Intercontinental London at the O2 Hotel review
This is an unusually located luxury hotel, being on the south side of the River Thames, away from the West End, the City of London and even Canary Wharf – of which it has great views across the water. It is adjacent to the O2 conference and concert venue with its own covered walkway into […]
The Gantry Hotel, Stratford, London, Curio Collection by Hilton review
The Gantry Hotel is a luxury boutique hotel in London, another of the Curio Collection by Hilton. The hotel is located just 9 minutes from the hustle and bustle of central London via the SouthEastern high-speed rail link and is just a short walk from Westfield shopping centre. It opened in March 2002, so still […]
The Westminster London Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton review
Curio is one of Hilton’s luxury brands. It was launched back in 2014. Hotels are supported by Hilton, but retain their own individual branding. One of the newest Curio hotels is The Westminster in London, formerly a Doubletree-branded hotel. It’s about half a mile from the Palace of Westminster and a short walk from the […]
Flybe inaugural flights linking Birmingham and Belfast
Airline launches and new routes have been few and far between in the post-pandemic world. UK regional airline Flybe went into administration in March 2020, just as Covid began to strike in Europe. As the world started to reopen, Cyrus Capital, an American hedge fund, applied to restart the Flybe brand. A licence was granted […]
Crowne Plaza hotel, Kings Cross
Kings Cross is an area of London that has seen a lot of investment over the past two or three decades, transforming it from a district with a sleazy reputation to one that is broadly smart. Critics may say it has lost some character in the process… As you’d expect from a busy part of […]
Hilton hotel Heathrow Terminal 4 review
Following a two-year Covid-induced closure, London Heathrow’s Terminal 4 reopened on 14 June 2022. Qatar Airways operated the first flight from the reopened terminal and other operators joining them are Air Algerie, Air Astana, Air Malta, Air Mauritius, Air Serbia, Azerbaijan Airlines, Bulgarian Air, El Al, Etihad Airways, Gulf Air, ITA Airways, Kenya Airways, Korean Air, […]
Will there be First Class in a post-Covid world?
Sometime in 2019, I decided to write a book on luxury travel. Putting together my practical experiences and additional research I just needed a catchy title. After careful thought – and many coffees – I came up with ‘First Class For Free’. Feeling pleased with myself, the book was due for launch in March 2020. […]
Boeing 737 Max 8: lessons from history
Boeing’s 737 Max 8 has been grounded for over seven weeks at the time of writing this article. This followed concerns over the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) fitted to the variant after two fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia. Boeing shares have fallen and 737 Max 8 orders have been cancelled. Major customers Southwest […]
Book review – CVW: US Navy Carrier Air Wing Aircraft 1975-2015, Volume One
CVW: US Navy Carrier Air Wing Aircraft 1975-2015, Volume One by Mike Crutch. 325pp. Published by A9 Aviation. ISBN 978-0-906339-10-7. £9.99 (ebook) “It’s time to buzz the tower…” “Splash the Zeroes…” American Naval aviation is familiar around the world and not just because of Hollywood. The United States’ aircraft carrier fleets are a major part […]
de Havilland Aircraft Museum review
Welcome to this de Havilland Aircraft Museum review. Dedicated to the history of one of Britain’s most significant aircraft manufacturers, this museum is a bit of a hidden gem containing several unique examples or historically significant aircraft. It was also Britain’s first-ever aircraft museum. Situated adjacent to the M25 motorway, the museum is easily accessible […]