Sex 'N Spas: The Future Of In-Flight Entertainment

Careening through the air 10,000m above the ground can be a brutal experience. To help us cope, airlines have evolved some pretty sophisticated on-demand entertainment in the form of games, movies, internet and the occasional backrub. Here’s a look at some of the ambitious ideas that got us there, the failures along the way, and concepts we might see in the future.

Luxury for your eyes only

In-flight entertainment has always been more or less synonymous with movies because it’s a convenient and cost-effective way to placate passengers. Sure, in the early days, dating back to the short-lived zeppelin experiment, flying was treated as a luxury experience akin to flying in a fancy hotel, or a the very least in a floating train. But by the time commercial flight really took off after World War II, airlines were cramming passengers into crowded cabins much the way theatre proprietors stuffed them into auditoriums. It seems only natural to show them a flick.

Of course, in-flight movies weren’t easy. They’ve required lots of experimentation over the years, a process that’s well-documented in a paper from the Airline Passenger Experience Association. The earliest confirmed in-flight movie was a silent film called Howdy Chicago, shown on brief airborne jaunts around the city during the 1921 Pageant of Progress. The first in-flight soundtrack to a movie came a few years later, and was actually played by a live orchestra and beamed to an aeroplane over radio waves, since you can’t bring a full orchestra onto a plane. This theme comes up repeatedly in air travel, and particularly when we’re talking about amenities beyond the basics: Only the bare minimum flies.

In the early years, huge, cumbersome 16mm reels were used to project feature films to airline passengers. The hulking reels were later supplanted by the conveniences of Super 8, which itself gave way to video. In the early 80s, a businessman had the idea that the tiny LCD displays he’d recently seen at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas could be used to give everyone in a plane their own private display. These displays now serve as the centrepiece of the on-demand audio/visual/ gaming experiences we have onboard any longer flight these days. When combined with the electronic devices we bring with us, and the occasional spotty internet access, our attention is completely consumed. In-flight shopping? In-flight magazines? Nah. We’re all about in-flight watching.

The very friendly skies

Of course, we can only zone out so much given how uncomfortable those seats are. So why not a little hanky panky? Unfortunately, joining the Mile High Club on a long-haul over the Atlantic is still going to require equal parts courage and sneakiness. But that hasn’t stopped plenty of fly-by-night charter services from cropping up to help satisfy people’s fantasies

Today, Flamingo Air, a Cincinnati based carrier, serves up an hour in the air for you, your partner, a complementary bottle of champagne, and a “very discreet pilot,” all for $US425. The “official” Mile High Club website lists similar purveyors all over the country, some of which appear to be now defunct. There’s even a Dutch escort service for those of you travelling in that socially permissive part of the world.

Sure, you land at the same airport you took off from, but at least you get to go all the way.

The A380 and unfulfilled promise

Even if in-flight entertainment seems relatively stable these days, it hasn’t stopped people in recent years from dreaming bigger than what tin vessels can support. In April 2005, the double decker Airbus A380 took off after years of development, and several airlines started to make lofty promises about the fun we’d one day enjoy aboard the new planes.

Shortly after his airline’s maiden A380 flight, flamboyant British billionaire Richard Branson announced that some of the newly purchased fleet would be outfitted with both gyms and casinos on board. Neither ever came to fruition.

In a 

survey of airline gambling history earlier this year, CNN points out that the casino in the air is hardly a new idea. It’s been tried in limited ways for over 30 years. That gambling has been explicitly illegal in United States airspace since 1994 hasn’t stopped imaginative designers from coming up with new concepts for sky casinos.

As for gyms, fitness seems like a natural fit for a luxury airliner. Sitting on your butt for long periods of time isn’t just boring, it’s unhealthy. Unfortunately, there are just too many roadblocks. Considering that airlines are too cheap to let you fly with a checked bag for free, maybe we shouldn’t be surprised that loading bulky equipment onto a plane doesn’t gel with the efficiency needs of the contemporary airline business. But, hey, a least Virgin Atlantic’s got instructions on an in-flight routine to help you stay fit without even getting out of your seat.

In the end, the biggest improvement we saw from the A380 came in the form of the very expensive suites, or semi-private seats that turn into beds so that flush business types can get some rest while on extra-long flights. And no, they won’t let you get freaky in the cabins.

For a few years there, it was looking like the true future of in-flight entertainment was just helping you get to sleep. That’s seeming less likely now. Just yesterday, Singapore Airlines stopped its 19-hour flight from JFK to Changi Airport, the longest in the world. And so far, Airbus has only delivered 115 of its mammoths. It’s looking increasingly likely that the future of in-flight entertainment is going to have to think small.

The personal touch

All along, this problem has really been about making people more comfortable and reducing the physical and mental stress of flying. A little spectacle on the screen helps, as do comfier seats. What’s not going to happen is anything too ambitious in the form of fun. No tennis on the wings, no gym, no beauty parlour. So how’s in flight entertainment going to get better? It’s going to get smarter.

In a recent paper, researchers Hao Uu, Ben Salem, and Matthias Rauterberg described a part framework for making inflight entertainment better, which is going to to sound very familiar to anyone who has used smart, adaptive internet services before. In short, future in-flight entertainment should use context awareness and user profiles to help serve up better stuff faster. The system should be flexible, responsive, and customisable.

That’s a little abstract, so let’s try to bring this high-flying entertainment concept back to earth. What the researchers are proposing is that on-demand content on aeroplanes should work much the way Spotify, Xbox One and Google recommendations work when we’re at our desks or our couches. It’ll be the same entertainment just better tailored to each of us. Less looking around for what you want, more finding it.

The real question is whether that’ll even matter by the time it can be implemented at a broad scale; smartphone and tablet adoption rates are combining with improved in-flight Wi-Fi options to create a world in which the best in-flight entertainment is the one you have in your pocket.

Credits to Mario Aguilar

Happy Thanksgiving

Grateful for my life, my health and my strength. Grateful for peace, longevity.

So grateful for my team who has been with me for 10 long years now. Cow, you have always been my pillar. Thank you for believing in what I write. Without you, I will not be a part of your amazing music career. Aben, Jason, Ashley, Max and also Brand, thank you for keep pushing me on what I do.

Dumdum, I thank God for you because you believed in me and you never gave up. You seen something in me others failed to see.

Leo, than you for stepping into my life at the time I really needed. You are a best friend, brother and almost like a counselling maid ( Yes, I am rubbing that in ) to me and I just wanna tell you how grateful I am for you being in my life.

Rainer, Garend, Andrew, Daniel, Cornflakes and Danny. You guys came in to my life just in time to feel that empthy lonely feeling of me. You are my family and I am grateful for that. Love you!

Mom and Dad, words cannot express how I feel about you. You never turned your back on me and never left. We can talk about anything . You guys are always like my best friend who I always have. I would cross the ocean for you,I will go and bring you the moon for you.

My brother, I am just grateful that you are still here. Just seeing your faces (even on FaceTime) makes me tears. I love you both so much my lil bros!

Grateful that I woke up this morning because somebody didn't or should I say some people if they could bring back a love one. Someone special they would. Grateful that the chains have been broken. No more chains holding me back.

To my writing team in LA, and the whole band, I love you and miss you so much! Thankful to all that supported me in my career and everything I do. Happy Turkey Day!

Last thing, I am grateful that I did not let my career or the entertainment business change me or allow me to lose site of what I really love. And that's my music. 

The 3 Events Of Life

I never thought that this track has such a beautiful video. The song itself is already so powerful and conquering, and yet the video really shows the 3 things in life that I have to agree puts on an impact on us. It is just how we wanna acknowledge those events.

A Child's Innocents

The innocence that a child has is just a pure energy of what life could be. I am pretty sure most of us couldn't even remember how it was. But if you have a young fellow around, you realize that for a child, it is all constant analyzing to act on what is next for them.

I realize this on my youngest cousin who is only 3 years old. As cute as a child could look, one thing I can say from what I observe is the security they wanted. But their innocence is the one thing they hold on to make things meet. It is one of the most beautiful yet painful to see. The whole process of growing up, and being slowly stripped with that pure innocence that was born with. The first event in life that we will never remember.


The First Heart Break

Some people goes through this phase by holding on. Some people just let go. I believe most of us been through this whole process of falling in and out of love. But there are some still yearning for the day to come. I am not talking about the idea of being in love, but those who were in love and it fell apart. Some of us hold to this very day on what lasted for that brief moment.

We mourn, we grief, and we move on. But do you still remember the first heart break? I really wished I could say I can. I remember the details on what happen. But years after years, time just slowly washed that pain away. Memories stays, but that first heart break, that moment you knew what is left for you is just walking away. What you felt at that moment, memories may bring back bits and pieces, but what the heart felt, it is just a thought. And there we have the second event in life. Learning to walk away even we don't want to at that time.

Greeting Death

The final event in life, is one thing we will never really know how it felt. Yes, death is certain. And one thing I can surely say is those that they left behind, were the one to grief on the lost. I know death is inevitable, but it is also something that I don't really talk about openly. Not that I am afraid of death, I think, I would welcome death in a way that I somehow imagine I would. It is really hard to find words to describe. Somehow, it is just something I've always been living day by day with that idea around me. Well, let's not go there. At least for now.

One little thing we can be certain are those we love that we left behind. That pain is something that will be a part of us. Remembering the day Eli left us, our family never really felt whole ever since. We never ever really talked about him. Even losing a friend, it isn't easy at all. Yes, we move on after, but do we really able to let go of this? There is so much in my mind that I needed answers, but it is just a matter a fact that it will never ever be answered.

Saying goodbye is one thing, it is never easy to do. But to say goodbye back to our love ones, the idea of what is left back there. The one last event in life that we could never have a clear answer.

The journey in life, is just as mysterious as the idea of living. Life is but a dream. There are things we have to deal with everyday, and there are things we wanna run away every day. It is just like how I am telling myself that all would just be if I really wanted to. Living with cancer is one thing, but to deal with cancer everyday is yet another. And it all comes down to all the little small details in life that really matters. There is so much I have just missed, so much that I wished I could relived those moments. But I know, life is a journey, and ain't a destination. So, where do I wanna go from here? 

Cried

There's nothing left

'Cause you took it all

I hope to fly

But you make me fall

And I'm tired, oh I

I kept a smile for all those years

But I'm so sick of finding my tears

I'm so tired, oh I

And I'm, am I waiting?

No more holding it in

So I cried, and I cried

And I cried, and I cried

So I cried, for all of the pain that you brought

And I cried, for all of the heart ache you caused

I tried to be the girl that never complains

But holding it in is driving me insane

So I cried, oh I cried

I'm on a limb

And I'm 'bout to jump

I gave it all

But you gave me none

And I'm tired, oh I

Down inside, feel it coming now

I wanna but I kissed, I'm now

And I'm tired, oh I

And I'm, am I waiting?

No more holding it in

So I cried, and I cried

And I cried, and I cried

This is for every time I let it go

All of the nights I spent alone

It's been too hard to hold back the pain

So like the cloud let it fall like the rain

Yes I'm gon' make a sound

'Cause I'm crying out loud

So I cried, for all of the pain that you brought

And I cried, for all of the heart ache you caused (caused)

I tried to be the girl that never complains

But holding it in is driving me insane

So I cried, and I cried

British Airways, Qantas mull ‘comeback’ to KLIA

British Airways (BA) and Qantas Airways is in active discussion with Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) for a possible comeback to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) after a decade on optimism of the local economy and enhancing their Asean connectivity.

These airlines left during the financial crisis mainly due to low load factor.

It would probably take two years at the least for BA to decide, according to MAHB general manager (marketing) Mohamed Sallauddin Mat Sah.

It was previously reported that BA and Qantas would wait for the Asean Open Skies Policy in 2015, before making any expansion move in the region.

Few other legacy comeback airlines currently operating in KLIA are Air France (returning after 30 years), Turkish Airlines, Philippines Airlines and Lufthansa German Airlines.

“What is pertinent right now is that BA has recognised the importance of the Malaysian market,” Mohamed Sallauddin told reporters after three legacy carriers have made a comeback to KLIA,” he said on the sidelines of Lufthansa’s media meet to announce the airline’s promotional fares from Kuala Lumpur to Frankfurt yesterday.

German airline, Lufthansa, announced the new five times a week non-stop direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to its hub in Frankfurt by the first quarter of 2014.

“Now with Lufthansa German Airlines announcing nonstop flights to Kuala Lumpur, it has helped MAHB’s bid into getting BA back.

“Therefore, we have actually made a good impression to the BA team. So, sooner or later, we wish they could resume flights to Kuala Lumpur,” he said.

Meanwhile, Lufthansa GM for Malaysia Paurus Nekoo said the flights which will operate from March 30 next year, is part of its current service extensions and flight schedule measures within South- East Asia, where the German airline will increase its seat capacity.

“We are targeting 100% load factor. We are very confident as our connectivity and destinations are the best anyone could get in the whole European region,” he said, adding that currently the airline’s KL-Bangkok- Frankfurt flight is running close to 90% load factor.

The German airline has also introduced promotional fares starting from as low as RM2,888 for economy class, to over 50 destinations in the Europe. The special rates are open for sales until Dec 8, 2013.

Firefly To Launch Kota Bharu-Bangkok

Malaysian airline Firefly is planning to launch flights to Bangkok.

Commencing on 24 January 2014, the carrier will operate four weekly flights to the Thai capital’s Don Mueang International Airport, direct from Kota Bharu, on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Services will operate every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday using an ATR turboprop aircraft.

“This new route is an indication that Firefly is marking a significant growth and concurrently offering wider travelling options for business and leisure to and from Thailand. With connections to cities such as Koh Samui, Phuket and now Bangkok, Firefly will market this sector and simultaneously promote the attractions that these cities have got to offer,” said Firefly’s CEO, Ignatius Ong.

A regional subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines, Firefly currently operates to destinations on the Malay Peninsula and surrounding countries including Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia.

American Music Awards 2013: Full Winners List

Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, One Direction and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis were the biggest winners at the 2013 American Music Awards on Sunday. Check out a full list of winners below.

ARTIST OF THE YEARTaylor Swift

ICON AWARDRihanna

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR PRESENTED BY KOHL'S
Ariana Grande 

SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Florida Georgia Line Featuring Nelly, "Cruise"

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – POP/ROCKJustin Timberlake   

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – POP/ROCK
Taylor Swift

FAVORITE BAND, DUO OR GROUP – POP/ROCK
One Direction

FAVORITE ALBUM – POP/ROCK
One Direction, "Take Me Home"

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – COUNTRY
Luke Bryan

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – COUNTRY
Taylor Swift

FAVORITE BAND, DUO or GROUP - COUNTRY
Lady Antebellum

FAVORITE ALBUM - COUNTRY
Taylor Swift, "Red"

FAVORITE ARTIST – RAP/HIP-HOP
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

FAVORITE ALBUM – RAP/HIP-HOP
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, "The Heist"

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – SOUL/R&B
Justin Timberlake

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – SOUL/R&B
Rihanna

FAVORITE ALBUM – SOUL/R&B
Justin Timberlake, "The 20/20 Experience"

FAVORITE ARTIST - ALTERNATIVE ROCK
Imagine Dragons

FAVORITE ARTIST - LATIN
Marc Anthony 

FAVORITE ARTIST - ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC (EDM)
Avicii 

FAVORITE ARTIST - ADULT CONTEMPORARY
Maroon 5

FAVORITE ARTIST - CONTEMPORARY INSPIRATIONAL
Matthew West 

TOP SOUNDTRACK
"Pitch Perfect"

Boeing Troubles: First It Was Fire, Now It's Ice

On Friday The Boeing Co notified customers for its 747-8 and 787 Dreamliner that planes equipped with the GEnx engine from General Electric Co could have an icing problem if the planes flew too close to high-altitude thunderstorms. Japan Airlines (JAL) on Saturday said it would replace the Dreamliners on two of its routes in the coming week.

Other airlines that could be affected include Lufthansa, United Continental Airlines Co, and Cathay Pacific, all of which fly the same routes on which JAL will switch out its planes. For now those routes are between Tokyo and Delhi and Tokyo and Singapore.

Since April six airplanes using the GEnx engines have temporarily lost thrust in high-altitude icing conditions according to a report at Bloomberg News. Ice crystals can build up behind the front engine fan causing a temporary loss of thrust. Five 747s and one 787 have reported loss of thrust at high altitude, but there have been no accidents reported as a result of the problem.

The temporary solution is to avoid flying within 50 nautical miles of a high-altitude thunderstorm, but GE said it is working on a software fix that it hopes will solve the issue. According to GE the number of commercial planes now in the air has led to an increased number of icing reports, particularly from tropical regions. We are to conclude then that this is not an engine problem but rather an act of God?

Another Japanese carrier, All Nippon Airways (ANA), also flies Dreamliners, but those planes use engines from Rolls Royce which have not experienced a similar icing problem.

ANA is Boeing’s largest customer for the Dreamliner and JAL is the aircraft maker’s second largest. Both were hit hard by the three-month grounding of the planes earlier this year due to a battery problem that caused cockpit fires.

Malaysia Airlines Offers Year-end Promotional Fares

Malaysia Airlines is offering promotional airfares from Nov 25 to Dec 2, 2013, for travel between Nov 28, 2013 and June 30, 2014.

Economy class airfares will be discounted by up to 50 per cent, while those of business class will be slashed by as much as 60 per cent, according to a statement today.

These offers cover fares from Malaysia to destinations in Southeast Asia, North Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, Australia, North America and Europe.

Muzammil Mohamad, Regional Senior Vice President, Malaysia, said in the statement: "Malaysia is a beautiful place with much to offer and 2014 being the Visit Malaysia Year, we encourage domestic travel for Malaysians and others alike to explore this tropical paradise."

Underneath The Sheets?!

Well, all I can say now is that jet lag is a bitch! I got no idea how am I even gonna survive the next few days. But anyway, Dubai is really one amazing place. I've been transiting over this city so many times but this was the first for me to explore. All I can say it is just amazing. Anyway, gonna post all about Dubai when I am not feeling all these jet lag. 

So, I read this article shared by one of friend on twitter. It is about "Why You Should Always Have Sex On A First Date". It is really a good read. Ok fine, at least to me. At some point, I really do agree with the writer herself. So, I decided to actually do something similar. 

Going back to the time I first had sex at 15 till now 29, I really try remembering how many first dates I've been on and had sex on it. Surprisingly only one. (Hook ups doesn't count) Oh well, not that I am against the idea. It just didn't really happen. But at the point when I was like slutty and all, those who really wanted to date, I actually just brush it off and didn't bother. I guess it was a rebound period and the only thing that make sense to me was drugs and sex at that time. Don't ask me how many people that I've actually slept with, cause I really don't know and it is impossible to count.

Now back to the topic, not that I have many that I actually dated. So far, I had only dated 5 people (1 girl and 4 guys). It all didn't happen on the first date. When I dated Laine, it didn't happen until the 2nd year. I guess we were young that time. When I dated O, yea it was sex on our first date. Part of it didn't really work out is just like what the writer says. LOL! Then, N and Baby J happen.

But after so many years, the question I really have is what happens underneath the sheets, does it really matters? I don't know. At some point, I would say yes it matters. Good sex is bound in a good relationship. But also at times, I would say no. Loving someone is like a process. Even sex is an action of showing, giving and receiving love to and from the other. So, what is it really?

We human changes every minute. The things we want and the things we desire tend to change either. Everything in life is a constant change. But we cope with it. I guess it is how humans are - COMPLICATED! HAHAH! Oh well, it's just a thought. I hope Dumdum would never read this. I can imagine all the answers I have to come up with to cope with him. But if he did, all I have to say is I love you for who you are, and you always put me in a happy place. *puppy eyes*

It's Official : Emirates Orders 50 Airbus A380

Dubai's Emirates announced an order for 50 additional Airbus A380 superjumbos on Sunday, minutes after placing a record order for 150 Boeing jets at the opening of the Dubai Airshow on Sunday.

The deal is worth $23 billion at list prices and brings total orders from Emirates alone for the world's largest jetliner to 140 aircraft, its chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum told a news conference.

Since first entering service in 2007, the A380 has joined the fleets of ten world class carriers. The aircraft flies 8,500 nautical miles or 15,700 kilometres non-stop, carrying more people at lower cost and with less impact on the environment. The spacious, quiet cabin and smooth ride have made the A380 a firm favorite with both airlines and passengers, resulting in higher load factors wherever it flies.

“The A380 continues to be the flagship of our fleet and after five years in operation it remains highly popular with our passengers,” said HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group. “It is still one of the most efficient aircraft to operate today in terms of fuel burn and emissions per passenger, and it gives us the flexibility in some cases to meet passenger demand in slot-constrained markets. This latest order will help us meet both fleet expansion and fleet replacement needs.”

“We value our partnership with Emirates Airline and are pleased to see this getting stronger each day with their A380s flying,” said Fabrice Brégier, Airbus CEO and President. “By strategically placing the A380 at the centre of its business, Emirates is maximizing its leading position with each day of operations. Emirates has understood from the start the A380s advantages in terms of efficiency, economics and passenger comfort. It continues to be a true crowd-puller and contributor to the rapid development of its Dubai hub.”

Following delivery of their first A380 in July 2008, Emirates has now taken delivery of 39 A380s. Their 39th A380 is on Airbus’ static display at the 2013 Dubai Airshow. All Emirates’ A380s are powered by Engine Alliance GP7200 engines.

Since first entering service in 2007, the A380 has joined the fleets of ten world class carriers. The aircraft flies 8,500 nautical miles or 15,700 kilometres non-stop, carrying more people at lower cost and with less impact on the environment. The spacious, quiet cabin and smooth ride have made the A380 a firm favorite with both airlines and passengers, resulting in higher load factors wherever it flies.

The total A380 fleet has accumulated over one million flight hours in almost 140,000 commercial flights. To date some 50 million passengers have already enjoyed the unique experience of flying on board an A380. Every five minutes, an A380 either takes off or lands at one of the 34 airports where it operates today and the network is constantly growing.

Boeing Launches 777X with Record-Breaking Orders and Commitments

Boeing today launched the 777X program at the 2013 Dubai Airshow with a record-breaking number of customer orders and commitments for the newest member of its twin-aisle product family. Agreements for 259 airplanes from four customers across Europe and the Middle East provide a strong foundation to support development and production of the airplane.

Representing the largest product launch in commercial jetliner history by dollar value, 777X orders and commitments include Lufthansa with 34 airplanes; Etihad Airways with 25; Qatar Airways with 50 and Emirates with 150 airplanes. The combined value of the agreements is more than $95 billion at list prices.

"We are proud to partner with each of these esteemed airlines to launch the 777X – the largest and most-efficient twin-engine jetliner in the world," said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Ray Conner. "Its ground-breaking engine technologies and all-new composite wing will deliver unsurpassed value and growth potential to our customers."

The 777X builds on the passenger-preferred and market-leading 777, which today commands 55 percent of market share in its category in terms of backlog, and 71 percent of the in-service fleet worldwide. The 777X family includes the 777-8X and the 777-9X, both designed to respond to market needs and customer preferences.

The 777X builds on the best-in-class dispatch reliability from today's 777, as well as offering more market coverage and revenue capability that surpasses the competition. The 777-8X competes directly with the A350-1000, while the 777-9X is in a class by itself.

Opening new growth opportunities for airlines, the 777-9X offers seating for more than 400 passengers, depending on an airline's configuration choices. With a range of more than 8,200 nautical miles (15,185 km), the airplane will have the lowest operating cost per seat of any commercial airplane.

The second member of the family, the 777-8X, will be the most flexible jet in the world. The airplane will seat 350 passengers and offer an incredible range capability of more than 9,300 nautical miles (17,220 km). In addition, the airplane will have unmatched takeoff and payload capability compared to the competition.

"The airplane will build on the market-leading 777 and will provide superior operating economics," said Conner. "The airplane will be 12 percent more fuel efficient than any competing airplane, necessary in today's competitive environment."

The 777X introduces the latest technologies in multiple places, including the most advanced commercial engine ever – the GE9X by GE Aviation – and an all-new high-efficiency composite wing that has a longer span than today's 777. The airplane's folding, raked wingtip and optimized span deliver greater efficiency, significant fuel savings and complete airport gate compatibility.

Like the 787 Dreamliner which was launched as the 7E7, the 777X will be formally named at a later date. Design of the 777X is underway and suppliers will be named in the coming months. Production is set to begin in 2017, with first delivery targeted for 2020.

Etihad Airways Kick Off Dubai Airshow with 777X, 787-10 Orders

Etihad Airways today announced an order for 56 widebody airplanes with options and purchase rights for 26 additional airplanes, valued at a total of $25.2 billion at list prices, at the start of the 2013 Dubai Airshow.

The Abu Dhabi-based carrier’s order includes 25 777X airplanes, comprising 17 777-9Xs and eight 777-8Xs, subject to program launch. Etihad Airways is the first airline to order the 777-8X and will be a launch customer of the airplane, which is expected to enter service around the end of the decade. The order includes options and purchase rights for 12 additional 777X airplanes.

In addition, the airline has ordered 30 787-10s, the newest and largest member of the 787 Dreamliner family. When today’s order is combined with the carrier’s previous order for 41 787-9s, Etihad Airways becomes the world’s largest airline customer for the Dreamliner family with a total of 71 787s on order. The order includes options and purchase rights for an additional 12 787-10s.

"Our ongoing investment in the 787 is well-founded and is apparent by the record time in which the Dreamliner family received its 1,000th order," said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Ray Conner. "We are truly grateful for the continued confidence that our customers have placed in the 787 and together, we are excited about growing the product line and expanding our presence with this family of airplanes."

Pictured here are the 777-8X, 777-9X and 787-10 in Etihad livery.

Dubai Air Show 2013

David Cameron, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, visits EADS Group on eve of Dubai Airshow.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman of Emirates Group, said the Dubai Air Show 2013 reflects the importance the world's aviation industry attaches to the Middle East region despite challenges experienced by the global economy.

He added that the event enhances communication between aviation industry officials and decision makers on one hand, and the exhibitors on the other.

Sheikh Saeed told ‘Deraa Al Watan’ (Nation's Shield) in an interview, that what had started humbly at the halls of the Dubai World Trade Centre in 1986, has grown gradually since 1989.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman of Emirates Group. (FILE)

The Dubai Air Show in 1989 was hosted at the Dubai International Airport at land area of 7,000 square metres with participation of 200 exhibitors.

It was visited by 10, 000 specialists and employees in the sector.

He noted that the event represents a platform for the commercial and military aviation sectors to grow and prosper, hoping that the Dubai Air Show 2013 would be another extension to previous successes, especially this year's event draws hi-tech suppliers from worldwide.

Sheikh Saeed said, "We supported A380 aircraft when it was still a pilot project," noting that "We were the first to place A380 orders", helping the Airbus to shift from the design phase to the manufacture.

He added: "Our investments in A380 exceeds Dh180 billion. Emirates Airlines is the major company worldwide that operates A380.
Our A380 fleet is 38 aircrafts. We have placed orders to purchase 52 A380 aircrafts."

He added that Emiratis constitute 40 per cent of employees at Emirates Airline since 2008, 24 per cent of them occupy the leading positions, noting that there are 300 Emirati pilots and 400 aviation engineers.

Dubai Air Show Scoops Now Tip Big A380

After a crescendo of plausible stories about large scale ordering of Boeing 777-X series jets at the Dubai Air Show, the media ‘scoops’ are now tipping substantial orders (or letters of intent maybe) for Airbus A380s and A350s.

Whether these reports are as well informed as they seem should be known very soon, with the opening of the show later today.

However the UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, has appeared in Dubai, direct from the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka, giving interviews about how the ‘big’ orders Airbus will announced at Dubai 2013 will be good for his country as a major supplier of wings and engines to that consortium.

The A380 rumours began a few days ago, based on very clear hints from Emirates that it needed even more than the 90 of the large jets it has ordered, with close to 40 of them already in service.

The most precise story on this appeared this Sunday morning Australian time on Bloomberg, specifying that talks were underway for an order for an additional 50 A380s for Emirates , following weeks of stories, clearly not originating from Airbus, that the end of the A380 was nigh.

There are also reports appearing that Etihad will simultaneously but at a separate media conference, announce an order for around 30 Boeing 777-X ‘Super Twins’ when Emirates makes its much previewed order for anything from 50 to 175 of the larger and even more capable versions of the current 777 models.

However Etihad is said to have scheduled a second later media conference today to announce plans to buy up to 50 Airbus A350 series jets.

It needs to be kept in mind none of the above may occur. Air Shows are rumour generators. The last time Plane Talking referred to informed international sources it was about reports that the five Singapore Airlines A345s being withdrawn from ultra long range flights to America were going to Aerolineas Argentinas via an Airbus repurchase.

That report has since been withdrawn. And Aerolineas Argentinas is to quit Australia, ruining Plane Talking’s idle thought that it would be a good jet for Buenos Aires-Sydney. Just in case readers hear the mutterings about the jets going to Qantas, that is officially untrue. They are obviously destined for REX. The Wagga Wagga-Sydney route is in for a big surprise!

With another nine or more hours to go before show becomes tell in Dubai, expect more ‘scoops’ to come out. They will contain orders or MoUs that will come true. But we won’t know which ones are true until later today, or even later in this week.

Etihad Seen Close To Buying About 75 Airbus

The roughly $16 billion order, expected to be announced at the Dubai Airshow on Sunday, may include approximately 25 smaller A320neos, the sources said.

Etihad and Airbus declined to comment.

Airbus is developing the A350 to compete with Boeing's 787 Dreamliner and the proposed new 777X.

The Abu Dhabi carrier has already bought 35 A320s and 12 A350s.

Industry sources have said Etihad is also expected to order around 55 Boeing jets worth $18 billion from Boeing at the show, including 25 of its latest long-haul jet, the 777X..

Both Airbus and Boeing are expected to expand industrial partnerships with Abu Dhabi's state investment fund Mubadala, whose aerospace division is seeking to be a major supplier for advanced carbon-composite parts.

Through its Strata subsidiary, it already makes parts for both planemakers and is seeking to become a centre of excellence for aircraft tail sections known as empennage.

The week-long aviation show is expected to be dominated by Boeing as it launches its latest long-haul jet, code-named 777X, with up to 250 potential orders from airlines.

However, Airbus is hoping to get commitments for its A350s, A320neos, A330 as well as possibly the A380 superjumbo.

Dubai's flagship carrier Emirates is the largest customer for the superjumbo with 90 planes and has said it is interested in buying another 30, while leasing company Doric Lease Corp also says it expects to finalise an order soon.

Taking advantage of deep pockets and a geographically strategic position between East and West, Gulf airlines are expanding rapidly and diverting long-haul traffic from airlines in Europe, the United States and parts of Asia.

Boeing, Emirates at Center Stage of Dubai Air Show

Boeing is expected to launch its 777X at the Dubai Air Show that starts Sunday with a blockbuster order from Middle Eastern airline Emirates.

The carrier is set to place the biggest order yet in aviation history in coming days, in a commitment the company has called “enormous,” for as many as 150 upgraded Boeing 777X planes.

Already the largest long-haul airline, such a purchase would set Emirates further apart from rivals and secure its position as the dominant carrier for the next generation.

Based in Dubai at the crossroads of global-flight paths, Emirates has morphed from desert upstart into the biggest international carrier, a third larger than its next rival.

Such dominance puts pressure on Airbus and Boeing, whose widebody aircraft form Emirates’ fleet, with design and success of the planes increasingly decided by the Middle East carrier.

“Emirates wants it all — hot-weather performance, ultimate range going halfway around the world and the highest payloads,” said Robert Mann, an aviation consultant at R.W. Mann & Co. “For anyone else who buys a plane who isn’t going to need all those performance characteristics, it’s like buying a Ferrari to drive it to the supermarket.”

Emirates’ planned order will be the highlight of the Dubai Air Show, the biennial aviation expo that starts Sunday. The carrier has used past events to place major orders, buying 50 current-generation Boeing 777s in 2011 and six years ago 70 Airbus A350s and 11 A380 superjumbos.

Among other carriers set to announce purchases at the show are Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways.

This year’s event takes place at the new Al Maktoum International Airport for the first time, which Dubai is erecting to eventually take over from the Dubai International site. That airfield handled almost 58 million passengers last year, narrowing the gap to London Heathrow, the busiest international hub.

Emirates will lean on the new twin-aisle Boeing jet, with a range of 9,395 nautical miles, to expand its reach as it links its Dubai hub with almost any destination in the world. The deal aims to secure its dominance through at least 2030 and underpins its role as the make-or-break client for plane makers.

The carrier’s ability to flex its muscle is forcing Airbus and Boeing into a balancing act of satisfying one of the most active yet demanding jet buyers without alienating relationships with other carriers.

Lufthansa CEO Christoph Franz has bemoaned the design of wide-bodies being designed with ranges that U.S. and European carriers don’t necessarily need.

The Middle East “is an extremely important market for us” with significant growth prospects, said Harald Wilhelm, chief financial officer at Airbus parent European Aeronautic, Defence & Space Co.

Jeff Johnson, Boeing’s president for the region, said Friday that while it’s positive to have a customer with Emirates’ capabilities to help develop a plane, the 777X has numerous potential clients that have all influenced its design.

“They’re a heavy influence on what we do but we have to build these planes for the whole market,” he said in an interview in Dubai. “I don’t see it from any one carrier in particular.”

Expansion plans at Emirates, Qatar and Etihad highlight how the center of gravity for global-air travel is has shifted to the Middle East from Europe and North America. The three have a combined 347 wide-bodies on order, according to Doug Harned, a New York-based analyst at Sanford Bernstein.

“They’re a significant long-haul hub carrier today and arguably they’ll be more significant in a decade’s time if these growth plans come to fruition, ” Penny Butcher, an aviation analyst at Morgan Stanley in London, said of Emirates. “An order of that scale would continue their growth plan well into the next decade.”

Persian Gulf and Middle East carriers will propel increased flying in the next 20 years with growth of 7 percent, eclipsing of other markets, Boeing and Airbus predict. Emirates, whose international traffic is almost 30 percent bigger than No. 2 United, already operates 44 more widebodies than the next biggest long-range jet operator, Delta Air Lines.

Growth ambitions go beyond its home hub. Emirates this year began operating flights between Milan and New York as the network grows beyond connecting cities as diverse as Manchester in northern England and Thiruvananthapuram in India via Dubai.

Even as Middle Eastern carriers become a growing force, Airbus and Boeing can’t ignore their more traditional customer base. Singapore Airlines was the first buyer of Boeing’s 787-10, the largest Dreamliner on offer since June, and Lufthansa led Emirates in committing to take the new 777X.

Boeing is rejuvenating the 777 with a new wing and engine to cut fuel burn.

The first variant, the 777-9X, will be able to fly as far as 8,000 nautical miles with more than 400 passengers, consuming 20 percent less fuel than the existing version.

A second type, carrying 350, will push past 9,400 nautical miles, enough to go nonstop from New York to Singapore.

“Equipment makers can’t have Emirates dictating to everyone else out there,” said Robert Stallard, London-based analyst at RBC Capital.

“You’ve got Japanese, European and American carriers who have lots of 777s, and if you add all those old 777s up, there’s quite a few around and the replacement needs of all those carriers combined are greater than those of a single carrier.”

Emirates may test its market influence with the A380 double-decker. Emirates is buying more than a third of all the superjumbos Airbus has sold, and the airline is urging the plane maker to build an even larger model that would seat 750 people in three classes and as many as 1,000 on specific operations such the Muslim Hajj pilgrimage.

“We’ve told them right from the start we wanted the bigger -900, not the -800, when we took the first aircraft in July 2008,” Emirates President Tim Clark said. “We’ll work on them.”

36,000 Feet In The Sky

So here I am, 36,000 feet above ground, flying towards the land of anything you can imagine, it can be build. - Dubai. 

In some ways, I realize no matter even you have inflight wifi, after some time you eventually get bored with it. Imma still feeling the same. Nothing much changes since. But I guess it is a good thing. 

Imma now over the Indian air space, half way there. Part of me is excited to explore Dubai for the first time. In the past, it was only transiting over the gulf city. It's sorta like my shopping trip this time round. 

And also of course the highlight of the trip, bring at the Dubai Airshow 2013. Maybe like barbz says, I will have a plane-gasm! To be there and witness Beoing launching the B777X program is just something I never dreamt of. Glad I'm doing this. 

But now sitting here, it was just like a flash through. Living it again down memory lane. It is already 2 years since that happen. I remember it was my LA flight back to Malaysia. Somehow, I just miss you right now. 

There are literally so much that is going on now and then. But where to even start? Still nothing feels right to me. And it just made no sense right now. Coping with cancer is one thing, but living with it is another thing. The constant changes of your body. I wanted to stop asking why and what is happening. But can I really? 

I guess this trip somehow comes at the right time. I really needed this break. From everything. It's a good thing. I still believe it is. 

Air New Zealand To Launch First Route For Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

New Zealand's national airline announced the world's first scheduled route for Boeing's 787-9 Dreamliner on Thursday.

As the latest Dreamliner's first customer, Air New Zealand will be flying the launch aircraft from Auckland, where the airline is based, to Perth, in Western Australia starting in October 2014.

A cabin mock-up was revealed as part of the announcement at the opening of the airline's Customer Innovation and Collaboration Centre in Auckland.

The business premier cabin will have 18 lie-flat seats.

Latest features

The launch aircraft will offer 302 seats total, with the business premier cabin housing 18 lie-flat seats, a premium economy cabin with 21 seats and two economy cabins with 263 seats total.

The plane will also have 14 Skycouch rows -- a design unique to the Kiwi airline that turns a row of three economy seats into a three-seater "couch."

New features also include a slimmer seat back due to more compact inflight entertainment monitors, allowing more personal space for the passenger.

Following the Auckland-Perth route, Air New Zealand will be flying its fleet of 10 787-9 aircraft on Auckland-Tokyo and Auckland-Shanghai routes.

More on the Dreamliner

The 787-9 is a bigger version of its predecessor, the 787-8. Able to hold 40 more passengers, the 20-foot-longer Dreamliner also has a greater range of 8,000-8,500 nautical miles, compared to the 787-8's range of 7,650-8,200.

Marketed for its fuel efficiency -- it uses 20% less fuel than other aircraft of its size -- the new plane also offers lower seat-mile costs (the cost to fly a single seat one mile).

So far, orders for the 787-9 have accounted for 40% of all 787 orders, with 26 customers ordering 396 aircraft.

Boeing announced on Thursday that the second 787-9 aircraft had completed its first flight from Everett, Washington to Seattle.

The World's Biggest Airline

The US Justice Department says it has reached an agreement to allow American Airlines and US Airways to merge, creating the world's biggest airline.

The agreement requires the airlines to scale back the size of the merger at Washington's Reagan National Airport and in other big cities.

In August, the government sued to block the merger, saying it would restrict competition and drive up prices for consumers on hundreds of routes around the country.

The airlines have said their deal would increase competition by creating another big competitor to United Airlines and Delta Air Lines, which grew through recent mergers.

The settlement reached Tuesday would require approval by a federal judge in Washington and eliminate the need for a trial that had been set to begin Nov. 25.

It would require American and US Airways to give up takeoff and landing rights or slots at Reagan National and New York's LaGuardia Airport and gates at airports in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas and Miami to low-cost carriers.

Attorney General Eric Holder said the agreement would ensure more competition on nonstop and connecting routes throughout the country. The department said the divestitures were the largest ever for an airline merger.

The companies expect to complete the merger in December. As soon as the deal closes, the airlines will coordinate prices and schedules as if they were one, but combining the fleets will take months or years, executives said.

Six states had joined the lawsuit to block the merger, fearing the loss of flights and jobs at their airports. The Justice Department said that American and US Airways agreed to maintain for three years the US Airways hubs in Charlotte, Philadelphia and Phoenix and American hubs at Miami, Chicago's O'Hare Airport, New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and Los Angeles International.

If the settlement is accepted, the combined American and US Airways would operate 44 fewer daily departures at Reagan National and 12 fewer at LaGuardia than they would have without concessions.

But the new American will still be the biggest carrier at Reagan National.

The two airlines run about 290 takeoffs a day at Reagan National - about two-thirds of the airport's total - and 175 at LaGuardia now.

The Justice Department said the divestitures were the largest ever for an airline merger.

Standard & Poor's analyst Jim Corridore said the airlines gave up more than he expected but the settlement shouldn't change the financial benefits of the merger to the companies.

The companies and some airline industry experts said the Justice Department had a weak case, especially after allowing four big airline mergers in the past eight years with few conditions. American and US Airways, however, were not willing to bet their fate on the decision of a federal judge.

"We didn't think we should have to give up anything," Doug Parker, the US Airways CEO who will lead the new company, said in an interview. "The lawsuit should not have been filed, but once it was, there is some risk in going all the way to trial. This settlement was worth doing rather than taking on that risk."

When it sued in August, the Justice Department was joined by Texas, where American is based, and Arizona, home to US Airways. They said the deal would hurt consumers in their states.

But six weeks later, the Texas attorney general, a Republican who is running for governor next year, had a change of heart and pulled out of the lawsuit. Then the attorney general of Florida met with American CEO Tom Horton and expressed hope for a settlement, adding to the sense of crumbling opposition to the merger. Dozens of Democratic members of Congress implored the Obama administration to drop the lawsuit.

Last week, Holder confirmed that settlement talks were underway and added that he hoped a trial could be avoided. He seemed to set wide parameters on a possible compromise.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU

American Airlines and US Airways have cleared the last major hurdle to merging, but it will be several months - if not years - before passengers see any significant impact.

Passengers with existing tickets on American or US Airways - and members of both frequent flier programs - shouldn't fret. No changes will come immediately.

Since announcing the deal in February, the two airlines have been working behind the scenes to try and make the merger as seamless as possible. Following Tuesday's agreement with the Justice Department, the two airlines said they expect the deal to close in December. But that doesn't mean everything will happen overnight. When the deal does close, here's what passengers can expect:

AIRFARE

During the past five years, the airline industry has seen the combinations of Delta with Northwest, United with Continental and Southwest Airlines Co. with AirTran.

The price of a domestic round-trip flight has climbed more than 15 percent since 2009, when adjusted for inflation, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

The merger will give a combined American and US Airways Group Inc. the ability to increase fares. United, Delta and Southwest would be likely to follow.

Although it could also pave the way for further expansion by discount airlines such as Spirit Airlines Inc. and Allegiant Travel Co.

FREQUENT FLIER MILES

Your miles will be safe. After the merger closes, the two airlines will likely combine the miles into one program and elite status from one airline will likely be honoured on the other.

That puts the occasional traveller closer to rewards.

The merged carrier will continue American's participation in the OneWorld alliance, which was founded by American, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas. Today, it has 13 airlines including Finnair, Royal Jordanian and Japan Airlines.

US Airways will leave the Star Alliance, which includes rival United Airlines, Lufthansa, Air Canada and 24 other airlines. Alliances allow passengers to earn and redeem miles on partner airlines.

DESTINATIONS

A key reason for merging is to link both airlines' networks, creating a system on par with Delta Air Lines and United, part of United Continental Holdings Inc.

There is little overlap between the two airlines' existing routes. The combined carrier will offer more than 6,700 daily flights to 336 destinations in 56 countries, making it more attractive to companies seeking to fly employees around the globe with few connections.

US Airways passengers will gain access to American's international destinations, particularly London and Latin America. American's passengers will be able to better connect to smaller U.S. cities that US Airways serves.

The combined carrier will have considerable presence in New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Charlotte, N.C., Miami, Chicago, Dallas, Phoenix and Los Angeles.

It is unclear how many of those cities will keep their levels of service. In past mergers, airlines have promised not to close any hubs but have gone ahead and dramatically reduced service in once-key cities.

PASSENGER CONFUSION

The merger of two airlines often means confusion and hassle for customers. Which terminal or ticket counter do they go to for check in?

If there is a problem with a ticket, which company should they call?

For a while, United and Continental were issuing two confirmation numbers for each ticket so either airline's staff could make changes.

Problems with the integration of their frequent flier programs angered many loyal road warriors and computer glitches caused repeated flight delays.

It could be months, if not years, until all American and US Airways planes get a uniform paint job.