Transport of delight

Ok then, your starter for one, where was this picture taken? The white wine (Sauvignon Blanc of course) might be a clue. Or not. And the method of transport could offer some  further hints. Metropolitan Mumbai perhaps? Downtown Delhi? All will be revealed in my next Blog…

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To absent friends

It’s been a long, strange week. One of contrasting experiences and emotions. This week I had to perform the worst professional duty I can imagine – to write the obituary of a close friend. I received the news of Alan Edward’s sudden death immediately after I got off the plane from London at Mumbai Airport.

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Whatever Floats Your Boat

“There is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” So said Ratty to Mole in Kenneth Grahame’s “Wind in the Willows”, and (apart from shoe shopping perhaps), it’s a sentiment I share. Poetry in motion: The Prada Luna Rossa catamarans in Venice So I was overjoyed

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Captain McLoughlin gets us to Mumbai

I’ve arrived in Mumbai, India after one of the more eventful flights of my career. All was going well on a clear night at London Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 as British Airways 199 began to reverse out towards the runway for take-off. Then – ‘bang’ – the lights went out and there was the slow

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Calling all dinosaurs

It just seems like the blink of an eye ago that I was a (comparatively) young reporter in this industry, trying to make my way in a business that frankly I had no idea about. But it isn’t the blink of any eye, it’s quarter of a century, and to confirm that fact, a timely

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Dan gets a fine surprise as he joins the race to Dubai

My Blog asking for readers’ lists of their top five airport speciality stores attracted a great response from Abu Dhabi Airports Company Senior Vice President Commercial Dan Cappell (above). Remember we’re offering several chances to win a ticket in Dubai Duty Free’s ‘Finest Surprise’ luxury car draw to the best contributions. Here’s what Dan had

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Travel retail’s latest listings programme

“There is nothing more wonderful than a list, instrument of wondrous hypotyposis.” ― Umberto Eco, The Name of the Rose Eco, the great Italian semiotician, essayist, philosopher, literary critic, and novelist was right – we might not know what hypotyposis means (for that matter, what is a semiotician?) but like a top sailor we all do like

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Getting ready to go Gaga

This writer never needs much persuading to fly to NYC, but when this particular invitation was delivered I set a new PB with my RSVP. In beauty terms it is, quite simply, the hottest ticket in town. The hottest ticket in town Next week is the official launch event of Lady Gaga Fame, the first

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Weighing those findings

A new report says that 4 million UK passengers miss their flights every year “because they are busy shopping in the airport”. The survey of 1,000 UK consumers was commissioned by NCR Corporation from Opinion Research Corporation. It said: “2% of those surveyed (equivalent to 4 million passengers*) admit to having missed flights because they

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The Moodie Blog: Fox hunt ends with Blackpool on the rocks

The Moodie Blog’s new sponsorship of UK football club Leicester City has got off to a flying start with the team winning 1-0 against previously unbeaten Championship league leaders Blackpool. As reported, Leicester City (‘the Foxes’) is owned by Asian Football Investments, a Thai consortium led by Vichai Raksriaksorn, Chairman of one of Asia’s leading

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Many miles yet to travel for Africa’s airports

I’ve just returned from an enlightening and entertaining few days in Livingstone, Zambia, where the future of Africa’s airports – including their commercial activities – was the key theme of the ACI African Region Annual Assembly. In many ways, our final minutes in Livingstone encapsulated the challenges ahead for this region as well as any

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Return to ‘the smoke that thunders’

The locals call it ‘Mosi-Oa-Tunya’ or ‘the smoke that thunders’, a far more evocative and beautiful name that the one this place is known by the world over: the Victoria Falls. Whatever name you give it though, a visit here – to one of the seven natural wonders of the world and a UNESCO World

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The Moodie Blog adopts ‘the Foxes’

Given the range of football clubs (and footballing standards) supported by The Moodie Report editorial team – including Manchester United, West Bromwich Albion, Crystal Palace, Sheffield Wednesday and Brentford – it’s no surprise that the sport features large in most Monday morning conversations at our London offices. Besides checking Crystal Palace’s traditionally subterranean position (they

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