Author: Shawon Hannan

Alton Towers, a theme park located between Leek and Uttoxeter in Staffordshire, UK, is preparing to launch its new white-knuckle ride, perversely called The Smiler, for the coming season. Built at a cost of £18 million, the new roller coaster-type ride will be expected to bring something new to attract thrill seekers, and with a record-breaking 14 loops, it is unlikely to disappoint. Add to that The Smiler’s drops of 98 feet that it navigates at speeds of up to 52 miles per hour, for a nerve testing two-minute and forty-five second duration, and it should provide enough motion to…

BMI Regional, a British regional airline that operates scheduled services across the UK and Europe from its base at East Midlands Airport, has announced six new routes to European destinations. The new routes are based out of Birmingham and Bristol in the UK, and between them the two airports will benefit from the creation of 100 new jobs. Bristol is gaining services to Munich and Hannover in Germany and Milan, Italy, while Birmingham gains routes to Toulouse and Lyon in France and Gothenburg in Sweden. In addition, the airline is increasing the capacity on its route from Bristol to Frankfurt…

Norwegian Air, a Norway-based low-cost airline, has signed a memorandum of understanding with UK-based airline and transatlantic specialist, Virgin Atlantic. The agreement between the two airlines is intended to be of mutual benefit, with Norwegian’s long-haul pilots being granted access to Virgin Atlantic’s extensive long-haul knowledge, and Virgin benefiting from the use of Norwegian’s brand new Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner for its instructors to receive pilot training. The agreement means that Virgin Atlantic’s pilots will be able to gain experience on the new aircraft prior to the delivery of its first Dreamliner in September 2014. Torstein Hoas, Norwegian Long Haul director…

It has been reported that UK-based low-cost air carrier easyjet is in talks with rival no-frills carrier, Flybe, with regards to buying some of the latter’s Gatwick take-off and landing slots. The Sunday Times reported that the talks were taking place, and although neither of the airlines was initially prepared to comment, in a statement to the London stock exchange this morning, Flybe said, ‘Flybe notes the recent speculation in the press. The board announces that it is in discussions with a number of parties, which may or may not lead to a transaction regarding the exchange for compensation payment…

A new survey has revealed that shopping for clothes in readiness for an upcoming holiday adds an average of 33 percent to the holiday cost for women in the UK. The survey, which was carried out by travel agency company sunshine.co.uk, revealed that on average a woman spends £245 on clothing, accessories and toiletries when preparing to go on holiday. This compares with an average amount spent on flights and accommodation of £710, and signifies a sizeable addition to the overall cost of the trip. The pre-holiday shopping spree typically includes four items of swimwear, six summer dresses, five tops…

A recent study has highlighted the wineries most popular with British wine tourists. The study was undertaken by Kayak.co.uk, a travel metasearch engine that compares airline, hotel, car rental, cruise, and other vacation deals from other travel sites, including other fare aggregators. The company based its findings on an analysis of searches on its website, and the survey results have been released at a time of burgeoning interest in wine tourism, and as World Wine Week draws to a close (last day Tuesday May 14). Europe monopolises the vineyard popularity poll for British wine enthusiasts, not surprising considering its proximity…

UK drivers planning to take their cars to Europe during the holiday season, or to tour the continent in a rental car, will notice a considerable increase in the price of fuel compared to what they would have been charged last summer. The warning for increased expense comes from the Post Office’s seventh annual report on Motoring on the Continent. According to the report, while pump prices for unleaded fuel in the UK have not been subject to an increase in the last 12 months, France has seen an increase of £0.07 per litre, and Spain’s increase is £0.09 per…

Ryanir, an Ireland-based low-cost air carrier, has introduced a money saving smartphone app for its customers. The app, Ryanair Talk, is claimed to help users avoid roaming charges from their network providers, help them to benefit from cheap calls home while overseas, and to make cheaper international calls when they are at home. The app will perform its cost saving functions using wi-fi or 3G Internet connections, to any landline or mobile device. Ryanair claims that the app will help users to save over 65 percent on their bills by enabling them to call any mobile phone in Europe for…

Armagh Gaol, an operational prison in Northern Ireland until 1986, is set to become a hotel and spa. The listed building, which is an historic landmark dating from 1780, will be subject to a £23 million redevelopment that will turn it into a hotel with apartments. Viewers of the BBC’s Restoration programme, which was on air a few years ago and which involved a number of historic buildings competing for redevelopment funds, will recognise the former prison as one of the competing structures. Seven shops are included in the design plans, in addition to 32 apartments, the hotel and spa…

TripAdvisor, a travel information website featuring customer reviews and opinions, has launched a new review collection service to assist tourism-related businesses in obtaining reviews. Review Express is a free facility that enables businesses to send a customised e-mail simultaneously to a large number of their recent customers, requesting them to post a review of their visit. TripAdvisor claims that the importance of reviews to businesses cannot be underestimated, as figures compiled by its own statistical format, TripBarometer, show that 87 percent of travellers worldwide said that they use review sites when planning a trip, and 95 percent say that they…