Author: Lee Fletcher

Travellers intending to use their prepaid credit or debit cards while on holiday abroad this summer are being advised to make sure that they understand what charges apply. Bitish travellers are spending millions on card charges while on holiday, according to a recent study on currency cards. Around 3,000 British holidaymakers participated in the survey of holiday spending money, and around 50 of the most popular debit, credit and prepaid holiday money cards were analysed as part of the study carried out by Travelex, a foreign currency exchange specialist. The study has reported that around 77 percent of British holidaymakers…

India is set to host another internationally acclaimed hotel brand, Fairmont. Fairmont has made an announcement saying that it will open its Fairmont Jaipur location in India. Located in Rajastan, the launch will mark the company’s entry into the country. Also known as the Pink City, Jaipur is the capital and largest city of Rajasthan and is well known for its impressive palaces, fortresses and ethnic and traditional culture. The 255-room hotel will adopt a traditional Mughal palace design. Rooms have been designed to merge modernity with the cultural characteristics of Jaipur. The hotel company said that the facility would…

Air New Zealand (ANZ) has announced changes to its service location at Los Angeles Airport. The air carrier said that by 2014, it would have moved from Terminal 2 to the Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles airport. The change of location will be accompanied by the creation of new ambience for customers at the new location. The firm said that it would design and operate a new Star Alliance lounge at the Tom Bradley International Terminal. Eligible ANZ passengers departing the airport will be able to access the facility, as well as travellers with eight Star Alliance partners,…

UAE-based Etihad Airways and Ireland-based Aer Lingus have entered into a new code-sharing agreement. The two air carriers have signed an interline and codeshare agreement. The deal follows a recent purchase of 2.987 percent equity in the Irish air carrier by the UAE airline. The agreement signed by the two companies means that Etihad Airways will place its ‘EY’ code on Aer Lingus flights between Dublin, Manchester and London Heathrow, and destinations in Ireland, the UK, the Channel Islands, Portugal, Netherlands and the US. The move will be reciprocated by Aer Lingus, which will place its ‘EI’ code on Etihad…

With the UK schools closed for summer, British parents may have to shell out around GBP2,474 on childcare and entertainment this summer to keep their children occupied. A survey of 5,000 British parents shows that summer breaks are often a cause of worry for working parents, as they have to allow for the additional expense of having children at home when both parents are working, or for the cost of keeping them entertained during bad weather. Worried parents are likely to spend, an average of GBP351 on childcare, GBP504 on day outings, and GBP665 on supplementary transportation and food, as…

British Airways, a UK-based airline company, is continuing the integration of British Midland International (bmi) airline into its main fleet, with its new winter schedule. The airline is terminating Bmi flights to several destinations, in favour of its main flight routes. Cut from the new schedule are Bmi’s flights to Dammam, which cease on September 16; flights to Bishkek, Yereven and Khartoum, which will terminate on October 1; and services to Amritsar and Casablanca, which will end on October 28, 2012. The Bmi flights to Riyadh and Jeddah are also terminating on September 16, 2012, in favour of services offered…

Transport for London (TfL), a UK-based government agency responsible for operating the transport system in Greater London, England, is partnering with technology company, Usablenet, for real-time updates and alerts for travellers in London for the 2012 Olympic Games. The agency website is currently utilising several new features that are intended to help commuters in London to navigate around the city’s roads during the period of the Games. The agency has also released a mobile site for users on the move to access all the relevant information and gauge how the Olympics is likely to affect their journey and impact on…

The Prime Minister of the UK, David Cameron, has attracted criticism over his choice of summer holiday destination this year. During a speech to foreign business leaders at the British Business Embassy conference last Thursday, the PM was quoted as saying: ‘If you want a holiday, then why not have your holiday here?’ However, it has emerged that Mr Cameron’s own holiday plans for this year involve taking his wife, Samantha, and their three children to a destination in continental Europe. The holiday abroad has been confirmed by the Prime Minister’s office in Downing Street, although no specific details were…

While substantial numbers of British holidaymakers are planning to take a holiday in the UK this year, many others are still undecided according to Visit England, the official travel promotional agency for England. Around 10.3 million British holidaymakers have planned to take their vacation within the UK this year, with around 8.9 million people specifically planning to travel to English destinations, according to the study. These vacations are likely to boost local economies by around GBP2.3bn in the UK, with around GBP1.9bn to be spent in England alone. It is likely that around 5.9million British travellers will be holidaying abroad…

The Kenya Tourist Board, the official tourism board for the East African country, will be hosting tourism festivals at Kenya House in London during the 2012 London Olympics. The agency is hosting a weekend of entertainment and activities for families on August 4 and 5, 2012, which includes cultural performances by Kenyan Masai people, a spa area for guests, safari games for families, and a golf simulator to test the users swing. Entry to the events is complimentary and, while there, visitors can also watch Kenyan athletes participate in the 2012 Olympic games, to further enhance the Kenyan cultural experience.…