Berlin is easily one of the coolest cities on the planet right now. 28 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the city’s troubled past is fading into history. Checkpoint Charlie has rebuilt and redefined itself as an international hub of culture, creativity, and experimentation.

Germany's cap...

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The world of vintage watches can often be a murky one to navigate for newcomers. Big ticket names, big ticket prices and now with the added influx of fake vintage watches sneaking into big auction houses, it’s little wonder that getting into the game is scarier than one could ever imagine.

Luckily for this particular vintage watch investment guide, we have David Seyffer of IWC Schaffhausen on board to help you identify the best IWC timepieces to invest in right now. The best thing is that you don’t even have to be a millionaire to get started. The budget range we’ve specified to Seyffer, who is IWC’s museum curator, sits roughly between the region of AU$5,000 – AU$50,000. It’s prime hunting ground here so pay attention and you could have a future goldmine wrapped around your wrist.

What You Need To Know About Vintage IWC Watches

IWC watches are like Porsches, according to Seyffer, who says that vintage IWC watches should be enjoyed, not hidden away in a vault.

“Even if you have an old one you can still wear them and service them with IWC today.”

“We still have spare parts and we have a good team at Schaffhausen after sales service. You can get nice ones at reasonable prices so people shouldn’t be afraid to wear them in their daily life.”

The beauty behind collecting or investing in vintage IWC watches is that there’s so many variations and designs to choose from across the last five decades alone. This plays into the reason why older IWC timepieces are becoming popular to collect amongst today’s watch fans of varying ages and personal preferences. Seyffer simply describes this renewed interest as: “You like the watch, you like the story behind it, you keep up with this watch.”

“The extensive options may also lead you to wanting more than one and then you’ll start collecting,” he adds.

Where To Buy Vintage IWC Watches

The million dollar question in the vintage watch market isn’t whether you have a million dollars, but where the best place is to spend it to acquire an authentic piece. Seyffer admits this is a tricky question.

“There are a lot of chances to get a vintage IWC watch and it doesn’t matter where you buy it so much, but I will recommend you ask the seller to have the watch certificated at IWC.”

This can be a a tedious process as the watch needs to be sent back to IWC Schaffhausen where it is meticulously checked and held for anywhere between a week to a month to ensure its authenticity. Once this process is complete the buyer can rest assured that their investment is the real deal. When it comes to finding a seller, Seyffer recommends going for names with big reputations or auction houses with a good track record. It’s sometimes about who you know as well. Private collectors can be a great source of vintage IWC timepieces, especially those famous in Florence says Seyffer.

How Safe Are Auction Houses

Recently we wrote about the dangers of buying vintage watches  as explained by Eric Wind – a man who has done work for Hodinkee as well as being the ex-Senior Specialist of Watches at auction house Christie’s. Here’s a quick rundown of a few of the advice points he had.

• Unbeknownst to the public, many of the vintage watches out there being sold aren’t in their original condition but are sold at exorbitant price tags which spruik this
• Even major auction houses like Christie’s (Wind’s former employer) have been known to re-touch photos so that watches appear more than what they are
• Do not trust photos – Wind says you have to see and hold the watch
• There are lots of forensics involved in vintage watch buying (UV lights, etc)
• Re-conditioned watches can lose around 75% of its original value ($350,000 vs. $50,000)
• These reconditioned watches extend across many major brands

With that said, Seyffer believes that most of them are safe as it’s on their own reputation as well as the auction house’s to provide the real deal.

“We try to support auction houses best we can. There was a famous IWC watch auctioned recently in NY by Phillips. In the beginning we checked the archives for them because we do not want a famous auction house selling a fake or ‘frankenstein’ watch. This would be devastating for us and the auction house so this is why I say we support auction houses.”

In other words, do your own research as well and don’t just rely on photos to make a decision.

IWC Families You Should Invest In Today

Now for the juicy stuff. Seyffer lists six categories that vintage watch investors should be looking at under the IWC banner. And some may surprise you.

IWC Mechanical Pocket Watches

It’s not one of the first IWC investment pieces one would think of but Seyffer believes there’s heaps of potential down the line if you don’t mind going strapless.

“The market for pocket watches has completely come down. Theres no market anymore which is a pity because you get some really nice highly finished pocket watch movements from the past,” he says.

“From a quality perspective they are perfectly well made; if you take care of them and bring them to service, they’ll keep running.”

Seyffer adds that the value proposition in IWC pocket watches is their traditional watchmaking methods. A good place to start is with the Calibre 52 or 53. Those who want something even more sophisticated can look for a finger bridge movement in a calibre 33 or 35 pocket watch. Another pocket watch to try is the famous first Portofino watch Reference 5252 with less than 200 made. These rarely pop up on the market and retail in the region of AU$20,000.

IWC Vintage Wristwatches

Price Range: AU$3,000 – AU$7,000

Reliable IWC vintage watches to invest in hail from the 50s and 60s according to Seyffer. You can usually pick one up between the price of 2,000 – 5,000 Swiss Francs (AU$3,000 – AU$7,000). Besides the robust quality, the most important thing is that IWC still service these older movements. These movements can be found in watches like the IWC Navigator for the Royal Airforce. Seyffer recommends starting here as the watch can be worn daily alongside its huge investment potential. IWC can even date it for you so that future owners will know it’s a special piece.

Beyond that particular piece, Seyffer says look for vintage IWC pieces with unique dials. The “cool story” behind its design is usually what makes a vintage IWC piece valuable down the line.

Price Range: Circa – AU$10,000

For Australian collectors looking to invest a bit more, an authentic International Watch Company/Jaeger-LeCoultre Mark XI for the Royal Australian Airforce is one of the coolest buys.

“They are not easy to get and you have to beware of fakes,” warns Seyffer. He tells us that there are a lot of Mark XI pieces being sold as authentic Royal Australian Airforce variants so you must be vigilant if you’re going to hunt this one down. In the past some private sellers have used bogus stories of their grandfather flying in the Royal Australian Airforce to try to flip these models.

According to watchcollector who sold one of these pieces in the past for AU$12,000, only 1,020 versions of the RAAF Mark XI exist in the world with not many in circulation.

Price Range: AU$14,000

Another all-time classic Seyffer notes is the IWC Ingenieur – in particular, Reference 866.

“Look for ones in stainless steel or 18K gold or some with 14K gold with a stainless steel bottom,” says Seyffer. “The 866 was launched 1976 and it has a very beautiful dial and not many were made. They are rare and you’ll have to invest $8,000 to $10,000 Swiss Francs to find one.”

The next IWC Ingenieur model to keep your eyes on is the famous Gerald Genta designs. Only 700 – 800 were produced during the 70s and they are really hard to get. If you manage to locate Reference 180032 then get ready to sign that check book.

Price Range: AU$30,000 plus

IWC’s Aquatimers from the late 1960s and 1970s are on another level. Seyffer believes these are high appreciating timepieces which can command up to $60,000 – $70,000 (and sometimes cheaper at auction houses). So if you’re game enough to drop that kind of money that’s beyond our specified budget then this is the one.

Price Range: AU$60,000

Big wallets demand Big Pilots and Seyffer definitely points to the original one as an investment piece. Prices can range between $30,000 – $60,000 but there’s a downside – it’s not wearable due to its 55mm diameter case.

“I wouldn’t wear it incase it cracks or gets a mark. For that price it’s not good to wear even if it’s a good investment.”

“If you go for Big Pilots go for wearable models,” he adds.

IWC Future Classics To Invest In

For those playing the long game, Seyffer recommends looking at the IWC watches from the 1980s which is technically approaching the 40 year mark (feeling old yet?).

The Porsche Design IWC is one good example as it features a unique and striking design amongst the family. The same goes for its successor, the IWC GST. Another under the radar piece is the IWC Da Vincis from the 1980s which currently sit around the $10,000 mark. Seyffer says there’s a lot of value in them and that’s why people are holding on to them.

Read Next

• Step Inside IWC’s State Of The Art ‘Manufakturzentrum’ Workshop

The post IWC Watches That Will Appreciate In Value, According To A Vintage Watch Expert appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Whether you are single and ready to swipe mingle or are in the midst of a long term relationship, knowing how to attract women (or your better half) with your social media presence remains a crucial skill.

After all: no matter how good an impression you make on your first date, if Tinder bae’s friends alert her to the fact that your ex appears in every second one of your posts (or if they find the only thing you care about in life is “getting on the piss”) then you’re going to have a hard time securing a second rendez vous.

Likewise, even if your “real life” rapport with your partner is stronger than The Rock’s triceps, if you have a dodgy social media game, her viciously protective grandmother and besties might start setting her up on blind dates with “the nice man” they met in the supermarket.

Suffice to say, in this day and age, cultivating a strong social media presence is almost as important as knowing how to pass the handbag test. But how does one do it? With the help of science, of course.

More specifically: a new study, conducted by the University of Carnegie Mellon, which found that even though sharing information online normally does more harm to your relationship than good, if you consistently include your partner in said posts, the negative effect is reversed.

“If you’re in a relationship and like to share details about your life on social media, do yourself a favour and include your partner. It will probably help your personal life,” (Science Daily).

As reported by Science Daily, “They (the scientists from Carnegie Mellon) compared how posting personal information online affected intimacy and satisfaction in online and offline contexts, romantic relationships and friendships, and when the partner posted about themselves versus the relationship as a whole.”

They found that when one member of a couple shared lots of personal information with their friends on social media, it negatively impacted their partner’s “feelings of intimacy” in the relationship. In other words: if you share every detail of your life on Facebook, your partner will feel left out (or embarrassed on your behalf).

On the other hand, the study also found that if you include your significant other in these posts, “Perhaps as confirming a relationship status online or posting a photo together,” suggests Omri Gillath, co-author of the study, they found that it, “Counters the negative effects of online disclosure, increasing the feelings of intimacy and satisfaction… (which) validates the relationship.”

So there you have it: if you are in a relationship, either don’t post incessantly, or include your partner in your posts. As for those that are not in a relationship, but still keen to be seen as attractive, here’s what you need to do.

Rule number one: be good looking (or maximise how good you look, by being selective about the photos you post), but don’t—and this is important—don’t show it off. Women like good looks, but they find it hard to take a “selfie-a-day” man seriously.

Rule number two: if you’re looking for a long term relationship, don’t stress over your aesthetic features: study after study has confirmed that while women choose ‘hotter’ guys for flings, they fall for other qualities in life partners.

Rule number three: showcase your sense of humour: whether it’s a well timed quip on your mate’s new display photo or a hilarious Instagram bio, this is far more attractive than arguing with flat earthers and anti-vaxxers into the early hours of the morning. Even though this scarcely needs proving, here’s a study that shows how helpful a good sense of humour is in attracting a partner.

Read Next

• Social Media Flirting Rules You’re Probably Getting Wrong 
• Are You Someone Who Flaunts Their Relationship On Social Media? Here’s What The Experts Think About You 

The post What Women Find Irresistible On Your Social Media, According To Mr. Science appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Is it a leisure suit? Is it a sports blazer combo? Or is it about being a camo cool cat? We’re not sure ourselves so it’s best we tick all of the above.

Newly hitched Nick Jonas was spotted overnight in Los Angeles rocking what could only be described as a genre clashing suit that comprised of a 70s aesthetic paired with camo and leisurely vibes. The suit itself features a light grey windowpane check but cast your eyes lower and you’ll notice and oversized teal stripe which flows onto crispy white sneakers. Odd? There’s more. Jonas ditched the traditional collared shirt for a camo zip jacket which really took the look to another level. Usually if a suit is to be worn casually with a winter undergarment, it’ll be a hoodie, sweatshirt or with layers. Somehow Jonas’ choice still worked despite its eclectic appearance.

In the past Nick Jonas has done a little experimenting with his colour-matching and urban athleisure style. This looks is probably his most adventurous yet. The question is, would you rock it too?

Here’s Jonas last year with his brother. The wardrobe was a bit more low-key back then and it looks like Nick is now a bit more open to experimenting with different styles.

The same goes for his sweater game. Matching red sneakers is as far as this Jonas brother ventured just 12 months ago.

Read Next

• Calvin Harris Is Wearing The Winter Suit’s Greatest Secret Weapon
• David Beckham Spotted Wearing ‘The People’s Rolex’

The post Nick Jonas Is Wearing One Of The Most Confusing Suits Of The Year…& It Oddly Works appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Forget ‘anti inflammatory’ diets; 2019 could be the year of another type of AI: artificial intelligence. And according to experts like Dr Eric Topol, cardiologist and New York Times Op Ed writer, the two are not necessarily mutually exclusive (although there were some surprising findings regarding stereotypically ‘healthy’ vs. ‘unhealthy’ foods). But more on that later. First: what exactly is an artificial intelligence diet?

The general explanation is this: a diet which involves inputing as much of your data as possible into a mobile application, religiously recording what you eat, taking tests to see how your body reacts on a molecular level and working out exactly what foods suit you—rather than going off a ‘universal’ (however well intentioned) diet like Keto or Whole30.

As Dr Topol explained in a recent piece for The New York Times, it looks a little something like this: “I… (used) a smartphone app to track every morsel of food I ate, every beverage I drank and every medication I took, as well as how much I slept and exercised. I wore a sensor that monitored my blood-glucose levels, and I sent in a sample of my stool for an assessment of my gut microbiome. All of my data, amassed with similar input from more than a thousand other people, was analysed by artificial intelligence to create a personalised diet algorithm.”

“The point was to find out what kind of food I should be eating to live a longer and healthier life.”

Why is this necessary? Well, as Dr Topol discovered, just because something is generally healthy (or unhealthy), that doesn’t necessarily mean it is beneficial (or bad) for you. For example, for him, personally, “Cheesecake was given an A grade, but whole-wheat fig bars were a C -. In fruits: Strawberries were an A+ for me, but grapefruit a C. In legumes: Mixed nuts were an A+, but veggie burgers a C.”

“Needless to say, it didn’t match what I thought I knew about healthy eating.”

This is because, despite decades of research, we are still floundering in the shallows when it comes to the science of nutrition. And while we have developed some basic guidelines (which are better than nothing), the more we study this topic the more we are aware of our ignorance.

In other words: next time your overly scrupulous mate tells you to lay off the donuts, science (might) have your back in telling them to mind their own…

This is because high-quality trials require people to adhere to a diet for years, and are thus extremely hard to come by. So much so that even the gold standard of randomised trials, which found that the “Mediterranean diet” lowered the risk for heart attacks and strokes, as Dr Topol puts it, “Had to be retracted and republished with softened conclusions.”

Worse still, “Most other studies are observational, relying on food diaries or the shaky memories of participants,” (NYT). In light of this, Dr Topol argues, most studies can only prove association, not anything about cause and effect. Which explains why you often hear one headline one week, and the opposite the next. Not to mention the problem is exacerbated by the food industries’ skewed funding of what one might call ‘convenient’ research.

So what can we do about it? Well although it is an emerging technology which will surely have a few wrinkles to iron out, artificial intelligence—though time consuming—could be a worthwhile investment for you if you want to learn what best to fuel your body with.

Interest piqued? Check out companies like EverlyWell and Day Two, which build on the precedent set by legacy nutrition applications like Noom, but which take physiological readings into their calculations as well (as opposed to just cold data points, which applications like Noom exclusively rely on).

That said: a word of warning. As of now, this technology is as green as a first day university student. So it may be wise to wait until it becomes more widely tested (and available), because—as Dr Topol points out in his NYT article—although a number of companies boast of of their ‘nutrigenomics’ advances, despite their ostensibly all inclusive approach, they don’t get everything right.

“For a fee, they’ll sample your saliva and provide a rudimentary panel of some of the letters of your genome, but they don’t have the data to back their theory up.”

To illustrate the point, he explains how—despite the company’s best intentions—when he tested the ‘artificial intelligence diet’, he ended up with a big problem: “I’ve had two bouts of kidney stones. To avoid a third, I need to stay away from foods high in oxalate, a naturally occurring molecule abundant in plants. But if you look at the recommendations for my personalised diet, many — like nuts and strawberries — are high in oxalate.”

“That’s a big miscue, because my pre-existing medical conditions were not one of the test’s inputs. And as we undergo significant changes through our lives, like pregnancy or aging, we’ll need re-assessments of what our optimal diet should be.”

In light of this he concludes that, “Coming up with a truly personalised diet would require crunching billions of pieces of data about each person,” which would require developing an artificial intelligence smarter than anything currently on the market.

“In addition to analysing the 40 trillion bacteria from about 1,000 species that reside in our guts, as the project I participated in did, it would need to take into account all of the aspects of that person’s health, including lifestyle, family history, medical conditions, immune system, anatomy, physiology, medications and environment.”

The takeaway? Although the rudimental tenants of an AI diet can still (carefully) be put to some use right now, don’t get too excited until the technology is refined.

Read Next

• Carb Backloading Is A New Diet That Could Help You Lose Weight While Still Indulging 
• Lebron James’ Ketogenic Diet Could Be Your Ticket To Becoming A Shredded Beast… But At What Cost?

The post Artificial Intelligence Diet Could Be Your Ticket To Shredding appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

In the world of looking your damn finest, it's no surprise that things can get lost in translation. We'll be the first to admit that we were never an open Wikipedia page when it came to the most common and confusing men's fashion terminology. Luckily as a man, your primal instinct is to grow and wit...

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It sits more than thirty centimetres from the ground. It has a two tonne towing capacity, five seats, enough boot space for an unhealthy IKEA haul (or skis if you fold down the rear seats) and yet, Porsche still calls it the “sports car in its segment”. Are they dreaming? Apparently not. We got behind the wheel of the 2019 Porsche Macan S to discover that an SUV can actually be fun…maybe a little too much fun.

Quick Facts

Cost: AU$97,500
Transmission: Seven-speed PDK twin clutch automatic
0-100kmh: 5.1 seconds
Engine: 3.0-litre V6 turbo producing 260kW and 480Nm
Fuel consumption: 8.9L/100km

1. The latest Porsche Macan S is a proper Porsche, both in design and driving dynamics

From the outside you’d barely notice the 2019 Macan’s facelift. Look closer though and the freshly understated sports car details will start to reveal themselves, both on the surface and under the skin.

2. The beauty of it lies in experiencing the dual personalities of the car

It can be as docile and SUV-ish as you’d want in traffic, but come Sport mode the car simply takes on a new persona with the dynamics of a much smaller and nimbler hot hatch.

3. The engine brings the soul of a Porsche into the marque’s most practical entry model

Squeezing performance out of an SUV is no easy feat. Most end up being straight line warriors with bragging rights to the quarter mile (and fuel consumption to match), but we all know that’s not how the Stuttgart clan work. Whilst the new Macan will come with two variants in four cylinder petrol and V6 guise, it’s the latter which convinced us of its true sports car pedigree.

4. The engine’s sound isn’t as intrusive as it would be in their 911 or Boxster…

…But it’s evident once you turn the steering wheel dial to ‘Sport’ or ‘Sport+’. Above 4,000rpm the engine sings in an elegant grand tourer kind of way. Quad exhaust tips help here. And we haven’t even gotten to the driving dynamics yet.

5. With greater power comes greater suspension, brakes and driveline updates

The new Macan sees an extra 10kW and 20Nm over the outgoing model so Porsche saw the need to upgrade the suspension, driveline and associated hardware to ensure that the car retained its versatile ride and handling characteristics.

6. It eats up changing driving conditions like a champ

During our trip the Macan made a seamless transition between heavy Melbourne traffic and spirited driving on less than ideal surfaces (damp, bumpy and tarmac leading into loose gravel). And it did it with such composure that the driver feels like they’re steering one of the sharpest SUVs on the market today – a term you don’t often hear in the segment.

7. Tyres are ridiculously wide and staggered for a good reason…

Given Porsche’s philosophy for spirited driving, the Macan S features some of the widest tyres you’ll ever find on a production SUV. Porsche says that this helps the car grip the road better when compared to standard SUVs and it’s pretty damn noticeable on the long winding bends and on exit corners.

8. Elegances comes as an added extra

You can trust the Germans to provide a plush and no-nonsense interior for a premium badge like a Porsche. Whilst the Macan offers an extensive level of trim options as ad-ons, it can  quickly push the price of the car past six figures.

9. Fit out your Macan right and you could basically live in the car

Our Macan saw carbon fibre highlights on the doors and across the front of the dash. The dash is a talking point but we’ll get to that in a bit. The Macan’s seats were all wrapped in soft and supple tan leather which varies in colour depending on your preference. As standard, the Macan has Alcantara seat surfaces whilst the seat bolsters are wrapped in premium leatherette. Personalisation is the name of the game here.

10. The dash is nicer if you get the premium trim package

We noticed the difference in feel between some of the Macans. The standard models received harder plastic on top whilst the optioned ones received a much nicer and more premium soft-touch plastic. We would have liked to see the latter as standard. Also the brushed aluminium highlights aren’t as nice as the piano black or carbon fibre highlights.

11. There’s a bloody big screen which is surprisingly useful

Tesla started the trend and now other manufacturers have jumped on board. We’re talking about big touchscreen panels and the Macan’s one lobs in at 10.9-inches – a jump from 7.2-inches. And this one has quite a few new tricks.

12. You’re always connected to the web

The increased real estate makes the most of the latest Porsche Communication Management (PCM) platform which allows drivers to be permanently connected to the internet (best your sim card has unlimited data). This essentially opens up the car’s capabilities to use internet-based services like Google Maps and reading your emails out loud.

13. You can even turn it into a personal cinema

When stationary the car can playback MPEG-4 and other video formats via the big screen. Simply plug in a USB or memory card in the slot and you’ll be able to access the files like you would on a computer.

14. The amount of buttons might scare some drivers

If you’ve never driven a modern day Porsche and you step inside the new Macan, you might be intimidated by the amount of buttons running along the centre console. We’ve had steers of 911s and Boxsters and whilst it was familiar, we were still intimidated when we first set foot in the car. A quick glance over will put most of the confusion at ease. The buttons essentially adjusts things like suspension, climate control, lane assist, descent assist and more.

15. The boot opening button is in an odd position

Watching drivers sweeping the tail gate with their foot was quite amusing as most SUVs now have a sensor down there to activate the boot opening. Not on the Macan. Theirs is a simple button located on the windscreen wiper bezel. If you miss that, there are no latches or sensors to indicate how to open the boot. Not something we hate about the Macan but just an anomaly we’ve yet to experience.

16. But the 500-litre boot space is pretty amazing

500-litres is a hell of a lot of boot space and that’s part of why the Macan is one of highest selling models in Australia amongst first time Porsche buyers. The Porsche people say that customers with young families but who love driving are the Macan’s main customers.

17. Full LED lights look as good as they work

The Macan’s headlights are now full LED units as standard. This means the four-point daytime running lights are attention-grabbing whilst also being functional as dusk sets in. The powerful headlights also track the corner and can automatically switch between main and dipped beam.

18. There’s active cooling built in

One cool feature we were shown is the active cooling fins behind the car’s front grill. When the car is first started the fins are closed to get the engine up to optimum operating temps. Once it reaches this temperature, the fins open to allow air to cool the turbo and exhaust manifold. The result is much better efficiency and performance as soon as you start it up.

19. The ‘Sport Response’ button is loads of fun

Those who watch too many car chase films will love the optional Sports Chrono Package. This adds on a circular toggle switch the the steering wheel which allows drivers to change driving modes, but also includes a button. Press this ‘Sport Response’ button and the dial gets turned to maximum performance for twenty seconds. For overtaking purposes, obviously.

20. Very agile car through the fast winding country backroads – a win for this SUV

Read Next

• Coolest Porsche 911 Models To Start Collecting Right Now
• Singer & Williams Create The $1.8 Million Porsche Of Your Dreams

The post Porsche Macan S Review: What You Need To Know appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

You step onboard, hand over your boarding pass, and begin the long walk of covetousness past the Business class seats. The champagne isn’t out yet, but you can almost smell it in the air. Sadly, you trudge on to your allocated seat, and prepare your knees for the long hours of confinement. Most of us stay there, and prefer to keep “what could have been” out of sight and out of mind.

The more masochistic among us stroll up and down the white roped line, gazing up the stairway to heaven (and premium whisky). However, unless you are particularly brazen, you wouldn’t commit the social faux pas of pretending to be a Business Class passenger and enjoying amenities you haven’t paid for. Until now.

Why’s that? Well, the following rant you’re about to read, left on Australian Business Traveller by a Qantas Boeing 737 Business Class passenger, reeks of such entitlement that any self respecting Economy passenger has good justification for (temporarily) sticking their middle finger up at the system, and paying the Business Class bathroom facilities a visit.

Let’s read.

“Of late on 737 business class flights,” Gjspectre announced, “There has been an increasing number of economy passengers strolling through business class and using the toilet.”

“On my last flight to Adelaide,” he continued, “A clearly drunk passenger did this three times, with absolutely no resistance from the crew.” Although he then added, “I’m not particularly fussed,” his next comment immediately betrayed his annoyance; “Perhaps their announcement at the start isn’t enough? I’ve commented before that Virgin Australia with their white rope deters this effectively.”

 

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Fortunately for the reputation of Business Class passengers everywhere, various other Australian Business Traveller readers pulled ‘Gjspectre’ up for his cringe-worthy comments.

Aside from the obvious (“First World problems, hey ????”), his fellow Business passengers responded with some incisive commentary. Neil, for instance, said, “Gjspectre, get over yourself. In a 737 there is only 3 toilets…not a big deal if an economy passenger uses the business toilet.”

To which Gjspectre countered: “The point is, Qantas announce pre-flight it’s for business only, but don’t do anything about it, Virgin mention it and enforce it. I’m an avid fan of Qantas, I’m simply highlighting an easy way to fix the issue :).”

This triggered yet more debate, with some ABT readers coming to Gjspectre’s defence: “Get them back where they paid for I say. Qantas doesn’t have single class service aircraft. They charge extra for convenience and people pay for it with points and/or money. I really don’t see the argument its ok.”

“It’s like the apologists for Qantas who pay 16K for Qantas First and blindly accept their business class unsophisticated F product which does not equate the to super premium fare paid.”

“Even worse,” another added, “Is when they queue in the aisle waiting to use the toilet, it’s something the staff could easily address and tell them to go down the back.” How does this happen? Allow the following indignant user to explain…

“My observation has been some keen observers wait until the cabin crew are busy or absent up front and then make their move. Personally, while I do sit in business class regularly on the 737, it’s not something that bothers me (clearly).”

As for the source of the problem? According to one user: “Qantas changed their 737 toilets about three years ago so they’d be ‘slimline’ and could increase the capacity to 168 seats. So more people needing facilities… the same facilities.”

Par for the course in this age of intense airline competition, and the numerous studies that have shown, despite their complaints, consumers choose based on price above all else. But our dear friend Gjspectre clearly doesn’t understand this. Hence the roasting…

“It’s a toilet, for God’s sake. Can’t have the plebs using up all the gold covered dunny roll…”

Finally, a couple of nuanced perspectives eventuated towards the end: “It is a toilet… But one positive of flying business, is it being less likely to have to wait or queue to visit the loo (Particularly on longer flights). Plus having less disturbance via foot traffic. Not the biggest deal in the world of course, but something which may annoy an airlines premium passengers.”

“Australian culture is generally egalitarian in nature and understand some of the responses here. However, QF could quickly resolve the discontent and grumbling by either delivering on the implied promise or not making the promise at all. Rules are rules and if the crew are ignoring them, that’s not really acceptable.”

Our challenge? Forget the toilet. It’s time to hit up the bar. Just remember to look the part.

Read Next

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It’s time to congratulate the internet: Instagram’s sneakiest phenomenon now has a name. Thirst Traps. Whether you set yours to engage in innocent banter with followers you would (hypothetically) like to “Netflix and Chill” with, or whether you carefully construct them genuinely hoping to make a fantasy come to life, it’s safe to say this Instagram trend is causing a lot of controversy.But before we get all Freudian, what are “thirst traps”? Essentially, “thirst trapping” is the logical evolution of “gatsbying,” a trend that consists of posting a public Instagram story with the intent of arousing the interest of one person in particular. Or, as Urban Dictionary defines it: “a sexy photograph or flirty message posted on social media for the intent of causing others to profess their attraction.”Thirst Traps can take many forms. Unless you are particularly brazen, if you are in a relationship, it is more likely that you are stuck in someone else’s thirst trap than you are setting your own. How does this work? Basically, you follow a bunch of people. For most of us, a handful (give or take) of these people you will either have slept with, flirted with, or want to sleep with.These are your thirst traps. Identifiable by their prominence in your direct messages, the fact that their insta-stories are always at the front of your queue, and the fact that they are the ones who you always check have watched your stories or liked your photos.The thirst trap is set when these ‘crushes’ post a suggestive photo or video, and wait for you to engage with it. If you respond consistently over a given period of time, you are considered “caught” in their trap. While this is an excellent way for (single) socially awkward people to flirt, without embarrassing themselves (in real life), the problem arises when single people’s “thirst traps” start attracting those in relationships.

Errrr… @TheAfroAttorneyCome and take your man please.He’s here busy posting thirst traps. https://t.co/QP8bcsC6xb

— #AnybodyButBuhari2019 (@Eerinmide) 3 March 2019

After all: no matter how happy you are with your partner, sometimes you just have a certain nostalgia for old habits…

I miss having a boo to send thirst traps to pic.twitter.com/Gp87lGXJLw

— (@KILLKOBRA) 27 February 2019

And, as many a “thirst trap layer” has pointed out, it’s important to strike while the iron is hot…

I will thirst trap while I can. My body is not gonna look this good forever.

— Emily Ferguson (@emilyferguson_) 27 February 2019

So whether you are looking to play the field, or keen to rekindle your relationship by laying thirst traps for your partner, here are some top tips for laying the perfect thirst trap, courtesy of someone who’d know—American singer/songwriter Austin Mahone.

• Shirtless pics
• Babies
• Puppies
• Gym selfies

.@AustinMahone‘s tips for laying the perfect thirst trap pic.twitter.com/RGT7j63UOl

— AM2DM by BuzzFeed News (@AM2DM) 4 March 2019

Not convinced? Still reckon this is all just media hype? To prove “the thirst” is indeed real, listen to this story by Twitter personality Cassandra Blackwell: “A couple of days ago I posted a photo with a flower emoji covering my breast. A man messaged me asking: how many retweets for you to remove the emoji? I replied: Paypal me $100,” she told Vice in an interview.

“The interaction made me laugh so I tweeted a screenshot of it with a link to my Paypal and…. men are ridiculously thirsty. Five hundred dollars thirsty. I want to be clear that I didn’t remove the emoji for anybody. Nobody who paypalled me even reached out. I paid my overdue phone bill and donated the rest of it to Planned Parenthood.”

So there you have it. Now get out there and get “laying”…

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