Sunshine Saturday: Holiday bookings soar as Brits rush to get best deal amid cost-of-living squeeze January 6, 2023 Holiday bookings are set to skyrocket this Saturday as thousands of Brits rush to get the best deal amid the cost-of-living crisis. Figures published today by tour operator trade body ABTA show 61 per cent of people are planning to have a holiday abroad this year. Of those, 31 per cent say they want to [...]
Airlines ‘extremely disappointed’ by wave of China-targeted Covid restrictions January 4, 2023 The global industry body for airlines has said it is “extremely disappointed” by countries’ decisions to introduce restrictions on travellers from China after Covid cases have skyrocketed in the country following Beijing’s decision to ditch its zero-Covid policy. The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents around 300 airlines across the globe, described the wave [...]
Transport secretary: Covid-positive China arrivals will not have to isolate January 3, 2023 Transport secretary Mark Harper has confirmed the UK will not require Covid-positive arrivals from China to quarantine despite mounting calls from the Health Security Agency to identify and test cases. The transport secretary told LBC today that travellers from China will not be forced to isolate and said the policy to test arrivals was put [...]
Jet2 crowned UK best holiday provider as Tui and Lastminute.com slump January 3, 2023 Jet2 has taken the crown as Britain’s favourite provider of package and resort holidays. According to a survey published today by consumer champion Which?, the UK company has received the highest score in customer satisfaction alongside Swiss holiday provider Kuoni. Respondents praised Jet2’s high levels of service and reliability, with one customer saying that “you [...]
From Heathrow’s row to SAF: Here are the top five things to watch out for in aviation next year December 24, 2022 To say that the UK aviation industry has had an eventful 2022 would be an understatement. This time last year, airlines and airports were on their knees as the Omicron variant emerged from South Africa at the end of November and in a matter of weeks reached Britain, bringing with it a truckload of new [...]
UK flights during festive period remain 14 per cent below pre-Covid levels December 20, 2022 UK flights during the festive period have remained significantly below pre-pandemic levels, according to research. Data published today by aviation analytics firm Cirium showed that 30,979 departures have been scheduled from UK airports between 21 December and 4 January. This is 14 per cent below the 36,138 reported in 2019. UK flights are nevertheless 33 [...]
Christmas getaway: Five million Brits to travel during festive period December 18, 2022 Around five million Britons are expected to travel during this festive period, according to recent data. Figures published by trade body ABTA have shown that 640,000 people will leave from Stansted while 470,000 from Luton over the Christmas period. Gatwick will welcome hundreds of thousands of travellers, while Heathrow will see at least three million [...]
On the Beach’s boss to step down as group returns to black for first time December 8, 2022 On the Beach’s boss Simon Cooper is set to step down just as the group returns to profit for the first time since the pandemic hit. Cooper, who founded the beach holiday retailer in 2004, will leave within the next year and will be replaced by the firm’s current chief financial officer Shaun Morton. The [...]
Kentucky: Why the Bluegrass State is more than just horses and bourbon December 7, 2022 As we all pay more attention to what we are eating and drinking, flavour tourism is growing, particularly in the world of drinks. Visits to mezcal makers in Mexico, cognac chateaus in France, and now bourbon distilleries in Kentucky are on the up. If the idea of a well-made Old Fashioned, Mint Julep or simple [...]
Global travel inflation easing for first time this year December 6, 2022 For the first time this year travel inflation has eased worldwide, including in Europe. According to data from business travel platform TravelPerk, inflation in the fourth quarter of 2022 went down to -8 per cent from 15 and 3 per cent in the second and third quarter respectively. Overall the price of European flights has [...]