How to book for group travel

AIRPORT PARKING AND HOTELS (APH) has created a guide comparing airline policies for group travel bookings. 

The research compares 19 airlines operating in the UK, including British Airways, easyJet, and Ryanair, and compares the minimum number of passengers required for a group booking, payment terms, booking conditions, and changing and cancelling tickets.

To qualify for a group booking, the minimum number of passengers required to travel together ranges from seven passengers with Aer Lingus to 20 with Ryanair. Travellers should keep in mind that their preferred cabin will affect the number of passengers required for a group booking. Among four of the airlines researched, including Air Canada, the standard 10 person minimum group booking is reduced to six when passengers opt to fly business class. At the other end of the spectrum, groups exceeding 60 people are not permitted to travel on the same flight with easyJet.

When looking at the terms for payment, the full sum is required at time of booking when travelling with five of the airlines researched, including Virgin Atlantic, Aer Lingus and easyJet. Of the 15 airlines that do not require a full payment at time of booking, 10 ask for a deposit at the time of booking, which ranges from £25 per person with Monarch to £100 with Qantas.

For larger groups, it can sometimes be difficult to provide information on each passenger in advance. Two of the airlines researched – Emirates and Virgin Atlantic – demand all travellers' names at the time of booking. But 18 of the airlines compared ask for passenger names to be provided at a later date, and this timeframe varies from at least 60 days ahead of departure with Air France to 72 hours with SWISS Air.

For those who are travelling en masse and want to sit together, six of the 19 airlines researched state that group seating will be reserved where availability permits. To add a personalized touch to a special trip, Emirates offers customized menus and headrests with a group's image of choice, providing they are confirmed at least 15 working days prior to travel. Likewise, for an extra-special occasion, exclusivity or larger group bookings, Qantas offers the option of chartering an entire aircraft. 

The research is available in the Know Before You Go section of the APH website at www.aph.com/group-travel

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Spend it with Branson!

RICHARD BRANSON’S #Majorca estate – Son Bunyola – is on the holiday rental market. 

It comprises:

• Two villas with a total of nine bedrooms 
• Two swimming pools 
• 680 acres of vineyards, citrus orchards, and olive groves 

How much? If you have to ask, you can’t afford it, but the answer is a mere £26,000 a week, which includes accommodation for seven nights, all drinks including wine, beer, spirits, and soft drinks, daily continental breakfast, lunch and dinner for six days, concierge staff for help in arranging activities and restaurant bookings, and a daily housekeeping and pool service.

Interested? Go to www.virginlimitededition.com/en/son-bunyola

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The Dos and Don'ts for family gatherings

GATHERINGS of the extended family can be a daunting experience. You have everyone from great granny and granddad to distant aunts and uncles and little ones to please. Large property lettings agent, thebigdomain.com, shares its tips for a successful get-together:

Include some pre-planned activity – while a full-on itinerary for the entire gathering is probably going a little overboard, make sure there is some structure and that all the key reasons for getting together are covered. It's also important to make sure that everyone has some downtime so that they can relax or go out and do their own thing

Make sure everyone feels involved – ensure everyone has the opportunity to be involved by asking people in advance to contribute their ideas for games and potential group outings. Not everyone, though, will want to be involved in everything.

Something for everyone – with people of all ages and interests getting together, you're never going to please everyone with a one-size-fits-all event. This doesn't mean having to organize a special tour to indulge one person's niche interest, but a little goes a long way when taking into consideration someone's allergies or that they have a small baby to keep in a routine.

Be patient – there's always that one person who manages to push our buttons or say the wrong thing. For the sake of keeping the peace, take a deep breath and think positive thoughts.

With properties that sleep up to 140 people, thebigdomain.com offers a range of family gathering options in the UK and overseas.

www.thebigdomain.com

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Gather the clan in Dorset

SLEEPING 14 and dog-friendly, The Gate House at Wimborne Minster, #Dorset, could be the place for large family or group self-catering holidays. 

Available through West Country Cottages, it has seven bedrooms, parking for four cars, a large garden, and a games barn.

The Georgian country house is an easy walk from the town centre, Bournemouth and Poole are a 30-minute away, and the New Forest is on the doorstep.

Prices: From £2,015 a week, or £1,082 for a three night break

www.westcountrycottages.co.uk

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Villas on volcanoes

FANCY a self-catering holiday on or near a volcano? Massimo's Villas in #Italy can help. The agency has a growing portfolio of #villas on Mount Etna, Sicily, and on nearby Stromboli. 

For villa guests, Massimo's team can arrange excursions of Mount Etna with volcanologists who will show them lava flows, caves, and craters, and finish with samplings of seasonal produce including the local Etna Rosso wine from the fertile slopes of the volcano.  There are picnic areas and nature trails through beech woods, with volcano and sea views.   

Near Etna, Villa Carmela is a house with for two with lava stone walls and an outdoor Jacuzzi. Price: one week's self-catering accommodation costs from €2,065 (£1,588)

Stromboli is a small island off the north coast of Sicily dominated by an active volcano. Guided volcano walks start from the church of San Vincenzo and take about two and half hours to reach the top. Alternatively, a 40-minute walk up to a former military marine observatory gives a view of the volcano, while the terrace of a nearby pizzeria is the perfect spot from which to watch volcanic explosions.   

Villa Il Gabbiano – on the bay of Ficogrande is Il Gabbiano, Stromboli – is a stylish house with a salt-water pool and sea and volcano views, and is tailor-made for large groups. Divided into separate, self-contained living spaces over two floors, the property is reached by way of a ferry or hydrofoil from Sicily or Naples.

Price: one week's self-catering accommodation costs from €4,000 (£3,077) for 20 guests to €9,350 (£7,190) for 32.     

www.massimovillas.com    

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