Lost Luggage Still a Risk When You Travel

Lost Luggage Still a Risk When You Travel

According to an article in the Times, BA heads the list in a table of 29 European airlines, the equivalent to “nine passengers travelling on a typical BA jumbo jet flight between January and June and their bags were missing when they arrived at their destination.” This comes at a time when BA have launched an advertising campaign “Terminal 5 is working” and, according to the airline, the AEA figures reflect past problems at Heathrow. Not that we should single out BA as they are doing their best to remedy the initial problems at Terminal 5 and those now using the terminal speak highly of their experience. Budget airlines also tend to lose fewer bags than traditional carriers but then again they do not offer connecting services through hub airports as the likes of British Airways do. Part of the problem is that Heathrow is an extremely busy airport with traffic levels beyond what it was originally designed for. If you do find that your bags have gone missing, you can go some way to help youself by following some basic simple rules. Such as, clearly tag your baggage. This should include your name, your flight number, your departure and arrival destinations and the date of your flight. A good suggestion is to place your name and address inside the top of your suitcase just in case it needs to be opened by baggage handlers should your luggage be lost when in transit. Do make sure that, if you lose your bags, you get a Property Irregularity Report from your carrier, preferably before you leave the airport. If your bags still don’t turn up, then you should get a letter from the airline stating that they are irretrievably lost as you will need this to make a claim for the lost items. Lost baggage is a key components of most travel insurance policies but do shop around before buying and do check the terms and conditions to ensure there are no exclusions that could affect you. Travel insurance is there to assist when it goes wrong so it makes sense to have some cover in place whenever you travel.

South African born Keith has lived in the south of England for most of his life. After graduating from University with a degree in Business Information Systems Management he decided to start Strawberrysoup; a website design company based in West Sussex and Dorset.

Keith successfully gained entry into the Southampton University Air Squadron and spent over 12 months training to fly. Since then he has continued to follow his interest in flying and has now began his own training in the form of a Private Pilot’s Licence.

Keith also spent 13 months working within the Image and Printing Group at Hewlett Packard in Bracknell. Throughout his time there, he was responsible for many activities including events organisation and website design and maintenance.

Better Travel Failure Protection Called for

Better Travel Failure Protection Called for

The aviation industry is failing to provide passengers with adequate protection if airlines fail, according to a report by the Air Travel Insolvency Advisory Committee (ATIPAC). ATIPAC, which advises the Civil Aviation Authority, called for an end to the current system in which scheduled airlines are able to operate without offering passengers the same financial security that package holidaymakers enjoy, through the Air Tour Organiser’s License (ATOL) system. Passengers flying as part of a package holiday with ATOL-protected operators automatically have a £1 charge added to the price of their holiday, which contributes to a regulated travel insurance fund. The news comes in the wake of a report by Blue Oar investments claiming at least 50 European airlines face bankruptcy if the current decline in the aviation industry fails to improve. Rising fuel costs and the worldwide credit crunch have already seen at least 25 airlines go bust this year, including Silverjet, Eos, Maxjet, ATA and Oasis Hong Kong, while EasyJet, Ryanair and British Airways have announced cutbacks in flights this winter and falling profit in the last few weeks. So how do you you protect yourself when an airline or tour operator goes bust? Who or what is out there? Some insurers offer Passenger Protection Insurance sold separately or Dynamic Packaging Protection as part of a travel insurance policy but always check the small print if this is offered because these are quite often restrictive in their cover. You can reduce the risk further by organising your travel through companies and agents covered by ATOL or who hold bonding through an approved body, such as ABTA or AITO. ATOL stands for Air Travel Organiser’s licensing and is a protection scheme for flights and air holidays, managed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and protects the customer from losing money or being stranded abroad when a tour operator goes bust. All licensed firms have to lodge bonds with the CAA so that, if they go out of business, the CAA can give refunds to people who can’t travel and arrange for people abroad to finish their holidays and fly home. And ABTA? Members of the Association of British Travel Agents are required to provide financial protection for their customers which means that you can book your holiday knowing that if an ABTA member fails financially while you are on holiday, you can continue your holiday as planned. If your holiday has not started, then you will receive a full refund or be given help to make alternative arrangements for the trip to proceed. Likewise AITO, or Association of Independent Tour Operators to give it its full title, require their members to protect their customer’s money in the event of an AITO member going into liquidation. Above all of this, it is vital you have a comprehensive travel insurance policy incase the worth was to happen.

South African born Keith has lived in the south of England for most of his life. After graduating from University with a degree in Business Information Systems Management he decided to start Strawberrysoup; a website design company based in West Sussex and Dorset.

Keith successfully gained entry into the Southampton University Air Squadron and spent over 12 months training to fly. Since then he has continued to follow his interest in flying and has now began his own training in the form of a Private Pilot’s Licence.

Keith also spent 13 months working within the Image and Printing Group at Hewlett Packard in Bracknell. Throughout his time there, he was responsible for many activities including events organisation and website design and maintenance.

Direct Flight to Harare – Time Saving Travel

Direct Flight to Harare – Time Saving Travel

Flying to Harare for a vacation? You have chosen the perfect place for your vacation in Africa. Harare is distinctive and a fascinating place in heart of Zimbabwe. It is also the capital city of Zimbabwe. If you are planning your travel from UK, then you must be looking for Direct flights to Harare. Harare offers a wide variety of tourist attractions such as beaches that are ideal for swimming, museums, and magnificent waterfalls.

Direct flights to any destination save a lot of time on your travel. Direct flights to Harare are available from London, Manchester, Edinburgh, New Castle, Glasgow, Birmingham and many other cities also. Many indirect flights like Etihad, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, British Airways, etc., are flying from UK to Harare. But Air Zimbabwe is the only direct flight flying from UK to Harare.

Travelers will love this place as it offers a lot to explore. National Gallery houses, Queen Victoria Museum and the Queen Victoria National Library are worth to visit. Harare has been renowned for its rich and cultural heritage. This city offers many sightseeing but, Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe are incredible. Harare offers a unique mixture of contemporary life, comforts and at the same time, it preserves the ruins from the past.

Air Zimbabwe is directly connecting UK to Harare at cheap and affordable prices. Flights are always punctual with this airline. Crew members are of very friendly nature, are polite and humble as well. Seats are very comfortable in both economy and business class. It takes approx 10.30 hours to reach Harare from London Heathrow. Duration of flight can vary due to city of departure and the weather conditions. It has two stars ranking approved by Skytrax.

Many travel companies are providing Cheap flights to Harare. Search for such kind of companies and choose the best cheap deal for your vacation. These companies are also offering holiday packages and honeymoon packages, you can take advantage of these for cheap travel.

Travel through direct flights save your precious time. Book cheap direct flight for your travel to all round the globe. Months from May to August are good to visit, as it is coolest time period. Avoid months of November to March/April, as it is the wet & warm season there.


Alvis Gray has been offering Cheap air travel and holiday packages advice for quite some time. To find Cheap flights to Harare, Flights to Harare, Direct flights to Harare, Harare Flights, Flights to Harare from London, Harare flights and flight tickets to Harare that best suits your needs visit www.cheapflightstoharare.org.uk

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Flights to Johannesburg: How to find cheap airfares

Flights to Johannesburg: How to find cheap airfares

Planning a vacation is wonderful thing to get rid of a scheduled life and its boredom. No needs to worry about high airfares, as availability of cheap airfares are very easy these days. For a vacation what we all need? We need flights, reserve hotels, some beachwear and enough time to spend lovely vacation to make it a memorable one. Now days, availability of cheap flights and airfares are easy to get for budget travelers and high class business travelers as well.

Johannesburg is a captivating destination and one of the largest cities in South Africa. Johannesburg is the source of a large-scale gold and diamond trade, due to its location on the mineral-rich Witwatersrand range of hills. Book your Flights To Johannesburg for a lovely vacation, where you can relax and refresh yourself. You can travel Johannesburg with the major airlines like British Airways, South African Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Qatar, Etihad, etc. for few pounds only.

To get the cheap fares for flights to Johannesburg, you can opt for any of the following suggestions:

Check weather condition before taking flights to Johannesburg- Airfares are cheap in off-season. Flights might get cancelled and delayed due, to weather conditions.

Advance booking of flights- To get low price tickets it is good to book your flights well in advance. You can book your flights eleven months before your date of travel.

Ask your travel agents- Ask your travel agents or any travel tout for discount flights and low cost carriers.

Travel Package- Sometimes, getting a cheap travel package is also a better option for cheap airfares, as the airfares in a package are very cheap.

Direct contact with airlines- You can interact with airline directly to get the low cost flights. You will find a great deals of cheap and direct flights to Johannesburg.

Plan your travel from London to Johannesburg. Flights to Johannesburg are departing from all airports of London. Jo’Burg is a modern city with a lively night scene and plenty to keep you entertained from taverns, discos, theatres and clubs. Johannesburg is a multitudinous city with all thrills and foibles. It is a best place for your adventure holidays. Every traveler who is willing to visit South Africa has to visit Johannesburg once at least. Your travel will be incomplete without African Safari. To experience the rich cultures of South Africa, be in Johannesburg throughout September and October for the Arts Alive Festival.

Alvis Gray has been offering Cheap air travel and holiday packages advice for quite some time. To find Flights To Johannesburg, Cheap Flights To Johannesburg, Cheap Flight To Johannesburg, Johannesburg Cheap Flights, Football world cup 2010 South Africa and Direct flights to Johannesburg that best suits your needs visit www.cheapflightstojohannesburg.org.uk/

Concorde Final flight:HD Tranquility Base Razorfish ( Audio 320kb

My tribute to Concorde a remarkable aircraft. On 10 April 2003, Air France and British Airways simultaneously announced that they would retire Concorde later that year. They cited low passenger numbers following the 25 July 2000 crash, the slump in air travel following the September 11 attacks and rising maintenance costs. That same day, Sir Richard Branson offered to buy British Airways’ Concorde fleet at their “original price of £1″ for service with his Virgin Atlantic Airways. Branson claimed this to be the same token price that British Airways had paid the British Government, but BA denied this and refused the offer. The real cost of buying the aircraft was £26 million each but the money for buying the aircraft was lent by the government (which in turn took 80% of the profits). Subsequently BA bought two aircraft for a book value of £1 as part of the £16.5 million buy out in 1983.

The mighty Pan Am 747 and 747SP, featured in this video excerpt commemorating 50 years since the founding of the airline in 1927.
Video Rating: 4 / 5