Under the Tuscan sun
South African designer Tristan du Plessis has landed in Tuscany. His latest project, Chapter Chianti, is the second hotel from the team behind Chapter Roma and is set in a restored 16th-century village surrounded by more than 40 hectares of countryside. Du Plessis has serious international design credentials: his Cape Town studio recently created Le Café Louis Vuitton inside the luxury brand’s extraordinary ship-shaped Shanghai flagship. chapter-chianti-resort.com
The 30-year-old Virgin
They have the best crew outfits in the business (thanks, Dame Vivienne Westwood), our favourite Upper Class beds and even a delicious economy breakfast, baked beans and all. Virgin Atlantic is our undisputed favourite for the London run, so we’re delighted that it’s upping its Joburg flights. From October 25 the daily Heathrow service gets an Airbus A350-1000 (largest of the A350s), with three extra weekly return flights joining in December. That makes 10 a week, just as Virgin celebrates 30 years of flying to South Africa. Many happy returns. Preferably while turning left.
Hello again, Dolly!
Nashville has a new dose of Dolly. The late country legend’s SongTeller Hotel opened in September, with 245 rooms and suites, live music, cocktails at Jolene’s and Dolly touches throughout. Fans can go even deeper at Dolly’s Life of Many Colors Museum, billed as the largest exhibition devoted to her life and career. It spans everything from her Smoky Mountains childhood to her extraordinary career. songtellerhotel.com
Cattle class, upgraded
Anything that makes being packed into economy slightly less sardine-like gets our attention. American carrier United’s incoming Relax Row turns three economy seats into a couch-like sleeping space, mattress pad and all, while another new option swaps the middle seat for a large shared table. There’s also Starlink-powered live sport at 30,000 feet. United flies to both Joburg and Cape Town but whether we’ll get all this on our routes remains to be seen. united.com
Pack it in
Serial overpacker? If you’ve ever lugged a giant suitcase halfway around the world only to wear the same three things, Packr might be for you. The app creates a packing list based on your destination, activities and even the weather, and can handle multiple stops and family members. Your 17 “just in case” outfits may finally be in trouble. packr.app
Business as usual
What if the whole plane were business class? French boutique airline La Compagnie has made that its entire business model. Its Airbus A321neos cross the Atlantic with just 76 seats, all of which convert into fully flat beds. There’s unlimited Wi-Fi, lounge access and priority treatment too. The catch? You’ll have to get yourself to Paris, Milan or Nice first. lacompagnie.com
And the winner is ...
The Skytrax World Airline Awards, aka the Oscars of the airline world, landed in London in September, with passengers voting on everything from cabin crew to onboard Wi-Fi. Singapore Airlines took the big one, World’s Best Airline, for the sixth time. Closer to home, Ethiopian Airlines was named Best Airline in Africa, while FlySafair took Best Low-Cost Airline in Africa. worldairlineawards.com
Pod people
If you’ve ever spent a long layover exhausted, jet-lagged and wondering whether the lighting is cranked up to crazy harsh, and if the airport floor really looks that bad, there is another option. Privately run sleeping pods range from tiny capsules to mini rooms with beds, charging points and even showers, usually bookable by the hour. You’ll find versions in Dubai, Doha, Munich, Tokyo and airports across the US. Planning a long-haul trip with lengthy connections? Step one: Google whether your airport has a pod.
