Travel Tips

Passengers travelling to the USA under the Visa Waiver Program must have a valid ESTA to gain entry to the USA, and now there’s just seven days left before the USA introduces a charge to obtain an ESTA.

Currently, it is free to obtain an ESTA, however, from 8 September a charge of $14 per person will be levied – a family of four travelling to the USA will have to pay $56 for the privilege of entering the country.

ESTAs are valid for two years, so anyone thinking about travelling to the USA within the next two years can save the fee by applying online now.

For more information and to apply for an ESTA online go to https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/esta.html

It looks as though ferry passengers are to be afforded the same rights as air passengers following a vote by the European Parliament.

At present, passengers travelling by sea or inland waterways only have the right to a refund or a booking on a later sailing if their travel is disrupted, whereas air passengers are entitled to compensation if their flight is cancelled or delayed.

Under new rules, which could come into force in two years passengers could be given:

• guarantee of reimbursement or rerouting in situations of cancellation or of delay at departure of more than 90 minutes,
• adequate assistance (such as snacks, meals, refreshments and, where necessary, accommodation up to three nights, with a financial coverage up to € 80 per night) in situations of cancellation or delay at departure of more than 90 minutes,
• compensation, between 25% and 50% of the ticket price, in situations of delay in arrival or cancellation of journeys,
• non-discriminatory treatment and specific assistance free of charge for disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility both at port terminals and on board ships, as well financial compensation for loss or damage of their mobility equipment.

In addition, the new rights would ensure that new minimum rules on information for all passengers before and during their journey, as well as general information about their rights in terminals and on board ships.

The establishment by carriers and terminal operators of complaint handling mechanism that would be available to passengers, and the establishment of independent national bodies for the enforcement of the regulation, through, where appropriate, the application of penalties.

All that remains now is for the Council to confirm the agreement reached with the Parliament for this regulation to be formally adopted. The Regulation is due to enter into force two years after its adoption.

Virtually everyone has a mobile phone these days. Let’s face it, how many of us could survive without one? We all want instant contact: make a short call; send a quick text message, and we simply have to check our emails whenever we get the chance. But how many of us stop to think about what happens when we go on holiday? What are the roaming charges and what sort of bill are we going to face when we get home?

Apparently, most of us don’t bother checking, in fact, in a recent survey of 7000 people almost 60 per cent of UK travellers are not aware of the new EU roaming cap for Internet access within Europe. This is despite over half regularly accessing websites from their smartphones when on an overseas trip.

The research, carried out by budget accommodation portal budgetplaces.com, discovered that, despite over a quarter of people making between five and eight trips abroad per year, 74 per cent of travellers do not contact their network operator to get the best deal before hopping on a plane.

A further 90 per cent confessed to not having any idea what their operators charge for accessing the web when overseas, with 60 per cent saying they considered the £45 cap too high and would be upset if charged this amount.

“The roaming cap is a positive step to prevent enormous bills on returning home, but it’s clear travellers don’t know exactly what they are paying while abroad. This is leading to unexpected, yet avoidable, costs on top of their holiday,” said John Erceg, MD at budgetplaces.com.

Based on its experiences, budgetplaces.com has put together its top three tips for cash-conscious consumers:

1. Check before you travel – call your operator and find out what its pricing structure is. Quite often, they will have add-on ‘bundles’ available, meaning you’ll know what you’re paying before leaving the UK.
2. Use smart apps – find the quickest and easiest apps to use, such as those that allow you to complete actions without using additional sites, minimising time online and therefore cost.
3. Shop around – find areas that offer free Wi-Fi facilities, your hotel may have this (as do the majority of hotels bookable on www.budgetplaces.com), or cafes often allow customers access. Then you can surf to your heart’s content for the price of an espresso.

“By planning ahead and getting the best deal, travellers can ensure that more of their holiday budget goes on experiencing different cultures and exploring the sites rather than worrying about unexpected bills when you get home,” added Erceg.

Passengers travelling between the UK and the Isle of Man will be breathing a sigh of relief after the UK Government’s announcement that it is to extend its reciprocal health agreement with the Isle of Man.

The reciprocal health agreement, which has been in place for 60 years, was due to end on 31 March 2010, however, the UK Health Secretary Andy Burnham, has announced that the agreement will be extended for a further six months to allow for further negotiations.

Mr Burnham said: ‘After further discussions with Chief Minister Brown, I have given further consideration to the ending of the reciprocal health agreement.

‘Together we have agreed that from 31 March, we would adopt an interim position for a period of six months.

‘While we will cease the payment of any allocation to the Isle of Man, this will ensure arrangements for travellers on temporary visits remain the same as they are today.

‘The situation will remain under review and we will consider whether or not this could form the basis for a new agreement which we will discuss in the autumn.’

Related post:

UK reciprocal health agreement with the IOM ends 31 March 2010

British Airways has announced its flight schedule for the next strike period – an expanded schedule due to an increase in non-striking cabin crew staff.

During the next strike period of 27 – 30 March the airline will operate:

• All flights to and from London City Airport
• All flights to and from Gatwick Airport
• At Heathrow: up to 55 % of BA’s shorthaul and 70% of BA’s longhaul flights will operate

All flights operated by BA subsidiary, franchise, alliance and codeshare partners will operate as normal

For full information, updated details of flight operation and to check the status of your flight click here.

If you are flying this year, don’t forget to check what your baggage entitlement is. Failure to do so could resort in you facing expensive excess baggage fees at the airport – as much as £20 per kilo in some cases – or having to pay to check-in your hand luggage because it’s too big or too heavy.

Airlines set their own rules with regard to baggage allowances – sizes of baggage and weight limits are not set by the airport and there is no cross-the-board limits amongst the airlines. Don’t assume that what is acceptable by one airline will be acceptable by another. Even if you are flying with your usual airline, don’t automatically think that last year’s weight limit is going to be the same this year. Always check.

If you are booking your flights online, your flight confirmation should state your baggage entitlement – that’s if you have booked to take a suitcase and your hand baggage limits. Most of the low-cost carriers give you the option of travelling with hand luggage only and checking in a suitcase needs to be pre-booked – some airlines will allow you to pay for checked-in baggage at the airport terminal but this is usually double the online fee. Some airlines allow more than one piece of checked-in baggage, but not all do.

If you are uncertain, check your airline’s website for baggage allowances, both checked-in baggage size and weight, and also hand luggage sizes and weight allowances. Baggage limits can usually be found in the FAQ or questions section.

Don’t get caught out by having overweight luggage as excess baggage charges can make a big dent in your holiday spending money!

Travelling without checking the local laws and customs of your destination could land you in big trouble.

It’s easy to take the things we do in the UK for granted, such as topless sunbathing or even kissing in public, but in some countries these activities are illegal and can land you with a hefty fine, deportation, or even imprisonment. It’s often only when an arrest receives media attention, such as the arrest of a couple in November for allegedly kissing on the mouth in a restaurant in Dubai, that tourists become aware that we need to familiarise ourselves with other cultures.

As we expand our horizons and travel further afield out of the familiar Euro-zone, it’s important to be aware of local customs and laws. We spend time researching potential holiday destinations, checking flights, accommodation and even consumer reviews, but rarely do we stop and think about differences in culture and the implications they can have.

When researching your chosen holiday destination, spend some time investigating local customs and laws. You may be surprised to learn that it is illegal to sunbathe topless in the Maldives and Abu Dhabi. Or that homosexuality is illegal in some popular holiday destinations such as Morocco and Goa. Ladies, watch out for the length of your skirt too as wearing a skirt above the knee is some countries could result in receiving a fine or certainly an official warning.

Where to get more information and advice:

A great place to find out about local laws and customs is to check out the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website, which offers up-to-date, country by country travel advice.

If your plans appear to be up in the air because of the proposed strike by British Airways cabin crew, don’t panic just yet as the airline has plans to operate around 60% of its flights should the planed strike action go ahead on 20, 21, 22 March.

Flights unaffected by the proposed strike include:

• All flights operated to and from London City Airport will operate as normal
• Flights operated by subsidiary OpenSkies between Paris and New York will operate as normal.
• Flights operated by British Airways franchise partners (Comair in South Africa and Sun Air in Scandinavia) will operate as normal.
• Flights operated by other carriers (including oneworld Alliance partners) which have a BA codeshare flight number will operate as normal

For all other flights, passengers should check with British Airways.

The airline has set up a customer helpline for passengers affected by the industrial action – the contact number is a free-phone: 0800 727 800.

Passengers with bookings during the proposed strike action can check their flight status and bookings here: www.britishairways.com/rtad/travel/public/en_gb

For up-to-date strike action information check here www.britishairways.com/travel/strike-ballot/public/en_gb

Holidaymakers looking to book hire cars for the busy Easter and summer holidays are being advised to book their car hire early.

The warning comes from the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA), which expects the car hire shortages experienced last year to be repeated again this year.

Last year saw car hire shortages during the busy holiday seasons particularly in tourist hotspots and at airports – car hire companies have reduced vehicle numbers since the start of the recession. An alternative to car hire is motorhome hire. Motorhomes help reduce the cost of hotels and are a good option considering the shortages of cars for hire.

“Rental companies always try to look ahead and estimate demand for peak periods, but with finance in short supply and new vehicle prices rising, they can ill afford to have cars sitting around idle,” said John Lewis, chief executive of the BVRLA.

“This means that there will be periods when demand outstrips supply. You wouldn’t go to an airport and expect to buy a ticket on the day you want to travel, and the same should apply to renting a car.”

“Cars are expensive assets and you can’t turn the supply on and off like an ice-cream machine or printing presses.”

So, the message seems clear from the BVRLA: ‘book your car hire early to avoid disappointment’ as rental vehicles can’t be shipped in overnight to cater for demand. But, before you book your car hire, shop around to compare contracts and prices. You may find this previous post about checking car hire terms and conditions useful.

Okay, the recession is officially over, but that doesn’t mean that we are all feeling the benefits just yet. When we’re looking to book this year’s holiday we’re still looking for the cheaper options: cheap flights, cheap accommodation, cheap car hire etc., but we don’t want to compromise on quality.

So what can you do to save money and grab a bargain flight? The following tips will help you to save money when booking flights without compromising on your comfort:

1. Book your flights early
   The old days of bagging a last-minute bargain are long gone. Nowadays, airlines release a fixed number of cheap tickets early, then, as the seats are sold and you get closer to the departure date, the price of the flights increases. Check it out now: find a flight booking engine and check the price of a flight next week compared with a flight on the same route in three months’ time and see the difference.
2. Be flexible in your choice of destination
   Holidaying in a less fashionable, or up and coming location, could save you money on flights as high demand for the traditionally popular resorts will be reflected in the higher price of the flights.
3. Be flexible on dates
   If you don’t have children, try to book your flights outside of the school holidays. Demand for flights rises during the school holidays and with it the prices. You are much more likely to find cheap flights outside of the school holidays when demand slows. Just a couple of weeks either side of the school holidays can make such a difference to the price. Consider flying midweek too, as flights are often cheaper during the week.
4. Check out the flight options online
   Do your research and compare flight prices online before booking. It’s well worth shopping around and checking various websites to see what is available and what is included in the price so you know what represents a good deal.
5. Travel with hand luggage only
   If you are travelling with a budget airline that charges for checked-in luggage, consider travelling with hand-luggage only. This doesn’t work for everyone, me included, but many people are able to travel light and save themselves money in the process. Alternatively, a family of four can make significant savings by taking two suitcases instead of four.
6. Check in online
   Some airlines now charge you to check-in at the airport so, if your airline is one of them, check-in online. It’s quick, easy and saves time at the airport.
7. Compare airlines and their charges
   Just because the flights are cheaper with one airline does not mean the total cost will be cheaper. Factor in all the charges added by individual airlines to accurately compare flight prices. What may look more expensive at the start could work out to be the cheapest flight option when you add on check-in charges, luggage charges, onboard refreshments etc.
8. Consider a package holiday
   Package holidays are becoming much more flexible, so booking your holiday accommodation and flights together could work out cheaper than booking accommodation and flights separately.