Author: Lee Fletcher

Hong Kong Airlines, an airline based in Hong Kong, China, is offering its passengers at London Gatwick Airport access to the No.1 Traveller’s Lounge in the North Terminal of the airport. The airline currently offers a daily service from London Gatwick Airport to Hong Kong International Airport, and passengers flying on the route will be able to access the No.1 Traveller’s Lounge’s complimentary services at Gatwick Airport, courtesy of a new partnership between the airline and No.1 Traveller Ltd, the UK-based company, which operates airport lounges at the Heathrow, London Gatwick and Stansted airports in the UK. The lounge, in…

The new Jumeirah Port Soller Hotel & Spa is now open in Spain. Located on the Bay of Soller in Mallorca, this seaside luxury resort is the first European resort from the Jumeirah Group, a UAE-based luxury hospitality company. The new hotel and spa has been constructed from local and sustainable materials, and is sited close to Orange Valley, in the Sierra de Tramuntana, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The hotel aims to acquire a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certification from the US Green Building Council (USGBC), for its sustainable practices. The resort is offering 120…

In Britain, people are yet to be caught up in the excitement of the Olympics 2012 bandwagon, with the event competing with the upcoming UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) Champions League final to be played on May 19, 2012, between England-based Chelsea, and Germany’s Bayern Munich, followed by the UEFA European Championship in Poland and Ukraine. The findings of a new study show that excitement around the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympic games is rising, but is yet to catch up with the other sporting events that are in the offing. The Keller Fay’s TalkTrack Britain study is the…

For anyone that loves golf, the Fairmont St Andrews Hotel in St Andrews, Scotland, is offering what it claims to be the ultimate vacation for golfers. The golf resort is located on a 520-acre estate with a coastal setting, and offers luxurious accommodation, an opulent spa, several dining venues, and two golf courses. The Torrance Course at the resort is hosting the Scottish Senior Open golf tournament from August 17 to 19, 2012, where former Ryder Cup player, Barry Lane, will be defending his two-time title-winning streak. The Kittock Course is another 18-hole course that is attached to the property.…

Summer travel to the Caribbean and Mexico is being made more cost effective with summer discounts from Marriott and Renaissance hotel brands. Marriott International Inc (NYSE: MAR), a US-based company that owns and operates hotel properties, has announced a new Soak up the Savings Event, which is offering discounted stays at its resorts and hotels in the Caribbean and Mexico. Guests that book by May 31, 2012 will be eligible to benefit from discounts on stays, where room rates commence from $79 per room, per night, for stays completed between June 1 and September 30, 2012. The participating resort properties…

More English football fans than have tickets are expected to descend on Munich, in Germany, for the UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) Champions League final to be played on May 19, 2012, between Chelsea and German club, Bayern Munich, at the Allianz Arena in Munich. TravelSupermarket, an online comparison website for travel options, has reported that online searches for flight tickets to Munich by Chelsea fans have increased dramatically, by around 3,000 percent, even though a large number of fans will not be able to obtain tickets for the match. Chelsea football club has been officially allotted 17,500 tickets…

Gatwick Express, a UK-based company that provides a rail to air service between Victoria station and Gatwick Airport in the UK, has launched new barcode ticket scanners for its passengers. The new barcode ticket scanners will assist customers in avoiding long queues and enable them to have their prints of e-tickets or mobile tickets scanned at the gates. The scanners are installed at the gates of London Victoria and Gatwick Airport stations, and the service is available to people that buy their tickets at the company website, www.gatwickexpress.com. David Metherell, the company marketing manager, said, ‘The new barcode scanners ensure…

The Kippure Estate Outdoor Education Centre, an outdoor activities centre in Wicklow, Ireland, is offering on-site adventure activities for all age groups. The company owns a 240-acre private estate set in green hills and a lush landscape, and is offering adventurous and entertaining learning experiences. The innovative school tours claim to offer memorable experiences to schoolchildren, in natural surroundings. The Kippure Estate has been awarded the status of Primary Science Centre, and is offering on-site and outreach programmes. The company is offering a range of group activities that include a High and Low Ropes Challenge Course for rope climbing enthusiasts;…

Ireland’s Aer Lingus will be selling part of its equity holdings to Etihad Airways, a UAE-based national airline. Etihad has acquired a 2.99 percent holding in the Irish airline recently for an undisclosed amount, and intends to work closely with the Irish airline to enter into probable code share agreements, and joint procurements. Etihad Airways is currently offering around 10 flights a week from Abu Dhabi, in the UAE, to Dublin, in Ireland and has ferried around 750,000 passengers between the two destinations since commencement of the route in July 2007. Etihad has a premium lounge at Dublin Airport, maintains…

London Southend Airport has acquired permission for an extension of its terminal building from Rochford Council, the local authority. Phase 1 of the terminal has been operational since February 28, 2012, and the new extension is expected to offer more passenger facilities as the airport grows towards handling around two million passengers a year by 2020. Easyjet, a UK-based airline, is currently operating out of the newly opened terminal building with three A319 aircraft, providing 70 flights per week to different European destinations, including Barcelona (Spain), Faro (Portugal) and Ibiza (Spain). The airport managing director, Alastair Welch,…