Airports

Airport Webcams

2009-05-12T23:27:00.000-07:00

Check out this list of thirteen Airport Webcams around the world.

We'll try to track down more of these as this is a neat way to get a little orientation before travelling to a new airport or city.

More Great Fares from Allegiant

2009-04-15T16:18:00.000-07:00

Although service is very limited in terms of days and markets, Allegiant offers some amazing fares to and from Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Mesa Arizona.

Here's an email from them about a special deal:

Offer valid between Los Angeles (LAX) to/from the following markets:

Bellingham, Wash. begins May 2	Grand Junction, Colo. begins May 1	Northwest Arkansas (XNA) begins May 22
Billings, Mont. begins May 22	McAllen, Texas begins May 24	Sioux Falls, S.D. begins May 23
Des Moines, Iowa begins May 24	Medford, Ore. begins May 1	Springfield, Mo. begins May 3
Fargo, N.D. begins May 23	Missoula, Mont. begins May 2	Wichita, Kan. begins May 23

Allegiant Air Home Page

*Allegiant’s $15* one-way fares are extremely limited, are not be available on all flights and are non-refundable. Must be purchased between 3 a.m. PDT and 6 p.m. PDT April 15, 2009 for complete travel by Sept. 30, 2009. Valid only on nonstop flights to/from Los Angeles International Airport to/from select cities. Prices do not include PFC, segment tax or Sept. 11 security fee of up to $10.60 per segment. A segment is one take-off and one landing. A convenience fee of $13.50 per passenger will apply when booked on allegiantair.com. A convenience fee of $13.50 per passenger, plus $10 per segment, will apply when purchased through Allegiant Air call centers. When purchased at time of booking, a fee of $15 for first checked bag and $25 for second checked bag will apply per person, per segment. If purchased at flight check-in, a fee of $25 for the first checked bag and $35 for the second checked bag per person, per segment will apply. In all cases additional higher fees will apply for three or more checked bags. Fare rules, routes and schedules are subject to change without notice. Restrictions apply. Offer not valid on previously purchased tickets.

This is a post-only mailing from Allegiant Air.
Please do not attempt to respond to this message.

Allegiant Air
8360 S. Durango Drive
Las Vegas, NV 89113

Alaska Air WIFI challenges continue

2009-04-14T15:10:00.000-07:00

Tech Flash is reporting that Alaska's WIFI service is popular but pricing issues remain. They say Alaska's fee is likely to be $15 per flight which I fear will prevent most users from taking advantage of the service. Although $15 does not seem to be excessive, budget conscious flyers will recognize that a few hours away from the internet won't do them any harm. I'd argue the optimal "price point" for in flight online services is somewhere between $5 and $10 which are still very high by the standard of free WIFI now available in many airports but represent a premium cost that consumers are "comfortable with" in flight as this is in the neighborhood of the cost of a snack box s and even on some flights beverages.

If the Airlines don't hurry up I think this market could literally dry up as ubiquitous broadband reaches most areas in the USA and customers choose to take a nap rather than worry about the few hours of non-connectivity between the WIFI at home, the Airport, and the destination hotel combined with their EVDO or broadband smartphone access.

http://www.techflash.com/Alaska_offers_details_on_in-flight_Wi-Fi_42973362.html

Airline Phone Numbers

2009-03-04T11:51:00.000-08:00

Planning big trips is a big (though often very enjoyable) job and if you want good rates and flights you'll often find you need to call the airline at some point in the process. Here, courtesy of a nice list I found at Airtimetable.com , are phones and websites for many of the airlines around the world:

Aer Lingus...............................................

Aeroflot...................................................

Aerolineas Argentinas.............................

AeroMexico.............................................

Aeromar (Mexico)....................................

Aeromar (Dominican Republic)................

Aeropostal...............................................

Air ALM (Dutch Caribbean)......................

Air Calin ..................................................

Air Canada .............................................

Air Caraibes............................................

Air China ...(Chinese)...............................

Air Europa ..............................................

Air Fiji .....................................................

Air France ..............................................

Air India .................................................

Air Jamaica ............................................

Air Madagascar .....................................

Air Malta..................................................

Air Mauritius ..........................................

Air Nambia..............................................

Air Nauru.................................................

Air New Zealand ....................................

Air Pacific................................................

Air Portugal.............................................

Air Seychelles.........................................

Air Sunshine ...........................................

Air Tahiti Nui ..........................................

Air Tran Airways.....................................

Air Transat..............................................

Air Vanuatu ..(Qantas Res.).....................

Air Vegas ................................................

Air Zimbabwe .........................................

Alaska Airlines .......................................

Alitalia ....................................................

All Nippon Airways..................................

Allegiant Air............................................

Aloha Air ................................................

America West Airlines .........................

American Airlines ..................................

Asiana Airlines ......................................

ATA American Trans Air........................

Atkin Air...................................................

Atlantic Airlines .....................................

AtlasAir....................................................

Austrian Airlines ....................................

Aviacsa....................................................

Avianca...(Summa Group).......................

Aviateca ....(Grupo Taca)........................

Bahamas Air ...........................................

Bangkok Air.............................................

Bemidji Aviation.....................................

Big Sky Airlines ......................................

Braathens................................................

British Airways .......................................

British Midland........................................

BWIA International .................................

Calm Air...................................................

Canadian North.......................................

CanJet.....................................................

Cape Air .................................................

Cathay Pacific Airways ...........................

Cayman Airways ....................................

Chalk's Ocean Airways ..........................

China Airlines ........................................

China Eastern Airlines ...........................

China Southern Airlines ........................

Colgan Air ..............................................

Comair ....................................................

Condor ..(German)...................................

Continental Airlines ................................

Copa Airlines ..........................................

Corporate Express...................................

Corsair.....................................................

Croatia Airlines .......................................

Cyprus Airways .......................................

Czech Airlines..........................................

Delta Air Lines ........................................

DHL Express ............................................

Dragon Air................................................

Dutch Caribbean......................................

East Coast Services ................................

EgyptAir ..................................................

El Al Israel Airlines .................................

Emery Worldwide ...................................

Emirates Air ............................................

Ethiopian Airlines....................................

EVA Airways ............................................

Evergreen Int. .........................................

Finnair ....................................................

Frontier Airlines ......................................

Garuda Indonesia ...................................

Great Lakes Airlines ...............................

Gulf Air ....................................................

Gulfstream Airlines ................................

Hawaiian Airlines ...................................

HMY Airways...........................................

Hooters Air..............................................

Horizon Air .............................................

Iberia ......................................................

Icelandair ...............................................

Interstate Jet...........................................

Japan Airlines ........................................

Jazz (Air Canada).....................................

JetBlue Airways .....................................

JetsGo.....................................................

Kenya Airways ......(KLM).........................

KLM ....(Northwest)...................................

Korean Air ...............................................

Kuwait Air................................................

Lacsa .. (Grupo Taca)...............................

Lan Chile Airlines ...................................

Lauda......................................................

Lithuanian Airlines.................................

Lloyd Air Bolivaian LAB.........................

LOT Polish .............................................

LTU International ...................................

Lufthansa ...............................................

Lynx Air...................................................

Malaysia .................................................

Malev Hungarian ...................................

Martinair.................................................

Mesa Airlines .........................................

Mesaba Airlines .....................................

Mexicana ...............................................

Midwest Express Air................................

Naked Air................................................

Nantucket Airlines ..................................

New England Air .....................................

North Vancouver Air................................

Northwest Airlines ..................................

Olympic Airways .....................................

Pacific Coastal Air ...................................

Pacific Wings............................................

Pakistan Intl. Air.......................................

Pan Am ....................................................

Penair ......................................................

Philippine Airlines ..................................

PIA Pakistan............................................

Polynesian Airlines .................................

Qantas Airways .......................................

Qatar Air..................................................

Royal Air Maroc ......................................

Royal Jordanian Air.................................

Royal Nepal ............................................

Royal Tongan..........................................

Ryan Intl..................................................

Scandinavian Air..SAS............................

Saudi Arabian Air....................................

Scenic Airlines .......................................

Shuttle America .....................................

Silk Air ...(Singapore)..............................

Singapore Airlines .................................

SN Brussels.............................................

Solomon Airlines ...................................

Song Airlines..........................................

South African .........................................

Southwest Airlines .................................

Spanair ..................................................

Spirit Airlines .........................................

Sri Lankan .............................................

Sun Country Airlines .............................

Sunflower Airlines, Fiji ..........................

Suriname Airways .................................

Swiss.......................................................

TACA Airlines .........................................

TAP Air Portugal ....................................

TED.........................................................

Thai Airlines ..........................................

Trans Meridian.......................................

Travelair ...............................................

Tropic Air ..............................................

Turkish Airlines .....................................

Ukraine Intl Airlines ..............................

United Airlines ......................................

US Airways ...........................................

USA 3000...............................................

Ukraine Air............................................

Uzbekistan Airways...............................

VASP......................................................

Varig .....................................................

Virgin Atlantic .......................................

West Isle Air...........................................

WestJet Airlines ....................................

World Airways .......................................

Zip Air.....................................................

800-223-6537

888-340-6400

800-333-0276

800-237-6639

800-237-6627

877-237-6627

888-912-8466

800-327-7230

800-677-4277

888-247-2262

877-772-1005

800-982-8802

888-238-7672

877-247-3454

800-237-2747

800-223-2420

800-523-5585

800-854-1029

800-756-2582

800-537-1182

800-626-4242

800-677-4277

800-262-1234

800-227-4446

800-221-7370

800-677-4277

800-327-8900

877-824-4846

800-247-8726

800-388-5836

800-227-4500

800-255-7474

800-742-3006

800-426-0333

800-223-5730

800-235-9262

888-594-6937

800-367-5250

800-235-9292

800-433-7300

800-227-4262

800-225-2995

800-924-2471

800-879-0000

800-462-2012

800-843-0002

800-758-2188

800-284-2622

800-535-8780

800-222-4262

866-226-4565

800-332-7133

800-237-7788

800-548-5960

800-247-9297

800-788-0555

800-538-2942

800-839-2256

800-661-1505

800-809-7777

800-352-0714

800-233-2742

800-441-3003

800-424-2557

800-227-5118

800-200-5118

888-338-8988

800-428-4322

800-354-9822

800-524-6975

800-525-0280

800-359-2672

800-661-8151

Web Link

888-426-7628

877-359-6629

800-223-2365

800-221-1212

800-225-5345

800-233-2742

800-327-7230

800-554-0550

800-334-6787

800-223-6700

800-367-3592

800-777-3999

800-445-2733

800-695-1188

800-345-5556

800-950-5000

800-432-1359

800-342-7832

800-554-5111

800-553-2824

800-992-8532

800-367-5320

800-946-9247

888-359-4668

800-547-9308

800-772-4642

800-223-5500

877-359-4538

800-525-3663

888-422-7533

800-538-2583

866-448-5888

800-374-7747

800-225-2525

800-438-5000

800-458-9248

800-225-2272

800-735-5526

800-843-0002

877-454-8482

800-327-3098

800-223-0593

800-888-0200

800-645-3880

888-596-9247

800-552-9264

800-223-6884

800-627-8462

800-637-2247

800-225-2525

800-531-7921

800-452-2022

800-470-2020

800-635-8787

800-243-2460

800-228-6608

800-225-2525

800-223-1226

800-663-2872

808-873-0877

800-221-2552

800-359-7262

800-448-4226

800-435-9725

800-221-2552

800-264-0823

800-227-4500

866-728-2748

800-344-6726

800-223-0470

800-266-3725

800-486-6426

800-727-0457

800-221-2350

800-472-8342

800-634-6801

888-999-3273

800-742-3333

516 622 2248

800-677-4277

800-359-7664

800-722-9675

800-435-9792

888-545-5757

800-772-7117

877-915-2652

800-752-1218

800-707-3454

800-327-6864

877-359-7947

800-400-8222

800-221-7370

800-240-6522

800-426-5204

888-733-6373

800-948-3770

800-422-3435

800-874-8875

800-876-0114

800-241-6522

800-428-4322

877-872-3000

800-876-0114

800-995-9912

800-433-0444

800-468-2744

800-862-8621

800-874-4434

800-538-5696

800-967-5310

866-432-1947

Airports in the Recession

2009-03-02T12:02:00.000-08:00

As the recession continues and the country flirts with what is likely to be a depression, Airports are anything but immune to the economic crisis.

San Antonio Airport has delayed a planned expansion details and I'm confident that we'll see a lot more of this over the coming years.

Air traffic will almost certainly decline as business slows and travelers choose cheaper destinations for vacations, preferring to drive and save rather than fly. Although ticket prices no longer seem to reflect the huge fuel costs of months ago it seems unlikely this summer will bring a huge air travel boom. Most Americans are licking their economic wounds and although I have not seen study results yet, it's a very good bet that travel this summer will be down - I'd guess quite a bit unless we see the stimulus and TARP plans have immediate hugely positive effects that now appear very unlikely.

Continental Commuter Crash in Suburban Buffalo (Clarence Center)

2009-02-12T21:32:00.000-08:00

Reports are confirming that 49 are dead in the Continental Commuter Crash near Buffalo NY. This was flight Continental 3407 from Newark NJ to Buffalo NY.

Families of possible victims of this crash can call 800-621-3263 for information.

A neighbor filmed the fire minutes after the crash:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPoqhEHKNQk

More from these sources soon:
Buffalo News
CNN
FOX

US Passport Card vs. Passport Book

2009-01-25T18:35:00.000-08:00

The US Government has a new, lower cost option for travelers who will *not be flying internationally*. It's called the Passport Card and costs less than a regular Passport Book, though for anybody who thinks they are likely to fly internationally - including to or from Canada or Mexico, needs a full blown US Passport book.

Not sure about future travel plans? I'd say go ahead and get the book rather than the card. Wait times on Passports can be up to a month or even longer, so if opportunity strikes and you get a chance to travel internationally don't be caught without the proper documentation. An exception here might be for children or people who have absolutely no interest in flying internationally - in that case the card may save you over half the cost of a full Passport.

The following is from the US Government Passport website:

THE U.S. PASSPORT CARD IS NOW IN PRODUCTION!

We began production of the U.S. Passport Card on July 14, 2008. To date, we have issued over 700,000 U.S. Passport Cards. Applications for the U.S. Passport Card are being processed in approximately 3 weeks from the time of application.

The wallet-size passport card is convenient and less expensive than the passport book. However, the U.S. Passport Card cannot be used for international air travel. This new travel document can be used to enter the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda at land border crossings or sea ports-of-entry.

Note: A current or previous passport book holder, who is eligible to use Form DS-82 , may apply for a passport card as a renewal by mail. First time applicants for a U.S. Passport, and those not eligible to use Form DS-82, must apply for a passport card in person using Form DS-11.

The card has the same period of validity as the U.S. Passport Book: 10 years for an adult and 5 years for minors under age 16. The card costs $45 for a first-time adult passport applicant and $35 for all minor applicants under age 16, regardless of whether they are previous passport book or card holders. Adults who already have a fully valid passport book may apply for the card as a passport renewal by mail and pay only $20.

All Passengers Appear Safe on US Airways 1549 after emergency landing in Hudson River, New York.

2009-01-15T14:41:00.000-08:00

US Airways from NY to Charlotte NC emergency landed in the Hudson River today shortly after takeoff, with the pilot appearing to carry off a picture perfect emergency landing in the Hudson River where river vessels quickly arrived to help evacuate passengers. As of 5:45pm EST no fatalities are reported and it appears also no serious injuries to the passengers.

More from CNN

Small Conference Cost Cutting Tips

2008-12-18T10:36:00.000-08:00

In terms of conference planning one of the key things to keep in mind is that pricing is almost *always* more negotiable than most people realize.

Small numbers of rooms you can guarantee the hotels are appreciated but they may not give you much leverage in price. However even for a single room the price is generally negotiable unless the area is sold out. First, consider your location carefully if price is important. During huge events like CES Las Vegas room rates on the strip are 2-3 times and more what the same room would cost normally, especially during midweek low pricing when Las Vegas offers some of the best hotel bargains anywhere.

Unless there are some huge events mid week in winter should be a good time and a good price approach is to start at Kayak.com (price comparison tooly) and look for 3-4 nice venues with reasonable prices and then call them directly to firm up details and ask for either lower pricing or better amenities.

Let your competing venues know you are shopping around and then go with the best offer. For example if you need a meeting room that will usually cost more but you might get it free thanks to the room block.

Another cost cutting device can be to use nearby restaurants as your meeting place and pick slightly "off" times for the meals (when they are slower and don't need the space).

Larger Restaurants generally have meeting rooms and if you promise enough meals to them they'll generally provide the room for free although firm up the times with them so you don't get kicked out after eating. Hotels have different economics so I think eating "out" is often less expensive than having the hotel cater things.

Thai Airport Protests End - Flights to resume Thursday

2008-12-02T22:01:00.000-08:00

Thailand's Bangkok passenger flights will resume Thursday December 4th and freight traffic has already resumed. Political protestors who were accusing the current Thailand government of corruption had closed the airports almost a week ago and have been camped out since then, ending the airport "sit in" today. Hundreds of thousands of travellers are still stranded and Thailand's tourist industry may suffer greatly from the actions.

Weather Delays Plague Eastern US Airports

2008-11-30T17:32:00.000-08:00

Nice weather heading into the US Thanksgiving holiday didn't last through the weekend, and travelers today are experiencing delays of up to many hours as a large storm hammers the east coast and delays are reported for many airports.

Check flight delay status either with your airline directly or here at the FAA website flight delay application: http://www.fly.faa.gov/flyfaa/usmap.jsp LINK

PDX Free Wifi Rocks ... and so does MFR Free Wifi

2008-11-22T13:50:00.000-08:00

It is important to acknowledge when a business brings good technology to the table and I'm just throwing out kudos again to my two favorite Oregon Airports: PDX in Portand and MFR in Medford serving all of Southern Oregon and some of Northern California.

Both MFR Medford and PDX Portland have free wifi throughout the terminal complexes, and this makes travel so much nicer as you have a chance to catch up on some email, surf the web, or ... blog about how great free wifi is to have in an Airport.

Sure, eventually widespread use of cellular broadband will make airport wifi less important, but paying many airports the $9.95 "daily fee" for 30-60 minutes of Wifi is painful for reasons that are hard to articulate well given that the advantages clearly are worth that cost. I can only hope that the free Wifi airports see something back in terms of advertising support for the Wifi (seems rare), or an increased chance of business travellers who like this service (hard to measure, but seems somewhat likely).

Baggage becoming a musical money chair

2008-11-21T12:11:00.000-08:00

Airlines are struggling in many ways, and baggage handling and fees are no exception. Northwest will initiate fees for even the first checked bag effective with December 5 flights though there seems to be a gray area (or perhaps no fees?) if your ticket was purchased before November 12th.

Horizon, a common partner airline for NWA here in the Pacific Northwest, remains free for the first bag: www.alaskaair.com - Alaska Air Baggage Rules.

Suffice it to say that savvy travelers should probably start to prepare a good "carry on" strategy to keep costs lower and hassles to a minimum, since picking up checked bags offers challenges of its own.

I find that creative packing of a small roller suitcase and a large backpack gives me plenty of room for about a week of travel. For longer trips just plan a single laundry event in the mix and you are good to go with the same clothes. I used this tactic in China for my April 2008 15 day adventure and it worked just fine although I did send home a very large additional bag (at no charge on United at that time), filled with chopsticks, pillow covers, and other souvenir items.

Airport Family Lines - do they work?

2008-11-20T19:01:00.000-08:00

Several Airports have begun special family lines - presumably to isolate some potential slowdowns to the check in process as families often have special needs and sometimes unruly or reluctant children.

Here is the story

However if your children are familiar with flying and know the routine, you may choose to use the regular methods and avoid the delays that may come from special family lines which will be harder to gauge in terms of the time taken to get bags, kids, and yourself processed.

Airline Ticket Bargains - some times it pays to ... wait.

2008-10-30T13:51:00.000-07:00

A popular misconception about Airline ticket prices is that buying tickets earlier is always better. On the contrary it is often best to wait for good prices - sometimes to weeks of your trip although you generally are taking some risks to wait, especially if you have limited flexibility.

A good case in point is my upcoming trip from Medford, Oregon MFR to Minneapolis MSP. I've been watching tickets for this trip for months and the best deal I've seen was bout 450 until today, when I got our 3 tickets at 350. The online memo said "last three tickets at this price" and it is possible I've missed better deals, but this is generally a great price from our regional airport at Meford to MSP.

Even SMF and PDX - the major airports we sometimes use to save money - were in this price range today so this was a no brainer. Earlier I'd seen as low as $200 but that would have had us flying on Thanksgiving day on big fat full bellies. Not ... a pretty picture?

Icelandair Revival

2008-10-10T11:41:00.000-07:00

Long term Airline Icelandair is promoting their flights in a new campaign.

The Icelandair official Website is here and they serve these airports (links are to Icelandair's info about those locations):

Airport name:
Amsterdam - Schiphol Airport
Barcelona International Airport
Bergen Airport
Berlin Airport
Boston Logan Airport
Copenhagen Airport
Frankfurt Airport
Glasgow Airport
Gothenburg Airport
Halifax Airport
Helsinki Airport
Keflavík Airport
London Heathrow Airport
Madrid Airport
Manchester airport
Milan - Malpensa Airport
Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport
München International Airport
New York - John F. Kennedy International
Orlando Sanford Airport
Oslo - Gardermoen Airport
Paris - Charles de Gaulle
Stockholm - Arlanda Airport
Zürich Airport

More In Flight WiFi Launches

2008-09-14T11:34:00.000-07:00

Another in flight WIFI service is available and the New York Times is reporting that it is not allowing Skype calls:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/14/business/14essay.html

I don't see this as a big deal though it's not clear to me why they'd care much. Perhaps a security issue because it's easier to screen text such that TSA could identify suspicious activity more easily using automated routines at the ISP level.

In any case this is a great boon to business travelers who now can have uptime throughout the flight, especially at the critical time right before and after key meetings and conferences.

2008-09-12T17:53:00.000-07:00

XL Leisure Group in the UK has stopped operations, stranding many customers.

Check with the website, now under control of those taking over the business, for details.

The following are recommended actions as of Sept 12, from the company website:

XL Leisure Group Plc, XL Airways UK Limited, Excel Aviation Limited, Explorer House Limited, Aspire Holidays Limited, Freedom Flights Limited, Freedom Flights (Aviation) Limited, The Really Great Holiday Company plc, Medlife Hotels Limited, Travel City Flights Limited, Kosmar Villa Holidays plc – All in Administration (the Companies)

On 12 September 2008, Alastair Beveridge, Nick Cropper, Simon Appell and Stuart Mackellar were appointed as Joint Administrators of the Companies by the Court.

The Companies entered into Administration having suffered as a result of volatile fuel prices, the economic downturn, and were unable to obtain further funding.

The Joint Administrators cannot continue trading the business and therefore all flights operated by the Companies have been immediately cancelled and the aircraft grounded. Going forward, the Joint Administrators are unlikely to be able to trade the business or operate the aircraft.

All passengers who have yet to commence their travel should make alternative arrangements as detailed below.

France and Germany

The French and German divisions of the XL Group continue to trade as usual.

Customers booked with XL Leisure Group ATOL tour operators

The following tour operators held Air Travel Organiser’s Licenses (ATOL) and customers that purchased air holidays and flights from them will be ATOL protected. Full details are on the Civil Aviation Authority's (CAA) ATOL website (www.atol.org.uk):

The Really Great Holiday Company PLC - ATOL 3827
Trading as: Cruise City, Excel Holidays, The Florida Skytrain, Transatlantic Vacations, Travel City Direct and Travel City International
Kosmar Villa Holidays PLC - ATOL 1760
Trading as: Kosmar Holidays
Freedom Flights Limited - ATOL 5296
Trading as: Freedom Flights
Aspire Holidays Limited - ATOL 6536
Trading as: Aspire Holidays

Customers currently abroad

You should be able to stay in your hotel or villa and complete your holiday. In most cases, your accommodation provider will be paid direct by the CAA so you will not incur any additional expenses. If you need to make any payments for items like hotels or transfers, you should obtain a receipt as far as possible. The CAA will be able to consider claims for refunds for these amounts.

A flight will be arranged to bring you home by the CAA. You can check with your holiday representative for information about any changes to your flight arrangements, or check on the ATOL website (www.atol.org.uk). For those customers in particular distress please contact the CAA’s help line on telephone number +44 (0) 2891 856 547.

Customers with advanced bookings but yet to travel

All passengers who have booked through a travel agent should contact that agent in the first instance who will be able to assist you in making a claim on ATOL. If you booked directly with an XL Group company than please contact ATOL directly.

ATOL may be able to provide an alternative arrangement. Further information is available on the ATOL website (www.atol.org.uk).

Customers booked with XL Airways Through XL.com or XL Call Centres

Unfortunately, customers who booked either through xl.com or xl call centres are not ATOL protected. Consequently, you will be ineligible for a refund from ATOL in respect of your flight.

Customers currently abroad

The CAA will be able to make arrangements for your return journey. As you fall into an unprotected category of customers you will be invoiced a fee on your return to the UK. Please check on the ATOL website (www.atol.org.uk) for details or go to the local airport ticketing desk where they will be able to make arrangements and inform passengers of the likely costs.

Alternatively, you may be able to find a flight better suited to your needs by making your own, independent arrangements to return home. The CAA is not in a position to cover the costs of your own arrangements. For all new bookings please ensure you retain your receipts.

If you are owed money as a result of incurring costs to return to the UK please send details of the amount owed to you by the Companies to Kroll Limited, Wellington Plaza, 31 Wellington Street, Leeds LS1 4DL.

Customers should check their travel insurance policy since it may provide cover for airline or accommodation failure. The type of protection provided may also vary depending on the type of policy taken out. A policy may cover the complete or partial cost of the original tickets or accommodation purchased.

If you paid by credit card, you may be protected by Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. If you paid by Visa debit card you may also have some protection. You should check with your card issuer for further advice.

In the event that you wish to organise your own return travel, detailed below are a list of potential alternative carriers:

First Choice – 0871 200 7799
Thomas Cook – 0870 750 0119
Thomson – 0871 231 5938

Further information can be obtained from the Administrator’s help line as follows:

From the UK – 0800 068 8991
From Abroad - + 44 208 242 4783

Customers with advanced booking but yet to travel

All flights have been cancelled and will not be rescheduled.

Customers of Medlife Hotels

Unfortunately, customers who booked through Medlife Hotels are not ATOL protected.

Customers currently abroad

You may be able to stay in your accommodation and complete your holiday. Please contact your relevant travel agent.

Customers with advance bookings but yet to travel

All holidays through Medlife Hotels have been cancelled and the Joint Administrators are not in a position to refund you in respect of these cancelled holidays.

If you are owed money as a result of a cancelled holiday please send details of the amount owed to you by the Companies to Kroll Limited, Wellington Plaza, 31 Wellington Street, Leeds LS1 4DL.

Customers should check their travel insurance policy since it may provide cover for accommodation failure. The type of protection provided may also vary depending on the type of policy taken out. A policy may cover the complete or partial cost of the original tickets or accommodation purchased.

Press Related Enquiries

All press related queries concerning the Companies Administration should be redirected to the Kroll Press Office on 0207 973 5995.

All press enquiries concerning ATOL protection should be directed to the CAA Press Office on 0207 453 6030.

The affairs, business and property of the Companies are being managed by the Joint Administrators A P Beveridge (ICAEW), M N Cropper (ICAEW), S J Appell (ICAEW) and S C E Mackellar (ICAS). The Joint Administrators act as agents of the Companies and without personal liability.

Alastair Beveridge, Simon Appell and Nick Cropper are all licensed by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales. Stuart Mackellar is licensed by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland.

Skywest lands at LAX Los Angeles, California

2008-09-07T15:13:00.001-07:00

Landing LAX
Originally uploaded by bribriTO

Here at the Airports Blog I'll be posting more pictures from the Airports. Although many of us associate flying with inconveniences and discomfort it's a lot more fun to think of what an amazing journey you get in addition to whatever Airport destination you choose. Only for the past 50 years or so have we had the ability to fly relatively cheaply and so extensively all over the world. For people from even 100 years ago the idea of trips across the country or the world in hours for a few hundred dollars would have been considered imaginable and almost miraculous.

Enjoy your flight. REALLY! Enjoy it!

Continental Dings Flyers $15 Per

2008-09-05T19:12:00.000-07:00

Continental Airlines is charging $15 per bag even for the first bag, though they don't charge in the following cases:

Frequent-flier customers, first-class and business-class flyers, customers traveling on full-fare economy class tickets, and military personnel and their families traveling on official orders are exempt from the charge.

My advice to most travellers is PACK LIGHTER! I'm almost always happy when I pack light and don't have to lug around big suitcases. Even for my two week China trip I took a small soft suitcase and a large backpack, then purchased a huge bag for the trip home at Honqiao Pearl Market in Beijing.

QuickAid Airport Directory is .... almost back

2008-09-05T15:10:00.000-07:00

The QuickAid.com Airport Directory was a top resource for Airport information for many years - in fact it was one of the very first very large travel websites. Unfortunately the site fell into disrepair and neglect and I'm only now getting the QuickAid Directory back into gear. It is NOT ready yet but will be soon.

If you've got a link to QuickAid (there are thousands of them), I'd really appreciate it if you would make sure it is correct, or ask me to create a *custom* page for your needs - no charge.

QuickAid will feature extensive information about major airports along with general information and links for regional and international airports.

Airplane Views - tips on how to get great views while you travel

2008-08-27T23:35:00.000-07:00

CNN has an article on how to strategize for the best airplane views, including using Google flyovers from your laptop to familiarize yourself with the trips you take by plane:

cnn.com

TSA on new laptop screening procedures

2008-08-15T16:48:00.000-07:00

The TSA has announced the new laptop screening procedures which will allow the following laptop bags through without removal of the laptop as we've had to do for some time:

However, backpacks and trifold packs will still require that you REMOVE the laptop so it can be properly x-rayed for irregularities by TSA screeners.

RyanAir may cancel online bookings from some sites - huh?

2008-08-08T17:36:00.000-07:00

RyanAir won't make any online friends with this wrong move:

http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/ryanair-travellers-may-lose-bookings-1449260.html

As Airlines seek the lowest prices they are reasonably trying to find ways to avoid the fees they pay to booking agencies, but this needs to take a different form from the current odd policies of American Airlines and RyanAir, which are more likely to *lose* customers than gain revenue.

Delta deploys WIFI across their entire fleet

2008-08-05T09:46:00.000-07:00

Bravo for Delta as in "Delta Bravo, we have WIFI!"

Delta has deployed wireless internet broadband across their entire fleet. The service is not free, but at $9.95 - $12.95 this seems to be a reasonably priced amenity, especially for business travellers who need to keep in touch as they fly to and from important conferences and meetings.

This does raise some issues about security and I'll be interested to hear how those are addressed as we move forward. Constant, silent, real time communication has not been easily available to travellers but will be now.