There are two types of people in the world. People who leave their hotel rooms a mess, and liars.That’s what the cynic would say. But what really is the expectation?A recent episode of Oops! The Podcast made this question pop into our brains.The question was sparked by one of the pair’s typically hilarious observations on the minutiae of day to day life. Francis asked co-host Giulio if he and his Girlfriend “knock boots” every time they stay in a hotel.His response? “Erm…let’s put it this way. Yes.”He expands by saying, “I think that even if there was a situation where we both feeling terrible, we would at least try to have a little fun… just to show we’re still committed to each other. To show we still got it.”Francis then adds his two cents on the matter, claiming, “It’s getting your money’s worth from the hotel as a couple. Because you can destroy it. It would trouble me if I spent a whole weekend in a hotel with my girlfriend and we did not have sex.”“I just think that the moment you get there, hotel rooms are an aphrodisiac, you feel like you’re having an affair. You’ve snuck into this hotel, we better be quick, or our parents will find out. They’ll wonder how we’re not back at lunch yet.”RELATED: Luxury Hotel Workers Reveal The Wildest Things They’ve Seen Guests DoWhile not entirely PG in nature, the duo’s admissions of “destroying” a hotel room still pales in comparison to what some entitled hotel guests do to their rooms. One Reddit user previously commented on a thread about an annual corporate event held at the hotel he worked at, saying,“Particularly because he and all of his intern colleagues trashed everything. We had to prepare the lobby by removing sculptures and porcelain plant pots. One year we started always removing a kind of sharp-cornered bookcase because too many drunk interns had hurt themselves on it. There was…linens destroyed beyond continued use. Plumbing broke daily. There was always smoking damage in some rooms.”Again, while this is the extreme end of the spectrum, this leads into a more ‘day to day’ question which every single traveller – single/rich/debaucherous or not – faces, which is: is there an unwritten rule which dictates to what degree am I expected to clean up after myself?Quora forums like this one as well as various Reddit threads and blogs and Tweets show this is a common source of confusion. Yes: you are paying to be cleaned up after, but to what exact degree? What is the difference between being a good guest, a cheeky guest and a rude guest?This question gets even trickier when it comes to Airbnbs.

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Travel journalist Ben Groundwater wrote about his experience of this during a family holiday in Italy.“About halfway back to Rome, I got a message on the Airbnb platform, from our host in Bologna: ‘What a mess!!! No respect at all. Sorry but you’ve been very unpolite.'”

“Hope nobody will treat your house as you’ve done with mine.”

“I was pretty surprised,” Ben wrote in Traveller. “We’d cleaned up after ourselves, left the dirty laundry in a pile in the bathroom, swept the floors. What was the problem, I asked in response?”“‘Dear Ben,’ the reply pinged back, ‘lights were on, kitchen table was deeply dirty, aluminium foil everywhere. I hope you’re more respectful of my apartment, it’s not a kindergarten or a hotel!'”“And that, right there, is where my opinion differs with our lovely Bolognese host, and where our issue seems to have originated. As far as I’m concerned, her apartment is a hotel. Effectively, anyway. I pay a large amount of money to stay there for a few nights, I then pay an extra €30 ($47) ‘cleaning fee’ to have the place sorted out for the next guest, and as far as I’m concerned if I leave the house in a reasonable state with nothing broken or in need of repair, I’ve done my bit,” (Traveller).According to Ben, when you stay in a hotel it’s fine to be a bit more relaxed.He added: “Hotels don’t make these demands. They don’t have you take out your garbage before you leave. They don’t make you wash the dishes. They don’t ask you to tidy your room. You just check out and leave. They’ll take care of the rest.”“Home-share arrangements – across a range of platforms, not just Airbnb – seem to operate in a different universe, where apparently the money you pay to rent a space only entitles you to the space itself; you’re expected to leave it pretty much as you found it. Even if, in some cases, you’ve paid an extra fee to have it cleaned,” (Traveller).One (apparent) Airbnb host chimed into the comments of Ben’s Traveller article, claiming not all Airbnb hosts expect this.“I would not expect anyone to clean the place before leaving,” she said. “However, I love it when I find all towels, bathmats etc in a pile on the floor, the bed stripped and the stuff in a pile of the floor. I love it when people respect the FIVE recycling bins and I don’t have to put my hands in their trash to sort it, I love it when people empty the fridge of half eaten open food and drink, so I don’t have to touch it.”“I only ever complained once (to airbnb and directly to the guests) who ate in the bed (tinned tuna, spilt oil everywhere, the place was crawling with wildlife, I don’t know how they slept in that bed), left hair (they both had very long hair) everywhere which was gross to clean, and apparently weren’t aware that they could flush the toilet. There was more, too gross to write here. But that is the only time I really objected.”“Most guests are really kind and considerate and leave minimum mess to clear up. Not a problem.”Another commenter wrote: “Airbnbs need to charge enough to cover cleaning. If the owners want to pay a cleaner that’s their business, but they are giving away their profit to a cleaner. The only way to make a business out of it is to clean yourself. If you go to a home salon the owner doesn’t say your facial was 60 dollars and a extra 20 for cleaning fee!”Yet another said: “It really depends how the host is structuring their fees…”In the end, it all comes down to setting expectations accurately – something which Airbnb is happy to leave to each individual host to work out with its own guests.As for hotels, there seems to be an unwritten rule that you can leave them a little more disorderly than you found them, provided you don’t break anything. That said: they certainly get their own back, so to speak, only cleaning the things they think you’ll notice, as flight attendant and frequent traveller Kat Kamalani reveals below.

Watch a flight attendant’s top tips for when you stay in a hotel

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The post Man’s Controversial Hotel Confession Raises Age-Old Question appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

It’s official: loud shirts are back in style. And it seems there’s no bigger proponent of the trend – quite literally – than the NBA’s biggest star, LeBron James.The 36-year-old Los Angeles Lakers lynchpin (and freshly-minted Hollywood star) has always had an affinity for colourful shirts, but it seems as if he’s really upped the ante in 2021.At game five of the NBA Finals between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns on the weekend, LeBron sat courtside in an eclectic beige patterned shirt from Dries van Noten that featured a unique ‘distorted’ white contrasting slash down the middle, which he paired with some similarly lairy Cutler and Gross sunglasses and a solid gold Audemars Piguet Royal Oak.Only days before, he was spotted strolling around in LA in a Prada number with a geometric pattern and large ‘Zodiac’ embroidery, again wearing some funky shades (this time some Paul Smiths, which are actually also made by Cutler and Gross).

In short, he’s adding even more fuel to the fire when it comes to summer 2021’s loud shirt renaissance.Other male celebrities who have cottoned on to the loud summer shirt trend include Justin Bieber, Kevin Hart, Scott Disick and Cristiano Ronaldo, just to name a few.Another two well-dressed men who’ve jumped on board the loud shirt trend are Breaking Bad stars Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston. The pair recently shared a photo of them relaxing in the desert in some colourful silk numbers, promoting their new mezcal brand, Dos Hombres.(If you want to read more about the difference between tequila and mezcal, read our handy high-level drinking guide here.)RELATED: Kendall Jenner’s New Tequila Brand Sparks Fierce ‘Cultural Appropriation’ Debate

LeBron’s been riding high since the release of Space Jam: A New Legacy, the much-anticipated sequel to the cult 1996 live-action/animated sports comedy film that saw Michael Jordan appear on-screen alongside Looney Tunes characters like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. Jordan was the biggest player of his day, so it only makes sense to have the sequel star the biggest player of today: LeBron James.The movie has received mixed reviews from critics but so far has turned out to be a hit at the box office – and also where merchandise is concerned…

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The post LeBron James Fashion Experiment Proves Loud Shirts Are Officially Back In Style appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

China is the world’s biggest manufacturing hub, with the world’s most populous nation making everything from whitegoods to women’s underwear. If you can think of it, it’s made in China – although that label doesn’t always inspire confidence.But generally speaking, when the Chinese want to do something properly, they do it right – think Moutai liquor or Hongqi limousines. As China continues to grow, domestic brands of all sorts are becoming increasingly competitive on a global stage – where Chinese brands were once imitators or following trends, they’re now creating trends.One area in particular where Chinese brands are becoming dominant is that of sneakers.Of course, foreign sportswear brands have long manufactured sneakers and apparel in China. Indeed, Nike was one of the first Western companies to start offshoring to the People’s Republic full stop, with Nike founder Phil Knight hailed as a pioneer for establishing a manufacturing presence there as early as the 80s, Highsnobiety relates. Other big players like Adidas, New Balance and Under Armour all also make clothes in China.Now, in 2021, Chinese sneaker brands are becoming hot property in the West, including Australia.

The most prominent Chinese sneaker brand is easily Li-Ning. Founded by the successful Olympic gymnast of the same name, in recent years Li-Ning has become a hit among both athletes and sneakerheads, thanks to their highly unique, out-there designs.

Li-Ning first rose to prominence in the West after its eponymous founder lit the Olympic flame at the 2008 Beijing Olympics clothed head-to-toe in his brand. Then, Li-Ning caught the attention of basketball fans when it became the official partner of the Houston Rockets, home of former Chinese NBA sensation Yao Ming.

RELATED: Lavish Chinese Watch Show Has The World Seeing Red

But Li-Ning’s real breakthrough was when they signed former Miami Heat star Dwayne Wade after his Jordan Brand contract expired in 2012 – a deal that’s perhaps rather emblematic of Li-Ning’s (and Chinese sportswear brands’) ascendancy. His signature sneaker line, the ‘Way of Wade’, has become a breakout success.

Li-Ning in many ways opened the door for other Chinese brands to make a splash outside of their home market, including brands like Peak, Xtep and Health.

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It’s no surprise that Li-Ning and other Chinese brands’ growth is connected to basketball. Basketball, more than any other sport, has been instrumental in the success of many sneaker brands. The NBA, too, is increasingly popular in China. It all feeds back in on itself.RELATED: ‘The NBA’s #1 Sneakerhead’ PJ Tucker Pairs $20,000 Dior Sneakers With Summery Suit OutfitNow Chinese brands are looking beyond basketball and moving into other territories. Just last week, Li-Ning announced it’s teaming up with American pro skater Erik Ellington on their very first skateboarding line – skating, of course, being another fertile source of inspiration and success for sneaker brands.Chinese sneaker brands are also increasingly jumping on the trend of brand and pop culture collaborations, something Western brands have been doing for yonks. Anime series are shaping up to be hot property – for example, Anta Sports’ and 361°’s Dragonball Z and Mobile Suit Gundam basketball sneakers, respectively.It’s not just sneaker brands but Chinese sneaker boutiques that are becoming respected players in the sneaker game. Hong Kong’s CLOT and Xiamen’s Sankuanz are two standouts. Chinese fashion designers, too, are penning their own sneaker collaborations, like Feng Chen Wang with Converse.In short, there’s a good chance that the next pair of trainers you buy might come from a Chinese brand.

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The post Chinese Sneaker Brands Increasingly Leaving Western Competitors Red Faced appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Blue light blockers have always seemed gimmicky to me. My logic? If you want to sleep better, do the basics. Don’t watch TV before bed, eat dinner at a reasonable hour; don’t drink a triple espresso at 6pm.Any product that claims it can make up for your poor sleep hygiene, is probably a scam, I thought.In my mind, blue light blockers sat on the same shelf as skin creams – an industry gas-lighting us into buying something we don’t need (and getting us dependant on it in the process), and exploiting our insecurities.However, I’m also an individual living in the 21st century. I have podcasts to listen to, alarms to set, TV-shows to binge. I’ve also got inane group chat messages to read, YouTube wormholes to burrow into and TikToks to watch.So after a particularly bad couple of weeks’ sleep, and a couple of nights where I was so tired I couldn’t even sleep (I blame this on the Euros), I decided to take the plunge. I bought a pair of glasses (blue light blockers) that block the blue light emitted from light bulbs and electronic devices which apparently stops our brains from realising it’s time to go to sleep.I channelled my inner Dave Asprey, hammered in my credit card details, and two days later they arrived in the post. I’ve been wearing them every night for a week now for an hour before bed. This is everything I’ve learned in that time.

They are an admission of defeat… but that doesn’t make them a bad idea

Yes: you should be able to sleep well without buying blue light blockers. Yes: other things, like having a consistent sleep schedule, are more important. Yes: you should turn off technology an hour before bed rather than keeping it on but avoiding its blue light. Yes: your ancestors did just fine without blue light glasses.But if you have tried and failed to fix these things, Blue Light Blockers are better than nothing, I have found. And it could easily be the placebo effect, but I have definitely slept a little bit better this week.Also: even if you are diligent about shutting down all your devices an hour before bed, you will still inevitably be exposed to blue light when you go to the bathroom, or to get a glass of water, so they really do (to me) feel like they make a nice (little) difference. This may wear off though eventually.

They are more effective than the ‘blue light’ setting on your phone

Some phones have special night modes which stop them from emitting blue light after a certain time at night. I don’t find this helpful though, as I tend to go to bed at different times on different days. And as I mentioned: I typically go downstairs to make a cup of tea or brush my teeth within an hour of going to bed anyway, so I found blue light blockers the simplest way of blocking the blue light. They are also a welcome way to prevent the harsh glare of light when you go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

They provide a nice sense of finality to the day

Placebo effect or not, it’s nice to have a little ritual.

They can improve your creativity

Mad professor ~vibes~ may not be a scientific thing to judge… but I certainly feel them when I put my glasses on.

It’s not as enjoyable to watch TV with them on…but you’ll thank yourself later

It’s also not the most comfortable thing to wear while reading. But again: it can be done.

They make you look like a bit of a tech bro…but that’s ok

Don’t worry: you’re at home. No one can judge you.

I would recommend them to anyone at their wit’s end…with the proviso they are far from a complete solution

I really enjoy using them and I will continue to do so. They aren’t going to radically improve your sleep but they could help. I have no idea if it’s due to the placebo effect or not, but to be honest I don’t care. I’m just happy to be sleeping a little bit sounder.

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The post A Very Honest Review Of Wearing 'Blue Light Blocking' Glasses For A Week appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

There’s an uncomfortable truth about car brands: while exotic, performance and luxury car brands trade on an image of exclusivity, prestige and excellence, they’re not always known for being particularly reliable – except for Porsche, that is.

The sporty German marque is an outlier among performance car makers as not only the most reliable of its breed but one of the most reliable car brands full stop.

Indeed, well-regarded market research firm J.D. Power’s 2021 Vehicle Dependability Study ranks Porsche as the second-most reliable marque on the market, just behind Lexus and ahead of Kia and (shockingly) Toyota, a position they’ve held for many years not only in the US but Australia also.

But Porsche itself recently shared a rather surprising fact which further underlines the reliability of their cars: according to the brand, more than two-thirds of all Porsche cars ever built are still on the road today. Talk about German engineering…

“This is impressive evidence of the longevity of Porsche’s cars and the love people have for them,” Porsche’s press release relates.

It’s a truly impressive statistic; one that’s emblematic of just how unique Porsche is as a manufacturer. We doubt that there’s the same number of Alfa Romeos still rolling around…

The real question, however, is this: why can’t other manufacturers boast a similar boast? Is it simply a matter of ‘they don’t make them like they used to’?

Much of it has to do with Porsche’s market segment. Since day dot, the modern Porsche marque has exclusively been a performance marque producing high-end, relatively low production-run vehicles – that is, vehicles that are more likely to be prized and maintained well. They’re also a relatively young manufacturer, in the grand scheme of things.

In comparison, Mercedes-Benz – which is also almost twice as old as Porsche – has produced a far wider range of vehicles over its years, from luxury limousines to commercial vehicles. An expensive convertible that’s only driven on weekends is likely to last longer and be cared for better than an ambulance or postal van that’s constantly doing heavy-duty driving and is likely to be turned over fairly regularly.

RELATED: Decoding The Hidden Genius Behind Virgil Abloh’s Ghastly Mercedes-Benz Collaboration

That’s before you start talking about marques that have always been mass-market, such as Daihatsu, SEAT or Suzuki… How many Proton Personas do you see on the roads today?

As we enter the electric era of cars, it will be interesting to see if Porsche models can maintain their impressive longevity. The Porsche Taycan might be an amazing car, but will it still be kicking around 60 years down the track? What about Tesla Model 3s, or Nissan Leafs (or should that be ‘Leaves’)?

RELATED: Porsche’s Taycan Heralds A New Era For Luxury & Performance Vehicles

Conversely, electrification could actually be a way of keeping classic cars on the road longer. Electric car conversion companies, like EVolution in Melbourne, can give classic cars a new lease on life by swapping out their outdated petrol engines for modern EV drivetrains. Naturally, the classic Porsche 911 is a popular conversion candidate – but the sky’s the limit.

Imagine dropping a beefy electric motor in an old Holden Kingswood…

Watch 70 years of Porsche history in 2 minutes below

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The post Wild Porsche Statistic Puts Other Car Manufacturers To Shame appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

We’d all like the chest of Russell Westbrook the legs of Cristiano Ronaldo and the shoulders of Chris Hemsworth, but the reality is that’s quite the ask.

Most of us would settle for just being healthy.

But in this age of Uber Eats and Uber Temptation, it’s easy to find yourself in a Netflix and swill cocoon, subsisting off a diet of popcorn, pods, and takeaway.

Or is that just me?

In any case, the obesity epidemic in the United States (and, to a lesser degree, Australia), as well as the various other eating disorders which are prevalent, are testimony that it’s not easy for everyone to have a healthy relationship with food.

While we can’t flick that switch for you, we can bring you the insights of nutrition coach Max Lugavere, who consistently takes to Instagram with savvy nutrition advice, for those who seek a healthy – but non-puritanical – relationship with what they put on their plate.

Lugavere recently posted a graphic that demonstrates, “The power of switching your diet to more whole foods and fewer processed foods.”

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A post shared by Max Lugavere (@maxlugavere)

“Here are some powerful examples of how not only switching to more whole foods will help your waist line but it will also help your overall health,” Lugavere captioned the post, claiming that the key concept is calorie density.

“Don’t just take my word for it. In a 2019 crossover trial by Hall et al, ultra-processed diets caused excess calorie intake which in turn led to weight gain unlike the minimally processed food diet.”

Though it’s no shock takeaway foods of the sort featured in the graphic are more calorie-dense than whole foods, here at DMARGE we found it startling just how big the difference is.

Lugavere then cited another piece of research: “Another 2019 study by Schnabel et al. linked an increase in consumption of ultraprocessed foods with a higher risk of all-cause mortality. (About a 14% higher risk of all-cause mortality for every 10% increase in ultraprocessed food intake).”

He added: “A 2014 study by Wolfson et al. found that people who cook at home 6-7 nights a week compared to those who eat out often, save on average 150 calories per day—that’s 1,050 calories a week! Not to mention all the cheap added oils, sugar and other additives you avoid by cooking your own food.”

“Now, it’s not about being perfect! If most of your diet comes from whole foods and trusted brands that have minimally processed ingredients, there will still be room for fun foods when the occasion strikes or if you want a tasty treat.”

Lugavere then left a number of tips for anyone not sure how to get started on their whole food journey.

1. Stop drinking your calories (aside from soups, low sugar smoothies or protein shakes)
2. Make a habit of grocery shopping every week
3. Start a meal prep routine
4. Cook more dinners at home
5. Try remaking some of your favourite desserts from scratch in the kitchen with healthier ingredients
6. Read food labels and make sure you can understand what’s even in the packaged foods you choose

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A post shared by Max Lugavere (@maxlugavere)

Food for thought.

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The post 'Powerful' Image Shows The Benefits Of Switching To A Whole Food Diet appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Tom Brady is the golden child of the NFL.

Ten Super Bowl appearances and seven victories. The all-time records for passing yards, completions, touchdown passes, games started and Super Bowl MVP awards. Moving to Tampa Bay at the age of 42 and getting them a Super Bowl. He’s about as close to perfect as you can get when it comes to American football.

But he’s not entirely perfect – at least as far as style is concerned.

Yesterday morning, Brady and the rest of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were received at the White House by Joe Biden – continuing a sporting tradition that under previous US President Donald Trump had become sporadic and highly politicised. On Brady’s part, it was his first White House visit in over a decade. Brady last visited the White House like this in 2005 with the New England Patriots, having skipped later visits during the Obama and Trump administration.

Naturally, Brady suited up for the occasion, pairing a navy number with an IWC Schaffhausen Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition “Rodeo Drive” (ref. IW503001) on a leather strap. So far, so fine. But he fumbled the landing with his tie, tieing it with a clumsy four-in-hand knot that wasn’t done up tight enough. Talk about snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

The four-in-hand (or ‘schoolboy’) knot, as the name might suggest, is one of the first knots a man is likely to learn. They’re quick, simple and produce a small knot – but they tend to sit rather asymmetrically on one’s neck and can look rather messy.

A half or full Windsor knot is a better bet if you really want to look classy (say, if you were visiting the White House), or you could try an even more complicated knot like a cafe or trinity knot if you’re really looking to impress. But a schoolboy knot is not the go, TB12.

RELATED: How To Pull Off A Perfectly Knotted Tie And Look Like A Sartorial God

Brady might have been unprepared when it came to his necktie but he certainly had some impressive jokes prepared, joking about Trump’s baseless election fraud claims with Biden during his speech.

“Not a lot of people think that we could have won. In fact, I think about 40% of the people still don’t think we won. You understand that, Mr. President?” Brady quipped. He continued:

“And personally, you know, it’s nice for me to be back here. We had a game in Chicago where I forgot what down it was. I lost track of one down in 21 years of playing, and they started calling me ‘Sleepy Tom.’ Why would they do that to me?”

Good stuff.

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The post Tom Brady's White House Style Slip-Up Proves He's Not Perfect After All appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

After a couple of years that have been characterised by their lack of flying more than anything else, AirlineRatings has nevertheless named its picks for Airline of the Year 2021.

Qatar Airways has come up trumps, winning Airline of the Year, and taking the place of last year’s winner, Air New Zealand.

The Doha-based carrier also brought home the Best Middle East Airline, Best Catering, and the Best Business Class awards. This marks the third year in a row Qatar Airways has clinched the Best Business Class accolade, recognising its patented Qsuite product.

The AirlineRatings ‘Airline of the Year’ award acknowledges the best overall aviation practice, with a focus on product innovation, good route network and overall safety. All AirlineRatings awards are given based on strict assessment criteria put together by industry professionals with extensive expertise and experience in the aviation field.

Qatar Airways, it’s worth noting, is also one of the few airlines that has had the capacity (and the incentive, as DMARGE has previously discussed with travel expert Richard Merkert) to continue operating flights to Australia, almost this entire time the pandemic has been running.

RELATED: Why Qatar Airways Is Able To Continue Running Flights To Australia 

In any case, as AirlineRatings announced today, Qatar Airways “nudged out Air New Zealand and Singapore Airlines for the top spot followed by Qantas, Emirates, and Cathay Pacific.”

“Qatar Airways is being honored for its innovation, product, and industry leadership as well as its extraordinary commitment to keeping the world’s critical long-haul air routes open during COVID-19,” AirlineRatings said.

AirlineRatings.com Editor-in-Chief Geoffrey Thomas said “Airline Ratings’ Excellence awards are aptly named, for, at every touchpoint, excellence is the goal at Qatar Airways led by its inspirational Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker.

“Mr. Al Baker’s drive for perfection has led to many improvements in both Airbus and Boeing aircraft and travelers across the world are better off because of the drive and the pursuit of excellence of Qatar Airways,” Mr Thomas added.

“The airline has a host of industry firsts. First to complete IATA’s important IOSA safety audit, first to be fully COVID audited and compliant by both AirlineRatings and Skytrax, and amongst the first to trial IATA’s COVID Safe Travel Pass.”

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “Receiving the 2021 Airline of the Year, Best Middle East Airline, Best Catering and Best Business Class awards by AirlineRatings is particularly special for Qatar Airways.”

He continued: “Over the past 16 months, the aviation industry has witnessed some of its darkest days, but Qatar Airways has continued to operate and stand by our passengers despite many other airlines halting operations due the pandemic.”

“Qatar Airways continues to reach new heights and set industry standards that deliver unrivalled passenger experience because it is in our DNA to do everything with excellence. Our commitment is to provide the highest possible level of health and safety standards both on the ground and in the air, with 5-star service at the core of our business.”

Recent figures from travel data provider, OAG, highlight that Qatar Airways continues to be the world’s largest airline, offering more global connectivity than any other.

Its Qsuite, a patented Qatar Airways product, is world-renowned for offering a First Class experience in the Business Class cabin, as one DMARGE source recently experienced on a flight to Europe.

RELATED: I Flew Business Class For The First Time During The Worst Moment In Aviation History 

As for the other awards, Air New Zealand, though dethroned from the number #1 spot it held in 2020, was another big winner, taking out number 2 position in the Top Twenty Airlines rankings as well as Best Airline in the Pacific, Best Premium Economy, and Best Economy awards.

Singapore Airlines took out the prestigious First Class award for its impressive Suites product.

Australia’s Qantas won Best Domestic Airline Service and the coveted Best Lounges.

Finally, Virgin Australia won Best Cabin Crew and Emirates was awarded Best Inflight Entertainment.

The full list of the top twenty airlines for 2021, as judged by AirlineRating, can be seen below.

Top Twenty Airlines 2021

1. Qatar Airways
2. Air New Zealand
3. Singapore Airlines
4. Qantas
5. Emirates
6. Cathay Pacific
7. Virgin Atlantic
8. United Airlines
9. EVA Air
10. British Airways
11. Lufthansa
12. ANA
13. Finnair
14. Japan Air Lines
15. KLM
16. Hawaiian Airlines
17. Alaska Airlines
18. Virgin Australia
19. Delta Air Lines
20. Etihad Airways.

See why Qatar Airways is the world’s best airline below

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The post Air New Zealand Dethroned As The World’s Best Airline appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

If Australia doesn’t want to be left behind by the rest of the world when it comes to boozing and cruising around the globe, our government needs to give us a plan for breaking the walls of our Hermit Kingdom.

Though we don’t want to unlatch the child locks while we’re still on the highway, travel experts are urging the Australian federal government to provide clearer milestones on what being ready to open up will actually look like, and provide a clearer plan about how we are going to get there.

The big factor that will influence how fast we open up is vaccination rates – both Australia’s and The World At Large’s.

What’s up for question is what being ready means. Does it mean 60% of Australians vaccinated? What about 90%? How does that need to change depending on where the rest of the world is at? At the time of writing Australia has no clear plan – let alone assurance – on this.

Though, to a degree, this is understandable, given these things are constantly subject to change, on the other hand it is surprising to have virtually no clear ‘reward targets’ at all.

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A post shared by Intrepid Travel (@intrepidtravel)

Speaking to DMARGE, Brett Mitchell, Managing Director of Melbourne-based adventure travel company – Intrepid Travel – which operates small group trips all around the world, compared Australia’s response to Singapore’s: “We are seeing many other countries implementing a clear roadmap on how to deal with the virus moving forward.”

“At Intrepid Travel we fully back the plan recently put in place by the Singapore government to begin treating this like other endemic diseases and are calling on the [Australian] federal government to show clear leadership by implementing a much more definitive plan than what we have at present.”

This lack of certainty is hurting both individuals and businesses, Mr Mitchell said.

“There is a lot more to travel grief than not knowing when Australians can get on an international flight again.”

“The failure by the Australian government to provide a clear roadmap has left so much uncertainty about even travelling interstate and this is taking a toll on both people and businesses.”

“Knowing that borders are able to close at any given time creates a lot of uncertainty – meaning businesses and local communities are being left hurt, jobs are being lost, and people are unable to see their family members and friends,” he added.

Mr Mitchell is not alone in urging Australian authorities to give us a plan. Chief Customer Officer at Luxury Escapes, Jason Shugg, told DMARGE: “When compared to the rest of the world, there’s no question that Australia has taken a much more restrictive approach to the pandemic with closed borders, lockdowns and strict hotel quarantine.”

“Unfortunately these measures, along with our very slow vaccine roll out have not set us up well for a speedy return to international travel, an issue that our government needs to urgently address.”

“We need to correct the disconnect between ongoing government policy on international tourism and consumer sentiment that there is a strong and growing desire to travel abroad again, particularly after they are vaccinated,” Mr Shugg added.

“This was a huge motivation for us behind launching the vaccine incentive. We want to see more Australians vaccinated and at a faster rate so we can get back to doing what we love, exploring the world. Not only that, but we want to welcome international travellers back to Australia to support our local tourism providers who have done it really tough since the outbreak of the pandemic.”

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“In our Travel Trends 2020 report released in December 2019, it was revealed that Australians took more than 6.3 million overseas holidays that year. While it’s unlikely this will happen all at once, we’d love to see that enthusiasm for overseas travel return as soon as possible.”

Intrepid Travel and Luxury Escapes, which have interests both here and abroad, are just two examples. Australia’s whole tourism industry is “pleading with the federal government for a ‘roadmap’ to reopening borders, fearing the nation may be ‘left behind’ as other countries throw open their doors for vaccinated travellers,” The New Daily reports.

“I know it’s politically successful to talk about shutting down borders, but this is not where we want to be at the end of this year,” Dean Long, CEO of the Accommodation Association, told The New Daily.

“At some point, it will be safe to reopen the border. We’re asking, ‘What does that look like?’ It’s a really crucial policy setting.”

As the crickets chirp on that question, the pandemic is changing the face of tour operators around the globe. At Intrepid Travel around 95 per cent of their product range was international before the pandemic and they ran trips in 130 countries. Now, the COVID-19 pandemic has meant as a business they’ve had to do a complete revamp of their business model, with a major focus on local travel.

“Now we have a large Australia and New Zealand offering,” Mr Mitchell told DMARGE, “allowing Australians to experience everything they love about our small group adventures, just closer to home.”

“This includes new walking and cycling adventures, as well as a focus on more First Nations experiences, to allow travellers to learn more about cultures, histories and languages in their own country.”

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However, unfortunately, due to a lack of unified approach by our state and federal governments, “snap lockdowns and border closures, even travelling in Australia isn’t easy at the moment,” Mr Mitchell told DMARGE.

“Not only is that frustrating to businesses but Australian travellers as well.”

“Currently we are seeing many countries implementing a plan to live with the virus,” Mr Mitchell also told DMARGE. “The UK is currently leading globally when it comes to vaccination rates with 52.2 per cent of the population fully vaccinated, while Australia is only at 12.1 per cent.”

“If the federal government doesn’t show leadership when it comes to the vaccine rollout, Australia is going to be left behind.”

He continued the overseas comparison: “We have offices in both the US and the UK and thanks to their high vaccination rates, industries, hospitality and travel businesses have been able to grow again and we are seeing some great sales come through as people get moving again.”

“We’re seeing particularly strong growth in the US with domestic travel, which shows that consumers are keen to get back on the road as soon as they’re vaccinated and feel confident doing so. Since March, our sales in the US are up 33 per cent with trips in places like Utah, Maine and Alaska proving really popular with vaccinated American travellers.”

“What we’re seeing in the US shows that there is definitely pent up demand for travel, but the lack of leadership here has really diminished Australia’s confidence when it comes to travel.”

“We hope that a clear roadmap will help give travellers more peace of mind when it comes to booking future trips. As all businesses, we hope to see borders opening up safely next year. However, we know that more Australians need to get vaccinated first and we also need to see more vaccines in other countries around the world, to ensure tourism can reopen safely in other communities, too.”

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“We encourage all Australians who are eligible to get vaccinated, and urge the Australian government to open up discussion for allowing freedom of movement for people who are fully vaccinated.”

Looking to the future, Mr Shugg told DMARGE as soon as the pandemic subsides, travel will bounce back hard, due to pent up demand for travel among Australians.

“While international travel may be some time away we are typically seeing far more holidays being booked by our Australian customers now than ever before (state-wide lockdown periods excluded) – while this is mostly short term domestic travel it does show the demand for getting out of the house is still strong.”

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“When it comes to pent up demand and international travel, we have over thirteen thousand international bookings for Australian customers without set check in dates and over 7000 bookings with selected travel dates – typically well into 2022 – essentially customers waiting to be able to travel on the holiday they have purchased.”

“The top destinations for these customers are Indonesia, Thailand, Fiji, Maldives and Singapore. We expect once international locations open up for Australian the demand will be huge.”

He also said vaccination rates will be key to achieving this.

“Vaccination will be essential. And once the majority of the population are vaccinated we need the strict measures the government have in place such as border closures and hotel quarantine removed. I think in the first instance we will see more travel bubbles open up between countries with low case numbers like we have seen with New Zealand.”

“It will take a bit of time, but I believe we will return to the level of international travel we saw pre-covid. Our data shows that Aussie’s are keen to get back into it as soon as possible.”

Here’s hoping.

Read Next

• Tourism Operators Preparing For Influx Of Australian Travellers In Post Covid-19 Boom
• One Big Lesson Australia Can Learn From America’s ‘Return To Travel’ Boom

The post 'You're Going To Be Left Behind': International Travel Operators' Warning To Australia appeared first on DMARGE Australia.