What a Wonderful Bird Trivia Quiz

Answer: Additional legroom

When premium economy seats were first offered on airliners in the 1990s, they were just normal economy seats with extra legroom - anywhere between two and five inches (5-12 cm). Today, many premium economy products are separate cabins with a slightly wider seat, more legroom, more recline and often better food and beverages than in the main cabin. Depending on the quality of the product, such a seat can be between just a few dollars more expensive than a normal economy seat and approximately twice its price. On a long flight, however, this can very much be worth it and all you need to arrive relaxed and well!

Answer: First and business class passengers and second tier or higher ("gold") frequent fliers

While some airlines have a basic lounge for their premium economy passengers, the standard is to have a business lounge (which admits business class passengers and first tier frequent fliers) and, at larger airports, a separate first class lounge for the first class and top-tier frequent fliers. Most airports today also offer lounges not affiliated with any airline that anyone can enter for a payment, usually around twenty dollars. Lounges offer snacks, beverages, internet access and, most importantly, some quiet and comfortable sitting space away from the bustle of the airport.

Answer: It must be level and horizontal

In long-haul business class, some sort of sleeper seat is almost a must-have feature for any airline. Yet, only some of them extend the amenity of a fully flat, horizontal bed to their "lesser" premium customers, instead offering a lie-flat configuration that is however somewhat angled.

Besides making seat construction easier, this type of build also allows one passenger's feet to slide under the previous row's head area, thus saving several inches of space per row. If you want the best business class comfort, go for a true flatbed if you can find an airline offering it on your schedule and route - the fare is usually not higher than that for an angled bed.

Answer: The window seats face towards the rear

While it is not obviously apparent in the picture, the right side of this picture shows not three, but six business class seats. The window seats are reversed to face the rear of the plane, so passengers are flying backwards. This setup provides a very high level of comfort on surprisingly little space. Each pair of seats forms a yin/yang pattern, affording the traveler a much larger width in the important area near the shoulders and upper body while requiring less width around the feet.

The two seats of a pair share a suite wall which can be raised or lowered to allow communication or privacy as desired.

This seating pattern is becoming rather popular for business class arrangements and might in the future also be used in premium economy and economy cabins.

Answer: A Concorde (1990s)

This cabin, actually offering less space than an average Boeing 737 economy cabin, belongs to the Concorde, the only supersonic passenger jet in regular use in the 20th century. Operated by British Airways and Air France, these planes flew transatlantic routes from London and Paris to New York, over twice as fast than a normal jet. Concorde was, in spite of the high fare, never really profitable due to the rather small fleet of only 20 planes for both airlines and the high fuel cost.

The disastrous crash of Flight 4590 near Paris in 2000 grounded the aircraft for 16 months and, in spite of refits to restore airworthiness to the remaining fleet, Concorde bookings never recovered and the remaining planes were removed from service in 2003. Out of the 19 remaining craft, only one or two are in a condition that leave even the slightest hope of restoring them for demonstration flights.

Answer: Showers

In-flight showers are and will always remain a major luxury because they are incredibly expensive to maintain - the water for each passenger's wash-down has to be transported over the entire distance, adding substantial weight to the jet even when only provided to the twelve or twenty lucky residents of first class. Bars have been standard in early Boeing 747s (in which they typically occupied the upper deck), Wi-Fi has first been introduced by US carriers and mobile phone use is still forbidden on planes worldwide as of early 2013 although some national authorities are now evaluating the possibility of allowing mobile phones to make data (but no voice) connections in-flight.

Answer: A Zeppelin airship

Zeppelin airships - lighter-than-air dirigibles - were the most luxurious way ever to traverse the Atlantic in the air without needing to charter some private transportation. After the Hindenburg disaster of 1937 in Lakehurst, however, airships quickly fell out of service as hydrogen had proven too dangerous and the alternative, helium, was not yet available in large amounts. Airship travel was in comfort and atmosphere much more like a ship passage than a flight - there were no seat belts, the deck was relatively spacious and passengers had true cabins with bunk beds at their disposal. Speeds were low - about 125 kph (78 mph) - but still three times faster than those of the fastest ships, reducing Atlantic crossing times to just 60 hours westbound and 50 hours eastbound.

Answer: Learjet

If you've ever flown in a small business jet, chances are it was a Learjet. With a large palette of models, Learjets can carry up to 12 passengers with a range of up to 4,000 km (2,500 miles). Canadair and de Havilland are both active in the market for larger jets bridging the gap between the small, agile Learjets and the full-scale offerings by Boeing and Airbus.

The largest of these jets have around 50 seats and are often used by airlines for regional flights. Short Brothers is defunct as an aircraft manufacturer but continues to exist as a provider of defense technology.

Answer: The A320 line

Most Airbus corporate jets are actually A318s or A319s, shortened versions of the A320, but there are also full-length 320s being manufactured for this segment. These jets can be customized in many ways, including the use of some freight space (which is typically not needed in large amounts on these craft) for additional fuel capacity, thus extending the service range of these planes to intercontinental levels.

However, Airbus offers all its jets for customization, including the flagship A380 model, of which one craft is on order as a "Flying Palace" for Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal.

The largest delivered Airbus commercial jet (as of 2013) is based on the A340.

Answer: Iceland

Russia and Brazil, like the United States, both maintain an Air Force One plane exclusively for their presidents (the one shown here is the Brazilian one, based on an A319). Germany does not have a dedicated plane for any one official, but the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) has several such planes available for the use of high-ranking government officials.

The President of Iceland, on the other hand, enjoys no such luxury - he travels as a regular passenger, business class, on scheduled Icelandair flights. I have personally been seated just a few rows behind him on a flight into Iceland.