Well, the speculators are really hitting tourists as they strive to make a quick buck betting on the oil price rising still higher.

BA have already announced increases in fuel tax surcharges for long haul flights, it’s only a matter of time before short flights are hit too.

Is this a return to the stagflation days of the 1970’s? I don’t think so, the reason then was the Israeli wars causing OPEC to cut production, the reason now is mainly speculation, betting on oil futures going up up up. This bubble can burst as it is not purely demand driven. Oil supply still exceeds demand, admittedly not by very much.

So it looks like the outlook for tourism could see a return to local holidaying. Resorts on the south coast of the UK are probably not that unhappy that tourists are looking more to their native countries for holidays this year.

You may live in the sahara desert for all I know, lucky you. But the Travel News wants to report that it is b****y cold here in Blighty, UK.
How long will this continue. April already, Christmas will be coming soon. Try out some travel gifts here. If summer is cancelled due to damp and unseasonably cold weather, then it is definitely time to plan that vacation. BA crews have run out of de-icer and running around Heathrows Terminal 5 crowing about it. Have a good spring, if there is one, I’m keeping the winter warmers handy.

Boy has it been a cold easter, north winds howling across deserted town centres, at least down my way, as brave tourists try to keep out of snow one minute, then rain, and the wind the next.

But is it unusual, cold snaps at easter? Certainly not, we’ve just come out of winter, spring has barely begun. the cold winds look set to continue for another week, perhaps for that reason most travellers have stayed at home if they have the choice.

At this time of year some peace and quiet is no bad thing anyway, everybody seems to work too hard these days. One by product of the winds is that satellite dish engineers look to have a lot of work coming their way as punters lose more and more of their TV channels when their dishes are pushed out of alignment.

Of course if this has happened to you, rather than pay an exorbitant amount to have an engineer realign your satellite dish, go to the menu on your satellite receiver, then options then display signal strength and quality. Signal quality is more important than signal strength.

If the quality is down around the 20-30% mark, you’ll be losing TV channels even if your signal strength is up in the 80’s. Loosen the nuts very slightly holding the dish and gently realign the dish yourself until the signal quality is back over 60%. Tighten the nuts and you’re done.

Well, happy easter to everybody, and once again, even though it is still technically winter, it’s a dollar to a penny that the motorways will be bumper to bumper on Good Friday and Easter Monday.

So escape to the warmer climates of the Caribbean and dissolve away the stress of modern day living with a well deserved easter break. Of course there are the delays at the airports, particularly Heathrow, (I have a thing about THAT particular airport, but that’s covered in another post).

The main thing is to wish everybody a very happy easter. Summer is coming!

Airport authority BAA, which controls all the major London airports, Stansted, Heathrow and Gatwick, is struggling to prove it should keep the franchise for running the hub airports operations.

Air travellers for years have dubbed Heathrow airport, particularly Terminal 1, as the airport from hell. Dirty and worn interiors, terrible customer service and facilities have plagued the reputation of Heathrow for years. Seasoned Air passengers dread the moment when they come into contact with the mess that is Heathrow.

BAA counter accusations of neglect by saying they are only responsible for the facilities, not the customs areas, but regular users of dilapidated Heathrow say it’s been like this for years, and is only likely to get worse.

Of course BAA have to keep up the new gleaming Heathrow Terminal 5, opened by Queen Elizabeth II, so will their attention be further distracted away from the disfunctional Terminals 1,2 and 3?

The staff BAA employ at Heathrow are mainly temporary employees who, from a personal experience, appear to be transitory, unmotivated and careful to perform the least amount of work possible in the airport. There is an overriding feeling of non management and oversight in the terminal buildings.

So, after years of BAA control of Heathrow airport is it time for a change in the franchisee? Many users would say say, immediately. It is claimed BAA are operating a monopoly, and time to break it up and give a new operator with vision and authority a chance to run Heathrow, and the other London airports. Hear hear, I say. 

Under the guise of green policies, the UK conservative party, egged on by the climate change lobby are outlining plans to increase taxes on UK domestic air travel.

These plans, fiercely criticised by UK airlines such as British Airways, will involve UK travellers in paying increased air fares. Taxes on air travel have been increasing steadily under the guidance of Chancellor Gordon ‘never give a straight answer to an awkward question’ Brown.

According to many observers, The Maldives still possess some of the most popular and dazzling beaches for tourists to enjoy. The Maldives consist of more than a thousand islands, many with luxurious powdery sand, ideal for relaxation.