Emirates A380 Coming to Milan

Emirates, a global connector of people and economies, will grow its services to and from Milan with the upgrade of one of its daily Boeing 777-300 services to an A380 from 1st December. This will be the first ever permanently scheduled A380 service to Milan Malpensa Airport.

Bringing the A380 onto one of Emirates’ three daily Milan services will mean an increase in capacity of almost 38%. The triple-daily service connecting Dubai to Milan is currently operated with a mix of Boeing 777-300 and 777-300ER aircraft. One of these services continues onward to New York.

Thierry Antinori, Emirates’ Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer said: “Introducing the Emirates flagship A380 service underscores our commitment to further developing the economic and tourism potential of Italy’s regions and cities. We continue to support the Lombardy region as well as the Italian economy primarily by bringing in tourists and business travellers from both mature and emerging markets in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. These regions are known for their demographic growth and economic diversity. With Milan Expo 2015 closely approaching, over 20 million visitors are expected to visit the city and more than 3 million visitors will travel to Milan from international destinations, and we are well placed to cater to the upward demand within that period and beyond. The new Emirates A380 service will also enable travellers to enjoy unmatched comfort and quality in all classes on the world’s largest passenger aircraft.”

Milan Expo 2015 will undoubtedly have a positive impact as an economic catalyst that will boost local and regional economies. In total, the economic value that Milan Expo 2015 will deliver to the city and surrounding region is expected to top €34 billion. Over €11.8 billion has already been invested in both urban and regional infrastructure to support Milan Expo 2015, and a further €1.7 billion has been invested to construct the exhibition site in Milan (according to the Association of Enterprises of the Lombardy Region). Milan will hand Dubai the baton for Expo 2020, and the cities have signed an agreement for strategic cooperation on expo coordination. Dubai is also expected to make significant investments for Expo 2020.

After starting flights to Italy in 1992, Emirates now operates 49 flights per week to Milan, Rome and Venice, contributing to a € 6.9 billion trade relationship between Italy and the UAE in 2013. Emirates has a strong economic footprint in Italy, contributing over € 100 million to the Italian economy each year via purchases of products and services, direct expenditures, marketing spend, as well as investment in major sponsorships. Some of these investments are easily recognizable with products on board like Bulgari amenity kits and Castello Monte Vibriano products. Just last year, over 2 million Bulgari amenity kits were distributed to First and Business Class passengers and over 3.5 million bottles of Castello Monte Vibriano balsamic vinegar and olive oil were also served to passengers travelling in premium classes.

On the Dubai-Milan route, the aircraft is arranged in a three-class configuration with a combination of 399 and 427 seats in Economy Class, 76 fully lie flat beds in Business Class and 14 First Class Private Suites. Passengers across all cabins can enjoy more than 1,800 channels of ice, Emirates’ award-winning Digital Widescreen inflight entertainment system. They can also stay connected to their family and friends through their favourite social networks courtesy of high speed Wi-Fi access. Each Emirates’ A380 offers an Onboard Lounge on the upper deck for Premium Class passengers to meet, relax and do business, while enjoying light canapés and delicacies as they mingle. First Class passengers have the added luxury of two Onboard Shower Spas to refresh before landing.

Passengers travelling with Emirates on the A380 and all its other aircraft benefit from a generous baggage allowance of 30kg in Economy, 40kg in Business and 50kg in First.

With 53 A380s currently in its fleet, Emirates is the largest operator of the environmentally friendly double-decker aircraft, operating services from Dubai to over 30 destinations worldwide. Last week, the airline launched an A380 service to Dallas. The airline’s A380 operations are supported by more than 3,000 dedicated cabin crew, of which 270 are Italian nationals.

The A380 service will operate daily as EK 91, departing Dubai at 1540hrs and arriving at Milan Malpensa airport at 1935hrs. The return flight, EK 92, departs Milan at 2120hrs and arrives in Dubai at 0625hrs the next day.

China Airlines First Boeing 777-300ER

The list of new customers taking first delivery of their first 777-300ER keeps growing. China Airlines became the most recent recipient last Friday when it took delivery of the first of 10 777-300ERs it has on order.

The first 777-300ER for China Airlines.

This airplane continues to open up new markets for customers. China Airlines will begin operating its new 777-300ER to Hong Kong this month and eventually introduce it on trans-Pacific routes to connect Taipei with major cities in North America, including Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco.

LED lighting in China Airlines’ first 777-300ER cabin interior casts a embracing glow. Katie Lomax photo.

China Airlines will also impress its passengers with a new cabin interior in the 777-300ER. The design team was led by Taiwanese architect Ray Chen, whose award-winning structures and designs are known for weaving Eastern aesthetics into modern and minimalist designs.

A specially designed galley area is one of several features on China Airlines’ first 777-300ER. Katie Lomax photo.

China Airlines’ new 777-300ER configuration seats 358 passengers in a three-class layout. The layout is highlighted by new Family Couch seats in economy class, where three seats convert into a flat surface. Katie Lomax photo.

Qatar Airways Takes Delivery First Airbus A380

In a press briefing along with Airbus at the Airbus Factory in Hamburg, Germany, group chief executive Akbar Al Baker said: “This has been a moment more than a decade in the making and we are so delighted to unveil a new passenger experience for our travellers.

“The A380 that we are introducing is not just any A380; we have completely designed every element, giving it a signature touch that has never been seen before on board.”

The airline will debut A380 services on one of its frequencies on the Doha–London route from October, followed by Paris Charles De Gaulle shortly thereafter.

The 517-seat aircraft is spread across twin decks in a tri-class configuration of 8 seats in first class, 48 seats in business class and 461 in economy class.

The first class seats feature a 90-inch pitch with a fully flat bed.

Business class seats feature a pitch of 52 inches which also recline to fully flat beds.

Economy class passengers benefit from the most spacious A380 arrangement flying in the skies, with a pitch of 32 inches spread in a 10-seats-across layout.

The premium cabin is also fitted with multiple bespoke elements such as luxe finishings and tailor-made fabrics designed exclusively for the airline.

In-flight entertainment on board is state-of-the-art using the Thales mainframe Top Series Avant system with features such as an Android open platform with intuitive swipe functions and customised HD monitors of up to 26 inches in first class.

The airline currently operates a mixed fleet of the Airbus family of aircraft, a large contingent being the single-aisle A320s, and also a mixed range of A330s and A340s.

“Leading carrier Qatar Airways aims for the best, and we are proud our A380 is an essential ingredient in their strategy to show off their excellence and hospitality, connecting the world,” said Airbus president and CEO Fabrice Brégier.

Qatar Airways is preparing to take delivery of four more A380s before the end of this year.

Qatar Airways said it may buy more of Airbus Group NV's A380 super jumbos, a rare bright spot for the European plane maker as it tries to shed the jet's image as a commercial flop.

Qatar Airways, which will start flying the A380 next month from its Doha hub to London Heathrow, has ordered 10 A380s and has options for three more. "There is a possibility we will order even more," Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker said in an interview as he received the first of the super jumbos. The airline's network could accommodate 20 to 25 of the aircraft, he said.

The pipeline beyond Qatar is thin, however. Virgin Atlantic Airways, a future customer, has said it is unlikely to take the plane and Air France-KLM chief financial officer Pierre-François Riolacci said the carrier wouldn't take its last two A380s, instead introducing Airbus's A350 twin-engine long-range jet.

Buyers worry that they won't be able to sell sufficient seats on the super jumbo—which can take approximately 525 passengers. The plane has a list price of $414.4 million.

Fabrice Brégier, the head of the Airbus commercial airplane unit, said he is optimistic about garnering more orders. Carriers flying the jet fill more seats and get higher yields on A380 flights, he said.

Nevertheless, Airbus is far behind its forecast for A380 sales despite the plane entering service during the busiest period ever for jet purchases as air travel has expanded globally. When Airbus launched the A380 in 2000, it projected 1,235 deliveries of jets in the size category—where its only competitor is the Boeing 747—since then, about 400 such planes have entered service.

Etihad Unveils New Livery

Etihad Airways has used the rollout ceremony of its first Airbus A380 and Boeing 787-9 to publicly debut the airline’s new livery.

A380

The first of 10 A380s on order, the aircraft (wearing the UAE registration A6-APA) was rolled out to guests and media at Airbus’s Hamburg, Germany facilities in a ceremony on Thursday evening.

The A380 is yet to fly and has not yet had its cabin interior – including Etihad’s innovative ‘The Residence‘ first class suite – fitted, and is due to be delivered to the Abu Dhabi-based airline in December, before entering service between Abu Dhabi and London on December 27.

Etihad’s first three A380s will be dedicated to the London route, allowing it to operate triple-daily A380 services on the route from early 2015, while subsequent deliveries will allow Etihad to operate the aircraft to Sydney from June 1 and New York “later in 2015″, the airline says.

Etihad says its entire fleet, currently just over 100 aircraft, will be repainted in the new colours over the next three years.

“This striking new livery … continues our commitment to breaking from convention and doing things differently. This is a real divergence from the norms of a traditional airline livery design and will stand out in the sky and at every airport we fly to,” Eithad president and CEO James Hogan said in a statement.

The livery was designed by brand consultants Landor Associates, and is intended to reflect “traditional Emirati design patterns, the landscapes of the desert and the geometric shapes found in the modern architecture of Abu Dhabi”, according to Etihad.

Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

Etihad Airways unveiled its first Boeing 787-9 today in its new livery, and will deploy the aircraft on revenue service from 1 December.

The aircraft, registered A6-BLA, will be formally delivered to Etihad in December. The airline had earlier this week showed off the new livery on its first Airbus A380 in Hamburg, but Etihad says the 787-9 will be the first to operate with the new livery on revenue flights.

Dusseldorf and Doha will be the first Etihad destinations to be served with the 787-9 from Abu Dhabi, followed by Washington Dulles and Mumbai in the first quarter. From June, Etihad will operate the 787-9 to Brisbane and Moscow.

"With the economics of the aircraft, the 787-9 will be one that will be very, very central to our flying and future expansion," says Etihad chief commercial officer Peter Baumgartner at the 787-9 livery unveiling at Boeing's facilities in Everett, Washington.

Etihad has identified at least 40 routes that can potentially be served with the 787-9, he notes.

The airline's first 787-9 is configured with eight first class suites, 28 business class studios and 199 economy class seats. Of the 41 787-9s that the airline has ordered, about half will be delivered with a two-class configuration instead, says Baumgartner. This will help the airline cater to the supply and demand on different routes.

Baumgartner expresses confidence in Etihad's offering on the 787-9, saying that he believes the airline's product is "superior to" existing 787 operators. The first class cabin, configured in a 1-2-1 layout, comes with seats that convert into 80.5in fully flat beds, sliding doors and personal wardrobes.

Etihad's 787 cabin was a product of extensive work with Boeing, after the carrier initially balked at what was being offered in Boeing's 787 catalogue. "We looked at the catalogue when we already knew what we would do with the A380," says Baumgartner, adding that the airline had to have "tough conversations" with Boeing to improve upon what was offered in the catalogue. "We showed them what we were doing with someone else," Baumgartner says in a tongue-in-cheek reference to the A380.

Etihad expects to take delivery of two 787-9s by end-2014, and will have five 787-9s by end-2015, says Baumgartner. The airline also has orders for 30 787-10s. Baumgartner expects all 71 787s to be delivered to Etihad by end-2023.

Dubai World Central Airport Set To Be World Largest Airport

Dubai Airports has welcomed the announcement by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai endorsing the AED120bn (US$ 32bn) expansion of Al Maktoum International at Dubai World Central (DWC) which will ultimately accommodate more than 200 million passengers a year.

The development is anticipated to be the biggest airport project in the world and will be built in two phases. The first phase includes two satellite buildings with a collectively capacity of 120 million passengers annually, accommodate 100 A380 aircraft at any one time and will take between six and eight years to complete. The entire development will cover an area of 56 square kilometres.

More than its size, the new airport’s uniqueness lies in a radically new approach to ensure that the latest technology and efficient processes will cut the time spent completing travel formalities and reduce walking distances, enabling passengers to make fast and efficient connections between hundreds of destinations worldwide.

The decision follows months of planning by the key stakeholders in the aviation sector, including Dubai Airports, Dubai Airports Engineering Projects, Emirates airline and dnata, to ensure that a design was selected that facilitates the future growth of Dubai’s aviation industry.

With passenger traffic expected to reach almost 100 million at Dubai International by the end of 2020, the further development of DWC will be a vital step towards providing the necessary facilities to accommodate passenger and cargo growth in the decades ahead and pave the way for Emirates to relocate their intercontinental hub operations to DWC by the mid-2020s.

Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, thanked Sheikh Mohammed for his visionary support of the project, and described the new airport as a vital investment in the future of Dubai. He confirmed that the aviation sector was projected to remain a cornerstone of Dubai’s economy, and was expected to support more than 322,000 jobs and contribute 28 per cent of Dubai’s GDP by 2020.

“Our future lies at DWC. The announcement of this AED120bn development of DWC is both timely and a strong endorsement of Dubai’s aviation industry. With limited options for further growth at Dubai International, we are taking that next step to securing our future by building a brand new airport that will not only create the capacity we will need in the coming decades but also provide state of the art facilities that revolutionise the airport experience on an unprecedented scale,” said Griffiths.

Emirates to Fly Second A380 on Mauritius

Emirates is to launch its second daily A380 service to Mauritius on October 26 this year, instead of December 1 as initially planned.

This second A380 service, which will operate as flight EK703/704, replaces the existing Boeing 777 operation and will have a capacity of 489 passengers and will ofer 14 luxury first class private suites, 76 lie-flat beds in business class and 399 spacious seats in economy class.

“We are delighted that we are able to bring forward the start date of the second A380 service to Mauritius. The fact that we are introducing this service to the island in October demonstrates that the popularity of our product is growing consistently. This second A380 will increase Emirates’ capacity by 1,890 seats per week,” said Orhan Abbas, Emirates Senior Vice-President, Commercial Operations, Latin America, Central and Southern Africa.

British Airways to Bring New A380 to San Francisco

From the Golden Gate Bridge to Tower Bridge, customers can now purchase tickets to travel on British Airways’ luxurious new Airbus A380 aircraft. In service from April 2015, this is the first time that an A380 will be available for customers traveling between San Francisco International Airport and London Heathrow.

The Bay area will become the third destination in North America to receive the largest and grandest aircraft in British Airways’ fleet. The new aircraft spans two full decks and can accommodate up to 469 customers across four cabins. With 14 First class suites and 97 Club World business seats, the British Airways A380 will have more full flatbeds than any other flight departing from San Francisco.

Club World (business class) customers can choose from one of 44 seats on the main deck, or 53 seats on the upper deck where there will be a new 2:3:2 configuration across the cabin. The popular World Traveller Plus (premium economy) cabin will expand to 55 seats, to give more people the chance to experience a little taste of luxury.

The aircraft’s innovative design makes it much quieter during take-off and landing and more fuel efficient than its predecessors. Customers will benefit from an advanced cabin system that allows 15 different temperature control zones and air that is refreshed every three minutes.

Sean Doyle, Executive Vice President, Americas said “I’m delighted that British Airways customers in the Bay area will be able to experience one of the newest and most advanced aircraft in our fleet. I believe the extensive inflight entertainment options and expansive, comfortable cabins will be a big hit with our frequent fliers.”

At launch the A380 will operate as the BA286 from San Francisco to London on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The same flight on Tuesdays and Wednesdays will continue to be operated by a Boeing 747, as will the second daily service, the BA284.

British Airways has ordered 12 A380 aircraft for delivery by 2016, as part of a $5bn investment in new aircraft, smarter cabins, elegant lounges, and new technologies to make life more comfortable in the air and on the ground.

British Airways currently flies its A380 aircraft to Los Angeles, Hong Kong, with Washington DC service beginning October 2 and Singapore on October 28.

Qantas Cancels Some Dubai to London Flights

Weak demand in October and November is the reason given by Qantas for its decision to cancel five round-trip services between Dubai and London Heathrow.

The airline currently operates two daily A380 flights on the route, one of which originates in Sydney and the other in Melbourne.

It means that on five days in October and November there will be just a single A380 flight operated by Qantas between the Dubai and LHR.

Qantas passengers from either Sydney or Melbourne (at the time of writing it is not sure which route will be affected and on which date) will find that their A380 service will terminate in Dubai.

From there, they will be switched to a regular Emirates scheduled A380 which will continue to London.

The dates in question, departing Dubai, are October 14 and 17 and November 12, 15 and 20.

But Qantas' rearrangement of its London schedules takes away its through-plane selling point. It means that, on the dates in question, Qantas in effect becomes an indirect carrier where passengers and their bags are switched from one flight to another.

China Eastern Unveils New Logo

China Eastern Airlines has unveiled a new logo, its first change in over 30 years.

The new design retains the distinctive swallow image as well as the red and blue colours on the carrier’s original logo.

China Eastern Airlines

The airline says it will introduce a new livery with the re-designed logo painted on the tail fin of its incoming Boeing 777-300ER this month. The fuselage of the new aircraft will be painted white, without the red and blue lines that span the aircraft's length now.

China Eastern expects to take about five years to roll out the new livery across its fleet.

Flightglobal’s Ascend Fleets database shows that the state-owned carrier has a fleet of 264 aircraft in service.

China Eastern is currently one of the three major State-owned airlines in China - the other two are China International Airlines and China Southern Airlines. China Eastern is listed in New York, Hong Kong and Shanghai, and reported 88 billion yuan ($14.3 billion) in revenue in 2013.

The new logo and painting will be first applied to a Boeing 777-300ER, joining the China Eastern fleet this September, while changing of the entire visual system will be complete over the next five years.

China Eastern will have 20 Boeing 777 airliners by 2018, which will be the largest fleet of its kind in China.

The Boeing 777 fleet will be mainly flying transpacific routes between China and North America, which will be a major market for China Eastern over the next three years.

Malaysia Airlines Bookings Show Signs of Recovery

Malaysia Airlines bookings have bounced back from the MH17 tragedy in July with average load factors now above 70 per cent on flights departing Australia and New Zealand for Kuala Lumpur and beyond.

According to Malaysia Airlines regional senior vice president, Australia, Lee Poh Kait, the resurgence in bookings is a result of travel agents’ unrelenting support, together with outstanding fare deals and a positive community sentiment towards the award-winning airline during turbulent times.

“This region is our main market outside of Malaysia.

“We are determined to rebuild confidence in Malaysia Airlines as one of the best full-service carriers in the world.

“We appreciate the support of the travel trade, our passengers and valued employees, especially our award-winning cabin crew,” Lee said.

Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 came down over Ukraine on July 17th on route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

The Boeing 777-200ER is presumed to have been shot down, killing all 283 passengers and 15 crew on board

Malaysia Airlines continues to fly an average of 50,000 guests on 360 flights each day to 60 destinations.

This includes 81 flights a week from Australia and New Zealand direct to Malaysia with Kuala Lumpur the hub for passengers flying on to various parts of Asia and Europe, including on the magnificent A380 service to Paris and London.

Remission - Stand Up To Cancer

If I had a dollar, for every time they counting me out

And my back was up against the wall
I could have died but I came out fighting

With a breast full of lungs, man she ain't no punch
Said he gonna ride on it like a chopper in a trunk
Pink ribbon woman, she gone live forever
Even though the doctor said she only get a month
Said "It's my life, and you onle get in once"
These flowers smell too good to be living in a junk
So I finna get it in, and I finna get it crunk
And I finna get to living, eyes on remission from the junk
Breast cancer can't hold me back
That's the answer when they told me that
It can knock me down, but I'm gon' be back, strong
Down for whatever, exceptional and I don't know how to quit
And I never said never, you can have that hair cause real talk bitch
I think I look better, let's do it

Fighter, with everything inside her
Reporting live from Death Row, drop the charges see you life uh
Cellphones and your lighters, need you to put 'em up higher
So many candles on her birthday cake, might set the thing on fire

My daddy say he got it in his prostate
When I went to see him, he had lost weight
Trying to find the words in a lost state, of mind
Pictures on the wall that remind
Me of the times that we once had
Had to take my daughter to see granddad
Pop, pop, nothing's impossible, you never been logical
I know what doctor's do, I know what God can do
Abdominal pain, hard to explain
For you to get better, it starts in your brain
Life ain't a game, the fight it remains, dance in the rain
When it first came, I was like damn
Then I start thikin', then I start praying
Spirits went up, count went down
You gon' live forever, how you living now

Fighter, definition of a rider
Got all that ishh about you, with what you got inside ya
Cellphones and your lighters, put them things up higher
Even when you tired, you keep me inspired

Went undiagnosed and untreated
When they finally found it, told me too far along and he couldn't beat it
But he couldn't see it, miss me with that dead talk
Miss me, my legs walk and my hearts beats and my wife witness
So fuck cancer, my life with me, and if I die, it die with me

Lupe Fiasco has teamed up with Stand Up To Cancer to drop a brand new single. Available on iTunes on September 5th, "Remission" is the latest in for-charity singles that SU2C has made available for public purchase. Featuring Jennifer Hudson and Common, the track will be performed during the highly-publicized live event on September 5th at 8pm/7c via Stand Up To Cancer's official website.

Lupe Fiasco, Jennifer Hudson and Common have come together in the name of charity.

“Remission,” Lupe’s track that features Hudson and Common, was dreamt up as a way to promote the biennial fundraising telecast Stand Up to Cancer, a program organized by the Entertainment Industry Foundation that raises money for cancer research.
Donate to Stand Up For Cancer here.

Etihad's Airbus A380 Coming to Australia

Etihad Airways will launch A380 services on the Sydney-Abu Dhabi route from June 1 next year, in a move that will boost its capacity to Australia.

It will also allow the Abu Dhabi based carrier to enter an exclusive club of airlines offering all A380 services on the Kangaroo route from Sydney, alongside Qantas Airways, Emirates and Singapore Airlines. But the move comes at a time of overcapacity in the market, with Flight Centre on Wednesday saying flights to Asia and Europe are particularly cheap for consumers.

On its A380, Etihad will offer economy class, business class, first class and its exclusive "The Residence", a suite including its own bedroom, sitting room, bathroom, shower and personal butler.Etihad chief executive 

James Hogan said the new A380 services would offer travellers on the Sydney route an unrivalled level of luxury, comfort and service.

"The new living spaces on our A380s will raise inflight product and service standards to the highest level ever in commercial aviation and change forever travellers' expectations of air travel," he said.

"Ours are not only the most advanced aircraft cabins in the industry, they meet all weight, range and cost targets at our desired seat count."

Earlier this year, Etihad opened a new lounge at Sydney Airport featuring a la carte dining. It also expects to deploy the A380 to the Melbourne-Abu Dhabi route from 2016, and has already announced plan for a direct Brisbane-Abu Dhabi service on a 787-9 from next year.

Etihad's daily A380 flight will replace a 777-300 flight. The other daily flight from Sydney to Abu Dhabi will now use a 777-300 each day, instead of a mix between Etihad's A340 on four days of the week and Virgin Australia's 777-300 on three days a week. In total, the changes will add 4784 weekly seats in each direction.

Etihad has 10 A380s on order, the first of which will be deployed on the Abu Dhabi-London route from December.

After That Time

Day 1

Eric... Eric.. Keep it together, you can do this. Stay with me Ric..

Eric... Eric.. are you there? You are here now. There is no avoiding it.

Where?

First step, reminiscing and retracting.

I don't wanna get up.

That's fine, you can lay here all day. You can cry all night, you are allow to do all the things you promise yourself you never allow yourself to do. Like to watch an old video call just to hear his voice, or wished he messaged you. Just you know he is thinking of you too. But at the same time wished that he wouldn't, cause it would only make you miss him more.

You know you shouldn't, but... you text him. Maybe even call him. You'll fight it, but you'll lose. You watched the sappy soap series, it's cliche, but go ahead, eat from the carton.

I miss everything about him.

What do you miss?

How steady he felt, when I hug him tight,  the way he would rest his chin on top of my head, how reassuring it felt when I just snuggle in him. That look in his eye when he accidentally ate the last crisp in the Pringles bottle. The way he kisses after his shower, it make me quenched at the time, but now it just makes me smile.

I miss it all.

That's ok, you are allow to. You're suppose to. It's ok to look like crap and don't care. Who are you trying to impress anyway? You see him?

Everywhere..

It's ok to purposely avoid all those places and things. You just wanna be alone. Your friends wanna talk, and taking you out, but.. all you want is...

To shut off all the lights. crawl up in bed, and cry a little more...

Your friends try to help, by saying..

You can do so much better, fight it...You've come such a long way.. Fight on.. Don't give in..

I don't wanna hear any of that... It doesn't help at all. I just needed back my life.

Or.. do you just miss the thought of him? You missed the routine, comfort, the body, that's all.. right?
Now... at this point, you just miss him.. And that's okay..

Day 5

Eric... Eric... Are you there?

Yea..

Do you wanna get up?

Actually.. I do. How long was I there?

It doesn't matter. All it matters is you're ready.

For the next step, Release.

I'm hungry...

I think you can put on some effort to put something on to look sorta decent.

And what is that?

Tie up your hair? or shave it all off before the side effects kicks in? cover up all the scars and put on your nail protector. Not too much?

Call up one or two close friends to catch up. You are ready now to talk about what you are going through. But this time, with a clear head. You might see beautiful things in life, but nothing stirs inside your heart. It's okay.. The world is different now from where you stand. You will for a while, but at least the urges to check up and not wanting to get up from bed is less frequent. You just have to learn to suppress those urges now.

How long will I be here?

As long as you need to be.

Day 8

I'm ready. The next step, Rebuilding.

One day becomes two, two becomes a week, weeks become months, and soon you are ready to prove to yourself that you can live on. You actually wanna go out. Socialize, meet new people, you talk, laugh, flirt... Yes.. even flirt.. or whatever you call it in your head.. It's a while, you start smiling again.

You start doing things towards a better version of you. Trying out new things, going new place.. Start cleaning out your wardrobe,you start to see life without it. until...

Eric... Eric... You made so much progress.. Ric please...

It was not a thing I wanna keep remembering, but it is impossible for me to forget what I am. I keep that as a reminder of what life means and what has left.

Yea.. it is..

It was, and it always will be..

Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, some things can hold you back from moving on. A lingering memory, a false hope, or the cold truth in reality. You'll fall back a few steps..

Day 15

Renewed

The world is brighter, happier, lighter. That huge weight of pain and fear has been lifted. Well.. kinda.. All you feel is hope. Hope of what's to come. Hope for the possibilities. At this point, it's not about finding the peace with what's in me. It's finding who you are as a person. As a human. It's only when you don't have to consider anyone else, and you can focus completely on your life. And creating the best possible version of hope for yourself. But there is no harm reminiscing about that pain and fear. 

There was a moment weeks ago, I just can't hold on to anything. It was just gone. I've won, and I've lost. A journey where you see joy and regret. It is the only thing you could hold on to. Having cancer is like having a blessing and a curse at the same time. The way you see things and do, the way you wanna give that hope. Even if it wasn't for yourself. You know that you are a part of that memory that wanting to make that change. 

There are things I have to give up, there are things I need to let it go. It's not easy, but I keep telling myself it's gonna be okay. The wants in me is a distant fantasy I can have. I just wanna be just fine. And it is always you. 

You are still the favorite place I wanna run to, and so many reason I could give to just not care and have everything to myself. I miss being normal. I miss all those moments, I don't have to think about any other factors to my decision. It was simple and easy. Given that chance, I wish to have that one more time. All the choices we just choices everyone has. Nothing more to fear, nothing to be unclear at moments. That was a story of mine I once had. 

Qatar Shows Off First A350

Qatar Airways’ first Airbus A350-900 has broken cover with its full livery, although the aircraft has yet to have its powerplants installed.

The Doha-based airline will be the initial recipient of the A350 when it takes delivery of the jet by the end of the year.

It has shown off the first aircraft in the carrier’s distinctive grey-and-maroon livery but without its Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines.



Qatar Airways has 80 A350s on order. The airline is also preparing to take delivery of its first A380.

Qatar Airways has lifted the veil on its first Airbus A350 dressed in full livery, ahead of the next-generation jet's debut towards the end of this year.

The Gulf airline, which is the prized global launch customer for the A350, has ordered 80 of the twin-aisle jets and already tipped Doha to Perth as an early route for 2015.

In addition to ordering 43 of the mid-sized A350-900, Qatar has also signed up for 37 of the stretched A350-1000, which has room for 350 passengers in a three-class cabin and will enter service in mid-2017.

Qatar's colours previously adorned one of the A350 test aircraft as a special 'launch customer' livery.

While Qatar will be first to fly the Airbus A350, several other airlines will be quick to follow.

China Eastern Reveals New Long-Haul Cabin

China Eastern Airlines is due to receive the first of 20 B777-300ER wide-body aircraft in early September.

To celebrate the occasion, the carrier has unveiled a new cabin design, with changes across all three cabin classes.



There will be six first class private suites accessible through sliding doors – the first time CES has offered its passengers this level of comfort and privacy. The traditional overhead bins have been replaced with built-in storage compartments in every first suite. The cream-coloured seats recline 180 degrees to form a fully-flat bed.

CES will be offering caviar and truffles to long-haul passengers in first.



Business class features 52 180-degree fully-flat seats in a 1-2-1 layout across two cabins. The seat will be the Zodiac Cirrus kind we have come to appreciate on other B777-300ER operators like Cathay Pacific, American Airlines and EVA Air. Undoubtedly one of the biggest selling points of the Zodiac Cirrus is that it provides direct aisle access for every passenger, which is obviously a big plus in terms of personal space and privacy.

Unlike most of the regional competition, CES has not opted to introduce a premium economy product for the time being.

For economy class travellers the new CES B777-300ER might not necessarily prove to be an improvement over existing models. CES opted for a 3-4-3 (10-abreast) configuration in coach. Air China, Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines, for instance, have all chosen a 9-abreast layout in economy on their B777-300ERs.

That being said, CES makes up for it to some degree by installing 12.1-inch PTVs in economy, which are definitely among the largest in the industry.

CES currently has five A340-600s in its fleet. These will be phased out with the arrival of the B777s. The additional 15 models will be used to support the carrier’s long-haul expansion plans.

China’s second largest carrier by fleet size will first employ the B777-300ER on its daily Shanghai to New York (JFK) flights from October.

British Airways Club World Business Class Prototype

You've already seen our scoop on British Airways concept for its next generation of Club World business class seats, due for the Airbus A350 and potentially other members of the BA fleet.

That report was laden with drawings from BA's UK patent application – but now we've gone one better, with photos from a companion Request for Grant of a Patent document (GB1400219.0).

These show an assortment of mock-ups of the Club World concept which match the earlier drawings.

To recap: BA's patent reveals a herringbone-style layout which gives each passenger direct aisle access plus an oversized seat that's closer to a one-person couch.

In fact, BA's mock-up artwork calls it a sofa rather than a seat, and we wouldn't be surprised if the final product – should this design come to fruition – was marketed as the Club World Suite.

Here's the seat itself.

Right away you can see how the sofa curves around in a manner that's unlike any business class seat in the air today.

Passengers would adopt a forward-facing position for the taxi, take-off and landing stages of the flight. Note how the video screen faces the passenger so that movies can be viewed on a 'gate to gate' basis.

Swivel around in the seat and swing out the dining table when it's time to get to work..

... or when it's time to eat.

The middle seats in this 1-2-1 arrangement can be used for shared dining if you're travelling with a friend.

This image shows a secondary location for the dining table.

An infill section of the sofa swings up to create a continuous surface between the seat and the ottoman so you can stretch out...

... or grab some shut-eye.

A draw slides out from under the ottoman where you can stow personal items such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, wallets, amenity kits and perhaps even a small purse.

Amnesia

There are a million people around us and a million things you can do things with. But when out of that million, what if you wanted just one who you wanted to do nothing with, and you just can't find that one and only? There are so much that has changed,  and I don't feel the same. Everything seems like a joke and for what it's worth, you can't do a thing about it. Your whole body feels like you are not in control at all. You feel like you are being touched by another source of energy that you wished you had control on. You wanna be, but you just can't no matter what you do. 

There was a moment of freedom, and peace. That serenity is absolutely addictive. It was like a drug to me. That unexplainable high you get, that only quiet moment when all you hear was yourself. I wanted that back, I wanted it so bad but  I knew, it was not mine to have. Yes I am really not fine at all, and there isn't a thing I can do about it.  I'm tired.. I really am tired..

I drove by all the places we used to hang out getting wasted

I thought about our last kiss, how it felt the way you tasted

And even though your friends tell me you're doing fine

Are you somewhere feeling lonely even though he's right beside you?

When he says those words that hurt you, do you read the ones I wrote you?

Sometimes I start to wonder, was it just a lie?

If what we had was real, how could you be fine?

'Cause I'm not fine at all

The pictures that you sent me they're still living in my phone

I'll admit I like to see them, I'll admit I feel alone

And all my friends keep asking why I'm not around

If today I woke up with you right beside me

Like all of this was just some twisted dream

I'd hold you closer than I ever did before

And you'd never slip away

And you'd never hear me say

The dreams you left behind you didn't need them

Like every single wish we ever made

I wish that I could wake up with amnesia

And forget about the stupid little things

Like the way it felt to fall asleep next to you

And the memories I never can escape

'Cause I'm not fine at all

No, I'm really not fine at all

Tell me this is just a dream

'Cause I'm really not fine at all

Finnair Unveils New A350 Cabin

Finnair has unveiled details and images of its new A350XWB seating.

The Airbus aircraft will be introduced into the national carrier's fleet next year.

The 297-seat configuration has 46 seats in business class, 43 in Economy Comfort and 208 in economy.

Business: The cabin is fitted with 46 Zodiac Cirrus III seats

The 46 seats in business are in a 1-2-1 configuration. As expected, the new seating is the Zodiac Cirrus III seat that is also fitted on American Airlines and Cathay Pacific aircraft and is being introduced on the Air France fleet.

It should be noted, however, that although the seat is similar to the business class offerings onboard these carriers, Finnair has chosen a tighter configuration with less legroom — 78 inches when fully reclined, in comparison with 82 inches onboard Cathay Pacific.

Legroom is therefore tight, and you certainly would have to remove shoes to recline the seat to fully-flat or even partly fully-flat.

The Zodiac Cirrus III seats have been modified for Finnair passengers, the airline said.

They offer:

• Direct access to the aisle from every seat
• A 16-inch multi-touch screen with audio and video on demand
• Wifi
• Lumbar support and numerous stowages
• Large meal and cocktail tables
• AC and USB power outlets

Business seats all have direct access to the aisle

Business class: The cabin is convertible, meaning that the second cabin could be converted from business to economy comfort seating according to seasonal demand

There are up to 40 Economy Comfort seats in a 3-3-3 configuration and with a 35-inch pitch.

These seats feature:

• Up to four inches more legroom and a comfier headrest
• High-quality headphones and personal amenity kit
• Priority boarding

And there are 208 seats in economy, also configured in a 3-3-3 layout. These are Zodiac Z300 slim-line seats with a 31 to 32-inch pitch and a six-inch recline.

Features include:

• An 11-inch multi-touch screen with audio and video on demand and journey-related services
• Wifi
• Additional wireless inflight entertainment services available for own devices
• USB power sockets

Economy seating: This cabin contains 208 seats configured in a 3-3-3 layout

The design has been created by Helsinki firm dSign Vertti Kivi & Co, which also oversaw Finnair's new Premium Lounge at Helsinki Airport.

Designer Vertti Kivi said: "We have worked hard to create a special customer experience onboard the new A350XWB aircraft and are proud to bring Finnish design to Finnair's passengers.

"Our Space Alive concept means dynamic lighting, colours and moods to suit the time of day, destination or season. For example, when descending in the East the aircraft can be awash in warm orange tones, or surface interiors may glow in fresh blue hues when arriving in Helsinki."

The A350 also features an advanced pure air filtration system that changes the air in the cabin every two-to-three minutes, draft-free air management, adjustable multiple temperature zones and a lower cabin pressure.

Finnair plans to begin operating its first A350s in the second half of next year, initially serving Shanghai, Bangkok and Beijing, with A350 service to Hong Kong and Singapore to be added in 2016.

The airline has 11 firm orders and eight options for A350 aircraft, which will form the backbone of the company's long-haul fleet and drive expansion plans.

finnair.com

Credits to Tom Otley