Even if you bring your own
reading material on board, chances are you’ll need a break and choose to (at least)
scan the reading material the airline provides for you.
So which
magazines, which are considered part of the onboard entertainment, are better than others?
Which ones appeal to the travellers stuck in
'cattle class' (where fellow passengers recline their sweet selves all the way into your
personal space), rather than the elitists in first class?
In short, which ones are downright
entertaining, and not overloaded with advertisements, golf articles, stodgy art reviews,
and stock market advice?
Which magazines offer cheeky, but still
interesting, interviews with celebrities, authors, and other noteworthy people, but
aren’t laden with beauty tips and a cover story on the best wines to be had in the
south of France?
When you are on a flight, particularly a long
overseas one, you are looking for something not only to pass the time, but with which to
keep your spirits high as you are just beginning your travels.
One’s mood tends to be anxious and
adventurous, so the ideal magazine should contain somewhat frivolous but still stimulating
articles, which are culturally relevant and can relieve some of the tension associated
with being crammed into a container with wings for 6 hours, or more.
I looked at all the recently published
international travel magazines I could get my hands on. Here’s how I sized up them
up:
The Best
Winner of a number of awards, you can even
read through the enRoute archives online.
British Airways'
High Life:
A clear standout, High Life is a slick read,
easily maintaining reader interest with articles such as a historical look at UK bands on
the US charts, a feature on the 7 architectural wonders of the modern world, and an
up-close and personal with British rock favourites Coldplay.
High Life’s writers do what lesser
writers cannot: they make readers interested in subjects they previously ignored.
A feature story on Versace’s importance
as a glam designer read like an in-depth cultural analysis of 20th century Rock 'n Roll
Hollywood; a welcome change from most insipid fashion articles.
Ultimately, the best thing about High Life is
that it's not solely aimed at the first class business traveller. There’s something
for travellers of every income bracket.
Cathay
Pacific’s Discovery:
Truly hip, many of this magazine’s
articles are not translated into English, but the intriguing topics and vibrant, ingenious
photography make that a non-issue.
The superb articles include: how to do a
Thai-style wedding, Vietnam’s spider web tree house, and the flying cats at a
monastery in Burma. Oh yeah, for us English speakers, an interview with Steven Spielberg
(plus a piece on Thai style yoga!).
Finnair’s
Blue Wings:
So many articles, so little time.
A book review of Anthony Bourdain’s 'A
Cook’s Tour'; an article on Marianne Faithfull’s tour of Finland; and, saving
the best for last, an article on horizontal dining (in which the diner actually eats on
mattresses).
That about says it all: hip, significant,
cutting edge. Blue Wings’ writers appear the most adept at identifying cultural
trends before they become overtly trendy, making each new issue of Blue Wings a much
anticipated event.
Lithuanian
Airlines’ Lithuania in the World:
Definitely the most politically charged
magazine I sampled, this magazine scores big points for spot on political information,
focusing on the implications of NATO membership for Lithuania, as well as tracking the
progress of EU accession negotiations.
Also features great pieces on interesting
Lithuanians, which provide a more personal entrée into the past history and current
realities of the Lithuanian people.
Silk Air’s
Silkwinds:
(Primarily services Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia)
This magazine reads like a travel guidebook
and diary all in one.
Superb articles on all things related to
travel: unique locations, festivals, cuisine, and biking while travelling. Also features
an article on outfitting your apartment in teak, which you no doubt know, is the most
weather resistant wood.
Also leading to the magazine’s high
marks: the airline will give you free postcards and also post them for you upon
completion. An excellent service for the weary traveller.
Respectable
Magazines that will hold the reader’s
interest, but lack a universal appeal, or any real staying power. They are worth your time
in the air, but can’t compete with other reading matter once you’ve landed.
Aer Lingus’
Cara:
Very regionalist in nature (which is not
inherently a negative), Cara features interesting articles on the lead singer of the
Cranberries, undiscovered destinations of Ireland, and Dublin’s new architecture.
Other features include travel pieces on Spain
and Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
While the magazine does nothing blatantly
wrong, it lacks the imagination of some of its more stylish competitors.
Croatia
Air’s Croatia:
Fairly sophisticated magazine, thus justifying
its second tier ranking (where’s the fun?).
Articles are very regionalist in nature, which
doesn’t always transfer well, and while technically solid, the art Croatia focuses on
is a bit antiquated.
A valiant enough effort, especially for those
who regularly read
Architectural Digest.
Pakistan
International’s Humsafar:
Humsafar means travelling companion, or one
who can be depended upon to provide peace and comfort during one’s journey, and the
magazine’s name is quite apropos.
It’s a charismatic mix of travel and
flight information (i.e. an article on why do planes encounter turbulence?) with a
charming dose of that prepubescent, doctor’s office favourite, Highlights.
Humsafar is far from urbane, and therein lies
its charm. While not exactly challenging, the 'Urban Legend', 'Cheer Up', and 'Quotable
Quotes' sections are quaint and cutesy, fun and frivolous.
The magazine is nicely rounded out with
informative travel pieces on exotic locales.
Royal
Brunei’s Muhibah:
Royal Brunei’s in-flight magazine gets
big points for effort. It’s editors and writers are definitely trying to create
something noteworthy for this small airline.
The issue I saw had an article on tiaras, the
Huidong women, and Florida’s obnoxious AND religious band, Creed.
Quite diverse, often bizarre, Muhibah even
contains good recipes.
SAS’
Scanorama:
A bit corporate in nature, Scanorama covers
such features as life coaching for those in the business world, personal shopping for
those on holiday, and billionaire backers of the American Cup, for those with an interest
in sailing.
On the lighter side, it profiles Scandinavian
players, such as actors and kick boxers.
Scanorama is similar to British Air’s
High Life, but not nearly as imaginative or fun.
Lufthansa’s
Magazine:
Frankly, I expected more from the major
airline of Germany.
Lufthansa contained all the obligatory
features of the better in-flight magazines, but lacked any inventive features to set it
apart.
What seemed like a good piece on Moby, only
lasted one paragraph.
Contains some tough mental fitness tests that
scholarly types might enjoy. Otherwise, rather bland and predictable.
Why Bother?
Adria
Airways’ Adria:
(Based in Slovenia)
Overcome with a stale air, this magazine is
just going through the motions.
Interviews with a heart surgeon and the
director of a school of management are as boring as they come, and an article on
fly-fishing doesn’t help matters.
Make sure you bring a book on board.
Aegean Cronus
Air’s Blue:
(Based in Greece)
Does a good job of making Greece look fun,
exotic, and sexy, but is that really so hard?
Too many fashion layouts make this magazine
vacuous and too Vogue-ish.
Air New
Zealand’s Panorama:
Panorama portrays New Zealand as a country
full of wealthy, adventurous, and beautiful people. I’m not saying these people
don’t exist in New Zealand, just that there are other, perhaps more interesting kiwis
deserving of press time as well.
Way too businessy in nature (we’re
talking articles on getting an MBA), Panorama is exactly what the non business class
traveller doesn’t want to see on his/her journey…a perverted fusion of the Wall
Street Journal and Cosmopolitan.
KLM’s
Holland Herald:
I like the Dutch. I like their country, I
respect their politics, and I aspire to their lifestyle.
Unfortunately, I dislike the Holland Herald,
the national airline’s magazine.
Too many ads and a huge in-flight shopping
section make this magazine’s content the very antithesis of it’s country’s
inhabitants: stale and frigid.
Swiss Air’s
Swiss Magazine:
Boring, boring, boring.
Swiss Mag’s writers feel inclined to tell
you exactly what overpriced, bourgeois souvenirs to buy in different countries, as well as
profiling a boring frequent flyer for each issue.
I no longer feel the need to visit
Switzerland.
Conclusion
Perhaps you haven’t given airline
magazines much thought, but they do vary greatly, and can have a positive effect (however
slight) on your flight. And in this age of airline instability and reduction in services
(for example, no more free booze on international Continental flights!), the free magazine
on your flight becomes that much more coveted.
© Kay Bozich-Owens. |
