News over the weekend that Australia will introduce body scanners at international airports is bound to stir up the same sort of controversy as the US introduction of the technology. Speaking as a frequent traveller, I don’t give a damn. More »
One aspect of international flying which often throws Australians is the lack of airport-wide boarding announcements. There’s no easy way to deal with this other than being alert to the current time, but the ‘Now Boarding’ sign I encountered in the Delta lounge at Los Angeles does make the task a little easier. More »
Most airports attach a printed tag to your checked luggage with the airport codes of the origin and destination airports to ensure your luggage safely arrives at the correct location, but sometimes these tags are lost. Double the chance that your checked bags arrive at the correct airport by attaching your own destination airport code luggage tag. More »
Weather, mechanical dramas, late-running crew and airport woes mean delays happen no matter which airline you fly on. What’s your preferred way of learning about them? More »
Adelaide has that rare thing in Australia: an airport that actually offers free Wi-Fi. But just how much better do you do if you use your own paid-for dongle rather than a free option? I decided to find out. More »
Sydney International Airport will soon be host to oneworld’s seventh Express Connections Hub, according to the company’s Vice President of Corporate Communications Micheal Blunt. According to Blunt, if you happen to find yourself in need of their services, you can expect the royal treatment. More »
My complaints about 3G broadband performance in Australian airports are not a new theme around here, but what happens when the plane heads offshore? In an overseas context, roaming charges generally mean that mobile broadband gets cast aside in favour of airport Wi-Fi. Having tested the speeds in two European capitals recently, I’m reminded that what we get in Australia isn’t necessarily much different to what’s on offer elsewhere. More »
When I tested Telstra’s airport LTE 4G performance last week, I noted that Melbourne didn’t perform as well as Sydney but that Telstra had said equipment upgrades were in the offing. After testing the service again in the international departure area, speeds do look better than a week ago. More »
Whenever we’ve rounded up cheap ways to get to and from Australia’s airports, we’ve always noted that the suckiest thing about Brisbane’s Airtrain is that it stops running after 8pm. So the news that its hours are getting extended is welcome. More »
For me, the most exciting aspect of last week’s Telstra 4G announcements was the promise that it would work better in airports. Having given it a try in both Sydney and Melbourne, the network gets a qualified thumbs-up, but there are still some kinks to be ironed out, especially in Victoria. More »
