The Best just got Better

Is is any surprise that Singapore Airlines almost always bags the Best Airline awards everywhere? They not only have a very modern fleet and a great airport in Changi, but also manage to keep their prices competitive. The Singapore Girl is often cited as yet another reason for travelling on this airline!

While most travellers equate the Singapore Girl to pretty attendants on the flights, it is serious business for the airline which has used the 'Singapore Girl' as one of its most successful brand icons. French haute-couture designer Pierre Balmain designed a special version of the Malay sarong kebaya as the uniform which later became one of the most recognized signatures of the airline. The icon has become so strong that Madame Tussaud's Museum in London started to display the Singapore Girl in 1994 as the first commercial figure ever.

And now there is another reason to look forward to travelling by Singapore Airlines: the newly designed cabins that have been introduced on routes serviced by their newly acquired Boeing 777-300ER jets. Here are some pics of their new business class cabins (seats in 1-2-1 configuration).

An excellent article on Singapore Airlines and how they built one of the most successful Asian brands can be found here.

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Land of Contradictions

BusinessWeek's recent cover story lists horror stories resulting from India's poor infrastructure even as the country continues to be the leading destination for offshored IT and IT-enabled services (accounting for a 58% market-share as per NASSCOM's recent 2007 strategic review). As can be expected, this story has generated a fair amount of discussion on Indian blogs such as this one.

Another story, splashed across the headlines of most business newspapers in India today, is the possibility of a joint-venture between Reliance Industries (one of India's largest companies) and Dow Chemicals of the US, which has the potential of making Reliance the second-largest chemical company in the world. This, coupled with the recent Tata-Corus and Vodafone-Bharti deals, is generating considerable excitement as Indian industry finally begins to show up on a global stage outside of IT.

All this is happening as I read Edward Luce's In Spite of the Gods, an interesting perspective on contemporary India. Like I am prone to doing, I am also in the middle of another book, this one on China: James Kynge's China Shakes the World. Both Luce and Kynge reported for Financial Times, and both of them have lived long periods in the countries they write about.

As even more people try to understand and decipher India, here are two interesting quotes on India by Mark Twain:

Its stupendous population consists of farm laborers. India is one vast farm - one almost interminable stretch of fields of mud fences between. Think of the above facts: and consider what an incredible aggregate of poverty they place before you.

-Following the Equator, 1897 and quoted by Luce in the chapter titled India's schizophrenic economy

So as far as I am able to judge, nothing has been left undone, either by man or nature, to make India the most extraordinary country that the sun visits on his rounds. Nothing seems to have been forgotten, nothing overlooked.

- Quoted in today's Economic Times where they headline the possible Reliance JV with Dow

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US Airline Woes

Delta used to be my favourite airline. Their BusinessElite seating was one of the best some years back. I thought they had the best Frequent Flyer program and also the best selection of wines. Their lounges are among the best I have seen in the USA (of course, they are still way behind if you compare the local airline lounges in Singapore and Hong Kong).

But times have changed. While the Asian airlines thrive and keep upgrading cabins and service-offerings every year, the large US airlines (United, Delta, Continental, Northwest) have been trying to stay afloat. The last six months seem to have been good and profitable; however, I think they still have a long way to go before they can compete with the Asian airline companies. Here's an article from USA Today that discusses the troubling signs.

The average age of planes owned by the big four American airlines varies between 17-11 years! The problem is, even if the US airlines find money to upgrade their fleet, the only two suppliers of airplanes - Boeing and Airbus - have an order backlog all the way to 2010. And guess who's been ordering planes by the dozen all this time:the burgeoning airlines in India, China, Middle-East and Far-East Asia.

I flew to Orlando and back with my family on Delta with mixed feelings knowing I may not fly with them again any time soon.

BTW, when you fly business on Delta, they usually put you on First Class in the local US connections; I don't know of other airlines that do this. On the negative side, most Delta flights from India connect via Paris, which is probably the worst airport in Europe!

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Downtown Disney

Since we visited the theme parks only on three days during this trip, we had a couple of days to laze around in the resort. During these 'lazy' days, we would take the bus to Downtown Disney during lunch. Downtown Disney has a variety of shopping, entertainment and dining options arranged around a lake.

A huge Virgin store for all the movies and music you want to buy, an AMC 24-screen multiplex, a Cirque du Soleil theater playing La Nouba, and the largest Disney shop in the world for Disney toys & clothing. It's all here in Downtown Disney along with night clubs in Pleasure Island which requires entry tickets. This is the only Disney location which seems to have something for the adults to do after being surrounded by Mickey, Donald and their pals in the theme parks!

However, what drew me here were the many dining choices. Bongo's serves Cuban food and is owned by Gloria Estefan and her husband. Other options are the House of Blues, Planet Hollywood, Wolfgang Puck, and the volcano-spewing Rainforest Cafe.

Here are some pictures of the rather interesting fare we sampled at the Rainforest Cafe. The Chimi Cha-Cha is a starter; light, crisp wonton skin embraces roasted chicken breast, sweet corn, black beans, citrus zest,roasted red peppers, and a 4 -cheese blend.

The Pastalaya, an entree, is made of shrimp, sauteed chicken breast, bell peppers, onions and Andouille sausage tossed in a hot and spicy Cajun sauce and served over linguini.

Of course, the most interesting thing in this eatery is the ambience: vines and trees all over the place, animals that move and make threatening noises accompanied by periodic thunder and lightning. My little angel felt threatened by the ugly-looking gorilla right above our table which would grunt and beat his chest every few minutes. Bad gorilla!

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Africa Recreated

I had written earlier about Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge here. This resort is probably Disney's best 'deluxe' resort and also one of its newer ones. I had booked a Savannah facing room and we would occasionally see giraffes, zebra, pelicans, deer and other African animals right from our balcony.

Everything here is designed to contribute to the 'being in Africa' feeling: the staff from African countries (or cast members as Disney prefers to call them) , real African artifacts, the low lighting in the rooms and corridors, the furniture, the African drum-beats heard in the corridors, the greenish colored swimming pool, the thatched roofs on the hotel, and of course the large Savannah that surrounds the property.

The main hall is awe-inspiring (click picture to view a larger sized one) and appears to be constructed of logs held together by ropes and with a thatched roof. This feeling is reinforced by the detailing that includes chandeliers made of tribal shields and spears. A massive fireplace is placed in one corner, with large windows looking out into the Savannah. There are multiple activities conducted by the rangers for kids during the day at the Arusha Rock viewing area, the flamingo pond, and at the Sunset Lounge.

But what did I like the best? As you can guess, it was the food! The African Kingdom has three dining options: The Jiko serves contemporary African food and stocks over 70 African wines, the Boma serves buffet in a market-place setting, and Mara for quick-service options. Both Jiko and Boma have won recent awards; Zagat Survey recently rated them among the top five restaurants in the city.

Both breakfast and dinner buffets at the Boma were a treat for the senses. The ambience, the presentation, and the quality of food and drinks served are excellent. There were about 60 items in the dinner buffet and I can remember Marakkesh Cous Cous, Fufu, Pap & Sheeba, Sharaak, exotic salads made of orange with raddish and watermelon rind. Dessert choices that included peach crumble, zebra domes, fruit tartlets, chai flavored kheer, etc.

For breakfast I usually had their jungle juice, made-to-order omelettes (mine usually had ham, cheese, mushroom, and onion), french toast, banana nut muffin, sausages, bacan, baked potatoes, and fresh fruit. Oh yes! I was having fun. I can also say that Boma makes some of the best omelettes I have ever eaten. BTW, why can't they make muffins in India? I miss my banana-nut and blueberry muffins!

Other Posts From This Vacation: Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, The Magic of Disney, Downtown Disney

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The Magic of Disney

This was my longest vacation at Orlando and quite different from those in the past. First, because we were spending an entire week here, which gave us days to just chill out in our beautiful resort. And second, this was our first time at Disney World with our little one, who was completely, completely excited at being surrounded by characters from her favorite TV shows!

Disney's theme parks are among the few places left for squeaky clean fun for the entire family. We spent more time at Magic Kingdom than any of the other resorts. My little angel queued up to get pictures with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Ariel, Alladin, and dozens of her favorite characters.

As Disney resort guests we were allowed an extra hour in the morning before the gates opened to the regular vistors. This can be a big advantage during peak season when the lines get really long on the most popular rides. The other advantage of staying at a Disney resort is the complimentary transport to all their theme parks which saves time.

This was my fourth time at Disney World, but I still come back entertained. I liked the theatrical shows the best: Festival of the Lion King at Animal Kingdom, The Story of the Little Mermaid at Disney MGM Studios, and the more recent Finding Nemo - The Musical also at Animal Kingdom.

The 3D movie shows such as It's Tough Being a Bug at the Animal Kingdom and Mickey's PhilarMagic at the Magic Kingdom are a close second. Given my daughter's age, she also liked everything that had Princesses or Winnie-the-Pooh in them.

So, what's there to not like in Disney World? Well, crowds, long lines for rides, even longer lines for food, tickets that have gotten even more expensive, and the fact that nothing is free or modestly priced here! Methinks there could be an opportunity to do a SouthWest Airlines in this industry too!

However, for those who are willing to splurge, an extensive menu of concierge services ensures that Disney can make any little whim or grand dream happen - for the right price. "Disney World is a place where money talks," said Bob Sehlinger, author of "The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World." "There's very little that money can't buy." Resort concierges and Disney event planners have been known to arrange unique moments like a creative marriage proposal on the monorail or an elaborate dinner party in the Haunted Mansion.

Here's an excellent source for the best in Disney World accomodations and dining.

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