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.”

Copyright © Press Association 2012

Passengers using one of Spain’s largest airways will soon benefit from improved services at London’s Heathrow airport that will be offered due to a merger with British Airways (BA).

In January last year Iberia merged with BA and from March 25 travellers using Iberia from Madrid will arrive into Heathrow’s Terminal 5 instead of Terminal 3, which is the main terminal used by BA.

Arriving into this BA hub will give Iberia travellers easier connections to over 100 destinations in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa, that BA fly direct to from London.

The terminal move will mean travellers will not only get to enjoy the 110 shops and eateries in Terminal 5 but also the minimum connection time will now be 60 minutes – half an hour less than from Terminal 3.

Another advantage will be the increase of check-in kiosks and bag drops that passengers will be able to use, which will reduce waiting times dramatically, as previously Iberia passengers could only use nine check-in counters in Terminal 3.

Iberia Plus Gold and Platinum cardholders will also be able to use the luxurious VIP lounges in Terminal 5 and business class clients will be able to use special check-in counters and fast-track security control procedures.

Eight daily return Madrid-London flights are currently offered by Iberia at Heathrow.

Copyright © Press Association 2012

British Airways passengers flying to Mauritius will now have to take a bus to Gatwick rather than Heathrow to catch their flight this winter.

BA has moved its UK base for flights to the popular Indian Ocean holiday destination as part of plans to boost Gatwick’s reputation as a leisure break hub, while return flights from Mauritius will depart 12 hours later this winter to give tourists more time in the idyllic holiday hotspot.

With more time to kill before catching their flight home, Britons will have plenty of opportunity to take a bus to the airport and subsequently arrive at the terminal refreshed and relaxed before boarding the plane.

The move follows the recent completion of a terminal extension at the west Sussex airport, which was commissioned to raise customer service levels and generally improve passengers’ flying experience.

Those air passengers flying out of Gatwick now have the opportunity of carrying out many pre-flight procedures themselves, including checking in, choosing seats and printing luggage tags.

Silla Maizey, BA’s managing director for Gatwick, revealed the measures are all part of plans to transform the airport into a hub for “great high-end holiday destinations”.

She said: “Moving the Mauritius flight here helps us to strengthen this position as it will now sit alongside destinations such as the Maldives and the Caribbean.”

Copyright © Press Association 2011

British Airways, which flies to a number of UK airports, including Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton, has been voted the best airline in a poll of 3,000 people.

BA scooped almost a fifth (19.1%) of the votes for the best airline, while Virgin Atlantic (13.8%) finished second in the Gocompare.com survey.

Participants of the poll were asked to rate their favourite and least favourite airports in terms of cost, service and overall comfort of their journey.

Many who took part also added extra comments about their travel experiences, some complimentary and some not so complimentary.

The poll discovered that more than a third (35%) of travellers find airports stressful, while a similar number (33%) think it takes too long to check in.

A total of 11% feel that security checks are too stringent, while once they are on the plane, 40% do not want to sit near families with young children.

Meanwhile, 17% of those polled want airlines to ban the consumption of alcohol on flights.

Jeremy Cryer, Gocompare travel head, said: “Clearly some airlines will get your holiday off to a better start than others and it’s interesting that even with the bucket shop pricing of the budget airlines plenty of passengers still don’t consider their service good value for money.

“Our research found that while some people will put up with poor service in return for low fares many have vowed never to fly with a particular airline again.”

Copyright © Press Association 2011

A dismal end to the UK summer has persuaded thousands of Britons to travel abroad on long-haul flights from airports like Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton in the coming weeks for one last dose of sunshine.

Many of these holidaymakers, it would seem, are opting for a Caribbean getaway as package holidays to the region tend to offer good value for money and, of course, plenty of sunshine. 

Niel Alobaidi, Hayes & Jarvis commercial director, said: “The Caribbean has seen some great growth in recent weeks on the back of excellent value offers.

“We’re seeing growth across all the main islands in the region of 20%, with the most dramatic increases in the Dominican Republic, whose 100% year-on-year growth has been driven largely by BA’s new direct flights into Punta Cana.”

Britons escaping the damp and dreary UK weather by jetting off to the Caribbean are enjoying the best-value deals in the Dominican Republic, according to the Post Office’s latest Travel Money Long Haul Report, while good deals are also to be had in Antigua, Barbados and Jamaica.

Although the Caribbean might seem like an eternal paradise, the region can, from time to time, suffer from unsettled weather.

Bargain hunters might be thrilled to discover that airlines are also slashing fares to the region, partly to offset the impact of hefty UK flight taxes, while Hayes & Jarvis has noted that in recent weeks long-haul holidaymakers are ready to destination-swap to enjoy the biggest savings.

Mr Alobaidi added: “Four-star packages with 40% reductions (over £600) are currently proving more alluring than some cheaper deals in lower-grade hotels.”

Copyright © Press Association 2011

BA has revealed that the number of passengers travelling on its flights last month rose almost 6%, compared with the same period last year. 

BA announces November passenger rise

The airline announced that it carried just under 2.48 million people in November – which represents a 5.9% increase on the same month in 2009.

However, BA bosses warned that the recent adverse weather conditions are likely to detrimentally affect passenger numbers for December as flight schedules at a number of UK airports, including Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton, have been disrupted because of heavy snowfall and the freezing conditions.

According to the company, its Asia-Pacific routes did particularly well last month – with traffic rising by 11.7%, while UK and Europe passenger numbers increased by 7.9%.

Meanwhile, BA passengers travelling to the Middle East rose by 3.3%, and traffic to and from North and South America, including the Caribbean, increased by 1%.

BA also revealed that passengers travelling by first or business class in November increased by 4.5% year-on-year, while economy-seat traffic rose a steady 3.2%.

The airline might have benefited from more passengers using their services during November, but it also revealed that a healthy 74.7% of its planes flew full during the month – a 1.2% decrease on the same month last year.

British Airways will increase the number of flights between London and Paris, it has been revealed.    

BA increases flights from London to Paris

BA has drawn up the new flights to compliment its existing services from Heathrow to Paris’s Charles de Gaulle Airport.

On the new route BA will operate Airbus A319s, A320s and A321s.

BA network planning general manager Colm Lacy said: “This is an excellent addition to our short-haul network, allowing business travellers easy access to the Paris financial district which is close to Orly Airport.”

Meanwhile, commuters heading from Heathrow to Paris in November could be frustrated by work to remove an unpopular bus lane on the M4 near the London airport. 

These disruptions can highlight the importance of leaving in good time along with using airport transfer services to alleviate the stress caused by delays.

The 3.5-mile lane on the M4 west of London was introduced 11 years ago, but transport secretary Philip Hammond announced earlier this autumn that the rarely used lane will be suspended until the London 2012 Games. 

The Highways Agency is due to begin work imminently, with traffic expected to allowed to use it within a week. 

Mr Hammond said: “Scrapping the M4 bus lane is symbolic of this Government’s decision to end the war on the motorist.

“It ends the injustice suffered by thousands of drivers who sit in traffic next to an empty lane day in day out.

“We will monitor the suspension over the next 18 months, but my intention is to scrap the lane permanently after the London 2012 Olympics are over.”

 Copyright Press Association 2010

British Airways (BA) and VisitBritain are set to unveil a £1.6 million campaign to boost British tourism

A £1.6 million campaign by British Airways (BA) and VisitBritain to lure tourists to the UK is to be unveiled.

Under the new scheme, economy-class passengers will be offered reduced air fares for flights from airports like London Heathrow and Gatwick, while media trips will be arranged and VisitBritain web content will be syndicated to BA’s website and consumer databases.

The proposals will initially be aimed at tourists from European countries, before tourists from farther afield are targeted, particularly in China, India and Japan.

VisitBritain marketing director Laurence Bresh said: “Britain has more attractions per square mile than anywhere else in the world and we think the campaign will inspire visitors to travel the length and breadth of the country.”

BA global marketing planning manager Kate Thornton added: “We are delighted to be launching this campaign with VisitBritain. Whatever you are looking for from a holiday, Britain definitely has something to offer.”

VisitBritain works in partnership with the Government, the industry and strategic partners in England, Scotland and Wales to promote Britain in 35 key overseas markets.

The British Tourist Authority provides the UK Government with advice on tourism policy and helps raise awareness of the significance of tourism to the UK economy.

Copyright Press Association 2010

Unite has agreed to postpone a strike ballot in its bitter cabin crew dispute with British Airways (BA), but said there was “nil” chance it would recommend the offer to its members.

The Unite union’s joint leader Tony Woodley said any deal was “uncertain” because BA had failed to reinstate staff travel arrangements, including the chance to buy discounted flights, to crew who joined strike action in March and May.

However, BA’s offer includes two years of guaranteed rises in basic salary from February 2011, and an airline spokesman said it welcomed Unite’s decision to postpone a vote on the strike.

A spokesman for the airline, which operates flights from Luton Airport, said: “We believe our offer is fair and reasonable and provides a genuine opportunity to end this dispute.”

Unite said there was "nil" chance of recommending BA's offer to its members

Mr Woodley said it would be “inexplicable” not to put the offer to its members, but added: “Failure by BA to restore travel in full means the possibility of a recommendation is nil and makes acceptance of the offer uncertain.”

The union has staged 22 days of strike action since March, costing BA around £150 million, and it was due to hold a strike ballot starting next Tuesday unless there was a breakthrough.

A top-up payment to guarantee existing crew will not lose out on route allowances when newly recruited crew begin flying in the autumn is included in BA’s new offer.

Copyright Press Association 2010