I happened to be on vacation in Bangkok when the results of the annual World's 50 Best Hotels were announced a few weeks ago.
07.10.2024 - 15:47 / insider.com
Australian flag carrier Qantas has apologized after an R-rated movie was played on every screen during a flight.
The incident occurred on a flight between Sydney and Haneda Airport in Tokyo.
Technical issues with the Airbus A330's in-flight entertainment system meant passengers couldn't select their own movies.
Qantas said its crew members had a limited list of movies that could be played across every screen, and some passengers had requested a particular movie.
The Guardian reported that the film shown was "Daddio" — a 2023 film starring Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn.
It's rated R for language throughout, sexual material, and brief graphic nudity. According to the Guardian, one passenger described it as "40 minutes of penis and boobs."
According to the airline, crew members tried to fix the screens for passengers who didn't want to watch the movie, but as this wasn't possible, a children's movie was played on every screen instead.
"The movie was clearly not suitable to play for the whole flight, and we sincerely apologize to customers for this experience," a Qantas spokesperson said in a statement shared with Business Insider.
"All screens were changed to a family-friendly movie for the rest of the flight, which is our standard practice for the rare cases where individual movie selection isn't possible," they added. "We are reviewing how the movie was selected."
Qantas operates two flights a day between Sydney and Haneda. It's due to start a third from next March, taking over a slot from Virgin Australia, according to a report from Australian Aviation.
I happened to be on vacation in Bangkok when the results of the annual World's 50 Best Hotels were announced a few weeks ago.
For a trip in June 2023, I booked a first-class ticket on Japan Airlines from New York to Tokyo (and continuing on to Osaka) using 100,000 miles I had accumulated on Alaska Airlines, one of JAL’s partners. The flight from New York to Tokyo was canceled a few hours before departure because of a mechanical failure. A Japan Airlines agent categorically refused to help me rebook, even when I offered to take a downgrade in the following days or fly another airline. The agent insisted I take it up with Alaska, in direct violation of JAL’s contract of carriage, which requires it to book me on an upcoming flight with it or “any other Carrier.” Alaska could only refund my miles, so I ended up paying for a last minute, one-way ticket later that day on United Airlines to Tokyo and then a train ticket to Osaka, for a total of $3,400. That is far more than the value of the refunded Alaska miles. Can you help?
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are advised that this story may contain names and depictions of Indigenous individuals who have since passed.
Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us and terms apply to offers listed (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate credit cards to write unbiased product reviews.
There's a new way to get from the U.S. to Japan — and it's even quite affordable.
Oct 15, 2024 • 8 min read
The best things to do in Australia go well beyond Bondi Beach and having a flat white. While those are absolute musts, there are plenty of other reasons to visit Australia over and over again, and at different times throughout the year.
Japan Airlines is giving free domestic flights to international tourists, making travel to smaller cities and hidden gems far easier.
Qantas Airways has drawn up a stir after broadcasting a slightly-racy movie across an entire flight. And the Australian carrier now is apologising to customers.
Delta Air Lines is offering a major flash sale on international awards trips for travel through next spring.
Seabourn is changing some of its fall 2025 itineraries amid the ongoing Houthi rebel attacks in the Red Sea.
Oct 4, 2024 • 7 min read