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# Sunday, 30 March 2008

blogoftheweek_thumbThis weeks travel blog of the week is Family Travel. The blog is run by away.com and features  regular authors Steve Jermanok and Christine Loomis and other guest authors.  It aims to offer practical advice and tips for those planning a trip with the family.

ski_liftOne article written by Nathan Borchelt looks at the Copper  Mountain ski resort in Colorado which Nathan says is an ideal resort for the whole family. The reason he says this is that the resort has a large area which is dedicated to beginners but also has more challenging intermediate and expert runs which are situated well away from those who are just learning the ropes. The resort also holds classes for two age groups children aged 3 to 5 and another for children aged 5 and over, as well as having seasonal youth programs also separated by age group. It certainly looks like a great family destination.

Another useful article written by guest blogger Jennifer Michaels and entitled packing tips from the expert  looks at how to organise your packing and still stay within the airlines baggage allowance. Tips include things lie using a board to fold shirts and shorts and rolling bathing suits and underwear into cubes to save much needed space. Other tips include renting large items of baby equipment once you reach your destination and giving each child their own carry on kit for the plane journey with their special toys and some snacks included. This article is definitely worth a read before you travel.

posted on Sunday, 30 March 2008 15:14:03 (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #    Trackback
# Saturday, 29 March 2008
Terminal 5’s third day has been hit by further cancellations. More than 100 flights were cancelled on Thursday and Friday because of problems with the baggage handling system with another 54 flights cancelled today. Customers are being advised to check on the BA website for a full list of cancellations. Those who do have their flights cancelled will be able to apply for a refund or rebook.

posted on Saturday, 29 March 2008 15:20:06 (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #    Trackback
Things didn’t get any better on the second day of operations at Terminal 5. After the initial problems with the baggage handling system on the opening day the second day saw one in five flights being cancelled. 80% of the planned 534 flights were operating with passengers now able to check in hold luggage. BA has set up an information line for T5 passengers: 0800 727800. The airline has also advised customers to check its website, www.ba.com for service updates.

posted on Saturday, 29 March 2008 10:39:06 (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #    Trackback
# Friday, 28 March 2008
The RMT have announced a three day tube strike in a row over safety concerns. The strike will run from 1830 on 6th of April and will end on the 9th of April. The strikes will affect tube travel over a total of four days.

posted on Friday, 28 March 2008 14:29:13 (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #    Trackback
It appeared that BAA had everything covered with the opening of the new Terminal 5 at Heathrow. After all they had spent months testing the terminal, so what could go wrong? Quite a lot it seems. On the opening day flights from the new terminal were departing with hand baggage only after luggage check in was suspended due to a processing backlog. British Airways announced that all check in was suspended until the following day. In addition 34 flights were cancelled because of baggage problems and passengers faced delays of up to four hours to reclaim their luggage. Not a good start.

posted on Friday, 28 March 2008 12:27:38 (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #    Trackback
Members of the Rail Maritime and Transport union have voted to strike over safety concerns. The unions, which represent 7,500 station staff and drivers, have concerns about staff working alone and plans to introduce "mobile supervisors" at stations. It is expected the strike dates will be announced later today.

posted on Friday, 28 March 2008 11:05:07 (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #    Trackback
East Midlands Trains is investing £90 million to improve the performance of its services. The money will be used to refurbish stations and its current fleet. The firm will also improve CCTV on trains and set up a new control centre in Derby to improve communications with Network Rail. They also aim to improve punctuality and have issued staff with atomic watches.

posted on Friday, 28 March 2008 10:40:24 (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #    Trackback
# Thursday, 27 March 2008
Terminal 5 opened to passengers today. The opening, however, was not without its problems. Problems with the baggage handling system left many customers waiting up to two hours for their luggage. There were also long queues to get through check in and security. To add to the problems a set of escalators also broke down and there were problems for people trying to pay for parking. Lets hope this just teething problems and not the shape of things to come.

posted on Thursday, 27 March 2008 18:14:25 (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #    Trackback
Train Drivers working for South West Trains have called off strikes which were planned for next week. A four day strike was due to take place in a disagreement over pay. The Aslef union has now reached a draft agreement with the train operator and drivers will vote on the deal next month.

posted on Thursday, 27 March 2008 16:12:28 (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #    Trackback
# Wednesday, 26 March 2008
Easyjet has started offering flights to and from Jersey. They have replaced Thomsonfly on the Luton route and will also start offering a service from Liverpool later this year. The airline expects around 200,000 passengers to use the service in the first year.

posted on Wednesday, 26 March 2008 18:48:39 (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #    Trackback
# Tuesday, 25 March 2008
Royal Mail managers have voted to reject proposed changes to their pension plan. The move could increase the risk of strike of action. The union Unite had advised its members to reject the proposed changes to the pension plan and 85% of staff who were balloted agreed with the union. Under the plans Royal Mail would cut the value of its pension scheme for new and current members and raise the retirement age. Unites have said that it will consider a ballot for strike action if the issue is not dealt with by Royal Mail but have also said they are unwilling to rush into strike action. The Communication Workers Union will also hold a ballot of its members to judge their opinion.

posted on Tuesday, 25 March 2008 15:57:28 (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #    Trackback
# Monday, 24 March 2008
The UK’s first car share lane has opened in West Yorkshire. The lane links the M606 from Bradford to the M62 towards Leeds. To use it vehicles must be carrying two of more people with heavy goods vehicles not being allowed to use it. It is estimated it will save a regular commuter around 30 to 40 minutes each week. However, just a few hours after it opened a single motorist in a sports car was pictured using the lane, seemingly oblivious that the scheme existed. He could now be charged a £30 penalty for the offence.

posted on Monday, 24 March 2008 14:07:33 (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #    Trackback
# Sunday, 23 March 2008
There is no travel of the blog of the week this week due to the Easter break. Don't worry though it will be back as normal next week.

posted on Sunday, 23 March 2008 15:59:48 (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #    Trackback