Facebook messenger could be one on the most important business messaging platforms this year.  Take part in the NYT messaging experiment and you get a sense of the platforms potential for customer service and support, communicating around events, and product launches.  

Until now I’ve relied on Twitter but this is interesting.

Flying as frequently as I do from Australia to the US you learn a few things.  Here’s my current tips and tricks:

1. Qantas is by far the best airline on the route with stunning lounges, the best Inflight service, great seats, and friendly staff. But…
2. They are ridiculously over priced. Both United and Air NZ offer great value for money with a reasonable drop in service in United’s case and close to parity with Air NZ.
3. Don’t fly Qantas to San Francisco. They have their museum grade, ancient 747-400s on this route. The seats are awful and lie about as flat as a Byron Bay Backroad. On my last three flights neither the power or lousy video screen worked.  On the LAX route you get fancy new planes. Don’t pay the same for less.
4. United is flying the Dreamliner to San Fran and LA. It’s fantastic.  There is something about the lighting and air quality that makes the flight better.  But alas, it’s United so the food is awful, the staff unpleasant and any other hope of little touches are best not anticipated.  
5. Air NZ via Auckland is a great alternative if the price is right.  Great staff, generally modern planes on the long haul routes, and upgraded lounges that as a whole are far too packed with travellers from a multitude of airlines to enjoy.
6. American is flying these routes more. But then you’d have to be seduced by an amazing price or really want to fly American. 
7. If heading to NYC, try the Sydney – Honolulu – NYC route. It’s an overnight flight so sleep is easy and you have the option of a day or two in Hawaii on the way up or back.

Hope this is useful and welcome other thoughts and tips.  

On pondering the merit of yet another new iPhone purchace – to which the only benefit I can see is a better camera – I got to thinking about how one might justify the purchase.  

They ain’t cheap. I already have a museum grade collection of digital devices. And the one of got is ok enough. 

But here’s the difference between this purchase and most – I live on my phone.  According to Instant, between two and four hours per day. And I take a heap of photos.  Thousands per year in fact. 

So unlike a Tuxedo – which maybe gets used 40 times in ten years – maybe, just maybe, upgrading every year makes all the sense in the world. 

Once it was the PC we could justify upgrading due to all that added power and functionality.  Now it seems it’s the phone.  

Some suggestions for a friend so thought I’d share here:

• Ground Control: In the Ferry Building – on the side facing the street. Three minute walk to amazing coffee.
• Hills Bros, 19 Food & Coffee 5 Martin Place, Sydney. 7-4.30 Mon-Fri – in the Lobby of the building. Very clever food and amazing coffee. Same people that own Reuben Hills. 10 min walk from hotel.
• Cross Cafe, 155 Clarence St, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia – amazing food
• Reuben Hills Cafe, 61 Albion StreetSurry Hills, Sydney, 2010 – great coffee and food.
• Reformatory Caffine Lab, 17-51 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills, New South Wales
• Gumption, Strand Arcade – awlays a line, always great.
• Sensory Lab, Bondi Beach – St Ali gang’s Sydney hangout.

• Good list here: https://concreteplayground.com/sydney/best-of/the-eight-best-specialty-coffee-spots-in-sydney/

What are your faves?