If you twinge with jealousy upon hearing of the world's premium travellers, complete with stories of six-course meals and beds with duvets, rest easy. There's more than one way to travel comfortably. With a bit of planning, you can have an enjoyable trip no matter where you sit on the plane, even without dining on the lobster thermidor offered on Singapore Airlines or relaxing in the on-board shower on an Emirates flight.
After all, most people don't fly first class, so what's the best way to maximise your experience while sitting in the back with the masses?
It all starts with picking a good carrier. If you're beginning your journey in the UAE, you're in good hands: the best economy seating is found on Emirates and Etihad Airways. This is also true of Asian carriers such as Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific- they all offer complete in-seat entertainment, full meals and a wider pitch in economy than carriers elsewhere in the world. On a three-hour Japan Airlines flight from Brunei, I was offered three drink services, a nice meal, dessert with ice cream and hot towels. All this came directly to my seat in row 38 - all the way in the back.
When flying in the back, it's all about the seat. You don't want to get stuck in the middle, and if there is more than one person in your row, you probably don't want the window either.
Tip 1: Check-in in advance for the best possible seat. Most airline websites let you pre-select your seat. In some cases, there may be a charge for "premium" seats but this usually only applies to the exit row and the first row behind business class.
Tip 2: Check again nearer to your date of travel for better options. Between booking and actually getting on the plane, two things happen. First, the plane fills up: the row you had selected may now be completely full but a row nearby might still be empty. Second, seats that were once reserved for premium payment may now be available at no extra charge.
These days, if you don't have your own in-seat entertainment, you can bring your own distractions. Some airlines are now removing the overhead television screens, simply because so many passengers carry entertainment-loaded iPads. If you're going on a long flight, formulate a plan for the hours you will spend in the terminal before departure.
First- and business-class travellers have access to comfy lounges but keep in mind they may have paid dearly for good seats in a quiet area. You can get the same access by purchasing a day pass to the lounge or by joining a programme, such as Priority Pass, which offers lounge access in hundreds of airports around the world for an annual fee. (Both Abu Dhabi and Dubai have multiple lounges for Priority Pass members.)
Can't get lounge access? Treat yourself to a nice meal in the terminal instead. If it is more expensive than outside the airport, just think of all the money you've saved by travelling in the back.
Lobster thermidor might not be on the menu but, in the end, you're on the road. No matter your seat on the plane, travel well.
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Company name: Play:Date
Launched: March 2017 on UAE Mother’s Day
Founder: Shamim Kassibawi
Based: Dubai with operations in the UAE and US
Sector: Tech
Size: 20 employees
Stage of funding: Seed
Investors: Three founders (two silent co-founders) and one venture capital fund
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
HAEMOGLOBIN DISORDERS EXPLAINED
Thalassaemia is part of a family of genetic conditions affecting the blood known as haemoglobin disorders.
Haemoglobin is a substance in the red blood cells that carries oxygen and a lack of it triggers anemia, leaving patients very weak, short of breath and pale.
The most severe type of the condition is typically inherited when both parents are carriers. Those patients often require regular blood transfusions - about 450 of the UAE's 2,000 thalassaemia patients - though frequent transfusions can lead to too much iron in the body and heart and liver problems.
The condition mainly affects people of Mediterranean, South Asian, South-East Asian and Middle Eastern origin. Saudi Arabia recorded 45,892 cases of carriers between 2004 and 2014.
A World Health Organisation study estimated that globally there are at least 950,000 'new carrier couples' every year and annually there are 1.33 million at-risk pregnancies.
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 1
Mata 11'
Chelsea 1
Alonso 43'
UAE squad
Ali Kashief, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Ali Mabkhout, Omar Abdelrahman, Mohammed Al Attas (Al Jazira), Mohmmed Al Shamsi, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohammad Barghash, Khalil Al Hammadi (Al Wahda), Khalid Eisa, Mohammed Shakir, Ahmed Barman, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Adel Al Hosani, Al Hassan Saleh, Majid Suroor (Sharjah), Waleed Abbas, Ismail Al Hammadi, Ahmed Khalil (Shabab Al Ahli Dubai) Habib Fardan, Tariq Ahmed, Mohammed Al Akbari (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Hassan Al Mahrami (Baniyas)
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Schedule:
Pakistan v Sri Lanka:
28 Sep-2 Oct, 1st Test, Abu Dhabi
6-10 Oct, 2nd Test (day-night), Dubai
13 Oct, 1st ODI, Dubai
16 Oct, 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi
18 Oct, 3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi
20 Oct, 4th ODI, Sharjah
23 Oct, 5th ODI, Sharjah
26 Oct, 1st T20I, Abu Dhabi
27 Oct, 2nd T20I, Abu Dhabi
29 Oct, 3rd T20I, Lahore
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