‘The more art I see, the broader my perspective gets’: a visual artist’s week with the National Art Pass

Australia’s flag carrier, Qantas, was forced to replace three separate flights from Melbourne to Sydney with an Airbus A380 superjumbo jet on Friday—a plane which is typically reserved for long-haul international flights. 

Australia's Qantas flew an Airbus A380 from Melbourne to Sydney on Friday to help cope with huge demand for air travel during Taylor Swift's Eras Tour.

Australian airline Qantas has delayed the start of its flight from Sydney to New York — slated to be the longest flight in the world — to 2026, citing aircraft manufacturing delays.

Back in the days when I was a student living in Venice, before Google Maps and GPS systems, getting lost was a frequent occurrence. I’d often find myself wandering around the picturesque waterways, stumbling across tiny squares, crumbling bridges and hidden, narrow walkways, in the quest to find somewhere. One minute, I could be a piazza teaming with tourists and, next, it was not uncommon to suddenly find myself in a narrow calle, with no one around, hearing the echoes of my footsteps against the lapping of the green-hued canal water. Coming from London and knowing my way around that vast city, this, at first, felt like a painful start to becoming a resident here. Yet, quickly, this feeling was superseded by a sense of joy, especially when discovering hidden treasures off the beaten track. Going off the tourist paths is the fastest way to discover the real sense of this ancient city.

Etihad Airways announced a wide range of changes coming to its Etihad Guest loyalty program starting in June 2024. There are some winners and losers under the new system.

Last May, I reserved a two-bedroom apartment in London for eight days through Booking.com, using a credit card to hold the reservation. Soon afterward, I received what looked like an official email from the company offering me a 20 percent discount and insisting I pay the host directly, in advance, via wire transfer. I sent the equivalent of $3,100 dollars to the account of a man named Nyholm Peik, which I now know was a foolish thing to do. Soon afterward, Booking emailed to tell me the property was no longer available. I got in touch with Booking and spoke with several agents about getting a refund, but they gave me the runaround, continually insisting on more documentation. Can you help?

On Saturday night, a Virgin Atlantic aircraft took off from Washington, D.C.'s Dulles International Airport (IAD) at 10:45, bound for London's Heathrow Airport (LHR).

A recent British Fashion Council report confirms the fashion industry’s significant contribution to the UK economy. In 2021, the estimated £28.9 billion gross value added contribution to the economy was similar in size to that made by the car industry. And the driving force behind the industry has been London Fashion Week, the semi-annual event that just celebrated its 40th anniversary this month.

Taylor Swift is the most popular and influential person on the planet right now, having conquered almost all aspects of life.

A man boarded a plane without a ticket at the UK's second-busiest airport, a second such incident in under two months at London airports.

Swimming coach Emma MacDonald set up Wild Hebridean Swimming in 2022 after moving back to Mull. The company offers holidays for open water swimmers, but also retreats for those who can only tread water or do a bit of doggy paddle. These involve short dips in the clear waters of the Inner Hebrides, where there are seals, underwater kelp forests and waterfalls. Longer swims can be arranged on request. The programme also includes a guided walk on Iona, the burial place of 48 Scottish kings including Macbeth. Guests stay at Achaban House, which has woodburners and a wood-fired hot tub, where there is a choice of activities, including yoga and massage. From £895 including all meals and wine, next retreat 8-11 March, wildhebrideanswimming.com

Maybe it’s the nation’s glut of centuries-old cellars and tunnels. Or perhaps it’s the world-class bar scene, which led the way with speakeasy-style drinking dens when they were trending a few years back. Either way, the UK today is full of quirky places to say ‘cheers’ at a subterranean level. Whether your preferred tipple is wine, beer, whisky or a mixologist-crafted cocktail, these celebrated bars from London to Edinburgh will serve it to you amid atmospheric underground vibes.