Aug 18th, 2012 at 2:00PM: As if fuel surcharges, baggage fees and having to pay for food on expensive flights wasn't bad enough, on Wednesday, passengers on board an Air France flight that got diverted from Beirut to Damascus were asked to help "chip in" to refuel the plane.
The reason for the diversion was tensions in Beirut. Unfortunately, the airline suspended flights to Damascus in March due to safety reasons.
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Passengers Asked To Chip In For Fuel On Diverted Plane
Aug 18th, 2012 at 2:00PM: As if fuel surcharges, baggage fees and having to pay for food on expensive flights wasn't bad enough, on Wednesday, passengers on board an Air France flight that got diverted from Beirut to Damascus were asked to help "chip in" to refuel the plane.
The reason for the diversion was tensions in Beirut. Unfortunately, the airline suspended flights to Damascus in March due to safety reasons.
...Syria memories: grieving for a dictator
Dec 22nd, 2011 at 4:00PM:
The death of North Korea's Kim Jong-il has led to some very strange television--the Dear Leader lying in state, throngs of North Koreans weeping uncontrollably, even rumors of miracles such as grieving birds.
The images coming out of North Korea led to a discussion with some of my Facebook friends over whether or not the outpouring of grief was genuine or staged. I lean towards staged, since ...Introducing Far Europe and Beyond
Oct 17th, 2011 at 11:30AM:
Far Europe and Beyond, a Gadling series in partnership with bmi (British Midland International) launches today.
Europe's eastern borders cannot be defined simply. The western, northern, and southern perimeters are easy: The Atlantic, the Arctic, and the Mediterranean provide those boundaries, respectively. It's the eastern border that is more difficult to pinpoint. There are two basic ...Syria's Sexy Side
Dec 31st, 2008 at 2:00PM: Bras with flashing lights, transparent g-strings, underwear that is made from little more than fake butterflies and plastic flower petals. No, it is not the dressing room of a Las Vegas gentleman's club, it's a shop in a Damascus souk. BBC correspondent Martin Asser recently uncovered some unexpected retail spaces in the Syrian capital. It turns out that, despite the penchant for ...
