Archive for December, 2010

New York – Snow.

If you were thinking the recent bad weather we had here in London was ciaotic.  Think again.  New York is experiencing a huge blizzard that has effected travel beyond normal disruption levels.  It is so bad that it has even affected the Maritime provinces of Canada.

The city of New York has knee deep snow.  All major Airports shut down with thousands of canceled flights in the last week.  This current blizzard is so bad it has been named the “snowpocalypse”.  I thought ankle deep snow falls in London was bad, but New York has us beat by about 10 inches.

Airports.

There are three major Airports in the New York area that provide travel to numerous destinations around the World.  JFK International, LaGuardia and Newark International (New Jersey).  Limited services are available but still, it is going to take a major thaw and snow clearance to get anywhere near normal.

Emergency Services Issues.

A major problem of the city, is that many of the emergency services vehicles are also stuck in the (all to gether now), Snow.  Ambulances, Buses, Fire Engines as well as cars.  The salt spreaders and snow plows can’t get to work until the vehicles are pulled out of the way.

Hold tight New Yorkers, stay inside and stay safe!  Snow, you gotta love it – as long as you’re not in it.

As always, check with your airline if you are due to travel to or from New York.  Check for flight cancellations

Photographed by Doug Letterman from wikipedia.org.

London City Airport.

Social Media has extended it’s reach from individuals to Companies.  London City Airport being is of them.  We all know Social Media is a big area of communication on the Internet.  London City Airport now have over 5,000 followers on Twitter.

Twitter Followers.

5,000 followers sounds like a lot of followers, but in truth, there are people and Companies, that have millions of Twitt er followers.

I read that London City Airport is getting over 100 tweets a day. All relating to travel enquires and updates.  They are responding to enquires, and post regular updates on airport information, flights, cancellations and delays.  Airport officials have said that Social Media has been an effective way of commuincating travel information to their service users.

The recent bad Weather in London has encourage people to join.  It is a fast way of keeping up to date with travel news, flight service, and general information.  An idea that could help boost customer service and bookings at London City Airport.

Photographed by Sunil060902.

Merry Christmas.

Just a few words to say Merry Christmas to you.  That is, if you celebrate it.  If  you don’t,  well enjoy the break anyway.

It’s amazing this time of the year, just how many people wish you a Merry Christmas.  All it takes is a quick exchange in the street, a purchase in the local shop or supermarket, and the parting farewell is always Merrry Christmas.  Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with it.  It’s a good thing.

Christmas Shopping.

The shops are always full of christmas paraphernalia. They usually pop up around October time don’t they?  Well if you’ve got kids, it’s a great fun time for them.  Here’s my tip – shop for Christmas in October, that way you won’t need to worry about missing out on getting that toy!

Have a great time and enjoy your Christmas Holiday Break.

KLM.

In late March 2011, KLM will operate scheduled flights from Amsterdam to Xiamen, China.  They will be the first airline to provider direct flights from a European destination to South East China.

KLM’s flight service to China already includes such cities as, Beijing, Chengdu, and Shanghai.  KLM has a very large service to Eastern destinations from Amsterdam.  As well as China, it also includes Hong Kong and Taiwan.  With the added city of Xiamen, KLM will firmly extended their reach to the Eastern part of the World.

From Europe To China.

If you are based anywhere in Europe, and you’ve been thinking about a European/Eastern holiday.  This could be a great opportunity to explore an alternative route to the East.

For flights to Amsterdam check, lastminute.com or Expedia.
For flights to China, Hong Kong or Taiwan, check out KLM.  They are the specialist airline with flights to East Asia.

Don’t forget your travel insurance.

Photographed by Brian

 Cold Weather Conditions.

The recent cold Weather conditions have grounded all flights out of London.  Oh boy is it thick.  Yes, London has fallen to the heavy snow blizt that has swept through Ireland, Scotland and Wales this past week.

Flights have been grounded at Heathrow, London Gatwick, City and all airports around the Country.  Officials at Gatwick airport are monitoring the snow fall closely.  Dispite the bleak cold weather conditions, some Airlines insists that flights still may be able to depart later today on a very delayed schedule.

Travel Has Grinded To A Halt.

Due to the cold weather conditions, travel around the Country has virtually grinded to a halt.  The official line being “Don’t go out unless you absolutely have to.”  ”How the heck am I suppose to stay indoors, when I have to go to work”, I hear you saying. Quite Frankly I duuno.  All overhead Train travel has been suspended, with very limited Bus Service.

It’s rough, it’s rugged, it’s clear white outside and it’s cold.  However, it does looks fantastic, just like a Winter picture post card.  Hold tight people, stay inside and keep warm!

Snow – In All Its Glory.

If you have flights booked for today or tomorrow.  Call your Airline and check for delays, cancellations and other updates. This is England and these cold weather conditions could be gone as quickly as they came. Best to check in with the Airlines, just in case.

Can you get Travel Insurance for cold Weather conditions?  Go check that one out.

Calgary – New Attractions.

If you are thinking about visiting Calgary, Canada next year, here are some new attractions and events that might interest you.  Next March 2011 in Alberta, Calgary, a new Sports Hall of Fame is due to open.  It will feature interactive displays and many artefacts relating to Canada’s heroes and sports history.

In the Autumn there will be a new science centre in Calgary called TELUS World of Science.  There will be lots of activities, events and exhibitions.  Lastly, in the Summer Calgary will be hosting The Calgary Stampede.  This will have live music, wagon racing, rodeos and many other events taking place between 8^th July 2011 and 17^th July 2011.

For a great canadian travel experience see  Canada Affair.  Don’t forget to check out your travel insurance options.

Glasgow.

Do you live in Glasgow?  If you do, and you travel to and from London on a regular basis?  British Airways are introducing additional flights from Glasgow to London City Airport.  The additional service is due to start next June 2011.

New Flight Scedules.

Plan are to have five flights operating on a daily basis.  The additional flights will be operated by BA City Flyer who will also be increasing the frequency of flights to Edinburgh.  This is very good news for the business traveler who travels from Glasgow to London and vice cersa.

Photo by:John Lindie

Boeing 777.

Continental Airlines Boeing 777 aircrafts now have flat-bed service in business class on all of their international long-haul flights.  If you are a business traveller, you’ll be happy to know that you now have this additional service.

This service is available now, and all the seats recline to 180 degrees.  In addition, it features many high-tech facilities including, USB plugs, iPod connectivity and laptop power points.

Chosen Destinations.

If you are base in New York, and travel business class with Continental Airlines Boeing 777.  You can experience this luxurious service.  The international destinations are:   Frankfurt, Hong Kong and London.  With many more destinations to be added soon I’m sure.  Continental plan to expand the flat-bed service on all of the Boeing 777 aircrafts.

A few other popular airlines that use the flat-bed service in their business class travel are:  British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Singapore Airlines.

Skiing.

Skiing, is a very popular Winter sport.  There are lots of ski holidays to choose from and Dispite the popularity, of them.   I  thought it was worth mentioning that you should ALWAYS get adequate travel insurance while you’re out skiing on the Alps.

With Winter in full swing, ski holidays are very popular and too many people are forgetting about travel insurance.  There are some up to date figures stating over 30% of Brits taking a ski or Winter sport holiday do not get full travel insurance.  I wish I knew why.  Don’t let that be you or your family, get adequate travel insurance for all your holidays, including a skiing one.

Get Adequate Cover.

Single trip travel insurance is cheaper and worth considering.  One very important aspect to point out is, the type of cover you get.  Make sure that your travel insurance policy includes cover for; ambulances, medical treatment, helicopter ambulances, skiing off-piste and repatriation.  Once done, you can enjoy your ski holiday knowing that you are protected should you fall ill.  Peace of mind is better than a broken leg not covered under a travel insurance policy.

Wood cabins, log fires and picturesque snow mountain views, are some of the images we congure up when we hear about a ski resort.  I’m sure the actual ski holidays are very simular to what we can image.  I’ve never been on one, unlikely that I ever would.  I’m just not a Winter person.  However, if you like the ideal of sliding down a snowy mountain ski resort.  The destinations below might be give you a few ideas.

Some popular skiing destinations this year are; Canada, France, Italy, and Switzerland.

Travel Insurance For Skiing Holidays Is Paramount.

Photographed by Denis Tarantola.