Watch ‘cool’ new Air New Zealand safety video

Air New Zealand has launched its latest safety video, which shines the spotlight on Antarctica, showcasing the frozen continent and the important climate and environmental science underway there.

Featuring Hollywood actor, filmmaker and environmentalist Adrian Grenier, the video takes viewers on a breath-taking journey to Antarctica, where Kiwi scientists are tackling the most pressing questions on global climate change.

In the  four minute, 45-second video, Grenier – best known for his role  as Vince Chase in the TV series Entourage –  teams up with Antarctica-based scientists to track penguin populations, study ice core samples and visit early explorer Ernest Shackleton’s hut and the vast Dry Valleys.

To minimise the environmental impact of filming, a total crew of just six travelled to Antarctica, with Scott Base scientists and staff doubling as supporting talent in the safety video. The airline has also released television and online content, providing a more in-depth look at Antarctica and the work being done there.

UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador, Grenier, said: “This safety video highlights Air New Zealand’s support of the scientists striving to make discoveries that are going to help humanity – a cause which aligns with my own commitment to the environment. To know the airline is doing its job to help us understand how climate change is going to affect us is something that is very important to me.”

Air New Zealand added that its newest in-flight safety video is part of an effort that “showcases the frozen continent and the important climate and environmental science underway there.”

The airline – which scooped the titles Australasia's Leading Airline 2017 and Australasia's Leading Airline Brand 2017 at the prestigious World Travel Awards –- will roll out the safety video across its international and domestic fleet with immediate effect and is available to view here:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEsHqdA9dV0&feature=youtu.be

Afraid of flying? easyJet’s Fearless Flyer course could help

Budget airline easyJet – which picked up the award for World's Leading Low-Cost Airline App 2017 at the prestigious World Travel Awards – has opened up bookings for its two day ‘Fearless Flying’ course.

The course kicks off this month and will run until April, with sessions taking place in Belfast, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Manchester, Bristol, Stansted and Gatwick.

Over 6,000 people have attended the course since it launched in 2012- and it has worked for 95% of them.

The course is divided into two sections: a ground course section and a flight.

During the ground course section, phobia expert Lawrence Leyton teaches attendees proven mind techniques to control their nerves while a senior easyJet pilot explains the sounds and sensations experienced onboard a flight.

The second part of the course includes a one hour flight featuring full in-flight commentary, where the attendees can put their new skills and knowledge into practise.

Sian Smith, who attended a course last year, said: “Before the course, I hadn’t flown for ten years because of debilitating anxiety on every flight. I would be sick at the airport, hyper-ventilate, panic, and it would ruin my holiday. I was a bit sceptical about the course, as I was worried it wouldn’t work for me, but it was amazing!

“I felt so calm before the flight and when I did start to feel a bit nervous on the plane before take-off, I used some of the techniques we had been shown and was able to calm down really easily. I absolutely loved my flight, and for the first time ever I got out of my seat to walk around the plane while in the air, and look out the window.

 “I would highly recommend this course to anyone who is scared of flying, even someone really phobic about it.”

Course director, Mark Wein, said: “We’re really pleased to be holding our Fearless Flyer courses across the UK to help passengers conquer their fear, particularly just before the summer period so people can fly to some fantastic destinations for their summer holidays.

“The course is always really emotional with an amazing atmosphere and there are lots of smiles and tears of joy as people learn to fly fearlessly – some for the first time in their lives.”
 

Easyjet’s Fearless Flyer course costs £199 per person and can be booked online at www.fearlessflyer.easyjet.com

KH

Superjumbo reprieved

The Airbus A380 - the world’s largest passenger plane - will continue to be built after a last minute order for 20 aircraft from Emirates. 

The order by Emirates - who scooped eight awards at the prestigious 2017 World Travel Awards - is a major boost for the struggling superjumbo programme.

Emirates is the largest A380 operator with 101 of the aircraft already in service. The new order of planes will be delivered starting in 2020.

"We've made no secret of the fact that the A380 has been a success for Emirates," said Chairman Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum in a statement. "Our customers love it, and we've been able to deploy it on different missions across our network, giving us flexibility in terms of range and passenger mix.”

But the A380 has been a disappointment for Airbus. Sales of the double-decker, which has been highly rated by passengers have declined in recent years and its manufacturers had warned that the production line was at risk of closure.

 A total of 222 A380s are currently in service.

View the post at https://plus.google.com/+Worldairlinenews365/posts/DdpFujYG92j

Revealed: the world’s safest airlines

Emirates is one of the world’s safest airlines, according to a study carried out by AirlineRatings.com.

The airline safety website examined 409 major airlines before compiling its its annual top 20 safest airlines list.

Joining Emirates - which took the titles World's Leading Airline - First Class 2017, World’s Leading Airline Rewards Programme 2017 and World's Leading Airline Website 2017 at the 2017 World Travel Awards - on the list of 20 (which is not ranked) are Ethiad Airways, Air New Zealand, Singapore Airlines.

“Our top 20 safest airlines are always at the forefront of safety innovation, operational excellence and the launching of new more advanced aircraft like the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787,” said Geoffrey Thomas, AirlineRatings.com’s Editor-in-Chief. 

The site also listed their top 10 safest low-cost airlines. Flybe, Aer Lingus and Thomas Cook all made the cut but it was bad news for Ryanair and easyJet, neither of whom made an appearance in the list.

Thomas explained: “Unlike a number of low cost carriers, these airlines have all passed the stringent International Air Transport Association Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) and have excellent safety records.” 

AirlineRatings.com also announced its lowest ranked airlines for 2018 which featured the likes of Air Koryo, North Korea’s flag carrier, Suriname based Bluewing Airlines, four Nepalese carriers - Buddha Air, Nepal Airlines, Tara Air, and Yeti Airlines - and Indonesia’s Trigana Air Service.

However if you’re flying soon and your chosen airline doesn’t appear on the top 20 safest airlines list, fear not.

According to the Aviation Safety Network (ASN), which records all air crashes and incidents reported around the world, the fatal accident rate for large commercial passenger flights is currently 0.06 per million flights - that’s just one fatal accident for every 16 million flights.

Furthermore, airlines recorded zero accident deaths in commercial passenger jets last year, making 2017 the safest year ever for commercial air travel.

See you in the skies…

https://plus.google.com/+Worldtravelnews365/posts/VhMpNpSkjgs

easyjet will look after your pets when you’re on holiday

Worried about Fido while you’re flying? Fret not: easyJet passengers can now organise a complimentary house sitter for their pet when booking a flight

Budget airline, easyJet, is offering travel loving pet owners a helping paw.

Stelios Haji-Ioannou’s airline - hailed the World's Leading Low-Cost Airline App 2017 at the 2017 World Travel Awards - has teamed up with international house and pet sitting business, TrustedHousesitters, to form a partnership that will make it easier for pet owners and animal lovers to travel around Europe.

Customers will be able to choose a free house sitter for their pet, or find free accommodation as a house and pet sitter when booking flights from early 2018.

easyJet will allow pet owners to match with verified members of the TrustedHousesitters online community to look after their homes, while animal lovers will be able to explore Europe, looking after pets in unique accommodation.

As well as every variety of cat and dog, pet sitters can find themselves looking after anything from chickens and pigs, to goats and llamas. 

The accommodation is as diverse as the animals, with house sits available everywhere from French chateaus to stylish apartments in Paris, and bohemian getaways in Spain. There are even entire Greek islands that have been listed on the site.

The new initiative follows a survey of easyJet customers that revealed how the majority of pet owners would travel more, if they had better access to pet care.

Of the customers surveyed, 58 per cent said they would travel frequently if they had more satisfactory pet care solutions. Among those who found that owning pets made travelling more difficult, 62 per cent said that either the cost of pet care or concern for pet welfare prevented them from going away more often.

Andrew Middleton, Ancillary Revenue Director for easyJet, said: “easyJet is committed to making travel as easy as possible for our customers – this new partnership with TrustedHousesitters is the latest step we’ve taken to deliver on that promise.

“By helping holidaymakers find trusted people to look after their pets and homes or by helping them to find free accommodation in return for housesitting, we will make travel possible for even more people.” 

TrustedHousesitters Managing Director, Tim Lyons, added:

“There are millions of pet owners in desirable locations all over the world without adequate pet care, we can now enable them to travel more often with peace of mind, boosting tourism while giving people more authentic travel experiences. This helps make travel easier and more affordable all round.

“Our speciality is connecting people with authentic and amazing places to stay which include the company of an adorable pet, easyJet’s speciality is getting people there - I think we will make a great team.”

https://plus.google.com/+Worldairlinenews365/posts/Y7ydc3R5Uhc