Hypnotist and TV presenter Dominic Knight has conducted the world’s biggest hypnosis session aimed at helping people with a chronic fear of flying.

More than 73 Britons were cured as a result of the “Heathrow Hypnosis” session, in which Mr Knight used calming music, a swirl board and other hypnosis elements to put the participants in a trance.

He then gave them a special speech which meant they knew they would have a positive experience on their next flight once they woke up from their trance.

Dominic Knight commented, “People’s fear of flying can be a result of a previous bad experience or a fear of the unknown, either way it is shocking to hear that the phobia is affecting so many people’s lives, if one family member has the phobia it can restrict the whole family from travel”

“Hypnosis coupled with the 14 Second method is a powerful and effective way to overcome the anxiety and the fear of flying in record time. It was great to be able to do it on such a large scale.”

The Heathrow Hypnosis session was conducted to mark the opening of the new Premier Inn at the airport’s Terminal 5, in the hope that guests staying at the hotel before boarding a plane will experience no more sleepless nights.

Copyright Press Association 2012

A new round-the-world luxurious cruise is due to hit the waters next year, but the price isn’t plain sailing as couples will have to fork out £1 million for a stay on the ship.

Cruise company Silversea said the 115-day cruise will visit 52 ports and 28 countries and guests can expect to stay in exquisite surroundings on the Silver Whisper vessel.

The ship will first set sail on January 14, 2013 from Los Angeles and will visit beautiful destinations like New Zealand’s Tahiti, Sydney, Manila, Barbados, Cape Town, Bangkok and Mauritius, before ending in Florida on May 1.

Guests on the £8,000 a day cruise will be able to experience amenities that are usually found on larger ships like on-board boutique shopping, a health and beauty spa, a gym. casino, library and grand productions in the theatre. There is also a staff-passenger ratio, which means guests can rely on efficient and individualised service from members of the team.

The Silver Whisper is 610ft-long by 82ft wide and will be able to carry 382 passengers, 302 crew members and takes Silversea’s concept of all-suite luxury to the next level.

Silversea Cruises is owned and operated by the Lefebvre family of Rome, which established the company in the mid 90s.

Travellers must make sure that they factor in hidden charges when calculating the cost of their holiday, experts have said.

Which? Travel magazine is calling on travel firms to stop using these types of payment, which can create extra costs for customers.

Some companies add on additional £2 charity donations without telling customers, while others use ultra-expensive 0871 or 090 calling codes, the magazine found.

Meanwhile, 43% of operators were found to add unavoidable surcharges or booking fees on to card payments, while others offer “free” car hire accompanied by an insurance package costing up to £126.

As many as one in five (20%) use automatic “opt-ins”, meaning consumers have to untick boxes to avoid extra payments for items they do not want, Which? Travel said.

The study of almost 200 companies included travel firms, airlines, hotel chains and hire companies.

These types of hidden charges make it even more important for savvy holidaymakers to save money wherever possible, such as booking cheap airport transfers by bus or coach.

Chris Gray, Which? Travel’s acting assistant editor, said: “Consumers should always have a clear choice when it comes to adding an extra item to their purchase.

“Automatic opt-ins make such choices less than clear, and we want travel companies to stop using them.”

The magazine also found that several hotels in London have hiked room prices ahead of this summer’s Olympics.

Which? Travel said prices at some hotels with rooms still available near the Olympic Park in Stratford had soared by up to £274 during the Games.

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Falling car hire and villa rental prices across Europe could convince more people to opt for self-catering holidays, a survey has suggested.

It is thought that because it can now cost up to 40% less to rent a car in some European destinations than it did two years ago, an increasing number of people will opt for self-catering holidays rather than expensive hotel breaks.

A study by TravelSupermarket revealed that car hire rates across popular European holiday destinations such as Malaga, Alicante, Murcia, Palma, Tenerife and Faro have fallen considerably since 2010, with bargains to be had this Easter, Whit week and in August.

Holidaymakers can save up to 26% on car hire during Whit week across eight European destinations, while prices have fallen by 34% in Spain since 2010. In Malaga, for example, it costs £63.89 to rent a small car for eight days, which equates to less than £8 per day.

Self-catering holidays in Greece could become considerably cheaper as villa rental prices could fall by as much as 20%.

Holidaymakers can save even more money by leaving the car at home prior to departure and taking a bus to the airport, before hiring a car when they get to their destination.

Experts say that prices have fallen considerably because people are booking their holidays later than usual to get the best deals and because of economic uncertainty in eurozone countries such as Spain, Portugal and Italy.

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The release of a new Bollywood film could be set to create a surge in the number of Indian tourists visiting Ireland.

Tourism bosses are hoping to capitalise on the success of the movie Ek Tha Tiger – Once There Was A Tiger – which was filmed in Dublin last year.

The film is expected to become a blockbuster when it is released in India this summer, and Tourism Ireland hopes its popularity will encourage viewers to visit Ireland.

And with 400,000 people already visiting the UK from India every year, it is likely that at least some of those who book holidays to Ireland will travel across to Britain during their trip, suggesting that major airports such as London Stansted and Luton may also benefit from the latest tourism drive.

As part of the plans, nine travel organisations will head to Mumbai and Delhi for four days in a bid to drum up trade.

Tourism Ireland, which is leading the trade mission, hopes to target India’s growing middle class, which is expanding by around 40 million people every year thanks to the country’s booming economy.

An estimated nine million foreign trips are taken by Indians every year, with around 15,000 of them travelling to Ireland

Ek Tha Tiger stars two of the biggest names in Bollywood, Katrina Kaif and Salman Khan. It focuses on a man’s journey to Dublin, where he falls in love with a woman who is studying dance at Trinity College.

The film was shot in and around Trinity, Merrion Square and the Ha’penny Bridge during September

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A survey has revealed that Britons tend to err on the side of caution and pack more than they need when going on holiday.

British Airways discovered that a whopping nine in 10 holidaymakers do not use up to 30% of items they take on holiday, while 40% take three or more pairs of shoes.

A fifth of people take 10 or more pairs of underwear, while an eighth take three or more towels away with them on a one-week holiday.

Scottish people and those from the east of England are more likely to pack too many things and therefore have to dig deep in their pockets to pay excess baggage surcharges.

If you do have a lot of baggage, airport transfers can be a quick and stress-free way to get between airports.

The survey went on to reveal that many Britons pack foods in their suitcases to take with them on holiday. Popular items include tomatoes, sardines, peanut butter, Super Noodles, Marmite and potato peelers.

Fancy dress items, such as angel wings and nun’s outfits, were also popular items to take abroad.

Abigail Comber, BA’s head of brands and marketing, said: “We don’t really want to have to choose between books, toiletries or tea-bags, or to dress kids in half their holiday clothes just to avoid excess baggage fees. Something as basic as checking what your baggage limit is on your chosen airline will help.”

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Britons are known for their love of tea, and it seems we’re reluctant to go even a week without a good brew, as we’re stuffing our beloved tea bags into our luggage when we jet overseas.

According to holiday rental firm CLC Leisure, we feel tea bags abroad “just don’t taste the same”, and so our Yorkshire Tea, Tetleys or PG Tips are “part of essential packing.”

Baggage restrictions at all airports including Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted prevent us from taking hoards of groceries abroad, prompting us to turn to local ingredients on self-catering trips abroad, the research found.

The three main meals prepared by Britons on holiday abroad were pasta, salads and grills/barbecues.

CLC Leisure director Laurence Hicks said: “Baggage restrictions and charges, combined with the availability of British brands, often at lower prices, have largely ended the eccentric practice of holidaymakers taking suitcases packed with groceries when they go abroad.

“The exception is teabags, which are widely available abroad but which many people say just don’t taste the same and are still part of essential packing.”

He added: “At one time the thought of having to cook meals on holiday abroad was a big turn-off but now a modern, well-equipped kitchen is a key requirement.

“The British beans-on-toast brigade still exist but their numbers are fast dwindling. Instead we find that an increasing number of holidaymakers want to prepare and eat more complex meals.”

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Gatwick Airport passengers will soon be able to enjoy the very best of Jamie Oliver’s delicacies, thanks to a newly built hub of the chef’s dining spots.

Bringing a brand new concept to Gatwick’s North Terminal, the celebrity chef is to create a new restaurant area. Passengers will be able to pick up high quality food from a bespoke ‘grab and graze’ Jamie’s Italian Bakery – designed exclusively for the airport – to take onto the plane or eat on the go.

Alternatively they can swing by the ever-popular Jamie’s Italian, which boasts rustic, affordable Italian options. Or if they want to enjoy a hearty British meal before they jet off to a foreign land, they can try the Union Jacks Bar – the newest concept from the chef, serving an all British menu.

“This will be something really special,” said Jamie Oliver. “I’ve worked with my team to take the very best bits from Jamie’s Italian and Union Jacks and build them into something beautiful and exciting just for Gatwick.”

The move marks the first dining experience from the British chef to be launched in an airport anywhere in the world. It also underlines Gatwick’s determination to redefine the airport dining experience.

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Families are seriously miscalculating the cost of their holidays, according to a survey.

The average holidaymaker believes they can enjoy a break for a family of four for £2,135, a poll by hotel chain Holiday Inn found. In reality, the average family-of-four getaway costs £3,700.

The survey of 3,000 adults found families spend more than £160 on new clothes ahead of their holidays. More than 60% of respondents said they are saving for longer for their holidays, with women saving for up to 18 months.

Up to half of those questioned said they were bargain hunters eager to seek out the best deals.

But a third said they were surprised by the total cost of a holiday, with around 20% using their credit cards to pay for any unexpected charges.

Rory Walker, general manager at Holiday Inn Heathrow M4 Junction 4 said: “The results of the survey are somewhat surprising.

“At a time when Brits are tightening their belts and actively searching out the best deals, our survey has found that people are overspending by almost a third because they don’t think about all the hidden extra costs.”

Holiday Inn is part of the InterContinental Hotels Group, which owns more than 4,400 properties across 100 countries.

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Luton Airport has said it wants to increase its capacity by almost 50% to help handle the large numbers of passengers at airports in the south east of England.

If the development plans go ahead, the fourth biggest airport in the London area could see its passenger figures almost double, from 9.6 million travellers expected in 2012 to around 18 million.

The airport said it plans to overhaul the aircraft taxiways, aprons, aircraft parking stands and wants to modernise the passenger terminal. It also aims to improve the existing road network in a bid to strengthen transport links to London.

This would help Luton Airport to make the best possible use of its space without increasing the size of the airport.

The airport management also said it wants to work closely with the local community and announced a six-week consultation period on the planned modifications during which local residents are asked to come forward with feedback and suggestions.

A number of public exhibitions are also to be held across the area until the end of the consultation period.

The plans will be welcome news for many travellers in the South East, as the region’s capacity constraints have been the subject of debate for some time.

Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, has suggested building a new international airport in the Thames Estuary, dubbed “Boris Island”, but the plan are unlikely to go ahead.

Copyright Press Association 2012