Experiencing New York is something most people want to do at least once in their lifetime, but research has shown you have to pay a high price for the privilege.

Whether it’s enjoying the Big Apple’s alluring boutiques, savouring the views at the top of the Empire State Building or taking a stroll through Central Park, there is a reason for everyone to head to the airport with great excitement.

But although you would expect the cost of seeing Spiderman: Turn off the Dark on Broadway, or eating out at Planet Hollywood in Times Square to cost a pretty penny, the findings also show that ‘the city that never sleeps’ has the highest hotel room rates among the most fashionable locations.

Hotels.com has revealed that the average room prices in New York rose by 4% to £173 in 2011, while Berlin – which is the most affordable top fashion city – saw rates fall by 3% to just £73.

Following the Big Apple, which has been made famous by much-loved shows such as Friends and Sex in the City, was Singapore, which saw prices rise by 11% to £136.

London, which is easily accessed via Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted airports by overseas tourists, was the fifth most expensive location.

The capital’s average hotel room rate climbed by 1% to £115 in 2011.

Los Angeles (£111), Barcelona (£104) and Tokyo (£102) all had cheaper rates than London last year.

Copyright © Press Association 2012

Looking to find the best-value five-star accommodation that money can buy? Then head to Poland!

In a top 10 affordable luxury hotel list compiled by website Hotels it was the Polish capital Warsaw that took the gold medal, where the average price of a five-star hotel room costs just £84.

Marrakech in Morocco was found to offer the next best value for money based on average room prices per night last year.

European destinations dominated the list, occupying seven out of the 10 positions. Budapest (£105), Tallinn in Estonia (£112) and Berlin (£114) also offered comparatively affordable five-star rates.

Hotels chief marketing officer Nigel Pocklington said: “Britons looking for a taste of the high life but working to a budget don’t have to travel far to find some great deals.

“Eastern European capitals in particular offered excellent value in 2011, despite some substantial price rises as demand for rooms increased from bargain-savvy visitors.”

The most expensive five-star rooms were found in New York, averaging £340 per night. Paris came in a close second at £326, while Tokyo took third spot at £292.

London, on the other hand, had an average five-star rate of £225 – putting it 12th on the list of the most expensive luxury hotel destinations.

Copyright Press Association 2012

The second biggest international airport in London, Gatwick, has announced that Iceland’s national airline will expand its network with them in October.

Icelandair will fly twice weekly to Keflavik International Airport from Gatwick. The destination airport is 50km from Iceland’s capital city, Reykjavik.

Beginning on October 18, the flights will allow passengers to take a winter weekend city break in Iceland, where they can experience the Northern Lights – a spectacular natural light show.

Visitors can also use the country’s airports to take connecting flights to the USA and Canada on multi-destination trips.

From Iceland, holidaymakers can get airport transfers and fly to destinations including Boston, Denver, New York and Seattle.

Those flying with Icelandair from Gatwick can travel on Thursdays and Sundays on Boeing 757-200 aircrafts, carrying up to 189 passengers in three cabin classes.

Gatwick Airport’s chief commercial officer, Guy Stephenson, said: “We are very excited to be welcoming Icelandair to Gatwick and to be given the opportunity to support them and their plans for growth in London.

“For passengers living in London and the South East, this move will give them greater choices over how to reach this wonderful country and join connecting flights to key cities across North America.”

Travellers heading to Mumbai will once again be able to travel on Virgin Atlantic after the airline announced it was restarting its service to the Indian city.

Sir Richard Branson’s carrier will begin flights from Heathrow Airport to Mumbai from October 28, three years after suspending its service due to falling interest and ever increasing competition from rival airlines.

However, demand has flourished in the intervening years to make the destination Heathrow’s 12th busiest route, seeing as many as one million people head to the commercial and entertainment centre every year. Air India and British Airways already serve the Heathrow to Mumbai route.

The Airbus A330 aircraft will fly daily along the route for Virgin, and the new move is expected to create around 100 jobs both in India and the UK.

“We are proud to be flying to Mumbai again, linking this wonderful city to our key destinations of London, New York, Boston, Washington and Chicago,” said Virgin Atlantic chief executive Steve Ridgway.

“India’s phenomenal growth continues to drive travel to the UK and the USA and we know our passengers are going to love the connections the new flight offers.”

Those flying on the aircraft will be able to enjoy Panasonic’s latest in-flight entertainment system, which includes easy-to-use touchscreen technology and over 300 hours of content.

Copyright © Press Association 2012

The choice of holiday that people make during the peak booking period of January and February is said to be influenced by the television shows and films they watch over Christmas and new year, according to the Association of British Travel Agents.

Many holiday firms also tend to start their TV adverts for the following year on Boxing Day to get as many people as possible heading to the airport such as Heathrow and Stansted.

BBC1’s Frozen Planet series, for example, has inspired many to investigate trips to the Antarctic and the Arctic.

Also likely to feed demand for those regions are US-based documentary Earthflight, which follows snow geese from the Gulf of Mexico to the North Pole, and Bear’s Wild Weekend With Miranda, in which comedian Miranda Hart treks the Swiss Alps with explorer Bear Grylls.

Other regions being promoted are India, with presenters from motoring show Top Gear travelling the massive nation’s cities, and the US, when TV celebrities Dara O’Briain, Rory McGrath, Griff Rhys Jones mark the 125th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty in Three Men Go To New England.

Films also likely to inspire a bit of travelling are Ratatouille, which sees a rat become a chef in a Parisian restaurant, and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, in which animals break out from a New York zoo and return to their homeland.

UK airlines have been laying on extra flights to help Britons stranded in New York. 

A number of flights had to be cancelled over the weekend as Hurricane Irene struck the east coast of America, leaving some passengers waiting for flights out of the New York area.

British Airways, which flies to New York from London airports including Heathrow, put on extra services from Newark in New Jersey to help its passengers get home. 

The airline also offered an extra flight back to London from JF Kennedy airport in New York.

Meanwhile, Virgin Atlantic laid on two extra flights from New York to London in a bid to help its stranded passengers. 

Passengers at major UK airports such as Gatwick and Stansted were left facing the possibility of disruption over the weekend as operators anticipated the effects of Hurricane Irene.

A BA spokesman said: “Quite a few people have been on to us, or gone online, to rebook. We are allowing people affected by the cancellations to rebook to a later date.” 

Virgin and BA were both able to resume their normal New York and Newark flight schedules by Monday. 

BA normally offers seven return flights a day from London to New York, and three returns a day between London and Newark.

Virgin runs five return flights a day to both airports.

Copyright © Press Association 2011

New research has found a link between a person’s profession and the hoiliday destination they are most likely to choose.

Bankers have a tendency to go to New York for their holidays while lawyers are more likely to travel to France, according to a poll of 3,000 adults by airline Virgin Atlantic.

Estate agents could take advantage of cheap flights from Stansted to Alicante as their profession is particularly keen on trips to Spain.

Doctors and airline cabin crew appear to enjoy holidaying in the Caribbean, while farmers often switch domestic animals for wild ones on a Kenyan safari, the research shows.

Director of corporate communications for Virgin Atlantic, Greg Dawson, said: “Our jobs can often dictate where we holiday as budgets, interests and level of relaxation required are all influenced by what we do for a living. 

“However, what we do have in common, no matter the chosen profession, is that Brits are adventurous travellers, with 80% choosing a new destination each time they holiday.”

But just because you’re thousands of miles away on holiday, doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve completely escaped the clutches of work. Another report suggests that a quarter of bosses think it’s acceptable to call workers while they’re on annual leave.

The report, also by Virgin Atlantic, found that a majority of bosses would be happy to disturb an employee’s holiday if they were still within the EU.

Copyright © Press Association 2011

A leading travel agency has launched a list of the 11 best holiday hotspots for 2011, in a bid to highlight the increasing number of flights leaving UK airports such as Stansted and Luton to a widening variety of destinations.

Santorini - one of the best places to visit in 2011

For those who like to mix up city life with relaxing beach breaks, the list specifies Havana in Cuba as the ideal location.

The rest of the list is made up of Kenya’s Mombasa Island, Cancun in Mexico, the Red Sea in Egypt, the European Capital of Sport for 2011 Valencia in Spain, the 2011 European Capital of Culture Tallinn in Estonia, Goa in India, Istanbul in Turkey and Las Vegas, USA.

The destinations are presented in the form of an interactive graphic for travellers to be inspired by and explore. Customers are also invited to leave feedback on the choices via travel agent’s UK Facebook page and suggest their own top travel tips for 2011.

Once enthused by a destination, prospective travellers can browse the travel agent’s website to find the perfect deal – be it a package holiday, all inclusive holiday, or just the flight or accommodation.

Copyright © Press Association 2011

The Moroccan resort of Marrakech has been singled out as a top-tip destination for 2011, according to British Airways. 

Marrakech has been singled out as a top-tip destination for 2011, according to British Airways

The airline, which begins services to the city from Gatwick Airport on March 27, has placed Marrakech at the forefront of its must-visit list.

American and Caribbean destinations also feature in BA’s 10 best travel tips, with San Diego second and New York third.

BA chief executive Willie Walsh said: “The response we’ve had to the launch of routes like the Maldives, Las Vegas and Marrakech has been incredible.

“We’ve seen destinations in the Caribbean and Indian Ocean becoming even more popular with leisure travellers looking for sun and relaxation. Those after 24-hour cities are heading towards New York, Las Vegas and Japan.

“Tourism and leisure travel is a crucial focus for us, so growing our holidays business is a major part of our business plan.”

While Marrakech, San Diego and New York head the list, the Caribbean resort of St Kitts & Nevis, Puerto Rico, Maldives, Japan, Las Vegas, Mauritius and St Lucia are also in the top ten.

Meanwhile, a list of popular destinations for 2011 compiled by holiday deal company Travelzoo also includes Las Vegas.

The American gambling town is one of five destinations picked out by the company. The others include Ireland, Tallinn in Estonia, Greece and the Cape Verde Islands.

Copyright Press Association 2011