Archive for the ‘Travel News’ Category
The Swiss ski resort of Zermatt has now opened four new slope for slower skiers in mind, the ‘slow slope’ have been designated to keep speeding skiers away so for those who wish to enjoy a leisurely jaunt down the slopes without the worry of being knocked over by fast skiers. The aim is to reduce accidents on the slopes and it also means less experienced skiers can enjoy their ski holiday without worry.
Ski speed limits have been used at resorts in the USA for some time and people who have visited them will be used to the ski police with their flashing helmets chasing and fining reckless skiers. The slow slopes will be monitored and any offenders who are seen to be speeding or skiing recklessly will lose their ski pass. There are calls for more slow slopes in the Alps to improve safety and reduce the risks of accidents, almost 30 a year die in skiing accident on the alps and number there hoping to reduce with the new measures. Skiers across France will also see a post campaigning for more caution on the slopes with the Foreign Office teaming up with French Officials to educate the large amount British tourists who have taken up many of the cheap ski deals on the perils of drinking at high altitudes.
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Riyadh, which in Arabic means the Gardens, is the Capital of Saudi Arabia, as well as the largest city there and is situated in the centre of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau. Described as a ‘true oasis in the desert’ Riyadh is full of culture, history, beautiful architecture and an exotic feel of opulence that enchants any visitor. It is also easy and economic to get to with cheap flights to Riyadh departing from most UK airports.
Riyadh has the best of both worlds for any visitor, for tourists it has retained its ancient heritage and sight-seeing opportunities and for business travellers there many modern amenities which this city has to offer. With skyscrapers towering above the desert Riyadh is one of the most affluent cities in Saudi Arabia with amazing shopping opportunities in the Kingdom Centre, which has a state-of-the art three-level shopping mall with more than 160 stores and many other things. As well as glitzy shopping you can still find more traditional shopping experiences with little markets nestled down side streets selling a wide range of local produce and individual handmade gifts. As with other Saudi Arabian cities fast food is very popular with many western fast food chains in the city, however there are many small local restaurants where you can sample native food.
The best time to visit is the late winter to spring when there is little to no rain and the average temperatures are still warm and the city is known for its evening thunderstorms that cool the city down in time for the night to come to life. The city is also run on a strictly Islamic moral and cultural code, and visitors should respect the rules while exploring the sights, both ancient and modern, as women have restricted access to certain attractions and sites.
Kingdom Tower
Picture courtesy of Alan Light
Since the attempted bombing on Christmas day on the Detroit bound North West Airlines Flight security measures have now been increased. Under a new directive issued by U.S. authorities, passengers bound for the U.S. will now undergo an ‘enhanced screening’ at UK departure gates and British Prime minister Gordon Brown has now given the go ahead for full body scanners to be introduced as soon as possible and extra measures to check for explosive traces on hand luggage.
The full body scanners will be a permanent fixture in airports once they are introduced although it is not know how long the extra checks and security measures implemented by the US will be used. Current advice for travellers is to give yourself extra time and before you travel check Directgov website.
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.
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.
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