6-8 pm: Charcuterie of cured meats, prosciuttos, and pates, plus international cheeses paired with premium wines and champagne.
8-11 pm: Artisanal cheeses, with complementary accompaniments such as truffle honey and fig chutney, plus an assortment of fresh fruits and desserts, including a chocolate fountain and petit fours handmade by onboard pastry chefs, with fine wines, digestifs, and hot drinks.
11 pm-12 am: Late-night munchies such as mini-sandwiches, freshly-baked pizzas, quiche, tandoori chicken, and trendy beef “sliders.”

“In traditional Crystal luxury fashion, our evening Bistro brings aboard the elegance and international panache of a European cafe experience—a central place to meet, people-watch, and enjoy a glass of wine or espresso and a snack,” says Vice President Food and Beverage Operations Toni Neumeister.  “In addition, this expansion really enhances the culinary and social options for guests who spend a full day sightseeing and/or like to mix up their evening dining.”

Casual dining on deck is also offered most evenings with a new Chinese “Comfort Food” menu augmenting choices on Crystal Serenity.

Extraordinary culinary experiences are a hallmark of every Crystal vacation.  The ultra-luxury line’s extensive, innovative choices for gourmandizing include coveted cheese and wine cellars, overseen by on-board, certified cheese and wine sommeliers (Court of Master Sommeliers-certified); fresh, chef-like cocktails served by certified mixologists; gourmet dining options at every meal, whether in the Crystal Dining Room, at afternoon tea, or in Nobu Matsuhisa and Piero Selvaggio’s specialty restaurants; and, starting this spring, all-inclusive premium spirits, fine wines, and champagnes throughout the ship.

QANTAS pilots

Their union, the Australian and International Pilots Association, refused to reveal the contents of the documents, which were submitted to Fair Work Australia yesterday. It follows a long-running dispute between AIPA and Qantas, which came to a head in October when the airline grounded its entire fleet.

“We’re not making what we’ve put in our submission public, but it has gone in, absolutely,” an AIPA spokesman said. Qantas tabled its offer to the pilots in December, and Fair Work Australia will now begin a process of arbitration to nut out an agreement.

The dispute revolves around pay. But AIPA is also pressing for a Qantas flight-Qantas pilot clause in their new three-year enterprise agreement, to guarantee that all Qantas flights are flown by Qantas pilots or those on an equal deal.

The union is also continuing its challenge to Fair Work Australia’s decision to ban Qantas pilots from taking industrial action. The industrial umpire delivered the ruling in the wake of October’s mass grounding, also banning members of the Transport Workers’ Union and the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers’ Association from taking industrial action.

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary, Khalifa Al Mazrouei, chairman of ADAC, said: “Abu Dhabi Airports Company is proud to be celebrating this special occasion and highlighting Abu Dhabi International Airport’s achievements over the past thirty years. “The emirate of Abu Dhabi has experienced remarkable development in this short period of time, with Abu Dhabi International Airport being a vital part of the capital’s growth. “Already established as a major international hub for travellers around the globe, Abu Dhabi International Airport is committed to further developing into a leading airport in the region, and a key contributor to the Abu Dhabi 2030 vision of economic diversification.”

The past 30 years have been particularly successful for Abu Dhabi International Airport in terms of airline and infrastructure developments. Etihad Airways launched in 2003 and then Terminal 2 opened in 2005 with a passenger capacity of two million passengers per year. Four years later in 2009, Terminal 3 was delivered, providing Etihad Airways with a dedicated terminal and a handling capacity of an additional five million passengers per year. In the same year, the 4,100 metres North Runway was completed doubling the airport’s runway capacity, while being the first airport in the UAE with CATIIIB capability.

In 2011, Abu Dhabi International Airport saw the completion of the iconic Air Traffic Control Complex, developed to enhance the capacity and efficiency of air traffic services at the airport and cater to the anticipated growth in air traffic in the years to come. During the same year, ADAC completed an enhancement and refurbishment project at Terminal 1 to align its facility and offerings to that of Terminal 3 and other world class airports.

Today, Abu Dhabi International Airport caters to 53 international airlines connecting Abu Dhabi with more than 85 destinations in over 49 countries globally. Passenger numbers have also continued to increase over the past 30 years positioning Abu Dhabi International Airport as one of the fastest growing hubs in the world.

In the coming five years, ADAC will be focusing on achieving further competitive milestones with the completion of the new Midfield Terminal Building (MTB), which is scheduled to open in 2017. The 700,000 square meter terminal building is a landmark project being undertaken in Abu Dhabi and the UAE, and will be able to handle 27-30 million passengers per year when it opens.

The desks and book stacks ringing the atrium here are a sight to behold, though we’re not sure they are particularly conducive to getting work done – it is too tempting to people watch and to admire the architecture. As if freely suspended in air, the six reading galleries, enclosing a lens-shaped light funnel, rise up to the dome roof. Glass, white stone, white steel girders, light maple wood and bountiful daylight are all combined to create a daring shape, while generating an easy elegance. Tourists visiting the library should take one of the glass elevators to the top floor to get the full feel for this fabulous building.

Jobs, with his appealing, intuitive design sense and seize-the-moment attitude, also endowed geekiness with a certain cool. It comes with the specialized knowledge and passion typical of geeks, whether for coding or clever wordplay. Groups like Brooklyn’s Secret Science Club — think date-night lectures from NASA scientists and Nobel Prize winners — make flaunting your inner geek sexy. And there are plenty of role models, real (Tina Fey) and imagined (Harry Potter).

Today’s geeks want to be heard, and hotels are listening. In New York, the central conceit behind the Library Hotel is entire floors and individual rooms ordered according to the Dewey Decimal system. Architecture aficionados can get in touch with their inner Le Corbusier at the Hotel Silken Puerta América, in Madrid, which brings the world’s greatest architects under one roof. For guests who consider Pritzker prizes more important than the Oscars, it’s the ultimate retreat.

Geek hotels exist all over the world, from New York to San Francisco, Tunisia to Hong Kong. Some of the properties on our list offer traditional inducements — beautiful views, enviable locations — along with their more esoteric offerings. But much like geekdom itself, many of the hotels largely ignore the outside world in favor of their own awe-inspiring reality.

Kecskes was one of the founders of Wizz Air, the largest low cost airline in Central and Eastern Europe. At the airline she was responsible for branding and marketing where she developed the Wizz Air brand and defined all elements of the customer journey. As director of marketing and customer experience she successfully launched Wizz Air in 23 countries in Europe and spearheaded the annual marketing strategy, budget and communication plan including objective setting and strategies for building brand awareness and driving sales through cost efficient communication.

Previous airline experience also includes the position held as head of product and service development at Malev Hungarian Airlines where she was responsible for harmonising on-board and ground services and creating a reliable value chain for customers. At Malev she initialised the company’s re-branding project which also included a new long haul business product.

Kecskes started her career at DDB, a leading multinational advertising agency. In her role as account director she handled both multinational and local clients with full responsibility for client service activities, strategic planning, brand development and international project management.

Philip Saunders, chief commercial officer at Air Malta said, “Melinda brings with her a wealth of knowledge. She has a broad understanding of the challenges and opportunities involved in successfully developing new airline brands. Her experiences in both the airline industry and the advertising business made her the ideal candidate for this position. I believe she will be a key asset in the rebranding of Air Malta, which will bring about change in our customer’s journey from the reservation process to ground procedures, cabin standards and aircraft configuration.”

On taking up the appointment, Melinda added, “I am looking forward to facing the challenges ahead here at Air Malta. I am confident that together with my team, we can drive forward a new airline brand strategy to ensure a positive future for the airline, our staff and customers. I believe that Air Malta is in a strong position to continue as a main contributor to the development of tourism industry of the islands and I will be working with all stakeholders in the industry to achieve this.”

Details of the ultra-modern designed, 64-room hotel include a rooftop lounge with skyline views, a swanky sunken dining room in the lobby, and an outdoor pool. All rooms feature large windows, leather lounge furniture, and high-end extras such Italian linens and toiletries from New York-based Malin + Goetz.

The local vibe continues with the staff’s uniforms, created by the popular clothing boutique Brooklyn Industries, as well as with the hotel’s signature brew made by Brooklyn Brewery.  The hotel’s restaurant, Pillar & Plough, features soaring ceilings and its own cocktail lounge, plus an open kitchen and menu created by Andrés Julian Grundy.

The 20-foot by 20-foot swimming pool is located on the south side of the restaurant, with a poolside club, cabanas, and a bar with drinks by Alchemy Consulting. The rooftop bar, called The Watering Tower, overlooks McCarren Park, the East River, and the Manhattan skyline. Heading to New York City soon? Check out our New York City Travel Guide to get the best planning information and more for your trip.