Winair (www.fly-winair.com) is the only airline operating into Saba, with flights from St Maarten

Don't panic: six more runway nailbiters

GIBRALTAR

Fear factor: the landing strip at Gib has it all – built partly on reclaimed land, it has sea at either end and, of course, the Rock.

Safest seats in a plane crash revealed by study

For the best chance of survival people should choose an aisle seat near the front within five rows of an emergency exit

Airline passenger told to fly in the toilet

New Yorker sues JetBlue for $2m claiming "extreme humiliation" on a flight

BACKGROUND

• Polish pilots' poor English almost led to crash

• Paper airline tickets consigned to history

• Priority boarding charges verge on 'fraud'

• Does the air in planes make you sick?

• Air rage soars at 35,000ft

Mobiles on planes: who's doing what

Five airlines are testing mobile phone calls in-flight, eight are sitting on the fence, one has banned them... tell us whether you're for or against by voting in our poll

• Airline survey: where we stand on in-flight mobile phone calls

Related Links

• Safest seats in a plane crash revealed by study

Brace, brace, brace: on a good day, the swirling winds that halo the 1,400ft rock face cause an alarming wiggle. On a bad day, you’ll feel the fuselage jolt and fall. One dark night, I was flying into Gibraltar. The pilot’s first attempt brought an enormous lurch to the left, screams from the cabin and a knuckle-whitening go-around. We made it the second time, though, smashing down hard onto the tarmac. I needed a stiff drink, the pilot a medal and three American tourists a train ticket home – I last heard them screeching that they would never fly again.

Who flies there? Monarch Airlines (www.flymonarch.com), EasyJet (www.easyjet.com) and Iberia (www.iberia.com).

FUNCHAL, MADEIRA

Fear factor: the runway is wedged in by mountains and the Atlantic Ocean, and was uncomfortably short. It’s been extended with an absurd elevated section that uses 210ft pylons – 180 of ’em.

Brace,brace,brace:on the way in, the captain has to aim straight for a disused banana warehouse on the side of a mountain (I know because I went pale sitting on the jump seat here), before making a steep right turn and passing a dip between two mountains – which, when windy, gives an unwanted waltzer wobble.

Whofliesthere?A range of European carriers, including EasyJet (www.easyjet.com) and Thomsonfly (www.thomsonfly.com).

BARRA, SCOTLAND

Fear factor: this is the only beach runway in the world that has a scheduled service. It has no tarmac and no landing lights (except helpful locals who leave their lights on in the car park). It’s washed clean at high tide.

Times recommends

• Same flight + different airline code = £225 out of pocket
• The UK and Ireland's 25 best Christmas events
• Book 2010's best holidays now