Virgin Atlantic has become the first airline to enable passengers to receive calls via their mobile number inflight. The new service, developed by British Telecom, and named 'Earth Calling', allows passengers to charge air-to-ground calls to their GSM account and to receive mobile phone calls inflight.
GSM mobile phone operators issue special cards to subscribers. Passengers swipe their cards through an aircraft handset and dial a registration number. Callers on the ground just dial the normal mobile number.
Go on holiday and start a career. Thomas Cook has a 16-day professional make-up artistry diploma course on offer in Singapore. The course fee is HK$14,888, and a round-trip ticket to Singapore plus 23 nights in a single room costs a further $9,888. The extra nights cover weekends as the course is conducted on weekdays.
The courses will start on August 21 and October 19. The course fee includes a cosmetics kit valued at $8,150. Phone 2853-8833 or fax 2545-7477 for details.
Runzheimer International, a US management consulting firm, is predicting that business travel costs there next year will increase by seven per cent. That includes increases of 6.8 per cent in air fares, eight per cent in hotel rates, and 10 per cent in car rentals and restaurant bills. The reason for the record forecast, Runzheimer says, is 'our belief that inflation, high demand and constrained inventories of seats, rooms and cars will occur simultaneously in late 2000'.
A new volcanic spa has been developed at Chorwon County in Kangwon-do, South Korea. Named Crater, it claims its waters are rich in minerals that can combat ageing, high blood pressure, heart disease, and even athlete's foot and dandruff. Room rates are discounted 30 per cent on weekdays. It is 74 kilometres from Seoul, and buses run regularly. Fax Chulwon Spa Tourist Hotel at 82-2-771-7387
