In this week’s roundup of travel articles, we take a look at aviation’s strangest four-engine giant airliner, a 1980s luxury private jet you can book for a private stay, and an A380 superfan who’s made his home look like a first-class cabin.
Aviation superfan Arun Rajagopal’s first flight on an Airbus A380 was not love.
The turning point came on his fourth trip to Singapore in business class aboard the world’s largest airliner. “The seats were huge and there was a bar at the back of the plane,” he said. It gave him a “wow” feeling, like “experiencing another level of comfort.”
Soon, he was flying the A380 as often as possible. To date, he has completed 220 records and counting, covering approximately 715,000 miles across six continents.
In recent years, he has brought the A380 experience to his apartment in Dubai. He has two of Emirates’ first A380 first class seats, a first class cabin lamp, and an upcycled A380 wheel into a coffee table.
But most importantly, The Residence, Etihad Airways’ luxury three-room private suite, which he spent a year building in his own living room, has been meticulously restored and customized. See more of his A380 treasures here.
The Airbus A340-600 set a record as the world’s longest passenger plane when it was launched in 2002, but it was a commercial failure for most of the decades it flew.
Its four engines are worn out, and its 247-foot-long fuselage requires extra runway space. In addition to this, its unusual design includes a downstairs toilet hidden in a space normally reserved for cargo, which seems to make it an attractive proposition for would-be members of the Mile High Club.
Although never a hit in the airline industry, the Airbus A340-600 has become a cult favorite among aviation enthusiasts and flight attendants, many of whom gathered at Washington Dulles International Airport this month to witness the arrival of a flight that would end German carrier Lufthansa’s relationship with the plane. Auf wiedersehen, Jet (subscribers only).
Holidaymakers in Bristol, UK can stay in a vintage Boeing 727 with a luxurious 1980s retro interior for an above-the-clouds experience at a very reasonable price.
A retired airliner known as the Pitch Air has been converted into 1,000 square feet of fully microgrid-powered accommodation by local entrepreneur Johnny Palmer.
The facility, which sits atop stacked shipping containers and generates more solar and wind energy than it actually uses, gives aviation enthusiasts full access to a Miami Vice-era time capsule with two lounges, a master bedroom, and an open flight deck where guests can press every button in sight.
Despite the over-the-top 1980s opulence inside, it’s hard to believe that the building once belonged to Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, as rumor has it.
In 2013, Anthony Bourdain traveled to Colombia for his series “Parts Unknown” to see how the country was recovering from decades-old stereotypes. CNN subscribers can watch here.
Sudden suspension of continuous flight and evacuation of passengers
A residential cruise ship that has been sailing continuously around the world for more than two years has evicted its Cambodian passengers, saying the Iran war has made fuel prices too high to continue sailing.
The cruise ship “Villa Vie Odyssey” had been circling the world continuously for more than two years, with residents hoping for an “eternal” cruise, but it suddenly stopped operating. Villa Vie Residences evicts passengers in Cambodia after announcing fuel prices are too high due to Iran war to continue sailing
Unfortunately, cruise lines aren’t the only ones affected by rising fuel costs.
Airfares are expected to rise this holiday season.
Approximately 90 years have passed since aviator Amelia Earhart disappeared.
Our interactive stories follow an enduring quest.
She started traveling alone at the age of 13.
And now she has visited almost every country. (Subscribers only)
Campaign revelation. Canceled cruise. Baseball showdown.
What do you remember about that week?
