Samsonite

"Cheers" My oldest son is too young to remember "Cheers," but was recently watching it on DVD. He sent the following text message, "TV shows have really turned to crap in the last 30 years. Cheers is hilarious and touches on a lot of social issues."

"Hill Street Blues" The original cast from the first few years. I haven't check in recent years, but I've heard there are no plans to release it on DVD. Fortunately, I have many episodes, first and last, on tape. "L.A. Law" Again, the original cast from the first few years. "Hogan's Heroes" I was overseas in the Service when this was first on TV, but watched the re-runs upon my return. "The Avengers" Only those episodes with Diana Rigg. These are available of DVD. "M*A*S*H" Over the years I've found I prefer Henry Morgan as Colonel Potter vs the original C.O. OTOH, I can only take so much Alan Alda and reach for the off switch. There are others that don't come to mind at the moment. "Moonlighting" was always enjoyable. "Remington Steel" was more of the same sort of feminist nonsense, but enjoyable just the same. Pierce Brosnan was so skinny he could have hidden behind a pencil. In the 1970s one of the major networks had three or four series that rotated each week in the same time slot and each episode was about 1 1/2 hours long (or was it two?). Dennis Weaver had one week and I don't remember the rest. Was "Banacek" part of that group. They used the same house in Boston for the TV show that was used in the original "Thomas Crown Affair" movie. "Streets of San Francisco" wasn't bad. "Miami Vice" "Nash Bridges"

As of 17 July 2012, ANA now has taken delivery of 11 of the new 787s, making a total of 15 delivered to date. There are now 4 aircraft prepped and waiting for Air India to pick up and fly away.

Yep. Late one night a driver asked for 100 and said he would go directly to the RG. He then proceeded to stop every block or so and pick up regular fare (10 Baht) passengers. There should be a open hunting season on baht bus drivers. :)

Best value in Pattaya IMHO, but I'm not too crazy about the location and gettng back at night can be a hassle.

ANA is the launch customer and they have 55 B787s on order. 36 of the 787-8 and 19 of the 787-9. They have taken delivery of 10 of 787-8s and at least one more should be delivered before the end of this month. As of the moment 14 of the 787-8 have been delivered. The previously mentioned 10 to ANA and 4 to JAL. There are 3 sitting on the ramp for Air India. They have been tested and prepped and are waiting for the Indian government and Air India to make up their minds about delivery. Boeing has paid everything Air India is due because of the delays, and then some, but several weeks ago Air India (and the Indian government) demanded Boeing give them an additional 1 Billion Dollars! I would have told them to go pound sand. The word on the boards in Air India is grossly mismanaged, and has always been grossly mismanaged and probably always will be mismanaged due government control. At this point Boeing has already taken one of the planes that was suppose to go to Air India and allotted it to another airline. Guess we will have to just wait and see how it all works out. In addition to the planes already mentioned there are another dozen or so in final prep for delivery. The planes are stacking up and number 74 the most recent to enter final assembly. Deliveries should be picking up at good place soon.

It should take too much longer. ANA has 10 Boeing 787s in service and is taking delivery of at least one more this month, if not two, and probably 2 or more a month for the next several months.

Thank you for the information. Very interesting as N168CL is a U.S. registration number and Wells Fargo Bank is listed as the owner.

That is a long haul to not have a First Class cabin. Are these the newly refurbished Boeing 747-400s or the (then) brand new ones they received in 2005. The last four or five passenger versions of the 747-400 ever built were delivered to China Air around that time. The last 747-400 Freighter was delivered in December of 2009, but the first of the brand new 747-8s, both passenger and freighter started deliveries earlier this year.

If you are a China Air gold card holder, they will often put you in a business class seat, as a courtesy, but serve you tourist class food. If you buy a business class ticket you get business class service. It isn't Singapore Air, but it isn't bad either. :)

You are probably right about the commissions. That or they are getting China Airlines (Tawian) confused with Air China (Communist China). OTOH, up until ten years ago, China Airlines had a horrible safety record (see, airsafe.com), but after their last fatal accident on 25 May 2002, they have made a major to effort to improve their maintenance and little by litttle their reputation has improved. There has only been one accident in the last 10 years and that was a few years ago, when they lost a brand new Boeing 737-800 in a fire. No one was hurt. I have not read the final accident report, but it sounded like a maintenance error. Boeing's or China Air's fault, I don't know. The food in business class is not bad and in first class, very good, but in tourist class, well, let's say I've often told them I wasn't hungry.

Unless they have recently added a kitchen the food comes from either The Haven or The Sportsman and room service ends about the time those restaurants close for the day (if not before).

Except Thai Air really doesn't want them. They were part of a previous deal and Thai Air has tried to get out of the contract, but Airbus won't budge.

"SINGAPORE: Lion Air mulls widebody choice for full-service launch in 2013 By: Mavis Toh Singapore 3 hours ago Indonesia's Lion Air is in discussions with Boeing and Airbus to decide on a widebody aircraft for the launch of its long-haul full-service operations in 2014 or 2015. The carrier is deciding between either 10 Boeing 787-8s or Airbus A330s, said its president director Rusdi Kirana at the signing ceremony for 27 ATR 72-600s at the Singapore Airshow. He added that full service operation will begin in 2013 with the Boeing 737-900ERs it has on order, on domestic and regional routes. The aircraft will be fitted with video-on-demand and wifi. By 2015, however, it wants to launch the services using widebodies based in Manado, Indonesia. "Right now if I want to go to Tokyo, [i will] have to go from Singapore or Jakarta. This will take the same time as from Manado, and the government is also keen to make this city the gateway to Asia-Pacific," said Rusdi. Rusdi dismissed concerns about overcapacity in Indonesia because of the fleet expansion plans of Garuda Indonesia and Lion Air. He believes that the Indonesian market has room to operate up to 1,000 aircraft. "If you look at how many people there are in America, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia and compare the ASK, we have 230 million people but our ASK is much, much lower than Singapore's. We have the chance to grow," said Rusdi. Indonesia's strong growth domestic product, with a 6.5% growth last year, and the upcoming liberalisation under the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Open Skies agreement in 2015, make for strong growth in the country's airline business. The carrier may purchase more turboprops, said Rusdi, adding that the firm has interest in 120-seater ones." http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/singapore-lion-air-mulls-widebody-choice-for-full-service-launch-in-2013-368356/

At the time both Thai Air and Singapore Air started their Ultra long haul flights, the Boeing 777-200LR (Longer Range) wasn't available. To get the Airbus 340-500 light enough that it could make the trip they had to remove somewhere in the order of 40 to 60 seats, I've forgotten the correct number, which, of course means a corresponding reduction in the number of passengers and baggage. Singapore Air eventually went so far as to make it an entirely business class flight with only, IIRC, 100 seats. The Boeing 777-200LR, which went into service in March of 2006, and could easily make the trip in either direction, non-stop, with a full load of 301 passengers and luggage and at a lower cost to the airline (two engines vs four). OTOH, I doubt Thai Air.has enough demand to fill such a plane for a daily flight. Maybe if it was only offered two or three times a week?

Good point. I was thinking of another airline that was put on the European blacklist, but got around it, in a limited fashion, by buying new aircraft for those routes. Lion Air does own two 747-400, but who knows how well they have been maintained.

A new fleet might take them off the blacklist, or as has happened in the past, flights using the new aircraft could be allowed to fly to European destinations. However, if Lion Air doesn't properly maintain the aircraft they will eventually will be right back on the list. "Boeing, Lion Air Finalize Historic Order for up to 380 737s - Airline orders 201 737 MAXs and 29 Next-Generation 737-900ERs worth $22.4 billion - Lion Air is launch customer for 737 MAX 9 Boeing and Jakarta-based Lion Air finalized a firm order for 201 737 MAXs and 29 Next-Generation 737-900ERs (extended range) Tuesday on the opening day of the Singapore Airshow. "The 737 MAX is the best choice for Lion Air and the best airplane to serve our passengers," said Rusdi Kirana, Lion Air Founder and President Director. "We're excited to be the first airline in Asia to fly the 737 MAX and to be the global launch customer of the 737 MAX 9." With orders for 230 airplanes valued at $22.4 billion at list prices, this deal is the largest commercial airplane order ever in Boeing's history by both dollar value and total number of airplanes. The agreement, first announced last November in Indonesia, also includes purchase rights for an additional 150 airplanes. http://www.boeing.com/singapore2012/html/021412_lion_air.html

The type of seat, the seat pitch and the in flight entertainment are entirely up to the airline and how much money they want to spend on their aircraft. Both Boeing and Airbus will install just about anything the buyer wants (there are limits). Some airlines have the manufacturer do the interior and others do it themselves or send it off to a third party. I've been on 747s with well worn (to be polite) interiors and very basic IFE and I've been on 747s of approximately the same age that were in excellent condition and had every gadget available at the time. It is up to each airline as to what "comforts" they will provide.

No, that is your job. What took you so long to report the old news? How about how ANA managed to hit one of their new 787s with a truck? Haven't heard anything about exploding engines a la the QANTAS a380,, but as ANA is using Rolls engines, maybe that is a possibility. :)

The first 787 in the international configuration for ANA will be delivered 4 January 2012, Seattle, WA time ((It is still the evening of the 3rd in the Pacific Standard Time zone). This will be the first 787 with the RR Trent package B engines that are suppose to be within 1% of the specifications Rolls originally promised.

"Bernstein predicts more A350 delays By Geoffrey Thomas | November 21, 2011 New York-based Bernstein Research said Airbus may experience more A350 delays. In a client report, Bernstein said the Emirates order for 50 Boeing 777s at Dubai highlights concern about the A350 schedule (ATW Daily News, Nov. 15). “The A350 situation at Airbus looks increasingly challenging, particularly after Emirates elected to order delivery of 777s spread over 2015-20,” the report said. “Based on our airline discussions in Dubai, we believe that A350 delays could extend beyond the current schedule, with the need for substantial weight reduction.” Bernstein has pushed back its forecast of the A350-900 first delivery by six monthsto mid 2015. Earlier this month, EADS announced a six-month delay in the A350-900 to mid 2014 – a year earlier than Bernstein’s new forecast (ATW Daily News, Nov. 11). Previously, Bernstein had Airbus delivering eight A350s in 2014 and 50 in 2015 (ATW Daily News, Aug. 23, 2010). It noted the 777 appears to be benefiting from concerns about the A350 availability and ultimate performance. “The 777 has performed very well for airlines in the region with high dispatch reliability. With uncertainty about the A350, the 777 orders also act as an insurance policy for airlines against A350 delays (much as A330 orders did for the 787).” Bernstein added that “the positive experience with the 777 also makes it a low-risk option compared to an all-new aircraft.”" http://atwonline.com/aircraft-engines-components/news/bernstein-predicts-more-a350-delays-1118

Good one, as usual. :) Is that the "new" Goodfellas on Walking Street that has gone under or the "original" Goodfellas on Soi 6? Thx.

No need to post the bad news about Boeing as you are quick to do it for us, and you are doing a bang up job of it, by the way. :) Haven't heard you say much, if anything, about the A350 program.

Bingo! As usual "they" don't tell the complete story. For example, the Chinese canceled their 787 order, but turned right around and ordered an "equal Dollar amount" of 737s. No loss for Boeing. One also has to consider the political fall out from the F-16 deal with Taiwan. Those who canceled their orders will later regret it as everything points to the plane, while late, living up to the hype. The Rolls Royce people are especially bullish on the capabilities of 787 and how it is going to effect the industry.

+1 or Opera. I've found Opera works better with photos and videos, but Firefox is finally catching up and I'm using it more and more vs Opera.