Savvy Sleuthing in Lviv, Ukraine

As we point out in our feature on Lviv in our 'Destinations' section, we are huge fans of the western Ukrainian city of Lviv. Historic, user-friendly and with excellent value-for-money the city continues to draw throngs of tourists from around the world. We also believe visiting Ukraine will help its cash-strapped economy recover.
On a recent visit this month we bumped into this charming Lviv resident as she strolled through the main 'Rynok' Square.
New discoveries include the On the Square Guest House on Rynok Square, the outdoor wine bar at the Vintage Hotel and the underground wine and cigar bat at the Leopolis Hotel.

On the Square Guest House
www.OntheSquareLviv.com

Vintage Hotel
http://www.vintagehotel.com.ua/

Leopolis Hotel
www.leopolishotel.com

Penny-wise, but Pound Foolish? Cutbacks on United Long-Haul Services Risky Gamble

In what some United staff agree is a commercial gamble, United Airlines took a decision earlier this year to scrap complimentary beer, wine and spirits in its non-premium cabins on trans-Pacific flights.
While the move streamlines a pay-for-drinks policy across the airline's global network - passengers on trans-Atlantic flights began paying for drinks in steerage some two years ago - it puts United at a clear disadvantage with Asian carriers, all of which offer free drinks in all cabins.
On a recent long-haul, trans-Atlantic service between San Francisco and Frankfurt, we also noticed what can best be described as modest quality on the catering side. The main dinner course (see photo) was regrettable (we are being charitable here) and the breakfast service tray came with an empty pod for a hot entry - indicating UA hasn't had a chance to change its catering supplies to reflect certain cutbacks.
We consider these moves penny wise but pound foolish. With Asian carriers stealing customers away with cheaper fares and superior fares on trans-Pacific services - and with Middle Eastern carriers doing likewise over the Atlantic (i.e. Emirates has a very reasonably priced non-stop service out of Seattle to Dubai) it could be tough going for United to attract new business or to retain loyal customers. Indeed the flight we experienced was about a third empty in Economy Class.
United also has competition to the North. It's no secret that Air Canada, a Star Alliance partner to United, is encouraging new business by funnelling American travellers through its Canadian hubs to long-haul destinations, also with premium Economy Class perks and competitive fares.

Boeing 777-200 Operated by Malaysia Airlines Vanishes Over Vietnam

Early Saturday morning local time a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200 enroute from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing lost contact with air traffic controllers while it was crossing through Vietnamese air space over the South China Sea.

The airline says the plane had 227 passengers and 12 (all Malaysian) crew members aboard, with the majority of the 14 different nationalities - 153 - Chinese nationals. According to MAS, MH370 departed Kuala Lumpur at 12.41 am Saturday bound for Beijing. The aircraft was scheduled to land at Beijing International Airport at 6.30am local Beijing time.

The crew last had contact with air traffic controllers 120 nautical miles off the east coast of the Malaysian town of Kota Bharu, Malaysia Airlines chief executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said in a statement read to a news conference in Kuala Lumpur.

Said MAS in a statement issued Saturday at 1620 local time: "We are still trying to locate the current location of the flight based on the last known position of the aircraft. We are working with the International search and rescue teams in trying to locate the aircraft. So far, we have not received any emergency signals or distress messages from MH370."

Update: As of 1500ET a Vietnam Government official said the country was dispatching vessels to where its aircraft had spotted what appeared to be two oil slicks that might be from the plane, 90 miles south of Tho Chu island off the Vietnamese coast. "It's very likely that this is a sign of the missing plane," Vo Van Tuan, deputy chief of staff of Vietnam's armed forces, told reporters.

Investigators are now believed to have widened their work to focus on at least two travellers with suspicious documents. Click here to read more.

The flight was a code share with China Southern Airlines. Earlier it was believed that the flight might have made an emergency landing in Nanming, China, said MAS. 

A Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200, similar to the one lost Saturday between Vietnam and Malaysia.

Our experts observe that, two hours into the flight and at a cruising altitude of 35,000 feet (10,700m), the crew would almost certainly been operating on auto pilot. Furthermore, aviation experts repeatedly tell us that this is normally the most uneventful phase of a flight. Commercial aircraft at this altitude do however encounter such threats as severe turbulence and other aircraft. As with the Air France AF447 Airbus A330 that crashed into the south Atlantic Ocean in May 2009, a cascade of catastrophic events could endanger the aircraft (such as freezing navigation instruments and pilot error).

Like the Air France crash, the MAS crew did not issue a distress call, possibly indicating it encountered a sudden, catastrophic event - such as a complete loss of electricity, communication gear - or an explosion or a collision with an object. We do know that state-of-the-art aircraft, such as the twin-engine Boeing 777, can fly on one engine and even glide for long periods. The wide-body jet also has fail-safe equipment to allow the crew to perform basic functions.

At this early stage, there are some eerie similarities between the loss of MH380 and AF447: both disappeared at altitude, issued no distress call, encountered difficulties just after midnight - and no debris was immediately visible.

MH370 was piloted by a captain with over 18,000 flight hours. Furthermore, the Boeing 777 is one of the most popular and safest airplanes in the skies. The only total loss recorded was the crash of an Asiana 777 at San Francisco International Airport on July 6, 2013, after it struck a wall at the end of the runway.

Malaysia Airlines too has a very good safety record. Although it has struggled financially over the years and has had to rely on government handouts, the airlines has escaped any catastrophic events for the better part of two decades. In September 1995, a Malaysia Airlines Fokker 50 crashed in Tawau, Sabah, killing 34. The deadliest incident involving the airline was a December 1977 crash of a Boeing 737-200 jet in southern Johor state after an apparent hijacking attempt, killing all 100 on board.

The site, AirlineRatings.com gives MAS a safety rating of six stars out of seven.

From the moment the disappearance of the aircraft become public, Malaysian Airlines was extremely quick, in our view, to share information about the flight, its crew and the nationalities of the passengers. Its Twitter and Facebook feeds were updated frequently, a hotline was advertised, next of kin were contacted and the Group chairman made a media statement just hours after the news broke. The airline pledged to issue a statement every two hours. It was a text book response to an adverse event that other airlines will likely study.

"We are deeply saddened this morning with the news on MH370," said Yahya.

MAS is a member of the One World alliance. The flag carrier is one of Asia's largest, flying nearly 37,000 passengers daily to some 80 destinations worldwide.

Savvy Sleuthing in Athens: Briki Cafe & Bar

We are a bit late in writing about this gem of a place in the trendy Kolonaki district of Athens, as we discovered it at the height of summer enroute from the World Cup in South Africa. Briki comes from the Greek name of a certain coffe pot - during the day a great place for a coffee and baguettes, and at night for a drink. Probably one of the smallest bars in Athens, it is strategically located on Mavili Square, near the US Embassy and a 10-minute walk from the Hilton. Come here for a drink to start your night or just to calm yourself after walking Athen's streets. As a popular "steki" (meeting place), it attracts a hip crowd; don't mistake it with some of the smaller neighbouring places. Free Wifi in the square.
ADDRESS: Dorilaiou 6 (corner Dimitriou Soutsou), off of Leoforos Vasilissis Sofies
Tel: 210/645-2380

A Touch of Turkey in Qatar

By Zehra Fattah

The Sharq Village & Spa (operated by Ritz-Carlton) had a great kick off for the Turkish food festival at its famous Al Livan restaurant .

Some of the delights at the opening the Turkish festival at the Sharq Village. Photo: Zehra Fattah

The Turkish Ambassador to Qatar, Hon. Ahmet Demirok and his family were guests of honour on this great occasion. 

Politics, the relationship between the Arab countries and Turkey, and the increase in tourism in Turkey were among the many subjects that brought together a great group of attendees at this lovely gathering. 

Renowned chefs, Erol Sen and Mehmet Akif Aksoy, are exclusively flown in to prepare special dishes - including ciğ köfte (lean minced meat kneaded with grinded wheat (ince bulgur), onion, tomato or red pepper paste and spices like cumin, paprika, pepper, mint, coriander, cinnamon), grilled lamb chops, lahmacun (a round, thin piece of dough topped with minced meat and minced vegetables and herbs including onions, tomatoes and parsley, then baked) and Turkish pizza.

The Sharq Village & Spa describes Turkish cuisine this way: 

"Heavily influenced by classical Ottoman cooking, modern Turkish cuisine can be described as a fusion and refinement of Central Asian, Middle Eastern and Balkan flavors and techniques. It has, in turn, influenced those and other neighboring cuisines, including that of Western Europe. 

Turkish cooking varies hugely from region to region: for instance, chefs along the Black Sea coastline use fish extensively, while the Southeast of the country is famous for its kebabs and dough-based desserts such as Baklava. In the West, where olive trees are abundant, the use of olive oil predominates, while the Marmara and Mediterranean regions are rich in vegetables, herbs and fish."

Says Savvy Angel, Zehra Fattah, who is being hosted by the Sharq Village & Spa: "The last time I had Turkish food this delicious it was prepared by my mother!" 

A night filled with inspiring conversions, authentic Turkish cuisine in a setting which couldn't have been better for such an event. 

The Turkish Food Festival runs until Nov. 1. See our review of Al Liwan by clicking here. 

A desert item at the festival opening. Credit: Sharq Village & Spa

Fog Causes Flight Chaos in N WA and BC; Delta B757 Diverted

A nuisance weather system that has coated parts of northwestern Washington, Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland of British Columbia with fog has once again caused several flight cancellations and delays.

Late Monday thick fog descended over the region , cancelling flights in and out of Vancouver, Victoria, Seattle, Bellingham and smaller airports. It's the same lingering system that brought flight havoc last Friday. Seaplane operations in the area will likely be shutdown Tuesday morning.

A Boeing 757 similar to the one that was diverted Monday evening to southeastern Washington. Credit: Delta

Separately a Delta Airlines Boeing 757 from Atlanta was diverted shortly before its descent into its final destination, Seattle, Monday evening - instead landing in the Tri-Cities Airport in southeastern Washington. A Delta official blamed the diversion of DL2329 on unspecified mechanical problems, adding that passengers were to be bused to Seattle - a distance of about 200 miles. 

The problematic flight was due to touch down in Seattle at 10:25pm Monday. but landed instead in the Tri-Cities at 10pm, according to Delta.