· Japan Airlines has introduced new business and first-class seats on its London-Tokyo and London-Osaka routes (which connect to Australia). The "shell flat seat", as the business class version is called, is not totally flat: it reclines to a 170-degree angle which, JAL says, "feels like" 180 degrees in flight. All seats face forward and the blankets and pillows are certainly more comfortable than BA's - though even the first-class seat is only 163cm long. The "do not disturb" and "wake for meal" signs are a nice touch.
jal.com

· You can now check in the evening before for BA flights from Gatwick. Arrive at Zone C between 6pm and 11pm, return to your hotel and then go straight to Departures the following morning. BA has also launched twice-daily flights from Heathrow to Bilbao.
britishairways.com/gatwick

· EasyJet will fly from East Midlands airport to Cologne and Rome from June 9. The Glasgow route from EMA has been axed.
easyjet.co.uk

· Returns from London City to Munich will cost from £203 on a new Cirrus Airlines codeshare with Lufthansa. The flights start on May 4 and are timed for the benefit of business travellers.
cirrus-airlines.de

· American Airlines are to introduce a direct Manchester-Boston service from May 16. Fares start at £351. Note that there is no business cabin.
americanairlines.com/content/uk/index.jhtml

· If you travel regularly in first class on GNER, you still have time to join their free wi-fi trial. GNERmobileoffice.co.uk has details of when the "internet trains" are running. Ten of them are expected to be ready by 2005. The service will be free in first class and £4.95 an hour in standard. According to GNER's chief executive, Richard Garnett, "the kit works superbly and passenger reaction and interest has been fantastic."

· A number of clickable maps and directories of wi-fi hotspots have launched recently. The best is probably
wi-fihotspotlist.com. It covers much of Europe, North and South America and the Far East.