Qantas Is Going To Slug Tall People An Extra $160
June 10th, 2009. Published under Uncategorized. No Comments.
So, Qantas is going to slug tall people an extra $160 if they want to reserve an exit row seat for an extra bit of leg room on long-haul flights from next month.
What’s next ? Paying for that tiny pillow? Charging to use the toilet? (Don’t laugh - budget airline Ryanair already plans to charge passengers for using its flying dunnys).
Someone made the point that if it’s reasonable to charge vertically challenged people extra, then horizontally challenged people should also pay more. A survey earlier this year found travellers believe, nay demand, that fatties should buy the two seats needed to contain their girth. (I’ve just made a politically incorrect statement - that elevate me to “chk-chk-boom” girl status?)
As someone who recently sat in a Qantas 747-400 exit seat, I’m here to tell you it ain’t worth $160. At a middle-of-the-road 164cm tall, I was uncomfortable with the exit-door window seat. You can’t sit straight because of that annoying life raft compartment and can’t even put your feet up on it , the flight attendants don’t like that.
And you can forget getting your dollars worth out of the two other non-life raft bulge seats. Do you really want to spend your whole journey sitting 50cm away from the toilet queue and having fellow passengers judge your in-flight movie choice?
Not to mention the stress you suffer every time a toddler races at the door, or clambers on top of the life raft compartment (which you’re not allowed to put your feet on). Then you shift uncomfortably when the kid starts playing with that big silver door handle and inadvertently again play footsie with your exit row neighbour.
Maybe Qantas should work a bit harder on providing the services included in the base ticket price before charging any extras. I recently went on a month-long, 10-flight holiday to the Middle East and the two flights I flew with Qantas were the bad ones.
ANZAC Day And Who Stole Our Day Off
April 24th, 2009. Published under Uncategorized. No Comments.
As Australians, we’ve come to expect many things. Freedom of speech, the right to vote, dominating at the cricket and the long weekend. 
They can take away our public holiday, but they’ll never take away our freedom. Oh, wail, they already have. So l’m not quite as stirring nor have I got a face full of paint like Mel Gibson in Braveheart, but if l was leading a resistance during a war of independence, I think I’d know a little about how his character William Wallace would have felt. ln this case, it’s not our land or our lives I’m defending, but our Anzac Day long weekend. This year, Anzac Day, falls on a Saturday, meaning instead of the traditional long weekend to sleep in and make up for getting up at ridiculous o’clock for the dawn services, it’s back to work on Monday. ‘Un-Australian!’ I hear you cry. Most definitely.
As Australians, we’ve come to expect many things. Freedom of speech, the right to vote, dominating at the cricket and the long weekend. So much so, Australia is known as The Land of the Long Weekend. But in actual fact, Australians have fewer public holidays than workers in most other industrialised countries. Not to mention we work longer hours and have less annual leave as well.
A Bonus For Boozy Teens
April 10th, 2009. Published under Uncategorized. No Comments.
FAMILY FIRST! I don’t think so.
Senator Steve Fielding voted against a bill which would have put alcopop drinks (you know those super sweet flavoured premixed drinks that are like soft drink) out of the price range of teenagers and saved many young lives from alcohol-related health problems, and lessened the death rate of teenage drink-drivers.
To try to blackmail the Labor government, with forcing them to stop alcohol sports advertising, especial at a time where jobs are paramount because of the worsening global recession, was an impossibility, and I’m sure he knew that.
I believe we all agree I’m sure that, in principle, his attempt was admirable but unworkable under the present circumstances.
A McDonalds Drive To Byron Bay
February 28th, 2009. Published under Uncategorized. 2 Comments.
Last weekend I decided to go for a bit of a drive. I have a new Honda Civic (in Mist Gold) and I am super happy with this little car. I did have a big six cylinder car that was just too big nowadays for the little running around I do. The Civic is still big enough and very comfortable and fun to drive. Amazingly it has a five speed automatic, a bit unusual for small four cylinder cars. The sound system is pretty good, I love playing MP3s through it and get the ID tags on the display – nice.
Anyway back to the drive. I went down the coast highway and had a couple of my young nephews with me for the drive. They had decided that this boys ‘road trip’ would mean that they had to stop at every McDonalds on the highway and that they must eat one double beef and cheese burger at each one. They said it was a challenge, I said they were crazy but would stop at every store for them.
Billions Of Dollars
February 20th, 2009. Published under Uncategorized. No Comments.
Surely billions of dollars of funding should be used for worthwhile projects to benefit the community as a whole.
My main concern is how much of the funding will be used to assist some of the community and how much wasted or, if spent, will filter back to the government in GST or other taxes.
Many would rather see the money used for better quality heath care, reduced road traffic by expedient introduction of trains, or infrastructure to improve living standards for all age groups. From my research on behalf of some nursing home residents who remember help accumulate these funds, they were promised an improved standard of care followed by a large amount of funding. However it was not evident how or where the money was spent.
Hello Everyone and Welcome
February 3rd, 2009. Published under Uncategorized. 2 Comments.
Welcome to my blog . My name is dennis and I live in Australia. I hope you enjoy reading this and let me know if I ramble on too much.