Business Notes Travel

When Halley's comet last appeared in 1910, blazing a brilliant trail across the skies, it was greeted with a mixture of awe, hysteria and hoopla. Some of the awe remains, and thanks in part to British Airways, some of the hoopla will be recaptured when the comet approaches earth again. Last week the airline announced that for (pounds)30, or about $42, it is offering the "flight of a lifetime" on four moonless nights in December and January.

Departing from Manchester, the flights will cruise for an hour over the North Atlantic at 35,000 ft., offering a view of the comet from above the clouds. Passengers aboard the 99-seat jets will sip sparkling wine while members of the Manchester Astronomical Society answer questions. One they hope to avoid: "Where is it?" In contrast to the 1910 spectacle, this appearance of the comet is not expected to be much of a sight for fans in the northern hemisphere. Says Ken Davies, president of the Manchester society: "Many people are going to be very disappointed." Nonetheless, at 35,000 ft. the view of the comet should be as good as most northerners can get without venturing south of the equator.