Premium Class Air Travel

Perhaps it was only to be expected; some airlines have started to introduce private cabins, upping the ante on ‘first class’ by providing full-size beds, bathrooms, room service and - perhaps the greatest luxury of all on the long-haul flight - privacy.

So far its only Singapore Airlines, Emirates and Etihad (another Middle East carrier) that has taken the plunge, but I am sure their initiative will set a trend. The truth is that over the years first class and business class facilities have been getting more and more elaborate. One of the first to recognize the fact that continent-hopping executives were prepared to pay for a little pampering was Virgin Atlantic. Their ‘Upper Class’ offers one of the largest flat beds around and an onboard bar for socializing with fellow passengers. Gourmet in-flight meals are another way airlines are competing with each other.

Qantas Airlines offers an eight course tasting menu designed by Rockpool, one of Sydney’s top restaurants whilst Cathay Pacific has a rice cooker, toaster and skillet in the galley, ready to whip up any food whims on request. Airlines also use amenities to vie for the luxury dollar. Here, Qantas come up trumps again with products from the French company Payot and toiletry bags and complimentary pajamas created by two top Australian designers; Colette Dinnigan for women and Akira Isogawa for men.

Of course, the question remains is whether these ‘little extras’ are worth the (often) 150 percent more that First Class airfares cost over economy ones. But with long-haul travel on the rise again (up 13 percent from 2009 figures) it seems that some people will always be prepared to pay for a comfortable night’s sleep.

The most famous squares in Europe

In the last post I talked a bit about Europe’s most emblematic streets, and this time I thought I’d take the topic a bit further and talk about its most gorgeous squares. My criteria are fairly simple; they need to be architecturally stunning and have a handful of outdoors cafes from which you can enjoy their beauty.

Probably the grand dame of all European squares is Venice’s San Marco, a simply divine stage surrounded by richly detailed baroque and renaissance architecture, including the basilica of the same name. Has there anyone that has not been captivated by it? I actually prefer it at night, when tourists have retired to their hotels and the resident pigeons have flown home. To admire its beauty you can’t beat an outdoor table at the Florian, a café seeped in the city’s history.

Also in Italy, Rome’s Piazza Navona has Bernini’s gorgeous fountain, the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi as a centrepiece surrounded by sumptuous palazzi. As the foal point of the centro storico, it’s also busy most of the time. My favourite thing to do here is buy a gelato and sit of the edge the fountain to watch the passing parade.

In Barcelona, the Plaça Reial, just off Las Ramblas has a faded glory that is particularly lovely during the day, whilst Madrid’s Plaza del Sol, scene of medieval bullfights, never fails to impress with its perfect symmetry.

In Paris, the Place de la Concorde, is the largest in the French capital and of course has the famous Obelisk. But my personal favourite is the Place de l’Opera, with the beautiful opera house and the Café de Paris, one of the nicest terrace-cafes in the city.

The Most Famous Streets in Europe

When you stop to think about, every major European city has its Champs Elysees: a grand avenue, generally boasting beautiful historic architecture that has somehow played a major part in the city’s biography. I thought it would be fun to take a virtual stroll down a few of these.

In Barcelona it’s the Passeig de Gràcia (and not, as is commonly thought, the more downbeat Las Ramblas), the Passeig de Gràcia is an elegant avenue that acts as main artery in the Eixample district, or the 19th century ‘New Town’. Florid, grey blue tiles line the pavements. They are reproductions of a design by the great modernista architect Antoni Gaudí and two of his most famous works, the Casa Milá and Casa Batlló are also on the Passeig de Grácia. In between are some more glorious buildings and big name boutiques such as Chanel and Loewe, the luxury Spanish leather goods manufacturers.

In Rome the dog legged-shaped Via Veneto is legendary, largely thanks to Frederico Fellini’s classic 1960 film ‘La Dolce Vita’, which was largely shot on the Via Veneto. The street is home to the (in) famous Café de Paris, the American Embassy and some of the city’s most exclusive hotels.

In Amsterdam the PC Hooftstraat is THE shopping street, with stores and boutiques from Gucci, Cartier, Bulgari et al. The street is named after Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft, Dutch historian and poet and naturally, it contains the most expensive real estate in the city. Locals often jokingly refer to SUVs as PC-Hoofttractors, as these large vehicles proliferate in the immediate area.

Short term domestic staff service

In my last post I talked about my preference for staying in holiday apartments (or vacation rentals) when staying for longer than three days on my trips around Europe. I can hear some you saying, but what about the lack of service? Whilst I travel alone and am fairly capable of doing a bit of washing for myself and throwing a meal together, I can understand how families travelling together maybe put off this, especially when on holidays and have other things on their agenda.

I was talking this over with a friend of mine they other day, who was planning a trip with her three children. Whilst she loved the idea of the space and autonomy a holiday apartments affords, she was worried she would spend most of her time on looking after her children as her husband was not able to join them on the trip.

So I suggested she contact a short-term domestic staff service. There is generally one in each city, and they have staff on their books like cooks, maids, butler and even nannies who could give you a hand during your stay. Some ones I have heard about are www.butlerforyou.com and www.4familycare.com.

Dubai shopping and bargains - Surprises Event

I am not sure if you attended last years event but the Surprises Event in Dubai is an annual event which on Shopping and is a kind of month sale and one which kind of turns into a festival of sorts. It is not easy to explain as it is a bit like the January sales in the UK each year but in Dubai it is officially its own festival.

'Summer Surprises' is now marketed as an event in its own right and for 2009 takes place between 11th June and the 14th August. Apart from sales throughout many of the malls and shops the festival itself means a number of:

• Live Music shows
• Food tastings
• Market stalls
• Competitions
• and Workshops

You can learn more from the official Dubai Surprises site and there are plenty of places to rent for a vacation stay. Learn also about the best attractions in Dubai for tourists. Learn more also about Dubai travel.

Palace in Wheels - Luxury Train Rides India

One of the most exciting and luxurious train rides in the world surely has to be the 'Palace on Wheels'. The Palace on Wheels is still one trip I have yet to take but am dying to one day do.

In case you have never heard of it the Palace on Wheels is a luxury train journey with 52 luxury rooms, bar restaurant and other outstanding facilities on board. The trip is normally 7 days and travels from and back to Delhi Cantt, India.

This is really a true luxury way to see India and a wonderful way to meet other people who travel on the train for the 7 day trip. This is in many ways the Orient Express of India and prices are high but if you travel on the train you will understand why. You can learn more about the Palace on Wheels online.

Jazz Supercruise

There are so many excellent cruise options out there these days and some wonderful ships and facilities. The choice of itineraries is amazing with a range of Caribbean, Far East and world cruises available on the market.


One cruise though which I would love to go on and which might be of interest to many of you is the Jazz Supercruise. How does a combination of the following sound:

• The worlds top Jazz stars (including Candy Dulfer and and Najee)
• Cruising the Caribbean for 7 days
• A Caribbean Jazz beach party

The Jazz Supercruise, sponsored by Capital Jazz, leaves the Port of Baltimore October 10th 2009 and returns a week later. People from around the world join this cruise and with decent priced flights from Europe to Baltimore international airport, this is an event which is practical where ever you live.