Travel blog of a digital nomad
Orio al Serio Airport is 5 km from Bergamo and 45km from Milan, yet it is billed as Milan over Bergamo.
[Ryanair Orio al Serio Destinations]
Ryanair and the other low cost airlines that serve it call it Milan, and even the Orio al Serio official website calls it Milan Orio al Serio airport. This seems like a shame for Bergamo because it is a destination in its own right.
Flight: easyJet EZY8901
Date: 13 Nov 2008
From: London Gatwick (LGW)
Date: Gibraltar (GIB)
In October 2007 easyJet bought fellow UK carrier GB Airways. Most of the flights operated by GB Airways have since been integrated into the easyjet network. The acquisition meant that easyJet now has rights to fly to Gibraltar.
I am travelling to Morocco and I want to arrive via ferry, so I thought this was a good opportunity to fly to the legendary airport at Gibraltar.
Out of the 5 London airports, I probably like Gatwick the least because it is so expensive to get to. My flight ticket cost me £37 and the train to Gatwick costs £10.
The flight left at 7.30 and checking in with easyJet at Gatwick is relatively painless. They have so many flights out of Gatwick that they have a general check in line and you can check in earlier if you get there before 2 hours.
[Over the South of England]
As this flight was over 2 hours long they showed a movie (Hancock) on the shared screens. It was free providing you brought your own headsets, otherwise you would have had to have bought a pair.
[Airshow]
Gibraltar is a UK Overseas Territory at the bottom of Spain, and on a clear day you can see Africa. It is a tiny little peninsula of land not big enough for a runway, so it extends out over the water.
If you are flying to Gibraltar you will get a great view of the famous Rock if you are sitting on the left hand side of the plane.
[Rock of Gibraltar Landing View]
The runway cuts across a road which is shut down when flight activity is taking place. When you leave the airport the frontier to Spain is next door to the right, so you can walk to the town of La Linea across the border.
[Gibraltar Airport and The Rock]
Shanghai Pudong International Airport opended for business in 1999 and it looks like every other airport in Asia – modern, spacious and completely putting to shame the crumbling airports in the UK and USA.
[Pudong Departure Hall]
It is an impressive airport, but I was more interested in seeing the train to the airport on this trip.
Maglev Train
[Maglev Train Station]
The Shanghai Maglev Train travels from Pudong International to Pudong Downtown at up to 431 km/h (268 mph). The time of day I caught it though the speed is reduced to a leisurely 300 km/h (190 mph).
[Maglev Train 300kph]
Airside
Airside of Pudong is fairly basic compared to airports of similar size in Asia. Not much in the way of variety of shop
The big plus for me was free wireless access. There are no work benches or powerpoints though so make sure you are fully charged before you arrive.
[Pudong Departures Airside]
Another good feature of the airport are these sterilized water fountains with hot and cold options. I resent having my water confiscated at the security gate only to have to buy water on the other side, so I approve of water fountains at airports.
[Drinking Water]
[Next Stop - London]
Qantas has launched its first service using the Airbus A380, flying from Melbourne to Los Angeles.
[Qantas A380 Melbourne Airport]
QF93 left Melbourne just after 11.15am on 20 October 2008. The MEL – LAX route is the longest non-stop flight on the Qantas network. The flight takes around 15 hours, which makes it one of the Longest flights in the world.
The new aircraft has been named Nancy-Bird Walton, after the Australian Pioneer Aviatrix.
[Melbourne Airport Departure Board]
Launch Ceremony
A small ceremony was held in the departure lounge to farewall the inaugural flight. The Hon Martin Ferguson MP and Qantas Chief Executive Officer Geoff Dixon gave speeches before the passengers boarded.
While Melbourne got a politician and a CEO to attend proceedings, at the other end in LA the flight will be greeted by Qantas ambassador John Travolta and Aussie singer Olivia Newton-John.
[The Hon Martin Ferguson MP and Geoff Dixon at A380 Launch]
[Qantas Band sending off passengers]
New Qantas Logo
The famous Flying Kangaroo logo and Qantas font was updated in 2007 in preparation for delivery of the A380. To the non plane spotters eye it might look the same, but the new kangaroo paw is elongated and points forward rather than down, so it can fit on the A380 tail.
[Qantas 747 Tail]
[Qantas A380 Tail]
A380 Onlookers
The A380 had its share of admirers on the day, from flying fans in commemorative T-shirts, passengers on other flights and airport staff were all gathered to have a look.
[Qantas A380 Flying Fans]
[Melbourne Airport Passengers]
[Melbourne Airport Staff Watching A380]
Old and New
The A380 at Gate 9 and a 747 in the background.
[Qantas 747 and A380]
New Airport Terminals
Airports terminals around the world are being modified to fit the A380. In Melbourne Airports case the runway had to be widened and and new air bridges installed. Note the two air bridges here, one for each deck of the A380.
[A380 Double Air Bridge]
Take Off
[Qantas A380 Taking Off at Melbourne Airport]
Location: Melbourne – Australia
Date: 28 Feb 2008
Tiger Airways Australia has its home base at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport. A budget airline like Tiger would seemingly be more suitable for Melbourne’s other airport, Avalon, which is operating as a secondary low cost airport on the European model. Tiger have their own budget terminal at Tullamarine (terminal 4), separate from the main 3 terminals.
[Tiger Airways Arrivals - Melbourne Airport]
The Tiger terminal is set up to save costs rather than to pamper flyers. An airport spokesperson described the terminal as more like a railway station.
There are no aerobridges at this terminal so pasengers have to walk across the tarmac to and from the plane. When my flight landed the plane went to the end of the building then turned around so as the nose was pointing away from the terminal building. I presume they did this to save the cost of having the aircraft towed out from the terminal.
[Tiger Airways Tullamarine]
The arrivals hall is basically a shed built in a carpark and most of the walls are wire fencing. I don’t have a problem with that if it’s saving costs, but it does have an air of temporariness about it, which is not the message to be sending when trying to establish a new airline.
The most peculiar feature of the arrivals hall is the baggage carousel. The wall between the carousel and where the bags are unloaded is a wire fence, so you get to see the bags being unloaded from the trolley. There are some things in life you should never see, and seeing your bags being unloaded by baggage handlers is one of them. I prefer the mystery of waiting at the baggage belt, looking at each bag coming out of the hole. Instead here we get to see a couple of guys chucking the bags onto the belt. It is worse if you can actually see that your bag is on the bottom of the pile. I don’t mind the budget hall, just please brick up or put a tarpaulin up to cover the baggage unloading.
[Tiger Airways Baggage Carousel]
Melbourne Airport was recently voted in the world’s top five best airports for its size. This voted would not have included the new budget terminal. Other than the baggage carousel, I’m all for this terminal. It is good for Australia to at last have more than two domestic airlines operating on the continent (counting Jetstar and Qantas as one and the same).
Location: Singapore Airport – Singapore
Date: 27 Feb 2008
Singapore Changi Airport is world renown for its award winning facilities. It is the home of Singapore Airlines and it is a major air travel hub of Asia.
Budget airlines though are not interested in such facilities that add to the cost of a cheap flight. To cater for the low cost airlines of Asia that might not otherwise consider Changi’s gold plated airport, Singapore Airport opened a budget terminal in March 2006 to accommodate budget airlines.
The Budget Terminal is separate from the main terminals (1 to 3) and to get there you need to get a shuttle bus which departs from the basement of Terminal 2.
[Singapore Budget Terminal Shuttle]
A tip for budget travellers. There is a supermarket in the lower level of Terminal 2. This is the first time I have seen a supermarket at an airport, which is great if you just want to buy some fruits or a snack instead of buying a meal at an airport restaurant.
[Singapore Airport Supermarket]
Budget Terminal
The budget terminal looks exactly like what a budget terminal should look like – a great big tin shed with every unnecessary expense spared.
[Singapore Airport Budget Terminal]
The check-in area is simple and spacious and there is a cafe inside the departure hall as well. The Budget Terminal is currently being used by Tiger Airways and Cebu Pacific, and like other budget terminals around the world there is no transfer facility to other airlines.
[Singapore Airport Budget Terminal - Departures]
Budget Terminal – Airside
The facilities on the airside are surprisingly good considering how sparse the outside looks. There are the usual duty free shops as well as cafes and a 7Eleven. I needn’t have worried about getting food at the supermarket as there is also a noodle shop selling cheap bowls of noodles. Cheap like normal prices and not ridiculous airport prices.
[Singapore Airport Budget Terminal - Airside]
[Budget Terminal 7Eleven]
For the smokers there is a boxed in outdoor section.
[Singapore Budget Terminal - Outdoor Smoking]
Internet
The Singapore Budget Terminal has internet facilities that puts most other airports to shame. There are computer terminals with free internet access as well as a workbench for laptop users.
[Singapore Budget Terminal - Laptop Zone]
Each workspace has its own power board with power sockets for most power plug types. There is no wireless but there is a cable provided to plug into your laptop for internet access.
[Singapore Budget Terminal - Laptop Zone Powerboard]
Location: Koh Samui – Thailand
Samui Airport (USM) is the airport of Koh Samui, serving domestic and international destinations. Samui Airport is a privately owned airport, built and owned by Bangkok Airways.
[Samui Airport]
[Ticket Office]
Bangkok Airways bills itself as a boutique airline and the airport feels more like a tropical hotel resort than an airport. Samui Airport was listed 4th Best Airport in the Smart Travel Asia 2006 online poll.
[Departure Lounge]
The airport has 2 terminals (Domestic and International) and is opened planned. There are no wall as such, so the tropical air circulates freely in the terminal and you can see the gardens and runway nearby.
The departure lounge features comforts that you would usually associate with alliance lounges at big airports. There is a Courtesy Corner with free coffee and snacks, and complimentary newspaper stand. There is also a free internet corner (but no wireless).
[Courtesy Corner]
[Newspaper Rack]
The toilets are resort like as well. You have to go even if you don’t have to go, just to see the tropical fish tanks. Loitering in the toilets though will make you look kind of weird.
[Tropical Fish Tank - Mens Toilet]
[Boutique Toilet]
When your flight is ready you are transferred to your plane via a tropical transfer bus.
[Transfer Bus]
Samui is a great airport if you have become too accustomed to the drudgery of low cost airline terminals, which are often not much more than a tin shed. It adds a touch of class to flying which was lost, well, decades ago. The high landing costs for other airlines though is why there aren’t as many airlines flying into Samui.
Samui Airport is currently used by Bangkok Airways, Thai Airways, Berjaya Air and Firefly.
Nepal have announced plans to name an airport after Sir Edmund Hillary and his climbing partner, Tenzing Norgay. Lukla airport will become Tenzing-Hillary airport.
It is a common tradition worldwide to name an airport after a local hero. Here is a list of some of the best airport names in the world.
UK
- Liverpool John Lennon Airport.
An obvious choice for Liverpool, though Paul probably thought he should get the honour. A small consolation prize to John for being the first Beatle to die.
- George Best Belfast City Airport.
A name that wouldn’t mean much in the US, but in the rest of the world where football is followed he is known as one of the greats of the game. He was also one of the worlds first celebrity footballers. A man’s man, he was just as well known for his off-field antics as a hard drinking playboy.
- Robin Hood Airport Doncaster/Sheffield.
This airport name raised controversy as Robin Hood is more often associated with Nottingham. It turns out that Robin Hood was not from Nottinghamshire but from South Yorkshire. Nottingham is served by the prosaically named East Midlands Airport.
Europe
Why is Italy shaped like a boot? Because there is too much stuff to fit in a shoe. It is also overflowing with famous people to name airports after. The best Italian airport names:
- Rimini Federico Fellini International Airport
- Rome Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport
- Venice Marco Polo International Airport
- Genoa Cristoforo Colombo Airport
- Pisa Galileo Galilei Airport
- Saint-Exupéry International Airport Lyon France
Saint-Exupéry was best known for his childrens book The Little Prince. He was also, appropriately, an Aviator.
- Tirana International Airport Mother Teresa Albania
Mother Teresa was Albanian. Who knew? I don’t think I ever stopped to think about where Mother Teresa was from.
- Franz Josef Strauss International Airport Munich Germany
- Alexander the Great Airport Kavala Greece
- Krakow John Paul II International Airport Poland
- Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport Poland
- WA Mozart Salzburg Airport Austria
- Malaga Airport Spain
Half points to Malaga for their terminal named after Pablo Picasso (terminal 2).
U.S.A
In the USA they love to name things after Presidents, including airports:
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport VA
- Houston George Bush Airport TX
- Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport Springfield IL
- Gerald R. Ford International Airport Grand Rapids MI
Kennedy has two airports named after him:
- John F Kennedy International (JFK) New York NY
- John F. Kennedy Memorial Airport Ashland WI
The US also has an interesting selection of airports named after entertainers:
- Bob Hope Airport Burbank CA
- John Wayne Airport Orange County CA
- Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport LA
- Indiana County-Jimmy Stewart Airport Indiana PA
- Will Rogers World Airport Oklahoma City OK
Airport Name Suggestions
Australia is lacking in good airport names. While Sydney’s Kingsford Smith Airport is fittingly named after a pioneering aviator (who was actually from Brisbane), the rest of Australia’s airports aren’t doing their job to showcase Australia’s favourite sons and daughters. Perhaps Brisbane could get the ball rolling with Steve Irvin Brisbane International Airport.
In Europe Belgium is often mocked for not having any famous people. Brussels is home to Herge, who created one of the worlds most famous cartoon characters – Tintin. Brussels International could become Tintin International, which would be appropriate as he was always trotting around the globe.
America has a good selection of airport names but there are some glaring omissions. Can you believe Memphis International Airport is not named Elvis Presley Memphis International Airport. It would thus become Elvis International for short, a name that rolls off the tongue as smoothly as New York’s JFK. And like JFK everyone would know where Elvis International is without having to mention the city name. The only problem might be that Tupelo Regional Airport might have something to say about the name, seeing Elvis was born in Tupelo.
Most people know that Jim Morrison lived in LA and died in Paris, but did you know he was born in Melbourne Florida. A great opportunity for their no name airport.
Seattle has a small airport named after Boeing – Boeing Field – and it would be wrong not to. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport remains nameless. I propose Jimi Hendrix International Airport.
LAX Los Angeles International has no name. Perhaps they have too many names to choose from. Do you have a suggestion for a name for LAX, or any other airport in the world?
Novel Idea book vending machine at a departure gate at London Gatwick, and none of them by Grisham or Brown.
[Novel Idea book vending Gatwick]
I always feel a sense of shame on behalf of British Airports whenever I pass through Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, and I’m not even British. Poor old Heathrow. I want it to be the world class airport it should be but it doesn’t stand a chance when compared to Schiphol.
Schiphol is a large gateway airport that is modern and relatively easy to find your way around. There is a State Railway station under the airport with regular trains only 15 minutes from Amsterdam Centraal Station.
[Sunrise at Schiphol]
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam Schiphol
If you can’t bear the though of leaving European culture behind then this is your last chance saloon. Rijksmuseum Amsterdam Schiphol is located in the area behind the passport control between the E and F Pier.
[Rijksmuseum Amsterdam Schiphol]
Holland Casino Schiphol
An airport with its own casino.
[Holland Casino Schiphol]
Wireless Internet
This is the chink in the armour for Schiphol. There is no free wireless here – you have to pay an exorbitant amount. This is a European wide problem though (Shannon Airport in Ireland is the only place that I have used so far that have free wireless).
[Wireless internet price list at Amsterdam Schiphol]