Author: The Beetle
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Queen Mary 2 Criticisms
Spotted by Mac who wrote in to say: I read in yesterday’s Travel section of the Washington Post that a couple taking the Queen Mary 2 had picked out cabin…
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Singapore Pilot Booted Out
A foreign pilot who infuriated Singapore's Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew by leading a rare union revolt has been told by the government he can no longer live in Singapore…
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There's a Frog in My Salad
An airline passenger discovered the a frog perched on a slice of cucumber while on a Qantas flight from Melbourne to Wellington in February. “Naturally there was a bit of…
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BBC Disease Map
Spotted by our webmaster, this is a really neat idea. The BBC have put together a ‘Disease map’ that lets you click on your intended destination region and then shows…
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Man Lost
Delta Air Lines lost an 80-year-old man with Alzheimer's disease who was supposed to have been given an escort between flights in the Atlanta airport, said his relatives. Antonio Ayala…
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Hydrogen Fuelled London Buses
The UK’s first hydrogen fuel cell buses have gone into service in central London for a two-year trial that also involves nine other European cities, making it the largest project…
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Frequent Flyers Vetted for Fast Track
The US government wants to begin testing a program this summer that would allow low-risk frequent fliers to avoid extra security inspections at airports. Passengers could volunteer to pay a…
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Kenyan Matatus
Travellers to Kenya will know that a ride in a matatu (minibus) can be a hair raising experience. The last time the Beetle was in Kenya, a fellow traveller reported…
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Rotten Squid Gases Crew
Three crewmembers found dead on a South Korean freighter that washed ashore in Shimane Prefecture on Sunday may have died after inhaling toxic gas generated from rotten squid organs, local…
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Virgin Atlantic P's People Off
Virgin Atlantic Airways scrapped plans to install bright-red urinals shaped like women's open lips at New York's John F Kennedy Airport, saying it had received complaints they were offensive. “Virgin…
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Possible tax on visits to the Costa Brava
More than a million British holidaymakers heading for the Costa Brava in north eastern Spain face an increase in prices due to a tourist tax. The new tourism director-general of…
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Sentosa Cable Car Competition
A marathon competition to see who could live for a week in a cable car that makes the 1.7-kilometre trip between Singapore and the resort island of Sentosa about 80…
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Cut Price Transatlantic Fares?
Plans are afoot to cut transatlantic fares to as little as £66 return. Passengers travelling to the U.S. and Canada could enjoy the type of low-cost fares that have revolutionised…
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The Angel Falls by Iona Hill
I was rather disappointed by my trip to the Angel Falls – let’s get the bad news out of the way – it was over priced and pretty basic stuff.…
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Low Cost Carriers In South East Asia Competition
We’ve never had it so good, travelling around South East Asia, particularly Thailand, with increasing numbers of opportunities to take low cost flights. Thai Airways International recently announced that it…
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Globetrotter Hem Visits Argentina, Chile and Argentina Again!
And gets propositioned on the way… read on! I got to Buenos Aires in pouring rain from sunny London without mishap. My hotel was ok, in the historic area of…
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Bilharziasis, Snail fever, Schistosomiasis
What is it:Schistosomiasis, also called bilharzia (bill-HAR-zi-a), is a disease caused by parasitic worms. They currently infect over 200m people each year, and the number of people infected increases. Where…
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Outsouring Travel Jobs
A growing number of U.S. airlines and online travel companies are outsourcing customer service jobs overseas in a bid to reduce costs. United Airlines is about to source a customer…
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PNG Part 2
The Beetle visited Papua New Guinea (PNG) last Christmas and here is an account of Port Moresby. Getting to PNG the first time was not straightforward, although I have since…
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Travel Foundation Charity
Holidaymakers are supporting the Travel Foundation, a new charity that is trying to help manage the travel industry more sustainably. Since the charity’s launch in November 2003, more than three-quarters…