BA strike

The economic climate was always going to have an effect on the travel business and the current dispute between UNITE and BA seems to be an outworking of the recession. BA are (arguably) forced to make cuts - this will impact on air-crew at some point, but the air-crew are digging their heels in. In an effort to give a fair view, nobody likes their contract to be changed significantly, but on the other hand, management is tasked with finding a way to make some real savings in order to sustain a profitable company for the future.
Strikes are due to continue at the week-end, hopefully a timely and mutually beneficial compromise can be reached.

Combining travel and surgery

Traveling abroad to have cosmetic surgery is not a new idea, but generally this has been understood to mean having procedures carries out in sometimes less-than hygienic conditions in Eastern European countries.
Imagine then, if you will, a very different idea: visiting your dentist in Cancun! Cancun Cosmetic Dentistry has opened a practice with the highest clinical standards in the world famous Mexican resort of Cancun with the sole intention of treating clients from the UK, USA and Canada. The aim is to be able to combine the holiday of a lifetime with the idea of taking advantage of high quality cosmetic dentistry at a fraction of the normal costs.
The owner is Dr. German Arzate who promises to be able to give you a completely new smile in just a week. During that week, you will be in the most beautiful surroundings available anywhere, and be able to lounge on the beaches, go diving or visit some unique Mexican archaeological attractions. You will also be in a clinical environment that is completely geared towards English-speaking patients - imagine bringing the perfect smile home as a permanent reminder of your holiday...

New Technology

New technology is moving us away from traditional High Street shops and large retailers for goods which are becoming obsolete whilst they sit on the stock-room. Any product that has an element of computer memory like RAM, hard-drives and flash drives becomes out-dated within months.
There is no technology that moves quicker than PC/Phone and media devices, and the demand for iphone accessories and add-ons increasingly finds satisfaction via internet retailers in preference to the high street. Whether you are looking for an iphone case or an iphone dock, you will find a far larger range of choices available on the world wide web, than you will on the shelves of your local electronics retailer.

In the past people may have been wary about this new way of buying, but year on year it is proving more and more popular. The prices are keen and in most cases the service is excellent, yet there are some precautions we should take to ensure that our chosen trader is legitimate.

• You should always look for contact details such as an address or telephone number, check out the contact details to make sure that they are correct.
• Check to see if there is a VAT number and company registration.
• Look for a trading history and check out any testimonials that might be posted on the site.
• Be cautious of any offers that are ridiculously cheap unless there is a legitimate reason for the price reduction.

Over recent years, I have built up a select group of websites that I routinely check for bargains exclusively in the area of 'boys toys', computer storage and components.

Rail Fares set to rise

Southeastern train company customers will be charged extra to use the new 'Javelin' service. The Javelin is a new highspeed (140mph) train from Hitachi which is planned to run between London St Pancras and Ebbsfleet International, with a few services extending to Ashford International, Ramsgate via Canterbury West or Dover. From 13 December 2009 Southeastern plan to operate a regular high-speed domestic service into and out of London St Pancras. The services are marketed as Southeastern Highspeed and the trains will be named after British personalities associated with speed.

The second price rise will come in January and will be across the board under the regulated fares formula (allowing prices to rise a set amount above RPI), despite assurances by Government that rail prices would fall in 2010. Some existing services may also be cut to help fund the new investment.

Drink your way to Calais

P&O are currently offering a great day-trip offer if you are planning to stock your cellar with French wines, which includes a case of Californian wine into the bargain.

Thanks to the MoneySavingExpert for bringing this one to our attention...

For £24, you get a return Dover-Calais ticket for a car and up to 9 people (worth c.£35), and a free case of Ernest & Julio Gallo Winemaker's Seal Red or White wine (worth £25). The wine is redeemable on the outward leg of your journey only; you'll get a voucher for it along with your tickets.

Valid for travel between now and 1st December 2009 (though excludes travel on 23, 24, 31 October and 1 November), and can be booked until 12 Nov. To get the deal, go to P&O UK's website and enter 'freewineDT' in the box when booking to qualify.

This is an online offer only....and if you enjoy your wine and are looking to do a quick booze cruise before Christmas, this is a no-brainer...

What to do in London?

It's exciting to travel to a new City whether it be a day trip within your own country or a long overseas trip, but when you get, there you may well realise that you don't know the best places for a quick bite, or where to get the best entertainment, a quiet pint or a gourmet meal.

That's when a site like Qype comes in - an extensive insight into night-life, restaurants and watering holes with reviews completed by ordinary folk like you or me.
The information on their database is not limited to night-life, you can search for a hairdresser, travel information, libraries or any number of services that you might require when staying away from home.

By default, the site shows information for London in general, but simply by clicking on the link to 'change', you can select any UK city or even a specific area of London. Ideal if you are searching for restaurants london by name or by district. Qype extends globally, and you can select from a list of countries and then select an area within that country. In fact, you can use Qype to gather information about your home town too - I checked out information about local parks and leisure centres, and was surprised to find not only a full list of amenities, but personal reviews written for every search result that came up - even reviews of local parks...

Whatever you are looking for, Qype is essentially a directory, but importantly a directory with a difference. The Qype directory not only gives you bare essential information such as address and essential contact information – it gives you an independent review from the viewpoint of an ordinary customer or facility-user. Next time you are stuck for a venue, or a shop or just need to do a search for pubs london why not try Qype, not only will you find something in your chosen locality, you will learn something about it too.

Losing business at Heathrow

Industry experts are claiming that Britain is losing out to the tune of £1bn annually because of the lack of a third runway at Heathrow. Travellers even from the UK are using European airports as a hub for long-haul flights that could potentially fly from Heathrow if the long-awaited third runway was in place and working to increase capacity.
On the other side of the argument there are environmental factors to be overcome, and the fact that the world market for flights is in decline and the proliferation of cheap flights indicates that the development could become a white elephant if the sales of flights and travel in general does not pick up.
Charles De Gaulle, Frankfurt and Schipol have all experienced a growth in business compared to a more or less static turnover at Heathrow for the last 5 years. The threat however is not solely from European airports as growth at Middle-Eastern airports has been astronomic. Dohar, Abu Dhabi and Dubai airports have seen rises approaching more than 100% in the last 5 years.