12 UPDATE
Know your rights before you go...!
summer months. T
The majority of journeys are hassle free but we all know when things go wrong it can ruin a family holiday, business trip or even a school trip as one group of 44 pupils and their teacher from Lismore Comprehensive School recently found out. The pupils were returning from a school excursion to Amsterdam when their flight was delayed by almost four hours. The school brought their complaint to the Consumer Council and have been able to achieve compensation totalling €11,250. Speaking about the delay, Teacher Jane Houston said: “We were delayed on our return journey by almost four hours which was an unfortunate end to our trip. Having written to the airline, who did not
Prague top for stags
ACCORDING to new research by an online travel agency in the UK, more hen and stag dos are now being spent abroad; with the main reason for heading overseas for pre-marital celebrations stated as ‘to have a more memorable experience’. A total 2,196 people aged 18 and over from around the UK took part in the study, all of whom had been on a hen or stag do in the last six months (either their own or someone else’s).
Seventeen per cent of men taking part in the poll carried out by
sunshine.co.uk named Prague as their stag destination, with Amsterdam a popular second (16 per cent). These two destinations were followed by Krakow, Barcelona and Benidorm. For women, Albufeira was top (18 per cent), followed by Benidorm, Marbella, Ibiza and Barcelona.
HE Consumer Council is encouraging all consumers to know their passenger rights if travelling by air or sea in the coming busy
respond I took my complaint straight to the Consumer Council.
"The Consumer Council achieved a resolution for me very quickly and I am very grateful for that. I would probably still be waiting on a response for my complaint otherwise. It’s great to get €250 for each of the 44 pupils.”
Jenny Robinson, Senior Policy Officer at the Consumer Council said “We're almost into the main summer holiday season, therefore it’s important that passengers are aware of their rights. If flights and sailings are delayed or cancelled then passengers are entitled to support and assistance.
"We have a range of travel guides, including ‘Plane Facts’ and ‘Plain Sailing’, to help consumers understand their rights and responsibilities. These handy guides can be packed into your luggage before heading off.
Jenny concluded, “The Consumer Council can help passengers attempting to gain compensation from an airline or ferry company for delays or cancellations, just like in the case of the pupils.” Under EU legislation air passengers whose flights are cancelled or delayed by three hours or more may be entitled to compensation from their airline, provided that delays or cancellations are not caused by extraordinary circumstances, which are beyond the airline’s control. In addition if your sailing is delayed or cancelled you may also be entitled to assistance and in certain cases compensation.
Any passenger who wants to know more about their passenger rights can contact the Consumer Council on 0800 121 6022 or download a copy of our ‘Plane Facts’ or ‘Plain Sailing’ from the Consumer Council website or request a copy at the above number. ‘Plane Facts’ and ‘Plain Sailing’ are also available to download as an audio file. You can download these onto your smart phone or tablet device before you travel.
Pictured at the 2014 Travel Agent Achievement Awards, which took place in London, is Sandra Corkin (centre), Managing Director of Oasis Travel collecting the award for Best Regional Small Agency from Travel Weekly’s editor-in-chief Lucy Huxley and sponsor Andy Freeth, Travel 2
Three top awards in row for Oasis
LISBURN-headquartered Oasis Travel has won the Travel Agent Achievement Award for Best Regional Small Agency Award for a third year in a row. These national awards reward excellence and achievement amongst UK travel agents and have been organised by industry newspaper Travel Weekly in recent years. This year’s winners were revealed at a glittering gala Awards ceremony that recently took place in London’s Park Plaza Westminster Bridge hotel.
The new award means Oasis Travel has also netted itself a hat trick of accolades won within the space of only eight months. Oasis Travel, which has Travel & Cruise Centres in Lisburn, Belfast, Holywood and Bangor, has been the reigning
Northern Ireland’s Travel Agency of the Year* since October and in November Royal Caribbean declared the agency Top Performing Independent Travel Agent in Northern Ireland. All the award-winning gives the business quite a boost to the start of a year of celebrations it has planned for its thirtieth anniversary.
Sandra Corkin, MD of Oasis Travel, says: “It is always thrilling to win an award but as this award is judged by my peers in the travel industry I’m particularly proud to have been recognised yet again for the growth and performance of the business. Receiving recognition is very motivating and makes all the long hours and hard work that goes on behind the scenes worth while.”
June 2014 Travel News
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