Plane simple

Etihad Airways has extended its services for premium passengers who depart from or transit through Abu Dhabi airport, with the introduction of specially trained nannies in its lounges in Terminal 3.

The nannies initially meet and greet the children before taking them to the family room. There the children can play with the toys, read books and watch television all under supervision of the nannies that have professional training in childcare and first aid.

Claire Claxton, Etihad Airways' vice president product, said: “The nanny service allows parents much needed time to unwind next door in the first and business class lounges and helps provide an adult environment for those other passengers who are not travelling with children.''

The lounges allow adults to enjoy a range of services such as all-day fine dining, internet access or having a treatment at the Six Senses Spa.

Etihad Airways will shortly also open up special family-only check-in desks at Terminal 3 at Abu Dhabi airport to help parents and children travelling in economy, business and first class during the busy summer months.

Get connected

Wireless Internet is onboard and taking off, although US airlines won't let you use it to call someone during a flight.
Worried that too much chatter could disturb other passengers, American carriers are banning video-conferencing or using Voice Over Internet Protocol during flight. It's similar to a US ban on mobile phone use.

But Emirates, the Middle East carrier that flies non-stop from Los Angeles to Dubai, has offered mobile phone service on its overseas flights for more than a year and says it hasn't been a problem.

The airline has been installing equipment on planes that act like small mobile phone towers, linked to a satellite. Users incur roaming charges by their phone service providers.

“We've had more than a quarter of a million passengers use their mobile phones during flight, and we have not had a single complaint,'' said Patrick Brannelly, Emirates' vice president for passenger communications and visual services.

The airline found that most Emirates passengers don't talk more than two minutes on the phone — often to tell family about their flight's arrival time or something they forgot to say before they left.

Also, there has been “zero voice'' usage during night-time sleeping hours, although some people use their mobile phones for text-messaging.

Speedy check-in

More airlines are allowing passengers to check in for their flights using their mobile phones and other mobile devices so they can avoid long lines and save time.

Singapore Airlines passengers can check in for any flight from anywhere using their mobile phones. They can even change or select a seat. Later the airline plans to allow passengers to book tickets and view schedules, features that Southwest Airlines recently added to its mobile tool.

It's the latest in a push by airlines to cut costs by eliminating check-in counters, although there still will be humans — albeit fewer — at the airport to help with unusual travel arrangements, to check baggage or aid customers who aren't tech-savvy.

“The idea is to process passengers off site, alleviating congestion at the airport counter or in a hotel lobby,'' said Tania Ladic, vice president of industry marketing for NCR Corp's travel and transportation segment. Her company also is pushing self-service check-in at hotels and rental car companies.

NCR, the company known for making ATMs and many of the airport self-serve kiosks, estimates that it takes less than a minute to check in using the kiosk while it takes an average of four to six minutes going through an agent at the counter. The counter lines tend to be longer as a result.

What's next? Airlines may send bar code images directly to passengers' mobile phones so they don't have to get paper boarding passes at the counter or self-serve kiosks. The method is currently being tested at several airports.

Global adventure

A Californian company, Safari Air, is taking reservations for a 21-day trip around the world in a 10-passenger Gulfstream IV private jet that includes a two-week safari through Africa.

The 25,450 mile flight departs Orange County, California's John Wayne Airport on 17 October and will circle the world, stopping in Quebec City; Edinburgh, Scotland; Cairo; Agra, India; Hong Kong; Guam and Honolulu.

Priced at $144,500 (Dh530,560) per person, “It's an unparalleled value for our unique clients,'' said Ken Jillson, chief executive of Safari Air. The fare includes stays at five-star hotels and first-class in-flight service of fine wines, gourmet food, afternoon tea and MacBook laptops with Bose headsets to watch movies.

Furry friends

Southwest Airlines has begun letting small cats and dogs fly with their owners for $75 (Dh275) each way. Plus online travel service Sidestep.com, travellers can check a location and gauge the distance of a hotel from an address or a popular attraction such as a beach, zoo, shopping mall or ballpark.

— Los Angeles Times-Washington Post News Service with inputs from Emma Procter/Features Editor