Travel Touch

New Beginning in 2017

2017-02-16T16:02:00.001+08:00

I have been away for some time and will have new posts regularly doing what I love best "Traveling"
Thanks

Last flight for the Singapore NY Direct Flight

2013-11-23T15:25:00.001+08:00

SIA is ending its iconic direct flight from Newark to Singapore Changi on 23rd November.
SIA has also decided to sell its 4 aircraft and upgrade to the A350 when it enters service.
Passengers travelling to NY now have to decide where to have their stop overs.

25 of Mankind's greatest Engineering Creations

2013-07-05T14:56:00.000+08:00

While some of these may be debated,to me these appear magnificent places to visit as well.Hope you enjoy the list as much as I did.
Some of them like Trans Siberian Railways which were completed at a time when not many tools were available is what makes them great.
The Hoover Dam and so on.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/07/04/travel/engineering-feats/index.html?hpt=hp_c3

Sydney -Dallas FW now the longest Flight

2012-12-01T19:07:00.001+08:00

Sydney to Dallas FW is now the longest flight after the ending of SQ NY flight which was the previous longest flight.
Dallas FW in Texas has the ability to land 4 planes simultaneously and is one of the busiest airports in the world.
The busiest airport is Atlanta and not Changi Airport amongst the busiest in Asia.

Singapore Air Continue with the Airbus 340!

2012-12-01T19:05:00.001+08:00

Singapore Air has decided to return the A340's back to Airbus.The A 340 was one of the better planes from Airbus.Singapore Air should continue the planes on an economy class configuration.The Aviation Industry needs such trend setters!Singapore Air which has always been the trend setter with its A 380,A340 Direct flights will innovate but hope it brings back this icon of the skies.

Travel made Easy

2012-10-01T21:39:00.000+08:00

Travel Touch launches a new service "Travel Easy".What is Travel Easy?
Travel easy is a customised package for you or your family.Choose a destination and we will build a package for you.Whether it is free and easy or conducted packages.Our speciality is Bus tours for those who are unable to drive.Want low airfares,yes we will do it for you.
Family friendly tours?Yes we will do it for you,and our recommendations have been appreciated in trip advisor(www.tripadvisor.com).Want a farm stay recommendation in New Zealand?Come to us.
want to cover North and South island in a week-We can build a route plan for you.
Some of our destinations:
India
Singapore
Malaysia
Indonesia
Thailand
New Zealand
Australia
Yellow Stone,National park
Grand Canyon
Las Vegas
and more destinations.

Write to us to enquire your next vacation.We may not be able help all,but we are sure we will assist many families.Best is to contact us at least 2 months in advance,so we are able to build a tour which suites your budget.

World's Largest Marine Life Park to open in Singapore

2012-09-25T08:35:00.001+08:00

Resort World Sentosa's Marine life park is set to open its doors in Early december 2012.This is a much awaited opening.The highlights are expected to be the largest viewing panel and the 25 Dolphins.
Keep watching this space.This may be the filip that RWS needs.

Europe's High Speed Trains

2012-09-21T19:28:00.003+08:00

While Travel Touch has focussed on air travel more than other modes,this one is about High speed trains.
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/06/22/travel/high-speed-rail-infographic/index.html?iid=article_sidebar

The above link,has been presented nicely and a fantastic view of high speed rail services in Europe.
I have enjoyed my high speed journeys from Utrech (Holland) to Frankfurt(Germany).I did not enjoy the journey from Brussels to Paris,as the train was overcrowded and no orderly sitting,it was like boarding a Train in India rather than in Europe.
Having observed the growth of high speed rail in China,would there be a new beginning in Global rail travel?If the journey is scenic and a good experience why not?
Last year I was booked on the NZ transcoastal,however it was cancelled due to the ChristChurch earthquake.The bus journey from Picton to Rangiora was scenic.In the meantime Singapore continues to expand its domestic and efficient rail network.

Food on Flights getting better

2012-09-17T22:20:00.002+08:00

I have noticed food on flights getting better,this is now confirmed by a new study on CNN's Business Traveller.
While American Airlines have cut out on Food,Asian Airlines have increased choices and travelers can now pre book.EatOnline a mobile food ordering app can be handy to order food in advance.
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/17/travel/inflight-food-review-websites/index.html?hpt=hp_c4

Legoland Opens in Johor

2012-09-15T19:13:00.001+08:00

Asia's first Legoland theme park opened today .Tourists are expected from the region and hope to give a boost to the Iskandar region.While most of the rides are for kids under 12 ,it does have attractions for adults including mini land.
Attractions include Singapore,KL,Taj Mahal etc.
You can have a look at the video.
http://www.legoland.com.my/Explore/Videos-Apps/

Qantas and Emirates Alliance

2012-09-15T18:54:00.000+08:00

Qantas and Emirates announced an alliance effective April 2013,which ahas implications for Changi Airport.However my concern as a paying passenger would be if Emirates' service falls to the service levels of Qantas (which has been horrible to say the least ).It would be good if Qantas improves to the levels of Emirates .To the long haul passengers it means stopovers at Dubai instead of Singapore.It could also mean passengers shifting to Singapore Airlines which would be a win for Changi.As I know folks prefer Singapore for its comforts.
What about BA?Will it start more flights?Does it have the rights?

Image Courtesy Qantas/Emirates and various publications including ausbt.com.au

Air India Launches Dreamliner Service

2012-09-15T18:47:00.000+08:00

Air India, India's troubled airliner has introduced the Dreamliner service in India,and probably the best decision they have made is to start with domestic routes.Air India needs to win the confidence of domestic passengers first before attempting to get International passengers.It can be done,as Garuda as shown by its turn around.
Dreamliner has been plagued by delays as was the case with A380 which has turned out to be a game changer for many airlines.
Wishing Air India the best.

RWS -Family fun?

2012-09-08T15:44:00.000+08:00

Universal Studios has been attracting a lot of visitors to Singapore,but they do not offer attractions for the elderly and the infirm.They are wheelchair friendly,but lack in activities for a family as a whole.
A must do for the young and able is the Transformers Ride,The Shrek show,The water World show,The Mummy show and more.

Natas Fairs

2012-09-08T15:40:00.001+08:00

Natas fair has become a regular fixture on the travel scene in Singapore.But do these fairs really provide a better deal?
While some of the deals much closer to Singapore are attractive,USA was not amongst them.
Looks like America is out of favor with the Singapore traveller.

New List Amazing Aiports

2012-09-08T15:38:00.000+08:00

Travel Touch has always highlighted spectacular airport runways of the world.Here is another list.

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/photos/world-s-scariest-airport-runways-slideshow/

T1 renovation now complete

2012-07-13T22:23:00.000+08:00

Changi Airport continues to impress!The Terminal 1 refurbishment seems to be now complete.
Read on...
http://www.relax.com.sg/relax/media/1198190/Changi_s_500m_refurbished_Terminal_1.html

Qatar Airways Bags Best Airline Award

2012-07-13T22:20:00.001+08:00

http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v6/newsworld.php?id=680273

This is not surprising considering the service levels which is really fantastic.

2012-06-22T23:48:00.001+08:00

We have been away for some time and promise that we will be back regularly posting.based on feedback and trends we are opening the blog for following
Travel
Food
Mobile apps.

In this context,our post today is about the best travel apps:
Flight+-Best for knowing your flight has been delayed or cancelled before the gate agent does.
Just Landed
Best for anyone in the US, UK, France or Canada who has to pick up guests at the airport.
GateGuru
Best for people looking to make good use of their layover in an unfamiliar airport terminal.
AwardWallet
Best for having your frequent flier account balances within easy reach for spontaneous upgrades.
My TSA
Best for getting the scoop on security checkpoint wait times before you arrive at the airport.
And my favorite is world mate
Except for Worldmate:others have been rated by BBC Travel
Another popular app is EatOnline which allows you to order food online.

New Facebook App

2012-02-24T21:10:00.004+08:00

Facebook is becoming very popular,and one of the hottest apps is Fanzila (www.fanzila.com)

"To celebrate the release of the 3 new Facebook page apps, a 'Contact Us' app , an 'About Us' app and a RSS app, Fanzila, creators of custom Free Fan Page Apps ,are giving away free Premium licenses for 1 year worth $1,188 to 200 bloggers and website owners! Click here to learn more and to see how many free licenses are left.

I made it to the note

2011-11-03T21:12:00.000+08:00

A Bit of fun
http://millionaire.changiairport.com/index.php/facemaker/view/1189

Circle Line Singapore

2011-10-09T20:47:00.000+08:00

Hats Off Singapore! The new stations which opened on 08th October are nicely done and very convenient ,it cuts off travel time tremendously.
Unfortunately they have been accompanied by fare increases.Hopefully crowded public transport would be a thing of the past.
Public transport is one thing-which Singapore seems to have mastered.
Can they remove the 35% surcharge for cabs?

Lounge at Chennai Airports

2011-10-09T20:43:00.000+08:00

The lounges at Chennai Airport seem affordable,but then the service they offer is also very limited.
Limited movie choice also seems the norm-Experienced it earlier with SQ and now with Jet Airways.

Splendour of Yellow Stone National Park

2011-08-18T22:37:00.000+08:00

Yellow Stone National Park and Grand Teton Park are amazing natural wonders.Kudos to the US govt to have mandated protection.The water,the craters,geysers are amazing.
It is a pity that many americans are not aware of this wonder.The flights are expensive.
I would suggest using GotoBus.com for economical packages(caution:be prepared for mandarin and english commentary)I strongly suggest visiting Yellow Stone at least once in your lifetime.

Singapore Airlines and South West Airlines,Tokyo Airport

2011-07-20T06:14:00.000+08:00

The SQ 12 A 380 service to LAX is very good,seats are wider and good options like in flight usb/power adaptors etc.But the IFE seems to have lesser viewing choices with the advent of e reading.There were lesser movie options than before which seemed a shame.
They have a nice option under travel which allows travellers to know more about the flying process,it covers flight preparation,in flight ,turbulence,routes,take off etc.
The service seems to have gone down a wee bit,they mis pasted the Special meal request,and on pointing out was not corrected.
Tokyo Aiport transit area needs to catch up with other Asian airports-it looks old and passe when considering the options now provided by Singapore,KL,HK etc
Prices seem to be high.
The queues at LA airport seem never endless and chaos for customs aggravate it.
Southwest maintain a pretty tight outfit and run things efficiently-but they do not have seat allocations unless pre booked.The in Flight service is very good with free baggage.

Quirky Jakarta and others

2011-07-20T06:07:00.000+08:00

Had a quick dash to Jakarta last week.While Jakarta has made some nice progress,some things don't seem to change!The large opulent buildings,the traffic,large cars etc.The economy seems to be doing well.
Also noticed that budget airlines flying to and fro Jakarta seem to provide a very light snack-while Jetstar provides free water,AirAsia doesn't.
The Visa on arrival fees have been raised to USD25/-while you are supposed to pay the fees in USD,you get the change in IDR,the guy at the counter just pcoketed 500 rupiah,and when asked he looked as if what's the big deal,of course in value it may not be much,but why pay him when other can be paid?Just imagine if he keeps 500 Rupiah daily of all 1000 passengers who come in?
Jakarta has also introduced a good rule-certain roads need a minimum of 3 car passengers,they fine cars which have lesser number of passengers,but the people have got around it-there are these small boys/women,guys who wait and for 10000 Rupiah are taken to the end of the road to get around this issue.
Wish the bring the same level of ingenuity and innovation to other areas.