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Dear Traveller
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Both
Air Canada and Aeroplan are offering their customers an opportunity
to offset the carbon emissions resulting from their air travel. They
have joined forces with Zerofootprint, a not-for-profit organization
designed to help travellers mitigate the environmental impact of
their flight.
Further information on how you can offset can be garnered at http://www.aircanada.com/en/travelinfo/traveller
/zfp.htm
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Airlines change rules for
checked and carry-on baggage
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Several airlines have changed the
rules for carry-on and checked baggage.
US Department of Transportation Baggage Safety Ruling
Passengers flying to the USA should note that they are no longer
allowed to pack loose lithium batteries in checked baggage. Lithium
batteries are only allowed in checked baggage if they are installed
in electronic devices, such as cameras, cell phones and laptop
computers. The new rule also limits passengers to two spare
extended-life rechargeable lithium batteries in carry-on baggage. The
spare carry-on lithium batteries must be stored in original packaging
or in their own protective covering or plastic bag. Each battery must
be in packed in a separate container or plastic bag. This new
regulation is designed to reduce the risk of lithium battery fires.
Passengers traveling with Personal Oxygen Concentrator (POC) or media
equipment such as professional video cameras and lighting, staging
equipment, etc. may be seriously affected.
For further information regarding lithium batteries, please refer to
the U.S. Department of Transportation websites below:
http:
//www.dot.gov/affairs/phmsa1107.htm http://safetravel..dot.gov/index_batteries.html
http://safetravel.dot.gov/whats_new_batteries.html
UK Carry-on Baggage Changes
The U.K. government has decided to lift the single item restriction
for carry-on baggage at some airports.
Travelers departing from Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London
Heathrow, and Manchester are now allowed to carry-on one bag and one
personal item. The carry-on bag must conform to the 51 linear inches
rule.
Travelers departing from Belfast, London Gatwick and Bristol
International Airport must continue to comply with one carry-on bag
conforming to the 45 linear inches rule until further notice.
Air Canada
In order to avoid excess baggage charges, travelers' on Air Canada
must now register all sports equipment, including golf clubs, skis,
snowboards, snowboard boots, hockey sticks and hockey bags.
Registration can be done on-line at time of booking, or by calling
the local Air Canada call-centre. Based on initial experience,
registration is simple and straightforward, providing you can get
through to the call centre. TTI clients are advised to inform their
TTI Travel Specialist of any sports equipment at the time of booking.
Please note that passengers who do not register their sporting
equipment will be subject to excess piece and oversize fees when
checking in at the airport on the day of departure.
The new rules are complicated and confusing. For example, each item
of sports equipment is considered one piece of baggage, except 2
hockey sticks, if taped together, and a pair of ski boots or snowboard
boots when packed together. To avoid being charged as an extra piece
of baggage, sports equipment must adhere to a weight limit of 23kg
(50lb) and a maximum size of 160 linear cm (63 in). Pieces exceeding
these limits will be subject to oversize and/or overweight fees.
Skis, snowboards and hockey bags carrying hockey equipment are
considered as an additional piece of baggage. To avoid being charged
an excess size fee, items must not exceed a weight of 32kg (70lb) or
linear dimensions (L+W+H) of 292 cm (115 in) or a length of 203 cm
(80 in).
Shipping of items larger than those specified must be shipped Air
Canada Cargo.
Be warned. These new regulations are bound to lead to extended
check-in times until both Air Canada personnel and the traveling
public become familiar with their implementation.
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Destination profile - London in
the spring
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 There's been many a joke told about
the English weather, but seasoned travelers know that one of the most
pleasant times of the year to visit England can be the spring. While
we, in Canada, are still suffering the hangover from a cold winter,
on the other side of the pond spring has already arrived. By early
April, the daffodils are in full bloom in Hyde Park, the blossoms are
on the trees in Kew Gardens, and Londoners have put away their
overcoats for the year. The British weather could never be called
reliable, yet average daytime temperatures in the capital city in
March and April are a pleasant 12-15 degrees Celsius, and warm days
with temperatures in the low 20s are not unknown.
The
great advantage of visiting London at this time of the year is that
the tourist season has not yet begun and therefore access to a wide
range of attractions is much easier with less crowds. Whether your
enthusiasm is for art, history or science, London offers so much to
see that even a month would simply not be enough. Of course, there
are well known attractions like the British Museum, the Victoria and
Albert Museum, the Science Museum and the Imperial War Museum; art
galleries such as the National Gallery, the Tate and the Tate Modern.
However, there are a host of smaller museums and galleries that can
be equally rewarding.
For
example, the Cabinet War Rooms, located just off Whitehall, provided
a fascinating insight into the Churchill's prime minister ship during
WWII, as well as a fascinating background into the life of Winston
Churchill. There's even some school report cards, casting aspersions
on his academic prowess, as well as details of his heroic exploits in
the Boer War.
One
of the most remarkable private collection of paintings in the world
can be found at the Wallace
Collection. Here, are displayed works collected in the eighteenth
and nineteenth centuries by the first four Marquesses of Hertford and
Sir Richard Wallace, the son of the 4th Marquess. It was bequeathed
to the British nation by Sir Richard's widow, Lady Wallace, in 1897.
A fabulous collection of French 18th century painting, furniture and
porcelain are pieced together with superb Old Master paintings and
world class armoury in 25 galleries in what used to be a private
house just a few minutes walk from Oxford Street.
Lovers of the theatre, the opera,
and the symphony also have plenty of choice. The 2008 Season includes
Alan Bennett's wonderful play "The History Boys," reopening
by popular demand after an absence of almost a year; Penelope Keith
starring in "The Importance of Being Earnest;" and Kevin
Spacey and Jeff Goldblum in David Mamet's "Speed-the-Plow."
In March they are joined by productions of Shaw's "Major
Barbara," Pinter's "The Homecoming," and Arthur
Miller's "The Man Who Had All the Luck." Opera lovers can
choose from "Madame Butterfly," "The Mikado," and
"Lucia di Lammermoor," and ballet aficionados from
performances by the New York and Stuttgart Ballets. The temptation is
to spend every night at the theatre, but that would mean missing out
on some of the finest restaurants in the world. English food no
longer means grey meat and soggy vegetables, as fans of Jamie Oliver
will tell you. There are restaurants to cater to every palette, not
to mention dozens of fascinating pubs, serving excellent home cooked
food for lunch. If you are in the vicinity of Harrods, don't miss out
on The Grenadier, the smallest pub in London, just off Sloan Square.
One of the greatest joys in London
is walking. Combined with one of the finest subway and bus transit
systems in the world, you can travel around the whole city without
ever taking a cab. The London cab is no longer the frustrating
experience it was a couple of years ago. The introduction of the
controversial Congestion Charge has reduced the volume of traffic in
the city centre considerably, so you can whisk around the city in a
fraction of the time it used to take. London Cabbies know the city
like the back of their hands, so you can ask them to take you to the
most obscure spot and they will find the shortest way.
Although London is not cheap, there
are bargains to be had if you visit in the spring. Add to that the
fact that the C$/Pound exchange rate is the best it has been for many
years, and now it is a great time to see this wonderful city. If you
are interested in visiting London this spring, please contact your
TTI Vacation Travel Specialist, who can arrange a fascinating
itinerary, looking after every detail so that you get the most out of
your visit.
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Emirates Airline taking
passenger comfort to new level
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It
appears Emirate Airlines are determined to become world leaders in
luxury air travel. Shortly after placing the world's largest-ever
order for new aircraft - 93 firm and 50 optional aircraft at an cost
of US$35 billion - they are investing another US$600-plus million in
inflight products and services.
Emirates has entered into $120 million of long-term agreements with
B/E Aerospace, Panasonic Avionics Corporation and JAMCO Corporation
to purchase custom-built cabin interior products and next generation
in-flight entertainment and communication systems. These include
First Class private suites; lie-flat Business Class seats; in-flight
digital entertainment systems with interactive audio, video, and
games, and communication and connectivity support. All new and
existing Emirates aircraft will be bought up to the same high
standards.
So that's where the fuel surcharges end up!
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The
New Year is traditionally a time for making resolutions: to lose
weight, go to the gym or in some way to make yourself a "better
person." Businesses, of course, don't make such resolutions in
the New Year, but the best organizations are constantly seeking ways
to offer better service to their customers.
Here are five suggestions we have for ways to make travel a more
pleasant experience.
1. Let's start with an old gripe.
Airline food, with the exception of some offerings in First-Class,
has never been considered a delicacy. However, now that we have to
pay for food in coach, isn't it possible to serve us with something
that is, at the very least, edible. By all means, charge a little
more if necessary but please serve us something that we can enjoy eating
and doesn't leave us with indigestion!
2. Okay, while we are on subjects
that are a traditional source of complaint, let's talk about baggage
claim areas. If airports expect passengers to wait 30 to 40 minutes
for their bags to appear, would it be too much to ask that adequate
seating be provided so that tired and elderly passengers can sit down
while they wait?
3. Talking of elderly passengers,
isn't it time that those who require wheelchair assistance are
treated with a little more respect. If you are elderly or disabled,
and choose to travel First-Class, you can end up paying a hefty
premium to be left sitting in a transfer corridor for 20 minutes
while other passengers are collected. Chances are, you will be the
last one to collect your bags. Surely it's possible to offer
First-Class disabled passengers first-class treatment when they
arrive at their destination. And while we are at it, why not offer
all wheelchair passengers priority and extra courtesy while they are
at the airport instead of treating them like second- class citizens?
4. While on the topic of first-class
service, why don't North American international airports install a
system to speed the passage of First and Business Class passengers
through Customs and Immigration? Those who have experienced
"Fast Track" at London's Heathrow Airport will appreciate
how much time this can save at both departures and arrivals, and,
surely, it is in the interest of both airlines and airports to make
life easier for high-fare paying passengers.
5. And finally, with so many flights
to Central and South America connecting through the US, wouldn't it
be nice if US immigration understood the concept of "In
Transit." Most European airports allow passengers traveling
directly to another location to proceed to their departure gate
without collecting bags or clearing immigration and customs. Anyone
who has made a connection traveling back to Canada through Chicago or
Atlanta has probably experienced considerable stress just to tell an
official they are flying directly back to Canada. Is this so hard?
If,
like me, you are intrigued to find the official response to these
suggestions, be sure to read future TTI newsletters. We're going to
ask the airlines, airport authorities and government departments
these questions for you.
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Hotel Cancellation Policies
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Here's
another example of hotels trying to increase revenues by changing the
small print. Now, some are trying to ding you if you are a
"no-show." For as long as we can remember, the standard
policy in the hotel industry allowed you to cancel your reservation
up to 5 pm on the day you were scheduled to arrive. This is changing.
Suddenly, it seems every hotel has a different cancellation policy.
Some hotels now require that you cancel by anything up to a week
before your arrival. TTI Travel Specialists will always try to
arrange accommodation that meets your cancellation requirements but
it is now even more important that you check your itineraries so you
do not end up with unwanted hotel charges.
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TTI Conquers the Final Frontier
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We
are pleased to announce that Credit Suisse has selected TTI to
continue to service their account in Canada. This is particularly
exciting, because we were able to retain the account even though
Credit Suisse awarded the remainder of their travel business outside
Canada to a global supplier.
As you may have read in our September newsletter, Roger Kershaw,
Virtuoso Travel Consultant with TTI, is one of five agents in Canada
qualified to book space flights aboard the Virgin Galactic
SpaceShipTwo spacecraft. In December, Roger confirmed a booking for
the first TTI client to fly into space. Travelling aboard Virgin's
SpaceShipTwo, this lucky person will travel into space at speeds in
excess of 3,000 mph and experience 4-5 minutes of weightless space
travel. This extraordinary experience allows passengers to see 1,000
miles in all directions, with a clear view of the earth's curvature
and the line denoting the edge of the atmosphere, before gliding back
to earth for a normal runway landing. Beam me up Roger!
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