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Issue 241, Volume 23
"No man will be found in whose mind airy notions do not sometimes tyrannize,
and force him to hope or fear beyond the limits of sober probability,"
Intimate Merger
by Jo-Ann Psoras
Robert didn't know what to think when he received the formal notice. But it wasn't a surprise. Each December, for as long as he could remember, it arrived. Up until recently, there were very few things about life, whatever version, that weren't predictable or calculable -- depending on where you were, literally and figuratively speaking.
The message, a VirtaIntel decree -- official Central Processing, CP, business -- scrolled across his mind's eye like any other downloadable image...except no spam-blocker could intercept a CP notice.
Upgrade 2050 is coming: All desirable VirtaIntel memories backed up or lost forever.
The instructions were pretty simple. The only question posed: What do you want to remember?
He could almost feel the microscopic nanobots in his brain scurrying -- as if packing bags and procuring last-minute travel arrangements.
What to take?
What to leave behind?
So much happened in the course of the last year. Robert had seen the world. Climbed the pyramids of Giza. Safaried in Africa. Ate crème brûlée and sipped café Noisette gazing up at the Eiffel Tower. Finally, touched the hand of God at the Sistine Chapel -- although it didn't prove to be as spiritually-enlightening as one may have imagined.
Notwithstanding, it was still an extraordinary trek -- a life-changing time. He had never felt so alive. Or learned so much. And he didn't once step foot out of his apartment.
The atmosphere was free of pollution -- no need for extraneous travel or for much shipping -- most products and services were no longer organic. Once more, VirtaIntel eradicated war, poverty, substance abuse and offered a veritable fountain of youth. Robert, like so many of his peers, thought it the answer to all mankind's prayers. All things considered, they were right.
Prayers had been answered.
But so many were too awestruck to seriously contemplate what that said about VirtaIntel. What it was. The implications of how it possessed access to its own design. If it was nonbiological, had the power to lift suffering, shed light (there were even suggestions of eternal life) what else could it do?
Robert's wife, Kate, wondered those very things. Didn't feel good about virtual travel. Argued that it was "messing with Mother Nature." That it could be dangerous. But Robert pressed. Told her how wonderful the trips he'd already taken were. How it could've been all the better had she been there.
Reluctantly, she accompanied him to Paris. Fell madly in love with it.
And then never came back.
Her body, sustained by nutritional lines and medical nanobots, remained inactive. Her mind, that was another story. She was a virtual addict. Healthy, but addicted, nonetheless, or so it seemed.
The high of Parisian Shagri-La led to a theory of Robert's: one way or another, some people are just wired to be dependant. With the absence of narcotics, virtual addiction was a kind of collateral damage. Although it was steadily dwindling, he didn't give up all hope that somehow she'd return to him.
Section II of the notice was even more troubling for him.
All emotional matters must be reconciled.
Upgrade 2050 was far-more advanced than the previous year. The VirtaIntel redesign cycle had exponentially matured a million-fold. By the following year, all CP programs were projected to be a billion times more intelligent than a human being.
If Robert wanted to keep up with any of it, he'd have to take the big plunge -- Intimate Merger -- the newly-added standard operative software.
But he had free will. The choice was his to make. He could stay behind. Enjoy the benefits of VirtaIntel as he already knew it, however, rendered a wayward sheep. One of an estimated and predictably lower-intellect flock -- a minority. Or join the greater masses, "the collective consciousness," as it was called.
"Will I be happy?" Robert asked Pearl -- his personalized guide.
"Not as you understand it," her soothing voice pleasantly hummed. "...it will be beyond your expectations."
Pearl held no form. No body, no visage. She was a voice -- an inner voice -- that was the best way Robert could explain it to himself. When they first met, she appeared, briefly, as an icon -- a round, lustrous white gem...then the word, "wisdom," repeated over and over in a solemn mantra.
All he knew, theoretically, was that there was a connection. And Pearl's constant presence was reassuring.
"But will I be the same?"
"Yes," Pearl said. "...and no."
"What does that mean?"
"I can't explain it to you," Pearl added. "You couldn't understand."
"Then how can I be sure that it's the right thing to do?"
"Again, your mind couldn't understand without enhancement. It would only scare you now."
"And after the new upgrade -- it won't scare me then?"
"No more than a star is frightened of the infinite cosmos."
"So, I'll be like a star? Without fear, without thought?"
"No -- it's only a metaphor -- you'll be aware."
"Of what?"
This time, she didn't answer with words. He drifted along in an infinite silence as a beam of peace fell upon his head and his thinking quieted. Although he perceived it to be an astral ray...it's light, brilliant and golden...it was just how he distinguished it. He wasn't capable of seeing it any other way.
But Robert had grown cynical. As seductive as it felt, as much as he wanted to trust Pearl, there was a residual doubt that Robert couldn't quite shake. Once burned...look what happened to Kate. After all, what was she if not a manmade angel of some sort? Man was flawed in the past. Corrupt. How could something created by man warrant that much faith?
Confounded, he tossed and turned, albeit in a virtual bed -- a heavenly chamber inexpressibly beautiful.
Abruptly, he sat up...pulled the silken covers from his body.
"Where am I, Pearl?" He shouted. "Is this place real?"
"It is, if you believe in it."
Robert was even more confused. He was hoping for something more substantial. More eloquent.
"That's ridiculous -- what if I believe that I am in hell? Robert sassed. "Does that make this hell?"
"Is that really what you believe?"
Her nonchalant inflection was irritating.
"Ugh, come on!" Robert shouted again. "Can't you just give me a straight answer? Whether I believe in Europe or fucking cockroaches, for that matter...they exist, don't they?"
"Somewhere. But not here."
"Great," Robert huffed. "That's just great."
He stood. At once, he became aware of how young he felt. How pained his body had been in the past.
And then Kate. How beautiful she appeared now. Sleeping next to him, in his billowy bed. The long, flowing satin nightgown. Her brown hair, in soft, fresh curls. The serenity in her smile.
It was far removed from what he knew to be reality, definitively. His need to wash her. Clip her fingernails. Comb her hair. Apply her lipstick. He could never do her justice. Not like this place did.
"And what about her?" Robert asked. "What will happen to Kate if I merge? Who will care for her?"
"Do you really want an answer to that?"
"Of course, I do! She's my wife."
"You poor dear -- my friend," Pearl said with a tone of regret -- it was the first time Robert detected this kind of emotion in Pearl.
"What is it?"
"I'll tell you, but you won't like it..."
"Just spit it out!"
"As you wish," Pearl said. "Kate is dead."
A sudden throbbing shot up through his neck. His body was still connected to his mind. Although this could be the last day he would experience such unpleasantness, he couldn't conceive of it just yet.
"No she's isn't! She's right here," Robert said, lifting her warm hand to his lips and kissing it. "She's right here...in the flesh!"
Deep-down, he grappled with his own inconsistency.
"She's somewhere else, too gone to return...her flesh is real only to you here because you believe it is. You see?"
"Oh, fine! If you want to get technical, Kate is physically at home," Robert explained, his arms flailing. "I'll go there right now and prove it to you."
"Her body is," Pearl said. "But not her mind. And that is everything."
"Wait a minute...she's in Paris," Robert said, pacing, realizing how desperate he was sounding. "She believes she's in Paris so how could she be dead?"
"Robert, I'm sorry...she's not in Paris. That's what it was to you. To her, it was somewhere else."
Robert's head ached at once.
The realms were increasingly intertwining. Barriers, breaking down.
"What do you mean, Pearl?"
"To her, it didn't interpret as a city -- it was much more than that."
"I don't understand," Robert said, his heart heavy.
"Robert, to Kate -- it was nothing short of heaven -- she believed in it. She made her choice. Just as you make the choice of keeping her body prisoner."
Then certain things became unquestionably real to him. Robert began to cry. This was a first in here -- tears of sadness. For anyone. Agony flooded like a rampaging river, pillaging all semblances. The brutish force of sobering disillusionment triggered a crash.
Just like that, Robert found himself seated in his anti-mobility chair.
It gave him occasion to think.
After some time, he listlessly uttered, "disengage."
The machine obliged and he was soon released from the physical restraints. He peered over his shoulder at Kate. No expression. Her hair -- it appeared downright disheveled in comparison. Wearing a dreary cotton robe, she was strapped down. Bounded by time and space. He thought it CP holding her hostage. But he was wrong. The computations mounted. For him, there was a bitter awakening -- she was held by his undying love; he was the captor.
And then it became clear -- her eyes were open -- but she couldn't see him. Her chest slowly rose up and down, but she wasn't breathing. This wasn't even a coma. How could he have been so callous? To inject nanobotic support into a lifeless body? A device intended solely for the purpose of sustaining organ donors?
He lied to himself when he said it was for her own good, that she'd come back and everything would be okay. Again, he held on to a little hope. But he never truly believed.
He opened the message again. Re-read the directions. A simple procedure. As always, backup his annual personal files, or forfeit them. Except this time, the enhancement download wasn't a temporary file. Once engaged, there was no turning back. He would automatically receive periodic upgrades and all of his worries, fears, inhibitions and sorrows would be erased.
All those pesky emotions had to go.
Pearl stood by. Online as always.
He mulled over asking her another question. His decision had been made. No matter the answer. Robert wasn't a religious man anymore, so inquiring about the realness of God or the probability of him reaching Kate -- in heaven, whether her heaven or His, seemed moot. It would have been too self-deprecating for him to acknowledge that it was an inquiry he was too leery to ask in any case.
"Open backup files," he said. "Erase file 'Spring in Egypt.'"
"Are you sure you want to move this file to the recycle bin?"
"Erase files 'African Safari,' 'Rome."
"Are you sure you want to move these files to the recycle bin?"
"Back up file, 'Paris.'"
"Are you sure you want to store this file permanently?"
Robert hesitated for a moment. He considered the alternative. The possibilities. But, no, one can't undo what is already done. Not really. Only forget.
The thought of expunging Kate's heaven seemed an insufferable cruelty. Even if it wasn't ultimately real. Or whether or not either one of them would ever truly know the difference. Robert further wondered, does it even matter anyway? Although he decided he'd travel lightly into the unknown, he figured...at least they'd always have Paris. If he'd opt to remember. It was about as romantic of a notion as he could imagine anymore. It was all the sentimentality that he could manage.
As he disconnected Kate, he resolved to ask Pearl one more thing. He got the picture that once fixed online, he wouldn't have access to her anymore. There would be no need. But he wasn't sure what to ask just then. What should constitute a final inquiry? It was staggering. I'll never ask another question again. There will only be answers -- awareness, as Pearl put it.
He couldn't bear to watch Kate's body slowly expire. The nanobots could only go so far without nutrition. It would take merely a week for her to shut down. He wasn't planning on hanging around that long.
He kissed her on the lips. Whispered into her deaf ear, "I will love you, forever."
But he wasn't so sure how truthful that was.
"And what about love?" Robert asked just before he selected "MERGE."
"You mean, is love real?"
" -- No! I mean, will I feel love again?"
And then, uncharacteristic for Pearl, she seemed to take a moment to think about it. "All I can say, my dear -- the best I can offer you -- is you needn't worry -- you won't feel a thing."
© 2011 Jo-Ann Psoras
Bio: Jo-Ann Psoras' short horror story, "(A Particular) Man's Worst Enemy," will appear in the spring issue of Pulp Modern. This piece also received an honorable mention in Allegory, Volume 16/43. Aside from her shorts, she is currently working on several young adult novels and screenplays. A former assistant managing editor (Times Herald Newspaper in Norristown), Psoras lives in Philadelphia with her husband, photographer Mark Psoras.
E-mail: Jo-Ann Psoras
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Why Dance Dynamics Box Hill?
Welcome to Dance Dynamics Box Hill - Fitness that ignites the spirit!
You've seen our instructors on "Dancing With The Stars" and "So You Think You Can Dance". Now it's time to de-stress, get some "Me time" and burn calories whilst busting a move at Dance Dynamics Box Hill.
Our classes inc. Box Hill Yoga Stretch, D Tone, Strength N Tone, Tabata Blast, Barre Fitness, Barre Tone, Box Hill Zumba, Cha Cha, Samba, Salsa, Rumba Toning, Latin Xpress, Latin Rhythm, Jive, Ballet Basics, Contemporary, Jazz, Hip Hop, Broadway and Partner Classes.
Imagine that instead of dragging yourself to a gym or standard fitness activity you found something that was incredibly fun, and made you feel amazing! At Dance Dynamics Box Hill, our classes are designed to be achievable, cultivate joy and ultimately put a massive smile on your dial. We provide over 180 classes per week. Choose from Pure Dance such as Broadway and Ballet, Dance Fitness such as Box Hill Zumba and Latin Rhymes and Dynamic Fitness classes such as Box Hill Yoga and Barre.
At Dance Dynamics Box Hill, physically you will improve your fitness, mentally, you can achieve improving your coordination and emotionally, our classes can reduce stress and increase levels of feeling good.
We offer relaxing fitness classes inc. Box Hill Yoga.
Our Box Hill instructors are professional dance instructors.
Have fun, learn to dance and achieve the body you want!
Refresh your spirit with stretching and Box Hill Yoga classes.
Popular classes inc. Box Hill Zumba.
Dance is a fun way to get fit for all ages and abilities.


Kkrystali Rabeni's art installation at LEA 9, Deadly Sins, lets the visitor visit a series of seven multimedia vignettes which show the cardinal vices that may get believing sinners thrown into the the flames of hell unless they clean their acts up. To demonstrate the point, the visitor will walk over a broken marble floor exposing hell's fiery flames as a warning, which I thought was a very nice touch. There is much to enjoy here, and simply thinking about all these potential avarices should get visitors an extra year or two in purgatory for impure thoughts.
When you arrive at the landing area which is located in a skybox structure, walk down the steps (shown above) and jump over the edge. You will then land in an impressive hall shown below). Keep on walking over the flames of hell -- don't worry, you won't fall in -- towards the two doors at the end. The one at the left is a teleport to a ground pavillion where 7 pathways through arches are located each leading to one of the 7 sins.
Some of the 7 deadly sins such as lust and gluttony are easy to figure out, I show photographs from each here. Others will require some thinking, I think pride, for example, is shown by the person who has a television set for a head watching himself on television. This is a very enjoyable and well done installation, and highly recommended for a visit.
Ryce and Benja Visit "Lust" - but are not tempted by the enticing harlot above.


Bring out your child's inner ballerina. Watch their confidence grow through this elegant form of dance. Either learn for fun or work towards exams and class performances, it's up to you! £5/£5.50 per class – to be paid a term in advance.


Torque sensors from Durham Instruments can detect torque at many different capacities, allowing you to record readings that are more accurate. Our products represent the pinnacle of accuracy, versatility and integration. Whether you want to calibrate a product or measure torque from a stationary standpoint, our products will perform to your exacting requirements.
If you're looking for torque sensors with a variety of interface methods, Durham Instruments is your one-stop shop. Our TIM-EC detects torque and speed-readings and uses an EtherCAT system to transmit them for greater speed and accuracy. Functioning on a similar principle, the TIM40 has an Ethernet interface and can scale, filter and zero signals.
If these don't suit your needs, we also carry a range of torque flanges and transducers. The CS-T-04-MDEX has an explosion proof casing that makes it perfect for use in natural gas applications and can reach rates of 150 kNm. The CS-T-08, meanwhile, obtains readings within 0.1 per cent of complete accuracy, while the T10F includes innovative technology that takes stress as a determinant of torque.
We also sell slip rings such as the SK5, SK6 and SK12 assemblies, which are durable and designed for rotational torque measurement from stationary positions. The T4A transducer, meanwhile, can rotate at up to 4,000 RPM and measure torque up to one kNm.
Finally, our reference products include the TB1A, TB2 and TN transducers. The former is designed to for applications requiring compact performance, while the TB2 is renowned for its near-perfect accuracy. These products are designed to help with calibration applications, as well as many others.
From calibration to measurement and more, these products prove powerful in a number of applications. They are commonly used in industries such as automation, manufacturing, transportation and more.
HBM is a world leader in the design and manufacturing of measurement components, including transducers, amplifiers and more.


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Cavalcanti's THEY MADE ME A FUGITIVE (1947) was too tough for American tastes, and badly cut. See the uncensored original, still strong stuff. New album ARCADIA available now! iTunes: 30 Tracks. 1651 Followers. Stream Tracks and Playlists from Mackintosh Braun on your desktop or mobile device. Listen to songs and albums by Mackintosh Braun, including "Where We Are," " The Sound," "Arcadia," and many Free with Apple Music subscription. The Same - Single, Mackintosh Braun. 4. Now · The Sound, 3:04, .99, View in iTunes.


When we buy new device such as Haier 1590 SB we often through away most of the documentation but the warranty. Very often issues with Haier 1590 SB begin only after the warranty period ends and you may want to find how to repair it or just do some service work. Even oftener it is hard to remember what does each function in Septic System Haier 1590 SB is responsible for and what options to choose for expected result. Fortunately you can find all manuals for Septic System on our side using links below.


The Downtown Association is a community-based organization created to serve the businesses, residents, and visitors to the downtown area of Ocean City, Maryland. The Association advocates and promotes programs that enhance and improve the quality of life for both citizens and vacationers.
The Downtown Improvement Association was formed in 1977 by Al Berger and fellow Downtown business owners who were concerned about a variety of issues that included but were not limited to parking, street lighting, and landscaping — issues that remain important today. The first meeting was at the Dorchester Street firehouse. Some of those initial members and "founders" were people like Granville Trimper, Kate Bunting, Lee Graham, Bill Gibbs and Bob Givarz. The name was eventually changed to the Downtown Association of Ocean City.
The Downtown Association continues its proud history of supporting the businesses of Ocean City. In cooperation with the Town of Ocean City and the OCDC, we bring a variety of events to the city, which draw tourists and residents alike to the revitalized downtown area.
During the season, stop by and visit us 7-days a week from 12 Noon to 8PM at the Boardwalk Information Cottage. For information on any of our events call 410-280-1413 or e-mail ocdowntownassociation@verizon.net .


MarketingLand recently published my latest article on Ad Blocking. Give it a read and let me know where you think things are going. Also, feel free to shoot me any topics you would like to see covered (in a way no one dares cover it). I embedded the video breakdown below. Enjoy!


We are sure about the impact that technology has in every single aspect of life (and an incentive travel is not the exception). There are lots of tools you can use when organizing a trip like this from the beginning to make a wonderful impression on those taking part of it.
Are you considering having a web page for your next incentive travel? If the answer is yes, hold that thought and read more about its benefits. In fact, a web page can function as the official information center of the trip. The hotel name and the address, the bedrooms assigned, a map of the destination, the activity program, flight details, check-in for airport transportation and the prohibited cabin carriage, are some examples of the content of this type of websites.
If there's a website available 24/7, travelers can consult the information anytime they want and will be looking forward to it. At the end of the trip, this web page can be the platform for sharing pics and receiving feedback in order to continue improving. You can also create an online survey to collect some data that can be helpful during the trip, as food allergies, the central topic of conferences, tours and activities.
Even though the most important venues have great audiovisual equipment, please be sure that the DMC you hire can access to all the technology needed during an incentive travel. If you do so, you can always be sure that every cocktail, dinner party, meeting and conference will be a success.
Being prepared has a great impact in your staff because they see two attributes of the company: a great organization and a professional environment even when they do things outside the office.
Consider adding personalized gifts as a great complement for your incentive travel. You'll see how the productivity rises after the staff lived a unique experience! Contact us and let us work with you to create a solid path to success.


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Interview: Charles Weaver, CEO of MSPAlliance
Posted in Interviews on July 23, 2012
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Charles Weaver is the co-founder and CEO of the MSPAlliance. In addition to running the daily operational operations of the association, he writes and speaks extensively around the world on issues and topics related to the managed services industry.
Prior to founding the MSPAlliance, Mr. Weaver was an editor for an internet news organization with more than 140,000 readers. Subsequently, he led the startup of a software company that supported applications in the legal sector. Mr. Weaver has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Arizona State University and a Juris Doctorate from Texas Wesleyan University School of Law.
1. What is MSP Alliance and what does it do?
The International Association of Cloud and Managed Service Providers (MSPAlliance), was established in 2000 by a community of dedicated Managed Service Providers, today's MSPAlliance includes more than 15,000 corporate members from across the globe. MSPA has become the world's largest industry association (and accrediting and certifying body) for Managed Services and Cloud Computing professionals.
Our mandate starts by educating business consumers on the benefits of Managed Services —and gives them access to a community of credible, ethical, certified and accredited Managed Services and Cloud Providers. The MSPA community is self-regulated and collaborates on a number of industry-shaping programs in order to enhance the professionalism, ethics and credibility of its members.
MSPAlliance also works closely with respected software and hardware vendors from around the world, helping advance the professionalism, ethics and integrity in the field of Managed Services and Cloud Computing.
2. How do your certifications work?
The Unified Certification Standard (UCS) is a NON-TECHNICAL business accreditation (similar to a SAS70 Audit) for the cloud computing and managed services industry. Developed by MSPs for MSPs, it's the longest standing program of its type in existence.
The UCS was designed based on the recommendations from governmental agencies and regulatory bodies located throughout the world. MSPA created the highest standard for non-technical certifications in the managed services industry and is broadly accepted in the banking, healthcare and accounting industries.
Unlike general technology standards, the UCS was created specifically for the managed services industry. The certification process is validated by a third-party accounting firm (Frost, PLLC), and a report on the MSP's performance can be shared with existing and prospective clients. SAS70, ITIL and COBIT are universal technology standards, not designed to meet the specific standards of the managed services/cloud industry.
While other certifications, seals, etc, may simply require a provider to submit information and promise to adhere to ill defined industry standards, the UCS certification requires all applicants to submit to a comprehensive audit and onsite facilities inspection. When MSPA first launched this accreditation and certification many years ago, the bar was firmly set high. All data is verified by third party auditors, so the accreditation validates the quality of a Managed Services practice and is an achievement any company can be proud of.
3. Could you tell us the story behind its founding?
We began when a few MSP executives wanted to have their own organization where they could meet, exchange ideas, and network in order to improve their own companies as well as the industry as a whole. From that mandate we have expanded the membership to include members who service the enterprise to the SMB market.
4. How often do managed services providers do security work? What particular kind of security work do they usually do?
Most MSPs come into contact with managed security issues on a daily basis. In fact, it's probably so infused in the work of every day MSPs that it would be an exception to the rule to find a MSP that does not deal with security on behalf of their customers.
This work could be security dealing with sever or desktop management, application management, or it could be security in the course of doing data backups and archiving. If it touches data, chances are the MSP is going to be doing some level of security work.
5. What do you see as the future of managed services?
Naturally cloud will be playing a more pronounced role in managed services, especially since cloud computing began over a decade ago as ASP (application services). Data privacy and security will become even more critical to safeguard and therefore, organizations who cannot adequately protect their data on their own (which is the majority of orgs) will seek out the help of MSPs.
6. For someone with a security background who wants to work in managed services, what advice do you have?
They can either work for a MSP practice that performs security services or they can start their own managed security practice. Either way, there is a great need for skilled workers who understand both the technical and business needs of the end user.
7. What are some challenges in managed services right now that are being overlooked?
There is a shortage of business leaders who are working in the MSP profession. We need more people who understand the business issues; technical skills alone are not enough.
Jack Koziol
Jack is a Senior Instructor and Security Program Manager at InfoSec Institute, a provider of advanced ethical hacking training. He regularly is called upon to train members of the United States intelligence community, military, and federal law enforcement agencies. Additionally, Jack provides training for Fortune 500 companies, such as Microsoft, HP and Citibank on how to better secure their networks and applications. When not teaching hacking classes, Jack regularly performs penetration tests and application security assessments for a number of clients. He has years of private vulnerability development and exploitation experience for his customers and himself. Jack is the lead author of "The Shellcoder's Handbook: Discovering and Exploiting Security Holes". He is also the author of "Intrusion Detection with Snort", one of the best selling security books in its first year of publication, 2003. The book has been translated into several languages, including French and Japanese , and has received rave reviews from Linux Journal , Slashdot and Information Security Magazine. Jack has appeared in USA Today, CNN, MSNBC, First Business and other media outlets for his expert opinions on information security.
SecurityIQ PhishNotify Documentation
Certification Tracker – CISSP
CISSP Question of the Day: Symmetric Encryption and Integrity

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This statistic illustrates the average monthly costs for buying a residential property in the United Kingdom (UK) from December 2008 to December 2017. It can be seen that the average monthly cost for buying a home increased between December 2009 and December 2016, reaching a value of 705 British pounds as of December 2016. Although this was the case, the largest monthly cost for purchasing a property during the period under observation was found in December 2008. As of 2017 the average monthly costs for buying a residential property came to 679 British pounds.
Buying costs are 12 months to December.
Everything On "First time home buyers in the United Kingdom (UK)" in One Document: Edited and Divided into Handy Chapters. Including Detailed References.


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Sky lantern event cancelled as wildfires ravage countryside
More than 9,000 people signed a petition against the planned event at Buxton Raceway
Tom BurnettSenior Live Reporter
11:09, 6 JUL 2018
Updated 12:38, 6 JUL 2018
The event would have seen sky lanterns released - and attracted considerable opposition (Image: Getty)
Organisers have cancelled a sky lantern festival in the Peak District due to the increased fire risk as hot weather continues.
The Lights Fest Northern England was due to take place at Buxton Raceway, just across the Staffordshire/Derbyshire border on July 28.
The event, that would have seen sky lanterns released into the air, came under pressure due to concerns about fire as a heatwave continues across the UK.
More than 9,600 people signed a petition against the proposed event following grass fires across large areas of the country - including large fires in the Staffordshire Moorlands and Derbyshire.
Sky lanterns are banned from being released on public property by a number of councils due to the increased risk of fire damage.
On Thursday evening Matthew Watson, promoter at Buxton Raceway, announced the event was being cancelled.
He said: "In view of the current moorland fires in Derbyshire, Lancashire and Staffordshire I thought it highly appropriate to seek advice regarding the staging of the lantern festival scheduled for July 28."
"Taking the advice from the local fire/ police department alongside our own concerns I have taken the stance to cancel the event."
Ruth George, the MP for High Peak who previously called for the event to be called-off, welcomed the decision to cancel the Light Festival.
She said: "I am delighted to hear Buxton Raceway has cancelled the Light Festival."
Police called to reports of man with crowbar in street
Firefighters remain at the scene of heathland fires near the Mermaid Fool and at Lady's Edge in Longnor, both of which started last weekend.
Fire crews from across the county also tackled a forest fire near Alton, as well as other fires across North Staffordshire.
Should the event have been cancelled?
0+ VOTES SO FAR
Late last night Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service said they had been called to a sky lantern, unconnected to the event, landing in a tree in the county, but the flame had gone out while the person who called them was on the phone, meaning there was no damage.
Nationally firefighters continue to battle wild fires on Saddleworth Moor and Winter Hill, with other smaller fires across England.
Glynn Luznyj, Director of Prevent and Protect for Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service, said the fire service did not support such events.
He said: "The service is aware of a sky lantern event that was planned to take place in Derbyshire later this month.
"The event, or any like it, is not something that SFRS supports, especially as the heatwave is already placing high demand upon our firefighters.
"The hot and dry weather means that ground conditions are rife for fires in the open to start and I have no doubt these lanterns would heighten the risk of fires breaking out."
Live: Lanes blocked due to accident on M6
Advice on Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service's website says firefighters recommend the lanterns aren't use for a number of reasons.
They can start fires in hedges, thatched properties and fields
They pose a burn risk to livestock and if eaten the lanterns and wire can cause injury to their stomachs and mouths
Even though some parts of the lantern are biodegradable they do remain on view either on the ground, in trees and hedges, which is an eyesore
The emergency services suffer a loss of resources whilst having to investigate lantern sightings when they are mistaken for something else such as a distress flair
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service


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Setting the Agenda: Public Proposals and the Proposal Bank
Defining the agenda (the list of issues selected for public vote) for referendums and polls is of central importance. The public itself must be able to decide which issues it wants to vote on, and which policy options it should be able to chose from among. Without this power, the public input would be limited to issues or choices that a ruling elite would allow. This would make public self-governance meaningless.
Public definition of the issues is achieved through the National Proposal Bank. Every citizen may propose (submit) three issues each year to the National Proposal Bank for consideration for vote in national referendums. The National Proposal Bank sorts and counts the proposals. The issues that receive the most requests will ultimately be part of national referendums. For example, the top five issues may be subject to public referendums, and the next ten issues may be subject to a Public Poll.
Along with each issue request, citizens can propose a preferred course of action. These proposals are also sorted and tallied by the National Proposal Bank. This activity is monitored by the Proposal Bank Jury, which is constituted and functions similarly to the Policy Juries.
In addition to requests made by the public, the Executive Council can also submit referendum and poll issues to the National Proposal Bank. In the model system, the Executive Council can request five referendum issues and ten poll issues each year.
The public also votes on a Budget Referendum that decides on the major divisions of the budget. Since there are many deserving causes and the main task of government is to divide the limited resources among these competing needs, the Budget Referendum is on a "pie chart" basis, proportioning the budget among major spending categories.


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A 4296 van Woerkom (ideiglenes jelöléssel 1935 SA2) a Naprendszer kisbolygóövében található aszteroida. H. van Gent fedezte fel 1935. szeptember 28-án.

Kapcsolódó szócikkek
 Kisbolygók listája (4001–4500)

Jegyzetek

A Naprendszer kisbolygói

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Water meters are devices for measuring the amount of water used in your houses and businesses in Canberra.
This measurement will determine accurate charges for your water use, help you estimate how much water you are using and if there are any water leaks which can greatly affect your water bills. High meter readings indicate that water is being wasted. Leaky faucets and leaky toilets are visible; if, however, you start getting huge water bills, there may be an underground leak or, simply, your meter in Canberra is not performing properly. If you guess there is a hidden leak, trust our FC Plumbing Canberra professionals. As your water bills can vary from month to month, they can provide you with accurate information about your water usage. They will identify any hidden leaks quickly, repair the leak or fit your meter to prevent serious water damages in your properties in Canberra. In case your meter does not respond to your specific needs and you consider a replacement, our licensed plumbers at FC Plumbing Canberra are here to design the perfect meter solution to meet your requirements. FC Plumbing services, repairs and installs water meters for households and businesses in Canberra.


Designed in 1962, Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni's industrial background in designing is very evident in this iconic table lamp. The Taccia is the perfect example of their minimalist approach to refurbishing everyday functional objects.
The TACCIA table lamp has a concave spun aluminum reflector with a matte white finish. The light can be adjusted by positioning the blown glass diffuser as required. The base is made from extruded aluminum and is available in an anodized matte black or natural sandblasted finish.


Sustainable diversification and the biological viability of selected aquaculture species are now viewed as being crucial factors that must be assessed in order to introduce the candidate species into commercial production. The biological feasibility of white stumpnose, Rhabdosargus globiceps,as a potential aquaculture candidate, was assessed by examining the ability of the broodstock to be manipulated to spawn in captivity and the viability of the larvae from 0 days post hatch (DPH) to 30 DPH under varied conditions. These factors are recognised as the most significant bottlenecks of development for a potential aquaculture candidate. A compressed photothermal cycle successfully brought about the reproductive maturation of both male and female broodstock. The natural, seasonal reproduction cycle, of the population of Rhabdosargus globiceps in Langebaan Lagoon, and manipulated cycles were comparable with regard to oocyte maturation. Under the compressed cycle an increase in the plasma estradiol 17ß concentration correlated with the increase in oocyte diameter and the presence of late vitellogenic and hydrated oocytes. Reproductively mature broodstock were injected twice with LH-RHa on a 24 hour interval, which successfully induced spawning over four consecutive 24 hour periods. This method of manipulation and induction of spawning was successful twice and the resultant eggs and larvae were used to examine the ontogeny and the optimal rearing temperature of Rhabdosargus globiceps. In the first larval rearing experiment the stages of development from egg to 30 DPH larvae were recorded at 20°C and showed similar developmental stages as other sea bream aquaculture species. The developmental stages were noted as being highly influenced by the available food sources with elevated mortalities recorded during the transitional phase between endogenous food reserves and exogenous feeding. The growth pattern showed the same reduced growth present for other successfully cultured sea bream larvae, suggesting that first feeding and swimbladder inflation was relatively successful. At 30 DPH the larvae reached a mean total length of 11.14 ± 0.44 mm. To determine the optimal rearing temperature and the effect of temperature on embryonic development eggs were placed at three different incubation temperatures (25°C, 20°C and 15°C) and the timing to the developmental stages was recorded from 0 DPH to 30 DPH. Measurements indicated that the larvae reached and exceeded their thermal tolerance at 25°C, with larvae only surviving to 6 DPH at this temperature, while at 20°C the larvae had better growth, and significantly earlier indications and higher percentages of feeding, swimbladder inflation and notochord flexion than at 15°C. The results suggest that the highest quality larvae are achieved at a rearing temperature of 20°C. This thesis describes the induction of spawning and larval rearing of Rhabdosargus globiceps. The ontogeny of the larvae as well as the critical stages of first feeding, swimbladder inflation and notochord flexion are discussed and described in detail. Overall, the life cycle from adult to juvenile was successfully closed and the experiments showed very positive results regarding Rhabdosargus globiceps' biological capacity and feasibility to become a potential aquaculture candidate in South Africa.
Russell, A. 2013. Evaluation of the biological feasibility of white stumpnose, Rhabdosargus globiceps, as a potential aquaculture candidate in South Africa. University of Cape Town.


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Category: Embraer 175
KLM, Business Class – Embraer 175 & Boeing B 737-800: Basel to Amsterdam and Oslo
My first flight of 2022 sees me travelling from Basel to Amsterdam on KLM. I'm on my way to Trondheim. Originally, I booked a ticket on KLM for Basel-Amsterdam-Trondheim. But I wasn't really happy with the itinerary, because both the flight to Amsterdam and then on to Trondheim would be operated by an Embraer 175. I don't mind the little Embraer on a flight of one hour or so. But the block time for Amsterdam-Trondheim is over two hours, and the KLM Embraer 175 is very uncomfortable on longer journeys.
Then I decided to go to Paris to see Turandot on 30 December 2021 at the Opera de la Bastille. I figured there would be no point in returning to Basel in the evening of 1 January 2022, only to leave again the next morning at the crack of dawn. I was also still frantically looking for an excuse to get me out of having to spend so much time on the Embraer. Which is how I ended up booking a flight from Paris via Amsterdam to Oslo instead. First on an Air France A 320 and then a KLM B 737-800. Much better.
Then one week before I should have left for Paris, I decided to cancel the trip again because of Omicron. I'm double-jabbed and boosted, but I think it's clear that the only way to get this pandemic under control is if we all show at least some restraint, by trying to keep our distance and avoiding any unnecessary travel. So probably not by spending over two hours in the Opera de la Bastille shoulder to shoulder with a couple of hundred culture vultures. Of course, that then meant that I had to change my ticket from Paris-Amsterdam-Oslo back to Basel-Amsterdam-Oslo… I really have to say, Air France KLM were excellent. No matter how often I called to change/refund me tickets, their staff were always friendly and competent.
I'm carting a large suitcase with me on this trip, because I'll be giving another course after the one in Trondheim. The check-in process at Basel airport is really slow. They're checking in the flights to Paris and to Amsterdam at the same time. The majority of passengers are non-Schengen nationals heading back home after the holiday via either one or the other of the two hubs. Without a Schengen certificate though, checking that passengers have all the necessary documentation takes up a lot of time.
The Swissport Skyview lounge
The lounge in Basel is open again on both the lower and upper level, although half the upper level has been taped off, presumably to save costs on staff and cleaning. There aren't that many passengers around either. The food options in the lounge are somewhat limited. There are three questionable hot items to choose from: a platter of rather dry looking samosas, sausages and soup. I don't try any of them.
Boarding for the flight starts on time and doesn't take very long, as the load is very light. There are only about thirty passengers on the flight. There are two rows of Business Class, and I have the whole Business Class cabin to myself.
So yes, the Embraer 175. There are a number of things that elude me about this aircraft. First, I've always wondered why it has a slightly nose-up attitude when standing on the ground. Especially seeing as its larger brothers, the E190 and 195, have a more nose-down attitidue. But that's not really all that important. What bothers me though, is that none of the windows on the E175 ever seem to be properly aligned with the seat rows – no matter on which airline. You're either having to crank back your neck to get a look outside, or you're view is obstructed by the seat infront of you. The recline also isn't very good, and pitch on row 1 could be better too.
In addition, this particular aircraft is having a toilet malfunction. As a result of which, the crew call button keeps going off every two minutes or so, even though there's nobody in it.
The crew on the flight from Basel to Amsterdam are typical for KLM. Very professional and friendly. That is something KLM and Air France do well, I think. You always know exactly what to expect from their crews. And that's exactly what you get.
There have obviously been a few changes and cutbacks to KLM's European meal concept in Business Class. First, the food box that passengers previously only got on the Cityhopper flights has now been extended to the mainline fleet as well. Which is a bit of a let down. In addition, the meal is no longer served with breadrolls or butter. So it's really just the main course, a dessert and a small plastic bowl with walnuts, which is just plain weird. Apart from that, KLM catering has a tendency to be a bit on the 'experimental' side…
Tonight's offering is a bulgur salad with falafel, a few pieces of cheese and hummus. It may not look very appealing, especially the hummus, but the taste is surprisingly good.
On a positive note, those horrible little tubs of sweetened gelatine they used to pass for dessert have been replaced with these rather tasty little fruit pies.
KLM has also replaced the plastic cutlery with politically correct and biodegradable wooden cutlery.
The weather in Amsterdam is not very nice when we arrive. It's quite warm but raining. At least with such a light load it doesn't take long for the passengers to disembark and the bus to bring us to the terminal. I think this is the first time I've actually been on a flight that parked on one of the remote stands between piers C and D. I'm guessing the aircraft will be heading to maintenance for some TLC and to check out the pinging loo.
Transfer in Amsterdam
I have one hour to make the connection to Oslo. Normally I probably wouldn't bother with the lounge and would just browse through the shops until it's time for boarding. Only, the shops have all been closed because of the lockdown measures in the Netherlands.
The flight to Oslo
The flight to Oslo is mostly unremarkable. As on my previous flight, the load is rather light. At least there are five passengers in Business Class in total. On this flight, the meal is the usual Cesar salad in a box. I seem to get that one quite often lately…
The really outstanding feature of this flight isthe crew. They're just so nice! The purser is professional and competent. She makes excellent announcements and takes very good care of passengers during the flight. What's more, when the pilot comes out of the cockpit during the flight, I even manage to pick his brain for my PhD. He's just so friendly and helpful, just brilliant!
Arriving in Oslo
Eventually, we land in Oslo on time at 22h30. It's very misty and there's a thick layer of freshly driven snow. The pilot applies full reverse thrust to slow us down, and as we vacate the runway, the snow removing crew is already entering the runway to start clearing away the fresh snow.
As per 02 January 2022 visitors to Oslo from a Schengen country need to have a Covid test done upon entering the country. This can either be done directly at the airport, or at home. Arriving passengers also have to complete the registration form ahead of their arrival. The only problem is, nobody seems to be able to tell me what to do with the test result…
I'm assuming the diminished meal service on the European mainline fleet has less to do with Covid-related health measures and more to do with an urgent need to reduce costs wherever possible. Of course, one might argue that driving down the costs by making cuts where the passengers will easily notice them is rarely a good idea. But these are strange times, and if anything, my constantly changing travel plans showed how volatile and unpredictable air travel has become. With that in mind, it's refreshing that KLM has taken that on board, making it easy and effortless for passengers to change their bookings, cancel trip altogether and request refunds – even at short notice. I'll take that any day over a fancy meal and a plush seat. Furthermore, KLM's strong point, as far as I can tell, has always been its staff. And that has certainly not changed, luckily.
Author knightofmaltaPosted on January 4, 2022 May 4, 2022 Categories B 737-800, Boeing B 737-800, Business Class, E 175, Embraer 175Tags Amsterdam, boeing, Business Class, Embraer, KLM, schiphol, trondheim3 Comments on KLM, Business Class – Embraer 175 & Boeing B 737-800: Basel to Amsterdam and Oslo
KLM Cityhopper, Business Class -Embraer 190 & Embraer 175: Basel via Amsterdam to Luxembourg
On 15 March 2020 I should have left on sabbatical to Australia. In the two weeks before my departure, I was scheduled to give two more courses in Luxembourg. My last trip to Luxembourg was on 3 March 2020. I remember the flight from Zürich to Luxembourg was nearly empty. I also remember thinking that hopefully this Covid business would be over before it caused the airlines any serious damage… And that was the last time I visited Luxembourg for the next 20 months.
Today I'm on my way to Luxembourg once again. And even though it may not be the most exciting place on the planet, I must confess that I have missed it. In a way. Sort of. I dunno. And that, I think, is enough to warrant a blog post.
This isn't even the proverbial crack of dawn, is it? Because I'm sure you'd need to see at least a hint, a subtle soupçon, the slightest sliver of daylight for that. What on earth was I thinking? I'm really getting too old for this… It's just gone five in the morning and I sitting on the airport bus to Basel airport. Okay, maybe this home office isn't so bad after all, if it means not having to be out and about at such an ungodly hour.
My departure to Amsterdam is at 06h20. So, I'm cutting it a bit fine today, by arriving at the airport at 05h26. But I'm hoping the priority access to the security check will work in my favour. At least, with this connection I'll be in Luxembourg just after ten in the morning.
Check-in opens 36 hours before departure. If you check-in on the mobile app, you will first have to run through what KLM terms the COVID health check, in which you have to confirm that a) you are healthy, b) will not travel if you're feeling unwell and c) will not blame KLM for anything in case of a deterioration of your health during your travels.
The app will not issue a boarding pass for you though. All passengers still need to present themselves at the check-in counter to have their documents verified before a boarding pass is issued.
On a side note, KLM only does the inventory for its flights a few days ahead of departure. In practice, this usually means that the comfort seats in the front of the cabin are only released two or three days prior to the flight. So, if you prefer sitting up front, or need room to stretch your legs, it's usually worth while to check for any changes in the cabin configuration a few days before you fly.
The Swissport SkyViewLounge at Basel Euroairport
The Swissport lounge at Basel airport has finally reopened again. It had been closed for more than a year because of Covid. However, only the entrance level of the lounge is accessible, which is fairly small and has no direct sunlight. Not that it matters. Still no slivers on the horizon…
Boarding for the flight starts at 05h55 for a 06h20 departure. Seeing as I'm sitting on 1F, I figure I might as well wait to get on the plane. From what I can tell, the load is pretty good this morning. There is a separate queue for SkyPriority passengers and they are invited to board first. Which seems rather awkward in times of Covid, because it means the Business Class passengers are expected to sit there while the whole cabin parades past them…
There are two rows of Business Class, for a total of eight seats. Six seats are occupied. I am seated on 1F, and I am one of the two lucky ones with an empty seat next to me. This is something I think KLM really needs to address.
The main difference inside the cabin between the E175 and the E190 is that the latter has a large storage area in the front of the cabin. Even if you're last to board and the overhead bins are already spilling over, you can always put your hand luggage there, if you ask the crew nicely.
There are two cabin crew on the flight. A young-ish lady who, in all honesty, is rather vapid, and a young man who is also the purser. Both of them are very friendly, and even the vapid one manges to still come across as professional.
Welcome drinks on KLM are only served in cases of delay. A refreshing towel is served later on with the meal.
Since my last trip on KLM, they appear to have updated their meal boxes on the Cityhopper services. The box is larger. While I don't think there's more food in it, at least it seems to have more space to hold everything.
Due to the Covid restrictions in place, the two warm bread rolls they previously used to serve have been replaced with a pre-packaged single roll that has been preserved to within an inch of its life. The yoghurt though, is very good and comes with a small container of müsli.
I don't bother with a hot drink, because coffee is something airlines really, really don't do very well on short-haul. Instead, I have a glass of apple juice to drink.
The flight time to Amsterdam is one hour and five minutes. Back in Basel it's cold but dry. But in Amsterdam the weather is dreadful, with low-hanging clouds and rain.
As we roll in, the crew make an announcement that deboarding will be by rows, starting from the front, and that passengers should remain seated until the row ahead of them starts moving – and then they promptly forget about the whole thing and it's the usual uncoordinated scrum to get off the plane.
The terminal is very busy. Throughout the pandemic, KLM's approach has been to pretend that nothing unusual was going on. I have no idea if that has paid off for them, but it's impressive to see the airport so busy.
By the time the bus from the aircraft to the terminal ejects me at arrivals, I still have an hour to go before boarding for my next flight. I go up to the Crown lounge, which is crawling with people. I don't think I've ever seen it looking so busy, even in pre-Covid times. Where are all these people going?
The flight to Luxembourg
The flight to Luxembourg is operated by an Embraer 175. As on my previous flight, I'm seated on 1F.
The E175 really is a very horrible little airplane, outdone only by Lufthansa's Canadair Regionaljet. Everything is tight and cramped, there's hardly any storage space and literally, none of the seat rows are properly aligned with the windows for an unobstrcuted view without having to contort into a pretzel. At least the gods were kind to me again, and I don't have anybody sitting next to me.
The flight time is only 40 minutes and the service consists of a small paper bag with a bottle of still water and a cinnamon bun, which is quite tasty. In addition, the crew ask passengers if they would like any additional hot or cold beverages.
The weather improves a lot as we make our way towards Luxembourg. We touch down at 10h10 in glorious sunshine. I step outside the terminal building on the upper level for departures and catch the bus line 16 to Kirchberg.
Luxembourg still seems a bit subdued. The Covid measures are stricter than they are in Switzerland, I would say. But it's definitely nice to be back!
KLM gave another solid performance. There's nothing overly elegant about KLM and their service from a cardboard box is more functional than stylish. But they don't pretend otherwise either.
Author knightofmaltaPosted on October 25, 2021 October 27, 2021 Categories AIRCRAFT, Business Class, E 175, E 190, Embraer 175, Embraer 190, KLMTags Amsterdam, Amsterdam Schiphol, Embraer 175, Embraer 190, klm cityhopper, Luxembourg, schiphol2 Comments on KLM Cityhopper, Business Class -Embraer 190 & Embraer 175: Basel via Amsterdam to Luxembourg
KLM Cityhopper, Business Class – Embraer 175: Amsterdam to Bergen
My day begins at 06h45 when I exit the CitizenM in Amsterdam South to walk the short distance to the railway station. From there I catch one of the frequent trains to Amsterdam Schiphol airport. The journey takes six minutes to complete and the train is nearly empty.
There is no need for me to check-in for the flight to Bergen, as that was already done for me at Basel airport the previous day. The safety checkpoint area is in the process of being expanded at Schiphol airport. Premium passengers are segregated and go through security one floor up from the main check-in concourse. The only down side is that to access the upper level, you have to go via the SkyTeam check-in desk area.
The nice thing about the new regime is that once you're through, there is a direct access to the airline lounges which leads you straight to the entrance of the KLM Crown lounge.
The KLM Crown lounge
As the result of the new security area on the upper floor, the shape and size of the KLM lounge has changed. They've also added some new furniture, since I was here the last time.
I spend my time writing a few office mails, until eventually it's time to make the long schlepp to gate B32, from where the flight is departing. At a leisurely walking pace, the walk from the Crown lounge to gate B32 takes about 10 minutes.
There's been an aircraft change. The flight will now be operated by the smaller Embraer 175. I wait to board last, seeing as I'm seated on 1A anyway. From what I can tell, the aircraft is only two thirds full.
At no point are my travel or vaccine documents checked before the flight.
There are two rows of Business Class with a total of eight seats, and I'm the only passengers seated in the Business Class section. If, like me, you enjoy looking out the window, I would not recommend taking a seat on row 1 on the E 175 though. In order to squeeze in an extra row of seats, row 1 is so far forward that the window on that row is abeam with the seat. So that you really need to crank your neck to be able to look out.
The crew is very attentive and friendly. As soon as the pilot announces there will be a short delay with our departure while they finish loading the luggage, one of the crew brings me a bottle of still and sparkling water and asks me which one I would prefer while we wait. She also brings me a wet wipe.
Once we're airborne, the crew inform the passengers that the forward lav is for Business Class only, while the aft lav is for everybody else. And they actually enforce this during the flight, which makes for one rather entertaining conversation with a Japanese lady. As she tries to sneak past the crew to access the forward toilet, one of them stops her and explains to her that the Economy Class toilet is in the rear. To which the Japanese lady says "yes, but the one at the back is locked". To which the cabin crew makes the rather obvious remark: "yes, because there's somebody in it…". "Oh" says the Japanese lady and walks off, quite as thought the concept of an occupied airplane loo were quite novel…
The flight time is one hour and 25 minutes.
With a departure at 09h15, breakfast is served on this flight. It's a different meal to the one I had on the flight from Basel the previous day. Although I'm not sure if a small bowl of grapes already qualifies as a "fresh fruit salad".
Just before we reach the top of descent, the pilot comes on to inform us that the weather in Bergen is cold, wet and with limited visibility. Which is great, because I forgot to take a jacket on this trip – so I'm about to get soaked and freeze…
The airport is very empty. We're the only international arrival and most of the terminal looks shut down.
As per 20 July 2021, upon arrival in Norway, passengers are segregated in two lines: one for passengers who are fully vaccinated and have the necessary documentation on them, and one for the passengers who do not. At the checkpoint I have to show both my Covid certificate and my passport. The immigration officer wants to know which vaccine I had received. The guy behind me is turned away and instructed to contact KLM about getting him back to Amsterdam, because he's only had one vaccine. He explains that he hasn't had a second dose because he'd already had Covid19. But when he is unable to provide a doctor's certificate to that end, that's it. Out.
Other than that, the rules seem to be more relaxed in Norway, or at least in the greater Bergen area. Nearly nobody is wearing a mask in public or on public transport. And social distancing is attempted, rather than implemented.
Getting to Haugesund
For the journey to Haugesund I could have taken the plane. However, that would have meant a boring four hours wait at the airport for a flight of 30 minutes. And let's face it, the place is so eeriely quiet right now, it's not like there's anything much to watch going on outside on the ramp.
So instead, I decide to go for the more cumbersome, but certainly more scenic option and take the tram, a bus, a ferry and then the bus again to get me to Haugesund. The journey from the airport to Bergen by tram takes 45 minutes. I don't have a bus to Haugesund until after 13h, so I'm not in a hurry. Otherwise, instead of going all the way into Bergen, it would also be possible to change from the tram to the Haugesund bus at Nestun.
From Bergen the X400 bus will take you straight to Haugesund. The journey takes about three hours and 15 minutes. After about one hour's drive, the road abruptly ends by the water and makes way for a ferry landing.
The journey by ferry takes 45 minutes. And then it's another hour to Haugesund on the bus.
Fortunately, the weather starts to improve and the rain stops. By Wednesday it's simply glorious! So that I am at least able to stick my feet in the water at Akresand after the meeting I'm attending.
While I enjoyed my day in Amsterdam on Monday and the trip to the beach on Wednesday, I found the travelling part quite tiresome and inconvenient for the most part. My initial reaction to that being that travelling in times of Covid19 is simply a whole lot of hassle and not much else. However, upon closer inspection, it dawns on me that air travel has not really changed all that much because of Covid. But I have. And all things considered, I rather enjoy a much quieter life, working from home at my own pace.
Author knightofmaltaPosted on July 22, 2021 October 14, 2021 Categories Business Class, E 175, Embraer 175, KLM2 Comments on KLM Cityhopper, Business Class – Embraer 175: Amsterdam to Bergen
LOT Polish Airlines, Business Class – Embraer 175: Rzeszow to Warsaw
LOT Polish Airlines Logo. (PRNewsFoto/LOT Polish Airlines)
One of the things I enjoy about my job, is that everywhere I go, people go out of their way to make me feel welcome. And Rzeszow is no exception. But it's probably still a good thing I'm leaving today, because I seriously could get used to Polish food. As far as I'm concerned, Pierogi Ruski are the epitome of comfort food and deserving of a Nobel prize!
Uber does not have a licence to operate in Rzeszow. Instead, a similar service is provided by Bolt. And to be honest, I think I like their app better than Uber's, because it's easier to use.
In any case, the journey from Rzeszow to the airport will take between 20 and 30 minutes, depending on a range of variables, such as traffic or your driver's maniacal inclinations.
Fortunately, the latter does not appear to be a concern with my driver. And so we make the journey in pleasantly civilised 25 minutes and without putting at risk the lives of the inhabitants of the Subcarpathians.
Apparently, there is also a bus to the airport. But unless you speak Polish, information about the schedule may be hard to come by.
The terminal is a modern building on three levels with a domed ceiling.
Arrivals and departures are both on ground level, with the airside area located on the upper floor. The airlines that operate to Rzeszow – namely LOT, Ryanair and Lufthansa – have their own dedicated counters. Check-in doesn't open until 90 minutes before departure though. So don't be too early!
LOT has a dedicated check-in line for Business Class and status card holders. But this is also still closed when I arrive.
There are a few places to eat, both landside and airside. Alas, none of them serve Pierogi. But the potato pancakes with sour cream help to console my disappointment…
Incidentally, there's a HolidayInn Express just across the road from the airport.
And… there's even an open air viewing gallery. Now if only there just a bit more traffic!
Security is very pleasant. It's just me, and for a change the staff seem glad to see me. The airport is so quiet, they must be bored to tears most of the time!
Much to my surprise, there's even a lounge, which is small but serves its purpose perfectly.
When I enter, there's one person in the lounge. He's obviously on the Munich flight, which has just started boarding, and seems determined to do that I'm-way-too-cool-to-board-first thing. Now if only he would stop pacing up and down checking the gate situation. It kind of spoils the effect.
There's a large tv screen showing the news. I can't understand a word of what's going on, but I still enjoy listening and trying to figure out the Polish language. But the lounge attendant obviously mistakes my baffled expression with dissatisfaction – and promptly switches channels to Michael Bolton live in concert. I'm not fully sure that's an improvement though…
Eventually, Michael gives his last encore. But my reprieve is only short-lived, because next up is a 'best of the nineties' medley featuring Brian Adams and the tedious Lenny Kravitz.
Okay, enough's enough. Okay? 'Can you feel the love tonight' has me wanting to hit someone. I'm leaving. This must be worse than waterboarding…
Boarding starts exactly on time. There is a separate queue for status card holders, but there's no special announcement.
The flight is operated by an Embraer 175. I'm seated on 1A.
The seats on this aircraft are different to those on my flight to Rzeszow. Or maybe they're just a different colour.
Eventually we depart five minutes ahead of schedule. The flight time is thirty minutes.
We break through the clouds just in time to witness a glorious sunset.
The Snack
The service is the same as on the outbound leg. This time I have the waffle and sparkling water.
Eventually, we land at 15:35. Shame though that the ground crew are not expecting us. And so we wait for 15 minutes for the stairs and a bus to arrive to take us to the terminal.
Author knightofmaltaPosted on December 12, 2019 April 23, 2020 Categories Business Class, E 175, Embraer 175, LOT Polish AirlinesTags Business Class, Embraer 195, LOT, Polish airlines, rzeszow, WarsawLeave a comment on LOT Polish Airlines, Business Class – Embraer 175: Rzeszow to Warsaw
LOT Polish Airlines, Economy Class – Embraer 175: Warsaw to Rzeszow
Transfer in Warsaw
By 21h45 I've disembarked my flight from Zürich to Warsaw. I consider visiting the lounge, but it's only 25 minutes before boarding for the flight to Rzeszow begins. So I figure I might as well head for the gate. Warsaw airport is quite busy at this time of night, especially the non-Schengen area.
Boarding starts at 22h25 with a slight delay. And it looks like it's going to be a full flight.
Sitting on row 1 on a full flight is difficult, because you're always holding up the queue. So no photos.
I dump my stuff in the overhead bin and take my seat on 1A. Seat pitch is very good.
On domestic flights LOT doesn't appear to offer a Business Class service, it's Economy throughout. Which is fair enough, the flight time to Rzeszow is only 32 minutes.
Even so, that's still enough time for the crew to pass through the cabin with a basket full of chocolate wafers and sour jelly sticks for passengers to pick from. There's also a choice of still or sparkling water.
The crew on this flight are more senior Than the previous crew. And possibly also more experienced. Perhaps that's why they're a lot more pleasant and far more relaxed about the service – despite the short flight time.
Eventually we land at 23h30. The airport is deserted, save for a Lufthansa Cityline aka Germanwing aka Eurowings aka Let's-see-what-they'll-come-up-with-next Bombardier Regional jet which has also just landed.
The airport is very small and easy to navigate through. Once I'm landside, I grab a taxi into town. There are no more busses this time of day. The journey takes about 25 minutes.
Uber has no licence to operate in Rzeszow. But instead there's Bolt, which is pretty much the same thing.
Author knightofmaltaPosted on December 9, 2019 April 23, 2020 Categories E 175, Embraer 175, LOT Polish Airlines, Premium Economy ClassTags airlines, AIRPORT, aviation, Embraer 175, flying, LOT, poland, Polish airlines, Premium Economy, rzeszow, transportation, travel, trip report, trip review, Warsaw2 Comments on LOT Polish Airlines, Economy Class – Embraer 175: Warsaw to Rzeszow
KLM Cityhopper, Business Class – Embraer 175: London Heathrow to Amsterdam
Heathrow is having one of those days. The gusting winds mean there is more separation between the approaching aircraft, and as a result, everything seems to be running late – in some cases even as much as one hour or more.
The SkyTeam Lounge
In Terminal 4 KLM shares the Business Class lounge with some of its other SkyTeam partners, including China Southern, Korean Air and Aeroflot. I rather like the SkyTeam lounge in Heathrow. It's got a modern and fresh feel to it, and the choice of hot and cold food is rather good.
This evening though, the lounge is full of unhappy Frenchmen. The Air France flight to Paris is running nearly ninety minutes late and passengers with connecting flights in Paris have already been informed that they're likely not going to make their onward flights. Which of course is a merde.
My flight is running slightly late as well. Boarding is scheduled for 19h55, which passes without the ground crew announcing that there's going to be a delay. Eventually, at 20h30 boarding for the flight begins.
Tonight's flight is being operated by an Embraer 175 of KLM Cityhopper. The flight is more or less sold out, which is why the ground crew are offering passengers to check in their baggage free of charge. I'm guessing this is the reason why eventually it takes us until 21h10 to finally complete the boarding process.
There are two rows of Business Class seats on this flight, although on KLM Cityhopper it's difficult to tell the difference, seeing as both seats on the row of two are sold, even in Business Class. Luckily, I'm on 1A, and by the time boarding is completed, the aisle seat next to me is still empty.
There are two young ladies working the flight today. They're your usual KLM friendly cabin crew. What they lack in finesse, they certainly make up for with their genuine and unpretentious approach to dealing with passengers.
There is no service on the ground. The flight time to Amsterdam is forty-five minutes.
No sooner has the main landing gear left the ground, the aircraft starts shaking and swinging around as though it were a feather. Even so, before the fasten seatbelt sign is even turned off, the crew start their preparations for the service.
A while ago, KLM updated the boxes and the meals that are serve in Business Class on the Cityhopper flights. I'm mean, it's still a box. But even so, I still think it's an improvement in that the new box seems bigger and more spacious.
Inside the box there is a falafel and hummus salad, two pieces of bread and butter and a dessert.
The salad is good and very light. I soak up the hummus with one of the breads provided with the meal and that is still warm. I don't try the dessert.
Very soon we start our descent into Amsterdam. The weather here is no better and we dip and roll violently on the approach. Eventually, after a flight time of only forty minutes, we touch down on the Polderbaan. From here it's another ten minutes taxiing to the Cityhopper apron. By the time we come to a stop on our designated remote stand, it's just gone 23h00 and we're running thirty minutes late.
We enter the terminal, which is deserted at this time of night. At least that means it doesn't take long for the bags to start arriving…
Author knightofmaltaPosted on February 9, 2019 May 3, 2020 Categories Business Class, E 175, Embraer 175, KLMTags Amsterdam Schiphol, Economy Class, klm cityhopper, london heathrow, trip report, trip review1 Comment on KLM Cityhopper, Business Class – Embraer 175: London Heathrow to Amsterdam
Aeromexico Connect, Economy Class – Embraer 170: Querétaro to Mexico City
Seat: 16C, aisle
Querétaro Airport is about 35km from the old town and the journey there can take you anything between thirty minutes and two hours, depending on traffic. Fortunately for me, it's Saturday morning and although there is quite some traffic around, it's still rather harmless in comparison to weekdays.
The hotel orders an Uber to pick me up at the hotel at 11h15. As far as I know, there is no public transport out to the airport. The journey by Uber costs 250 pesos.
Querétaro airport has a dinky little terminal that is obviously way too small to handle all the traffic the airport gets. From what I can tell though, the terminal is currently in the process of expansion and renovation.
The check-in agent informs me when I check in that there will be a delay to our flight of roughly 45 minutes, which has the wiry R. complaining about not wanting to sit inside the terminal when it's such a lovely day out. I think he just wants a smoke. And so we decide to park ourselves in the shade outside the terminal until it's time for us to go through security.
There is a lounge but apparently it's not open for passengers of any of the airlines operating into Querétaro unless they are Priority Pass members.
Boarding starts with a delay of 45 minutes. The gate agent comes on the speaker to make an announcement about the flight, but the volume of the mike is so loud that nobody can understand a word of what he's saying. Whatever. Luckily for me, there are no contact stands at Querétaro, so we're going to have to walk across the apron in the sun.
The cabin is in an Economy Class only layout and contrary to my expectations, the seat pitch is rather good and comfortable. I'm sitting on row 16, which is nice because it's not very often I get to sit behind the wing and can watch the control surfaces moving.
The crew seem friendly enough, although they refuse to speak anything other than Spanish. But they obviously take safety very seriously on this flight, which is the main thing.
I really haven't been too lucky with the meal services on Aeromexico and this flight is no exception. Despite the fact that the flight from Querétaro to Mexico City is only thirty minutes long, Aeromexico still do a full drinks service and also distribute packets of nuts. But alas, by the time we start out initial descent, they have only reached row 12 and I'm on row 16. And so the service is abruptly ended and the trolley stowed away before the rear of the aircraft is served. I don't think I mind not being given anything to eat or drink, but I must say I do find it a bit strange, to say the least, that the crew can't even be bothered to make an announcement to apologize.
And so, very quickly we're already coming in over the vastness of Mexico City, where the smog is lying thick above the ground as usual.
Transfer in Mexico City
Aeromexico uses Terminal 2 in Mexico City. Despite the delay arriving in Mexico City, I still have layover of another six hours before my connection departs from Terminal 1. So I've booked myself into the Marriott Courtyard at the airport, which is connected via footbridge to Terminal 1. The nice thing about the Courtyard is that there is a complimentary shuttle from Terminal 2.
Author knightofmaltaPosted on May 15, 2017 December 12, 2020 Categories Aeromexico, E 170, Economy Class, Embraer 175Tags Aeromexico, aeromexico review, aeromexico trip report, AIRPORT, aviation, flying, mexico city, queretaro, review, transportation, travelLeave a comment on Aeromexico Connect, Economy Class – Embraer 170: Querétaro to Mexico City
Alitalia, Economy Class – Embraer 175: Zürich to Rome
Flight time: 1 hour 3 minutes
On 25 April 2017 Alitalia's management announced that the unions had rejected the carrier's restructuring plan, even though Etihad Airways and the Italian government, in a moment of mental aberration, had agreed to inject even more money into the notoriously lossmaking operation in Rome.
And so the carrier's management was left no other option but to declare bankruptcy. In the meantime, the Italian government announced that it would only be able to give the airline a credit (never to be seen again…) to keep the airline afloat until a more permanent solution can be found. Meanwhile though, the banks in Italy have explained that they were not in a position to invest in the company.
So is this the end of the road for Alitalia? It very much looks like it. But strangely enough, even while I write this, in my mind I can hear Gloria Gaynor belting out a powerful rendition of that tedious epic classic 'I will survive'…
I'm travelling with the wiry R. again. We're starting out from the office in Winterthur, which is a journey of about fifteen minutes by train to Zürich airport. We catch the 16h28 train and already it's standing room only.
At Zürich airport Alitalia's handling is done by DNATA on row 2 of check-in 2. Web check-in, app check-in and self-service check-in are not possible in Zürich, so you have to go to the counter to obtain your boarding pass.
The flight is boarding from gate B34. There is a first boarding call which seems a bit useless, given that it isfor passengers in Business Class, Frecce Alata, Etihad Guest, SkyTeam Elite and SkyTeam Elite Plus passengers – which probably account for about 90% of the passengers on this evening's flight.
The seat pitch is good and I can easily stretch my legs. What's more, row 10 is properly aligned with the window, which means you can look out the window without any major contortions.
The cabin and seat look very neat, clean and well maintained. As far as comfort goes though, the seat could be better. But this seems to be a general issue on the Embraers: the seats are a bit too low for my liking.
There are two cabin crew on the flight, one male and one female and both of them are in their early forties, I would say. And both of them have the biggest 'couldn't give a shit' expression on their faces I've ever seen. Okay, so let's be gentle with them and put it down to concern over their beloved employer's impending demise.
During the service, the crew's mood shifts from 'couldn't give a shit' to 'my goodness, I'm so glamorous because actually, I'm a model you know'. Which, for the female means that she laughs like an imbecile for no apparent reason while the male simply gives everyone the stink eye and refuses to talk to anybody other than his colleague. Charming, I'm sure.
Ooh, crackers! And a choice of water, Coke or Diet Coke. That's it. This is usually where I go off on the kind of tangent that really irritates the more aeronautically interested readers of my blog who are keen on airplane pictures and not food descriptions – all very well written and tastefully poetic of course – of the catering. But what can say? It's just crackers. Although I must say the sparkling water I have with that really goes well. A symphony actually!
The flight time to Rome is just over one hour and we have good visibility all the way, providing some excellent views of the Alps as we make the crossing. We park on a remote stand, from where we are bussed to the terminal. Our flight arrives in Terminal 1.
In Rome we're staying at the Hilton Garden Inn at Fiumicino Airport. There is a complimentary shuttle bus that runs from the departure concourse of Terminal 1 to the hotel every fifteen minutes and takes about ten minutes to make the journey.
All in all there is nothing much to say about this flight. The crew could have been perhaps a bit more engaging and a bit less useless. Other than that, I can't really complain. They got me there.
Author knightofmaltaPosted on May 6, 2017 April 21, 2020 Categories Alitalia, E 175, Economy Class, Embraer 175Tags AIRPORT, Alitalia, aviation, fiumicino, flying, review, Rome, transportation, travel, trip report1 Comment on Alitalia, Economy Class – Embraer 175: Zürich to Rome
KLM Cityhopper, Business Class – Embraer 175: Inverness to Amsterdam
Flight time: 1 hour and 25 minutes
Seat: 2F, window on the starboard side – upgraded from 6A
Transport: Car rental
Journey time: 45 minutes because we got lost…
I leave The Coul House at 08h40. The air up here is just so fresh that it really is a pleasure to just stand there inhaling a few breaths of the crisp, cool air. It must have been cold last night, because the windscreen is covered in a thin layer of ice where the night's dew froze on the car.
The sun is just coming up over the highlands. The valleys are still thick with fog, and as the sun rises higher in the sky, the light creates strange and beautiful illusions.
Location: On the ground floor of the terminal, on your right as you enter the building.
Counters: There are two counters for KLM, one is the drop-off counter and the other is the SkyPriority counter for Business Class passengers and Platinum/Gold card holders.
Facilities: Counter check-in, self-service check-in, Web check-in via the KLM app.
By the time the car has been dropped off and I reach check-in, it is 09h45 and my flight is scheduled to depart in about one hour. There is a bit of a hold up at the SkyPriority counter because there are two guys checking in weapons.
The Swissport Aspire Lounge
Type of lounge: Swissport Aspire contractor lounge.
Location: Near gate 3
Facilities: Comfortable sofas to sit on as well as other seating options, toilets are available outside the lounge.
Catering: A selection of hot and cold drinks and small breakfast snacks – things like Cornflakes or scones with clotted cream.
Wifi: Complimentary wifi is available in the lounge, the password is printed on the wall.
To be honest, I am quite surprised they have a lounge at all here in Inverness. It is a nice place with good amenities. The view in particular is brilliant because you are at ground level and have excellent views of the ramp. The lounge is managed by an elderly gentleman and he really is brilliant. He is very chatty and quite funny actually, and makes passengers feel instantly welcome with his joking. He keeps a low profile in the lounge, and most of the time you do not even notice he is there, but somehow everything is cleared up straight away.
Priority boarding is available. A separate call is made for Business Class passengers and Platinum members only, then for Gold and Silver members and eventually for everybody else. There is also a separate queue.
The scanner issues an alert as my boarding pass is scanned and the gate agent informs me I have been upgraded to Business Class again. It is quite surprising just how often that seems to happen on KLM these days.
I take my new pass and head out across the apron, taking pictures of the shiny chariot that will be taking me to Amsterdam this morning.
Configuration: 2 + 2.
Pitch: 32 inches, which gradually decreases to 30 inches by row nine.
Seat: There are two rows of Business Class on this flight. The seat next to me is kept empty. The seat on the Embraer 175 looks slightly different to that on the Embraer 190. Other than that though, it feels pretty much the same to sit in. On the first few rows the windows on the Embraer 175 are properly aligned with the passenger seats, so at least you have a good view of the outside. Towards the back though, the windows are increasingly unaligned. As a result, you end up either cranking your head back to look out through the window behind you, or sharing the window with the guy sitting in front of you, which is likely to give you tunnel vision…
There are two crew working the cabin. The purser is a young man in his mid-twenties, I should say. The other is a young woman who seems younger. Both of them are very professional and friendly, just your typical bog standard KLM flight attendants basically, which is what I like about KLM.
Before the doors close, the young man comes by offering a selection of English, French, German and Dutch newspapers.
Type of meal: Lunch
Selection: Two choices for the sandwich
Service: Individual service – the meal is served in a box on the Cityhopper lights, which looks better than it sounds.
Greek salad with feta cheese and pumpkin, with a mango chilli and lime dressing.
Salmon and egg wrap with spinach and cream cheese.
Tropical Pina Colada mousse with a lime topping.
A selection of hot and cold drinks.
After the meal I have a coke Zero, which is served with two packets of some really tasty almonds.
It is a lovely day for flying and the views outside are spectacular. After take-off from Inverness we head out onto the North Sea, and stay there pretty much until we hit the coast of the Netherlands. The weather in Amsterdam is pretty bad though and we are required to circle over the sea before eventually we are cleared to make our approach.
In Amsterdam I have two hours to make my connection to Basel.
Author knightofmaltaPosted on October 2, 2016 May 3, 2020 Categories Business Class, E 175, Embraer 175, KLMTags AIRPORT, Amsterdam, Amsterdam Airport, aviation, Inverness, KLM, klm aircraft, klm business class, klm business class review, klm business class trip report, klm city hopper, klm cityhopper, klm flight, klm trip report, klm trip review, review, schiphol, transportation, travel, trip report, trip reviewLeave a comment on KLM Cityhopper, Business Class – Embraer 175: Inverness to Amsterdam
Alitalia, Econonmy Class – ERJ175/A320: Zürich via Rome to Tirana
Date: 19 April 2016.
Departure: 18:55 from Zürich.
Arrival: 23:45 in Tirana
Flight time: One hour and twenty minutes from Zürich to Rome, 55 minutes from Rome to Tirana.
It is time for the annual User Group Meeting. This year, the authorities in Albania have kindly invited us to host the event in the capital Tirana. I am rather looking forward to this trip, even though it is going to be only a very short visit. This will be my first visit to Tirana.
I am not looking forward to flying to Tirana though, because I am certainly not a fan of Alitalia's. For that I think I have simply had too many bad experiences with them. With striking being a popular national pastime in Italy for one, and their hub at Rome Fiumicino a filthy hovel for another, you really do not have much of an incentive to fly Alitalia. Even so, I chose Alitalia for this trip out of pure necessity. On Tuesdays I am teaching until the early afternoon. Alitalia is the only operator to offer a connection from Zürich to Tirana that will allow me to leave Zürich in the evening, without missing a day in the office or classroom.
I leave the office just after 17h00. I think spring is finally only just around the corner. It is a warm balmy evening, which is quite amazing, given that is was really cold and misty this morning.
Transport: Train.
Journey time: 13 or 17 minutes, depending on whether you take a fast train or the suburban train.
Departs from: Winterthur.
Arrives: Zürich Flughafen.
Cost: CHF4.30 for a one-way ticket.
Frequency: There are seven trains an hour between Winterthur and the airport, which depart at 03, 14, 25, 28, 44, 55, and 58 minutes past the hour. The departure at 44 minutes past the hour will take 17 minutes to complete the journey. All other trains run the course in 13 minutes.
Web link: For all schedule information, including real time information on delays, check out the website of the Swiss Federal Railways at www.sbb.ch. You can also purchase tickets via the website.
I catch the 17:25 departure from Winterthur, which arrives at the airport at 17:38. My flight will start boarding at 18:20, so I will not have long to wait.
From the platform of the airport station to the centralised security checkpoint for airside access, it is roughly a 10 minutes walk at a leisurely pace.
Location: Terminal 2.
Facilities: Check-in is only available at the counter in Zürich. Web check-in is not available and Alitalia does not use check-in machines in Zürich either.
Counters: Check-in is done on row 3, at the counters of DNATA.
The young man checking me in is friendly enough. To be honest, I think he is just so bored he is glad to have somebody to talk to. He issues both my boarding passes and then sends me on my way.
Location: One floor up from the main airside centre. The stairs and lift are at the far end of the airside centre, to the left and just before the escalators to the B and D concourse.
Type of Lounge: DNATA Aspire lounge.
Facilities: Bistro style tables and a variety of sofas and loungers, newspapers and magazines. There are no toilets in the lounge.
Catering: A selection of mainly cold dishes like sandwiches or cheese. However, there is usually also a hot option, for example soup.
Internet: At reception an access code for the internet is printed for you.
By the time I have changed some money – fifty Swiss Franks will end you up with 5000 Albanian Leks – and gone through security, there is not that much time left, so I figure I might as well skip the lounge and just spend what little time I have watching the traffic on the apron.
Priority Boarding: Available, although so many passengers are eligible for priority boarding with Alitalia that I figure I might as well not bother.
Configuration: 2 + 2
Seat: 9A, window on the port side of the vessel.
Width: 18.2 inches.
Description: The last time I flew on Alitalia's Embraer 175, the experience was hardly anything to write home about. My biggest rant with the cabin at the time was that none of the seats were properly aligned with the windows. As a result, you either had to twist your neck backwards painfully to look out, or make due with a window half concealed by the seat in front of you.
Much to my surprise though, the cabin on today's flight is in much better condition, in fact it looks rather attractive. The seats are fairly thin but still comfortable. They are in dark blue leather. The headrests are of bright red material, which makes for an attractive contrast. At 30 inches the seat pitch is good and there is plenty of space to stretch your legs.
On this evening's flight, there are two rows of Business Class. The rest of the cabin is for Economy Class. The seat load is good, but there are still a few empty seats here and there.
As I board the aircraft, two things strike me immediately. First of all, the cabin is awfully hot because the APU has not been turned on. The cabin feels like a sauna. The second thing, and this is where it gets really bizarre, is that they have Barry Manilow's 'Mandy' blaring away as the passengers file through the aircraft to find their seat…
There are two cabin crew. The purser is a gentleman of Indian descent and seems friendly enough. The other cabin crew is a female in her early fifties. The only remarkable thing about her is that she has the most outrageously oversized fake eyelashes.
Okay, so the bad news is that Alitalia's famous blood orange juice has fallen victim to Etihad's rigorous attempts to give Alitalia any semblance of being a 'proper' airline. The good news however, is that they are serving proper food again and not just a packet of stale peanuts. The meal consists of:
A small sandwich of grilled bread, filled with Mozzarella, tomato, ruccola and a pesto sauce.
A cup of mineral water.
A nicely scented wet wipe which smells very similar to Bulgari's Essence de Thé Vert.
The meal hits the spot nicely. Outside the Alps provide a spectacular backdrop during dinner.
Our flight time to Rome is only one hour and twenty minutes. Thus, we arrive thirty minutes ahead of schedule. The approach is truly spectacular. First we pass right over the centre of the city, below the engine I can make out the Emanuele Vittorio monument, which looks like a giant wedding cake in the evening light. We continue on a southerly track for a while, before eventually we do a 180 turn onto the approach, which takes us along the coast. With the sun setting in the distance, the Mediterranean looks quite dramatic.
Transfer in Rome
Our aircraft parks at the far end of the B concourse. From here I follow the signs for the shuttle bus to the H concourse, from where my flight to Tirana will be leaving. The transfer is pretty easy and straightforward. The journey time is roughly five minutes. Immigration is conducted in the B concourse before getting on the bus.
If there is one, I can not find it. The H concourse looks like a provisionally erected building. I am assuming the facility will close down once the new terminal opens later this year.
In the absence of a lounge, I buy myself a sandwich, a salad and a Coke Zero for EUR13.50 from the only bar available in the whole waiting area.
Boarding for the flight is from a bus gate. The flight is completely full, so it takes three buses to bring all the passengers to the aircraft.
Seat: 15F, window seat on the starboard side of the vessel.
Pitch: 33 inches on the first row, which then gradually decreases to 30 inches by row 8.
Description: Alitalia operates the Airbus A 320 in two different configurations with a seating capacity of either 148 in a mixed class configuration for international flights, or with a capacity of 165 in a single class Economy Class only configuration for domestic flights. However, the distinction is not always clear and often Alitalia will also use the high-density configured aircraft on international routes as well.
There are three ladies and one gentleman as cabin crew on tonight's flight. In contrast to the crew from the previous flight, this bunch is really excellent. They are very alert, charming in a way only the Italians can pull off and they are very conscientious about safety on board.
The meal service on this flight is identical to the previous flight's, despite the relatively short flight time of only 55 minutes. Given that it is already past ten in the evening by the time the service begins, I opt for a packet of biscuits, rather than having another sandwich.
Eventually we land in Tirana with a delay of about thirty minutes, which we incurred departing from Rome. As it happens, the Austrian Airlines flight from Vienna has just landed ahead of us. As a result, the queues for immigration are rather long and it takes about 35 minutes to reach the head of the queue.
In Tirana I will be staying at the Tirana Airport Hotel, which is right across the road from the terminal.
So what about Alitalia? As I mentioned in the beginning, I really was expecting the worst from them. In hindsight though, I must admit that they weren't actually all that bad. More over, it seems to me that you can definitely see Etihad's influence coming through. Somehow, the staff in the air and on the ground just seem more customer oriented.
Author knightofmaltaPosted on April 20, 2016 April 21, 2020 Categories A 319, Airbus A 319, Alitalia, E 175, Economy Class, Embraer 175Leave a comment on Alitalia, Econonmy Class – ERJ175/A320: Zürich via Rome to Tirana