Travel woes continue

2010 has been a horrible year for the travel industry and it continued yesterday with the announcement that Goldtrail, the British tour operator went into administration. Not for the first time in 2010, British holidaymakers were left stranded at the airport & overseas.

There had been rumours for several months that Goldtrail was not doing well. In a travel industry dominated by cheap airline, easyJet and Ryanair included, smaller tour operators were always going to find it hard to survive. Couple that with the global financial crisis and poor brand reputation the outlook was bleak for Goldtrail.

On a number of travel review websites, recent feedback comments in had been very critical. One unhappy customer described the experience of travelling to Turkey with Goldtrail as a “holiday from hell”.

The CAA advised customers due to fly with the failed operator to check with their travel agent before travelling to the airport.

With this most recent setback in the international travel industry it’s littler wonder “staycations” have remained popular.

Survive the British Airways Strike

If like me you’ve booked a British Airways flight in the foolish belief that the strike could be avoided you might be a little more worried now that talks have broken down. Hopefully by the time I fly in April they will have resolved the dispute and come to some sort of agreement.

In the mean time there are certain precautions you can make to ensure that your trip will be least affected by the lack of British Airways staff.

1. Don’t check-baggage. I know this can be difficult, particularly for long trips and for those who have to pack their entire closet when they travel because “you never know!”. Well I do know. Your huge bag will probably not make it to your destination because some disgruntled BA employee will view it as additional work they’re not being properly compensated for. So only bring carry-on and that also means a bag that will fit in the overhead. BA is strict on this and even if it’s fractionally over the limit it will have to be checked. You’ve been warned.

2. Bring your own food. News this week that the BA strike is spreading internationally with certain sections promoting not providing catering on flights in defiance. Easy solution. Bring your own. Keep it simple, because there’s no microwave to warm anything up. Sandwiches and fruit salad are good as they easy to eat and won’t leave you feeling like a beaches whale during those crazy pressure changes during a flight. Also make sure you buy a big bottle of water at the airport. You don’t want to have to rely on a flight attendant to keep you hydrated, and it will only piss him/her off if you’re ringing your passenger bell every two second for a refill.

3. Arrive even earlier. 2 hours for international flights and 1 hour for domestic should be extended to 3 hours and 2 hours respectively. I go by the old adage, “You just never know” and it’s been kind to me. Even more pertinent now with the potential effects of the strike arriving that hour earlier will give you some manoeuverability should the unspeakable happen.

The good news is British Airways has said that despite the strike 60% of flights will still take place and that most of the flights effected will be short haul flights. That said, if you don’t want your short break or holiday ruined stick to these three simple rules and you should be OK.

St Patricks Day 2010

St Patrick’s Day is Wednesday this week and will be celebrated around the world. Celebrated boisterously wherever it is recognised, St Paddy’s Day, as it is affectionately known, is one of the most popular national holidays and has been celebrated by the Irish for over a thousand years.

In London celebrations have already begun. The Mayor’s festival and parade was on Saturday and festivals continued all weekend. If you were lucky enough to be in Trafalgar Square you would also have been treated to live music, traditional food and other delights.

Although there will be no more official events for St Paddy’s day this year, there will be plenty of activity this week, although probably a distinct quiet Thursday morning!

Enjoy yourself, stay safe. www.drinkaware.co.uk

Travel Easy: GPS Navigation

We don’t always take planes to go on a holiday. And with half of the airline industry in the dumps since the financial crisis, “staycationers” has become the catchphrase of the tourism industry.

That said, if you are staying in the country for a short break, driving will most likely be your mode of transport. That also said, nothing ruins a vacation “staycation” like getting lost and having no one to blame but yourself (or whoever is in the passenger seat).

Luckily for mankind (including those who don’t drive, or don’t know what a car is), some smart fella invented the GPS navigation device.

Now they’re not that cheap but you don’t want to be spending more than £150, unless you’re really, really bad with directions.

The Navman F45 is really user-friendly. Highlights include a larger than average screen (4.3-inch) which means you won’t have to be squinting down at the screen one minute and swerving to miss a cyclist the next. The multiple route options means that if you’re really not in a rush you can take the scenic route. 3 hour battery life also means that unless you’re driving some bloody great distance you’ll most likely make it to point B. Oh and I haven’t even mentioned the best part. It’s £87.It wouldn’t be fair if I just mentioned one device. So another that is still pretty reasonable and offers a little bit extra for your dough is the popular TomTom ONE XL Classic (picture above). It’s the Classic for a reason. Easy to use, installation is a breeze, alerts for speed cameras, full maps of Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland. However, this does cost a bit sweeter. At a £143 it’s still a pretty good deal for the extra and it is extremely reliable.

London Eye, worth the £18?

London Eye, is pretty cool. I’ve been on it and enjoyed myself. But is £18 charging too much for the unique view of London?

First their making “record profits” in excess of £25m. Yes some, if not most, of this money goes to maintenance on what was meant to be a temporary structure in London.

Secondly, it’s horribly organised and visitors are herded like sheep and then hurried into a container for 30 minutes 28 minutes. If you want a proper relaxing experience you’re going to have to go with the “champagne” package or something and that’s when prices get even more ridiculous.

It has done some good though. The South Bank has benefited from the waves of tourism that has crashed on its shores, providing much needed stimulus in a struggling economy.

So is it too much?

I don’t think so. London Eye has become a much loved part of the London Skyline and is now synonymous with the city. Providing a much needed revenue source for surrounding business the London Eye is also completely independent from Government money so is no added strain on the taxpayer should there be a slow year.

And, in closing, if you visit on a clear sunny day, with a glass of champagne in your hand you’ll feel like a king albeit for 28 minutes.

Travel Mecca

Welcome

Welcome to Trip Central! Your destination for travel news and tips.

Hope you enjoy all that I’ll be posting about, suggestions for topics always welcome.

Thanks!

Paul