TANKS Travel Tales - a travelogue.......

I took this photograph of an Asiana Airlines A330-323 plane at Incheon International Airport in November 2019 while walking to the boarding gates to board my flight from Seoul to Singapore with Singapore Airlines. I have never flew with Asiana before. Maybe I will get a chance to do so when I next visit South Korea. 😊 Asiana Airlines Airbus A330-323 at Incheon International Airport, Incheon, Seoul, South Korea (2019) Asiana Airlines Airbus A330-323 at Incheon International Airport, Incheon, Seoul, South Korea (2019)

I missed the days when with just a few clicks on the internet, I could purchase my air tickets and hotel accommodation and off I go to my next travel destination. For me, the excitement of travel began as soon as I reached my departure airport, searched for the airline's check-in gates via the airport's departure lobby's signages and check-in my luggages for the trip. While I now await the time when travel can resume without restrictions, I can only looked back on the travel photos of my previous trips and wish for the day when I can go on my next trip. Airport signage, Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Pudong, Shanghai, China (2015)

I loved travelling. It was not so long ago that travelling was as easy as going online to book my return air tickets and hotel accommodation before jetting off to the destination on the day of the outbound flight.  In particular, if I had the opportunity to travel in the premier classes of a flight, the flight itself was as much an important part of my trip as any other expected travel experiences such as dining on local cuisines, meeting the locals, sight-seeing and enjoying the local culture and practices.  At times, I pampered myself by spending my hard-earned cash on a return Business Class ticket at promotional rates. Or I redeemed my expiring miles for a discounted Business Class ticket. And on some rare occasions, the airlines actually kindly and generously upgraded me to the next class of seat from my purchased ticket. How the upgrade works still baffles me. I supposed it all boils down to pure luck. But I really don't know. Travelling in the premier classes of a fligh...

While waiting for the aircraft to pushback for my flight from Singapore to Seattle on a pleasant November morning, I took a photograph of this Singapore Airlines' Airbus A350-900 (also designated as A350-941). This plane was parked at the Gate adjacent to the aircraft I was seated in, allowing me to photograph its entire length. The Port side engine of the Airbus A350-900 close to my window seat at 19A in the J Cabin is clearly visible in the foreground of this photograph. I did not crop out the engine from the photograph because I wanted to share the actual view that I was seeing when I took this photograph.  Singapore Airlines' Airbus A350-941 at the Gate, Terminal 3, Changi International Airport, Singapore (2019)

As I was waiting to board my flight from San Francisco to Singapore at the boarding gate, I looked up and gazed in amazement at this wall mural. Upon a closer look, I realised that the mural was made up of both painted and crafted artwork. This was an amazing piece of art and from the looks of it, it probably depicts life during the course of America's rich history. A wonderful way to showcase history and culture. Photo taken using iPhone X Wall mural consisting of both painted and crafted artwork, San Francisco International Airport, San Francisco, California, United States (2019)

All Nippon Airways (ANA) currently has two A380-800s in service as of the date of this blog post. Deliveries of the new A380 Superjumbo began in March 2019. A total of three of this aircraft type will eventually be in the service of the Japanese airline. Each ANA A380-800 comes in a 4-class configuration featuring 8 seats in First Class, 56 seats in Business Class, 73 seats in Premium Economy and 383 seats in Economy; a total of 520 seats. The aircrafts currently only serve ANA's route from Tokyo to Honolulu, with flights departing from Narita Airport. I was overjoyed to see one of these A380-800 in its special Turtle Livery at Narita Airport on 9 June 2019 and again on 17 June 2019.  Airbus A380-800 with Turtle Livery at Narita Airport, Tokyo, Japan (2019) Airbus A380-800 with Turtle Livery at Narita Airport, Tokyo, Japan (2019) Airbus A380-800 with Turtle Livery at Narita Airport, Tokyo, Japan (2019) Airbus A380-800 with Turtle Livery 1/200 scale ...

While on transit at Los Angeles International Airport (IATA: LAX, ICAO: KLAX) during my recent trip to the United States, I have had the opportunity to walk around the Tom Bradley International Terminal as I waited for my connecting flight. The Tom Bradley International Terminal (also known as Terminal B) is where most arriving and departing international flights to and from the United States operate from. Terminal B was opened in September 2013 and is structured such that it is easy to locate the boarding gates even for passengers visiting for the first time. While the number of shops here are not as numerous as those found in some international airports in Asia of similar size and scale, the shops-mixed here do offer a wide-enough range and depth of merchandise to satisfy the shopping needs of most passengers. I was particularly impressed by the large LED display panels located throughout the terminal. There were at least 3 that I counted and these large electronic billboard...

Travel Planning....... When it comes to travel, it is always good to do some advance planning. I am not suggesting that we have to plan to the last minute details of each trip including the waking up time for each day of the trip and so on and so forth. What I suggest is some form of broad planning that helps to make the trip more hassle-free and enjoyable. These are the tips I myself follow for each trip that I took. For shorter trips, I may skip some of the steps. But in general, following these trips has always help me to ease easily into my travel and help take away some of the stress of going to a new place each time I travel. Air travel has made airports the typical gateway for most overseas trips. Departure Hall, Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong SAR, China (2017) Research - I typically read a bit about the country or city before each visit. With smartphones and connectivity to the internet readily available, it is always easy to find some t...

Serving more than 20 destinations in China alone, Hebei Airlines debuted their first international flights outside of China in Match 2017 with flights to Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport. In October of that same year, the airline started flying to Singapore. This photo of a Hebei Airlines' Boeing 737-800 was taken at Terminal 1 of the Changi International Airport in Singapore in October 2018. A Hebei Airlines' Boeing 737-800 at Terminal 1, Changi International Airport, Singapore (2018)

I was at Singapore's Changi International Airport Terminal 1 in the late afternoon of 26 October 2018 and walking towards the boarding gate to board my flight to Bali when I saw this Air France plane parked at one of the gates. Taking out my mobile, I took a couple of photographs of the plane. Subsequent research online reveals that this is a Boeing 777-300ER with the registration number F-GSQF. It has been years since I last flown with Air France. I can still remember that it was a working trip to Paris. But I could not recall much details of that flight other than I was flying in Economy Class and the service from the crew was excellent. Maybe I shall plan a vacation to France soon. :-) Air France Boeing 777-300ER, Changi International Airport, Singapore (2018)