MAM
World Cup on top of Lycos’ 50 most popular user searches
‘World Cup’ has edged ‘Star Wars’ out of the top slot on the list of Lycos’ 50 most popular user searches for the week ended 1 June.
The term moved up from the tenth rank it enjoyed last week, while the term ‘soccer’ is a new entrant to the list at number 41, according to Terra Lycos. ‘Star Wars’, which reigned at the top of net surfers’ curiosity till last week, has now dropped to number three.
‘Dragonball’ continues to remain in the second place, and ‘tattoos’ has dropped a notch from third place to fourth. Rounding out the top five is ‘Miss Universe’ – a new entry to the list largely due to the contest held on 29 May. The Lycos 50 is compiled from 12 million queries from Internet users on the Lycos Network.
Specific player searches by Lycos indicate that Lycos UK users helped to drive soccer searches for English strikers David Beckham and Michael Owen, two of the Internet’s most searched soccer stars. The surprise this week was the Miss Universe pageant, which received nearly 20 times as many searches as last year, the highest Lycos ranking ever for a beauty pageant.
While MTV’s hit reality series ‘The Osbournes‘ did not make it to the top 50, Anna Nicole Smith did, thanks to news that she would be starring in her own reality based Osbournes like reality show for the E! Network. New entries to the list of 50 include Oprah Winfrey and Martha Stewart (separately at numbers 46 and 50 respectively). Pokemon at number 47, has reappeared on The Lycos 50 after dropping off the list on April 2. Prior to April, says Lycos, Pokemon made every top 50 list since August 1999 and only fell out of the top 20 once – the week of the terrorist attack on America.
MAM
BLR Airport Launches ‘Connections’ Service to Ease Transit Travel
New initiative targets smoother transfers as Bengaluru hub traffic rises 30 per cent.
MUMBAI: Missed connections may be a traveller’s nightmare but Bengaluru is trying to make them a thing of the past. Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru (BLR Airport) has rolled out ‘Connections by BLR’, a new transfer programme designed to take the friction out of connecting journeys. Built around three pillars ease, efficiency and experience,the initiative aims to simplify what is often the most stressful leg of air travel.
The move comes as transfer traffic at BLR Airport climbs sharply, up more than 30 per cent year-on-year. Transfers currently account for around 15 per cent of total passenger traffic and are projected to touch 20 per cent by 2026, signalling a clear shift in how the airport is positioning itself within airline networks.
At its core, the programme focuses on making navigation intuitive and downtime more comfortable. Dedicated transfer desks have been set up across terminals, supported by colour-coded wayfinding blue and yellow signage designed for quick recognition. Inter-terminal movement is being streamlined through complimentary shuttle services with predictable wait times, while designated transfer zones aim to reduce passenger confusion.
Beyond logistics, the airport is leaning into experience. Travellers in transit now have access to a wider choice of lounges, curated retail and food and beverage options, as well as sleeping pods for short stays. For longer layovers, transit hotels in both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 offer boutique in-terminal accommodation, an increasingly sought-after feature as global travel patterns evolve.
The timing is strategic. BLR Airport now connects to 114 passenger destinations 80 domestic and 34 international with key routes spanning Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Pune domestically, and Singapore, London Heathrow, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Kuala Lumpur internationally. Recent additions such as Hindon, Bidar and Silchar within India, alongside Dammam, Hanoi and Riyadh overseas, are further expanding its reach.
Infrastructure is also catching up with ambition. Developments including the West Cross Taxiway, Terminal 1 refurbishment and Terminal 2 expansion are laying the groundwork for higher capacity and smoother operations critical for any airport aiming to become a serious transfer hub.
Bangalore International Airport Limited chief operating officer Girish Nair framed the initiative as both a response to demand and a forward-looking play. He pointed to the growing depth of the airport’s network and the opportunity to build a more reliable transfer ecosystem that benefits both passengers and airline partners.
In an era where travel is as much about transitions as destinations, BLR Airport is betting that a seamless connection might just be the journey’s most important upgrade.
