Japan Airlines has introduced a tool that shows passengers where babies are sitting before they book their seat on a flight. Passengers can now ensure that they are not sitting near a baby, especially for long flights.
The airline shared: “Passengers travelling with children between eight days and two years old who select their seats on the JAL website will have a child icon displayed on their seats on the seat selection screen. This lets other passengers know a child may be sitting there.”
Image: Rahat Ahmed
However, this tool has been met with mixed responses, with many parents stressing that it makes them feel like a hindrance.
We understand that flying with kids must be a nightmare, we can barely get ourselves through security with ease never mind a toddler.
However, many people have said this service is a huge help because sitting beside a crying baby is never fun.
Others expressed their outrage on Twitter:
“Babies are not capable developmentally to “plan” crying or screaming,” said one woman.
Another user added, “They are babies as we all once were. We need to learn tolerance or will soon start needing a map of seat locations for mouth breathers, droolers, farters, drunks, and perhaps a lot more things in life. What ever happened to life's surprises?”
What do you make of this new tool? Should other airlines introduce it or are people being far too fussy about where they sit on planes?
Nowadays, when some of us need career and lifestyle guidance, Instagram has taken over as one of the leading platforms to imitate those whose lives we'd love to lead.
However, when it comes to so many of the primary influencers, the image looks pretty far from reality, not to mention relatability.
Luckily for us, BBC broadcaster, style guru and journalist Angela Scanlon is renowned for her Irish charm, her gorgeous style and her affiliation with Irish brands.
From studying business in college to making the big move across the pond and making it as a stylist and broadcaster, we could DEFINITELY use some of her advice.
We stopped by the launch of Aer Lingus and Bank of Ireland's collaborative project; the new Aer Credit Card, to chat with Angela.
Acting as their new brand ambassador, she gives us some travel tips, career path wisdom and self-care supplements. The card itself sounds like an unreal choice; with two free lounge passes, two priority boarding passes and two return flights to Europe once you hit the 5000 euro spending amount as well as travel insurance on offer. The gal chooses her partners wisely, that's for sure.
As well as boosting Irish companies, she splits her time between London and Dublin while taking care of her daughter Ruby Ellen, who turns one this February.
Since her time at Xpose and Off The Rails back in 2008, Angela has gone from strength to strength on her career path. She now works as a BBC presenter for The One Show, Robot Wars and acts as a panellist for big UK names.
How did she go from studying business to practising fashion guru? Picking out stunner styles is a lot harder than it looks, we suspect…
"In a nutshell, I studied business, I then set up a stall in the loft, I started personal shopping in Dundrum and from there I went into TV as a pundit doing fashion news and trends. From there I knew I really liked TV, and I started pitching fashion programme ideas at the time and then Oi, Ginger, which was the first documentary I did. It all kicked off from there," she says.
We're taking notes in our pristine fashion bible for future reference, and are working up the courage to enquire about her haircare routine. (Those auburn locks are just mesmerising)
"It was a slightly zig-zaggy way of doing things, but I think that was an absolute blessing. At the time I thought ‘Oh God, it’s taking me ten years to figure all of this out’, but actually having had that path often gives me a different perspective and different approach, which I think is a good thing.”
‘I always say to people who think they’ve done the wrong thing, having studied the thing that they want to do ultimately, that actually there are ways of turning that into an advantage. It’s never too late," she continues.
" thought, when I got to London that I was too old to get a break there. You had to be 22 and kind of fresh, whereas I was almost 30 at that stage when I went there. It’s never too late to do what you want to do, but start somewhere.”
The presenter has been open towards her social media followers in the past when it comes to feeling burnt out, trying to make it in an alien city.
One Instagram post in particular saw Angela open up about life as an Irish gal abroad, looking to make a name for herself;
"London was so SO alien to me at that point , I was coming over here with a smile on my face knocking on doors and showing up every single day. Meanwhile I was working for myself in Ireland, trying to build a career in both countries and not really believing I deserved one in either. I was so hideously lonely, I couldn’t find my way around the Tube, I felt constantly out of my depth & I was riddled with self-doubt. I was blindly focused and so terrified I would fail that I didn’t have time to do anything on a personal level… my relationship was under strain, my friends had lost me and my family, although supportive, did wonder what the hell I was doing it for," she wrote.
"I was not even 30 and was close to being burnt the f*ck out! I felt like it was too late to build something, too late to “get a break”, too late to make a go of things & I spent a lot of time deeply regretting the lack of focus I had in my twenties. Really it was a lack of confidence, a lack of belief in my own ability."
It's this kind of honesty that draws her followers to look up to her as a type of down-to-earth mentor. She describes her life in London fondly, but stays true to her Irish roots.
"I do a lot of work with the London Irish Centre, which has Kerrygold and Tayto Irish crisps and McCambridge bread and Cadbury’s chocolate which is better here. Most things you can get online, but it’s more the familiarity, the feeling of always bumping into someone you know in Dublin. That small-town-feel that Dublin has is really quite unique. Not just if you’re Irish, that’s how it feels if you come here. One of my girlfriends came over to Dublin for a five-day break and spent the last three days looking for a job here so she could stay.”
Join us to celebrate powerful Irish women for St Brigid's Day this Feb 2nd – hosted by the incredible @angelascanlon
The woman is loyal to the Emerald Isle by the sounds of things. What drove Angela to make the big move?
“There’s loads of work here (in Dublin) but it’s individual to everybody. I chose to move abroad because I was kind of doing Ireland and the UK at the same time, it was never a deliberate move. Different people move for different reasons. I certainly think the pace is very different, but I do miss the familiarity of having your mum or dad up the road. You take for granted that we’re a new generation who have moved to England who have a lot more opportunities than our parents would have had. You kind of forget that there is a massive amount of vulnerability over there. There’s homelessness and addiction problems that many Irish people struggle with over here, but London is a big city and can be very isolating”
How does she follow her rules of self-care now that she's a big name? She claims that bath-time is where she finds her chill;
“It’s kind of about being really disciplined with yourself about giving yourself a little bit of time. t can be a bit of a luxury, but being in that for, whatever, 20 minutes, and using a face mask. That ritual of putting something on and for ten minutes just hitting pause, I think that’s really important. I’ve started running again, which I haven’t done for a long time. Everyone has to start somewhere."
Be it the start, middle or end, Angela's got it covered. Please be our life coach?
For more information on Aer Lingus and Bank of Ireland's new collaborative Aer Credit Card, click here.
Leonardo DiCaprio has faced backlash recently over his use of a private jet- despite consistently campaigning for environmental issues.
It must be a 'New Year New Me' kind of vibe, as the 44-year-old Once Upon A Time in Hollywood actor was spotted flying commercial with his (baby) 21-year-old girlfriend Camila Morrone.
He's faced a lot of criticism since emails from film studio Sony were hacked in 2014, and revealed he took SIX private jet flights in just six weeks, costing $177,550.
The actor was spotted in JFK airport heading to a commercial flight on Sunday night, after his own carbon footprint was called into question despite all of his activist causes.
The Wolf of Wall Street star really was trying his best to keep a low-profile, covering his eyes with a baseball cap and sporting dark, casual clothing.
However, his young girlfriend stood out in a bright red puffer jacket, maybe she didn't get the whole secrecy memo? A TSA agent eventually forced Leo to show his face, just like us plebs have to do.
The model and Hollywood icon were first linked in December of 2017 when DiCaprio was seen leaving her home in LA.
Image: JustJared
DiCaprio was initially slammed back in 2016 for taking a private jet to… collect an environmental award. Oh Dear Leo, bit hypocritical?
He used his acceptance speech at the 2016 Academy Awards to campaign for environmental causes, preaching to lawmakers to stop procrastinating climate change aid.
"Climate change is real. It is happening right now. It is the most urgent threat facing our entire species. We need to work together to stop procrastinating…Let us not take this planet for granted. I do not take tonight for granted."
The Titanic star also set up the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, totally "dedicated to the long-term health and well-being of the Earth’s inhabitants" and has been renowned for its conservation work.
The excitement is doubled when your friend ties the knot and asks you to be part of their special day as a bridesmaid.
Courtney Duffy had booked flights and bought the jumpsuit that bride-to-be and friend Alexandra had chosen for her bridal party.
Courtney made every effort to be a part of her friend's big day as she would be flying across America from her college to the venue and back again in the same evening of the nuptials to make her evening university classes – if that isn't dedication, we don't know what is.
However, Alexandra wasn't so convinced and via email she informed the college student that her role as bridesmaid would be given to another friend.
The awkward email opens with Alexandra saying: “I’m so glad to hear you booked your flights.”
“I have a massive favour to ask you though – and this is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to ask anyone – but I need to ask you to relinquish your duties as bridesmaid.”
The email then goes from bad to worst as the reasoning behind her axing was her lack of participation in the day-to-day planning of the wedding.
“The whirlwind nature of what your travel has become just won’t work with the duties as a party member,” wrote the bride-to-be.
Alexandra added, “I am so, so sorry!!”
Courtney explained that she had missed the bachelorette trip and pre-wedding prep, in addition to flying home on the big night because of her commitment to her MBA in the American college, Dartmouth.
If you didn't think things could get anymore awkward – think again – the bride proceeds to ask for the jumpsuit to be returned so the friend replacing her could wear it. (CRINGE)
Closing the email Alexandra said: “Please don’t feel like you’re letting me down…I am asking you to do this. I love and value your friendship so much…”
As the realisation kicked in of the email contents, Courtney turned to Twitter and sent a screenshot of the email to Jet Blue airlines in a bid to get her flight refunded.
In the since deleted tweet, Courtney explained: “Booked my X-C flights for a wedding, then was asked ‘to relinquish’ my “duties as a bridesmaid” so another girl could fill in and wear it. I am laughing and crying and must avoid this wedding at all costs. Pls help?”
Jet Blue heard her cries and the student won't have to fork out in cancellation fees and will receive a voucher.
The airline didn't stop there and extended their gesture of goodwill with offering the two (ex) friends a chance to clear the air and smooth over the situation with a future girls' weekend on them.
Hey Courtney, we’ve been thinking. The jumpsuit may have been borrowed, but we’ll bring the (Jet)Blue. When you’re ready to patch things up, we’d like to help make your old friendship feel like new. A future girls’ weekend is on us!
Courtney was clearly overwhelmed with the response and issued a series of tweets:
Weddings have gotten totally out of control – this is about more than just an email. I’m hoping this thread reminds future lovebirds and bridal parties to keep their feet on the ground 🙂
"Wow, did not expect this response – clearly the situation resonated. Thanks @jetblue for providing the refund I was hoping for, and thanks to everyone for chiming in with well wishes, humor, and even devil’s advocacy," she wrote.
"Weddings have gotten totally out of control – this is about more than just an email. I’m hoping this thread reminds future lovebirds and bridal parties to keep their feet on the ground," she added in another tweet.
Call us bitter but we hope she didn't return the dress and she's sipping cocktails on that tropical islands sans the bride.
Industrial action for Ryanair pilots is underway this morning.
Despite the strike, the majority flights are still going ahead. (YASSS)
An agreement between trade union representatives couldn't be thrashed out after seven hours of talks.
Good news – all 26 first wave Dublin aircraft departed on schedule this morning with lots of families travelling on holidays – thanks to the efforts of the majority of our pilots who are working normally.
It read: "Ryanair pilot union talks conclude without agreement.
"Ryanair expects a strike by 27% of Irish pilots to proceed tomorrow."
Last week, the union representing the pilots indicated that 99 percent of their members were in favour of seeking industrial action after a ballot.
We respect but regret the decision of 25% of our Irish pilots to go on strike, but believe that they should take up our offer of working groups so we can resolve these issues.
— Fórsa Trade Union (@forsa_union_ie) July 3, 2018
The strike will begin at 1am on the 12th and continue until 1am the next day.
Ryanair has responded to this announcement by saying that they are ''disappointed'' in this ''unnecessary'' course of action yet they believes that the majority of Ryanair passengers will be unaffected by this.
July is a busy summer month for airlines, with huge numbers headed off to sunnier climates for their holidays.
Understandably, many people who have booked with Ryanair are panicking about the consequences that this may have on their travel plans.
People are voicing their concerns on Twitter, with one user saying, ''you're basically giving me two days or 48 hours to arrange alternative flights.''
Hey @Ryanair and @forsa_union_ie if you strike next Thursday as planned I will miss my dad's retirement party. Don't be that guy!!!!!!!!!
I've had these flights booked for months. Seriously, please DON'T BE THAT GUY! #Ryanair@IrishTimes
After negotiations with the airline broke down, the Ialpa Union said that a landslide 99% of their members had supported the industrial action in a ballot.
The dispute is over management’s approach to the transferring of pilots between it's African and European bases.
The Irish Airline Pilots’ Association has also released a statement giving notice of the strike.
It states that, ''our member pilots directly employed by Ryanair complain that there is no transparent system for the determination of important matters including voluntary/involuntary base transfer/allocation, command upgrade, allocation of annual leave and promotion.''
With the strike action set to take place next week, let's hope that this mess gets sorted before then.
Otherwise, there's going to be a lot of unhappy Ryanair customers.
Love was quite literally in the air this week when whe two air stewards had their marriage officiated by Pope Francis during a flight to Chile.
Paula Podest, 39, and Carlos Ciufardi, 41, who have been together for 10 years, were both working as flight attendants on the Catholic leader's plane when the idea struck.
The pair, who have two children together, have been civilly married since 2010 and had been planning to hold a religious ceremony.
#PopeFrancis marries Paula and Carlos, an air steward and stewardess on board his plane. He performed ceremony after Church they wanted to be married in was destroyed in earthquake. Paperwork was done mid-air. (Pope’s signature bottom right) Photos: @antoniospadaro@inesanmapic.twitter.com/RkOmg3DLPA
However, their plans were halted after the church they had planned to marry in was damaged in a earthquake.
After explaining their circumstances, Pope Francis offered to officiate their marriage there and then – 36,000 feet above sea level.
“What he said to us is very important: ‘This is the sacrament the world needs, the sacrament of marriage’,” Ciufardi told reporters.
“Hopefully this will motivate couples around the world to get married.”
A Vatican photo of the hand-written document, signed by Pope Francis, attesting to the wedding aboard the papal plane of Paula Podest Ruiz and Carlos Ciuffardi Elorriaga https://t.co/U94anQ0T34pic.twitter.com/Gig2s27hND
Bad news for anxious flyers – scientists have predicted that serious flight turbulence will increase threefold by 2050.
Researchers at the University of Reading believe climate change is to blame for the dramatic increase.
The group tested their theory by using supercomputer simulations and found that popular flight paths will be the worst affected with turbulence over the North Atlantic set to rise by 180 per cent, Europe 160 per cent and North America 110 per cent.
The type of turbulence researcher looked at (clear air turbulence) does not threaten to bring down planes – though it can cause injury to passengers and crew.
Professor Paul Williams, the study's lead researcher, said: “This problem is only going to worsen as the climate continues to change.
“Our study highlights the need to develop improved turbulence forecasts, which could reduce the risk of injuries to passengers and lower the cost of turbulence to airlines.”
What's more, the cost of flying is expected to increase as a result of climate change, with transatlantic flights expected to take longer due to changes in the temperature-controlled plane mechanisms.
So basically, get all your travelling out of the way now, because we are all probably going to be too poor and scared to do it in a few years.
Even though the sun is beaming in Ireland, many of us are heading away on summer holidays.
Now, we've already heard some pretty rotten facts about flying, but this latest one has made us feel totally gross.
Why? Because we basically have to use it every time we fly.
According to flight attendants, tray tables carry a serious amount of germs.
Hello Giggles reports that a recent experiment by TravelMath found tray tables to be the dirtiest part of not only a plane, but the airports, too.
A microbiologist collected 26 samples from four flights and five airports and found that tray tables have 2,155 colony-forming bits of bacteria living on them.
While nothing will ever turn us off flying away on holidays, we think we might bring some disinfecting wipes with us on our next plane journey.
From motion sickness, to ear popping during take-off; many people fret during a plane ride… so, what about pilotless planes?
According to Reuters, the idea will come to life in the near future – and we don't mean five to ten years, we're talking about in a few months time.
Speaking ahead of the Paris Air Show, Boeing's vice president of product development, Mike Sinnett, said that "the basic building blocks of the technology clearly are available".
The VP, who is a pilot himself, explained that he hopes to "fly on an airplane next year with some artificial intelligence that makes decisions that pilots would make".
However, while the technology to do so is there, meeting safety standards is another matter.
"I have no idea how we're going to do that," Mike said. "But we're studying it right now and we're developing those algorithms."
He added that if a plane can't land safely, "we can't go there".
While we have the tech stuff sorted, and looking into safety procedures is all well and good, how many of us would actually want to fly on a pilotless plane?
"It appears that people are more comfortable with a pilot directly at the controls, and on the plane," an aeronautics expert, Stephen Rice, wrote in 2014.
If you have an early-morning flight it might be a bit too much to lash down the vino before 9am.
Therefore, you (begrudgingly) ask for a tea or coffee when the air hostess comes around.
However, anyone who has tasted coffee on an airplane will know that it's no barista style americano…
According to Travel & Leisure, the reason tea and coffee tastes so different (i.e. rank) on planes is because of the water they use – and it can't be avoided.
It's understandable that the water in the tanks on board isn't the purest, but the publication reports that "an EPA report found that 12 percent of commercial airplane water tested positive for coliform bacteria, which usually indicates other gut-rocking bugs like E.coli are present."
Ew.
Well, there's one more reason to stick to the prosecco when flying…
Oh, and while we have you; don't forget to have your say in the inaugural SHEmazing Awards this May! It's time to vote, and you can do it right here!
Maria Pettersson is from Sweden and is a stunning Ryanair pilot.
It's clear that she loves her job and in a recent post on her blog, she said: "Once you have tasted flying you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards- if this is true, you know aviation and flying is for you."
And not only does her blog show off stunning scenes from the pilot's cockpit, but her Instagram account displays what the life of a pilot is like – and people can't get enough of it.
Full of shots from inside the plane, her work wardrobe and some of the stunning destinations she flies to, it's easy to see why she has more than 180,000 followers.
One fan wrote on her page, "You are beautiful and can be anything you want but never give up flying. I love your positive, crazy, have fun attitude!"
Another said, "You're IG is becoming my online happy place," and another fan wrote, "You are an inspiration… Showed this to my daughter and told her that she can be anything she can put her mind to."
