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Archive for July, 2009

Travel embargo lifted from bombed Majorca

Friday, July 31st, 2009

Holiday makers on the Balearic island of Majorca are being allowed to travel home following a ban on air traffic in the wake of Wednesday’s bomb that left two dead.

Palma airport is now open to inbound and outbound flights, after two Thomson flights were turned around and sent back to Gatwick. Another two flights which were already near the islands were diverted to other airports in the Balearics.

Chaos reigned at Palma airport as holiday makers due to fly back to the UK were left stranded, without hotel accommodation and no word on when the island’s various ports would re-open.

The blast has been attributed initially to terrorist activities of the Basque ETA movement, following a similar blast in the mainland city of Burgos a day earlier. It co-incides with the 50th anniversary of the terrorist organisation that is fighting for an independent Basque state.

No tourists were killed in the bomb attack, which occurred at 2pm local time, only two local policemen. A further 60 were injured in the Burgos attack.

By 9pm the authorities were once again allowing flights to leave and arrive but the sheer volume of summer traffic to the islands means that a huge backlog is now causing headaches for airlines, travellers and tour operators.

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Soggy weather boosts holidays abroad

Friday, July 31st, 2009

Tour operators in the UK are reporting a surprising upturn in bookings to sunnier destinations thanks to the disappointing summer that has so far been experienced at home.

Weather forecasters were predicting an odds-on chance of a sunny summer back in April but Britons who were planning local holidays to beat recessionary travel budgets have experienced nothing but rain.

With the traditional long weekends that bookend August looming families are despairing on where to take the kids before the summer holidays are over,  and Peter Constati, CEO of mainstream travel at Thomas Cook, suggests going abroad.

“The summer holidays have only just started and today’s weather update will send many parents into despair as there are still five long weeks before school starts again. Rather than worry about how to fill these long wet days in the UK, our advice is to book a holiday with guaranteed sunshine.”

A weak pound and recession have hurt people’s travel wallet this year and the industry was predicting a bumper season for the local industry as many Britons opt to take their annual hols at home. But the typically fickle British weather has let the side down. As a result operators are noting an increase in last minute bookings on packages to the Canaries and Balearics among other sunny destinations.

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Who stole my Cancun beach?

Friday, July 31st, 2009

Guests of the Gran Caribe Real Hotel on Cancun’s famed sandy beachfront awoke to a crime scene this past Thursday when they found the beach fronting the hotel to be taped off, and swarmed with police officers.

“Today we made the decision to close this stretch of ill-gotten, illegally accumulated sand,” said Patricio Patron, Mexico’s attorney general for environmental protection. “This hotel was telling its tourists: ‘Come here, I have sand … the other hotels don’t, because I stole it.’”

The hotel management stands accused of having pumped sand from the seabed nearby and illegally building a breakwater in a bid to preserve the sand on their stretch of the beach.

Retaining sand has become a chronic problem since Hurricane Wilma swept away the original sand in 2005. Since then Mexican authorities have spent US$19 million restoring the beach with new sand pumped from the sea bed.

However the sand doesn’t always remain, prompting property owners to build breakwaters which simply deprive other sections of the beach of sand.

Five people from the hotel were detained for allegedly pumping sand from the sea floor onto the Gran Caribe Real’s section of beach. No one at the hotel was willing to comment.

It has left some tourists annoyed including guests of the hotel who feel the police are spoiling the tourist venue and intimidating the atmosphere.

“I apologize to the tourists for this problem, but it is a question of enforcing the law,” Patron said.

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Flu virus victims to claim no questions asked insurance

Friday, July 31st, 2009

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has assured policy holders under its members, that they will be given the benefit of the doubt when claiming for treatment of the H1N1 pandemic currently sweeping the globe.

Claims will be processed without the need to provide proof from a GP, in light of the multiple claims and health threat. All that is needed instead is the unique ID number give to claimants when they call The National Pandemic Flu Service helpline. The label of the prescription drugs used treat the symptoms will also need to be submitted with the claim.

This comes as record numbers of people in Britain fall ill with the easily contracted illness, and doctors find themselves overwhelmed and unable to deal with all cases personally. To expedite the treatment people suspected of being ill are being advised to call the helpline to get subscription drugs without having to visit a local doctor.

Those insured with travel insurers belonging to the ABI will now no longer need to provide a GP letter with their claim. However not all travel insurers are members, and will guarantee this – amounting to about 10 per cent.

Last week, Nick Starling, who is the director of general insurance of health at the ABI, said: “While the outbreak of swine flu is causing concern, people should not overreact or panic and travel insurance is there to help”‘ said Nick Starling, director of general insurance of health at the ABI.

Acccording to him, travel insurance normally covers cost of cancellation due to illness or to medical treatment costs abroad, but this has been introduced as an exception.

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EU gets tough on lost luggage

Friday, July 31st, 2009

In response to a recent study that showed 13 air passengers in every 1000 in Europe experience lost luggage, the European Union is set to introduce tougher regulations on airlines operating in its airspace.

The efforts to bolster travellers rights in the EU is part of a task group set up by the Commission to monitor performance of airlines and airports, where one in 64 people are currently experiencing lost luggage. The regulatory arm is considering increasing the compensation airlines must pay for lost luggage, to 1,100 euros per passenger.

This follows gradual tightening of regulation among airlines based in the 27 member countries, introduced to address increased flight delays and over bookings that have spiraled since the industry was deregulated and volume increased on budget airlines.

Antonio Tajani, the European Transport Commissioner, said to reporters: “It’s a serious problem. We have to act.” New legislation that would require the support of the European Parliament and member countries will be proposed mid-2010.

The study was conducted between November 2008 and March 2009. News of this will add more pressure to an industry already reeling from recessionary pressure and recording record losses.

With recognition to www.bloomberg.com for the above quotes, please visit their site for similar news.

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BA downsizes its in-flight refreshments

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

Passengers travelling on short-haul British Airways flights will no longer enjoy free meals from August 2009. Instead they will get no more than a packet of pretzels and something to quench their thirst.

Only breakfasts on flights before 10am will be retained in a move that is set to save the airline £22 million a year. Even snacks for purchase, as offered by budget airlines, will not be offered.

The move comes amid drastic measures to cut costs as the airline industry faces record losses, and many passengers find themselves downgrading from business class or flying less to cope with recession pressures.

The airline, Europe’s third busiest, recorded losses last year in excess of £400 and have had to ask more than 800 staff to fore-go a month’s salary – or eight per cent salary cut – to help reduce expenses.

“When you fly with BA the in-flight catering is top class, and unlike other airlines it’s free”, said a BA spokesperson. “It’s not unusual to make small changes to avoid waste and save money, when it makes sense and meets our customers’ changing tastes”.

BA has come under increasing pressure in recent years from budget airlines who offer no-frills prices that forego the usual services such as complimentary food and drink on board. These are now sold in-flight at premium prices, normally in-line with airports.

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G-day Mate, check in online, says Hertz Australia

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

Customers of Hertz Australia can expect a much more streamlined process and quicker access to their rental cars once arriving at the airport or depot to collect a rental.

With a big thumbs up from customers so far, Hertz has led the way in Australia to make the process more efficient and reduce manpower so that savings can be passed on to the customers.

By registering many of their details online before hand the renter need only sign, present a credit card if necessary and collect the keys.

Details such as name, telephone numbers, address, and driver’s license details are all finalised before hand to avoid time wasted filling in forms. After a long flight this can be a welcome move.

Wayne Burgoyne, the director of sales and marketing of Hertz Australia said, “Waiting time is wasted time. Both business travellers and leisure travellers want to get going as fast as possible to maximise either their working day or their holiday time.”

Typically, up to an hour can be wasted waiting for a hire car while dealing with agents on the ground who might be busy if several passengers from a flight try to pick up their car simultaneously, or the depot is busy receiving and checking another car when you’re ready to collect yours.

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Car hire costs down this summer

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

Data released by the Post Office travel section shows that the cost of using hired cars this summer is lower, mainly due to falling fuel prices. Large drops in the expense of own transport can be expected for Britons traveling abroad.

“The Pound Sterling is recovering just in time for the summer holiday season and combined with the price reductions for fuel and car rental, drivers in the United Kingdom can travel more miles for the same amount of money,” said Post Office head of travel Sarah Munro.

“This year’s report shows more evidence of price cutting activity to boost tourism in popular European summer holiday resorts.”

The biggest drops would be felt in Greece and Portugal, where fuel prices are expected to drop the most. Austria and Spain offer the best value for holiday makers hiring cars while Switzerland has the cheapest petrol on the continent, costing the equivalent of 91 pence a litre.

The Netherlands by contrast has the dearest petrol prices, at times 30 per cent more expensive than Spain.  And while fuel costs and car hire have been getting cheaper by about 10 per cent in Britain and on the continent they seem to have gone the other way across the Atlantic, where the price of gas has increased.

The fluctuating exchange rate has played a hand in this anomaly, with the recent weak pound making trips to Florida and other US states unusually expensive. Car hire is considered a must when visiting the US, due to the lack of suitable public transport for tourists. The strengthening pound has reversed this expense trend.

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Misleading leasing company rapped

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

A leasing company has fallen foul of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) after advertising “brand new cars 4 less” at “amazing prices” which was inconsistent with the product offered on their website.

brandnewcars4less.co.uk, operated by Lombard Vehicle Management, came under pressure from the ASA following complaints that revealed that none of the models featured on the site could be leased at the prices advertised and exceeded the advertised rate by more than £90.

Lombard defended the accusation, saying that prices from finance firms were now being changed at much shorter notice, instead of the usual three to six months, thus resulting in possible misleading prices. They provided proof of customers who had benefited from the prices advertised.

The company was ordered by the ASA to stop running the adverts immediate or risk further censure.

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Watch out for excessive excesses

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

Ensuring you have an excess-inclusive insurance policy when hiring a car on the continent for the rest of the summer is a good idea if you want to avoid a potentially large hole in your holiday budget.

Protectyourbubble.com, an online insurance company, has pointed out the potentially ruinous excesses that some rental companies apply to their standard accident waiver policies that come standard with the hire.

Fees in excess of £1,500 are liable on some vehicles rented in popular destinations such as the Canary islands. Avis, for example, levies a £695 excess for a Seat Leon, while the fee is an outrageous £1,500 should you crash your Fiat Fiesta in Italy. In the UK, typical excess rates on standard vehicle insurance is usually about £100.

Typically, excesses are hire on rentals since the drivers are not the owners and usually driving in a foreign environment, and more likely to have a collision. Higher excesses are normal in the industry to mitigate this.

Therefore holiday makers are strongly advised to pay the addition cost of a fully comprehensive insurance policy that has an excess waiver.

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