6 | UPDATES


British Airways


BEWARE Scam warning


Holidaymakers Warned to Avoid ETIAS Scams


NORTHERN Irish


holidaymakers are being warned of


possible scams


involving the yet-to-be launched ETIAS travel waiver.


The travel waiver doesn’t


come into effect until 2023, however some scammers are attempting “to mislead applicants into believing that their site is the official channel for


submitting application”.


The ETIAS visa waiver will cost holidaymakers €7 and last for three years from the date it is issued. Travellers must apply at least 96 hours before departure for an EU country in order to have their document approved in time. The launch of the ETIAS scheme has been postponed until Autumn 2023.


US Fines Foreign and Domestic Airlines $7 MILLION Over Covid Refund


Delays THE US has issued fines to five foreign and one domestic airline over delays


Covid for customers.


Five foreign airlines: Air India, TAP Portugal, Aeromexico, El Al and Avianca were fined, along with US carrier Frontier Airlines. The airlines owed more than $600 million in refunds since the start of Covid-19.


‘DESPERATE’ POLITICIANS RISK PRICING ORDINARY PEOPLE OUT OF FLYING


- STEVE HEAPY, CEO JET2HOLIDAYS


in processing refunds


an ETIAS


www.nitravelnews.com


January 2023


INDIA has finally dropped the mandatory wearing of face masks on all domestic and international flights


Passengers Could Soon Travel Passport Free Following New Tech Trial


BRITISH Airways has become the first UK airline to trial the use of biometric technology for international flights, enabling customers taking part in the trial to travel through the airport ‘smartly’ without having to show their passport. Customers who sign up to take part in the airline’s trial from London Heathrow Terminal 5 will be invited to scan their face, passport and boarding pass on their smartphone or tablet ahead of travel, with this information being kept safe and secure. When trial participants arrive at the airport, Smart Bio-Pod cameras verify their identity in under three seconds, allowing them to keep their passport safely in their pocket until they reach their destination. The trial will run for six months on British Airways flights to Malaga, Spain.


Customers who opt-in will be invited to make use of the Fast-Track security lane and will receive complimentary priority boarding.


AN analysis by global travel service provider Trip.com, of October bookings for popular winter sun destinations, shows travel in many parts of the world is becoming consistently busy, and appears to be heralding the demise of so-called ‘peak season’ travel. Continued increased desire for overseas


Demand For Off-Season Travel Continues To Grow to the previous month


Other markets have followed this trend,


with flight searches to the Maldives from the UK up 57%, Italy up 47% and the US up by nearly a third (27%)


travel, combined with more flexible work schedules, shows an emerging trend towards year-round demand to many destinations, which traditionally were more popular in the summer months or school holidays.


Flight searches and bookings are on the up


Trip.com data reveals a 20% increase in


flight searches from Europe and the US to popular Asia-Pacific winter sun destinations in October compared to September The Maldives is particularly popular for


off-season travel, with flight searches from Germany up by 116% in October compared


JET2HOLIDAYS’ Chief Executive Steve Heapy says that flight prices will continue to increase as “desperate” politicians look to deliver on their governments’ sustainability pledges. Speaking at the Jet2 conference in the Algarve on Tuesday 15


COVID China eases rules


China Eases Covid Rules for Domestic Tour Groups


CHINA has announced that it will ease more Covid restrictions for domestic group tours.


The culture and tourism ministry confirmed that on trips organised by travel agencies, tourists can now make cross-province trips with proof of a negative test result. Travel agents had previously been blocked from organising trips linking a county that has reported high or medium Covid risk.


Virgin Atlantic Adds New Services to Maldives and Turks and Caicos


VIRGIN Atlantic has added new services to the Maldives and Turks and Caicos to its 2023 schedule. Holiday packages to the Maldives will go on sale from Friday (18 November) and Turks and Caicos will go on sale later in the year. The carrier will put its winter three-times


weekly service to the Maldives from Heathrow on sale on 30 November 2022, before commencing on 22 October 2023.


The airline will also begin a year-round twice weekly service to Turks and Caicos, which will go on sale from 11 January 2023, for flights starting on 15 November 2023 from Heathrow.


Both routes will be operated on the airline’s Boeing 787-9 aircraft, featuring 31 Upper Class, 35 Premium and 192 Economy Delight, Classic and


Light seats. Prices will be announced at a later date. Virgin Atlantic Holidays packages to the Maldives will go on sale from Friday (18 November) and Turks and Caicos will go on sale later in the year.


Juha Jarvinen, chief commercial officer at Virgin Atlantic, said: “We couldn’t be more thrilled to add these two exotic new routes to our flying portfolio. “The Maldives has always been an incredibly popular destination for Virgin Atlantic Holidays customers, which is why we couldn’t wait to give them the opportunity to travel to the idyllic location in style onboard Virgin Atlantic aircraft. “We’re delighted to begin flying to the Turks


and Caicos islands, as we continue to grow our Caribbean portfolio, offering more choice for our customers to explore these beautiful islands and enjoy some winter sun. ”


Interest in the Philippines has also increased, with flight searches from Italy up by 45% and for the UK and Germany by almost a third (29% and 28% respectively) Data also shows a healthy 27% increase


in flight searches for travel within the Asia- Pacific region in October


Flight bookings from the UK to New Zealand also rose by 71% in October versus September Across select Asian destinations, Trip.


com data shows flight bookings rose by 19% in October 2022 compared to the previous month


Flight bookings to the Philippines from Europe and the US are up by an average of 14% and from Germany to the Maldives are up by 63%.


November, Mr Heapy said with taxation the only real tool in their armoury, politicians risked taxing ordinary people out of being able to fly. “Climate change is


here to


stay,” he warned stated. “This will be here for generations – it’s


the biggest risk you face.” Mr. Heapy said there was “no


way” the EU would be able to meet its commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030, or the UK government its commitment to 67% by the same date.


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