travelwatchdog.com

03/07/2019

SURCHARGES on Holidays and Flights.

During the past few years, surcharges on holidays have largely disappeared. However, travellers booking foreign holidays, cruises or flights should read the terms and conditions relative to surcharges, very carefully.

Aviation fuel is a commodity priced in dollars and affects all holidays where a flight is an element. Brexit will inevitably bring another fall in the value of Sterling against the US$ and other major currencies , thus forcing up the price of all imports and particularly affecting aviation costs. Holiday companies will not absorb these cost, but will pass them on.

In anticipation of these increased prices, holiday companies are clearly reviewing their ‘Surcharges’ Terms and Conditions. Read them carefully before booking.

11/03/2019

Boeing 737-Max8

The only European operators using these aircraft are and Norwegian and TUI; the latter are insisting that their 15 aircraft are safe to fly. Other major airlines have grounded their Max8 fleets until the causes of the Ethiopian crash are known.

Who is showing greater concern for public safety?

The flight data recorders from the Ethiopian crashed aircraft have now been recovered and should quickly reveal the cause of the crash. Given that two of these new aircraft have crashed within a short time span, both operated by companies with excellent safety records and flown by experienced pilots, to continue to use them before the latest crash has been investigated, has to be viewed as reckless.

I would certainly be telling TUI “Thank you, but no thank you”!

08/01/2019

Useful information from a colleague.

Notre 737 sait poser pour les photographes !
Partagez avec nous votre meilleure photo d’un Boeing 737 Royal Air Maroc !

29/12/2018

Millions of us are preparing to book next year’s holidays, many of which will be to destinations within the EU after March 29. But, given the state of the government’s Brexit negotiations, is it...

03/12/2018

It’s not often that we make recommendations for holidays, but when something a bit special comes along it seems a pity not to share it.

There are a lot of holidaymakers for whom total inactivity for a couple of weeks simply doesn’t appeal. They want guaranteed sunshine, good beaches, nice accommodation, friendly people and access to good restaurants with reasonable prices.

Larnaka in Cyprus offers all of that. However, if you go at the right time of year, it also offers around ten days of free entertainment associated with local culture. In the evenings, the whole promenade comes alive with music, folk dancing competitions and displays and a host of other cultural activities.

Kataklysmos, or the Flood Festival, takes place in Cyprus every year in June, 50 days after Orthodox Easter. The event takes place on the day that is known also as the day of the Holy Spirit, because it commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles. In Cyprus, however, the celebrations are connected also to the ancient ceremonies organized in honor of Aphrodite and Adonis.

Water is the main focus of the festival. All coastal cities organize concerts, games and other events near the waterfront.

Larnaca organizes the biggest Festival of Flood in Cyprus and celebrates Kataklysmos for several days. On the sea front promenade you will find open-air fair with plenty of kiosks selling toys and traditional food. Popular Greek and Cypriot singers and dance troupes perform in Larnaca. There are competitions in the water as well as a contest for chatista, or rhyming songs in the Cypriot dialect.

Having discovered it in 2018, we are already booked for next year when the main day of the festival falls on 17th June.

For those who don’t know Larnaca, it’s a medium sized town on the central south coast of Cyprus. Just a few kilometres from the airport, it’s just a short and inexpensive ride by taxi.

If you want to see other parts of the island there are a lot of excursions and car hire is inexpensive. Book locally for the days on which you need the car. If you are looking for loud and crazy night life, Larnaka is the wrong place.

04/10/2018

Warning to Travellers

Most will have seen warnings in the press about the possible effects on aviation if Britain leaves the EU. It has been dismissed by some government ministers as simply scaremongering. It is not!

To keep it simple, flights from Britain are enabled by the ‘Open Skies’ protocol that was negotiated by the EU for EU members. The day Britain ceases to be a member of the EU it no longer enjoys benefit of the agreement and must negotiate for inclusion with the all the other parties to the agreement.

These negotiations may not be simple. Whenever aviation is discussed there is always a fight for landing/take off slots where demand exceeds supply.

Tour operators and travel agents continue to sell holidays as if everything in the garden is rosy. They have just two options: continue to sell and hope everything goes OK, or shut down the business.

Travellers should take EXTREME CARE to read all terms and conditions. The illustration is a screen shot from the terms and conditions inserted by Thomas Cook. It uses a lot of words but really says: “If you book with us and Brexit stops your flight, you forfeit your money”.

Other tour operators will certainly do the same.

Even if ‘Open Skies’ problems are overcome, perhaps through a negotiated deal (which is currently very unlikely), travellers can expect other ‘Brexit dividend’ problems.

1. The most expensive is likely to be fuel surcharges. Aviation fuel is traded in dollars and a further decline in the value of Sterling will be passed on. The flight is often the most expensive element of a package holiday.

2. Visas may be required. Spain has already said it will charge €7 but the cost is a small consideration compared with the hassle that can be encountered in securing it.

3. Accommodation charges will rise commensurately with the fall in Sterling. Tour operators bulk book accommodation well in advance. They pay as late as possible and could face higher costs.

4. A fall in Sterling also puts up the cost of landing charges, docking fees for cruise liners, security requirements and a host of other essential for which a company pays outside of the UK.

5. All protections offered by the EU Air Travel Regulations relating to compensation for delays, getting bumped etc. cease the day we leave the EU. Once again, you are on your own.

Read those terms and conditions and ask the questions. Tour Operators and Travel Agents will not give any indication of potential problems. They are the least regulated businesses in Britain and honesty is not a requirement.

It’s what 37% of our population voted for!

08/09/2018

There are often warnings to travellers concerning hazardous locations. This one seems particularly worthy of note.

There is absolutely no question that to protect their important tourist trade, the Thai authorities are quite prepared to hush up crimes in preference to properly investigating and suffering the inevitable publicity. It leads to a situation where criminals no longer fear the law and tourists become an easy and unprotected target.

22/08/2018

Travel Regulations.

Post Brexit, if it happens, travellers should take special care when trying to book holidays.

Under EU law, travel companies and tour operators are forced to offer insolvency protection to cover liabilities should the company fail. After Brexit, EU law would cease to apply and there is no guarantee that U.K. legislation will provide the same protection.

Travel Insurance costs will inevitably rise, but travellers who do not purchase quality insurance AT THE TIME OF BOOKING will be taking a big risk.

You are not required to take the insurance offered by the travel company and will certainly get a better product elsewhere.

25/07/2018

All travellers will have probably taken on board the severe impact Brexit will have on travel in general and package holidays in particular.

Air fares will certainly rise, the amount being dependent on how badly Sterling reacts to our reduced economic circumstances. All aviation fuel is traded in dollars and a fall in the pound means that already high prices rise still further on the element of a holiday that is the most expensive part.

The article is worth reading and comes under a growing category of ‘Things the government don’t want you to know about Brexit’.

https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/brexit-free-movement-visa-registration-fees-paperwork-travel-budget-holidays-a8449426.html

Any replacement for free movement, even if visa-free, will require a registration fee that’ll add to the expenses of family holidays. It is a fact that no politician has been upfront about and no journalist has pressed interviewees on

08/07/2018

A taste of things Brexit to come. Legislation for its own sake, poorly thought out and drafted, that puts us at a commercial disadvantage and reduces service.

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2018/jul/08/insurance-rules-punish-uk-hotels-holidays-staycation-heatwave?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Facebook

As the heatwave continues, bookings for foreign holidays are in decline. Yet the industry fears new rules will punish Britain’s hotels

19/06/2018

This is a matter to take very seriously.

The travel companies will carry on selling as normal in the hope that the government will resolve the issue. However, this is not simply about holidays, it’s about the entire ‘Open Skies’ arrangement and extends far beyond Europe.

The sensible approach is to book as late as possible. Not only will you get a better deal, but you will be better informed about developments.

Take out travel insurance when you book.Don’t take the insurance offered by the travel agent, search the market for your own: you’ll get a far better deal. Whatever you do, make certain the cover includes flight cancellations.

Expect to pay more this year. The true ‘Brexit Dividend’ is a Brexit Bill, with holidays costing considerably more and getting worse. A big part of the holiday cost is the flight and with oil prices higher than for some time aviation fuel, traded in dollars, is far more expensive. Brexit has severely damaged Sterling and is pushing up flight costs.

Brussels has reportedly refused to discuss an emergency aviation contingency agreement in the event of a 'no deal' Brexit.

25/05/2018

Sun Hall Hotel Larnaca - Cyprus

If you are looking for a holiday resort that is central, has good beaches, yet is not totally populated by screaming kids and teenage rappers, Larnaca is a good fit.

The town is just 7 Km from Larnaca airport; regular travellers will recognise the benefit in not being several hours away by coach. Moreover, at just 35 Km from the Cyprus capital Lefkosa (Nicosia), Larnaca is pretty central and gives access to most places of interest on the island.

The Sun Hall Hotel fronts onto the marina. By accepted standards it’s probably three or borderline four-star. Star ratings by the Cyprus tourist board are quantitative rather than qualitative. This means that you get credit for two swimming pools, even if they are of poor quality. It leads to some bizarre ratings.

Spread over six floors and with a reasonably sized pool, Sum Hall is clean and comfortable. The staff are efficient and friendly and the breakfast buffet is very good

Rooms are supplied with a kettle and tea, coffee etc and there is a small refrigerator in place of the usual minbar. No need to empty everything out to get your own stuff in!

Room service is not extensive, but what they offer is extremely good and remarkably inexpensive.

Local restaurants are plentiful, offer great variety and are mostly excellent value for money.

18/11/2017

For as long as Britain remains in the EU, these are the basic rules for compensation for delayed and cancelled flights originating in or flying to an airport with an airline based in the EU. This will not apply after we leave the EU.

29/10/2017

A snapshot of the future. I remember a similar situation before we joined the EU. In many ways we are going to be in a far worse situation. In this day and age we have a far greater terrorist threat.

http://www.felixmagazine.com/border-brexit-bleak-future-queues/

Andrew Harkin dreads coming home through Heathrow after a week setting up a new banking office in Luxembourg. “It takes me longer to go through the immigration system and reach my home in Docklands less than 20 miles away, than it takes to fly from Europe to London,” the 27-year-old banking executiv...

15/10/2017

TUI & All-Inclusive holidays.

Thinking of going all-inclusive to the Apsara Beach front resort and Villas in Thailand? You might like to think again.

All-Inclusive holidays are the subject of more customer complaints than almost any other sector of the market. One of the problems is that although different tour operators set different criteria by which they advertise, the unwary public is entitled to believe that 'All-Inclusive' actually means what it says. It almost never does. Most all inclusive deals are examples of serious mis-selling and because of the very poor regulation of the travel industry, the only recourse is often the small claims court.

To exacerbate the problem, the criteria specified in the holiday company terms and conditions are seldom specific to the location or hotel. The clear consequence is that the hotel or resort will interpret them in the manner most favourable to them and to the detriment of the customer. If you are caught up in this scam, for scam is what it frequently is, complain daily to the rep in the resort and record each conversation. Make a note of any statements by the hotel management, gather photographic and/or documentary evidence if available and make a point of getting the names and addresses of other customers who are similarly disadvantaged. These can be important in any subsequent legal claim.

The only way to avoid these problems is to avoid all-inclusive deals like the plague they are.

This is the text of an email that arrived today on the subject :

"Dear Sir/Madam

I am writing to you with regards to my experience with our " All inclusive " experience here at Apsara Beach front resort and Villas and the lack of response or assistance in resolving our issues by Tui.

We met with Tove on Monday the 9th of October to highlight some issues that had become apparent since our arrival on the 7th of October. Having booked an “ All inclusive”, premium resort , it had quickly become apparent that this was not the level of service we had experienced thus far and actually far from being " All inclusive " it is anything but. We were informed before traveling and on arrival that we could use one restaurant and two bars , this include local drinks , that sounded acceptable . However the long list of bizarre , discriminatory ,downright ludicrous and unacceptable " rules" and that have become apparent are not acceptable.

Tove took a long list of the discrepancies that had arisen, to date and said she would speak with the hotel to see if these could be addressed .

The following day we met again, along with two other couples who also, having paid for an “ All inclusive” experience , in a premium 4.5 star resort ,were equally dissatisfied.

We were informed that after calling her office in Phuket, that Thompson/ Tui, would do nothing for us and that we had apparently signed something to say we accepted the terms and conditions of the " All inclusive" ?

This could not be further from the truth, as having been here for 8 days and making great efforts to establish the " rules " around this so called " Premium , 4.5 star All inclusive " experience , we are still baffled , extremely dissatisfied , discriminated against and feel thoroughly deceived " by Tui and the " All inclusive " experience that we have been subjected to.

The very reason we chose " All inclusive " was because we have had very positive experiences on other holidays and had no reason to believe that this would be any different , nor were we warned until Tove informed us on our first meeting , that " All inclusive " in Apsara was not quite the same as in other places and that " it's still new for them " I don't remember signing anything to this effect , as suggested by Tove , nor would I .

We have been expecting to receive an email from Tove, documenting the meetings and details of our complaint but since the meeting on the 10th we have heard nothing from her , nor seen her . This is not surprising really , given that as Tove informs us ,she is the only Tui rep for some 17 hotels in the area ?!

I will be making a full complaint when I return to the UK and very much expect to be compensated accordingly as we have most definitely been misold..

I have a very detailed list of examples and incidences of the " All inclusive , premium 4.5 star " service and will be happy to supply these when requested .

14/08/2017

This is just pre-Brexit.

Loss of reciprocal health provisions under E111 arrangements are certain to force up the cost of travel insurance. Some economists say that the cost could double and that more countries will insist on proof of insurance before travel.

The cost of visas to European destinations has yet to be determined but will certainly add to costs.

The crash of Sterling means far lower exchange rates for travellers and it's already difficult to get €1 for £1. The crash is also forcing up air travel costs. Aviation fuel is priced in $US and is thus far more expensive. Add the lot together and the post-Brexit holiday abroad could be about 50% more than today.

The average holidaymaker will pay £68 in tax on a trip abroad this year and the Treasury will rake in £3.1 billion, according to the Taxpayers’ Alliance. It calculated that a family of four who...

03/08/2017

The face of things to come. This debacle is simply a consequence of not being in the Schengen Agreement. However, it does give a taste of what to expect if Brexit becomes a reality.

For holidaymakers this is a serious inconvenience. For business travellers it's a real problem
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/airports-are-letting-down-passengers-over-holiday-delays-s8jj8s6x7?shareToken=b2d6e35d506172645727eb02b6247018o

Not before time, the government is taking action to resolve the problems that have caused massive delays and inconvenience to passengers at European airports. Many of the queues have been caused by...

03/07/2017

A long overdue measure that, if introduced, will give more protection to consumers. Our problem will be enforcement after leaving the EU.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/more-protection-for-online-holiday-bookings-03cmvbrh6?shareToken=805b6622fed91adadb42beebc00c005e

New legislation to protect online holiday bookings will be unveiled by ministers today to comply with European consumer protection rules that come into force next year. Measures introduced under a...

21/06/2017

Payment Methods

Yet more problems with Teletext Holidays brings a reminder about the need to take care about payment methods.

Credit cards payments carry insurance indemnities. Debit Cards do not.

Always use the credit card.

21/06/2017

Repeat Advice

Yet another problem with Teletext Holidays highlights a problem we encounter on a regular basis: paying with debit cards.

Never pay with a debit card. Always use a credit card. If you use the latter you have an insurance indemnity not available with a debit card.

17/06/2017

Teletext Holidays -Yet Again

This is an e-mail from Rae Madigan, another alleged victim of Teletext Holidays.

Rae entered into a contract with Teletext Holidays who agreed to provide a holiday at a quoted price. In line with the law of contract, they made Rae an offer which she accepted and for which she paid to finalise the contract. Teletext then demanded a further sum of money, for the reason that they had made a mistake. They are legally wrong.

The e-mail reads.

"Hi I booked a hoilday with Tele text hoilday, for a price of 815 all inclusive 10 days flights hotel and transfers to Turkey in September we received the email confirmaing the details and everything, and then I received another email saying we owe 603 as they sent the wrong email in the first place. And we have to pay it no matter what and they will cancel it with no refund or anything. It's our fault and we have to deal with it I was told by management... They then want more money to change it again we Have been touch with trading statders they agree they are in the wrong but when told them they didn't care and told us to get over our self's and stop lying

So we are now left with a 1150 hoilday no refund and they are saying they will just cancel it without telling us I have copy's of emails if you would like me to send them to yourself I'm so hurt this is my honeymoon and now I can't go or afford to pay anymore cash ".

09/03/2017

The Flight Time Scam

One of the sales techniques employed in selling holidays is: Wonderful flight Times"!

The advertisements are now flooding TV, inviting viewers to make an inquiry.

If you are booking with a particular company because of "Wonderful Flight Times", insist on an unequivocal written guarantee that the company will honour the flight time or give a full refund of all money paid.

Common practice with these companies is to offer these wonderful Flight times to everyone, despite seat availability being limited.

Terms and conditions that most people sign without reading, give the holiday company the right to change the customers flights without their agreement. That's exactly what they do.

After you have booked and paid you could receive an email "Due to circumstances beyond our control your flight time has been changed". The simple fact is that you WERE NEVER going to get that flight time.

Don't be duped. Get a written guarantee.

22/08/2016

The Attractions of Brazil

As the Rio Olympics wind down and the focus moves to the Paralympics there will be an awful lot of travellers who feel an urge to visit this vibrantly colourful country, but are deterred by its reputation for crime and poor public safety.

Rio certainly deserves its reputation and the games will have done nothing to improve matters. However, Rio is not Brazil. Rio is a seaside resort that for most of the year is little different from many others around the world.

The real Brazil is to be found in the Rainforest of Amazonia and along the mighty river that holds around 20% of the world's fresh water and is only surpassed in volume by Lake Baikal in Siberia.

If visiting Amazonia sounds like an arduous and daunting prospect, it most certainly is not. Several cruise lines offer extremely interesting voyages up the river some 900 miles to Manaus from whence early British settlers would send their dirty laundry back to London to have it washed, ironed and returned.

Every stop on the river brings excitement and an opportunity to meet some delightful people. This is the real Brazil.

A good tip when booking a cruise of this type is to avoid the very large cruise lines that are restricted by size from entering certain small ports. Look for an itinerary that starts in Barbados and visits the very interesting former penal colony of Devil's Island where there is a single souvenir shop that takes Euros.

There is a lot more detail at: http://www.travelwatchdog.com

30/07/2016

Good advice for those hiring a car for the holidays. Small local hire companies frequently offer a far better deal than the big players, but always check the small company hierarchy. As an example 'Firefly' has now been acquired by Hertz and now has more restrictive Hertz type contracts.

Above all, be very careful about insurance. It's very easy to get conned into buying the same cover twice. Sort out your insurance before your trip and don't be fooled by the sales pitch at the desk when you collect the car. Small local companies are less pushy, but companies like Hertz are experts at selling you things you don't need.

Finally, don't forget to get a license reference number from the DVLC before you travel so that the hire company can be given access to your on-line license details. They don't normally bother, but there have been cases where hire has been refused for absence of this facility.

A weak post-Brexit pound will push up the cost of car rentals abroad this summer, while getting to grips with the “extras” that rental companies try to push can be a financial minefield. For...

17/07/2016

Watch the press for further information on what to do if you have a booking with this company.

A couple celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary are among more than 130,000 British tourists who have been left thousands of pounds out of pocket after a budget travel firm collapsed this weekend.

02/07/2016

'Open Skies' made the creation of EasyJet and other budget airlines possible. It also resulted in much lower air fares for international travel. The EU Air Travel regulations gave travellers protection against airline exploitation, particularly with financial compensation in cases of flight cancellations.https://www.facebook.com/flightdelays/posts/1142408252445437

The potential departure of EasyJet and other budget airlines was predicted, along with relocation of our major transport haulage companies. You need to be where your customers are and in a commerce friendly environment.

22/04/2016

PCC Elections
Hunting activity is worse in some counties than others and a lot is down to whether the police do their job. Gloucestershire is one of the worst counties with VHW, North Cotswold, Beaufort and Heythrop Hunts taking advantage of supportive policing.

There are a lot of hard working monitors/sabs active in the area and they would be helped beyond measure by the election of a PCC who was not a government agent for fox hunting. The current P & CC is either a Freemason or involved with the social establishment in other ways.

Barry Kirkby, the Labour candidate for the area has responded as being firmly against all offences against the Hunting Act and would use the office to ensure that the Chief Constable was held to account if the law was ignored and offences condoned.

This is not the election of a government but much more a person of integrity who will work for enforcement of the law. No matter what your normal political persuasion, electing Barry Kirkby would be a blow against Fox Hunting. if you have influence in this area please use it for the benefit of the fox population and those animals imported by the Hunts.

04/04/2016

One of the many benefits introduced by the EU over the years, but one that a lot of travellers find confusing. A good one to keep in mind as the holiday season approaches:

https://www.facebook.com/flightdelays/posts/1142408252445437

EU law allows you to claim for delayed, cancelled and overbooked flights. Start your claim today.

29/03/2016

This goes back to the Sharm-el-Sheikh bomb five months ago but is equally true of any flights out of Egypt or other states in the Horn of Africa, Libya, or indeed any international flights that are fed from small airports in the region.