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Fri 18 Sep 2009 |
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One bag good, two bags pricey |
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Planning on flying with Virgin Atlantic later this year? You’d do well to pack carefully if you book after 25 November this year. After that date the airline will implement a ‘piece system’ across its network.
The changes are easy for passengers to remember:
- Economy: passengers can check-in one bag weighing up to 23 kilos
- Premium Economy: passengers can check-in two bags each weighing up to 23 kilos
- Upper Class: passengers can check-in up to three bags each weighing up to 23 kilos
Virgin is the latest in a long line of full-service airlines to try and cut costs by only allowing economy (and let’s be honest, that means most of us) passengers to check in one-bag. If you want to check-in extra bags on top of the allowance above you will have to fork out for each piece. Each extra bag will set you back a whopping £32 (approx. R400) if paid for online, and even higher charges will apply at airport check-in.
On the bright side, they are one of few airlines who still offers a generous sporting bag allowances, with all passengers allowed to check-in one additional bag weighing up to 23 kilos that contains sporting equipment, such as a golf bag, scuba diving equipment, or ski equipment. Virgin Atlantic is also the only UK-based long-haul airline enabling passengers to check-in surfboards.
That’s all well and good, but it always strikes me as slightly crazy that two passengers can pay exactly the same fare for the same flight; yet one can check in 46-kilos across two bags, while the other only gets half the benefits. Does that make sense to you? Surely it’s time for a ‘total passenger weight’ so that fair’s fair? Non-sporting slim people of the world unite!
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Fri 18 Sep 2009 |
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Emirates launches Durban route |
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Dubai-based airline Emirates today launches a direct route from Durban to Dubai, and is offering an introductory fare of just R4595. This fare is valid from the route’s first flight on 1 October until 31 October 2009.
Members of Skywards — the airline's loyalty club — flying on Emirates from Durban in October will also earn double Skywards miles in Economy class and triple the amount of miles in Business and First class. The bonus miles are only earned on the Durban-Dubai-Durban legs of travel, but members can still obviously travel onwards to Emirates' dozens of destinations across the globe.
For more information on Emirates and the new route to Durban, visit www.emirates.com/za or call 0861 364 728.
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OK, we’re going to play ‘Spot the Destination’… take a look at the pic below. Any guesses?
Well, I’ve just got back from discovering a little corner of the United Kingdom that definitely deserves more of our attention.
Lying 28 miles or so off Land’s End in Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly are further from the English coast than France is from Dover, and it certainly feels like another country. Like Scotland, perhaps… only, with sunshine.
Rugged islands, pastoral fields, tiny lanes between the hedgerows, waterside pubs, quaint cottages... There’s little you won’t like about the Scillies I reckon. It could also be one of the best options for a family holiday in England. There’s lots to do (most of it outdoors, so PlayStation kids; stay home rather) and the islands have outstanding beaches (deserted) with clear water (think Maldives clear) brilliant for swimming. When it’s warm enough, of course.
That said, the Scillies get more sunshine than anywhere else in the UK. They also lie close to the tendrils of the warm Gulf Stream, so the climate is almost sub-tropical for most of the year.
You either fly in (helicopter or plane, each takes about 15-20 minutes) or grab the Scillonian ferry from Penzance. Once you’re there it’s walking, taxis and boats to get around… you can’t hire cars on any of the islands, but they’re all small enough to explore on foot or bicycle.
Visit http://www.simplyscilly.co.uk to find out more.
And that pic? It’s of the Abbey Gardens on the island of Tresco… not bad for the UK, eh?
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Fri 04 Sep 2009 |
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Good site for cheap flights |
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We recently launched an awesome little tool on the iafrica.com travel site. It's a flights and travel booking engine powered by Flightsite. Without going into all the technical hooptedoodle (most of which I don't understand anyway) it allows you to tap into the airline databases that travel agents use, which means you get flight quotes without any mark-ups etc. Yes, there's a traveller support fee, but by and large you'll find the flights are as cheap, if not cheaper than other airline sites.
Big deal, I hear you say. Well, the real power of the tool is that it allows you to search across a number of airlines for your routing. So no going to three, four or five airline sites to see what each one has to offer. Plug in your origin and destination, set your dates and the engine will return the latest fares from all relevant airlines. Nifty, huh?
Take a turn over to http://iafrica.flightsite.co.za and try it for yourself... |
Heading over to New York in October and started doing some research to find a few interesting angles.
Discovered this amazing volunteer group called Big Apple Greeter whose simple aim is to help tourists settle into New York.
Before you arrive you send an online request saying when you’re arriving, where you’re staying and what neighbourhood you’d like to get to know. From there the group will try and match you with a suitable 'Greeter'. These aren’t tour guides who will take you on an organised wander of the city (which most visitors do), these are just enthusiastic locals who love their neighbourhoods and are only too happy to show you their favourite places to eat, shop and play. They’ll also help you with the basics of getting around New York’s transport system.
Sounds like a fantastic program and I'm sure you'll hear more about it in articles when I get back.
Check out www.bigapplegreeter.org.
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Or just a sign of commercialism heading south? Refuse to shop at Melissa's nowadays: overpriced and average
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