Top Airline Safety Questions- PART 1

The most important questions about airline safety answered in this easy-to-follow run-down:

1.      Where is the safest place to sit on an airplane?

The short answer is there is no safest seat.

In an aircraft accident where the plane is seriously damaged or one or more occupants are injured or killed, the severity of the injuries depends on many factors, some of which may not be apparent until an accident occurs.

For example, there have been many accidents involving heavy smoke or fire where survival depended on the ability of the passengers to not panic and to quickly remove themselves and others from the aircraft after landing.

2.      Which aircraft model is the safest?

In general, all aircraft in a particular class have to adhere to the same set of standards. When safety concerns arise because of one or more accidents associated with a particular model, the civil aviation authorities of the major industrialized countries will usually require that the issue be addressed in all relevant aircraft models.

For example, fatal airline accidents due to wind shear in the 1970s and 1980s in the U.S. led to a number of innovations in aircraft and ground wind shear detection systems and also in flight crew training which has led to a reduction in the risk of accidents from that weather issue.

While accidents of any kind are rare, you can get a better idea of how safe an aircraft model is by comparing how often passengers die in a plane crash involving that particular aircraft model.

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The World’s Top Ten Party Hotels – PART 10

The lightning bolt motif that traverses this party hotel’s sleek 27-story glass facade is just the first indication that theWit is positively sizzling.

The ROOF lounge, its year-round indoor/outdoor crowning glory, has been Chicago’s reigning “it” spot since its May 2009 debut, granting skyline and starry views; roaring fire pits; a menu of signature cocktails and small plates; and danceable beats doled out by weekend DJs or via the live rock and pop bands showcased in the June 2010-debuted concert series, ROOFLIVE (held twice monthly in summer/early fall).

Add to that theWit’s bustling Loop location (just a stone’s throw from top theatres and eateries); duo of popular on-site restaurants; tricked-out movie theatre available for private party screenings; and some 300 stylish guest rooms to harbour your hangover in and you have just the energy-infused, merry-making recipe to whip up a regular roster of party-minded patrons.

And theWit isn’t about to gather any moss on its primo party-circuit status: Though they say lightning doesn’t strike twice, its newly debuted second-floor Phoenix Lounge is already creating some sparks, with a menu of classic cocktails, a reader-friendly wine-list (“Lush Red”, “Buttery White”), and Mediterranean-inspired small plates rounded out by chic décor (black velvet chairs, silver leather banquets, modern sculpture) and live evening acoustic sets from local artists (Thursdays through Saturdays). Summer rates go for $229/night.

The World’s Top Ten Party Hotels – PART 9

New York’s 18th-floor Top of the Standard (formerly “The Boom Boom Room”) alone could earn hotelier Andre Balazs’ Meatpacking District property a spot on this list.

The uber-exclusive rooftop club at The Standard has already hosted the likes of Madonna, Jude Law, and Courtney Love, but now the VIP cachet is set to spike even more when the space reopens its clubbing hours in late 2010 as a “private social club” (so say our insider sources; the space currently shuts down at 10 p.m. but is open for daily sunset service). Thankfully, The Standard’s four other bars still draw crowds. Biergarten and The Standard Grill cater to more casual types, with hearty brews, outdoor seating, and a more relaxed atmosphere than many of the nabe’s velvet-rope spots, while DJs spin Friday and Saturday nights at The Living Room. For sky-high panoramas of the Hudson and High Line Park, guests can flock to Le Bain, a new rooftop space outfitted with Astroturf carpeting, metal-framed plastic lawn chairs, and an indoor pool bar one floor below (complete with sparkly disco ball).

The party hotel’s 337 guest rooms seem to be an afterthought here, but the amenities certainly won’t disappoint: Floor-to-ceiling glass walls with city and river views, mood lighting, and Kiss My Face organic bath products. Rates start at $295.

The World’s Top Ten Party Hotels – PART 7

If you want to party in Paris with the in-crowd, the Murano Resort is the place. Situated on the border of the trendy Marais neighborhood, the Murano’s 43 rooms and nine suites (two with private outdoor heated pools) feature cutting-edge technology; each opens using fingerprint ID and can essentially transform into a personal disco, thanks to in-room stereos and a high-tech system for playing with the room lights’ colours and levels.

Down in the bar lounge — actually two party venues separated by a glass wall with a DJ booth in the middle — you’ll find 180 types of vodka on offer. Paris’s young and fabulous gather here for nightly DJ sessions with special guests hitting the turntables on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Take a breather away from the techno-fuelled turntables at the ground-floor Martini Terrace lounge (open-air in summer, covered in winter), serving up Italian fare with smooth martinis until 2am. Even Murano’s dining options cater to the party set: The Murano Restaurant has its own DJ and serves breakfast until noon (perfect for the hangover-prone). Plus, all rooms have an espresso machine for an immediate caffeine fix. Stay over on a Saturday and indulge in all-day Sunday brunch, available from 11.30am to 5pm. For a full-on weekender, this party hotel offers the Rock n’Luxe package (from €600/night) for two nights in an M room, champagne upon arrival, round-trip airport transfers, unlimited mini-bar access, breakfast daily, and late checkout. Rates start at €350/night.

PART FIVE:

Re-emerging from the glamour of its grand opening in 1954, the recently revamped Fontainebleau represents the next generation of Miami Beach iconicity, infused with the sexy, ultramodern spirit of the eccentric original.

A $1 billion renovation completed in 2008 has given the venue a brand new lease of life. Its celebrity pedigree can’t be beaten (old-school icons like Elvis and the Rat Pack used to prowl the halls) and now the Fontainebleau’s hot-spot LIV nightclub, considered one of the world’s best clubs by many, attracts A-listers like Jennifer Lopez, LeBron James, and Lady Gaga who performed at LIV’s New Year’s Eve party last year.

The 30,000-square-foot DJ-catered venue features eclectic entertainment and a voyeuristic design (you can see the entire venue from nearly every corner of the space) and is reason alone for the Fontainebleau’s major “party hotel” status.

And for those who crave a more mellow night, the Fontainebleau offers the more subdued, but no less glamorous, Bleau Bar in the hotel lobby and Glow Bar, a sophisticated pool lounge, open to hotel guests only, daily until sunset.

The guest rooms and suites, 1,504 in total, come with ocean views, blue accents, and personal 20-inch iMacs. After a long night out, hotel guests can nurse their hangovers with food from one of Fontainebleau’s 11 restaurants and lounges, including three haute eateries: Hakkasan, Scarpetta, and Gotham Steak. Room rates start from $189/night.