Mile-high reading: 'High Life' reviewed

© British Airways

Tighter security measures put in place after the events of Thursday mean that, for the foreseeable future, passengers will not be able to carry any hand luggage onboard with the exception of a few essentials. No music, no laptops; even the humble book is banned. But what of the airlines' own in-flight entertainment? Is it good enough to keep passengers from boredom? If you're lucky enough to be on a BA flight and you’ve seen all the films before, then the answer is probably yes…

I'm not going to hold back on this one – I think that BA's in-flight magazine High Life is truly excellent. As I've said before, all aeroplane magazines nowadays tend to contain articles, information and stories to rival any glossies that you’d choose to buy in shops. But even considering this, High Life is in a class of its own.

Reading the contributors page alone made me happy: the August edition is the first with new editor Kerry Smith at the helm. She is the first female editor of High Life, has moved from The Independent where she was features editor, and her first issue has brought in some eminent writers. This is just a selection of the articles in the current edition:

Polly Vernon, deputy editor of Observer Woman and The Observer's "cocktail girl" has a feature about "jazz-era cocktail bars and dining rooms” (making a comeback in the US).

In Nappy Days, John Simpson (yes, John Simpson from the BBC) writes about his experiences flying with his three-month-old son. Travelling with little Ranulph has taught him to "have a bit of compassion for the laden, sweating parent and the inconveniently crying child."

Paul Miles writes about and photographs Mozambique, "the last unspoilt spot in the Indian Ocean". The beguiling first few lines were enough to make me want to visit: "Blue ribbon eels poke their heads into the sea floor. Fluorescent turquoise with gaping yellow mouths, they look like characters from a sci-fi film or like weird walking sticks waving in the current."

Sophie Dennon is associate editor of the wonderfully classy Mr and Mrs Smith guide to hotels (well worth a look, if you ever want somewhere boutique and unusual to stay the night, and available online at www.mrandmrssmith.com). She has written a guide to that great British institution – the bank holiday weekend. 36 suggestions for ways to spend the weekend, come rain or shine, include sleeping in a tree in Cornwall, going "river-bugging" on the River Tummel, or going bowling in Bloomsbury.

My favourite piece in the magazine, though, is by Andrew Mueller, a London-based journalist who regularly contributes to many papers and magazines, including The Guardian and Time Out. Mueller writes of his attempt to break Nashville, performing some of his own country songs at the Bluebird Café. Mueller formed his ambition to be the next Johnny Cash when he was jailed on a research trip in Cameroon last year:

"To pass time, I composed a whimsical Cash pastiche called Kumbo Prison Blues. It was a backhanded love song for my then girlfriend ('I've got plenty of journalist friends, my case is widely reported/I’ll wait and dream sweet dreams of you, until I get deported…')"

The "then girlfriend" part is crucial. Dumped on his return, Mueller takes solace in his guitar and writes some country greats: I Didn’t Have the Material (Before Now) and Do You Have a Sister? Armed with a little advice from Elvis Costello, he takes his songs to Monday night at the Bluebird, open-mic night for any performers who have the nerves…

But High Life isn't just about the writing. The photographs and layout are (as you might expect from BA) classier and better put-together than you find elsewhere. Many other airlines' magazines use huge amounts of large-fonted lower-case print, tens of photographs per page, with all the information put together to resemble a child's scrapbook in an attempt, one assumes, to look cutting-edge and zeitgeisty. In contrast, High Life , thankfully, isn't afraid to give things a bit of space. One of its regular slots, "Navigator" features the month's must-go places and destinations. The first of them, freediving in Sardinia, has a beautiful double page photo of free-divers filling the Italian sea. Turning the page, another huge photograph, this time of a new hotel in Kruger National Park, really lets you see the wide expanse of the African bush.

For any photography lovers, the August issue is a particular treat. Martin Parr has been in Rome. The photographs included show what happened in the Eternal City when he "ignored the relics and snapped the tourists instead."

As is traditional, the back of the magazine focuses on flight-related information. Even in this more boring section though, the magazine still outperforms its competitors. BA news gets a page; there's an interview with a member of the crew, with dream destinations and travel tips; an interview with the "pilot of the month"; and a double-page guide to staying healthy on-board, including in-flight exercises.

I'd like to include a down-side to balance out what is a rather breathlessly positive review. But I really can't think of anything bad to say about this magazine – except that I could happily have it two, three or four times longer.

So you might not be able to take a book, your iPod or laptop onboard a plane in the near future. If you're flying with BA, don't worry. Kick off your shoes, take High Life from the seat pocket and relax…

© Cheapflights Ltd Sabrina Wolfe

Reviews of other in-flight magazines:
Yeahbaby from bmibaby
Wizzit from Wizz Air
easyJet in-flight