Latest Air Travel Articles

Your holiday planning made easy!

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:10:55 -0700

Planning for your holiday, especially with the family in tow, can be a lot of work. To make things simpler, we’ve compiled a list of tips for you to follow before you jet off to ensure that your holiday goes as smoothly as possible. Once you have the planning out of the way, you can sit back, relax and look forward to your trip.

Organise your documents - the most important travel document that you will need to sort out is your passport. Make sure that this is up to date, and check if you need any further passport documentation to travel to your destination - a visa may be required for example. Getting a new passport or visa sorted out can take time, so make sure that you arrange all of this at least 1 month before your trip.

Arrange your travel insurance - travel insurance is a must. If your flights are cancelled, or you have to cancel your trip for a valid reason, then the chances are that you will not be entitled to any kind of refund unless you have travel insurance in place. The cheapest insurance deals can be found online, but remember that cheapest does not always mean best! Read the fine print and make sure that you understand exactly what each policy covers.

Vaccinations and medical - depending on your destination, you may require vaccinations or medicine to take with you on your trip. Usually these will relate to Malaria, Hepatitis and Typhoid, so it’s important to check whether this is required before you travel, and to pack enough medicine to last for your entire trip, with some extra just in case any of your medicines get lost en route.

Travel to the airport - you will not be going anywhere if you miss that flight! That is why it is best to make travel arrangements for getting to the airport well in advance of your trip. Whether you take the train, car, taxi or bus, make sure that you book an early ticket, giving you plenty of time to catch your flight, taking into account possible delays en route. And if you are travelling on a budget, Easybus offer an airport transfer service to all London airports, with some tickets for as little as 2GBP return! Details can be found on their website.

Packing your bags - what you need to pack will depend upon where you are holidaying, and what activities you hope to get up to while you are there. But there are always essentials to pack for every trip - underwear, tshirts, adaptor plugs if needed, your passport and travel documents, your travellers cheques and spending money, toiletries, and that all important toothbrush! Making up a packing list a couple of weeks before you go is the best way to make sure that you do not forget anything.

Book a house sitter - while you are away, and particularly if your house is going to be left empty, you want to keep your home as safe as possible. Why not try and arrange for a friend or relative to pop round each day, water the plants, collect together the mail and open and close curtains as need be.

Do some holiday research - a great idea to make sure that you get the best out of your holiday is to do some research into the area that you are visiting before you go. The internet is a fantastic holiday research tool where you will be able to find transport details, information about sites of interest that you may want to visit, as well as the best places to eat and drink while you are there.

Remembering what to pack for your trip

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:10:30 -0700

When it comes to successful holidays, planning in advance is the way to go. Working from your own list or a checklist like ours will help you to remember everything that you need. Simply tick off each item as it goes into your luggage.

The paperwork - your passport is obviously essential! Make sure your passport is up to date before travel. It is also a good idea to scan your passport and send a copy to your email inbox in case it gets lost. Remember to pack your travel tickets, printed directions and maps, and a copy of your hotel details. You may also need your driving licence and visa.

Before your flight - many holidaymakers are so busy packing and booking flights and hotels that they forget about how they are going to get to the airport! Plan your route in advance, taking note of any planned road or rail works. If you are travelling on a budget then Easybus do direct bus transfers to all London airports for just a few pounds per ticket. Check their website for details.

Spending money - remember your spending cash. If you are planning on taking a lot of money with you then you should take the bulk of it in the form of travellers cheques. Remember your credit card, debit card or ATM card too.

For the plane - your suitcase needs to be clearly labelled, so remember luggage ID tags and locks to secure your baggage. Take a book, magazine or MP3 player to keep you entertained on the plane. Also useful is a notebook and pen, a travel first aid kit and a mini sewing kit.

Gadgets and gizmos - remember your phone and charger, with adaptor plug if necessary. You might want to carry your laptop, and do not forget your camera, film and memory card as well as fresh batteries or camera charger.

Clothing - your destination will play the biggest part in deciding what you need to pack, but here some basics to remember include underwear, socks, tshirts, trousers and shorts, skirts and dresses, swimming costumes and bikinis, sunglasses, pyjamas and comfortable shoes.

Toiletries - toiletries tend to be easy to come by when on holiday, but it can be annoying when you leave one of your favourite products behind. Some basic items for you to pack are your toothpaste and toothbrush, razor and shaving cream, aftershave and perfume, deodorant, hairspray and hair gel, sun cream and contact lens solution if required.

Tourist attractions in Helsinki

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:10:07 -0700

The Finnish capital of Helsinki can boast hundreds of spectacular tourist attractions. Here are just a few of the best:

Temppeliaukion, the Church of the Rock. This stunning modern church was built in the 1960s. It is built into solid rock, with not a brick in sight, and boasts a stunning metallic dome ceiling with over 180 pieces of glass and exceptional acoustics, making it a great venue for musical events.

Senaatintori , The Senate Square. This attractive neo classical square, situated in the heart of Helsinki, is home to the main building of the University of Helsinki, a statue of Emperor Alexander II, and the palace of the Senate.

Tuomiokirkko, The Helsinki Cathedral. This beautiful building is one of the greatest examples of Finnish architecture. Designed by Carl Engel in his trademark neoclassical style, it can seat over 1300 people and can boast the biggest zinc statues to be found anywhere in the world.

Soumenlinna, The 18th Century Sea Fortress. Once known as the Gibraltar of the North, this fortress was constructed in the 1740s in an attempt to fend off Russian attacks on Helsinki. Nowadays, it is home to a whole host of tourist attractions such as museums, restaurants, and parks.

Ateneum Art Museum and National Museum: It is a little known fact that Finland has more museums per square foot than anywhere else in the world. The Ateneum art museum has the biggest, and some would say best, collection of Finnish art in the country. The nearby National museum is also worth a visit, as it contains a large collection of Finnish pre-historic artifacts.

Linnanmäki, Amusement park: This is the oldest amusement park in Helsinki, and it can boast new fewer than 37 rides, a play castle, an arcade, and a museum. In particular, the mountain rail ride, which gives excellent views of the city from a high vantage point, is one of the most popular.

Remember that if you are heading to Helsinki by plane, you will need to get to the airport and back. This can be expensive, but you can save a lot of money on this by booking in advance with an operator such as Easybus.

How to plan a safari trip

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:09:38 -0700

If you are planning to head to Africa for a safari holiday, here are some tips to help you make the most of it.

Find out about it first. Get a book or two out of the library and maybe watch some safari videos to give you an idea of where you want to go and what you want to do on safari. This will whet your appetite for the trip as well as letting you know what to expect in certain areas.

Look for bargains. The market for safari holidays in Africa is highly competitive, and they can vary widely in cost. Sometimes a desirable area will be cheaper to visit than it would be normally due to political and economic factors, so keep your ear close to the ground for bargains.

Pick somewhere good to stay. Accommodation in Africa can vary widely in quality, so seek out reliable recommendations from people who have been there before. Also, check travel guides and internet sites, as these can provide a wealth of information about the best and worst places to stay on safari.

Find a convenient spot. Although camps and lodges with their own private airstrip can be expensive to stay in, the reduced transfer times involved mean that you can spend more of your precious holiday on safari.

Get your paperwork in order. Unless you are heading to Zimbabwe or Zambia, you will not need a visa to enter Africa, but you will need a full passport with at least six months to run on it.

Get insured. It is a good idea to get travel insurance whenever you visit a foreign country, but it is particularly important in Africa. Some tour operators will not allow you to travel without insurance, so get this sorted as soon as you have the holiday booked.

Cut your travel costs. You can save a lot of money on travel if you shop around online for the best deals. Remember to budget for travel to and from the airport as well as the flight itself. Easybus currently offer cut price bus journeys to and from airports in London if you book in advance, which leaves you more money with which to enjoy your safari adventure.

Celebrate Semana Santa in Spain

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:09:12 -0700

No trip to Spain is complete without seeing the breathtaking mass displays that take place during Semana Santa. Every Easter the Spanish celebrate Holy Week in fantastic style. A celebration of the death and rebirth of Christ, Andalucia is famed for hosting the grandest celebrations in the country, but each city and province in Spain celebrates in its own special way.

You will never have experienced a festival like it. From the ornate and sometimes frightening looking costumes, to the smell of traditional Spanish dishes and thick incense smoke that clouds the streets, it is a feast for the senses.

Teams of men, sometimes numbering into the hundreds, carry vast floats from city churches, through the city streets and then back to the church at the end of each day. The floats are a sight to behold, intricately decorated with fresh flowers, wax figures and swinging bells that ring out with the swaying motion of the procession.

Many tourists are taken aback by the traditional costume worn by the participants. Children wear large cloaks with pointed hoods that obscure their faces with the exception of two small eye holes cut from the cloth. The children carry large candles, incense is burned, and brass bands follow behind playing suitably mournful music.

The religious overtones cannot be ignored, but most participants are not regular churchgoers. Seen more as a fun evening of entertainment by most families, it is a great place to go to sample some of the finest Spanish cuisine and wine, watch a spectacular show, and then continue the party after the processions have ended.

All of the restaurants and bars are stacked to the rafters each night during Holy Week, and the partying and eating usually spills out into the streets. You will find special traditional Spanish fare on sale everywhere, from savoury dishes to sweet treats, as people gather at their windows to watch the parades down below.

Holy Week is the final week of lent, usually at the end of February or start of March. If you are planning a holiday to Spain to see the festivities, then always check the dates before booking your flights. Cities where you will find the most lavish celebrations, like Grenada and Seville, are well served by airlines, and flights tend to be a good deal cheaper at this time of year.

You can find some incredibly cheap flight deals to Spain, particularly from London. But look out for costly airport transfers that can soon bump up the overall cost of your holiday. One option for those looking to reduce their costs is to travel with Easybus. Their express bus services run to all of the main airports in London and tickets cost just a few pounds each way.

Transport to Gatwick

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:08:44 -0700

Gatwick Airport is the busiest single runway airport in the world and the second largest airport in the United Kingdom. Despite the airport being put up for sale by current owners BAA, there are future development plans for Gatwick that could see it even outstrip Heathrow for passenger numbers in the coming years.

As with any other airport there are many ways to get to Gatwick. Perhaps the most popular is to take the car. The airport is at Junction 9 of the M23 to the south of London and there are masses of car parking available. Of course, parking in an airport can be very expensive, so if you’re going to drive, it’s a good idea to book a berth on the internet before you head out.

Alternatively, you can get a taxi. This is a very expensive option, and will cost around £70 from central London, as well as taking around an hour.

A much quicker and cheaper route is to take the train. There are several train links running to Gatwick. The Gatwick Express runs to London Victoria and takes about 30 minutes, a ticket costs £28.80 return and £16.90 for a single.

Another train option is to take the First Capital Connect service to London Bridge or St Pancras. Though the journey takes a little longer than the Gatwick Express, it only costs £10.80 for a single, and takes ten minutes longer.

By far the cheapest method of getting to Gatwick from central London is the EasyBus. EasyBus is owned by the same group that operates EasyJet but you do not have to be travelling with EasyJet to use the bus service.

The EasyBus to Gatwick takes around an hour and five minutes, and operates from a station on Fulham Broadway. Though the journey takes longer than it does by train, it costs just £2 for a single and £4 for a return and it drops you off right at the front door of the airport.

Whilst it is always important to get to the airport as soon as possible and to settle into the departure lounge, there is a lot to be said for not having to worry about dragging your luggage through train stations or across enormous car parks. For that reason, if no other, the EasyBus is worth consideration.

A Big Orange Bus

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:08:17 -0700

The rise in the popularity of air travel, driven in no small part by a plethora of low cost airlines, has seen a rapid increase in the number of international airports around the UK. It also means that you may have to travel across the country to get a flight, with only certain airports offering certain routes.

London, as ever, is right at the heart of Britain’s air travel industry. With Heathrow recently expanding, and the likes of Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and City Airport all transporting more customers than ever before, for most people, their holiday starts dealing with London’s transport network just to get to the airport.

Whilst there are Underground or overland rail transfers to each of the airports mentioned above, and there is always the option of a taxi, the EasyBus is undeniably the cheapest way to get to any of London’s EasyJet airports: Gatwick, Stansted, and Luton.

Unfortunately, it is somewhat prone to the vagaries of London’s transport, and it takes around an hour and a half to get from the Victoria Bus Station to Stansted airport, an hour to Gatwick from Fulham Road, and around an hour and twenty minutes from Victoria Bus Station to London Luton. This is around double the amount of time it takes on the train.

The flip side of the coin is that the cost of the bus is just a fraction of the price of the train ticket. If you book online in advance, an EasyBus ticket will cost you only £2 to get to the airport and another £2 to get back.

There is also the issue of convenience, if you can get to the bus stop with your luggage, after that you just have to sit back and let someone else get you to the airport. An hour and a half is a long time, but there is a fairly large portion of time in there that is purely in case of bad traffic, you do not have to worry about not getting to the airport on time.

A further advantage is that you don’t have to be taking an EasyJet flight to get the EasyBus. Whilst they are owned by the same group, regardless of who you are flying with you will be able to get to the airport via the EasyBus.

Getting to the airport quickly is always important, but there is something to be said for letting someone else do all the work and not having to worry about negotiating a busy train station with a heavy suitcase. If you’re heading out on holiday, it might be worth using EasyBus to get to the airport.

Ways to get to the airport

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:07:51 -0700

We’ve all been there. You get off the train at Kings Cross, step outside and.... where are you? How are you going to get to the airport carrying your rucksack, two suitcases and a child? Can a taxi really cost that much? Why on earth did you decide to come on holiday?

The stresses and traumas of transport to and from the airport can turn even the most relaxing break into a nightmare of screaming kids, aching backs and arguments. Many flights go from the main three London airports- Gatwick, Stansted and Luton- meaning you’ll have to work out a way to get to them which won’t break your back, your wallet or your mind.

One, seemingly simple option is a taxi. Get a train to London, taxi from there to the airport and.... oh, hang on. If you’re happy to pay an extortionate amount for the privilege then it is an option, but if not you’ll have to look elsewhere. Drive from home to the airport? Perhaps, but you’ll have to fight your way though the traffic, round the one-way system and onwards before finally paying a massive amount to be able to leave your car in the airport’s car-park.

Another option is provided by buses, but these can be complicated and difficult to navigate around. One useful service is that provided by easyBus (yes, they are the same company who provide easyJet and easyCruise). They offer low-cost transfers from anywhere within London to any of the three airports for around £2 for a one-way journey.

The routes covered by the buses are pretty comprehensive and take in most of the main tube stations in London. Services also run every 20minutes, so if you miss one bus it’s not the end of the world. Full details on routes, services and times can be found on the easyBus website.

The website also provides an option to book your ticket online. This is a great idea- it’s cheaper, easier, and means you can get all the details of your journey sorted in one go. It also avoids the potential problem of not being able to get a place on a bus, the easyBus service is extremely popular.

The buses’ themselves are comfortable and easy to use. It’s a direct route from the bus to the airport so you don’t need to worry about taking your luggage on and off- you can just put it away and relax. The buses are also a great option for green traveller; they cut down on fuel emissions through collective carriage of passengers which reduces the number of private vehicles and thus also the fuel emitted by them.

If you’re looking to start relaxing as soon as possible you can’t go too far wrong with booking your airport transfer with easyBus- it’s cheap, practical and environmentally friendly.

Start your holiday the right way

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:07:10 -0700

Before you can enjoy the relaxation of a holiday you first have to suffer through the stresses. Insurance, booking flights, finding decent accommodation, keeping everyone happy- the lists of pre-holiday jobs are endless and stressful.

One of the worst of these stresses is booking travel arrangements. Trains are awkward, especially if you have lots of bags; leaving your car at the airport itself is prohibitively expensive; and taxis are over-priced and often inconvenient.

All these problems are exacerbated if you’re flying from one of the London airports. Luton, Gatwick and Stansted are all big, bustling airports buried in and around the capital city; this makes them extremely awkward and expensive to get to. It’s not getting to London itself which is the difficult bit, it’s getting to the airport itself and navigating the trains, tubes and taxis you’ll need to use to reach the airport, all the while lugging around your holiday luggage.

Luckily, there is a solution. easyBus, a company run by the same people who brought us easyJet and easyCruise, has recently set up a service which provides low cost airport transfers to any of the three London airports and from anywhere within London itself. Its major benefit is obviously the price, a ticket from anywhere within London will cost you about £2 one-way and the earlier you book, the more you save.

You don’t actually have to be flying with easyJet to use this service, anyone from any airline can take advantage of its cheapness and practicality. You also don't have to be flying to use the service- you can use it if you want to wave friends or family off, or welcome them back and it’s especially useful for people who work in airport and who don’t want to face an awkward commute in-and-out each day.

The practical advantages of this service are endless. All your travelling is done in one smooth, easy step- you simply climb onto the bus, load your luggage once and sit back and relax. You won’t have to worry about finding your way round the tube or train stations, or deal with the hassle of carrying heavy luggage on and off transport.

You are advised to book your tickets early when using the easyBus service. This is for several reasons; the main one is that it’s a lot cheaper to do so. Secondly, the service is an exceptionally popular one, meaning that spaces are limited. Booking your airport transfer early also means that’s one less thing you’ll have to worry about on the day of travel itself. You can book easily through their website or, if the internet isn’t for you, you can buy tickets from the bus driver subject to availability.

The easyBus service provides a cheap, easy and practical way to travel from anywhere in London to an airport and vice-versa. Details of routes can be found online, and the buses and coaches themselves are very comfortable. All of this helps you to relax and to start your holiday early.

Direct flights to Johannesburg- Get cheap flights at pocket friendly prices

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 09:29:05 -0700

Johannesburg, Jo’burg or Jozi is served by O.R. Tambo International Airport. It is the largest city of South Africa. There are numerous flights available for Johannesburg like Etihad, EvaAir, Gulf Air, Qatar Airways, Air India, Jet Airways, Emirates, Air China, China Airways and many others to choose from. But there are only few direct flights to Johannesburg. Choose cheap deals with direct flights to Johannesburg for your travel.

There are three direct flights to Johannesburg: 1. South African Airways, 2. Virgin Atlantic, 3. British Airways. All these airlines are providing cheap flights, discount flights and cheap airfares for Johannesburg.

South African Airways is a 4 star airline approved by Skytrax. This airline has 4 star ranking for business class and 3 stars ranking for economy class. This airline provides best services to its customers. Crew members are also very polite and humble in this airline. Cabin crew comes regularly between meals to offer water or juice. Airfares of this airline are also very cheap. You must travel with this airline; it will be a nice experience. Ranking of this airline can be change in future.

Virgin Atlantic also has 4 stars official ranking approved by Skytrax. This airline has 4 & 3 stars ranking for business class, premium class and economy class respectively. Millions of people travel with this airline, due to its good services. Seats are very comfortable, crew members are very soft spoken, washroom cleanliness is also very good. Meal provided in this airline is also very good. It would be a nice experience to travel with this airline.

British Airways also have officially 4 star ranking approved by Skytrax. This airline has 4 stars ranking for first class, business class and premium class. It has 3 stars ranking for economy class. Washroom and shower facilities are very good with this airline. Staff grooming and presentation is also very good. Staff members are very polite and humble. They treat passengers very friendly.

Above all are the only direct flights available for Johannesburg. You can get a good bargain by negotiating for cheap airfares. It is best opportunity to get cheap airfares for your international travel. Grab this opportunity and have a lovely vacation.