CheshireTom

Probably getting their feet up, or head down, in the crew rest area.

echster, Great report ...many thanks. As far as the 777 being able to do TPE-LON non-stop, as you know the problem is in the routing rather than the aircraft performance. As things stand at the moment, it is necessary to circumnavigate PRC airspace therefore necessitating the stop in BKK which also serves as connections for flights inbound to TPE. Therefore, if any direct flights were to be offered I would imagine they would be to complement the existing schedule rather than replace it, much the same as SQ has done on the US routes since the intro of the the 340-500. I assume the 777s will be utilised in much the same way as the 747s currently are i.e. across the whole EVA network rather than a given route/region. Regards, Tom

I can imagine the look of absolute horror on the face of some TGs as you plug the thing into the wall and then want to stick it .......... where??? :crying Do yourself a favour and invest in some battery driven models. greenhorn, Boots already sell clit stimulators. Personally, I found them a little bit tight until my TG pointed out they were meant to be worn on your finger! Tom

robio, E-mail the Sabai Inn or Sabai Lodge and ask about availability at the Sabai Resort which is due to reopen in the next month or so after refurbishment. The Sabai Lodge should have availability in any case in the new wing which is also due to be completed soon. Tom

I e-mailed the seller. He says he "forgot" to check the conditions and that the ticket is non-transferable - so a waste of time really. Tom

steve@thaib, China Airlines and DC10s? They have never had DC10s in their fleet. You were probably confusing the MD11 (a tri-engine jet) which is still in service with, amongst others, Thai International. Since the MD11 was only introduced in the early '90s it seems your concerns were a figment of your own imagination. Tom

I don't think he'll be much worried - his current series of gigs at Hammersmith has been sold out for months.

Gus, Just seen the same offer on Travelmood for 306 quid and it appears that it is indeed Phuket Air. Tom

Gus, Thanks for that. I seen the ad this morning in the paper but was too late getting home to get any info from them. One good thing is that it isn't Phuket Air on a Tue unless they've increased their schedule. I'll give them a call tomorrow a.m. - it could be an interesting option. Tom

frammel, btbtravel.com Regards, Tom

monkeyman, The China Airlines deal is a business class upgrade including lounge access at AMS and BKK, full business class meals and drinks service, seating upstairs and they have Thai stewardesses. The only difference with full-fare business class is that you only accumulate economy class mileage and you only get economy class baggage allowance. The proximity to LHR view is that if LHR is your local airport then, understandably, you are likely to prefer the direct flight. If you fly from the regions you have to change flights somewhere - it doesn't make any difference if it is LHR or AMS (or Zurich, Dubai or Doha for that matter). Regards, Tom

monkeyman, If you live in the regions then, IMHO, the China Airlines Dynasty Class upgrade option via Amsterdam beats EVA in every respect except perhaps the 2 a.m. departure on the return leg. If you live in the LHR catchment area it is obviously a different scenario. Tom

From the btb website - the 3 cities deal looks like good value for those wishing to fit in a side trip to PI ............... Tom Malaysia Airlines has announced Autumn Deals for travelers who can book soon. Roundtrip Deals from Los Angeles (LAX) and Newark (EWR): LAX or EWR to Kuala Lumpur (KUL), $599 LAX or EWR to Singapore (SIN), $599 LAX or EWR to Bangkok (BKK), $699 LAX or EWR to Jakarta (JKT), $699 Must purchase by October 16, 2004 for travel from October 1 - November 22, 2004 or January 16 - March 31, 2005. Fly to three Southeast Asia cities for just $799, with an additional two city add-on option for $100 per city. Three city pass is available for departure from both LAX and EWR. Destinations include: Malaysia (Penang, Kuching, Langkawi, Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu); Indonesia (Surabaya, Jakarta, Medan, Bali); Philippines (Cebu, Manila); Thailand (Bangkok, Phuket); Yangon, Myamar; Brunei, Bandar Seri Begawan, and Singapore. Must purchase by November 15, 2004 for travel from October 1 - November 22, 2004 or January 16 - March 31, 2005. Restrictions for all specials: No stopovers or rerouting. Frequent flyer Points will be not awarded. Price does not include any applicable taxes and surcharge. Fares subject to seat availability. Changes of date/itinerary is not permitted.

rick, Scroll down your Thaiways map until you are looking at South Pattaya Road. What is marked as "Temple" on the Flamingo map is Wat Chai Mong Khon on the Thaiways map. Directly opposite the Wat/Temple is Shown as Day Night Hotel on both maps and the Flamingo is about 60 metres behind the Day Night. The Thaiways map is of too large a scale to show the number of Sois running off South Pattaya Road. Hope this helps, Tom

rick, I think it is a "gay-friendly" hotel and is certainly located in a predominantly gay area. Obviously I know nothing more about the place! Tom

Jambo, As you know, I am in almost the reverse situation as a Jambo stuck down in Cheshire with leanings towards United. If pushed, I would have to agree that The Gooners have put together some great performances during their unbeaten run and Wenger is to congratulated for the way he has put some great individuals together who are much more palatable to neutrals without the likes of Seaman, Adams and Keown. But, and there's always a but, until they do the business in Europe they will only be regarded as a great English team and not a great European team. Even though Arsenal overtook Forest's record a few weeks ago, Forest had a couple of European trophies to show off for their efforts. Can the Gooners do it this season? If I was a betting man, I'm not sure that I would fancy them over United and Chelsea. Fancy Hearts for the EUFA Cup? Tom

Alan, With all the fake stuff doing the rounds nowadays I would have thought it would be wise to try and reduce the chances of ending up with expensive crap. If you can get a private prescription from your quack, I would suggest looking at the online prices at Pharmacy2U rather than waiting until you get to Thailand. The site is not one of those dodgy sites with no contact details - it is all above board (NHS approved) and cheaper/safer than getting it without a prescription. Tom

clubman, That is the Swiss flight which gets into BKK at 2:00 p.m. which is ideal for getting to your hotel just in time for the start of the night's activities. I'm not sure if you can pre-allocate your seat in economy but a link to the aircraft seating plan is below. Swiss A-340 Seating Plan Regards, Tom

As long as you are not on a Thai codeshare ex Zurich you will be impressed. (Thai codeshares go out in the afternoon as opposed to the evening Swiss departure.) The flight to Zurich is on an Embraer which is best described as being cosy. The intercontinental legs are undertaken by brand new Airbus 340 aircraft. There are individual screens in economy and the legroom is quite spacious. Zurich airport is spotless as you would expect and the aircraft crews seem to be pretty efficient and friendly. Many guys rate Swiss as the best value for money option from Manchester. I don't think you'll be disappointed but it would be interesting to hear your thoughts once you get back. Tom

Duffaboy, Sorry, it was tongue in cheek - I should have stuck in a smilie! The good thing was that a few of those defenders were wearing England shirts at the time! The fastest I ever seen Robbo run was his celebration after he put his penalty past Joe Corrigan at Wembley. A lot of credit should also go to Peter Taylor - he was the guy who spotted things in players no-one else could see. Regards, Tom

Anyone that could turn the country's nastiest, ugliest centre forward (Kenny Burns) into a world-class defender and build his team's style of play around a fat, useless lump of lard (John Robertson) has got to have been a genius. Tom

Having read the article it is now easy to understand why Thai are not taking delivery of their first A380 (can't be handled at Don Muang) until 2008. They obviously are taking a more pragnmatic view of the likely opening date and the time to get over the initial teething problems at NBIA. Tom

Tilacno, She was obviously unaware of quaint Scottish customs! The thing that does Emirates for me is the charter seat-fit on their 777s from Manchester. I don't know of any other scheduled airline that fits 10 across on a 777. :crying It might be OK if you have a fetish for stewardesses sticking their arse in your face (or if the stewardesses were of Singapore standards) but it becomes a bit of a pain after about half-an-hour. I flew with Qatar for the first time in March/April and found that they were by far the best of the Gulf airlines that I have used. Regards, Tom

With Etihad running daily services from Gatwick from 12 Oct at less than GBP 350 incl tax (at the moment they are 3 x weekly), I can't see any reason to even consider Phuket Airlines except for the nostalgia factor of flying on ancient aircraft. Tom

Seemed to be working OK for me. Not much to see unless you are interested in visiting Singapore or flying from Singapore. Tom