If business class is a gilded prison, first class is a jaw slackening jail. From networking opportunities with the rich and famous to getting a license to truly laze, there are numerous first class benefits business class travellers miss out on.But first class isn’t the pinnacle of the aviation experience. It isn’t now, nor – as an iconic Julio Iglesias photo (which recently re-surfaced online) shows – was it in 1986. Private jets are a cut above, allowing for more personalised service and the true luxury that is end to end privacy.

 

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There’s *cool* and then there’s *1986 Julio Iglesias washing down a KFC family bucket and Spanish omelette with a bottle of Château Lafite-Rothschild on his private jet wearing a vest cool*

A post shared by OC (@onlyclassy) on Jul 3, 2020 at 1:09pm PDT

The former Real Madrid football player (turned one of the best selling singer-songwriters of all time) Julio Iglesias can be seen readying himself for some Spanish Omelet and a KFC bucket (the dinner of champions) with a bottle of Château Lafite-Rothschild. The image was posted to Instagram over the weekend by Culture Curating IG account Only Classy.

Beyond being the height of 20th-century cuisine, the image demonstrates a few features that are currently lacking in today’s first class offerings onboard commercial airlines.Granted: there’s a reason your options are more limited when travelling on a commercial jet. But as the travel industry undergoes a luxury renaissance, and companies search for new ways to entice customers back in the air, we have a few suggestions, thanks to the Iglesias photo.First: introduce a few more guilty pleasures back on to the first class menu. It’s all very well eating chicken edamame salad and drinking the finest tipples, but it’s not ~indulgent~ without saturated fat.Second: kill the French omlette and replace it with tortilla de patatas. Potato filled Spanish Omlette not only tastes better but has no cheese to upset your stomach and a healthy dose of carbs, which scientists reckon helps you sleep better and avoid jetlag.

 

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A post shared by doyouvacay (@doyouvacay) on Dec 23, 2019 at 11:47am PST

Third: tone down the decor. Though Etihad’s The Residence, Emirates outlandish A380 First and Qatar’s smugly lit Pointy End sanctuaries make for optic-busting imagery, when it comes to enjoying your piece of paradise, we’d welcome a return to the more pastel greys and wooden walls a la Iglesias’ private jet.Finally, we’d like to see a bit more trust. First class may not be your private jet but it would be nice to be left with your bottle of wine, if you so desire, administering your boozy demise at your choosing. Instead, airlines are hiding expensive bar items from ‘naughty’ first-class passengers. While understandable in specific circumstances it doesn’t make for the best experience.Food for thought.

Read Next

• Hidden Benefits Of Flying First Class That Business Class Passengers Have No Idea About
• The Biggest Business Class Myth People Still Believe 

The post Julio Iglesias: Epic 1986 Photo Shows What’s Missing From First Class Travel In 2020 appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Admittedly, camping isn’t for everyone. But for those that love spending nights under the stars in the great outdoors, there’s nothing better. Of course, the whole experience is made even greater when you can cook up a decent feast, but many happy campers are restrained to using a portable gas bottle upon which to place a small saucepan.You’re never going to trouble Gordon Ramsay with such a setup, but Fire & Flavour has a portable grill that will allow you to show off the chef you truly are. Called the Hero Grill, this eco-friendly portable grill designed to be used outdoors comes with a bed of instantly-lighting charcoal.Once lit, simply wait 10 minutes and you’ll be cooking up more than just the standard rice and beans for your campmates in no time. And don’t worry about overcooking anything, as an included thermometer will let you know how hot your cooking skills are.The tray that holds the charcoal is completely compostable and the grill itself is reusable for hundreds of camping expeditions, and you’re even supplied with a spatula made from bamboo. And all this for just US$60?!Sustainably seared steaks? Sign us up.Buy The Fire & Flavour Hero Grill $60

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The post Fire & Flavour Hero Grill: This $60 Sustainably Made Portable Grill Will Change The Way You Camp & Cook Forever appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Patek Philippe, one of the oldest watchmakers in the world still operating today, has a reputation for making extraordinarily beautiful, complex – and expensive – timepieces.

Popular Patek lines like the Nautilus, Aquanaut and Calatrava start at 20,000 USD (29,000 AUD) for even entry-level models, and the sky’s the limit. Indeed, the manufacturer holds the record for most expensive watch sold at auction – the Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A-010 set the record last year, selling for a whopping 31 million USD (44 million AUD).

For perspective, you could buy 2,000 Rolex Submariners for that amount of money and still have change left over to buy a McLaren P1.

If those figures make your eyes water, hold on to your hat, because another Patek Philippe has just been listed on respected watch marketplace Chrono24 for a truly mind-boggling 50 million USD (72 million AUD).

This Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime 5175R-001 is one of only seven, and one of the most insane watches Patek Philippe has ever made.

Released in 2014 for the brand’s 175th anniversary, the 5175R-001 has two dials, twenty complications, a swiveling case, and four different chiming mechanisms – making it the most complicated chiming wristwatch ever created.

The huge, ornate watch is truly special and more like a museum piece than a watch you’d seriously consider wearing. When sold new in 2014 their price was set at 2.5 million CHF (2.7 million USD / 3.8 million AUD) but that figure doesn’t reflect their real value or desirability: anything that unique and that limited was always going to skyrocket in price.

Listed by a seller in Shanghai, it’s unlikely we’ll see something this expensive or this rare up for sale again any time soon. Seeing as the current record holder is another Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime there’s certainly a precedent for these watches to go for big bucks.

Granted, the record-holder – a one-off stainless steel model with a more modern design than the gold, baroque model on Chrono24 – was sold as part of Only Watch, a charity event where watchmakers create special limited pieces that are then auctioned off in support of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Maybe the 50 million asking price is a tad optimistic, then.

We’re still grappling with the mental image of a McLaren with a frunk filled with Rolexes…

Read Next

• Daniel Riccardo Rocks $300000 ‘Baller’ Patek On US Talk Show
• Patek Philippe, Rolex & Tudor Announce 2020 Model Delays

The post $72 Million Patek Philippe Goes On Sale On Chrono24 appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Clowning Joe Hart. Teasing journalists. Sending defenders to go get hotdogs. Calling himself god. When it comes to football Zlatan Ibrahimovic talks a big game.Generally speaking, he backs it up.Physically, however, his rig has always been overshadowed by the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, much like his sense of style takes a back seat to David Beckham (to be fair, so does everyone’s).In terms of physique, however, the tables may have turned: Zlatan just posted a picture of his 38-year-old rig that not only rivals 35-year-old CR7 but also puts most 20-year-olds to shame.

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A post shared by Zlatan Ibrahimović (@iamzlatanibrahimovic) on Jun 29, 2020 at 11:22am PDT

The post, captioned, “man’s not hot,” (a reference to the viral music video) was met with adulation and praise, from “Zlatan the god” to “bravo” to “come to Galatasaray.”There were a few snide comments too (“bra you are an old man and you are also poor”) but generally, everyone was impressed at the almost-forty-year-olds insane physique.Though he doesn’t post training shots very often, Zlatan also recently gave us a (very short) glimpse at his training routine.

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A post shared by Zlatan Ibrahimović (@iamzlatanibrahimovic) on May 4, 2020 at 6:51am PDT

Zlatan over the weekend returned from a calf injury and scored a penalty in AC Milan’s 3-0 victory against Lazio.Although the training appears to be paying off, many would argue the 38-year-old has little choice but to worship the gym and his body. After an ACL injury ended his time at Manchester United in 2017, the Swedish superstar flitted across the pond in a successful stint to LA Galaxy and then more recently moved to AC Milan.

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God and his students

A post shared by Zlatan Ibrahimović (@iamzlatanibrahimovic) on Jun 26, 2020 at 11:05am PDT

Rumour has it though that his AC Milan contract may not be extended at the end of this year, with Football Italia reporting that he’s set to leave at the end of the season to join Swedish outfit Hammarby.As Sport Bible reports, “Ibrahimovic re-joined Milan back in January and has scored four goals in 11 games since his San Siro comeback.”“However… the Swede’s contract is up at the end of this season and it’s unlikely he’ll be offered a new deal,” Sport Bible reports.

“His deal is expected to expire on August 31 with a move to Hammarby looking likely.”

Whichever club Zlatan’s at next year, comments from ex team mates (and the above Instagram pics) suggest he’ll continue to be both a physical and mental inspiration – and continue to prove the studies that show age is (to a great extent) just a number correct.

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The post Zlatan Ibrahimovic Workout: Footballer’s Outrageous Body Proves Age Is Just A Number appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

When you think of the world’s best national cuisines, there are a few countries that come to mind immediately as contenders. Italy, Vietnam, Spain, China, France, Japan, Mexico… Versatile, complex national cuisines that combine technique and ingredients in novel ways to produce something magical.And then you have Irish cuisine: potato, whiskey and soda bread.Suffice to say, Ireland is not home to one of the world’s premier cuisines. But it is home to one of the world’s most notorious mixed martial artists. And he’s just revealed one of the secrets behind his world-class physique: indulging in the best and tastiest of Irish food.Of course, we’re talking about Conor McGregor. The 31-year-old UFC champ shared a snap of a truly bang-up Irish breakfast on his Instagram last weekend, as he’s done a few times in the past – replete with bacon, sausage, blood pudding, scrambled eggs, baked beans, toast, juice and of course, tea.

 

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Had a lovely breakfast today. Classically simple, thought I’d share. Happy Sunday everyone @theblackforgeinn

A post shared by Conor McGregor Official (@thenotoriousmma) on Jul 5, 2020 at 3:45pm PDT

Just looking at this feed is enough to make even the most committed vegan reconsider their life choices. Looking at this veritable mountain of mouth-watering protein and fat, you’d be forgiven for thinking McGregor really has retired, if he’s treating himself to a brekky like this.But that’s where you’d be wrong. McGregor has flip-flopped on retirement a number of times – this meal’s just a fake-out. Even more than that, a good Sunday breakfast with all the fixings like this could be his secret to staying ripped and ready to fight (don’t believe us? Check out The Rock’s diet – it’s not just McGregor that’s on this bandwagon).Sam Wood is an Australian fitness coach and nutritionist who’s made a career out of providing sensible, no-bullshit health advice. One particularly valuable nugget of wisdom Wood’s shared is how we should readjust our conception of dieting and the idea of ‘cheat meals’.Wood’s mantra? “Treat, don’t cheat.”His point is that there’s nothing wrong with the occasional treat as a snack, or an unhealthy meal. We’re all human, and if we rigidly ascribe to a strict diet and don’t give ourselves the flexibility to enjoy ourselves, it’s easy to get demotivated.

 

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A post shared by Sam Wood (@samjameswood) on May 31, 2020 at 5:23pm PDT

“I’m not ‘cheating’ on my normal eating regime, I’m just enjoying a treat,” Woods relates.“Referring to these indulgences as treats reminds me that there’s nothing wrong with listening to my body and satisfying that craving every now and then. This allows me to enjoy a guilt-free pleasure and it helps me maintain a healthy relationship with food which is paramount for long term success… and sanity!”McGregor’s able to stay so fit because he gives himself the flexibility to enjoy a cheeky Irish breakfast every now or then. Or blood pudding gives you superpowers. It’s one of the two, for sure.

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• Conor McGregor Debuts $200,000 Rolex With Reckless Disregard For Watch Insurance
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The post Conor McGregor Nutrition: Reveals Dirty Secret Every Man Should Exploit appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

You’ve more chances of dating an influencer than jetting off internationally right now.The only way to escape Australia is via seeking an exemption to bounce on “essential and unavoidable” personal business, to seek medical treatment, or to leave due to “humanitarian” or “compassionate” grounds.In other words: sipping mojitos while listening to house music in an infinity pool is not a human right.

 

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A post shared by MRS SIPPY BALI • POOL CLUB (@mrssippybali) on May 25, 2020 at 7:00pm PDT

However: if you were to fake a family emergency and jump on a Qatar Airways flight out of here (it’s barely crossed our minds, honest) and get to Qatar, as of Wednesday the 3rd of July, from Doha, you can fly to Bali (and 40 other destinations).As The Bali Sun reports, “Qatar Airways resumed daily flights to Bali from Doha [last] Wednesday.”“The daily flights depart from Doha’s Hamad International Airport (HIA) at 12:45 a.m. and arrive at Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar at 3:45 p.m. Meanwhile its QR961 flight will take off from Bali at 10 p.m. and land in Doha at 2:35 a.m. the day after.”Qatar Airways has also announced the flights will be on a Boeing 787-8 with space for 22 business class and 232 economy class passengers.The Doha-based carrier has also revealed plans to increase flights to Jakarta from Doha with 11-weekly services starting on July 7th.“Qatar Airways has shown to be a responsible and reliable airline during this COVID-19 pandemic and we are delighted to resume services to Bali, one of the most visited tourist destinations, along with an increased flight frequency to Jakarta. We would very much like to support the recovery of tourism in Indonesia and look forward to the return of international leisure travel,” said Qatar Airways VP for Southeast Asia Jared Lee.

 

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A post shared by | Trᥲvᥱᥣ ⇢ (@_cocolilie) on Jul 5, 2020 at 9:45am PDT

As DMARGE reported in May, Qatar Airways is taking its role as one of the only carriers to continue significant operations throughout this time seriously. Qatar Airways has introduced full body personal protective equipment (PPE) for its cabin crew, which includes gloves, face masks, safety glasses and protective gowns fitted over their uniforms (in a move reminiscent of Naomie Campbell).It is also providing complimentary protective kits for all passengers (think: face mask, gloves and hand sanitizer) as well as distributing disposable face shields for adults and children at the check-in counters at Hamad International Airport or at the boarding gates in other destinations.All that said, before you get your togs out  (or before you joing a charity and find a “humanitarian” reason to leave the country), The Bali Sun reports that “although flights have resumed, Bali has not made any announcements on when tourists will be able to visit the island again.”

“Visa on arrivals were suspended by the Indonesian government when it banned all tourism do to the pandemic.”

This clashes somewhat spectacularly with previous announcements, which suggested Indonesian officials were all hands on deck making plans to entice tourists back to the island.

 

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A post shared by The Bali Bible #thebalibible (@thebalibible) on May 28, 2019 at 4:13pm PDT

Here’s hoping the situation for Bali – and the world over – takes a turn for the better soon. That cocktail awaits.

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The post New Flight Route Offers Travellers 'Cheeky' New Way To Get To Bali appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

There are lots of milestones boys need to master to become men. Tying a tie, shaving, backing in a trailer and being able to cook a steak properly are all bullet points on quite a long list.One of the most important is learning how to properly shake hands. A man’s worth often lives and dies on the strength of his handshake: it’s inarguably one of the most important social niceties and business courtesies to master.Strength, grip, arm movement, linger time, eye contact, right vs left handed handshakes, posture, timing… You don’t want to be known as being too soft (or rudely hard).Because the handshake is such a part of day-to-day life, especially for men, it’s been a real challenge adjusting to the new restrictions and courtesies that are now necessary thanks to The Bat Kiss.How often in the last few months have you gone to hug someone or shake hands and realised you can’t do that any more? Do you do that awkward elbow tap thing? What if someone offers you their hand first: do you refuse it and make a big deal out of it, or do you just bite the bullet and shake hands like normal?This dilemma is playing out every day in all sorts of workplaces – even on the race track, as a Formula 1 photo taken yesterday reveals.

This painful interaction, captured during the Austrian Grand Prix last night between driver Charles Leclerc and his Ferrari pit crew, is awkward for three reasons.Firstly, one’s gone for the fistbump and the other’s gone for the handshake / high-five.Secondly, Leclerc’s going in with the left hand and old mate’s going in with the right.Lastly, they’ve both hesitated, realising they can’t really do any of the above options because of social distancing.Of course: awkward handshakes are by no means a new phenomenon: just check out the double thumbs up into failed handshake into fist-bump attempt into coordinated nose wipe of this pair of pro gamers at a tournament in 2015.

While Leclerc’s moment is nowhere near as bad as the pro gamers’ sorry attempt at a handshake, it is evidence that the trend, given the new ‘social distancing’ demands, has spread to the point where it is affecting even the most – typically – socially adept individuals.Leclerc can be forgiven for wanting to celebrate, the 22-year-old Monégasque having cinched 2nd place at the 2020 season opener with some spectacular driving. F1’s been particularly stringent about social distancing – it’s easier to stick to than most sports because competitors aren’t physically contacting each other (although you do see a bit of contact between cars). It’s been a challenge off the track, however.Leclerc’s fellow Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel was given a warning after he was seen hobnobbing with his former team boss Christian Horner as well as Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko in the Red Bull Ring paddock after the race. Teams were told prior to the Austrian Grand Prix that there must be no interaction between the teams while face masks are to be worn at all times – Vettel not only lowered his face mask for the conversation but he was also in the Red Bull ‘bubble’, in which none of the Red Bull crew were wearing masks, news24.com reports.We can understand Vettel wanting to talk shop like usual – social distancing’s a b*tch.It’s not just sportspeople either: “I’ve accepted that 2020 will be the year of the awkward handshake,” DMARGE founder and publisher Luc Wiesman commiserates.“Face to face client meetings are undoubtedly the worst. We stand there with hands by our sides like we’re waiting to meet the Queen.”Fingers crossed things get back to normal soon, so we’re saved from more awkward interactions like these.

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• Lockdown Etiquette You Need To Adopt, According To A Couple’s Counsellor

The post Awkward Handshake: Formula One Photo Captures Problem Every Man Must Endure In 2020 appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

If you like to deal with ~life problems~ by launching yourself across the globe, 2020 will have been a rude imprisoning.

But as Australian travel restrictions (Victoria pending) continue to ease, Aussie airlines are launching initiative after initiative to entice travellers back into the air.

Experts have predicted competitive prices domestically for the foreseeable future, followed by a recouping of costs (and debts) which will see ticket prices inflate once ‘travel as normal’ conditions resume, around two years from now.

In other words: while no one (or few people) want to fly, prices will be cheap.

For now though, we’re in an era of ‘cushioning,’ so to speak, for travellers. The latest siren call of which is Qantas’ collaboration with Afterpay, which the Australian flagship carrier announced this morning.

Australia’s Qantas signs frequent flyer deal with pay-later platform Afterpay https://t.co/HhNBUPUCUb pic.twitter.com/zoNG7BGXJi

— Reuters (@Reuters) July 6, 2020

“Qantas Frequent Flyer and Afterpay will launch an exclusive new partnership allowing Qantas Frequent Flyers to earn Qantas Points with the Buy Now Pay Later platform,” Qantas announced.

“Launching later this week, Qantas Frequent Flyers can earn up to 5,000 Qantas Points when they link their membership number to their Afterpay account.”

“Accounting for over 15 per cent of all online retail in Australia, Afterpay has transformed the way people make purchases by allowing shoppers to receive products immediately and pay in four fortnightly instalments, with no additional cost to them” (Qantas).

Qantas Loyalty CEO Olivia Wirth said earning points with Afterpay would be a huge advantage to the program’s large portion of ‘frequent buyers’, who make the most of their points earn on everyday spend.

“Financial services is one of the most popular ways to earn points in the program, it’s the quickest and easiest way to build your points balance,” Ms Wirth said.

“With our 13 million members all having different spending habits and financial preferences, it’s great to be able to offer more options and more rewards.”

Anthony Eisen, CEO and Co-founder of Afterpay said partnering with Qantas’ loyalty program (one of Australia’s largest and most recognized) would provide significant upside for Afterpay customers.

“We are always looking for ways to add value for our customers and this partnership between two iconic Australian brands is a great way to reward them for shopping with Afterpay,” he said.

“Now our customers can earn Qantas Points on their purchases at no additional cost, just by using Afterpay as they normally would.”

If this scheme sounds tastier to you than a cheap flight to Orange (also now an option), here’s the official down low on how it works, courtesy of Qantas.

How Australian customers can earn Qantas Points with Afterpay:

New to Afterpay: Earn 500 Qantas Points for joining and adding your Qantas Frequent Flyer membership number to your Afterpay account and earn 1 Qantas Point per $1 spent, up to a total of 5,000 Qantas Points.

Already shopped with Afterpay: Link your Qantas Frequent Flyer membership number to your Afterpay account. Once you’ve spent $1,000 you’ll earn 1 Qantas Point per $1 spent, up to a total of 5,000 Qantas Points. The offer to existing Afterpay customers is limited to the first 50,000 members who link their membership number to their Afterpay account.

Qantas also explained, “Afterpay is free for customers who pay on time, helping consumers budget for what they need in a responsible way, without incurring interest, fees or revolving in extended debt.”

“Afterpay is offered by over 48,000 of the world’s best retailers and has more than 8 million active customers globally. The service is currently available in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and the United Kingdom where it is called Clearpay.”

Read Next

• Qantas Gets A Grip On Business Class Grots With Strict New Lounge Policy
• How My First Ever Business Class Trip Forever Ruined Travel For Me

The post Qantas Afterpay: Latest Initiative Poised To Make Flying Business Class Easier appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

2020’s half over and it’s been a pretty miserable six months. Half the country is in cinders, you can’t meet with people without leaving room for Jesus, we’re all losing our jobs and we’ve descended into an even more absurd phase of cultural dissonance.

At least we’re not in America, which seems to be falling apart at the seams. Wake us up once the civil war’s over and Kanye emerges as President, please and thank you.

The US descending into apocalypse hasn’t stopped some particularly incorrigible ‘Muricans from trying to export their madness over here, as an online betting site has developed what might be the most perverse pandemic parlour game yet.

American sportsbook MyBookie has launched a ‘Divorce Calculator’ that allows you to generate odds on the likelihood that a marriage will end in divorce. Basically, it’s a questionnaire that can be filled out by either partner of a married couple, or someone familiar with the couple. Then, friends, family, and complete strangers can place wagers on the sanctity of said marriage.

“Amidst the COVID-19 lockdown, sports betting enthusiasts are experiencing interesting times to say the least,” says David Strauss, MyBookie’s head oddsmaker.

“There are still very few sporting events, so people are itching for things on which to bet. Now that peoples’ relationships are being tested like never before – being locked in with significant others with no distractions – we predict divorce rates will reach a new all-time high. While we’re not rooting for an increase in divorces, we thought marriage would make for an interesting institution to wager on.”

Look, we get it, we’ve been missing the NBA too, but this is just more evidence of the moral decay and decline of the West; another nail in the coffin of normal human decency. Letting your mates or family bet on your relationship falling apart thanks to lockdown? We’re truly doomed.

That said, the chance to make a little bit of scratch during these Unprecedented Times is pretty tempting… Hey mum and dad, you still sleeping together or nah?

Read Next

• How Men Can Move On After Divorce, According To Samantha X
• The World’s Best Casinos (That Aren’t In Las Vegas Or Macau)

The post American Betting Company Lets You Profit From Your Friends' Misery appeared first on DMARGE Australia.