Feeling social media envy – try a ‘wingsie’

This week, Ryanair jumped on the bandwagon and joined Instagram, adding to its collection of social media channels. To celebrate the new account, the ‘Wingsie’ competition was launched for followers. Instagram users can post their ‘Wingsie’, tag @Ryanair and hashtag #wingsie and #ryanair30 for the chance to win one of five €100 flight vouchers. A challenger for the over-exposed ‘selfie’, the newly dubbed ‘Wingsie’ involves spreading both arms out to mirror the wings of a plane. Over 100 images and counting have already been posted using the hashtag.

A survey by lastminute.com has revealed that people are lying about their weekend activities on social media so they have more to talk about in the office on a Monday morning. In a survey of over 2,000 people, one in five people admitted to making up stories on social media so they seem more interesting, while three per cent of respondents even went as far as applying fake tan on a Sunday to fool colleagues into thinking that they enjoyed a sunny weekend away. From swimming with dolphins to discovering dinosaur skeletons, social media envy is a real thing, with people feeling inadequate when they compare their weekend activities with friends, colleagues and even celebrities.

Mindfulness is extremely popular right now for helping to reduce stress and anxiety in everyday life, and travelling can be a major factor. Daily commuting and flying can sometimes make you feel strained, so British Airways has launched a mindfulness program to try and help its passengers feel more at ease on long-haul flights. With a number of handy apps and guides available at the touch of a button, there’s no better excuse to take a step back and focus on one thing at a time; enjoy the moment rather than letting yourself get bombarded with thoughts and worries. We’re going to give it a try!

Love was in the air, quite literally, this week when online tracking services showed a plane that had departed from Malta flying in a heart-shaped flight path around Malta and then doing another circuit, before approaching the airport, creating a second heart over the Mediterranean. The romantic gesture left aviation enthusiasts intrigued and they took to social media to share their confusion. Verified Twitter account ‘@Flightradar24’ started the hashtag #loveflight which caught on and was used by a number of Twitter users excited about the flight. It was revealed that the plane was carrying a recently married Air Malta pilot and his new wife who is a member of the cabin crew. The arrivals board at the airport listed the flight status as ‘just married’.