14 UPDATE
CUPID was working overtime at Belfast International Airport as one couple left on a Thomas Cook Airlines flight to Cyprus to get married, and another jetted to the Mediterranean island on their honeymoon.
The Thomas Cook Airlines Belfast- Larnaca flight marked the start of a hectic summer season for the airline which will see it fly to five sun destinations each week.
It’s estimated that 80,000 holiday- makers from Northern Ireland will fly with the airline between now and the end of October.
Belfast International Airport Business Development Director, Uel Hoey, said: “Thomas Cook Airlines have given Northern Ireland passengers great destination choice and a competitively priced product. We’re delighted that the airline is increasing its activity this season.”
On their way to get married in Cyprus are Ivona Nagyte and Gary Moore from Kilkeel, pictured with Thomas Cook Airlines' Arlene Holmes and Jason Whiteside
The two couples flying out to Cyprus were Emma and Philip Johnston from East Belfast, and Ivona Nygyte and Gary Moore from Kilkeel.
June 2014 Travel News Cupid joins the party as Thomas Cook begins summer season
Thomas Cook Airlines celebrated the start to the summer season at Belfast International Airport with a big heart for Cyprus-bound east Belfast newly weds, Emma and Philip Johnston, pictured with son Owen and Thomas Cook Airlines' Arlene Holmes and Aundrea Bannatyne
Hopes of Belfast-Canada fading Two new low-cost links from Dublin
T
HE chances of getting a new Belfast to Canada direct air service appear to be fading following the launch of two more services from Dublin.
This brings to three the number of services to Canada from Dublin, with new arrivals Canada Rouge and Westjet being added to the service by Aer Lingus.
Northern Ireland has been without a Canada flight for the last five years - ever since Zoom Airlines and Globespan went out of business within a couple of weeks of each other.
Air Canada’s low cost sister airline Canada Rouge began a new service from Dublin to Toronto recently.
The service is being operated by Boeing 767-300ER wide-bodied aircraft, featuring a two-cabin configuration and connects to Air Canada’s huge network of routes to many Canadian and US destinations.
The service replaces parent airline Air Canada’s seasonal Dublin-Toronto service and continues year round for the first time, using a 280-seat wide body Boeing aircrfaft. And, starting on June 15, a Canadian carrier Westjet, begins a daily summer season service from Dublin which runs until the end of
October.
The daily service leaves Dublin daily at 8.20 am and will operate non-stop flights to St John's and daily direct (same aircraft) flights onward to Toronto. Customs clearance will take place at St John's “thus minimising delays for travellers in the entry procedure,” according to the operators.
Belfast International Airport have been making exhaustive efforts to get a direct service to Canada and have been talking to airlines like Westjet in recent times. In fact getting a new Canada service has been one of the airport’s priorities in recent years.
Tourism Minister Arlene Foster has said that getting a Belfast-Canada service is also her number one priority, with its importance to incoming tourism. Northern Ireland has always had a guaranteed ‘market’ of travellers to Canada, whether that be visiting friends and relations or for pure travel/tourism reasons, but the worry is that these travellers are now getting used to flying out of Dublin, and with two new airlines this figure is certain to increase.
Warning of overpriced excess charges at car hire desks abroad
IRELAND’S leading provider of excess cover for foreign car rentals, is urging travellers to be aware of the overpriced additional insurance excess charges charged by car hire companies at their desks abroad.
Each year, thousands of holiday goers are being ripped off by car hire companies when they reach their holiday destination, claims the company.
As an example the Irish company,
carhireexcess.co.uk, quotes a traveller renting an Opel Corsa car with a leading car rental company for 14 days in Malaga will be charged £260 at the car hire desk to cover the excess of their car rental.
Carhireexess.com says it will cover this excess charge for £27.86 - a massive 89 per cent saving to the traveller of £232.14! A saving of £128.14 / 82 per cent can be made when renting an Opel Astra with another leading car hire company and a saving of £161.14 / 85 per cent can be made when renting an VW Passat a third leading car hire brand, claims the company. Similar savings exist for other car makes and models as well as other rental periods.
Carhireexcess.com says that travellers can cover the excess online before they travel on holiday at a much cheaper cost than what they would be charged when they arrive to the car hire desk. Cover can be purchased from as little as £1.99 per day for European rentals.
Carhireexcess.com also offer year round car hire
excess cover from £39.99 on European rentals. According to a recent survey carried out by B&A on behalf of
carhireexcess.com, 52 per cent of people hire a car when travelling abroad. The majority of car rentals are taken out by males (70 per cent) and approximately one quarter (25 per cent) of these people tend to rent a car abroad between one and four times per year. Thirty one per cent of those surveyed purchased car rental excess cover from the car hire desk when they arrived on holiday, demonstrating that there are a substantial amount of holiday makers unaware that they are overpaying for this service.
When renting a car abroad, holiday makers need to beware that their contract with car hire companies could include excess charges up to and over £2,000. Joint Managing Director of
carhireexcess.co.uk, Ciaran Mulligan says, “Anyone hiring a car abroad should be aware of the overpriced additional excess charges from car rental companies. It often comes as a shock to travellers when they get to the car hire desk and are presented with this charge. Many travellers tend to feel that they have no other choice. The reality is, instead of paying these unexpected and overpriced excess charges, travellers have the opportunity to save themselves substantial sums of money and cover the excess with
carhireexcess.com for a much lower cost before they travel.”
ICELAND PRIZE WINNER! When Belfast reader William Orr won a Short Break to Iceland offered by local tour op- erator Travel Solutions in the last issue of Northern Ireland Travel News he gave up his prize to girlfriend Gail Smith. Gail took her father Albert on the three day two-night trip to Iceland where they enjoyed some of the country’s spectacular sights pictured above and below....
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