Where to be at When in Thailand

What follows is various information about some of the most popular tourist destinations in Thailand, as well as a number of other places. I have tried to give a summary of information about each area, as well as mention some of the most interesting things to do there, basically listing all of the sort of info that I think may be useful in making the vacation worthwhile.First of all,communicating is a huge concern in this part of the world, so, here are a few common terminologies for you to start off…..

Baht – 1). The unit of currency in Thailand.

2). The unit used in measuring the weight of gold in Thailand.

Khao Sarn – It is the name of the main road in the backpacker infested neighbourhood of Bangkok, but did you know that in Thai it actually means “un-husked rice”.

Ko – Thai for island.

Kop khun – Thai for thank you!

Ta – Thai for port or pier.

Teeruk- Thai for darling.

Wat – Thai for temple.

The cities elaborated with different places and events here include:Bangkok , Phuket, Pattaya, Ko Samui , Chang Mai, Udon Thani, Cha am All the above

locations have airports except for pattaya and cha am (there’s one in Hua hin)

Bangkok

Bangkok is truly a city that never sleeps, a city with a real energy that can induce you in, take a firm hold of you and in some cases, refuse to let go! Bangkok is not a city of endless tourist attractions and must see museums, but a city you visit to feel the vibe. Bangkok has an energy seldom found elsewhere.To the uninitiated, it can appear to be another big, drab grey city but if you persevere, exploring the city can be a rewarding experience.

Before you decide to go all out on the exploring stuff, I am sure its agreeable to get a suitable accommodation. Some of the Hotels/resorts giving best value for oney can be found here As far as attractions and interesting things to see and do in Bangkok go, there are a handful. The old part of town, that is the area down near the river, not far from the Khao San Road area, is where you’ll find a lot of the more culturally and historically significant building and temples. That is one part of the city that is actually quite pretty. For many the highlight of the area is the Grand Palace (Wat Pra Kaew), the most culturally important of all of Thailand’s 40,000+ Buddhist temples. The dress code for entry is strictly enforced – you shouldn’t wear anything to brief or a sleeveless shirt.Sort of over and behind the Grand Palace is Wat Po, which is preferable to the Grand Palace. The other major temple in this area is Wat Arun, most probably the most photographed temple, or for that matter, location, in all of Bangkok. Wat Arun is the fascinating temple just over the Chao Praya River from the Grand Palace and Wat Po.The tallest building in Bangkok is the Baiyoke 2 Tower which towers above everything else. It’s located a few hundred metres up from the Central World Plaza in a busy parks of the Pratunam Market. The tower soars around 300 metres into the sky and from the top, on a clear day at least, you get good views of Bangkok There’s a somewhat dated but still interesting

SNAKE FARM right in the heart of the city. Located on Rama 4 Road, within the Red Cross compound, it features a show that is presented in both English and Thai.Also in the Lumpini area is one of the city’s two major Thai boxing stadiums, Lumpini Stadium. Rather than go for ringside seats, I think it is a lot more fun to sit up in the main stand with the Thais and watch them gambling. Heaps of fun!The Ancient City, known as Meuang Boran in Thai, located a fair distance from the centre of Bangkok, is another excellent attraction, in fact the word excellent really doesn’t do it justice. It truly is a photographer’s dream. There are a number of different companies offering dinner cruises on the Chao Praya river. Some of the deals are for a buffet dinner and some are a la carte.

Pros: The Thai capital is less about tourist attractions – although there are many, but more about the vibe. Friendly people who are easily excited like to have fun – and their attitude and zest for life can be infectious.

Cons: It’s a drab, grey city with awful traffic problems. It is also home to many people who prey on tourists with various scams. You won’t get hit on the head, but you might get tricked out of your money.

The Bottom Line: Worth a few days of your time!

Phuket

It was the beautiful island of Phuket that first lured me to the Kingdom Of Thailand. In fact when I first moved to Thailand my plan was to go to Phuket and secure a job teaching English down there but for whatever reason, it never happened and I ended up in Bangkok.Phuket is one of the world’s premier beach holiday destinations and ranks alongside the French Riviera, the Mediterranean and Hawaii as places where people will happily endure up to 24 hours discomfort on a plane for the promise of the quintessential beach holiday.

Phuket is an island connected to the Thai mainland by a bridge, and is located about 1,000 km from Bangkok There are many beaches around the island province of Phuket but by far and away the most developed is Patong Beach. Patong Beach is tourist central where all of the nations of the world come together. Here you will find far, far, far more Indian and Italian restaurants than you will Thai restaurants, proving just how touristed Patong place has become.Patong is the nightlife capital of the island, not that much different to Pattaya, only smaller. For Phuket nightlife, Patong is the centre.South of Patpong Beach is Karon Beach, my favourite of Phuket’s beaches. 3 km of soft white sand lead gently down to the beautiful Andaman Sea. While accommodation prices have moved in a similar manner to those at Patong, the prices at Karon are more attractive than Patong.South of Karon Beach is Kata Beach, a somewhat smaller beach that is NOT a private beach for Club Med as some people believe.This, like Karon, is another really lovely beach and a great place to wile away the days and baste yourself under the hot Thai sun.Accommodation and restaurants are a little cheaper there than the other beaches. It is certainly much quieter and less hustle and bustle than Patong. .

There are many day trip options available from Phuket.Two of these in particular are well worthwhile. The first recommended day trip is the one that takes you to Phanga Bay and the so called James Bond Island. The second day trip that is well worthwhile is over to the small paradise like island, Phi Phi.

Pros: Beautiful, diverse island with a little something for most people. Some beautiful beaches. Some SUPERB day trips available including Phi Phi Island and Phanga Bay.

Cons:Phuket isn’t cheap. A lot of very jaded Thais work the Phuket tourist scene. Local transport is far too expensive. Food prices, especially some of the restaurants in big hotels targeting Westerners, are expensive.

The Bottom Line: If you want a comfortable beach holiday with Western comforts, Phuket is the place for you.

Pattaya

Nowhere on earth can you find such a well developed tourism industry where sex is such a big part of it, as you can in Pattaya. It is located 150 km south east of Bangkok.Once you’ve reached Pattaya you’ll have to find somewhere to stay and if there is one area where Pattaya really excels in a huge choice of very affordable accommodation, like the Dusit Resort, the Marriott and the Sheraton. But it is in the mid-range where Pattaya accommodation represents the best value for money.There are a few beaches in the Pattaya area. The first and most popular beach is Pattaya beach. Over the hill to the south is Jomtien Beach which is very popular with Thais, especially at the weekend, and to the north of Pattaya are Nagleua and Wongamart beaches, both of which are popular with older Europeans, particularly German speakers (meaning not just Germany, but Austria and Switzerland too.)Naglua Beach, just north of Pattaya Beach: Pattaya Beach. Well, what can I say? It’s your typical crescent shaped beach, perhaps 3 km long, and is one of those beaches that is just long enough that you can walk from one end to the other without taking a break and without getting bored or tired.There are numerous fishing vessels moored relatively close to the beach and while one understands that they have a living to make, they can be quite an eyesore. Over the hill from Pattaya, is Jomtien Beach, a nicer beach than Pattaya Beach, and a quieter area.Being next to the sea and home to a lot of fisherman, the seafood is obviously pretty good in Pattaya although I have to say that I much prefer Hua Hin for good, inexpensive seafood.

The sun sets at Pattaya: There is a reasonable shopping centre in Pattaya called Royal Plaza and another mediocre one called Mikes Department Store. On the top floor of Royal Plaza is a cinema multiplex, various amusement and fair style games and a Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Museum. It’s a good place to spend an hour wandering around in air-conditioned comfort away from the heat.

Pros: Close to Bangkok and therefore both cheap and easy to get to. Very reasonably priced accommodation and easy to get around. Good level of English due to high tourist numbers. Most reasonably priced of the popular Thai beaches. Good seafood as well as many very good, reasonably priced restaurants.

Cons: Prostitutes are everywhere – though this will appeal to some. Beaches are far from the best in Thailand. The British lager louts as well as the Russians have discovered Pattaya – and there can be some tension at times as some people consume way too much alcohol – and prove they can’t handle it by getting into fights.

The Bottom Line: It really depends on what you want in a holiday but frankly, if you are not interested in going on a holiday and meeting a local to have as your travel companion, amongst other things, Pattaya may not be for you. While reasonably priced, the beach really is nothing special at all. Still, there is a very pleasant atmosphere about Pattaya.

Ko Samui

Ko Samui, once known as an affordable destination and a backpacker’s paradise, is the second largest island in Thailand. You can reach Ko Samui on Thai Airways in a flight that is a little under an hour.There are several flights between Bangkok and Samui every day. You can reach the island overland by travelling by Bangkok to Surat Thani by road and then taking a boat across.Samui is dominated by two beaches, Chaweng Beach which is the largest and most popular beach and Lamai Beach which is a few kilometres south and also very popular, although perhaps a little quieter as it is smaller and has less places to stay than the heavily developed Chaweng. There are other locations all over the island including Big Buddha and Bophut The infrastructure on Samui is still coming along and for many that it is one of the big appeals about the place.

Nearby Samui is Ko Phangnan and not far from Ko Phangnan is Ko Tao. Ko Phangnan is where a lot of the backpackers end up these days, a smaller island that is a short boat ride north of Samui. There is nothing on this page at this stage as I have never been there. It happens to be the home of the Full Moon Party when everyone parties all night and gets silly on dope and all sorts of other illicit and dangerous substances – not really my idea of fun but many seem to have a real blast there. Ko Tao is said to be one of the best places in Thailand for diving, although again, I have never been there.

Pros: Nice beaches. Has a nice atmosphere, not too quiet but not too developed. Still affordable – but for how much longer?

Cons: Getting there from Bangkok is a little pricey. Too many backpackers arguing over who has paid the least for this or that.

The Bottom Line: A nice alternative to Phuket. It is not as developed as Phuket, which may or may not be to your taste.

Chiang Mai

Tourism is a huge part of the local economy and the city of Chiang Mai is set up very well for visitors. Accommodation is available in all price ranges, though there are not that many flash places in the centre of the city. If you are looking for lots of 5 star options, you won’t have anything like the range of properties that are available to you in Bangkok.In Chiang Mai there is heaps to see and do. The city itself is pleasant with a lot of temples and there are a couple of very impressive temples outside the city including Doi Suthep which to me is probably the most impressive temple complex I have ever visited. It is in my mind a MUST visit attraction if you make it up to Chiang Mai. Another of the popular trips is to Doi Inthanon, which is the highest point in Thailand.

First of all, the weather is much more pleasant, it is cooler (though this depends on the time of year), has less pollution and at night it was genuinely cool. Secondly, the food up in Chiang Mai is a little different to what is available in Bangkok. Apart from the khao soi, sort of crispy noodles in a mild curry. The people in Chiang Mai are noticeably friendlier, more polite and generally a whole lo nicer than people from any other part of the country.The north of Thailand, of which Chiang Mai is the centre, has done a much better job preserving the culture of the country, and indeed the region, than any other parts of the country and Chiang Mai is THE place to go to celebrate the major Thai festivals like Songkran and Loy Kratong.It is ironic that it took 7 years living in Thailand before I made it to Chiang Mai for the first time. It is something I want to fix and an extended stay up there is well in order! I have only spent two days up there and thus my report on that part of the country is relatively short.

Pros: Very well set up for tourism, affordable, pleasant people, pleasant environment and heaps to see and do! It is much more a cultural visit than is Bangkok.

Cons:I can’t think of any but some might consider it a bit quiet compared to Bangkok.

The Bottom Line: Very much worth visiting!

UDON THANI

Another 100 or so kilometres up the road from Khon Kaen is Udon Thani, a smaller provincial capital which has proven to be popular with Westerners in recent years and even has a thriving farang bar scene. The city of Udon doesn’t have any major tourist attractions, or at least none that I am aware of. The provinces attractions are well outside the provincial capital and include national parks and Ban Chiang, a site where a lot of old fossils and relics were found and a spot said to be of archaeological significance. A friend who has visited was not that impressed but that said, I have not been there myself. In downtown Udon there is a large shopping centre with a greater vibrancy than any of the other shopping centres in the major centres of Udon. Here you will see far more Westerners than anywhere else in Isaan, some are tourists and some are locally based. I guess most make it to Udon with their teeruk.This shopping centre is where many of the more well to do Udonites venture at the weekend and I cannot imagine what they think of establishments opening that target farangs directly, bars and restaurants.Food in Udon Thani is very good. Westerners rave about the Irish Clock, a small Irish bar which I have yet to try. There is also a very, very good Italian restaurant called Roma Piccolo which is superb. It is located a bit outside the city centre, out on the road past Big C. It is well worth going out of your way for!

Cha Am

About 25 km north of Hua Hin on the way to Bangkok is Cha Am, a beach that curiously you’ll read much less about in the guides and brochures than Hua Hin, but which at the weekend seems to be almost as busy, if not busier than its more well-known neighbour, Hua Hin itself.Cha Am is a long beach which is very popular with Thais and becoming increasingly popular with Westerners. It is very popular with Bangkok Thais, as well as upcountry Thais, who flock their in droves at the weekend.The big advantage of Cha Am over Hua Hin is that generally speaking, Cha Am attracts Thai tourists who are a bit more sensitive to price than Westerners. That means that things are cheaper. So, if you are sensitive to price, then Cha Am offers you nice Thai beach resort at very reasonable prices.

Pros:Cheaper than Hua Hin, especially in the case of lower end accommodation.

Cons:The beach really is not that special.

The Bottom Line: An alternative to Hua Hin.

Ko Samet

Ko Samet is located about 200 km from Bangkok and as the word “Ko” designates, it is an island. If you’re coming from Bangkok you will need to make your way to Bahn Pe where most of the ferries leave the mainland from, bound for Ko Samet, or Samet Island as it should technically be called in English.Ko Samet can be reached from Bangkok in about four hours and there are a couple of different ways of getting there. Once at Bahn Pe, you take a boat over to the mainland. There are a number of different piers with ferry boats going to the different bays on the island – so you need to know which part of the island you wish to go to.Samet is small in size and there is very little industry on it apart from tourism, fishing and basic services offered for both tourists and the island’s residents.With this in mind, a lot of what is sold on the island has to be brought over from the mainland and this means the prices of basic goods can be much higher on the island than on the mainland.Samet can get quite busy at the weekend, especially long weekends, when Bangkokians escape the madness of the capital and rooms can be hard to come by. Samet is one of few places in Thailand I would not head to without making a reservation first as there is only a limited number of places to stay, and there are even less in Bahn Pe, on the mainland.

Pros: Not too far from Bangkok and relatively easy to get to. Beautiful beaches on a paradise island. Low level of development – comparatively.

Cons: Not a huge amount to do there – but some would consider that a bonus. Accommodation is expensive for what you get. It can get busy during the high season and the beach can get over run.

The Bottom Line: Paradise is only four hours from Bangkok. A little pricey given the poor infrastructure but a nice place that appeals to some, and not to others.

Royal First Class service on Thai Airways International, Boeing 747-400, from Bangkok to Hong Kong. Breakfast service. Landing in rain showers in Hong Kong. Filmed in December 2009. Visit my blog dazz81.blogspot.com

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Air France – China 3D/4D Driving Flight Simulator – 3D Cinema System Manufacturer

History

Formation and early years

Air France was formed on 7 October 1933, from a merger of Air Orient, Air Union, Compagnie Gnrale Aropostale, Compagnie Internationale de Navigation Arienne (CIDNA), and Socit Gnrale de Transport Arien (SGTA). Of these airlines, SGTA was the first commercial airline company in France, having been founded as Lignes Ariennes Farman in 1919. The constituent members of Air France had already built extensive networks across Europe, to French colonies in North Africa and farther afield. During World War II, Air France moved its operations to Casablanca (Morocco). On 26 June 1945, all of France’s air transport companies were nationalised. On 29 December 1945, a decree[citation needed] of the French government granted Air France the management of the entire French air transport network. Air France appointed its first flight attendants in 1946. The same year the airline opened its first air terminal at Les Invalides in central Paris. It was linked to Paris Le Bourget Airport, Air France’s first operations and engineering base, by coach. At that time the network covered 160,000 km, claimed to be the longest in the world. Socit Nationale Air France was set up on 1 January 1946.

Air France SE-161 Carreidas in Tunisia in 1952.

On 1 July 1946, Air France inaugurated direct scheduled service between Paris and New York via refuelling stops at Shannon and Gander. Douglas DC-4 piston-engined airliners covered the route in just under 20 hours. By 1948 Air France operated one of the largest fleets in the world, numbering 130 aircraft. In 1946 and 1948, respectively, the French government further authorised the creation of two private airlines: Transports Ariens Internationaux – later Transports Ariens Intercontinentaux – (TAI) and SATI. In 1949 the latter became part of Union Aromaritime de Transport (UAT), a private French international airline.

Compagnie Nationale Air France was created by act of parliament on 16 June 1948. Initially, the government held 70%. In subsequent years the French state’s direct and indirect shareholdings reached almost 100%. In mid-2002 the state held 54%. On 4 August 1948 Max Hymans was appointed president. During his 13-year tenure he would implement modernisation practices centred on the introduction of jet aircraft. In 1949, the company became a co-founder of Socit Internationale de Tlcommunications Aronautiques (SITA), an airline telecommunications services company.

Jet age reorganisation

Passengers disembarking from a Sud-Est SE-161 Carreidas.

In 1952, Air France moved its operations and engineering base to the new Paris Orly Airport South terminal. By that time, the network had further expanded, covering 250,000 km. Air France entered the jet age in 1953 with the original, short-lived de Havilland Comet series 1, the world’s first jetliner. At the time, it was also a major operator of the Vickers Viscount turboprop. On 26 September 1953, the government instructed Air France to share long-distance routes with new private airlines. This was followed by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport’s imposition of an accord on Air France, Aigle Azur, TAI and UAT, under which some routes to Africa, Asia and the Pacific region were transferred to private carriers.

On 23 February 1960, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport transferred Air France’s domestic monopoly to Air Inter. To compensate for the loss of its domestic network, Air France was given a stake in Air Inter. The following day, Air France was further instructed to share African routes with Air Afrique and UAT. The airline started uninterrupted pure jet operations in 1960 with the Sud Aviation Caravelle and the Boeing 707. The incorporation of jet airliners into Air France’s route network cut travel times in half and improved passenger comfort. Air France later became an early Boeing 747 operator, and eventually operated one of the world’s largest 747 fleets.

Air France Caravelle jetliner in Algiers in 1963.

On 1 February 1963, the government formalised division of routes between Air France and its private sector rivals. Air France was to withdraw services to West Africa (with the exception of Senegal), Central Africa (except Burundi and Rwanda), Southern Africa (including South Africa), Libya in North Africa, Bahrain and Oman in the Middle East, Sri Lanka (then known as Ceylon) in South Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore in Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand as well as New Caledonia and Tahiti. These routes were allocated to the new Union des Transports Ariens (UTA), a new private airline that was the result of a merger between TAI and UAT. UTA also obtained exclusive rights between Japan, New Caledonia and New Zealand, South Africa and Runion island in the Indian Ocean, as well as Los Angeles and Tahiti.

From 1974, Air France began shifting the bulk of operations to the new Charles de Gaulle Airport north of Paris. By the early 1980s, only Corsica, Martinique, Guadeloupe, most services to French Guyana, Runion, the Maghreb region, Eastern Europe (except the USSR), Southern Europe (except Greece and Italy), and one daily service to New York (JFK) remained at Orly. In 1974, Air France also became the world’s first operator of the Airbus A300 twin-engined widebodied plane, Airbus Industrie’s first commercial airliner for which it was a launch customer.

In 1975, Air France was headquartered in central Paris.

Concorde service and rivalry

Air France Concorde on a U.S. stopover in 1977.

On 21 January 1976, Air France operated its inaugural supersonic transport (SST) service on the Paris (Charles de Gaulle) to Rio (via Dakar) route with the Anglo-French BAC-Arospatiale Concorde. Supersonic services from Paris (CDG) to New York (JFK) – the only remaining Concorde service until its end – as well as from Paris CDG to Washington D.C. commenced the following year. Paris to New York was covered in three hours and 23 minutes, about twice the speed of sound. Approval for flights to the United States was initially withheld due to noise protests. Eventually, services to Mexico City via Washington, D.C. were started. Air France became one of only two airlines – British Airways being the other – to regularly operate supersonic services, and continued daily transatlantic Concorde service for nearly two decades.

By 1983, Air France’s golden jubilee, the workforce numbered more than 34,000, its fleet about 100 jet aircraft (including 33 Boeing 747s) and its 634,400 km network served 150 destinations in 73 countries. This made Air France the fourth-largest scheduled passenger airline in the world, as well as the second-largest scheduled freight carrier. Air France also codeshared with regional French airlines, TAT being the most prominent. TAT applied Air France livery to several of its aircraft on Air France’s regional international routes.

In 1985 Air France was still headquartered in central Paris.

Air France operated 33 Boeing 747s by 1983.

In 1986 the government relaxed its policy of dividing traffic rights for scheduled services between Air France, Air Inter and UTA, without route overlaps between them. The decision opened some of Air France’s most lucrative routes on which it had enjoyed a government-sanctioned monopoly since 1963 and which were within its exclusive sphere of influence, to rival airlines, notably UTA. The changes enabled UTA to launch scheduled services to new destinations within Air France’s sphere, in competition with that airline.

Paris-San Francisco became the first route UTA served in competition with Air France non-stop from Paris. Air France responded by extending some non-stop Paris-Los Angeles services to Papeete, Tahiti, which competed with UTA on Los Angeles-Papeete. UTA’s ability to secure traffic rights outside its traditional sphere in competition with Air France was the result of a campaign to lobby the government to enable it to grow faster, becoming more dynamic and more profitable. This infuriated Air France.

In 1988, Air France was a launch customer for the fly-by-wire (FBW) A320 narrowbody twin, along with Air Inter and British Caledonian. It became the first airline to take delivery of the A320 in March 1988, and along with Air Inter became the first airlines to introduce Airbus A320 service on short-haul routes.

Acquisitions and privatisation

Dassault Mercure of Air Inter which became part of Air France in 1990.

On 12 January 1990, the operations of government-owned Air France, semi-public Air Inter and wholly private UTA were merged into an enlarged Air France. Air France’s acquisition of UTA and Air Inter was part of an early 1990s government plan to create a unified, national air carrier with the economies of scale and global reach to counter potential threats from the liberalisation of the EU’s internal air transport market.

On 25 July 1994, a new holding company, Groupe Air France, was set up by decree. Groupe Air France became operational on 1 September 1994. It acquired the Air France group’s majority shareholdings in Air France and Air Inter (subsequently renamed Air France Europe). On 31 August 1994, Stephen Wolf, a former United Airlines CEO, was appointed adviser to the Air France group’s chairman Christian Blanc. Wolf was credited with the introduction of Air France’s hub and spoke operation at Paris Charles de Gaulle. (Wolf resigned in 1996 to take over as CEO at US Airways.)

In 1997, Air France Europe was absorbed into Air France.

On 19 February 1999, French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin’s Plural Left government approved the Air France’s partial privatisation. Its shares were listed on the Paris stock exchange on 22 February 1999. In June 1999, Air France and Delta Air Lines formed a bilateral transatlantic partnership. On 22 June 2000, this expanded into the SkyTeam global airline alliance.

Air France-KLM merger

The merger of Air France and KLM occurred in 2004.

On 30 September 2003, Air France and Netherlands-based KLM Royal Dutch Airlines announced the merger of the two airlines, the new company to be known as Air France-KLM. The merger became reality on 5 May 2004. At that point former Air France shareholders owned 81% of the new firm (44% owned by the French state, 37% by private shareholders), former KLM shareholders the rest. The decision of the Jean-Pierre Raffarin government to reduce the French state’s shareholding in the former Air France group from 54.4% to 44% of the newly created Air France-KLM Group effectively privatised the new airline. In December 2004 the state sold 18.4% of its equity in Air France-KLM. The state’s shareholding in Air France-KLM subsequently fell to just under 20%.

Air France operations at Charles de Gaulle airport in 2006.

Air France-KLM became the largest airline in the world in terms of operating revenues, and third-largest (largest in Europe) in passenger kilometres. Although owned by a single company, Air France and KLM continued to fly under their own brand names. Air France-KLM remained part of the SkyTeam alliance, which then included Aeroflot, Delta Air Lines, Aeromxico, Korean Air, Czech Airlines, Alitalia, Northwest Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Air Europa and Continental Airlines. As of March 2004, Air France employed 71,654 people. As of March 2007, the airline employed 102,422 personnel.

According to Air France-KLM, the company’s principal activities became:

Passenger transport: first European airline with 25.5% of market share (November 2004) and largest airline in the world in terms of operating revenue.

Freight transport: largest company for international freight transportation without integration. With integration, Air France-KLM is third worldwide behind FedEx Express and UPS Airlines.

Airplane maintenance and repair: largest multi-services operator.

Open skies venture

Air France added the first Boeing 777-300ER to its fleet in 2004.

On 17 October 2007, the creation of a profit and revenue-sharing transatlantic joint venture between Air France-KLM and Delta Air Lines was announced during a press conference at Air France-KLM’s Roissy-CDG headquarters. The venture became effective on 29 March 2008. It aimed to exploit transatlantic opportunities to capture a major share of long-haul business traffic from London Heathrow Airport, which opened to unrestricted competition on that day as a result of the “Open Skies” pact between the EU and USA. It was envisaged that Air France and Delta, as well as fellow SkyTeam members Continental and Northwest, would begin nine daily round trips between London-Heathrow and destinations in the USA, including a daily London (Heathrow) to Los Angeles service by Air France. Once the new Air France-Delta venture received antitrust immunity, it was to be extended to the other two transatlantic SkyTeam partners, enabling all four partners to codeshare flights as well as to share revenue and profit.

The new transatlantic joint venture marks the Air France-KLM Group’s second major expansion in the London market, following the launch of CityJet-operated short-haul services from London City Airport that have been aimed at business travellers in the City’s financial services industry. However, the daily London (Heathrow) to Los Angeles service was not as successful as hoped, and was discontinued in November 2008.

Recent developments

On 13 January, Air France agreed to enter into recently privatised Alitalia’s capital share with a 25% stake. This capital investment is coupled with a co-operation agreement on an industrial basis. It is expected that Air France’s participation will increase in the years and that may likely lead to a merger with Alitalia, although nothing has been agreed so far on this.

Corporate identity

Liveries and logo

Air France title logo from 1970s-2008

The hippocampe ail logo.

Boeing 777-200ER with Air France’s Eurowhite 1970s-2008 livery.

Air France Boeing 777-300ER in the new livery landing at Montreal-Trudeau.

Air France’s present livery is a Eurowhite scheme, comprising a white fuselage with the blue Air France title and design. The tail is white with a series of parallel red and blue lines across the it at an angle, and a small European flag at the top. This livery has been in use since the late 1970s. In 2008, to coincide with Air France’s new logo, a change in livery is expected soon with the new logo replacing the old one at the forward fuselage. The tail will have little change; there will now be 3 blue bars running down instead of 4 previously. The bars will also now curve at the bottom reflecting the design of the logo. Previously, Air France aircraft had a bare-metal underside, extending up to a blue cheat-line that ran across the cabin windows. Above the cheat-line the fuselage was again white, with Air France titles and a French flag. The tail was white with two thick blue lines, which tapered from the rear of the tail and met at point towards the front bottom. This basic livery, with minor variations, would appear on all post-war Air France aircraft until the late 1970s.

Upon its formation, Air France adopted the seahorse logo of its predecessor Air Orient, known as the hippocampe ail, as its insignia. Prior to the Air France-KLM merger, the hippocampe ail was used on the nose section of aircraft next to the Groupe Air France title; after the merger, the Air France-KLM logo was substituted at the nose area, and the hippocampe ail was relocated to engine nacelles. The acroynm “AF” has also featured prominently on the airline’s flag and its signage. On 7 January 2008, Air France officially changed its logo to a red stripe.

Marketing

The song played before and after Air France flights (during boarding and after landing) is ‘Setting Fire to Sleepy Towns.’ by The Sleeping Years. The song featured in the Air France commercials is ‘Between Us’ by the band Aswefall.

Uniforms

Air France uniforms denote the ranks for the flight attendants. Two silver sleeve stripes denote a Chief Purser. One silver sleeve stripe denote a Purser. Flight attendants do not have any sleeve stripes. Air France’s current uniforms were created by French fashion designer Christian Lacroix.

Destinations

Main article: Air France destinations

Air France is a full service global airline and flies to 20 domestic destinations and 150 international destinations in 83 countries (including Overseas departments and territories of France) across all 6 major continents. This includes Air France Cargo services and those destinations served by franchisees Airlinair, Brit Air, CityJet, CCM Airlines and Rgional.

Most of Air France’s international flights operate from Paris-Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport. Air France also has a strong presence at Paris-Orly and Lyon-Saint-Exupry airports. As Air France becomes more a strategic partner with Delta Air Lines through the SkyTeam alliance and through a substantial joint venture, new routes and code-share agreements are developing rapidly.

Fleet

Active Fleet

The Air France fleet consists of the following passenger aircraft (as of 10 February 2010):

Air France Passenger Fleet

Aircraft

Total

Orders

Passengers

(First/Business/Premium Economy/Economy)

Airbus A318-100

18

0

123 (0/0/0/123)

Airbus A319-100

39

0

142 (0/0/0/142)

Airbus A319-100LR

5

0

79 (0/28/51/0)

Airbus A320-100

4

0

172 (0/0/0/172)

Airbus A320-200

56

10

165 (0/0/0/165)

Airbus A321-100

5

0

206 (0/0/0/206)

Airbus A321-200

18

4

200 (0/0/0/200)

Airbus A330-200

15

0

208 (0/40/21/147)

219 (0/40/0/179)

Airbus A340-300

18

0

261 (0/36/21/204)

272 (0/36/0/236)

275 (0/30/21/224)

291 (0/30/0/261)

Airbus A380-800

2

10

538 (9/80/0/449)

Boeing 747-400

15

0

436 (0/40/0/396)

Boeing 777-200ER

25

0

247 (4/49/24/170)

264 (4/49/0/211)

Boeing 777-300ER

30

12

303 (8/67/28/200)

325 (8/67/0/250)

472 (0/14/36/422)

The average fleet age of Air France is 7.9 years (as of 1 November 2009).

Orders

Airbus A380.

Airbus A318.

Airbus A319.

Airbus A320-200.

Airbus A321-200.

Air France Boeing 747-400 at Paris-CDG leaving for Montral-Trudeau.

On 24 May 2007, Air France announced it was planning to phase out its 747-400 aircraft by 2010, and placed an order for an additional 13 Boeing 777-300ERs and five Boeing 777F units. The airline also converted options for two more A380-800s into firm orders. This will bring the total of these aircraft for Air France to 33 Boeing 777-300ERs, 10 Boeing 777Fs, and 12 A380-800.

On 22 February 2005 Air France ordered a further four Boeing 777-300ERs, adding to 10 previously ordered (four delivered). The airline had previously ordered 18 Boeing 777-200ERs.

Air France signed as a launch customer for the Airbus A380-800 “superjumbo” in 2001. Air France had ordered 12 Airbus A380-800 aircraft, with options on a further two. The A380-800 will be used from Paris to New York and Johannesburg and as additional aircraft arrive, to Beijing and Tokyo. The first A380 was delivered on 30 October 2009, and is used on the Paris to New York route. Following delivery of the second A380, Air France started using it on the Paris to Johannesburg route from the 17 February 2010.

On 20 May 2005 Air France signed an agreement with Boeing to have three of its former Boeing 747-400 Combi aircraft – currently operated in all-passenger configuration – converted to the Boeing 747-400SF Special Freighter model. The modified aircraft will accelerate the phasing-out of the remaining, aging Boeing 747-200F freighters..

Air France has begun the process of removing the Boeing 747-400s from its fleet, in favour of the Boeing 777-300ER. A letter of intent has been signed for 6 747s to be purchased and converted to freighters and it hopes to have completely phased out all 747s by 2013.

On 23 May 2005 Air France agreed to buy five 777 Freighters (with three further options), making it the launch customer of the 777 Freighter. Air France took delivery of its first two 777 Freighters during February 2009. Two of the five were later sold to FedEx Express before being delivered.

Anniversary jet

On 14 November 2008, Air France released the first picture of an Airbus A320 with registration F-GFKJ that has been repainted in the full 1946 paint scheme to celebrate the airline’s 75 years anniversary. This heritage aircraft is planned to fly under the special colours until Spring 2010.

Fleet history

Over the years, Air France operated the following aircraft types:

This transport-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Air France Past Fleet

Aircraft

Introduced

Retired

Notes

Airbus A300

1974

1998

Airbus A310

1984

2002

Airbus A318

2003

Airbus A319

1997

Airbus A320

1988

Airbus A321

1997

Airbus A330-200

2001

Airbus A340-200

1993

1999

Airbus A340-300

1993

Airbus A380

2009

Boeing 737-200

1982

2002

Boeing 737-300

1991

2004

Boeing 737-500

1990

2007

Boeing 747-100

1970

1995

Boeing 747-200

1974

2008

Boeing 747-300

1991

2007

Boeing 747-400

1991

Boeing 767-300

1991

2003

Boeing 777-200

1998

Boeing 777-300

2004

Concorde

1976

2003

Fokker 100

1997

1999

sold to Brit Air

Lockheed TriStar

1989

1991

McDonnell Douglas DC-10

1992

2004

Concorde

The five Air France Concordes were grounded on 31 May 2003, as a result of insufficient demand following the 2000 accident, as well as higher fuel and maintenance costs. However, it is widely believed that Air France chairman Jean-Cyril Spinetta’s fear of personal criminal liability in the event of another Concorde accident was the real reason. Airbus’s subsequent decision to stop supporting the in-service Concorde fleet forced British Airways to retire its own fleet. The Airbus decision to end Concorde support came at an inopportune time for British Airways as it had just completed a refurbishment of the aircraft’s interiors and invested in post-2000 crash modifications. British Airways flew its last Concorde service on 24 October 2003. Concorde F-BVFA was transferred to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, an annexe of the National Air & Space Museum in Chantilly area of Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, near Washington Dulles Airport. F-BVFB was given to Sinsheim Auto & Technik Museum in Germany, F-BTSD to the Muse de l’Air et de l’Espace in Paris, while F-BVFC returned to its place of manufacture in Toulouse at the Airbus factory. F-BVFF is the only example to remain at Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Cabin classes

Air France has three primary classes of international service: La Premire (First), Affaires (Business), Premium Voyageur (Premium Economy) and Voyageur. European short-haul flights feature Voyageur and Premium Voyageyr class service. For flights to the Caribbean and Indian Ocean, a premium economy class, Aliz, is also offered, and a Premium Tempo class has been announced for select international routes. Inflight entertainment via AVOD (Audio Video on Demand) is available in select cabins.

La Premire (First) suites on a Boeing 777.

Affaires (Business) lie-flat seats.

Voyageur (Economy) cabin.

La Premire

La Premire (former L’Espace Premire), Air France’s long-haul first class product, is available on Airbus A380, Boeing 777-300ER, and Boeing 777-200ER aircraft. The La Premire cabin features four to nine (A380) wood and leather seats which recline 180, forming two-metre long beds. Each seat features a 10.4″ touchscreen TV monitor with interactive gaming and AVOD, a privacy divider, automassage feature, reading light, storage drawer, noise-cancelling headphones, personal telephone, and laptop power ports. la carte on-demand meal services feature entres created by Chef Guy Martin. Turndown service includes a mattress, duvet and pillow. Private lounge access is offered worldwide.

Affaires

Affaires (former L’Espace Affaires), Air France’s long-haul business class product, is available on Airbus A330, Airbus A340, Airbus A380, Boeing 747-400, Boeing 777-200ER, and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Affaires features lie-flat seats which recline to two metres in length. Each seat includes a 10.4″ touchscreen TV monitor with interactive gaming and AVOD, reading light, personal telephone, and laptop power ports. Meal service features three-course meals and a cheese service, or an express menu served shortly after takeoff.

Aliz

Aliz is Air France’s regional premium economy product for flights to the Caribbean and Indian Ocean (such as the Antilles, French Guiana, and Mauritius). On the Boeing 777-300ER, the Aliz cabin is located in front of the Voyageur cabin and features 36 seats. Aliz seats recline up to 123 and feature massaging foot rests. A pre-departure drink, enhanced meal service, and feather pillows and blankets are offered.

Premium Voyageur

This new class will be available on Boeing 777-300ER aircraft starting Autumn/Winter 2009/2010. Based on the concept of a premium economy cabin, it is said that it will incorporate all the amenities of standard Voyageur class but with a more spacious cabin, in a 2-4-2 configuration and a 38″ pitch. It is expected for there to be about 32 of these new seats on the Boeing 777-300ER. The Boeing 777-300ER flies to New York, Tokyo, Singapore, Beirut, Beijing, Hong Kong and Osaka. Premium Voyageur will be gradually rolled out onto all of Air France’s long-haul fleet.

Voyageur

Voyageur (former Tempo), Air France’s economy class product, features seats that recline up to 118. The latest long-haul Voyageur seat, which debuted on the Boeing 777-300ER, includes winged headrests, a personal telephone, and a touchscreen TV monitor with AVOD Interactive Entertainment System which are gradually being installed on all of Air France’s longhaul aircraft except Boeing 747-400s. Short-haul Tempo services are operated by Airbus A320 family aircraft with different seating arrangements. Air France is one of the few airlines who features winged headrests on short-haul aircraft in both classes. On short haul flights a snack is served. On medium haul flights a three course cold meal is served. On long haul flights there is a choice between two main courses when available. Limited free alcoholic beverages are available on all flights. Tempo has been renamed as Voyageur with Air France’s new image rebranding.

Services

In-flight catering

In-flight AVOD and dessert course in Affaires (Business)

For its Premire cabin, Air France’s first class menu is designed by Guy Martin, chef of Le Grand Vefour, a Michelin three-star restaurant in Paris. Menu items include hors deuvres, entres, bread basket, and cheeses, along with a dessert cart including pastries, petit fours, and tartlets. Air France also serves complimentary champagne to passengers in all classes.

In-flight entertainment

Air France offers Audio Video on Demand (AVOD) in all classes on service on its A330, A340, A380 and 777 aircraft. The AVOD system features multiple channels of video, audio, music, and games. Premire and Affaires passengers can start and stop programs, plus rewind and fast-forward as desired; in Voyageur class, the system may cycle between programs at a regular interval on all aircraft except Boeing 777-300ER. Some aircraft in Air France’s 747 fleet do not have individual video screens in Voyageur class. Air France Magazine, the airline’s in-flight publication, is included at each seat, and Air France Madame, a fashion luxury magazine with a feminine perspective, is included in Premire and Affaires cabins and lounges.

Lounges

Air France Business Lounge at CDG Terminal 2E.

Air France lounges are open to Premire and Affaires passengers, as well as Flying Blue Gold, Flying Blue Platinum, SkyTeam Elite Plus, or Club 2000 frequent flier program cardholders. Many airports feature SkyTeam lounges that are used by Air France and member airline partners.

Flying Blue

Main article: Flying Blue

Flying Blue, the frequent flyer program of Air France-KLM, awards members points based on miles travelled and class of service. Membership into the program is free. The program is divided into standard (Ivory) and Elite (Silver, Gold and Platinum) statuses. Ivory is the basic level which is attained upon entry into the program. Elite status is attained by accruing a certain number of miles within one calendar year. Elite Silver, Elite Gold, and Elite Platinum cards have added benefits. Flying Blue succeeded Air France’s previous frequent flyer program, Frquence Plus, which operated until the Air France-KLM merger in 2003.

Ivory – Permanent status; accrues mileage on AF, KLM, and qualifying flights.

Silver (Elite) – 25,000 or more miles on 15 or more segments.

Gold (Elite) – 40,000 or more miles travelled on 30 or more level segments.

Platinum (Elite) – 70,000 or more miles travelled on 60 or more level segments.

For French and Monegasque residents, Elite thresholds are higher, at 30,000, 60,000, and 90,000 miles respectively.

Codeshare agreements

In addition to its Brit Air, CityJet and Rgional subsidiaries, and its SkyTeam alliance partnership, Air France offers frequent flyer partnerships with approximately two-dozen airlines (as of February 2010):

Air France e-check kiosks

Air Mauritius

Air Seychelles

Aircalin

Alaska Airlines

Armavia

Austrian Airlines (Star Alliance)

Avianca

Baboo

CCM Airlines

Chalair

China Eastern Airlines

Finnair (Oneworld)

Gol Transportes Areos

Japan Airlines (Oneworld)

Jat Airways

Luxair

Malv Hungarian Airlines (Oneworld)

Middle East Airlines

Qantas (Oneworld)

Swiss International Air Lines (Star Alliance)

TAAG Angola Airlines

TAROM (SkyTeam from 2010)

Ukraine International Airlines

WestJet (from early 2010)

Subsidiaries and franchises

Air France regional jet operated by Brit Air

In partnership with Dutch affiliate Transavia, Air France has launched Transavia.com France, a new low-cost subsidiary based at Orly airport. Operations began in May 2007 with flights to leisure destinations in the Mediterranean region and North Africa. It is operating four “Next Generation” Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Transavia has a 40% stake, with Air France holding the rest.

Airlinair, Brit Air, CityJet, CCM Airlines and Rgional all operate flights on behalf of Air France, either as subsidiaries or as franchisees.

Rail ventures

Air France and Veolia are looking into jointly operating high-speed rail services in Europe. Routes will become available to operators in accordance with European rail liberalisation on 1 January 2010.

Head office

Head office of Air France in Roissyple, Tremblay-en-France

The former Air France head office in Montparnasse, Paris

Air France’s head office is located in the Roissyple complex on the grounds of Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport and in the commune of Tremblay-en-France, Seine-Saint-Denis, near the city of Paris. The 130,000 square metres (1,400,000 sq ft) complex was completed in December 1995. The French firm Groupement d’Etudes et de Mthodes d’Ordonnancement (GEMO) managed the project. The architect was Valode et Pistre and the design consultants were and Sechaud-Boyssut and Trouvin. The project costed 137,000,000 euros(less than 700 million francs).

For about 30 years prior to December 1995, Air France’s headquarters were located in a tower adjacent to the Gare Montparnasse rail station in the Montparnasse area and the 15th arrondissement of Paris. By 1991 two bids for the purchase of the Square Max Hymans building had been made. By 1992 the complex was sold to MGEN for 1.6 million francs. By that year Air France had planned to move its head office to Roissyple, taking 50,000 square metres (540,000 sq ft) of space inside the hotel, office, and shopping complex on the grounds of Charles de Gaulle Airport. After Air France moved to Tremblay-en-France, the ownership of the former head office complex was transferred.

In popular culture

Air France is the official airline of the Cannes Film Festival.

Air France has featured in Hollywood films. In the 1942 classic Casablanca, an Air France airliner, identifiable via its seahorse logo, featured prominently in the film’s climactic last scene. The Air France aircraft was used to take Ingrid Bergman’s character to freedom, as her former lover, played by Humphrey Bogart, watches. Additionally, the first in-flight movie was screened on board an Air France Lockheed Constellation in 1951 flying the New York to Paris route.

Incidents and accidents

Air France accidents and incidents

References

Notes

^ a b c d e “Directory: World Airlines”. Flight International: pp. 5657. 2007-03-27. 

^ Salpukas, Agis (1992-12-27). “Air France’s Big Challenge”. The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/27/business/air-france-s-big-challenge.html. Retrieved 2009-05-31. 

^ “Air France – Company Overview”. Hoover’s. 2009. http://www.hoovers.com/air-france/–ID__43290–/free-co-factsheet.xhtml. Retrieved 2009-05-31. 

^ Rgional (Compagnie Arienne Europenne), Company Profile

^ Ordonnance n45-1403 du 26 juin 1945 portant nationalisation des transports ariens

^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Air France (Airline, France)

^ a b c M.R. Golder, The Changing Nature of French Dirigisme – A Case Study of Air France. Thesis submitted at Trinity College, Oxford, 1997, p.28

^ World Airline Directory. Flight International. March 20, 1975. “466.

^ Airliners.net

^ “World Airline Directory.” Flight International. 30 March 1985. 42.” Retrieved on 17 June 2009.

^ Answers.com (Business and Finance) – Chargeurs International

^ FT.com/Business Life, The Monday Interview, 30 September 2007 – Pilot who found the right trajectory

^ The New York Times, 31 August 1994, Air France’s New Adviser

^ Business Wire, 16 January 1996 – Statement from Air France Group Chairman regarding Stephen M. Wolf

^ AIR FRANCE – KLM Company Profile Yahoo! Finance

^ a b Financial Times, 17 October 2007 – Air France and Delta target London

^ Airwise, 17 October 2007 – Air France And Delta Set Transatlantic Venture

^ Engle, Jane. “Air France will refund or reroute LAX-Heathrow fliers”. The Los Angeles Times. http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/index.php/air-france-will-refu-2984/. Retrieved 2009-05-09. 

^ “Air France’s new livery retains much of current scheme”. Flight International. http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/02/11/322387/picture-air-frances-new-livery-retains-much-of-current-scheme.html. Retrieved 2009-02-11. 

^ Pegasus a la Francaise

^ Air France’s Hippocampe and BOAC’s Speedbird: the semiotic status of logos

^ http://www.airfleets.net/flottecie/Air France.htm

^ Air France Fleet Age

^ Air France To Retire Boeing 747 Fleet (Flight Global: 24 May 2007)

^ ASIATravelTips.com, 18 June 2001 – Air France confirms major A380 order

^ Air International (July 2005)

^ DVB to acquire six Air France Boeing 747-400s Flight Global, 5 February 2008

^ Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 20 February 2009

^ http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100129-708885.html

^ Airliners.net F-GFKJ retrojet

^ Air France historic fleet at airfleets.ner. Retrieved 2009-11-20.

^ The Betrayal Of Concorde By Donald L. Pevsner

^ Air France – On Board

^ Air France reoit son 50e Boeing 777 et lance une Tempo premium

^ “Baggage fees for major airlines”. budgettravel.about.com. http://budgettravel.about.com/od/airfarescruises/tp/majors_bagfees.htm. Retrieved 2009-02-22. 

^ Forbes – First-Class Chefs Take Flight

^ There is such thing as a good airline meal

^ Air France Airline Information

^ Echo Media – Air France Madame

^ Air France Flying Blue

^ a b Air France Flying Blue membership thresholds

^ “About Air France Code-share agreements”. Air France. http://www.airfrance.us/US/en/local/toutsurairfrance/partenaires/partenaires_partage_code.htm. Retrieved 2009-05-31. 

^ Airliner World (January 2007)

^ Air France, Veolia plan high-speed rail venture (Reuters, 2008-09-08)

^ “Head Office,Air France. Retrieved on 9 February 2010.

^ “Plan interactif.” Tremblay-en-France. Retrieved on 20 September 2009.

^ a b “AIR FRANCE HEAD QUARTERS – ROISSYPOLE.” Groupement d’Etudes et de Mthodes d’Ordonnancement (GEMO). Retrieved on 20 September 2009.

^ “Air France.” Tremblay-en-France. Retrieved on 20 September 2009.

^ “Roissy Charles-de-Gaulle.” Tremblay-en-France. Retrieved on 20 September 2009. “Roissyple runit dans un cadre architectural moderne des infrastructures indispensables aux entreprises pour lesquelles le contact avec l’international est une necessit quotidienne. La cit d’affaires desservie par le RER accueille le sige social d’Air-France, le Hilton aisni que les bureaux du Continental square et du dme.”

^ “Le futur sige d’Air France devrait coter prs de 700 millions.” Les Echos. 27 March 1992. Page 12. Retrieved on 23 February 2010.

^ Mlekuz, Nathalie. “Air France vole vers ses avions, destination Roissy.” Le Monde. 2 April 1997. Retrieved on 22 September 2009. “Situ pendant plus de trente ans dans une des tours au-dessus de la gare Montparnasse, le sige d’Air France se trouve dsormais prs de l’aroport de Roissy.”

^ “Deux offres pour l’achat du sige d’Air France.” Les chos (France). 25 September 1991. Page 12. Retrieved on 26 November 2009.

^ “Air France toujours la recherche de capitaux frais.” Les Echos. 20 January 1992. Page 12. Retrieved on 23 December 2009. “Air France a pu boucler son exercice 1991 en incorporant la dotation en capital de 2 milliards de francs consentie par l’Etat-actionnaire, 1,25 milliard apports par la BNP contre des obligations remboursables en actions (ORA), ainsi que le produit de la vente de son sige la MGEN (1,6 milliard).”

^ Chenay, Christophe de. “Une ville pousse entre les pistes de Roissy Il ne manquera que des logements pour faire de Roissyple une vritable cit Mais le projet inquite les communes environnantes.” Le Monde. 13 September 1992. Retrieved on 20 January 2010. “Le transfert du sige d’Air France qui quittera le quartier Montparnasse en 1995 pour Roissyple devrait donner une lgitimit aux ambitions immobilires.”

^ “Roissyple ouvre ses portes.” Les Echos. 1 October 1992. Page 23. Retrieved on 20 January 2010. “Et le goupe Air France va y installer son nouveau sige social sur 50.000 mtres carrs en 1995.”

^ “Air France Roissy: le dcollage du sige social.” Les Echos. 1 June 1995. Page 32. Retrieved on 22 September 2009. “au terme d’un transfert rigoureusement planifi par la vente de l’ancien sige de Montparnasse.”

^ a b c Air France Reaching for the Stars

Bibliography

Air France corporate history

Air France fatal accident list – in English and French

Financial Times, 17 October 2007 – Air France and Delta target London

Airwise, 17 October 2007 – Air France And Delta Set Transatlantic Venture

FT.com/Business Life, The Monday Interview, 30 September 2007 – Pilot who found the right trajectory

The Seattle Times, Business & Technology, 25 May 2007 – Air France-KLM splits order for jets

Air France corporate history

ASIATravelTips.com, 18 June 2001 – Air France confirms major A380 order

M.R. Golder, The Changing Nature of French Dirigisme – A Case Study of Air France, St. Edmunds Hall, Oxford. Thesis submitted at Trinity College, 1997

Business Wire, 16 January 1996 – Statement from Air France Group Chairman regarding Stephen M. Wolf

The New York Times, 31 August 1994, Air France’s New Adviser

Record of Air France accidents/incidents at the ASN Aviation Safety Database

External links

Paris portal

France portal

Companies portal

Aviation portal

Find more about Air France on Wikipedia’s sister projects:

Definitions from Wiktionary

Source texts from Wikisource

Images and media from Commons

News stories from Wikinews

Current links in English

Air France

Air France Consulting

Air France Experience

Air France: La Saga Publicitare

Air France: 75th Anniversary

Air France and Cinema

Air France Paris-New York 60 Year Celebration

Air France Paris-New Delhi 50 Year Celebration

Archived links in English

Air France history

Current links not in English

Air France Aeropostale Episodes (French)

AirFranceCorporate at YouTube

Archived links not in English

Air France, la vie bord

 

Links to related articles

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Phuket flights

The biggest island of Thailand is Phuket. Phuket city is in the South East of the Thailand. Phuket is Asia’s most popular tourist spot because of its blue sea, golden beaches and white soft and silky palms. It is full of amazing landscapes, attractive sunsets and very famous for best quality dining in the world. The main city of Thailand is connected through a bridge with Phuket which is used for the transportation of good to the local markets. The money earned by this transport service is used for the purpose of the development of the Phuket Island.

Phuket Island is near to the equator which makes it’s whether very hot and dry from November to April and from May to October it’s raining.  Due to its beautiful beaches it has become the best site for tourist attractions. The famous and traditional “Tuk-Tuks “auto rickshaw’s also amuse the tourists.

Phuket Island is very famous for its ten hot spot tourist places. Those are Phuket Fantasea show at Kamala beach, Simon cabaret show at Patong beach, Phuket viewpoints at Kata – Nai Harn, Old Phuket town, Bangla road at Patong beach, Wat Chalong and Phuket Temples at Chalong, Phuket waterfalls at Thalang, Thai boxing at Patong beach, Big Buddha at Chalong and Phuket vegetarian festival and other events at Phuket town.

Phuket flights can be taken to and from the Phuket international airport which is located at the north area of the Island. This airport is the second busiest airport in Thailand. It has the facility of international, overseas and domestic Phuket flights. Along with Phuket international airport it has 3 other airports called Krabi airport, Surat Thani airport and Trang airport.

There are 26 airlines which provide Phuket flights. Some of them are Thai AirAsia, Bangkok Airways, airberlin, Thai Airways International, V Australia, SkyStar Airways, Dragonair, Korean Airlines and Malaysia Airlines. Phuket flights are available for 10 countries those are China, Thailand, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Russia, Germany and Vietnam.

The airports that are connected through Phuket flights are Suvarnabhumi international, Changi airport, Kuala Lumpur international airport, Hong Kong international airport, Koh Samui airport, Kingsford Smith airport, Incheon international airport and Domodedovo airport etc.

The Phuket international airport is fully equipped and maintained with the services like car hire booths, currency exchange counters, ATMs, baggage lost and found information, post office, Muslim prayer room, elevators, toilets and telephones etc. It also consist shopping outlets, coffee and snacks outlets. Airport transfers are available to Phuket town. The airport also provides the facility for the disabled people like wheel chairs, special toilets, lifts etc.

The booking of Phuket flights for visiting Phuket can be done through online website www.flightsphuket.com . The flight provides the facilities of international standard like cabin like seats for business class passengers, backseat TV screens, clean washrooms, newspapers and magazines, air sickness bags, quality food etc. The ladies travelling with small kids are being specially attended by the staff. With all such comforts travelling to Phuket becomes enjoyable experience.

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Getting to Koh Samui

Koh Samui lies 700 kilometers south of Bangkok in the Gulf of Thailand and 50 kilometers from the Gulf’s western shore city of Surat Thani. Daily flights are the most convenient way to arrive on the island. For the more budget conscious, trains, buses and boats are available. Independent car or motorcycle drivers can use one of several car ferries.

By Air

Koh Samui’s small open airport welcomes both domestic travelers and international arrivals from Singapore, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur.

Domestic Flights

Hourly flights depart Bangkok’s Suvunarbhumi International Airport for Koh Samui between 6am and 9pm daily. Bangkok Airways offers flights almost hourly and Thai airways offers two to three flights a day. Prices range between 2200 and 3500 baht on Bangkok Airways and can rise as high as 7400 baht on Thai Airways. Flight time is approximately 1.15 hours.

Bangkok Airways also serves Koh Samui with daily flights from Phuket, Chiang Mai and Pattaya. Twice weekly flights are available between Krabi and Koh Samui

For travelers with both time and price constraints, Air Asia’s inexpensive flights (600 baht to 900 baht) from Bangkok (Suvunarbhumi) Airport to Surat Thani make an attractive choice. From Surat Thani, travelers take local shuttles or taxies to Donsak Pier or Samui Ferry Pier and jump aboard for the remainder of their trip to the island.

International Flights

Bangkok Airways flies direct flights from Hong Kong (Monday, Wednesday and Friday), Kuala Lumpur (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) and Singapore (Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday).

Berjaya Air offers two flights a week (Thursday and Sunday) from Kuala Lumpur.

By Train and Ferry

Train and ferry tickets can be purchased separately. This option requires travelers to find local transport from the train station to the pier and then purchase ferry tickets. To avoid long delays, check ferry schedules ahead of time. Booking trains from Bangkok to Surat Thani online can be tricky with credit card and handling fees tacked on to ticket costs. Do-it-yourself travelers also run the risk of having to wait for a boat to Koh Samui or overpaying for local transport to the pier.

Purchasing a combination train/shuttle/ferry ticket from one of the hundreds of travel agencies scattered around Bangkok is far easier and more convenient than arranging each stage of the travel separately. Two trains leave Bangkok’s Hualamphong station daily taking approximately 8 hours to reach Surat Thani. With combination tickets, ticket holders are met and shuttled to the ferry then which takes 1.5 hours to reach Koh Samui. Prices range from just over 1000 baht to around 1700 depending on the class of train seat chosen for the trip.

By Bus (or coach) and Ferry

For budget-minded travelers, bus and ferry travel are the way to go. Air-conditioned overnight buses leave Bangkok’s southern bus terminal daily. Scheduled departures are late afternoon and early evening. Upon arrival in Surat Thani Province, buses are ferried to Koh Samui. Bus fares are between 300 and 400 baht depending on the class of service you opt for and travel time is approximately 14 hours. Ferry fares are less than 50 baht.

Private companies run coaches with pick-up in several locations around Bangkok. These generally allow travelers to purchase a combined coach/express boat tickets from local travel agents. Travel by bus and high speed boat or catamaran to Samui is approximately 13 hours. Prices range from 350 to 650 baht depending on class of service and include express boat tickets. At the high end are the VIP coaches which comfortably seat only 24 people.

All air-conditioned overnight buses and coaches stop along the way for food and toilet breaks. Daily buses also run from Hat Yai, Phuket and Krabi.

Only the hardiest travelers opt for the least expensive choice. Unscheduled local buses stops along the way for every person that puts out a hand. Travel can take hours longer than the overnight buses and coaches. These buses are not air-conditioned.

By boat

High-speed catamaran service to Koh Samui runs from nearby Koh Tao and mainland ports in Chumphon and Surat Thani. Regular ferry service and smaller boat services are also available. Long-tail boat service runs scheduled trips to and from Koh Phangan.

By car or motorcycle

Ferry service runs every hour from 06:00 to 18:00 from both Donsak Pier about 1.5 hours east of Surat Thani and Samui Ferry Pier. Ferry time is approximately 1.5 hours.

Flights To Chiang Mai With Asia’s Largest Low Cost Airline

Thailand is focusing hard on making more than one destination accessible, with convenience for tourists arriving from far off countries. The country has recently see increase in number of flights to Puce, that arrive without stopping over in Bangkok (only connection flights to Bangkok) while flights from and to other cities and Islands in Thailand are gaining more popularity. Trends are changing globally and tourists are preferring to go off the beaten path, take on new destinations where there is more originality and less commercialism resulted by tourist arrivals.

 

The recent move of Thai Air Asia, has turned Chiang Mai into its newest hub as the airline officially inaugurated its third hub in Thailand earlier this week. Thai Air Asia already offers flight to Phuket, where it has its second hub and the first in capital City Bangkok.

 

Thai Air Asia is the continent’s largest low-cost airline and uses Airbus A320 to serve three destinations within the continent that includes Flights to Bangkok, Hat Yai and Flights to Singapore. At this occasion, Tassapon Bijleveld, CEO of Thai AirAsia (TAA) stated:

 

“We see Chiang Mai emerging as an attractive destination for tourists, and we want to contribute to make Thailand’s northern capital even more attractive thanks to our low-fare structure,”

 

In very recent past, some internationally reputed and notable airline have stopped their flights to Chain Mai, the names include Thai Airways, Tiger Airways and Malaysia Airlines. These airlines have hardly any success in offering flights to Chiang Mai. However, considering the changing trends that can be seen and counted in terms of number and collected as facts and figures, as more people are reserving flights directly to beach destinations, without stopping over in the capital cities and away from commercialism, there are very bright chances for Thai Air Asia to make its place as the only flights to Northern Thailand.

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Cheap flights to Bangkok – Experience the Charm of Bangkok

Bangkok is one of the most visited destinations by international travelers from all around the globe. Bangkok is the capital of Thailand and its largest city. To visit there you can look for cheap flights to Bangkok. Cheap fights to Bangkok are not so easily available. It requires a lot of research to find them. Bangkok is a beautiful city with various sightseeing, restaurants, nightlife and accommodations. Bangkok is Asia’s top destination of holiday makers and travelers.

A large number of cheap flights to Bangkok are scheduled from UK. Direct flights to Bangkok include EvaAir, Thai Airways, British Airways and Qantas. Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, Emirates, Turkish Airways, Singapore, Swiss Airways, KLM and Gulf Airways are the indirect flights to Bangkok. It has excellent climatic conditions, you can visit there anytime. Choose the best airline as the in-flight services vary in every airline. All airlines provide customers with 180 degrees of recline, converting into the most comfortable of beds. Staff has

Search Cheap flights to Bangkok for your travel to Thailand, as it is the gateway to other cities of Bangkok. You can get good discounts on business and first class flights. All airlines are offering low cost long and short haul flights. A cheap flight deal is also a good option on business class travelers and economy class travelers.

Save a large amount of money on your honeymoons and holidays by booking cheap flights to Bangkok. You can also look for honeymoon packages for your travel. The cheap honeymoon packages include airfares, accommodations, food, etc. Transportation and accommodations are easy to find at cheap prices. Search for the travel companies providing online booking of cheap flights and for the travel agents, who can provide cheap flights to Bangkok.

Bangkok’s main sights are concentrated in the Old City on Rattanakosin Island. Some of the most famous are the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun. Ban Kamthieng, M.R. Kukrit’s Heritage Home and the Suan Pakkad Palace are the good examples of Thai style residences. Dusit Palace, Vimanmek Mansion, King Prajadhipok Museum, National Gallery, The Queen’s Gallery, Santichaiprakarn Park, etc are some of the main tourist attracted places.

This city is full of shopping malls and markets. It is a great destination for shopping lovers. Siam Center, Siam Square, Siam Paragon, MBK or the Emporium are some them.

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Cheap flights to Bangkok – Mesmerizing Vacations

Planning your holidays in Asia? Book cheap flights to Bangkok. It is liked by travelers from all over the world. Bangkok is the capital of Thailand and its largest city. To visit there you can look for cheap flights to Bangkok.

Getting a cheap deal for flights and cheap airfares is not so easy, a lot of research is needed for this. It is a wonderful place which offers various sightseeing, restaurants, nightlife and accommodations. Bangkok is Asia’s top destination of holiday makers and travelers. Maximum numbers of airlines are routed to this city from London, Edinburgh, New Castle, Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester and other major cities of UK.

Airlines like EvaAir, Thai Airways, British Airways and Qantas are connecting UK directly to Bangkok. Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, Emirates, Turkish Airways, Singapore, Swiss Airways, KLM and Gulf Airways are the indirect flights to Bangkok. It has excellent climatic conditions, you can visit all round the year. Choose the best airline as the in-flight services vary in every airline. All airlines provide customers with 180 degrees of recline, converting into the most comfortable of beds.

Search Cheap flights to Bangkok, it is spiritual, cultural, political, commercial, educational, diplomatic centre and gateway to other major cities in Thailand. You can get good discounts on business and first class flights. Low cost long and short haul flights are available with all airlines. A cheap flight deal is also a good option on business class travelers and economy class travelers. Economy class travelers can book business class flights by having a cheap flight deal to Bangkok.

Plan your holidays, honeymoons and business travel by booking cheap flights to Bangkok and save a good amount of money. Honeymoon packages with cheap flights are also available for your travel to Bangkok. These cheap honeymoon packages include airfares, accommodations, food, etc. Transportation and accommodations are easy to find at cheap prices. Search for the travel companies providing online booking of cheap flights and for the travel agents, who can provide cheap flights to Bangkok.

Bangkok’s main sights are concentrated in the Old City on Rattanakosin Island. Some of the most famous are the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun. Ban Kamthieng, M.R. Kukrit’s Heritage Home and the Suan Pakkad Palace are the good examples of Thai style residences. Dusit Palace, Vimanmek Mansion, King Prajadhipok Museum, National Gallery, The Queen’s Gallery, Santichaiprakarn Park, etc are some of the main tourist attracted places.

This city is full of shopping malls and markets. It is a great destination for shopping lovers. Siam Center, Siam Square, Siam Paragon, MBK or the Emporium are some them.

Flights to Bangkok from UK

Bangkok is the capital city of Thailand and its largest city. People from all over the world flock here in millions for holidays and vacations. It is wonderful, huge and modern city humming with nightlife and fervour. Flights to Bangkok from UK are available with low fares from London, Gatwick, New Castle, Edinburgh and various other cities.

Direct flights to Bangkok from UK are:

EvaAir: EvaAir is four stars airline providing cheap flights for your travel to Bangkok. It is providing very good services to its customers. Flights attendants are very polite and attentive. It takes 11hours 30minutes from London to reach Bangkok.

Thai Airways: It is also a four stars airline ranked by Skytrax. Services of this airline are very good. Seats are very large and comfortable. Staff members are very humble and cooperative. Business class airfares are also very low. It takes 11hours 35minutes to reach Bangkok from London.

British Airways: British Airways is a four stars airline ranked by Skytrax. This airline is providing good services at affordable prices. Crew members are very polite and humble. Seating arrangement is good and comfortable. Its duration is 11hours 20minutes from UK to Bangkok.

Qantas Airways: Qantas airways also take 11hours 20 minutes to reach Bangkok from London. Meal served in this airline is delicious and hygienic. It is a ranked as a four star airline by Skytrax. Seats are very comfortable in both economy and business class flights.

Indirect flights to Bangkok from UK are:

Etihad Airways: Etihad is a two stop flights connecting Abu Dhabi to Bangkok and UK. Being a four stars airline it is providing cheap airfares.

Qatar Airways: Qatar is a five stars airline which is providing very low airfares and good services to its passengers. It is connecting Doha to London and Bangkok.

Emirates: This airline is providing comfortable seats with good leg space and hygienic meal. It is a two stop airline that connects Bangkok from Dubai and London.

Bangkok is mainly famous for its temples, but there are various other attractions also. Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun are the main temples there. Rattanakosin Island is the other main attraction which offers main sightseeing of Bangkok. Bangkok is famous for its Thai-style houses Ban Kamthieng, M.R. Kukrit’s Heritage Home and Suan Pakkad Palace are some of the most famous from them and attracts many tourists.

Thai A340 (TG989) landing at Auckland International Airport from Bangkok. Have to say it’s one of my better videos, also high quality.
Video Rating: 3 / 5

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Flights to Bangkok

Bangkok is the capital city of Thailand and its largest city. People from all over the world flock here in millions for holidays and vacations. It is wonderful, huge and modern city humming with nightlife and fervour. Flights to Bangkok from UK are available with low fares from London, Gatwick, New Castle, Edinburgh and various other cities.

Direct flights to Bangkok from UK are:

EvaAir: EvaAir is four stars airline providing cheap flights for your travel to Bangkok. It is providing very good services to its customers. Flights attendants are very polite and attentive. It takes 11hours 30minutes from London to reach Bangkok.

Thai Airways: It is also a four stars airline ranked by Skytrax. Services of this airline are very good. Seats are very large and comfortable. Staff members are very humble and cooperative. Business class airfares are also very low. It takes 11hours 35minutes to reach Bangkok from London.

British Airways: British Airways is a four stars airline ranked by Skytrax. This airline is providing good services at affordable prices. Crew members are very polite and humble. Seating arrangement is good and comfortable. Its duration is 11hours 20minutes from UK to Bangkok.

Qantas Airways: Qantas airways also take 11hours 20 minutes to reach Bangkok from London. Meal served in this airline is delicious and hygienic. It is a ranked as a four star airline by Skytrax. Seats are very comfortable in both economy and business class flights.

Indirect flights to Bangkok from UK are:

Etihad Airways: Etihad is a two stop flights connecting Abu Dhabi to Bangkok and UK. Being a four stars airline it is providing cheap airfares.

Qatar Airways: Qatar is a five stars airline which is providing very low airfares and good services to its passengers. It is connecting Doha to London and Bangkok.

Emirates: This airline is providing comfortable seats with good leg space and hygienic meal. It is a two stop airline that connects Bangkok from Dubai and London.

Bangkok is mainly famous for its temples, but there are various other attractions also. Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun are the main temples there. Rattanakosin Island is the other main attraction which offers main sightseeing of Bangkok. Bangkok is famous for its Thai-style houses Ban Kamthieng, M.R. Kukrit’s Heritage Home and Suan Pakkad Palace are some of the most famous from them and attracts many tourists. Get Discount on Booking of Bangkok Airfare

Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (SET: THAI, Thai: การบินไทย) (abbreviated here to “Thai”) is the national flag carrier and largest airline of Thailand. Formed in 1988, the airline’s headquarters are located in Chatuchak District, Bangkok,[2][3] and operates out of Suvarnabhumi Airport. Thai is a founding member of the Star Alliance alliance. Thai is a major shareholder which hold 39% shares of Nok Air – a low-cost Bangkok based carrier. From its hub at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thai flies to 71 destinations in 34 countries, using a fleet of 98 aircraft. The airline operates one of the longest non-stop commercial flights, including the 18 hours non-stop flight from Bangkok to Los Angeles. Skytrax awarded Thai Airways International ‘Worlds Best Cabin Staff and The Best Airline in the World’ in 2006, while placing second in the ‘Airline of the Year’ category in 2007.[4] Thai’s first class lounge at Suvarnabhumi Airport was awarded World’s Best First Class Lounge by Skytrax in 2009. Thai Airways International has received an award for the excellence of its inflight hygiene measures by the World Health Organization Deutsche Lufthansa AG (FWB: LHA) (German pronunciation: [ˈdɔʏt͡ʃə ˈlʊfthanza]) is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft (the German word for “air”), and Hansa (after Hanseatic League, the powerful medieval trading group). The airline is the …
Video Rating: 5 / 5

Book Cheap Flights to Bangkok

Bangkok- The capital city of Thailand has emerged as a popular tourist attraction. If you also want to spend a memorable vacation, Bangkok is the best place for you. Travelers from around the globe are in search of cheap flights to Bangkok. Throughout the year people flock here for different reasons. Beautiful temples, museums, art galleries and shopping centers have attracted many tourists to this city.

large number of cheap flights to Bangkok are scheduled from UK. Direct Bangkok flights include EvaAir, Thai Airways, British Airways and Qantas. Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, Emirates, Turkish Airways, Singapore, Swiss Airways, KLM and Gulf Airways are the indirect flights to Bangkok. It has excellent climatic conditions, you can visit there anytime. Choose the best airline as the in-flight services vary in every airline. All airlines provide customers with 180 degrees of recline, converting into the most comfortable of beds.

There are many travel agents offering cheap flights to Bangkok  various destinations. Bangkok has a network of sky-trains which were introduces to ease the notorious traffic jams in the city. The sky-train was introduced in 1999 and was also known as BTS system and rot-fai-fah in Thai. There are two more metro used in Bangkok for commencement by the people, viz. the underground MRTA subway and another elevated line known as BERTS.

Save a large amount of money on your honeymoons and holidays by booking cheap flights to Bangkok. You can also look for honeymoon packages for your travel.

You must also not worry about staying in Bangkok as the place has ample hotels and resorts. You would have a good bunch of hotels in Bangkok to choose from. Check out the all time favorite Grand Hyatt Erawan, Siam Square, Majestic Suites, Sukhumvit, Artist’s Place, HI Bangkok Centre Sukhumvit 25 and enjoy the generous hospitality of the people from Bangkok.

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9 Airlines You’ll Want To Fly

Generally speaking, the Asian and Middle Eastern airlines offer service that far exceeds that of North America and Europe. The stewards actually serve you, the seats are more comfortable, and you might find yourself asking for seconds of the food. In first class there are beds, showers, and pyjamas. Um- are we flying or have we arrived?

1. Cathy Pacific: Where passengers can order a bowl of instant noodles at any point during the flight. Better yet, the bathrooms can accommodate eight people and have windows.

2. Qatar Airways: Known as the “World’s 5-Star Airline”, Qatar has live satellite TV onboard. The food served includes foie gras, caviar, and smoked salmon. Mmmmmm.

3. Singapore Airlines : Singapore is an exceptionally clean and unique place, and their airline is no different. More then just First Class, those aboard Singapore Airlines can fly in Suites, with 35 inch wide, Italian leather seats, and standalone beds.

4. Asiana: This South Korean Airline was recently named the Airline of the Year, at the 2010 annual World Airline Awards in Hamburg, Germany.

5. Air New Zealand: In 2010 alone Air New Zealand won five awards. They include the Conde Nast Traveller vote for Favourite Long-Haul Leisure Airline, and Airline of the Year from Air Transport World.

6. Etihad Airways: Etihad Airways offer such exceptional experience, they have changed the names Economy, Business, and First, to Coral, Pearl, Pearl Business, Diamond First, and Diamond First Class Suites. Clearly they know precious stones are the way to anyone’s heart.

7. Emirates: “An exceptional journey from start to finish”. Complimentary chauffeur-driven cars are available for first and business class passengers. Book one online when reserving your flight and put your mind at rest. Everything is taken care of.

8. Thai Airways: Those fortunate enough to fly in Royal First class of Thai Airways will experience the privacy of a segregated cabin, and friendly, hospitable service. Choose from a wide selection of vintage wines and champagnes, then close your eyes and dream of where you’re heading.

9. Jet Airways: Jet Airways is India’s finest international airline and one of the world’s fastest growing airlines. Their international staff are taught to go above and beyond to ensure that you are comfortable and happy.

Flying can be such a drag. Between getting the airport, getting through security, and then having to sit through hours of unpleasant, stale-aired flying time, it really has become a chore. But it doesn’t have to be. Obviously the option of first class isn’t available to all of us, but fly economy on an Asian or Middle Eastern airline and you will feel like you’re in first class. The service, the seats, the food- it’s all something to write home about.

Thai Airways Airbus A340-500 Takeoff from JFK to BKK
Video Rating: 4 / 5

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Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan – How to Get There

First, let’s break it up into a few stages.

Stage One — Getting To Koh Samui

To get to Koh Samui the easiest and most expensive way would be to fly from Bangkok. The only airlines that fly from Bangkok to Koh Samui are Bangkok Airways and Thai Airways. Bangkok Airways is usually the cheaper option while Thai Airways is the flagship airline of Thailand.

The way many get there is by taking a train or bus down to Surat Thani and then taking the ferry across. I’d recommend trying to get a bus that has it’s destination as Koh Samui from the new Southern Bus Terminal (if you’re at the Southern Bus Terminal right near a big mall and there is no air conditioning, that’s not it, that’s the old one). To get to the new Southern Bus Terminal in Bangkok the best advice I can give you is to Google the address Phutthamonthon Soi 1 in northern Thonburi which is on the other side of the river opposite Bangkok. Technically it is in Thonburi but it’s part of the extended Bangkok metro area. So, if you get a bus directly to Koh Samui you do not have to worry about how to get to the Koh Samui ferry and get across to the island.

If you do not get a direct bus ticket to Koh Samui try to get a bus-boat or train-bus-boat ticket from a travel agent directly to the island. You will wait for possibly long periods waiting to get a short bus to the ferry once you arrive in Surat Thani but at least you know everything is sorted. Try different agents to get the fastest ferry possible if speed is important to you. There are some private companies that do high-speed boats but this is not consistent so you need to search.

If you do have to worry about how to get to the Koh Samui ferry and get across from Surat Thani, take note of a few things. There will be taxis (probably tuk tuks or songthaew’s, the former you’ll see in Bangkok and the latter are pickups with benches in the back) at the bus station in Surat Thani which will take you to the ferry. The problem is, there are different ferries to take. Probably you will be taken to a travel agent who will book you on the ferry they send the tourists on, but if you can get a trip to Donsak through the songthaew or from a local travel agent, you will find the fastest ferries to Koh Samui there.

For more on getting there, the Koh Samui airport site has good information on all the ways to get to Koh Samui at http://www.samui.org/airport/

Stage Two — Staying in Koh Samui

You may want to find a nice Koh Samui bungalow to rest after the trip from Bangkok. I would suggest going to Chaweng Beach as it is the most populous area of Samui and the stunning beach calls out for your camera to take a picture. Chaweng is on the other side of the island from Nathon pier, the getting off point from Samui. There are many places to stay on that beach so I recommend just getting there and finding a place with a reasonable price that you like.

To get around Samui Island you will need to take songthaews or taxis. These drivers love to rip off Thai and foreign tourists alike. Since air conditioned taxis will charge minimum 100 baht to get anywhere, know you should never pay more than 60 baht for a songtaew. Bargain and stand your ground, as always, with a smile.

Stage Three — Getting to the Full Moon Party in Koh Phangan from Samui

From Samui, getting to Koh Phangan is easy. Simply get a ferry from Nathon pier. There are many travel agents across the road from the pier who will give you a fair price. Alternatively, if you are in Chaweng you can take a short trip to Maenam or Bophut on the north side of the island which have speedboats to Phangan.

Then, you can find your way from there. Have fun at the Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan and remember to be safe.

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Video Rating: 4 / 5

Singapore Beaches

If you are dreaming of discovering the gardens, temples, pagodas and all of the other wonders of the East, then there will never be a better way of fulfilling that dream than to take an Oriental Cruise.

Consisting of 63 islands including mainland Singapore, the country is an ideal tourist destination. Everything in Singapore is managed considering travel and tourism in front.

Nearly 70% of the island is covered with rainforest. Nature lovers will love Sentosa as you can find many animals and flora there. On the island, one of the most famous tourist attractions is the Underwater World. The underwater world is located at the western part of the island and it is home to over 250 species of aquatic life. There is a glass tunnel inside the underwater world where you can see the marine life up close.

Jurong Bird Park: It is a renowned aviary located in Singapore and is the address of around 600 different species of birds. The beautifully landscaped park will definitely captivate your senses.

Both the international and domestic airlines are routed to Mactan-Cebu International Airport. KLM, Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific, Asiana Airlines and Singapore Airlines are all scheduled from UK to Cebu.

The park is so extensive that it covers a wide area of three states of Malaysia e.g. Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu. Its 130 million-year-old forest houses comprehensive range of wildlife. Nature lovers from around the world flock in large numbers to explore rich and diverse species of flora and fauna inhabiting the jungle. Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve is another tourist attraction in Malaysia.

Malaysia boasts to have the most beautiful capital in the world. Kuala Lumpur offers sophisticated dinging and shopping facilities to travelers. And, that might be a reason that people from the region prefer to shop in Kuala Lumpur than in Singapore or Hong Kong.

Airlines like Thai Airways, Singapore Airline, Asiana Airlines, Korean Airways, British Airways, Qantas, Virgin Atlantic, etc are all routed to Sydney. Airfares of these airlines to Sydney are as Cathay Pacific.

It offers cheap accommodations, things to do, sights to see, and places to eat. There are various beautiful beaches but Bondi Beach is one of the popular beaches. Bondi Beach, Manly, Sydney Olympic Park and Paramatta are major popular destinations. Book flights in advance for your cheap and budget travel. Low cost business class and first class flights are available with these companies. Discount flights, cheap flights, last minute flights and long haul flights are available at low prices.

Last minute travel to Asia can sometimes be affected by local weather. You could probably be forewarned regarding climate ñ and it can differ drastically depending on your current location ñ but there are times when the weather can get nasty. In some places, weather can sometimes dictate business.

Another place worth visiting to attain spiritual satisfaction is golden Buddha temple. Known as Wat Traimit in Thai language, the temple is located near Hua Lum Pong, Bangkok’s central railway station. So, commuting won’t be a difficult issue either. In fact, you would be able to tell your kids about Thai culture and its origin while visiting these monuments

Singapore Beaches

If you are dreaming of discovering the gardens, temples, pagodas and all of the other wonders of the East, then there will never be a better way of fulfilling that dream than to take an Oriental Cruise.

Consisting of 63 islands including mainland Singapore, the country is an ideal tourist destination. Everything in Singapore is managed considering travel and tourism in front.

Nearly 70% of the island is covered with rainforest. Nature lovers will love Sentosa as you can find many animals and flora there. On the island, one of the most famous tourist attractions is the Underwater World. The underwater world is located at the western part of the island and it is home to over 250 species of aquatic life. There is a glass tunnel inside the underwater world where you can see the marine life up close.

Jurong Bird Park: It is a renowned aviary located in Singapore and is the address of around 600 different species of birds. The beautifully landscaped park will definitely captivate your senses.

Both the international and domestic airlines are routed to Mactan-Cebu International Airport. KLM, Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific, Asiana Airlines and Singapore Airlines are all scheduled from UK to Cebu.

The park is so extensive that it covers a wide area of three states of Malaysia e.g. Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu. Its 130 million-year-old forest houses comprehensive range of wildlife. Nature lovers from around the world flock in large numbers to explore rich and diverse species of flora and fauna inhabiting the jungle. Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve is another tourist attraction in Malaysia.

Malaysia boasts to have the most beautiful capital in the world. Kuala Lumpur offers sophisticated dinging and shopping facilities to travelers. And, that might be a reason that people from the region prefer to shop in Kuala Lumpur than in Singapore or Hong Kong.

Airlines like Thai Airways, Singapore Airline, Asiana Airlines, Korean Airways, British Airways, Qantas, Virgin Atlantic, etc are all routed to Sydney. Airfares of these airlines to Sydney are as Cathay Pacific.

It offers cheap accommodations, things to do, sights to see, and places to eat. There are various beautiful beaches but Bondi Beach is one of the popular beaches. Bondi Beach, Manly, Sydney Olympic Park and Paramatta are major popular destinations. Book flights in advance for your cheap and budget travel. Low cost business class and first class flights are available with these companies. Discount flights, cheap flights, last minute flights and long haul flights are available at low prices.

Last minute travel to Asia can sometimes be affected by local weather. You could probably be forewarned regarding climate ñ and it can differ drastically depending on your current location ñ but there are times when the weather can get nasty. In some places, weather can sometimes dictate business.

Another place worth visiting to attain spiritual satisfaction is golden Buddha temple. Known as Wat Traimit in Thai language, the temple is located near Hua Lum Pong, Bangkok’s central railway station. So, commuting won’t be a difficult issue either. In fact, you would be able to tell your kids about Thai culture and its origin while visiting these monuments

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THAILAND: A growing Medical Mecca

Thailand has been the destination of choice for many visitors from the Middle East. The friendly people, five-star resorts and accommodations, and the natural beauty of Thailand’s landscape have been top attractions for decades.

These days, another growing reason Arab tourists are flocking to Thailand is the world-quality medical facilities and services available in the country. Patients are choosing to combine a medical check-up or treatment, with an exotic holiday in the Land of Smiles all at a fraction of what it would cost in the US or Europe.

Those who choose to come to Thailand for their medical care enjoy several benefits. Travel from the Middle East to the capital city of Bangkok is convenient with several air carriers operating direct flights from key cities in the Gulf, including 66 from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Bahrain. Among the major carriers flying the route are Thai Airways International, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, Gulf Air and Cathay Pacific. With direct flights ranging from seven to nine hours only, travel is not as tiring for most young children or senior members of the family. Entry to the Kingdom is also less onerous, compared to most Western destinations. Middle Eastern guests are also sensitive to the changing attitudes towards them in the US and Europe which contrast with the warm hospitality of the Thai people.

The majority of Middle Eastern guests are from the United Arab Emirates, accounting for 60 per cent of the total. They often travel with the extended family, enjoying the shopping, dining and cultural pleasures of Thailand. With their high purchasing power, residents of Arab Gulf countries find the prices of goods and services in Thailand reasonable, including that of high quality medical services. Bangkok boasts of International standard hospitals that cater to over half a million foreign patients annually, Majority of doctors in these Bangkok hospitals are not only world-class and internationally trained, but are also able to speak other languages, such as Arabic, in addition to Thai and English.

International hospitals in Thailand are eager to accommodate patients from the Arab Gulf region and in recognition of their needs, have put in place special facilities and services for Muslim patients and visitors, often hard to find outside the Middle East. It is now common to find directions and information on public signage in Arabic, as well as Thai and English. Halal food and prayer rooms are available for patients and also for visitors. The hospitals are one-stop centres as well with visa extension desks, and multilingual officers who will help patients and their families find accommodation or book transportation.

With all these developments, it is no wonder Thailand has evolved into a mecca for medical tourism.

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