XL fallout

The CAA says that XL was able to retain it's licence (ATOL) simply because they (the CAA) did not have the resources to investigate XL's financial statements thoroughly. XL had a £42m bond under the terms of it's licence, but it's collapse will cost more and throw the Air Travel Trust Fund deeper into the red. The fund now stands less chance of being replenished any time soon, running at a deficit of £20m with a further £20m in addition to the bond needed to put right the problems caused by the collapse of XL.
The CAA will not be making a claim against it's insurer AIG which itself has only recently been pulled back from the brink of collapse.
Naturally agents who apply for new and renewal licences will be bearing the brunt of the costs. Travellers who bought their travel packages from non-ATOL agents rather then directly contracted to XL could well have their claims referred back to those individual (unlicenced) agents, no doubt this will come of something of a shock!
This should ring alarm bells about buying from agents that may not have adequate cover themselves, and encourage travellers to make certain that they are covered against all eventualities on their individual travel insurance.

Car Loans made easy

If you are worried about whether you can afford a holiday and a new car, then you could consider a Car Loan from a fast and easy service like BasicCarLoans.com - make sure you get yourself the best deal you can in the current financial market.
No fees and no obligation, BasicCarLoans are specialists in the field of auto loans and can process your application in no time at all. They can even offer a service to those needing a Bad Credit Car Loan through their special financing packages, even helping you to re-build your credit record along the way. You can also have them refinance your current high-interest loan with a better rate of interest.

Ecuador stakes a claim

The Latin American Travel Association (LATA) recently announced a new system for grading the Health & Safety standards of the hotels used by it's members. Following on from that news, Ecuador has declared that it will be attempting to become one of the leading destinations in South America.
The Ecuadorian government has unveiled plans to increase it's annual investment in tourism from the $7m spent in 2007 to $23m in 2008, with more increases promised in subsequent years.
Offering the Andes, the Pacific Ocean, a rich ancient history and heritage, Ecuador could soon become one of the hot spots of the travel market over the next few years. Much of the country is wild and rugged scattered with hidden architectural treasures, the simple towns and villages in stark contrast with the modern developed cities.

Just a quid campaign revitalised

The UK Government is being lobbied by various groups including ABTA and the Liberal Democrats to bring in a £1 levy on all flights to help to protect customers who may get stranded in similar circumstances to the XL customers recently.
The previous attempt failed to progress through a House of Commons vote in 2005, defeated by just three votes.
This money would be used to form a fund that could be used to support stranded holiday makers in the future. Most lobbyists see this as a small price to pay for the security offered, but resistance appears to be mainly from the scheduled airline operators who do not want to be subsidising what the see as their smaller, less well-financed rivals.

Looking for holiday gear

When I go on a vacation I like to do the sights, travel on local transport, hang out on the beach and do the sort of things for which multi-purpose clothing is required.
I like to pack good utility clothes for my holidays, the type of clothing that can withstand the rugged outdoors and is smart enough to be acceptable in a restaurant. Fewer clothes ranges come more rugged than the 5.11 Tactical range on the 511tactical outdoors website.
They have some great combats which are my favourite type of clothing of all time, and can be worn in pretty much any type of environment. I might stop short of actually taking a holster with me on vacation as I am not sure I would get through the airport with that, but the rest of the tactical clothing range is a perfect addition to your suitcase wherever you are bound.

Home exchangers make use of their London home

Well-travelled home exchange holiday-makers Sheila and David Hoffman have exchanged homes 25 times in just 8 years. The vacations have varied in duration from a week to two months and they have found that not only do they get a cheap holiday, but they are also able to have better access to the heart of the community that they are visiting.
Visiting many different homes persuaded them that they should sell their own large three-bedroom house and downsize to apartment-living having tried it and enjoyed it whilst on their many holidays. They are located near central London, hence their apartment is always in demand and they have managed to swap homes with people in New York, San Francisco, Australia, Denmark, Holland, Italy and France.

Read the whole story here...

Infrared Sauna for pain relief...

We all know the benefits experienced from holidaying in warmer climes, apart from the relaxed atmosphere created by leaving your worries behind you, there are the benefits of climate.
Anyone suffering from either mild or chronic arthritis will know that even a short stay in a sunny climate can offer relief for painful symptoms, but the list of ailments does not stop there.
Now you can get this kind of experience in you own back yard by having an Infrared Sauna installed. Mid West Saunas say that their far infrared saunas can also offer relief from the symptoms of blood pressure problems, joint stiffness, asthma, sore throats and menstruation pain along with a whole host of other ailments.
You can even invite your fellow-sufferers over to enjoy the pain-relieving effects of your new sauna in your own garden, they even say that saunas can help you lose weight.

BAA puts Gatwick up for sale

After being ordered to lose it's stranglehold on London airports, BAA has put Gatwick on the market. In the background they are preparing to fight the requirement to also sell Stansted airport, leaving them only Heathrow left from the London three... They will also be required to sell a Scottish airport after the Competition Commissions' ruling.
Prospective purchasers who have thrown their hat into the ring include:

• A consortium led by Richard Branson
• Manchester Airport
• German construction company, Hochteif.

Gatwick is valued at around £1.7bn, but BAA will be hoping to realise more from the sale. BAA maintain the view that they will be able to successfully oppose the Competition Commission's ruling, but have nonetheless taken the step to sell Gatwick now in the hope that this will strengthen the arguments for keeping Stansted.

Complete Loan Source

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Borrowing should never be undertaken lightly, and whilst caution should be exercised, in the right circumstances, a short-term low-cost solution can be the answer to an unexpected expense.
Complete Loan Source is your single source for all your cash advance, Consolidation Debt loan or requirements

Which Airlines?

I am always on the lookout for useful resources for holidays and airline travel and one of the things I have felt the need for, is a site that can tell you which airlines are likely to run flights between your preferred start and end points of your trip.
Once you have decided which airports you can fly from, and which your preferred destinations are, you still need to find the airline before you can start comparing prices. If you find an airline that runs your chosen route, how do you find out if there is a cheaper alternative or one offering a better service?
This handy web-page should identify the airlines that run your specific route on the date that you want to fly. The only downside is that you must choose a day, if you are flexible about your flight days, you will have to do several searches to ensure that there are not other airlines running the same route on different days.

Joint effort to rescue XL clients

In the days following the collapse of XL Leisure group, representatives from Thomas Cook, Tui Travel and Virgin Holidays put their heads and resources together to bring back stranded XL customers. This included additional efforts from right across the companies, from logistical support right through to the reps at the resorts.
Many independent agents as well as the larger concerns were caught out by the collapse and had to work through the weekend to ensure that all clients were contacted and kept informed.
The fallout from the collapse may benefit agents who have shown that they are in a position to aid clients in this kind of event. The holiday makers who were most isolated were those that had booked online and had no agent to call to sort out the mess. Having an agent means that you have some sort of protection and assurance that there is a larger mechanism backing you through the agencies membership of trade associations and insurance arrangements. The picture shown, illustrates the logistical lengths taken to get the stranded passengers back home.