Like to go to festivals but put off by sleeping under canvas?
Well, thanks to budget hotel chain Travelodge the tent will no longer be the issue. They are trialing a travelpod...
This natty number is, by the looks of it, a portable Travelodge hotel room complete with air con and DVD player. At 6m long, 2.4m wide and 2.6m high it is big enough for a double bed and loo as well.
I’ve asked Travelodge if they will let us use one for the night...
Martin Couzins, online editor
Thomas Cook Group has just posted its first interim management statement. Here are the highlights:
And for future trading...
Martin Couzins, online editor
Poor Alastair Campbell. Travelodge has released figures on the books most commonly left in its hotel rooms, and his memoir is in at number one.
The Blair Years beat Piers Morgan's Don't You Know Who I Am (second place) and Jordan's A Whole New World (in third). Chris Moyles's life story is at nine.
Evidence that the 'memoirs of intolerable people' genre is finally in decline? Cross everything.
Here's the rest of the list:
So: which deserve to be here, and which deserve better?
Nathan Midgley, web producer
There is no longer any excuse for employers in the travel trade to complain about the quality of new recruits.
People 1st, the sector skills council for travel and tourism, is giving employers the opportunity to help shape the travel and tourism diploma which will be offered to 14-19 year olds from 2010.
If you are an employer that moans about entry-level new starters not having the right skills then get involved - there is a list of focus group dates on our news story.
Martin Couzins, online editor
Here's one for the energetic tourist: City Running Tours, founded in New York last year, is looking to expand into more cities after successful moves to Chicago and Washington D.C.
The concept needs little explanation. Expert guides take groups of joggers on set or tailored city tours, sharing insights on landmarks and history as they go.
Says source Springwise:
After all, who wants to suffer the hotel treadmill when they could take a brisk run in the city and see the sights at the same time?
Works for the time-poor city breaker too. Just don't expect to see TW Blog pounding the pavement anytime soon.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
In Travel Weekly August 24 our aviation reporter Ian Taylor penned an interesting analysis of public attitudes to the environment in light of a survey by Defra.
The survey of 3,600 adults found that people are prepared to pay to mitigate the environmental impact of flying, much as they are prepared to pay more for environmentally friendly products.
The challenge for the trade is to put offset options in front of consumers when they purchase the holiday. That way they can fly without guilt.
Isn't that called a win win situation? Do readers think they would offset their emissions if it was made part of the booking process?
Martin Couzins, online editor
This post comes from regular contributor Brian Hordon (Silversea Cruises UK)
Visit Britain plans to spend one million pounds promoting English rural tourism to the UK holiday market, and already television and newspaper adverts are appearing.
It is a campaign that will create new opportunities for creative travel agents, and represent a new challenge for many other agents.
I would suggest that in most travel agencies knowledge of overseas destinations, resorts and hotels far outweighs the equivalent knowledge of the United Kingdom; no doubt someone will take me to task on this, but the response will be interesting.
So the challenge is twofold. First, the travel agent needs to recognise a niche sales opportunity and ensure that appropriate operator and product knowledge and customer awareness of the United Kingdom as a viable sales alternative (or even a first choice) is included in business plan activity.
Second - and most thought provoking - the myriad of United Kingdom products need to move up a couple of gears to ensure that the features and benefits of their products become front of mind at the cutting edge of the retail travel agent market.
Just look at the demographics of the United Kingdom population, wealth control etc; many holidaymakers seek safety and security, ease of travel and good value - all widely available within the UK holiday "basket."
But those same holidaymakers are probably booking direct right now due to lack of awareness of how a good travel agent can help them.
Believe me, this can be reversed, so please recognise this superb opportunity and go for it. It can also make you money!
One million may not seem like a lot. But if it succeeds (and there is no reason why this highly creative campaign should not) I am sure more money will become available for promotional activity, so the need to be in place is paramount.
Brian Hordon, Director of Training Development, Silversea Cruises (UK)Ltd
Fans of the Lonely Planet guide series will know that it recently launched a download service called Pick & Mix, allowing travellers to buy single chapters.
Lonely Planet's Tom Hall sent me a couple of samples, and they do what it says on the tin - you get exactly what you would in the full book, including a few small maps, in a pdf format.
They don't include any photography, but that will keep the file size down and make the documents easier to print - and Lonely Planet guides aren't picture-heavy anyway.
Static, professionally written travel content is under pressure online, so I asked Tom whether Pick & Mix is a direct response to competition from the likes of Tripadvisor and Wikitravel:
Free content is one component of an increasingly competitive market for travel information, comprised of traditional print and and new online competitors. The strong and varied competition is one of many reasons to try new approaches, such as Pick & Mix.
Most travellers are familiar enough with guidebooks to have a strong sense of what they need, and now they generally expect to get what they want, when they want it. My own feeling is that successful products like iTunes have really contributed to changing expectations.
It will be interesting to see how much success this has. I was critical when the Telegraph lauched downloadable city guides earlier in the year, and I still think the format has problems - but it's a step in the right direction, and the LP brand has enough firepower to carry it off.
Any thoughts from readers?
Nathan Midgley, web producer
This picture appeared on BBC News 24 earlier and I've managed to track it down on web.
Snapped from NASA's Aqua satellite on August 25, it shows the horrendous extent of the fires raging in Greece, particularly the Peloponnese region.
The latest report from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office says the fires number around 200, with 53 confirmed deaths. No British nationals are reported to have died.
The official advice is to 'take extra care' if visiting the areas affected.
More pictures on the BBC.
Image courtesy of MODIS Rapid Response Project at NASA/GSFC.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Just listened to You and Yours on Radio 4 at midday today. The show ran a small piece on lost luggage following Ryanair's decision to charge for use of the check-in desk.
Ryanair already charges passengers to put luggage in the hold - a policy easyJet also adopted earlier this month.
The piece highlighted Heathrow as a major factor in BA's lost luggage woes, and advised listeners to keep valuables in their hand baggage because travel insurance doesn't cover valuables kept in hold luggage.
According to the Association of European Airlines Ryanair can hold its head high over lost luggage stats. But Ryanair only does EU short haul and doesn't touch Heathrow.
Paying for check in though? So now no frills flying equals taking no luggage. The days of the 1p fare seem far away...
Martin Couzins, online editor
Research by YouGov on behalf of Holiday Inn reveals that Brits are working the longest hours in Europe and taking the shortest holidays.
As well as the all-too-familiar statistics about unused holiday and 50-plus hour weeks, the survey reveals that only 12% of us now take the 'classic' two-week break.
One week is now the most popular duration (31%), followed by two or three days (19%).
Interesting stuff. Unfortunately Holiday Inn has dubbed the trend 'holirexia'. One can only guess at how the brainstorm went.
"Ok guys, we need a really sharp buzzword... I'm thinking potentially fatal eating disorders. What have you got?"
Nathan Midgley, web producer
This weekend sees the last bank holiday of summer - so why not ignore the weather and make the most of it? There could be a swanky Mr and Mrs Smith hotel guide in it for you.
To win, just submit a photo of you getting out and about in Britain on Monday - whether you're at a local festival, taking a walk in the country or on a shopping trip.
The three best pictures will win a guide.
Mr and Mrs Smith guides feature some of the most luxurious and original properties in the world.
Beautifully illustrated and penned by some of the best writers in the business, they're just the thing to pick up when you have a bank holiday to spare.
All books come with a Smith membership card entitling you to various goodies at featured hotels.
There are three ways to enter:
Get your pics in by September 10. If you're entering by email, please put 'bank holiday competition' in the subject line.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
A press release appears in the TW Blog inbox quoting excellent customer satisfaction stats for Germanwings...
One minor detail: the survey was designed and carried out by a certain Germanwings.
Must be an independent research consultancy of the same name.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
It's silent and a little slow, but gawp in amazement at this raw NASA footage on Youtube.
This gives you some perspective on the awesome size of Hurricane Dean. Figures in the media put it at 75,000 square miles - the size of South Dakota.
Mercifully the storm hasn't hit quite as hard as predicted. After landfall it dropped to category three, then weakened to two according to the BBC.
Once again we've been posting key stories from the media on a Hurricane Dean update page.
If you're following the storm's progress there's also an interactive tracker at Weather.com
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Wondering what to do this coming cold bank holiday weekend? Why not try a spot of beachcombing.
Miranda Krestovnikoff, presenter of BBC series Coast, and professional beachcomber* Cathy Yow, have compiled a list of the top 10 UK beaches for finding washed up bits and pieces.
Clearly the booty won’t be as good as when the MSC Napoli ran aground off Branscombe beach in January this year. Here are the top 10 beaches – happy hunting...
* Do professional beachcombers really exist?
Martin Couzins, online editor
Boing Boing reports that the Charles Fort Institute, which exists to delve into the unexplained and generally spooky, is inviting votes on the Seven Fortean Wonders of the World.
This follows the recent global contest to elect a new standard seven wonders.
Just a bit of fun? Well, some of the Fortean Times' 16 suggestions, such as Stonehenge, Rennes-le-Chateau and Easter Island, are tourist attractions in their own right, so it might give you a few ideas.
Atlantis might be stretching it though. See also: 'paranormal tourism'.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Associated Press has posted this video of Hurricane Dean ripping through St Lucia and Martinique on Youtube.
According to reports on Carribean360 Martinique suffered the most damage; holidaymakers are now being evacuated from Cancun as the storm heads for Mexico.
We'll be keeping tabs on the key stories, blog posts and pictures throughout the day on a Hurricane Dean media round-up page.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
This weekend the Sunday Times travel supplement reported that 'the Pope [is] launching his own airline'.
The Catholic News Agency reports that
A new Vatican-approved charter air service will launch later this month with a flight to the shrine of Lourdes in France. Mistral Air plans to shuttle Catholic pilgrims around the globe to holy sites, including the shrines of Fatima in Portugal and of Guadalupe in Mexico.
No sniggering. It's a gap in the market.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
I have just spent 30 minutes trying to get a number for the Virgin Travel Insurance press office.
I was trying to find out more about a survey that apperared in the Guardian today and so far have had no joy.
I have been passed around various press offices representing different parts of the Virgin brand and finally got a number from Virgin Media (although I am still awaiting a call back).
The survey featured most disappointing attractions in the UK and beyond - with Stonehenge taking first place. Maybe it is time to start a list of the most disappointing (or hard to find) press offices for travel insurance brands?
Martin Couzins, online editor
Over at Travolution Kevin recently posted the results of the title's first Facebook poll.
It asked users where they go to find out about travel deals, and it will be no surprise to find that travel websites weighed in at 77%.
Social networking sites only accounted for 2%, but given the growing number of travel networking sites there is likely to be some overlap that isn't accounted for here.
Agents? They took 10% - the same amount as recommendations from family and friends, which may be great when planning a trip but not much use when it comes to finding the right package at a good price.
Travo plans to run a new Facey B poll every week, so keep your eyes peeled.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
When the OFT granted Ryanair extra time to comply with instructions to include non-optional extras in advertised prices, it became inevitable that consumers would for a time be faced with an uneven playing field.
Thirteen budget carriers have now complied with the OFT's instructions, and it is only Ryanair and Aer Lingus who still advertise 'misleading' fares.
As I said a few days ago, none of this has come as a shock to the trade (see image; click it for an explanation).
But what about consumers?
The potential for confusion is obvious - especially as some compliant carriers are not emphasising that the price you see is the price you pay.
EasyJet and Monarch's homepages seem to make no mention at all of the changes, and Flybe has only a small text link.
So it's good that OFT consumer protection group head Mike Hanley has made things explicit, warning consumers to 'be wary' of Ryanair prices.
Consumer readers take note: until it becomes compliant (which should be by Febrauary 2007) Ryanair's prices may not be as competitive as they look.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
According to a survey by recruitment company Office Angels, most workers yearn for a return to the workplace of yesteryear with a tea trolley and work outings.
When asked what office traditions they would love to bring back:
There are some new office traditions that workers want to get rid of, with more than half fed up with the long hours culture and the habit of eating lunch at their desk.
What workplace tradition would you like to bring back or get rid of?
Emily Ashwell, business and community editor
Readers of the TW letters spread may have spotted a prominent mistake last week.
That's right: the tiny orange ghetto set aside for TW Blog content was titled 'From the Travel Weekly Bog'.
Yes, yes. Laugh it up.
TW Blog reflects that such an indignity would never be visited on peers such as Travel Pants or Travolootion.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Yesterday the Guardian reported that passengers at Heathrow were largely sympathetic to the aims of the Camp Against Climate Change protest.
Surprising? Not necessarily. On the same day DEFRA released some research that seems to echo the newspaper's report.
In a survey of public attitudes to the environment, DEFRA asked whether people who fly should bear the cost of the environmental damage that air travel causes.
When it came to feeling guilty about short haul flights, things were slightly different. Only 17 per cent strongly agreed or tended to agree.
So respondents generally don't feel guilty about flying, but do want to mitigate its effects.
In the light of that, supporting a protest against Heathrow expansion while queueing at Heathrow doesn't seem so strange.
Keeping checking our log of the key protest stories from the mainstream media. The main development this morning is an escalation of tension in the camp after a failed break-in by police.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Travelodge has released a survey of nightmares commonly suffered by Brits.
Why? Well, the budget hotel has a director of sleep - and if mining the nation's subconscious will help current incumbent Leigh McCarron deliver the perfect night's kip, that's presumably what he will do.
Rather him than me. These are the most common nightmare themes:
But the more unusual nightmares included:
On a more serious note, McCarron advises:
"It's important to relax before bed to resolve any potential issues that could lead to a nightmare. There are some simple steps any of us can take."
And these are:
And what about having a pint or three before you hit the sacK?
Martin Couzins, online editor
Spotted on politics site Foreign Policy: some classic linkbait in the shape of the 'top five most overhyped tourist spots'.
Ready for some iconoclasm?
Steady on, chaps. Next you'll be telling us there are queues at Disneyland.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
We'll be following the effects of the protest at Heathrow as far as possible - remember this is peak time for the airport, which is stretched as it is.
Our top story today is that BAA may have to warn passengers off driving to Heathrow, as protesters are expected to target access roads.
Indeed the Sky News reporter who is microblogging from the site reports that local residents are already annoyed by police roadblocks preventing them from getting around.
I've also posted a round-up of the key stories from the mainstream media.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Little bit of housekeeping. We came to three realisations recently:
1) Everybody loves competitions
...and...
2) TW has competitions
...but...
3) TW's competitions aren't always easy to find online
...so...
We thought we'd post everything you can win on one page - travelweekly.co.uk/competitions.
Current prizes are tickets to the Lord of the Rings stage show, a Gharani Strok dress, a Turkish meal in London and a Tokyo Chic guidebook. Check back regularly for more.
(Quick word of warning to consumer readers - most of our competitions are for travel and tourism professionals only.)
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Ah, the wonders of mobile technology. Gary Jacobs, founder of destination marketing agency Fox Kalomaski, was recently on a photoshoot in the Sahara for his client Tunisia Tourism when he got caught in a sandstorm.
He thought he’d share the experience with his mum, so tried her on his mobile. And bingo, he got through. Apparently she was 'like a child at her first firework display, with lots of oohs and aahs'.
The moral: if you are on the O2 network in Tunisia you will always be able to phone your mom.
Check out the picture – Gary quad biking when the sand was behaving itself.
What's the best thing readers have called or messaged someone at home about while travelling? Leave a comment...
Martin Couzins, online editor
Virgin America held its inaugural flight at the end of last week.
There is excitement about the US domestic low-cost's above-average cabin accommodation, and still more about its Red in-flight entertainment, which includes seat-to-seat chat, a programme guide/reminder service and some top games.
Boing Boing reckoned that "Virgin America pwns" while O'Reilly Radar dubbed it "awesome" - so we can assume the games and gadgets side of the operation came up trumps.
Travel specialists were positive too, with Jaunted praising the in-flight Google Maps feature...
Virgin America's in-flight Google maps are not actually tracking flights quite yet [but] they are still light years ahead of the nearest competitor....and USA Today aviation blogger Ben Mutzabagh waxing largely positive about the seat-to-seat chat service.
From what I've read so far, reviewers broadly agree that Virgin America delivers.
And there are some photos from the inaugural on flickr.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
In an age when employers are being encouraged to give staff ever more flexibility, and technology means you can set up office practically anywhere, it’s no surprise the travel industry has seen a boom in homeworking.
So I wonder what you think about the comments of wannabe Mayor of London Boris Johnson, who believes we need to improve the country’s transport system because people are more productive in offices.
He says:
“Working at work may be unproductive, my friends, but working from home is simply a euphemism for sloth, apathy, staring out of the window and random surfing of the internet: and that is why it is so imperative that we get the transport system of this country moving.”
According to his blog, a day working from home involves the following:
“You polish off that bottle of wine at lunch, and then you have a snooze, and then you find the afternoon has gone as fast as the morning, and the children are back from school, and you have managed to spend a whole day "working from home" in which you have achieved two thirds of diddly squat.”
This TW news story begs to differ. So does this one. Come on homeworkers: tell us what it’s really like…
Image: John Hemming. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Sharealike 2.0
Emily Ashwell, business and community editor
This post comes from our regular guest poster Brian Hordon of Silversea Cruises UK
Nothing focuses the mind like adversity! My last post for TW Blog addressed my concern with the proliferation of events currently taking place in the travel industry, from consortia issues to mergers to environmental concerns.
The current postal dispute brought to mind another pressure area faced by travel agents: digesting the enormous volume of feature and advertising material which is published each week.
Receiving two editions of Travel Weekly at once brought into focus the complexity of product and destination news, highlighting the depth of knowledge needed by travel salespeople in order to get out there and sell dreams every day.I won't go into the increasing importance of focused training in travel - I will blog on that another time.
But I will close this post by saying that I sincerely hope the sharp-end salespeople in the travel business walk with pride.
Their knowledge invariably embraces leisure travel, air and rail, cruising, hotels, car rental, destinations and resorts, airport parking, passport and visa inormation, computer skills, insurance and lots more.
And I haven't even mentioned the behind-the-scenes staff who deliver additional essential skills.
It sometimes takes a third-party issue - such as receiving an enormous volume of must-read material after having had no mail for a full week - to put things into perspective.
Incidentaly, I had no mail as mentioned, but I did have several e-communications introducing late sales opportunities, special pricing, thought provoking destination ideas. Is there a message here?
Brian Hordon
Director of Training Development
Silversea Cruises (UK) Ltd
Yesterday we reported that the OFT is to grant Ryanair until 2008 to take action on inclusive pricing.
Ryanair recently explained to the OFT that it is simply not able to make the changes until then, despite wanting to ever so much.
In honour of this wholly predictable story TW Blog presents its take on the O RLY? owl (a minor web cult used to mock statements of the obvious).
The O LRY? will be awarded to any Ryanair story we pretty much expected. Look out for the phrases "Ryanair boss hits back at..." or "Ryanair refuses to...".
Nathan Midgley, web producer
I thought poolside folklore had it that the Germans were the best at bagging the sun loungers first thing in the morning.
Well, looks like the Italians could be hot on their heels if this Guardian report is anything to go by.
Apparently, beach hoggers at the Italian resort of Diano Marina have been up with the larks and rolling out towels for themselves and relatives.
Not happy with the situation, the coastguard raided the beach and fined the beach hogs.
One of the culprits was 83 years old and had set out towels for 10 people – and all by 6am. Now that is some commitment to bagging beach space.
Martin Couzins, online editor
Travel is the sector most at risk of losing sales as a result of negative consumer reviews posted online.
So says recent research by Tamar, as reported on Hotelmarketing.com (tip of the hat to Buhlerworks for the spot).
Apparently 58% of consumers would abandon a travel purchase based on negative reviews on a forum or social network.
That's more than would abandon a consumer electronics purchase (in second place with 51%).
Joe Buhler comments:
...travel purchase is often a higher expense and more importantly the product can't be tried before consumption, unlike a TV, camera or DVD player
So keep those service levels high if you want to avoid getting stung. And if you can't keep your service good, at least keep an eye on your online reputation...
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Aloha. What’s going on here then? Lunch courtesy of Princess Cruises who dropped by Travel Weekly’s offices with a plate of sushi to promote their Exotic Cruises Worldwide 2008/9 brochure.
PR Hannah Burden and Len Delfino, a Hawaiian dancer from London-based Lei Aloha Dancers, had just come from Going Places in Epsom.
Not sure my Hawaiian dancing was up to much, but the sushi was good, so thanks for the visit.
Martin Couzins, online editor
It's been a bad week month summer year for UK airports, so sorry to twist the knife further with some good news from Amsterdam Schilpol.
The airport has teamed up with baby food manufacturer Nutricia to create a rather swish and completely free Babycare Lounge in the airport's main terminal.
Thanks to business trend monitoring service Springwise for the find:
The area features seven circular 'cabins', each of which can be closed off with sheer curtains to create a personal zone. The booths have comfortable seating curving around a crib. Lights are dimmed for sleeping babies, with individual reading lights for parents. Each booth has a gadget that projects coloured lights just above the crib. Other facilities include a changing area, baby baths and a microwave for heating food.
Great idea. It isn't just security and check-in queues that make flying unpleasant. Travellers are also maddened by joyless environments and worn-out facilities, which are doubly difficult for those with young children in tow.
Amazingly, Nutricia isn't using the facility to sell its product - it's just an exercise in goodwill.
And I'm sure it works. Transpose this to Heathrow right now and I guarantee there will be at least 100 families who fall to their knees and worship Nutricia 's baby gunge as if it were a god.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
It's all going a bit Monty Python at English Heritage as it celebrates "the goriest and most gruesome parts of history".
Well, medieval life to be exact. Carisbrooke Castle and Dover Castle will be hosting medieval weekends later this month, so families can get a chance to see just how smelly life was back in the days of yore.
Activities to keep the family enthralled include emptying the noblemen’s guarderobes and digging out the sewers. But it won't be real s**t, it will be ‘safe’ sewerage. The mind boggles.
And if that wasn't enough, there is a chance to witness a medieval surgeon at work, from treatment with live blood-sucking leeches to a simulated amputation with plenty of fake blood and gore. Nice.
Best of all are the Singing Plague Victims who will perform traditional songs of Merrie England.
I can't think of a better way to spend my bank holiday.
Martin Couzins, online editor
OK, so you are all jetting off to foreign climes. Before you spend your holiday wad, make a note (bad pun) of who or what is pictured on your crisp foreign exchange.
Just to get you in the mood, our friends at International Currency Exchange (www.iceplc.com) have provided some examples.
Martin Couzins, online editor
Just been casting around 10 Downing Street’s petitions web site to see what travel-related petitions are live.
Here are my highlights:
It never goes away - a call to stagger school holidays to ease the supply and demand (and pricing) issue for parents.
Signatories: 29
A call to amend the Package Travel Regulations.
Signatories: 171
QE2 fans are calling for the ship to be saved.
Signatories: 60
Protect Hajj travellers from, and I quote, "exploitation and oppression from UK tour operators".
Signatories: 35
But best of all is this petition against poor travel agent service.I quote once again, "Force travel agents to respond to their customers' requests for holiday confirmation and make this a statutory right and legal obligation."
The bad news: disgruntled consumers are not what we want – there is no excuse for poor service.
The good news: only two have signed up.
Martin Couzins, online editor
On Youtube most air travel videos involve delays and landings, but there are a growing number that depict 'rough' baggage handlers.
Would the passengers be happier if baggage handlers took their time over the job? Who knows.
Anyway, what I found interesting about these films is that the vast majority blame the airline. Titles such as 'See how Continental treats your luggage' are the norm.
Of course, it isn't Continental, or Ryanair, or whoever - baggage handlers are employed by the airport.
After the bad publicity generated by *that* Delta film, many wondered whether airlines would begin managing their reputation on the major social networking / user-generated content sites.
And a few months later, here they are being blamed for other companies' mistakes...
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Just returned from a week in St Davids, Pembrokeshire. We got lucky with the weather, which was a bonus with two families (and five children under seven) sharing a house.
The beaches around this tiny Welsh city are amazing. Whitesands pulls a lot of punters, but the real delights are the smaller ones off the beaten track such as Porth Melgan.
What amazed me was how quiet the camp sites were. Usually St Davids is swarming with holidaymakers and many of those fill the numerous camp sites. But not this year – there were plenty of spaces. The poor weather has clearly taken its toll.
Activity of the week
Folley Farm and Zoo. Reasonably priced and there are diggers to play on. The zebras were quite a hit too.
Taste of the week
The strawberry ice cream from the beach shop, Whitesands beach.
Rip-off of the week
Just about any eaterie in St Davids. Average price for a main: £16! A meal for two pushed £70 (and that is not three courses)!
Top tip for foodies
Drive up the coast about 10 miles to Porthgain and visit The Shed – recommended for seafood. Or, if you are staying on a campsite hope the fish man comes round with his bucket of mackerel.
From August autumn (sorry, Friday afternoon...) EasyJet passengers can expect to pay up to £5 for each item they check in at the airport.
The new charge - which will be reduced to £2 per item for luggage checked in online - mirrors Ryanair's introduction of luggage fees last year.
EasyJet says the move will reduce both congestion on the ground and the environmental impact of flying by encouraging passengers to travel light.
There are elements of truth in here. Less luggage passing through check-in means shorter queues, and as we reported yesterday there is anecdotal evidence that it is check-in, not security, which is causing most problems at UK airports.
But there are limits to how light you can travel. Passengers going away for more than two or three nights will have no choice but to check something in due to the one bag rule and size limitations still imposed on hand luggage.
And anyone going on a shorter trip would not have been checking in a bag in the first place, so the net effect on queues will surely be negligible.
The bottom line, I fear, will be that the majority of passengers simply pay more for their flight.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Former Nazi prisoner camp Colditz is attempting to shed its frosty image and tempt tourists.
According to a BBC report the castle is being spruced up, with the old grey walls painted white and cells being turned into offices. The old camp commandant’s quarters have apparently been turned into a family-friendly youth hostel.
But some are arguing it should be kept the way it is, with its dark past there for the world to see.
What do you think – should Colditz get a warm makeover, or will its bleak history be the draw for tourists?
Emily Ashwell, business and community editor
Having just come back from a long weekend away, I'm full of the joys of travel - but having been in a big city at the start of tourist season, I'm also full of the dippy and downright rude things of which (we) travellers are capable.
So here are seven things that will henceforth be punished with instant repatriation:
Okay, I'm only half serious. Possibly even less. But if you have any gripes of your own post them in the comments section - maybe we can come up with a definitive seven.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Today we report some interesting results that have emerged from a Travel Counsellors initiative in which customers have been encouraged to log their airport experiences on a dedicated website.
Responses on ukairportdelays.co.uk suggest that air travellers are getting most grief from check-in desks.
This rather contradicts the typical line from airlines, which is that airport chaos is down to tight security and mismanagement by operator BAA.
A few samples from the Heathrow comments:
Other passengers whose flights were nearer takeoff time appeared to be trapped in the long queues...We queued for over one and half hours in Terminal 4...I had to queue for 55mins to drop one bag off...My flight was delayed for 3 hours but I was not permitted to check in...
And so on.
This certainly reflects the experience I had flying to Istanbul last week - BA check-in queues at LHR Terminal 1 were impossible to navigate, and the 'fast' bag drop was held up by a lack of staff.
Security was a breeze in comparison.
I recommend you have a quick look at the site - it's a good idea from an innovative company, and the delay league tables are interesting reading.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
A friend of mine just posted a link to Stateris on Facebook - slot the states into place as they descend, Tetris-style.
Fun and educational. Enjoy.
Confession: Second Life has always got on my nerves. So I am taking malicious pleasure in the news that Starwood is closing its Virtual Aloft hotel.
What's my problem with the supposedly all-conquering role-playing game? Well, it sorely lacks focus, and that makes two things happen.
Firstly, it gradually bores straight-laced users, who want purpose (these are the people who are choosing streamlined Facebook over chaotic MySpace).
Secondly, it attracts users who want the freedom to do freaky stuff.
Sure enough, the Relactions blog reports some research by one Ian Schafer of online marketing firm Deep Focus:
[Schafer] started at the Aloft hotel and found it empty. He moved on to casinos, brothels and strip clubs, and they were packed. Schafer found that "one of the most frequently purchased items in Second Life is genitalia."
Ech. And apparently usage of and economic activity in SL are showing signs of decline - while usage of social networking sites continues to explode.
So.. a future for travel in Second Life? Or will the game slowly become the preserve of programmers and fantasists alone?
Nathan Midgley, web producer
