You won’t believe these strange reasons for flight delays

Crappy weather means flight delays and there are always those odd people who believe the airlines can’t control the weather. However, most folk will just accept a delay grudgingly. That being said, occasionally a flight doesn’t depart on schedule for reasons that are both strange and incredible. Here are a few of those…

Turtles on the Runway

Runway incursions are usually caused by stray vehicles or other planes, but that’s not always the case. New York’s JFK airport has had its fair share of incursions, but once every few years the offenders are diamondback terrapins! These little critters use the runway as a highway to speedily head to the beach to lay their eggs and if the airport can’t use a different runway when nature calls then they have to stop operations. It’s true that a jet could just leave the terrapins under its wheels, but it wouldn’t look good if the papers were full of photos of steamrolled turtles.

People on the Runway

In July 2015, a group of crazy protestors cut through the perimeter fence at London Heathrow and planted themselves on the runway. The reason they decided this was a good idea was because they were angered by the decision to build a third runway and wanted publicity for their movement. Unfortunately, this little stunt caused huge delays and extra fuel for the police helicopters and vehicles – I wonder what all the tree-huggers think about the unnecessary carbon emissions that were wasted on them!

Chemical (toilet) Weapons

Whether an aircraft toilet uses a vacuum system or the classic long drop method, it is basically the same thing – a hole leading to a tank full of nasty stuff. But sometimes the on board loo just can’t cope anymore, and that’s when it gets messy. In March last year, a jet bound for Dubai had to turn back to London when a mystery passenger used the bathroom. To put it in simple terms: what they left behind stank so much that the crew had no choice but to turn back home before the passengers died a slow painful death.

Crabs on a Plane

In 2014, a US Airways plane was delayed when a box filled with live crabs broke open in the cargo hold. The plane was delayed for about 30 minutes while the airport workers rounded up the escaped crustaceans. This is only one of the number of delays that have been caused by out of control wildlife, in the past there have been run-away rodents, fleeing cockroaches, cats breaking loose and, yes, even snakes.

Nutty Passenger

A Korean Air executive became famous when she was arrested for forcing an aircraft to return to the gate. The reason for this? The steward served her nuts in a way that displeased her! Apparently, her Majesty The Nut Queen didn’t like her nuts being in a bag rather than presented to her on a plate. This didn’t go down so well and she was sentenced to a year in prison for interfering with the safety of an aircraft. Of course, the normal reaction would be to ask why the pilot did it instead of simply giving her a slap. Well, probably because her dad owns the company.

4 tips to help you plan the best family Easter holiday

Easter is the holiday to spend quality time with your family, so make sure your Easter break is more successful and imaginative than ever before with these 4 helpful tips.

1.) Get the children involved

Don’t worry children with budget or duration, let them explore and find out what works for them as a holiday – an adventure holiday, activity, with family, or a beach holiday slightly out of season. Let them explore the web, you’ll get them excited before they even go!

2.) If you’re not booking into a hotel, consider renting a holiday home

Holiday homes are much better value during Easter than during the summer holidays. Remember you can negotiate a much better rental rate when you contact them directly.

3.) The temperature is ideal for adventure holidays

Decide what activities you want to be doing while you’re on your holiday. Based on that decision, you can choose your destination. For this time of the year, cycling and hiking is ideal.

4.) Choose a destination where Easter is celebrated differently

For example in France, they celebrate Easter time with seafood and lots of chocolate, but instead of chocolate eggs and bunnies everything is in the shape of seafood. Anyone feel like a chocolate fish or prawn?

Let the whole family join in on the Easter break planning, plus put these tips to good use, and you’ll be sure to have the best family Easter holiday.

You can save money by flying First Class!

Your friends are hosting a ladies night weekend in Vegas, but as you do the math on airfare costs, you notice something – a first class ticket doesn’t cost THAT much more than flying coach. Sure, it is a bit of a splurge, but maybe it is worth it? Here are five reasons why it just might be…

YOU NEED TO TAKE A CAB TO THE AIRPORT

Nowadays, a lot of airlines actually provide first-class passengers with a complimentary ride to the airport. Some high-class airlines even offer VIP pickups in cars ranging from Mercedes-Benz to Porsche.

YOU’RE PLANNING TO CHECK A BUNCH OF BAGS

Think about it, you could end up shelling so much more extra in baggage fees alone. Most of the first-class tickets come with one of the best air travel perks there is: free bag check!

YOU ALWAYS BUY FOOD AND DRINKS ON THE PLANE

Put away your credit card, because when you fly first class, food and drink typically comes included with the ticket price. Who wouldn’t want free drinks and delicious snacks?

YOU’RE TRAVELING WITH YOUR KIDS

Major US airlines will soon offer on board nannies to first class passengers (Etihad Airways already does). Hard to put a price on that, right?

YOU’RE ALL ABOUT STATUS

By booking first-class, you’ll accumulate “status points” at a much faster rate. Those points can be put toward airfare, upgrades and more. 

Looking for a cheap, speedy way to or from Cape Town International Airport? Contact Airport Shuttle today and we can get you where you need to be comfortably and on time!

Cape Town – Design Capital of the World

If you can’t make up your mind where to travel to, well there’s good news; Europe and Africa had a kid and its name is Cape Town! This South African hotspot is truly the best of both worlds, from classic architecture and a jaw-dropping landscape to a thriving variety of different cultures – Cape Town has it all.

Where to Stay

STEENBERG
Just outside Cape Town, as you enter the beautiful wine country, lies this 17^th century farmhouse and never-ending vineyard. Steenberg is luxurious, comfortable and totally relaxed, with lush gardens and funky antiques. Be warned though, you may not want to leave after all the unbelievable food, wine and spa treatment.

CAPE GRACE
Located on the V&A Waterfront, the Cape Grace hotel is unbeatable because of its amazing views and classic Capetonian flair. Service is top-of-the-line, with a BMW waiting to take you on adventures through the Mother City.

GRAND DADDY HOTEL
If you’re looking for something with a bit more quirkiness, The Grand Daddy Hotel is a historic yet modern hotel. You can even choose if you want to stay in a sleek suite or a designer Airstream trailer on the roof.

What to Do

DE WATERKANT TO BO-KAAP
Forget about those wooden giraffes and zebras you see all the time on the side of the road. You’ll fine even better treasures in the historic De Waterkant area. Then take a walk over to the Bo-Kaap district to watch the sculptors at the Street Wires studio.

WOODSTOCK
Packed with vintage finds and trendy hidden cafes, Woodstock is the place to be. On Saturdays wake up early and visit The Old Biscuit Mill where you’ll find nearly 100 gourmet food vendors and pop-up art. Come extremely hungry, since this is your chance to eat a much as humanly possible.

VICTORIA AND ALFRED WATERFRONT (V&A)
The gateway to the city’s historic style is the V&A Waterfront. Take a slow stroll and take in the buildings, African performances, delicious foods and the hundreds of shops, including 150 boutiques for African design.

Where to Venture

CAPE PENINSULA AND THE WINELANDS
Take a quick road trip to the charming beach towns of Kalk Bay and Noordhoek, make sure not to miss the penguin colony at Boulders Beach.  If you’ve got an extra day or two, travel further towards Cape Point and you’ll find a secret spot, Diaz Beach, which many say is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Otherwise, head north to Stellenbosch and Franschoek to test the famed vineyards.

Where to Eat

AFRICA CAFÉ
The country’s first “African restaurant”, Africa Cafe, offers a seasonal cuisine from places such as Tanzania, Malawi, South Africa and Morocco. It’s so authentic and exotic, you’ll feel like you’re in the middle of the village.

THE DOGS BOLLOCKS
You can’t go wrong with a burger joint, especially when the burgers are almost the size of a soccer ball! The Dogs Bollocks is an unexpected gem in a converted garage that offers mouth-watering food and a hip environment.

CAFÉ CAPRICE
Located on the iconic palm-lined beach stretch of Cape Town’s Camps Bay, Café Caprice is the ideal spot for cocktails. Make sure to try the stand-out Granadilla Lolly and the Botanical Garden.

What to Pack

A WIND-RESISTANT TRENCH
Cape Town is at the edge of the continent, so it gets really windy. A wind-resistant jacket is your new best friend.

A SOUTH-AFRICAN ADAPTER
If you’re not from South Africa, then you’ll need to order up a South-African specific adapter and you’ll be up and running in no time.

Whether you decide to shop for local-made furniture in Woodstock, eat bacon on Bree Street or relax at one of the picturesque beaches, make sure you see Cape Town the right way.

NEVER eat these foods and then get onto a plane!

If you ask anyone, they’ll give you a list of reasons why flying is stressful, from tiny seats and fat people to extra-long delays and demonic flight attendants. So with all this rushing through your mind, do you really want to make your flight worse by eating the wrong food? Here’s a few you should never touch before stepping on-board a plane.

     ´        Fried Chicken

If you’re obsessed with fried chicken (most of us are) then now is the time to be strong and turn down the dirty bird. It’s a real oily mess of a meal. Greasy and pungent, the planes filters can only handle so much. As a matter of fact, it’s not only fried chicken that should be avoided, but any food that has more fatty oil than a teen’s forehead. The fact is, once you’ve eaten anything fried, the fat just sits in your stomach, turns into acid and gives you heartburn.

     ´        Alcohol

A liquid lunch isn’t technically a food, but it should still be avoided. Alcohol apparently has many medicinal benefits when it comes to flying. Some say it gets rid of their fear of flying, others say it helps them sleep on a long flight and teenagers swear it makes them look really cool! Yes, some of this is true, but it actually disrupts sleep and teenagers are never cool, plus it’ll be hard to stay hydrated meaning you’ll get drunker quicker, resulting in an awkward flirting encounter with the passenger next to you. Apart from that, do you really want to wake up with a terrible hangover?

     ´        Baked Beans

These little packages of pure evil will have you losing friends faster than a hostile game of Monopoly. It’s best to avoid them, even at the best of times, although everyone loves good ol’ beans on toast! But if you’re going to be stuck in a plane with anxious flyers and short fuses then you don’t want to turn your flight into a catastrophic nuclear accident. Soluble fibre is to blame for the beans explosive properties; broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage are also chief culprits, so it’s best to avoid those too.

     ´        Fish

Leaving fish off a plane should be a no-brainer and this includes nearly every morsel from under the sea. And before you start to argue, yes, this includes sushi, mermaids and the Loch Ness Monster. The smell of fish alone is unpleasant, but it’s also risky. One bad prawn could leave you in the plane’s toilet for the rest of the flight!

     ´        Curry

Curry is one of the greatest foods, but it’s one of the worst foods to eat before your flight. Spicy foods can cause indigestion and disrupt sleep; and it does this with the help of a cheeky ingredient called capsaicin, which is found in chili peppers. It basically works like broken thermometer and messes up your body temperature. It has also been linked to those horrible trips to the bathroom and the dreaded ring sting.

     ´        Dairy

Your milkshake may bring all the boys to the yard, but don’t bring them on the plane. Too much dairy, like stuffing down a whole wheel of cheese, has the potential to curdle your stomach and it can also cause problems if you have IBS. Dairy is also one of the most common causes of food poisoning. So maybe give the jumbo chocolate milkshake and the ice cream sundae a skip.

     ´        Caffeine

Caffeine has its health benefits, such as improved memory and the ability to turn half-dead employees into hyperactive machines. However, one of its benefits is also one of its pitfalls – you’ll be awake and unable to sleep. This is completely fine on short flights, but on long hauls, its best to avoid any sort of caffeine. Keep in mind there is a surprisingly large amount of stuff with caffeine in it, including some chocolate, ice cream, weight-loss pills and painkillers.

If you want to avoid being stuck in a giant metallic bird thousands of miles above the earth with an upset stomach, food poisoning, a hangover or much worse – NEVER eat these foods and then get onto a plane!

Looking for a reliable shuttle service to get you to and from Cape Town International Airport? Airport Shuttle is an affordable option, plus we take pride in getting you where you need to be comfortably and on time!

The 7 most amazing places to travel to in March

You work hard; you save hard, so naturally you deserve a little escape. Here are seven awesome trips to consider for the month of March…

Whistler – British Columbia

If you’re a snow person, now’s the time to hit the slopes! Whistler, is just two hours north of Vancouver, has lots of fluffy powder plus awesome skiing at any level. While the winter months are close to freezing, March brings warmer temperatures and great skiing conditions. Hotels will also be a lot more affordable at this time of year when the tourists start to disappear.

Tokyo

Visiting Tokyo in March is kind of like a real-life fairy-tale. Everywhere you look, you’ll see gorgeous pink and white cherry blossoms and temperatures hover at a warm degree. If you’re a fish lover, the fish at the Tsukiji market are fresh and plentiful!

Washington DC

If you can’t make it to Japan, then consider Washington, which is in simultaneous bloom. The National Cherry Blossom Festival starts on March 20^th and the weather is great for exploring the monuments. When you need a break from all the sightseeing, check out the burgeoning food scene.

Punta Del Este – Uruguay

You might not think that Uruguay is a beachy hot spot, but that makes it the perfect choice for international spring jaunts. The town of Jose Ignacio is known for its boho vibe, gorgeous sand and amazing nightlife. Throughout March, you’ll find constant sunshine and high temperatures.

The Grand Canyon

Want to visit America’s famous natural wonder, but worried about all the annoying tourists? If you head to The Grand Canyon in early spring, you’ll beat the majority of the crowds but still be able to take advantage of all that outdoor goodness. Enjoy the amazing view along with hiking, rafting and camping under the desert skies.

Seville – Spain

With its beautiful gardens and cobblestone streets, Seville often feels like a quaint old town. Visit in March to witness Semana Santa, a holy week leading up to Easter, when the city is alive with parades, parties and music.

Turks & Caicos

Jet off to Turks and Caicos, which is known for gorgeous coral reefs and azure water. The plane tickets are cheap and the tourists are few, so get busy bathing suit shopping and then make your way to the beautiful Turks and Caicos.

Go on, get out of town this March!

The only downfall when traveling is the stress that comes with finding at affordable shuttle service that can take you to and from the airport. Airport Shuttle in Cape Town is a reliable, speedy taxi service that will get you to the airport comfortably and on time!

Sleep peacefully with these 8 ridiculous travel pillows

Back in the day, it would be the norm to dress in your Sunday best to board a plane. However, these days you are more likely to spot someone in their pajamas with a bright yellow travel pillow around their neck.

If you’re looking for a ridiculous sleeping solution, you won’t be disappointed. There are plenty of manufacturers who choose to go to the extremes of creativity for producing travel pillows. Here are a few favourites…

Something for seafood lovers

From Japanese creators Kerchair you can now rest your head on a realistic looking shrimp. Yes, you read correctly – a shrimp! Anyone fancy having a good night’s rest on a tempura prawn?

For those who like to be strapped in

You’re certainly going to love this travel seatbelt pillow thingy-majingy from Travelrest. Perhaps the design gives you that extra feeling of safety.

Someone who has neck issues

Scientifically proven super soft neck pillow from Trtl might look a bit weird, but who cares when its got the health factor, right? Swallow your fashion pride and think about your well-being.

For those fashionistas

The Ostrich Pillow makes for the perfect napping pod. It looks kind of like a giant marshmallow combined with a strange looking helmet. However, it’ll leave you feeling like you’re travelling through all the galaxies and beyond.

For the sad and lonely ones

Travelling solo? Looking for the love of your life? Well, don’t look any further, because now you can buy this totally awesome travel pillow arm from Deluxe Comfort that hugs you 24/7!

Something for the attention seekers

If you want to get that rest and nothing will stop you, then the pillow creation from Little Cloud Nine is perfect for you. This ingenious pillow is inflatable, foldable and it lets you adjust to your face size, plus it just shouts – “I’m a smart traveler.”

Perfect for the crazy cat lady

There will always be one crazy cat lady on board your flight and the chances are that she’ll already have one of these. If you’d like to join the cat cult then head over to Lifejoy for this creepy companion.

For the crafty types

Instructables.com came up with a crazy, yet genius idea for those who have plenty of time on their hands. All you need is a pair of knitting needles and some yarn to make your very own giant knitted laptop-tent-shield.

It should be mandatory for everyone to have at least one of these hilarious travel pillows on hand when go on their next trip!

If you're going to be traveling to or from Cape Town, why not give Airport Shuttle a call? Our shuttle service is speedy, reliable and affordable, plus we can get you were you need to be comfortably and on time!