-11

Location: Chicago, IL

Did you miss Chicago’s other pop culture con, C2E2? Well, this one has Michael “General Zod,” Shannon, Norman “Daryl Dixon” Reedus, Michael “Merle Dixon” Rooker, Stan Lee, Wil Wheaton, and Jason “the Green Ranger” David Frank.

Official Site: WizardWorld.com

Comiket – August 10-12

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Getting over to Tokyo is a bit of a trip, but there’s nothing quite like Comiket, which attracts over 500,000 manga fans (to compare, SDCC racks up a mere 125,000). They’re all there to buy and sell manga, art and doujinshi, those unauthorized but completely tolerated fan comics. And not all of them are porn!

Official Site: Comiket

Gencon – August 15-18

Location: Indianapolis, IN

If you play games — board games, role-playing games, collectible card games and yes, even videogames — Gencon is the biggest game in town, so to speak. Besides playing, buying and learning about new games, Gencon has fantasy authors like Mercedes Lackey, fantasy artists like Brom, but also a 10,000-square-foot dungeon to explore.

Official Site: Gencon

Dragon*Con – August 30-September 2

Location: Atlanta, GA

Dragon*Con may end the summer con season, but while it’s last, it’s certainly not least. The massive sci-fi/fantasy convention is less professional than SDCC, but also more fun, with events like a parade, a 200-person RPG gaming session, a burlesque show, a “puppet slam,” and that’s not even counting the plethora of actors and artists who attend.

Official Site: Dragoncon.org

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[via io9]

Click to enlarge this view of Manhattan from the air, to take in the full expansive brilliance of it. Of course, this isn’t one image, it’s a panorama stitched together from smaller images. But the final result is just breathtaking, in any case.

This image by Russian photographer Sergey Semonov won first place in the amateur category of the Epson International Photographic Pano Awards. As Alexis Madrigal explains over in The Atlantic:

“Semonov works on a small noncommercial team called AirPano, which travels the globe creating these 3D aerial panoramas. They shoot from helicopters and then stitch the images together. Mostly, they produce these spherical panoramas that I find confusing to navigate, but clearly this one has been flattened for our viewing pleasure.”

Check out more of Semonov’s amazing panoramas over at AirPano.

And those magnificent men up in the ISS are getting in on the action too, with this shot of NY at night…

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield has been doing everything he can to be our planet’s one-man ambassador to the universe over the last couple months, making cute videos explaining what happens when you brush your teeth or cry in space.

He’s also been tweeting lots of beautiful photos of cities across the Earth from the International Space Station. Last of all, he dropped the gem you can see below: “Tonight’s Finale: New York City, incredibly clear, before the trees have filled with leaves.”

And here’s one more. Andrew Kenney took this gorgeous photo the other day while landing at LaGuardia and we thank Gothamist for uploading it.

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[via io9 and Gothamist]

After losing a bunch of “prime tables” to no-shows on Saturday, owner/operator Noah Ellis took his frustration to Twitter, where he proceeded to tweet out the names of those who booked a table for rush hour, but never bothered to come or cancel.

“Invariably, the assholes who decide to no-show, or cancel 20 minutes before their reservation (because one of their friends made a reservation somewhere else) ruin restaurants (as a whole) for the people who make a reservation and do their best to honor it,” Ellis told Eater LA.

He continued: “Either restaurants are forced to overbook and make the guests (that actually showed up) wait, or they do what we do, turn away guests for some prime-time slots because they’re booked, and then have empty tables.”

Ellis goes on to note the many different alternatives Red Medicine has tried or considered over the years — overbooking, asking for a credit card, ticketing systems, canceling reservations — all of which, it was determined, would hurt the business in the long-run.

As for shaming no-shows, Ellis doesn’t say if he plans to make a habit of it, but figures those who got named “probably don’t know, and if they know, they probably don’t care.”

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[via Gawker]

Route London Heathrow LHR to Keflavîk KEF

Class Economy class, seat 15A

Seat pitch and seat width A very generous-feeling 32 inches and a cramped-feeling 17 ¼ inches respectively

Seat configuration Three-three

Luggage allowance One checked in bag weighing no more than 23kg. Two carry-on bags per person, in addition to one small personal item. The maximum weight allowed for each carry-on bag is 10kg and the total of its 3 dimensions should not exceed 45inches.

Airport and lounge access Heathrow terminal 1 has a number of invitation-only lounges plus the Servisair Lounge, which starts at £19.95 for three hours. Features include complimentary alcoholic and soft drinks, tea, coffee and snacks, internet access, TV and a selection of newspapers and magazines, comfortable chairs in quiet surroundings etc etc.

The terminal itself offers pretty good shopping and a whole heap of restaurants, snack shops and bars. Considering much smaller airlines fly from here, it’s actually significantly better than say terminal 3, which boasts much bigger airlines flying long haul.

Scheduled flight time 2 hours 45 minutes

Punctuality 15 minutes late leaving

Condition of the aircraft Clean and modern. There were a few small signs of wear and tear dotted about and one of the overhead lockers just refused to shut unless you slammed it down with enough force to startle everyone in the surrounding seat rows. But special attention had been made to things like the antimacassars on each seat each had a different Icelandic phrase explained. The blankets were nicely branded and even the thin pillow cover had an Icelandic lullaby printed on it.

In-flight entertainment A number of quality films and television episodes were available despite not having all that much time to really enjoy them. The movie selection included The Dark Knight Rises, Prometheus, Looper, the very funny comedies Campaign and Due Date and even the excellent Wag the Dog and All The Presidents Men. Plus episodes of Modern Family, Arrested Development, Family Guy and even episodes from the very first season of 24.

The entertainment guide basically consisted of a double-page spread within the in-flight magazine and as such didn’t mention everything that was available, so it was necessary to actually scroll through the Movie and Television menus to see. Once you had selected a film or episode, the next window provided a brief synopsis – a simple and logical service, which you’d be forgiven for taking for granted…until you’ve flown on an antiquated airline like American Airlines.

The Your Flight information section of the IFE was exceptionally detailed and actually looked as though it was in HD, although it’s unlikely that it was. It was also one of those map screens that displays the names of oceanic topographical locations and major shipwreck sites and the year they sank, Biscay Plain and Titanic, 1912 for example. In addition, there were a few documentaries available about Iceland.

The interface was simple to use and easy to understand and the widescreen format 9-inch display was touchscreen operated, eliminating the need for a handset control to be fitted into the armrest. A USB 2.0 port was also fitted to the seatbacks allowing some smartphones and tablets to be charged, but that was the only power supply available.

The 3.5mm headphone port was on the inside of the armrest as is the case on many airlines, so care was needed to not accidentally damage the jack when shuffling about in the seat. Unless you had your own, earphones needed to be purchased at a cost of €6.

Comfort Aside from having to almost physically fight for elbowroom with my neighbouring passenger, the flight was mostly very comfortable. The fold-down tray extended outward allowing for laptop use without too much fear of the passenger in front crushing the screen should they reclined their seat without warning.

The seats themselves were very simple, thin and effective in their design. The entire seatback was plastic, so it’s easier to clean and will never have that age-old, rotten, germ-infested feel that material seatbacks have, rather like those disgusting material seats on the London Underground. Honestly, the interior design that Icelanair has opted for inside this aircraft puts many other airlines to shame. Aside from perhaps a tiny bit more seat width, it would work very effectively over long-haul distances.

Blankets and pillows had to be asked for – the former was thick, soft and very warm, but the latter only had a very thin cover and it was all too easy to imagine the one million other people who’d had their head on it.

Service The cabin crew were extremely polite and efficient and the stewardesses were pretty hot, which is always nice.

Food and beverages Only soft drinks, tea and coffee were complementary, but there was a menu for food that could be purchased during the flight. This included a cheese and ham baguette and Pringles for €6, two or four Hamburger Factory mini burgers for €7 and €11 respectively, satay chicken noodles for €10, Saga Shop Kitchen sandwich for €5 and finally something called a happy marriage cake for €3.

Red wine was also available for €5, a choice of two beers for €4, champagne for €10 and spirits for €5.

We asked for the satay chicken noodles, but unfortunately they weren’t available. So instead we opted for the two Hamburger Factory mini burgers and the cheese and ham baguette and Pringles, plus the red wine, which was a Spanish Roqueta Bodegas Synera Tinto. The hamburgers made a pleasant little snack and were quite yummy. The baguette could be heated or served cold, we chose heated and it was OK, nothing to write home about though. Despite being served at near-freezing temperature, the wine was nice – similar in taste to a full Cabernet Sauvignon.

Flight frequency Twice a day in both directions

Cost of ticket From £545

Website Icelandair

The seat pitch felt generous, but the width was a cramped-feeling 17 ¼ inches

The IFE was easy to use and had a wide offering of programs and movies

There was a generous offering of useful reading material, well-presented in a branded package

The baguette was...OK and the wine was nice, albeit near-freezing, similar in taste to a Cabernet Sauvignon

The hamburgers made a pleasant little snack, although they weren't cheap at €7

Scott Snowden

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[via Los Angeles magazine and mandatory.com]

Australian billionaire and professor Clive Palmer — and his Blue Star Line company — held a press conference in New York City on Tuesday morning to unveil the new blueprints of the Titanic II, which was first announced in 2012.

It will make its maiden voyage on 2016 from Southampton, England to New York, carrying 2,600 passengers in 850 cabins. It will employ about 900 crew members. The length will be three inches longer than the original at 883 feet and include 18 lifeboats — enough for everyone on board.

“The area [for] passengers will be authentic with the same design and facilities, but there will be modern things such as air conditioning and other features we are debating, such as internet on the ship,” Palmer said at the press conference. “I’m against it. I think you should relax on vacation. There won’t be TVs in the state rooms though.”

The Titanic II has kept various features based on the class system of the early 1900s. Like the first ship, it will have a gym, Turkish baths, a squash court, a grand staircase and swimming pools. It will also retain the dining rooms for second and third class, as well as Captain Smith’s sitting room, bedroom and quarters.

Passengers will also be given 1920s-area costumes, which will be included in state rooms upon arrival and will be a part of the ticket fee, to help recreate the experience. First class passengers will not be able to mingle with those in second or third class, but will be able to spend a few days in different quarters, which will require people to change clothing.

“It will really help you pretend you are in the movie,” Palmer said.

Although the ticket price hasn’t been yet announced, he’s already received offers as high as $1 million to be on board the first voyage. As for how much the project costs, Palmer was shy to say.

“We aren’t going to divulge the cost because I have enough money to pay for it,” Palmer said. “Cost isn’t what it is about. It’s about creating a memory of the Titanic.”

The grand staircase

But how do the descendants of those who survived the original ship’s voyage — and legendary sinking — feel about the project?

“I’m thrilled,” Helen Benziger, the great-granddaughter of the “unsinkable” Molly Brown (played by Kathy Bates in the 1997 movie), said at the event. “The reason I agreed to be associated with the project is because the professor has assured me he will honor those passengers that perished and survived. My hope is that this will just be something that will honor them and take the voyage across the Atlantic, so it can complete the voyage.”

From a safety standpoint, a Blue Line representative said, “It will be the most safe cruise ship in the world when it launches.”

“Anything will sink if you put a hole in it,” said Palmer, noting the company is already looking into preventing worst-case scenarios. “I’m not super-superstitious. We are staying true to the original Titanic and a lot of those designs and full experience that never saw the light of day, but there will be some updates too.”

The third class dining room

The press conference — which even featured music from the film Titanic by Korean pop star Sungha Jung — was held at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, just a short distance from where the original Titanic would have docked at Pier 59. Only about 700 passengers safely arrived from that infamous trip in 1912.

Not surprisingly, the Titanic II is controversial, especially during a time when the cruise line industry has suffered some tragic incidents in the past few years.

“The Titanic stands as a monument and hope [for] everyone who came to America to fulfill their dreams. Today, we know the US has become what it has become,” Palmer said. “A great Republic is the best hope for the world and mankind, and the Titanic can play a big role in that.”

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[via Wired]

But not all of us have gone where this chap went – specifically one Yan Linkun, a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Upon missing his flight from China’s Kunming Changshui International Airport, Linkun proceeded to fling one heck of a tantrum, smashing computer equipment and trying to break down a window, Beijing Cream reports.

Once he’d been restrained, Linkun, who was travelling with his wife and children, revealed it was actually the second set of flights the family had missed.

The Telegraph reports the clan had missed their first journey because they had been having breakfast.

Upon missing the second lot of flights, that’s when the Linkun erupted, notes GoKunming.

Linkun has since apologised for his actions, saying that he “failed to be a qualified political advisor as well as a good father,” and adding he was angry only because he wanted get back home in time to send his two sons to school. In Linkun’s apology to the airport’s deputy manager, Wang Jinsheng, Linkun said he was sorry to everyone.

“My irrational actions and rudeness have caused some losses to the airport as well as bad effects to the public, so I sincerely apologise to the airport and public. I am willing to compensate,” he said, according ShanghaiDaily.com.

Though the video shows airport security failing to stop Linkun or arrest him after he had calmed down, he has been suspended from work and could possibly face criminal charges.

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