RANDOM THOUGHTS FOLLOWING MY TRIP TO THE US LAST WEEK



Los Angeles International Airport - LAX





Avoid this airport at all costs. If you are flying with Air New Zealand to other parts of the US then fly to San Francisco rather than LA. It is a smaller, less insane place and the ground staff are much nicer than their southern counterparts.


But if you are flying to Europe then my advice is to avoid the US all together and fly via Asia.

The security measures at US airports are totally over the top and they seem to select especially unpleasant people to administer them.

WI-FI INTERNET




As in Europe earlier in the year I found that WiFi is everywhere.

Unfortunately both US hotels we stayed in charged for the service (US$10 per 24 hours) as did the Red Carpet Club (United Airlines lounge) whereas Air NZ provide the service free in their lounges.

For a blogger WiFi is crucial if one is going to keep blogging while on the move.
In this regard I was interested to learn that airlines are investigating making WiFi available on flights.
Apparently the technology is not the problem, rather it is the cost which is around US$100,000 per plane. The report I read (Time Aug 20) suggested they would charge pasengers $10 per flight to use the service. Bring it on I say!

I understand Qantas have "converted" one plane to WiFi and are monitoring demand for the service. I'm sure Air New Zealand will be watching the situation.

AIR NEW ZEALAND

We flew Business Class with Air New Zealand to and from the US and what a joy it was.

Terrific staff who without exception were friendly and efficient and most helpful.

AND those lie-flat beds are something else. My daughter had recently flown with Virgin Atlantic Upper Class and said Air NZ business class left them for dead when it came to beds and value.

It is not generally known that Air NZ's seat pitch is greater than in those of almost all of its competitors. In business class for example it beats British Airways, Singapore, Cathay hands down. Virgin Atlantic is the same and no one is better.

NEWSWEEK - ISSUE SEPTEMBER 3

Good plane reading and nice to see the Arts got 8 pages, one of which was devoted to books including an enthusiastic review for GIVING by Bill Clinton.