Archive for December, 2009
After the recent threat of strike action from BA cabin crew which was halted by the high court everyone who had travel plans breathed a sigh of relief, however many people are still wondering what to do if your flight is cancelled.
Under EU regulations, if your flight is cancelled within seven days of departure you are entitled to a full refund of any part of your ticket that is unused. You are also covered under The Denied Boarding Regulation if your flight is overbooked and you are unable to board, however it does depend on certain criteria such as having have a confirmed booking, whether you checked in on time (or if no check-in time was given, then at least 45 minutes before your flight was scheduled to depart.) and also if you are departing from an EU airport, or from a non-EU airport and flying into an EU airport on a ‘community carrier’ which is an airline with its headquarters and main place of business within the EU. That includes all European discount and ‘no-frills’ airlines.
If you flight is delayed, during this time you should be given two free meals and refreshments appropriate to the delay, free hotel accommodation and hotel transfers if an overnight stay is required and if the delay lasts for five hours or more, you can choose not to travel and get a refund of your ticket cost.
You are not covered under the Regulation if a cancellation or delay causes you miss your connecting flight, incur more travel costs or missed holiday days, but you may be able to claim under the Montreal Convention. When a flight is cancelled, an airline is contractually obliged to provide alternative transportation (not necessarily by air) or a refund. But most airlines’ conditions of carriage specifically exclude liability for any consequential losses. Technically, it should be possible to argue that a cancellation is the same as a delay for the purposes of making a claim under the Montreal Convention (because of the Convention simply refers to “delay in the transportation by air” and a passenger can be delayed as a result of cancellation). But in practice, the two are generally taken to be different.
Posted in 
The cold weather has set in, the nights are dark and chilly you feel like you need an injection of light into your life to keep you going, below are places where you might just find the right antidote.
Fumba, Zanzibar
The best time to visit is between December and February you will miss the northeast monsoon on the southwest coast of Zanzibar. The golden Shiri beach is fringed with mangrove and looks out onto the turquoise blue ocean on the beach you will be privy to some awesome sunsets as you relax drink in hand, in this secluded spot. If you don’t want to spend all your time soaking up the sun there are plenty of other activities to partake in like a picnic to Komonda Island where you can also snorkel on one of the largest reefs in Menia Bay, or fishing and snorkelling excursions and you can also rent kayaks and windsurfers.
Manafaru, Maldives
There are plenty of Maldivian style villas that stretch out into the lagoon that are perched over the water on one of many private Haa Alif Atoll islands, here you will find sheer luxury at its finest you will feel like you are in heaven. The northern-most natural atoll of the Maldives offers plenty of natural beauty as well as glorious sunshine to take in. This secluded island offers the perfect escape.
St Barts
This is the most chic Caribbean island and a favourite haunt of the rich and famous. There are 14 beaches on St Barts all blessed with gleaming white sand and very few of them attract crowds of people so you won’t struggle to find a secluded spot. St Barts also offers a glittering nightlife with restaurants and bars and sometimes on a night you will get live music or an outdoor movie.
Maldives
Picture courtesy of muha…
The decision by the High Court today ruling that the BA strike ballot is illegal will come as some relief for the 1 million passengers due to fly over the 12 day strike period the union Unite had planned for the cabin crew staff. The intervention comes as BA executives demanded the strike not to go ahead because the balloting had breached the 1992 Trade Union Act, because around 900 cabin crew balloted despite taking voluntary redundancy before the strike was due to take place. However Unite has slammed today’s verdict as a “Bad day for democracy” and has said it would hold a new ballot, which is expected to take place in about 2 weeks.
This outcome is a huge relief for BA who stood to lose millions if the strike went ahead, they are now hoping to come to some sort of agreement with Unite before the second ballot takes place.
5 of the best
Incheon International Airport – Has won the Award for Worlds best airport 2009, this is down to the Koreans strength at punctuality and organisation. The airport which opened in 2001 just outside of Seoul has state of the art security facilities and a promise to passengers that procedure will not take longer than 45 min.
Hong Kong International Airport – Is a very modern airport full of luxury shopping and entertainment features such as free wireless internet. It has also won the award for the world’s best airport seven times in the past 10 years.
Singapore Changi – Rates high among passengers probably for an airport there is a sense of calm her with its rooftop pool, orchid gardens and towering palm trees means that people can relax whilst waiting for their flights.
Zurich – Scoring high in its user friendliness and general quality standards, Zurich Airport is the leading European airport followed close behind by Munich (below). It has excellent road connections to major cities and lots of clean and efficient facilities.
Munich – The Germans have always been known for their efficiency so it’s no surprise that their airports follow suit. As with Zurich airport this also has excellent commuter links by road and rail with plenty of buses and trains.
5 of the worst
New Delhi – Unfortunately lets Asia down, it’s one of the dirtiest airports around infested by bugs dirty bathrooms and floors covered with rubbish, you are also charged for toilet roll! This is one airport where you hope your flight won’t be delayed.
Madrid Barajas – This is Europe’s 4th most utilised airport however most people find that their problem with it is it’s far too big, their terminal four occupies around 760,000 square meters and its buildings are separated by up to mile.
Paris Charles de Gaulle – Considering the beauty of architecture in France many people find themselves thinking what went wrong here when they arrive at the airport. It’s defiantly in need of a complete makeover not just on the outside but also on the inside.
Heathrow – Branded as ‘a bit of a dump’ by American Airlines senior executive Heathrow was hoping their new terminal could turn that around however the original opening was marred by delays and lots of lost baggage. Many people dislike waiting around in long queues in the tatty terminals 1-3 as well and find the airport ‘chronically’ busy.
Jakarta Indonesia – Many people dislike this airport thanks to its choked ticket desks which many find confusing and also the congested traffic in and out of the airport annoy many, also the aggressive taxi touts that get in your way.
British Airways cabin crew have voted for a 12 day strike that will hit many passengers over Christmas and the New Year causing chaos for millions of travellers. The planned walkout of 12,500 cabin crew staff will find many people scrambling for tickets on other airlines as people try to complete their journey. The strike will go ahead if BA management and Unite representatives fail to reach a compromise in the next week over an argument against BA’s cost cutting plans.
If the planned strike goes ahead it will be another crippling blow for the airline that is currently fighting for survival, the loss they would incur will add greatly to their current losses of £401 million for the twelve months to March 2009, its expect the company’s total losses to reach £6.8 billion.
Currently around 910,000 passengers are booked to fly with BA on the strike dates, which is about 65,000 a day, previously when strikes have occurred BA have arranged alternative airlines if space was available or refunded passengers they could not, it’s expected that could cost the company at least £80 million.
BA tailfin
Picture courtesy of StartAgain
Everyone would like to travel first class when flying however, for most the cost is just too expensive, but as with most things where there is a will there is a way, below are some tips that could help you to be upgraded from the cattle class to the exclusive first and business class.
If you sign up for an airline’s loyalty card and you are a regular customer you’re more likely to get the letters SFU (Suitable For Upgrade) next to your name on the passenger list, you will find most airline staff prioritise frequent flyers.
Dressing smartly also helps when trying to get up graded, airline staff are less likely to upgrade you if you are dressed scruffily, instead they opt for people who wouldn’t look out of place in business class, so men will need to ditch the jeans and t-shirts and go for something more tidy like shirts and chino’s for a women you must not be seen in tracksuits, jeans or combats instead go for linen trousers or a suitable length skirt.
It’s also worth knowing that check-in and gate staff have far more power to upgrade you than flight crew do so you should start by working your charm offensive with them, but don’t ask outright for a free upgrade as this is most people’s approach and Airline staff get annoyed by it so try to be more subtle.
Generally airlines only upgrade when flights are overbooked, so it can be worth checking in later on a busy flight, but you do have to make sure you’re in the right place at the right time. If you find there are no Economy seats left, the staff may upgrade you or ask you to take a later flight but then give you a seat in Business as compensation. However if there are a number of you travelling together this doesn’t always work out well and you all could end up split up in economy or only one or two of you end up in business or first class and the rest left behind.
It can help to fly from smaller airports, when you fly from large airports you’re competing against a lot more passengers who may also be members of the frequent flier program. You normally find that the smaller the airport, the fewer people you’re competing against.
Don’t forget if all else fails that you can buy yourself an upgrade, at the airport the price tends to get cheaper the nearer you get to take-off. You can also try haggling a bit at the ticket desk: Virgin Atlantic has been known to sell off upgrades to Premium Economy for just £165 one way (bought in advance, they could cost £1,000).
When most people think of festivals, they get an image of waterlogged fields and lots of mud! However there many other festival venues and some you can swap your wellington boots for snow boots! Below are some of the best winter snowboarding and ski festivals around the world where you can mix a skiing holiday with a rocking music festival.
Snowbombing Festival, Austria
Snowbombing Festival takes place in the Austrian town of Mayhofen from the 5th to the 10th April 2010 and is billed as “the world’s greatest show on snow”. Entertainment includes performances by The Editors, Doves, The Enemy and Friendly Fires, as well as a town wide street party in Mayhofen, trips to the “forgotten Valley” where you can climb to the Tux Glacier for a party or you can partake in Challenge the Lumberjack competitions.
The Big Snow Festival, Andorra
The week long snow festival held on the 14th to the 21st of March 2010 takes place in Arinsal in Andorra and the festival feature some of the worlds best DJ’s and live acts like Judge Jules, Eddy Temple Morris and Calvin Harris as well as ski and snowboarding competitions and shows from winter sports professionals.
Telus World Ski & Snowboard Festival
Held in Whistler from 16th to the 25th April 2010, Telus World Ski & Snowboard Festival is an end of season party that lasts for 10 days. With various competitions and demonstration held in ‘new school’ skiing or snowboarding, live concerts and parties and also many fashion, film and photography events, including the ‘72 Hour Filmmaker Showdown’, where 50 teams are given three days to produce and present their personal ski or snowboard film.
Altitude Festival, Meribel
Meribel in France is host to the Altitude Festival held from the 20th to 26th March 2010 and is a mixture of skiing, snowboarding, comedy and music. Some acts include Phill Jupitus, Marcus Brigstocke, 4 Poofs and a Piano and Andrew Maxwell. The festival has many activities scheduled including the highest gig in the world and a cross country ski race.
Ski Jam Music Festival Colorado
The Ski Jam Music Festival is held in Steamboat Springs, Colorado which is one of the world’s largest Ski resorts and runs from the 13th to the 18th January 2010. The backdrop for this festival is the spectacular Rocky Mountains, and they have a great line up of band performing like Keller Williams, Skyrocket and also The Wailers. There are also plenty of other things on offer like snowmobile and sleigh rides and also natural hot springs.
Snowboard Jump
Picture courtesy of Matt Biddulph
The Committee for Climate Change (CCC) has said today “Air travel will have to become more expensive and the number of flights will need to be restricted if the UK is to meet a pledge to lower emissions in 40 years”. With aviation set to increase in the UK over the next few years and plans to add another runway at Heathrow the aviation industry as a whole could rise by 200 percent. However the Governments plans to ensure emissions will not exceed 2005 levels by 2050, will mean that growth could be forcibly kept at 60 percent to meet the targets. This will then cause restrictions in the aviation industry, which inevitably will lead to higher ticket prices for travelers.
These plans to allow growth but to squeeze the traveler to keep emissions at a lower level is not recommended by Greenpeace UK executive director John Sauven who says “Britain flew ‘more than any other nation on Earth’ and that the right approach was limiting demand for flights and investing in alternatives such as better rail links.”
Either way the average UK traveler will still end up paying the price for these plans and the search for cheap flights will become harder in the near future.