IF you are near Manchester Airport on Wednesday, September 1 you might want to keep your eyes on the skies as an Airbus A380 comes in to land.
An Emirates liveried super-jumbo is due to land at Manchester Airport at 12.25pm, starting a daily scheduled service for the airline in what will be a world first for a regional airport.
The Runway Visitor Park at Manchester Airport will open at 8.00am on the day in order to accommodate the expected crowds.
More on: Airbus A380 set to land at Manchester Airport
A NEW route between Manchester and Brive Airport- Vallée de la Dordogne is to start next summer operated by Jet2.com.
The flights to Brive will operate twice a week from May 21 to September 24, 2011 and are the first to be announced outside of the existing connection to London City Airport.
More on: Manchester to Brive service from Jet2.com
LD Lines is to end its Dover to Boulogne passenger service from early September
In a statement the ferry firm said its ships, the Norman Bridge and Norman Trader, will remain operating on the Dover to Boulogne service until 5 September, 2010.
All passengers booked up to this date will be unaffected, LD Lines will call and send emails to any customers whose travel plans will be altered after the closure of the Dover to Boulogne passenger service, and propose alternative sailings via LD Lines three other routes.
More on: LD Lines ends Dover to Boulogne service
BRITISH Airways is extending its route network from London City Airport this winter with a new route to Chambery, offering ski fans a link to the French Alps.
The service, by BACityFlyer, will operate four times a week from December 18, 2010 until the end of March 2011, using the airline’s fleet of Embraer 190 aircraft.
More on: British Airways offer London City to Chambery flight for winter
FERRY firm, LD Lines, will cut one of its two ships that operate between Dover and Boulogne.
The Norman Bridge will be moved to a new service operating between Saint Nazaire (Nantes) in north west France to Gijon in northern Spain, providing three weekly return sailings from September 2, 2010.
More on: LD Lines to remove ship from Dover to Boulogne
FERRY operators are facing difficult times on crossings from Dover to northern France with increased competition and the current economic climate affecting their business.
LD Lines has issued a statement to say they are looking into the options open to them, as a deadline approaches on whether they will continue their charter of the Norman Bridge and Norman Trader, which operate between Dover and Boulogne.
More on: LD Lines weigh up options on Dover - Boulogne route
BOTH Ryanair and easyJet are the only European companies in a top ten listing of the amount airlines make in ancillary revenues.
Ryanair is placed fifth, and easyJet sixth, in a study by travel technology firm Amadeus and its partner Ideaworks.
Ancillary revenues cover things such as baggage fees and food sold onboard aircraft, commissions from the sale of hotel accommodations, car rentals and travel insurance at airline websites.
More on: Ryanair and easyJet make more than €600m in fees and charges
A CODE-SHARING agreement has been signed between Flybe and Air France, opening up new routes between the UK and France for passengers of each airline.
In an announcement Flybe said passengers will now have access to five additional routes between the UK and France as well as seven new domestic French routes and 11 international routes.
A further benefit is that all Flybe services into Paris Charles de Gaulle airport will now connect to the Air France hub allowing access to all of Air France’s extensive international services.
More on: Agreement signed between Flybe and Air France
I KNOW the sun is scorching outside, but for those planning ahead Eurostar has opened ticket sales on its train service for the winter ski season.
Eurostar offers two direct ski trains a week, stopping at Moutiers, Aime-la-Plagne and Bourg-St-Maurice, with the first beginning on December 19.
Travellers can opt for the overnight service, which departs on Friday night, arriving early Saturday morning and giving an extra two days on the slopes.
More on: Eurostar ski train bookings open
THE European Parliament has voted in favour of regulations that would provide ferry passengers with compensation should their crossing be delayed or cancelled.
Similar in style to the scheme currently in place for air passengers flying from European airports, the proposed plans would cover travel on a waterway in the EU.
Under the new rules, when a regular passenger boat or ferry service is cancelled or over 90 minutes late in departing, the passengers will have the right to be rerouted (in order to reach the destination earlier) or to receive back the ticket cost and not to travel (or else to return to the initial port of departure at the company's cost).
More on: Ferry passengers in EU set to get new rights
AS one of the busiest booking periods for last-minute summer getaways begins, experts at GetSafeOnline.org and ABTA, the travel association, warn that UK web users are ignoring basic online fraud-prevention measures in their quest for the ultimate holiday bargain.
In the worst cases, holiday makers could be handing over their hard-earned cash for ‘dream holidays’ that do not exist.
More on: Stay safe when booking holidays online
CONSUMER watchdog, Which? Money, has criticised travel insurance policies which rise in price for those aged over 65.
Its research found a huge range in the price of travel insurance products, with a steep increase when passing through different age brackets.
For example, a 74-year-old would pay £383 for an annual worldwide policy with Rias. Yet a year later, aged 75, this would cost £707, a price hike of £324.
More on: Rising cost of travel insurance for over-65s
RYANAIR has announced that passengers can now choose a larger (20kg) checked-in bag allowance for €/£25 as an alternative to its standard (15kg) checked-in bag allowance.
Ryanair’s Stephen McNamara said: "Ryanair continues to encourage passengers to travel light and save even more by leaving the checked-in bags at home and taking advantage of our 10kg free carry on allowance.
"However, passengers who do require checked-in luggage can now purchase a larger 20kg bag allowance for €/£25 or our standard 15kg bag from €/£15.
More on: Ryanair offers larger baggage allowance option
FERRY travellers on the LD Lines service between Portsmouth and Le Havre should keep an eye out for the new check-in kiosks.
Foot passengers will be the first to be able to use the kiosks in the ports of Le Havre and Portsmouth, and bookings and ticket sales will also soon be made available via this same facility.
LD Lines then plans to introduce vehicle and passengers self check-in facilities in these same two locations, in advance of the start of the peak summer season.
Christophe Santoni, managing director of LD Lines, said: "As well as enjoying the on board experience, it is very important that all our customers are provided with an efficient, hassle-free service at our ports.
More on: LD Lines launch self check-in kiosks
FERRY company, SeaFrance, has confirmed that 725 jobs will be lost and that it will look to offer a service that reflects passenger demand.
The SeaFrance statement reads: "A complete re-evaluation of the company position has been undertaken and a new reorganisation plan has been produced.
"The new plan involves adjustments to the schedule to closely fit capacity to anticipated demand, it revises the onboard facilities and the customer offer and will result in the return to long term profitability of the company in due course.
More on: Statement from SeaFrance on job losses and future plans
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