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Flight Review: Onboard Vietnam Airlines to Ho Chi Minh City

Where: Vietnam
May 3, 2013 at 9:59 AM | by | Comment (1)

As you can probably tell from our slew of stories on Ho Chi Minh City, we recently traveled to Vietnam. One of the many ways to fly into the country, and the way in which we arrived, is via the green-blue hued planes of the national airline, Vietnam Airlines. Our route had us hopping on at Melbourne to fly nonstop to Ho Chi Minh City and we booked Business Class for a vacation treat.

At first, we considered using the 8.5-hour flight to relax and perhaps nap before what would be a two-week adventure in Southeast Asia, but the airline had a better idea; the flight crew fed us until we were stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey.

Here's a breakdown of what we loved and what we could have done without:

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Free Airport WiFi Goes Down Under Thanks to Qantas

Where: Australia
November 2, 2012 at 12:18 PM | by | Comments (0)

Qantas is rolling out a new technology initiative for all of its passengers. It's like music to our ears and comes in the form of free WiFi. This may not sound like news as we have told you before that the airline has been trialing in-flight WiFi, but this time the web-surfing can be done on the ground.

The Red Roo is outfitting its major airports with complimentary wifi for passengers just passing through the terminals in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. The general airport access is in addition to the lightning fast wireless internet that frequent flyers love in each of its lounges.

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Singapore Airlines Set to Sweeten Up Their SilverKris Lounges in 2013

Where: Singapore
August 31, 2012 at 10:46 AM | by | Comments (0)

Even some of the most luxurious and well appointed airport lounges need a fresh coat of paint every so often. That's why Singapore Airlines has revealed plans to completely overhaul their lounges across the the entire network. The airline is expected to spend around $20 million dollars on the complete refurbishment, so it's safe to say that we can expect more than just paint.

Without giving away too much, the architects of the project have been tasked with creating a "home away from home," so passengers can feel even more relaxed before heading off on a long-haul journey. All lounges will further improve the "ground to air" experience for passengers.

We dont know how they'll do it, but if they can improve on this lounge in Singapore, the outcome will be nothing short of stellar.

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Virgin Australia Puts Some Elbow Grease Into Sprucing Up Melbourne Airport

June 14, 2012 at 8:54 AM | by | Comment (1)

Travelers flying through Melbourne on Virgin Australia will have a much more pleasurable experience when checking in and heading to their gate. Currently, the terminal is a bit tired and in definite need of a spruce up and—hey!—they're giving it one.

Virgin's Aussie airline has already commenced works on the shiny new terminal and hopes to have it completed by the end of the year. Of course, the redesign of the space will be a modern facelift to create a more contemporary and spacious feel. This is just part of the massive overhaul we have been witnessing with the Virgin Australia brand for the past 12 months.

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What Melbourne Has to Offer (Besides Tennis) During the Australian Open

January 11, 2012 at 12:18 PM | by | Comments (0)

The whole of Australia is consumed with the Summer tennis circuit currently touring around the country, and the pinnacle of the tennis season down under is marked by the Australian Open played in Melbourne. As the only grand slam tennis tournament held in the Southern Hemisphere, the city is showcased not only as a sport capital, but the cultural capital of Australia.

Melbourne is located on the southeastern Aussie coast and it boasts a vibrant cafe society and an avant garde fashion scene. Originally established during the Australian gold rush, Melbourne's rich history and causes it to be called the "Paris of Down Under." If your plans bring you to the city for tennis, plan to soak up more experiences than just seeing top seeded Novak Djokovic or Caroline Wozniacki.

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While Obama's In Oz, Travolta Pops Up On Qantas

November 17, 2011 at 2:30 PM | by | Comments (0)

The never-ending saga of Qantas and the rebuilding of a reputation continues and today the process got a boost. While Barack Obama was touring Oz, John Travolta made a surprise appearance on a flight from Sydney to Melbourne. He wasn't a passenger but he was in the business class cabin of the B767.

We know that the Saturday Night Fever star is a world ambassador for the flying kangaroo and actually has a retired Boeing 707 parked in his driveway. We also know that he has been featured as a captain in the in-flight safety announcement. Now, he turns up to present the most frequent flyers with Qantas' top status, Platinum One. Unfortunately, this was a one-off presentation; he was just in town for a 91st birthday bash Qantas decided to throw for the elite status flyers.

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