The Week In Travel

In Europe this week, Air France has commenced operation of its first flights featuring the new 48-seat business-class cabin on services to three long-haul destinations. The new seat converts into a flat bed, and includes a sliding door which allows passengers to create a private space. Air France is calling this a ‘major step’ in moving towards a more luxurious offer, and has stated that all long-haul business cabins will be fitted with these seats by the end of this year.

UAE’s flag carrier Emirates has announced the completion of ground engine testing for one of its GE90 engines on a Boeing 777-300ER with 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The completion of this test has provided a platform for the airline to carry out its first experimental test flight using 100% SAF in one engine, and is scheduled for take-off this week.

In Asia Pacific news, Korean Air has announced that it will resume service for more European routes from late March onwards as the carrier rebuilds its long-haul network after the pandemic. The airline will restart flights from Seoul’s Incheon airport to Prague and Zurich for the first time in three years and is also set to resume flights to Istanbul and Madrid. All four restored routes to Europe will operate three times per week.

And finally, a New York real estate agent, who had chosen a window seat on his flight, took matters into his own hands and swatted his fellow passenger as they tried to open his window shade. Capturing the frosty interaction in a TikTok post, he defiantly concluded: ‘my window, my rules.’ The video of the incident has now gained six million views and sparked an ongoing online discussion – has travel etiquette gone out the window?