Archive for the ‘Long haul’ Category
So far this year we have had one of the wettest summers on record and although we have had muggy temperatures we haven’t seen as much sun as we may have wanted to, and as we head in to autumn and winter our chances are pretty slim. There are many holiday deals around at the moment for some last minute get a ways, however you can also get some good off-peak deals for a winter sun holiday to give you a much needed boost over the winter months.
Popular winter sun destinations include:
Buzios, Brazil which offers eight hours of daily sunshine
Bali & Indonesia which offers ten hours of daily sunshine
Goa, India which offers eight hours of daily sunshine
Reduit Bay, St Lucia which offers eight and half hours sunshine
Clearwater, Florida which offers eight hours of sunshine
The Caribbean is always a popular winter sun destination here you also get a good eight hours of sunshine a day with high temperatures of around 85.0°F or 30°C and a great way to experience the idyllic combination of sun-drenched beaches, endless swathes of blue cloudless sky and sparkling waters is by taking a cruise holiday. Not only can you spend time relaxing on board a fantastic cruise liner but also relax on private beaches or enjoy jeep safaris through tropical rainforests, swimming with stingrays or horse riding. On a cruise holiday your every need is taken care of and you won’t have to worry about a thing other than making sure you get enough rest, relaxation and most importantly sunshine.
If you book now you will find that there are many great cruise offers available so you can get your fix of winter sun, and prices are very reasonable especially when you think about how much you get to see and do, much more than a holiday in just one Caribbean resort.
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If you’re looking for a last minute deal for your summer holiday you will probably be able to find some great deals on the internet, sometimes for last minute holiday deals, booking hotel accommodation, flights and transfer can work out cheaper than a package holiday with holiday companies vying for your custom. If you’re looking for a cheap UK getaway you can find great flights to London, Edinburgh or Belfast, or if you want to find some guaranteed sun look for cheap flights to holiday hot spots such as Spain, Turkey or Greece.
However sometimes though these ‘cheap’ flights are not all they seem, the advertised price doesn’t always include extras such as tax, fuel supplements, baggage charges, booking fee’s charges for a in-flight meal as well as seat selection and a charge for paying by credit card. These charges which most carries add on can double the advertised ticket price, and you could end up paying a lot more than you anticipated if you do not check the small print.
If you do book a DIY holiday where you arrange your flights and accommodation from different suppliers you may not be as protected as you think, if anything happens to your airline and they stop flying it will be up to you to make new travel arrangements and to get home may cost you a lot more than you originally paid. Sometimes you may also have to leave early or stay longer to get a flight home which will also cost you money. If you do book a DIY holiday then you need to make sure that you have travel insurance which covers you in the event of airline insolvency and any indirect loss as a consequence, beware that many policies don’t give this cover, while those that do limit the amount you can claim or have exclusions, so read the small print.
If you do find some great last minute holiday deals make sure you read the small print for your cheap flight offers, and cut-price accommodation to make sure you won’t incur any unexpected charges and importantly take out adequate insurance.
Any hope that the situation between BA, cabin crew and Unite will be resolved have been dashed after BA rejected an offer to resume talks. Now Unite say its members plan to take 20 days of action after they rejected BA’s latest offer, the walk outs are planned for May 18-22 inclusive, May 24-28, May 30-June 3 and June 5-9. The last day of strike action will come just two days before the start of the world cup tournament.
Many passengers will be affected as the planned walk outs cover the spring bank holiday and half-term school holidays as well as the fans travelling to South Africa. So far BA has dismissed Unites pleas for further talks and the carrier is remaining firm with offers.
BA said it planned to operate a “substantial” part of its long-haul schedule from Heathrow and predicted that flights to and from Gatwick would continue as normal. A statement from the airline said: “British Airways is saddened but not surprised that Unite has announced further plans for extensive disruption for potentially hundreds of thousands of our customers over a busy period that includes the May half-term holidays. This decision has no semblance of justification. Unite’s officials continue to operate in their own world, showing callous disregard for our customers and their own members in all parts of our airline. We have made a very fair offer, which meets the concerns the union raised during 14 months of negotiations and also ensures that our crew remain the best rewarded in the UK airline industry. That offer remains available. We are confident that many crew will again ignore Unite’s pointless strike call and support the efforts of the rest of the airline to keep our customers flying.”
You’re ready for your holiday after checking in and passing through security your waiting in the departure lounge then you see DELAYED next to your flight, there’s nothing more frustrating that having to wait even longer to go, even worse when you’re stuck waiting on the plane! Recently we looked at the worst airports in the world for arrivals now we have a list for the worst for on time departure:
1. Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK), ranked worst for on time departures, with only 38.3% leaving on time. However FlightStats’ sampling of the airport’s passenger flights in 2009 shows that 53% of delayed departures got off the ground less than 30 minutes late.
2. Dubai International Airport (DXB), this recently popular tourist destination comes in second place for late departures, but with 37.4 million passengers in 2008, it’s no surprise there are some delays. 44.6% of their flights are on time and for those that aren’t about 55% of delayed commercial departures took off less than 30 minutes after their scheduled time.
3. Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport (SVO) comes in third with only 45.7% of their flights leaving on time making Moscow Sheremetyevo International in 2009 the worst for on-time departure out of the city’s three major airports. According to FlightStats’ sampling of data, 72% of the airport’s late commercial passenger flights took off within 30 minutes of their scheduled departure times.
4. Cairo International Airport (CAI) ranked number four for worst departures is somewhat disputed by the airports chief operations officer who says 80% depart on time but FlightStats counts scheduled passenger flights at about 54.7% of all arrivals and departures arrived on time. The COO says that extended taxi routings for airlines operating from a new terminal have contributed to delays.
5. Rome Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino (FCO), for a second time in a year Rome’s main airport ranks fifth, with 55% of flights departing on time, In 2009 46% of Fiumicino’s delayed commercial flights departed within a half hour of scheduled takeoff, according to FlightStats’ data. But 12% of all flights sampled departed at least 45 minutes late.
6. Dallas / Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) ranking at number six Dallas’s airport according to FlightStats has 56.4% of its scheduled flights take off on time however according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, 75% of flights out of Dallas/Fort worth International in the last year departed on time. An airport spokesman stated most flight delays are weather-related.
7. Istanbul Ataturk International Airport (IST), the on time departures currently stands at 58.2% and features on both the worst on time arrivals and worst on time delays lists. In 2009 about 57% of late passenger flights departed from Istanbul within a half hour of scheduled takeoff, according to FlightStats’ data sample.
8. Manchester Airport (MAN), they only UK airport on the list and something to be aware of when booking flights to London, European destinations or further afield. On a plus side it dropped from second place to eighth. Most late departures were delayed by only 15 to 29 minutes, according to FlightStats’ sampling of data. Which isn’t bad considering it’s the busiest airports in Northern England.
9. Miami International Airport (MIA) had the worst on-time departure performance of any of the 31 major airports in the United States from January through November 2009, with 60.6% of flights leaving on time. Making MIA a slightly better ranking than Dallas/Fort Worth.
10. Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) on our list at number on for worst on time arrivals fair better on the worst delayed list coming in at number 10 with 62.4% of flights departing on time. According to FlightStats, if your flight out of this airport in 2009 was late, there was a 15% chance you’d wait no more than a half hour. Unfortunately there was also a 14% chance that you’d wait at least 45 minutes.
As we on time arrivals, you need to be aware that even if you got a cheap flight you may still be delayed in setting off on time from your airport!
There nothing worse than been delayed at the airport especially when the flight you are on is delayed and you have a scheduled connecting charter flight to catch or train and have top rush around hoping you get your luggage. Below is a list of airports ranked as worst for arrivals:
1. Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL), ranked as number one for most delayed arrivals it only manages to have 44.5% on time arrivals. Scheduled passenger flights at the airport arrived at least 45 minutes late, according to FlightStats’ sampling of flights.
2. Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (BOM), comes in behind Indira with its on time arrivals at 55.9%, it India’s busiest airport and handled 24.3 million passengers in 2008. FlightStats’ data show 15% of sampled flights at the airport in 2009 were at least 45 minutes late.
3. Istanbul Ataturk International Airport (IST), handled 29 million passengers in 2008 however ranked at number 3 and only 60.7% of flights arrived on time means it has some improving to do to manage flights at the crossroads’ of Europe and Asia. More than 11% of flights were late by at least 45 minutes.
4. Chennai International Airport (MAA) is the 3rd busiest airport in India which had 10.1 million passengers passing through in 2008, they get fourth place with on time arrivals at 63.9%. According to FlightStats 10% of sampled flights at Chennai arrived more than 45 minutes late.
5. LA-Ontario International Airport (ONT) this American airport seems a far cry from the Asian airports however they too get bugged with delays which has earned this LA airport 5 place as most delayed airports with 65.1% of arrivals on time, offered as a to the traffic congestion at nearby Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) which has 81% of its flights arrive on time.
6. Newark International Airport (EWR) another popular American Airport Newark also suffers from late arrivals with 18% of its scheduled flights arriving 45 minutes late compared to the 65.4% that arrived on time.
7. Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport (SSH) An increase in tourism has caused many problems in delays for this airport, 21% to 7.7 million passengers, according to Airports Council International, from 2007 to 2008, 66% of its flights arrived on time with nearly 13% arriving more than 45 minutes late.
8. London Stansted Airport (STN) means a UK airport also makes it onto this list which isn’t surprising for any on who has booked a flight to London recently, Stansted, is Britain’s third-busiest airport and a hot spot for budget airlines and only has 66.7% of flights arriving on time. A FlightStats spokeswoman says the dispute over on-time arrivals is likely due to a different definition of “scheduled flights” in the U.K.
9. Buenos Aires Ezeiza International Airport (EZE) coming in at number 9 and fairing slightly better than other airports Ezeiza International handles more than 70% of international air traffic stopping in Argentina, with 67.7% of flights arriving on time with only about 13% 45 minutes or more late.
10. New York LaGuardia International Airport (LGA) finds another New York airport on the list, none of the New York area’s major airports are known for punctual arrivals and departures, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs LaGuardia, JFK and Newark says “We’ve got three of the busiest airports in the country within a few miles of each other,”. However LaGuardia offers slightly better on time arrivals than Newark with 68.3% of flights arriving on time.
So before you start eyeing up the cheap flights on the internet take a look to make sure your destination airport isn’t one of the above which could end up costing you extra in lost time!
Holidays to another country are still considered a luxury for many, with the cost of air travel going up every year and the strength of the pound proving weak it’s not going to get any more affordable any time soon.
So if you’re lucky enough to save up enough money to go away you need to get as much as you can from it, for example pick somewhere up-and-coming for your holiday, for example Indonesia, this can make good financial sense because less visited places even long haul still have relatively low air fare. If you don’t fancy long haul and want somewhere closer to home some Eastern European destinations such as Slovenia and Hungary are relatively cheap to visit still but they also have plenty of natural and cultural attractions and remain largely unspoilt.
Another way to save is being flexible when you take your holiday, you can find great deals travelling during off peak times, so if you don’t have to take your holiday Saturday to Saturday you can find cheaper flights at off peak mid week times.
With your destination chosen and your flights arranged you now need to start looking into your accommodation and this is where the internet can help, easy to keep an eye out for online hotel and agency promotions offering free upgrades and meal deals, with many looking to entice you to stay and remember if you don’t see it offered – ask!
Sometimes so deals look too good to be true, make sure you check all the small print and make sure you won’t be charged for added extras once your there. It’s also worth while checking out what people have to say about your chosen hotel so have a look at online travel forums such as Trip Advisor to see what people who have actually stayed there really think. Travel forums are also a great resource for your holiday destination you will get a much more rounded picture than that given by a travel agent or someone with a vested interest in the area.
Once all is booked all you need to do is save some spending money and look forward to your holiday.
It’s no surprise that after the recent strikes BA is voted least favourite UK carrier, not a good prospect in the world market, this is the last thing BA would like to hear after many UK passengers switched from them and found cheap flights in some cases with other carries.
The survey which was conducted by Australia’s Choice consumer group found BA ranked the lowest of 11 airlines that fly to the UK, the fourth most popular international route out of Australia airlines were rated on price and in-flight service. Many people criticised BA for having poor in-flight service with staff branded as rude and confrontational, many also cited comfort as been poor with not enough leg room and seats uncomfortable as well as the food served scoring badly, scoring a total of 57% customer satisfaction.
Topping the poll was Singapore Airlines with 81% customer satisfaction, other airlines that fared better than BA were Royal Brunei, Virgin Atlantic, Cathay Pacific and Emirates, Australia’s domestic carrier Qantas, which code shares with BA on many flights to London, also scored poorly for its service.
BA tailfin
Picture courtesy of StartAgain
Bringing the past back to life with a transatlantic cruise is defiantly something one should experience, the Atlantic ocean is one of the world’s greatest cruise routes going back to its heyday of steam liners crossing the vast expanse. There’s nothing better than setting out on this exciting voyage in luxury that you get on a cruise ship which has a superb selection of international cuisine, leisure activities, evening entertainments and kids clubs, to ensure the entire family has a memorable experience everyone will love.
A cruise holiday from Southampton to San Francisco is one of the best over 20 nights you stop off at ports that include Madera, St Lucia, Isla Margarita and Curacao as well as passing through the Panama Canal and stopping off at Acapulco before you arrive in San Francisco.
Willemstad, Curacao
Picture courtesy of Jessica Bee
There is no worry about not having enough time to enjoy all the ports as you get to spend a day in each travelling to some over night as well as been able to relax and enjoy the amenities the ship has to offer on the days you are at sea.
Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco
Picture courtesy of Alain Picard
So there is no better time to start looking for cruise deals to go across the pond!
A stay and cruise holiday in the Caribbean will see you embarking on a spectacular adventure around some of the most exotic islands in the world onboard the luxurious cruise ship the Carnival Victory, as well as the opportunity to spend 3 nights at the beautiful Almond Casuarina Beach resort in Barbados before you depart on the 7 day cruise.
You get to fully relax at the 4* Almond Casuarina Beach resort in Christchurch enjoying lazy days languishing beside the pool as well as exploring the brilliantly-coloured tropical fish, sea turtles, shipwrecks and coral reefs underwater with a snorkelling day trip on a boat. After 3 days relaxing and taking in the sights of Barbados you will then be ready to embark on a 7 night cruise on the Carnival Victory from the port of Bridgetown.
Hastings Christchurch
Picture courtesy of shaggyshoo
The Carnival Victory is a spacious modern cruise ship and not steeped in tradition like many others, onboard you feel free to let your hair down and enjoy everything this vessel has to offer from four pools, spacious sundeck to a luxurious spa as well as many fun family activities. They also cater for many tastes with plenty of bars and restaurants and you will find plenty to do on an evening like parties happening on deck, movies to watch under the stars and live music in a number of the bars.
Overnight you travel to each new destination waking up each morning in a different port to explore, from the island of St Lucia with its amazing scenery, varying from exotic rainforests and botanical gardens to volcanoes to St Kitts and St Maarten where you can enjoy plenty of well-organised activities, from duty-free shopping and water sports to historic and desolated beaches. Other exotic destinations include San Juan in Puerto Rico, St Thomas and the Dominica where you can enjoy the local rum punch and adopt the ‘no worries’ attitude of the locals and watch for whales and dolphins, or go river tubing and even traverse through the jungle canopy. Each island you visit offers a different experience each time so you will never tire of the adventure. A stay and cruise holiday is a great way to get away on a relaxing holiday, there is no reason not to book one now with some great cruise deals available!
St. Thomas Harbour
Picture courtesy of Quintanomedia