France and Spain may not inspire the world as hotbeds of travel e-commerce innovation, but they have nurtured the growth of two leading online travel agencies (OTAs) – GO Voyages and eDreams.

Ever since its launch over 25 years ago, Virgin Atlantic has staked its claim to having the world’s hottest flight attendants. But now it’s official. According to a survey of 1,000 travellers by the Business Travel and Meetings Show, BTMS, 53 percent voted Virgin crew as the hottest, followed by Singapore Airlines and Etihad Airways.

Real Madrid has beaten arch rival Barcelona to retain the top spot as the world’s richest football club, according to Deloitte’s new Football Money League. Based on season 2009/10, the combined revenues of the top 20 clubs had passed €4bn for the first time. Manchester City made the biggest gains, leaping from 20th to 11th place after revenues rose 49.5 percent to €152.8m.

Abu Dhabi’s Emirates Palace was the centre of the sporting world as it played host to the Laureus Sports Awards for the second year in succession. Rafael Nadal and the Spanish national soccer team took home top honours at the star-studded bash. Kevin Spacey and Morgan Freeman were among the many A-listers who attended the show at Emirates Palace, which was voted “World’s Leading Meetings & Conference Hotel” at 2010 World Travel Awards.

Delta Air Lines is introducing a premium economy section on long-haul international flights this summer as part of an on-going $2 billion upgrade programme. “Economy Comfort” will include new seats with four inches more legroom and 50 percent more recline.

Abu Dhabi could become home to its own pyramids, but these would serve as solar-powered energy generators rather than tombs. This follows a design featuring nine pyramids, similar in form to Egypt’s famous Great Pyramids of Giza, winning the UAE’s Land Art Generator Initiative, an architecture competion to promote carbon neutral developments.