Target Travel Consultants (2024)

04/01/2022

The EPO will be relocating The Boards of Appeal, from Haar back to the city centre in Munich, sometime around 2025-2026

04/01/2022

Germany reopens to UK visitors. Germany will reopen to UK visitors from Tuesday 4 January 22. Fully vaccinated UK travellers will be able to enter the country without having to provide a neg*tive Covid-19 test nor will they need to quarantine upon arrival. All visitors must still complete a digital entry registration prior to travel.

04/11/2021

Heathrow Airport is set to introduce a £5 charge for cars dropping off passengers from the first week in November. The airport will not be introducing barriers to implement the fee and instead the service will be operated via number plate recognition cameras. If you decide to park up to drop off a friend at the country's busiest airport you’ll be in sticky waters if you don’t pay an £80 parking charge notice (PCN). This will be reduced to £40 if paid within 14 days. The charge cannot be paid at an airport ticket machine or in the terminal drop-off zones.
The normal car parks will still be available which won’t require an extra fiver.
A free drop off option is also available at Heathrow’s long stay car parks. Here passengers can take a shuttle bus to the airport.

26/10/2021

Covid UPDATE- USA, Thailand, Australia & NZ

The US is opening up on the 8th of November to visitors from a number of countries including the UK. Those with proof of vaccination will not need to quarantine (use NHS App). The vaccination requirement is waived for those under 18 years old. All traveller will need to show proof of a neg*tive Covid test taken within the last 72 hours.

Thailand is also opening up to UK visitors from November.

On the basis that they reach 80% vaccinated in November, Australia is permitting their vaccinated citizens to take international trips and return with a much reduced quarantine. No news on when foreign visitors may enter the country. They appear to be trialing a Vaccination Passport for use by foreign visitors and the suggestion is that this will be ready towards the end of December 2021. So perhaps travel to Australia will be permitted at some point in the New Year?

New Zealand has also advised that their opening up to foreign visitors will be based on the percentage of their citizens vaccinated. They have stated that they will open up to vaccinated travellers from a limited number of countries in the spring of 2022 (our spring).

19/10/2021

America and Singapore open their doors. Fully vaccinated UK visitors can enter the US from 08 Nov, full entry details TBA. You can travel to Singapore from 18 Oct, on one specific BA and one Singapore airlines flights only and you must be fully vaccinated. Both countries require tests and normal immigration rules apply.

05/06/2020

Target Travel had ridden many waves since 1977 and is strong, we can assure you will still be here this time next year.

Naturally there is very little activity as present so we have the plenty of capacity if you would like to discuss and help us formulate any future trips, either for business or pleasure. As you will note from our webs site's Select your Interest section, we have lots of experience in travelling to these ourselves and making arrangements to some of the world's most spectacular destinations.

Here are a selection of Roy's slides for the1950-60s

29/05/2020

Quarantine rules for returning or entering the UK.

From 8 June, there will be new rules in place for entering the UK because of coronavirus (COVID-19). The rules are for residents and visitors. When these rules are in place, you will:
a) need to provide your journey and contact details when you travel to the UK
b) not be allowed to leave the place you’re staying for the first 14 days you’re in the UK except in very limited situations (known as ‘self-isolating’)

Link to the UK Gov directive and form.

29/05/2020

EPO hearings to be via video.
From 21 May all Opposition Division and Examining Division hearings will either be postponed until after mid September, or take place by video conference. We are unsure about the status of appeals at this point.

If we have booked flights and/ or hotel accommodation for you in Munich, The Hague or Berlin, then you should already have been contacted by us to discuss then.

21/05/2020

INTA Houston, no cowboys this year
As a fall back for the cancelled INTA Annual Meeting in Singapore last April, INTA had planned a combined Annual and Leadership Meeting in Houston, Texas this coming November.

Due to the ongoing issues with social distancing, INTA have decided to change these two meetings from a conference in Houston, to virtual meetings instead.

The Annual Meeting will remain 16-20 November 2020
Committee meetings will be on 11-12 November,
and The Leadership Meeting sessions will on 13 November.

18/03/2020

COC20 and the Coronavirus

As you will be aware the prediction for the peak coronavirus infections in the UK is fluid, but spanning the latest updates today, suggests this could be in three months, so mid-June. Unfortunately this coincides roughly with our booking for COC20 at the end of June.

Even if the timing is way out or refuted by others, there are other elements at play. As many know, the Avon Tyrell estate is huge and with such large grounds I doubt spreading out would be an issue, but it’s the choke points of the heavily used WC’s and shower blocks that poses I think a high health risk for the 200-250 people we on average bring. I also have a financial commitment to COC that will increase the nearer we get to June and Avon Tyrell at this stage are not willing to waiver these rules. This is my overriding issue at this point, with the possibility of greatly reduced numbers and being prevented from running the event. Added to that the government’s present stance advising that large g*therings should not take place.

I am sorry, but I have therefore reluctantly taken the decision to cancel COC20.
However- at the start of June I will review the general coronavirus situation and subject to availability and Avon Tyrell’s ability to host us, I may well run COC20 as a pure camping weekend and forgo the activities this year.

Those of you that have paid, I will be contacting you for refunds. To everyone, good luck and good health. I’ll be in touch again in June.

Kind regards Andrew

05/03/2020

UPDATE- BA’s change rule waiver
This has now been extended until the end of the March, for travel up until 12 months after the original travel date .
Unusually it also now permits a change of routing, subject to any fare difference.
Once again it only covers booking made on or after 03 March and there is no waiver to the refund rule.

Most over airlines also now have the same style of waiver in place, although the details vary.

Many airlines are cancelling and consolidating services due to the downturn in business. If your flight is cancelled and you are automatically rebooked, then you are entitled to a refund, this is irrespective of when you booked them. It is normally taken up due to the convenience element, but can be a useful way out if you have a non-refundable ticket and don’t want to travel.

There is no way to manipulate the system for this, but we are finding this scenario appearing on a number of bookings this week. We will discuss this with you on an individual basis should we be advised of a schedule change.

UPDATE-They are now all at it- Westjet, Air New Zealand, Saudia, Emirates and Singapore Airlines now have a change waiver in place.

UPDATE- SAS, Lufthansa, Swiss, Eurowings Brussels Airlines, United, Delta, American, Alaska are all offering the same type of waiver, although, some details naturally differ. Lufthansa Group are especially lenient, as it will apply to pre-existing bookings.

To encourage bookings and give you some flexibility in these uncertain times. Virgin has followed BA's lead in offering a waiver for the change rules for new bookings between 04 and 31 March, with travel up to 30 Sep 20.
Most discount fares do not permit changes or charge a fee, these element are presently waived. If the new date has higher price then you would have to pay the difference. Like BA, the refund rules have also NOT been waived. We are able to make and hold provisional bookings for at least 72 hours before tickets need to be issued, giving you more flexibility on top of this.

05/02/2020

TOKYO
From 28 March BA will be switching their Narita flight to Haneda Airport in Tokyo. This means there will be two fights a day in each direction servicing Haneda the city airport.

03/02/2020

WARNING: EPO Hearings in Munich this summer...……….
Please be aware that hotels this June* and July* in Munich are already being effected by the EURO 2020 football tournament.
Among our usual hotels, we are now finding rates at about Euro600/ night, but importantly, in the majority of cases even the most flexible rates most don’t permit free cancellations after March.
There are the odd exceptions. So if anyone has a hearing in June & July, then perhaps its worth considering booking rooms with us now?

No doubt we will soon see flights filling up too.

In addition there are knock-out rounds being played in Amsterdam on Monday 22 and Saturday 27 June, which could affect flights and Eurostar services either side of these dates. So those attending EPO hearings near the Hague may also find services busy?

*Group stage: Tue 16 June, Sat 20 June & Wed 24 June. Quarter Final: Fri 03 July

31/12/2019

INTA Singapore, April 2020
We can help with rooms, flights, receptions and meals

20/12/2019

Our Christmas and New Year openings.
We will be shut 25-26 Dec and 01 Jan, but will have skeleton coverage on 27, 30, 31 Dec & 02, 03 Jan.
Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year

13/12/2019

A wash in chocolate coins and earphone cases, as we attempt to send out our Christmas gifts

26/11/2019

INTA's heading back to San Diego.
143rd Annual Meeting, International Trademark Ascn
Dates 01-05 May 2021

07/11/2019

LUFTHANSA STRIKE
Today Thu 07 and Friday 08 November, there is a Lufthansa Cabin Crew strike (by the UFO union), meaning only a couple of services on the Heathrow/ Munich route. The important consequence of this is that the BA flights are very full, many are completely full others only have limited availability.
If you have a semi-flex BA ticket that permits free changes on the day and had planned to amend your return depending on how you hearing progressed, then you may want to ensure you have a late flight as a back-stop to ensure you g*t back that same day. Availability will only reduce as time moves on.

22/07/2019

UPDATED, note three pairs of dates....

HEATHROW STRIKES! Industrial action proposed by Unite the union on 26-27 July, 05-06 Aug and 23-24 Aug 2019. Disruption expect if it goes ahead for both departures and arrivals. It wil effect different departments across the airport, no more details available at this point. Perhaps it's best to assume a much longer check-in will be required?

21/03/2019

PASSPORTS an added complication for NO DEAL BEXIT
IMPORTANT – If there is NO Brexit deal, any travellers planning to visit the EU from 30 March 2019 will need at least six months’ validity left on their passport. Should there be a ‘no deal’, then come March the Passport Office is not going to be able to cope. So anyone who will have six months or less on their passport come 29 March, should renew NOW.

AN ADDED COMPLICATION

The main issue is that the UK has been the only country that would permit you to request and re-issue a new passport up to 9 months before it expires. So some people have a valid passport that was issued almost 10¾ years ago as the expiring passport’s end date remained the same however early you renewed it.
Other countries do not accept this early renewal and potentially will take a view that your document’s validity should based on ten years from the start of the passport, plus the six months validity that in theory may be needed when visit the EU.
I am sure there will be pandemonium and there will probably be some leeway given, but that sort of gamble is no good if you are travelling on Business.

Get one swiftly!
• Snappy Snaps will take a photo and get it pre-cleared online on the Passport Office’s web site immediately while you wait.
• The bar code they give you will help you to renew online.
• I did mine in February and had the new document delivered to me on day 4, we have had clients do the same and get the same swift response with it back on the fourth day.
• We can issue any air tickets using the present passport info, then adjust it once the new document arrives, up until check-in or an hour before departure.

09/01/2019

IMPORTANT – If there is NO Brexit deal, any travellers planning to visit the EU from 30 March 2019 will need at least six months’ validity left on their passport. Should there be a ‘no deal’, then come March the Passport Office is not going to be able to cope. So anyone who will have six months or less on their passport come 29 March, should renew NOW if they want to go away for Easter.

20/12/2018

CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR COVERAGE
Thu 20 Dec- shut 1200-1600 hrs, staff and ex staff Xmas lunch
Fri 21 Dec- normal office hours
Chistmas Eve- open 0900 hrs-1500 hrs
Christmas Day & Boxing Day- shut
Thu 20 & Fri 21 Dec- open 1000 hrs -1500 hrs
New Years Eve- open 1000 hrs-1500 hrs
New Years Day- shut

17/12/2018

Christmas strikes: Virgin Atlantic and Air New Zealand.
A third of Virgin Pilots are member of the Professional PPU who are looking for recognition as a union, but have been ignore by the airline. PPU will carry out strikes from 22 to 25 Dec; 30Dec to 02 Jan and 04 to 07Jan. Virgin Atlantic says it doesn't expect sever disruption to services during these strikes, despite this potentially effecting a third of their pilots? Not sure if that means they are expecting some disruption? However, further four day strikes will be announced in 2019 at short notice, which will have the potential of causing disruption.

GOOD NEWS- Air New Zealand maintenance staff have now lifted the threat of strikes 21-23Dec.

25/10/2018

BA- A SECOND HACK! BA admits data for a further 185,000 customers has been stolen, between 21 April & 28 July 18. It was those redeeming awards, but partly paying for a ticket on a card. No Target Travel/ BA transactions have been effected. Cathay Pacific also admits it's lost data on 9 million of its customers too!

10/09/2018

Norwegian Airlines have axed the Singapore route and are going instead to Rio. They already serve Buenos Aires. So it makes a delicious combination if you headed into one and out the other, with a stop at Iguazu Falls between them both.

Their Premium Cabin is often a bargain too, with reclining dentist-chair like seats.

Feel free to call and chat over other possibilities to make up your own Latin American love-in

07/09/2018

BA HACKED
Those who booked and had tickets issued by Target Travel are OK.
British Airways have stated that people using BA.com and its mobile app for flight bookings were targeted by hackers between 21 August and 5 September.Information stolen includes customer names, email addresses, home addresses and payment card information - but not travel or passport details.
UPDATE
No itinerary information, frequent flyer data or passport data has been compromised.

27/06/2018

COC18- Dad's n kids camp this weekend, there is still space for a quiet weekend in the country

22/12/2017

CHRISTMAS OPENING HOURS
Target Travel will be open on the following days over the Christmas Period
•Fri 22 Dec- until midday
•Wed 27 Dec until Fri 29 Dec- with a skeleton staff from 1000 hrs until 1600 hrs
•Tues 02 Jan

22/11/2017

INTA - SEATTLE, MAY 2018.
Our bropchure is published and a PDF can be downloaded from our website. This contains the recomended hotels we have rooms at, event venues and flight info,

23/03/2017

CLARIFICATION- The ban on lap tops, kindles and i-pads

At present the UK Government is saying...

‘Phones, laptops and tablets larger than 16.0cm x 9.3cm x 1.5cm will not allowed in the cabin on direct flights 'TO' the UK from Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Tunisia only’

To clarify- It does not affect departures from the UK, neither does it affect arriving flights from other countries.

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/additional-airline-security-measures-on-some-routes-travelling-to-the-uk

03/03/2017

French ATC strike next week, expect disruption from Mon 06 to Fri 10 March

21/02/2017

Don't drive to Heathrow today- Tue 21 Feb
Heathrow traffic at standstill due to climate change protest

Protestors have blocked a tunnel leading into Heathrow Airport, bringing traffic to a standstill.

The airport said the tunnel affected leads to Terminals 2 and 3, used by mainly long-haul airlines including Virgin, United, Delta, Emirates, Air Canada, Singapore Airlines and British Airways.

It is advising passengers due to fly from either terminal today to leave extra time to reach the airport, but by 9.30am traffic was backed up along the M4 motorway, affecting passengers trying to reach all five terminals.

The M4 spur road southbound was also closed and traffic on the A4 Bath Road was also solid.

20/02/2017

INTA Barcelona, May 2017
We still have some nice hotels available and have visited over 30 smashing venues, if you are considering hoasting a meal.

20/02/2017

BA cabin crew STRIKE, once again this week.
BA had promised they would publish their contingency plans over the weekend, but no news at this point. Past strikes this year have effected the odd amalgamation of Heathrow services, but not those from Gatwick and London City airports.

08/02/2017

US NORTH EAST COAST- SNOW SNOW SNOW
Storm Niko with heavy snow is due to hit on Wednesday evening through to Thursday. It will effect Philadelphia, New York and Boston. Virgin already permitting free changes until 12 Feb, other airlines may do the same soon

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