Ryanair partnership takes off

RYANAIR, Europe’s No.1 airline, and SiteMinder, the global hotel industry’s leading guest acquisition platform, today announce a partnership to provide European hotels direct access to sell their properties on Ryanair Rooms. 

Ryanair Rooms is the only hotel booking website that gives hotel guests 10% of the hotel booking price back in flight credit, to use against Ryanair flights. The website is now available as a distribution channel to SiteMinder’s 30,000 hotel customers across #Europe and around the world, which can now offer their guests a new incentive to ‘Go Direct’.

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Fill your bags with Emirates

SHOPPERS can fly higher with this year’s Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) thanks to a special offer from Emirates, the world’s largest international airline. Economy class ticket holders can enjoy additional baggage allowance on return flights during the biggest shopping festival of the year, running until 2 February. 

Emirates passengers booked on an Economy class round-trip ticket to #Dubai can shop without limits, and return home with the latest fashion bargains at no extra costs incurred, affirming Dubai #Shopping Festival as the city’s most generous mega sale.

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The January Blues

RECENT research by ATOL, the holiday protection scheme, has found that 5.2 million Brits are set to book their holiday this month.

The price of the getaway is still the number one factor when booking holidays, with over a third of Brits (35 per cent) admitting they are looking to grab a bargain by booking their next holiday early.

Another quarter (26 per cent) say they are looking forward to sunshine and hot weather after such dreary weather this winter.

However, despite a large number of expected holiday bookings in January, seven out of ten (69 per cent) of those surveyed admitted they do not always seek financial protection for their holiday getaways, putting themselves at risk of being out of pocket if their airline or travel company goes out of business.


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Tips for Travelling with Kids

TRAVELLING with children can be challenging at best, many couples stop traveling after they have children, or they limit their travel to places near their home or visiting family. One couple decided not to let having a two-year-old keep them from traveling the world.

AJ Ratani and Natasha Sandhir spent eight-and-a-half months traveling to 31 countries with their two-year-old. Along the way, they learned a lot about traveling with children, which they are now sharing in their new blog: The 2 Idiots Travel Blog. 

Some of the places AJ and Natasha traveled with their son include: Peru, Galapagos, Iceland, Spain, Australia, China, Japan, India, and Botswana. The blog will cover topics of interest to couples who are interested in traveling with their children.

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Solo Travel: not for us

DESPITE much buzz around the solo travel trend, 30.4 percent of Americans say they have never traveled alone. And those who have are more than five times as likely to travel domestically than internationally, according to a new survey conducted by Allianz Global Assistance.

Women are ten percent less likely to travel alone than men, with 35.2 percent noting they have never traveled alone, compared to 25.2 percent of men.

Gender also appears to impact solo travelers' perception of safety, with 76.6 percent of men saying they have never felt unsafe while traveling alone, while 60.3 percent of women say the same.

Solo male travelers seem more susceptible to theft, with almost ten percent (9.7 percent) reporting having been mugged or pickpocketed (versus 6.1 percent of women).

The next most pressing concerns for male travelers include: violence/terrorism (17.8 percent), a natural disaster (17.8 percent), being out after dark (14.8 percent), riding public transportation (10 percent), security/safety of drivers (6.9 percent) and visiting a restaurant/bar (also 6.9 percent).

Being out after dark is the second most concern for women (26.3 percent), followed by violence/terrorism (15.7 percent), natural disaster (9.6 percent percent) riding public transportation (9.4 percent), security/safety of drivers (7.8 percent) and visiting a restaurant/bar (3.7 percent).


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Counting the costs

INSURING a trip can save travelers from huge financial losses when the unexpected happens, but many take the risk rather than adding the expense of an insurance policy. Travel insurance comparison site, Squaremouth, shares 3 hacks to save money on a travel insurance policy, proving coverage doesn't need to come at a huge cost.

Insure Only Non-Refundable Trip Costs - Travelers insuring the cost of a trip can expect to spend 4-10% of their trip cost on a travel insurance policy, so it is important to remember: the lower the trip cost, the lower the premium.

To save from spending too much on a policy, travelers should only insure expenses they would lose if they are unable to travel as planned, such as airfare and hotel costs. For example, if a hotel requires travelers to pay a 50% penalty to cancel a hotel reservation, they should insure just that amount, rather than the full cost of the hotel.

Skip Cancel For Any Reason Coverage - While the Cancel For Any Reason upgrade can offer greater flexibility if a traveler needs to cancel their trip, it typically increases the cost of a policy by as much as 40% and only reimburses a portion of the trip cost. Since most common Trip Cancellation concerns are covered by standard cancellation policies, there is no reason for travelers to pay more for the benefit unless they have a unique concern that isn't otherwise covered.

Compare Your Options - The best way for travelers to find the least expensive policy that fits their needs is by shopping around and using a third-party comparison site, such as Squaremouth.com, to compare premiums and coverages. While policies typically have similar benefits, premiums vary widely depending on the insurance provider. Travelers who are offered a policy through their cruise line, airline, or credit card should compare it with other policies on the market to make sure they are getting the coverage they need at the lowest cost.


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Visa related reforms welcomed for South Africa

A number of visa-related reforms which will make it easier for tourists, business people and academia to come to South Africa have recently been announced.

“It was agreed by Cabinet that visa requirements should be simplified for China and India. On 1 October 2018, #SouthAfrica will therefore implement an agreement on simplification of visa requirements with China in order to attract larger numbers of tourists, business people and family members from this country.” stated Minister Hanekom, The Minister of Home Affairs.

He also announced that negotiations for Visa Waiver Agreements are being finalised with a number of countries. These are mainly in Africa and the Middle East and include Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, São Tomé and Príncipe, Tunisia, Saharawi-Arab Democratic Republic, Ghana, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, State of Palestine, Iran, Lebanon, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Belarus, Georgia, and Cuba.

The move towards an e-visa system is at an advanced stage and it will be piloted in New Zealand by April 2019. This will significantly enhance efficiency in the issuing of visas to tourists and business people visiting South Africa. The New Zealand pilot will enable government to improve on any challenges so that it can be rolled out to other countries.

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To go or not to go . . .

TRAVEL is more than movement, greater than sightseeing. It opens our minds and keeps us alive – through the good and the bad. The transformative power of travel is the main theme of the 2019 Go List and No List unveiled today by Fodor's Travel, the leading name in travel recommendations for over 80 years.

Together, the lists provide comprehensive expert travel guidance for 2019, highlighting can't-miss spots that should be on every traveler's radar while identifying places to skip in the upcoming year.

This year's Go List includes destinations to suit every taste, trip length and budget – from the natural peaks of Bears Ears National Monument to the manmade peaks of Kuala Lumpur; from the bustling metropolis of Lagos, Nigeria, to the quiet refuge of Japan's Seto Inland Sea. This year, Fodor's editors paid special attention to those destinations recovering from the hardship of hurricanes: Puerto Rico, Key West, and St. Martin.

Last year, Fodor's editors expanded the Go List to 52 destinations from its traditional list of 25 destinations. The change proved so popular with the Fodor's audience that Fodor's editors have made the change permanent, meaning the 2019 Go List again comprises 52 destinations – one for each week of the year. www.fodors.com/GoList2019 

The highly cited Fodor's Travel No List enters its third year of surfacing destinations that should be avoided due to political, environmental, or social concerns. Seven locations make up this year's 2019 No List, including Acapulco, Ibiza, and Thailand's Maya Beach. 

Subsets of this year's No List include "Places That Don't Want You To Visit," which includes destinations that are overwhelmed by their own tourism industry and hoping tourists stay away. www.fodors.com/NoList2019


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VFS Global wins new contract

VFS Global has been awarded the Regional Contract to provide Germany visa services in the Asia Pacific region, as per this new contract, VFS Global will operate Germany Visa Application Centres in 36 new locations across 14 countries.

VFS Global is expected to start operations in the new Visa Application Centres during the first quarter of 2019. The People’s Republic of China alone will see the addition of centres in 15 cities*, further strengthening access to Germany’s visa services across the country.

In addition to these facilities, VFS Global will also offer a Mobile Biometric Service in 24 locations throughout the region. The Mobile Biometric Service enables applicants to submit their documents and biometric information from a location of their choice, e.g. from their home or office, eliminating the need to visit a Visa Application Centre.


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Top-Up in South Korea

SOUTH Korea's largest telecommunications company, is running a special promotion for international travelers who purchase its new top-up prepaid SIM card.

Fron now through to the end of the year, KT will provide a free top-up worth 1,100 won (US$ 1) to foreign visitors who buy the new SIM card for five, 10 or 30 days of service. The top-up SIM card, which was launched last month, is the first of its kind in South Korea. It allows global visitors to make pre-paid outbound voice calls and text messages in addition to unlimited data use and free inbound calls and texts.

The new top-up SIM card can be purchased at KT's Roaming Center -- located at the Incheon, Gimpo and Gimhae airports and Busan Port.

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Must need apps for travellers

TRAVELLING for work or pleasure? There are certain apps you just need to have to make life that little bit more stress-free try these 7 must-have apps and they're all free!

Google Translate - if you travel overseas, you may find yourself in a situation where you do not understand the local language.

XE Currency - convert between any two currencies in the world.

WiFi Map - when traveling, it is not uncommon to need a WiFi connection, especially if you find yourself outside your cell coverage area. This is why you need WiFi Map, which will not only show you public hotspots nearby, it will also provide you the passwords for these hotspots.

Tripit - not only can you track what you are supposed to be doing and where you are supposed to be, but you do not even have to enter this information directly into the app. The app can import your itineraries from confirmation emails. Best of all, you do not even have to be online to use it.

Triposo lets you discover hotels, restaurants and things to do in more than 50,000 locations worldwide.

Sit or Squat - an app which will help you find a bathroom no matter where you are.

American Red Cross First Aid - an app, which will let you know what to do if an emergency happens. It even comes with videos to instruct you.

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Malaysia Airlines takes off with WhatsApp

MALAYSIA Airlines (MH) has launched their official presence on WhatsApp, enabling customers to receive their flight booking confirmation and flight status directly through the popular messaging app. Malaysia Airlines is the first airline in Malaysia and the fifth in the world to integrate with the WhatsApp Business solution. 

This follows the launch of three other digital solutions, MHguardian, MHfeedback and MHchat back in April 2018 and in line with their digitalization strategy. Malaysia Airlines will continue to look at products and services that enhance the customer experience by allowing our guests to receive important updates such as gate, check-in,boarding or schedule notifications via the messaging app. This new platform is offered in addition to the airline’s traditional methods of communication of email and SMS.
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Website for Travelers Visiting Japan

All Nippon Airways (ANA) announces the introduction of a new website "Japan Travel Planner" aimed to help travelers visiting Japan discover the beauty of the country by obtaining valuable travel information.

The two informative current websites "ANA Experience Japan" and "Taste of Japan" were integrated into the new " Japan Travel Planner" website which offers enhanced research and travel plan creation functions making it easy to find the best ways to get to sightseeing spots. By selecting a location and the desired traveling time, a recommended itinerary of the trip will be created and an option to make a reservation for an air ticket will be given.

Through this new "Japan Travel Planner" site, ANA will introduce not only the most popular sightseeing spots, but also many hidden attractive locations throughout Japan, strongly contributing to the accomplishment of the Japanese government tourism target of reaching 40 million overseas visitors to Japan in 2020.



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Did you know . . .

THIS summer, wildfires have burned out of control in California and Greece. Leading travel insurance comparison website, Squaremouth, says whether your home or travel destination is in the fire's path, travel insurance may be able to help. But before buying a policy, here are 3 things travelers don't know about coverage for wildfires, but should.

1. Cause of the fire determines coverage - Most Trip Cancellation-style travel insurance policies will reimburse you if a natural disaster, such as a wildfire, prevents you from taking your trip as planned. However, travelers may not be aware that the original cause of the fire can dictate if this coverage is available.

In general, travel insurance policies consider a "natural disaster" something that occurred "due to natural causes". Meaning, if arson or other human error is to blame, the event may not be considered a "natural disaster", and coverage may not be available at all.

2. Cutoff date for getting coverage can be complicated - In order to have travel insurance coverage for any event, a policy must be purchased before the event occurs. Unfortunately for natural disasters like wildfires, and other events under investigation, it can be difficult to pinpoint the date it first occurred. As a general rule, travelers should remember that by the time an event is in the news and commonly known, it is too late to buy a travel insurance policy for any coverage related to that event.

3. Coverage available if home is in danger - Most travelers associate travel insurance coverage with a problem at their destination, however most don't know coverage can be available if your home is affected. Most Trip Cancellation-style policies cover travelers whose residence becomes uninhabitable or inaccessible by a natural disaster, such as a wildfire. This benefit covers the cost for the traveler to cancel their trip, or return home early, as well as any unused expenses due to the early return.


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Up in the air . . .

IN a UK airport first, passengers, staff and local residents can now reserve and pick up a 100% electric car at Gatwick – and return it to any of 300 compatible pick up/ drop off points across London or back at Gatwick - the airport announced today.

Operating in a similar way to existing cycle schemes across the capital, ten cars and charging points are currently available on Gatwick’s South Terminal forecourt. This is Bluecity’s first airport hub and discussions are in progress to increase capacity.

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Never get lost again

MAPS.ME for Android presents an innovative way for you to stay informed when you're on the move. Whether you're doing a cross-country tour by car, out cycling or just having a stroll around a city you're not familiar with, this simple app serves as an invaluable utility to help you get to where you're going. 

It comes with offline maps of thousands of cities across some 200 countries so that you don't need to keep spending money on mobile data when you're out and about. There's nothing missing either, thanks to the fact that the maps are always kept up to date. The latest edition also adds more rapid transit plans, so that you now have subway routes and more for well over 100 cities around the globe. Customize and bookmark your maps and access them offline.

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Enterprise Rent-A-Car opens new locations in Dominican Republic

AS part of its ongoing expansion in Latin America and the Caribbean, the world's largest car rental company has opened four new Enterprise Rent-A-Car locations at the Dominican Republic's largest airports:

• Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ), the busiest airport in the Dominican Republic and second busiest airport in the Caribbean
• Las Américas International Airport (SDQ) in Santo Domingo;
• Cibao International Airport (STI) in Santiago de los Cabelleros; and
• Gregorio Luperón International Airport (POP) in Puerto Plata.

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Information at the touch of a virtual button

LOS ANGELES International Airport (LAX) is offering guests a fun and innovative way to stay informed with the launch of self-assistance kiosks in two of LAX’s terminals, Terminal 2 and the Tom Bradley International Terminal. The AskLAX kiosks provide a wealth of information at the touch of a virtual button across a 36-inch touch screen. 

This includes terminal maps, concession and retail information, emergency information, transportation options, and traffic conditions. Guests can even take email-able selfies. Additionally, guests can speak directly with a knowledgeable LAX GEM (Guest Experience Member) over video chat in real-time. 

The kiosks are another way LAX is providing information to travellers during the busy travel season, complementing our Guest Experience Members and Volunteer Information Professionals, who can be found throughout LAX’s nine terminals.

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Can I help you?

FOLLOWING the successful Chinese Shopping Assistant Project in Terminal 2 and the excellent results of the pilot project for Arabian guests in 2017, Munich Airport is ready to offer the “Arabic Shopping Assistant Service” again this summer from July 16 until September 2, 2018. 

For the first time this special service will also be available to Japanese passengers. Japanese passengers in Terminal 2 can request the help of a personal shopping assistant. The assistants, who are native speakers, will be available daily from 1:00 PM to 8:30 PM to help overcome the cultural and language barriers between passengers and sales staff. This service, which is free of charge for passengers, is intended to create a pleasant and convenient shopping experience. 

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Egypt introduce new e-visa service

THE Egyptian government have introduced a new e-visa service, whereby citizens from stated countries, including the UK, can now easily obtain an entry visa online.

The new service offers an alternative to applications upon arrival, or through the Egyptian consulate prior to travel.

Simplifying travel to the country and speeding up the process at border control, residents from 46 countries across Europe, Asia and Australasia can now apply for a visa through a simple online application form.



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