Month: December 2019

Is it cheaper to buy long-haul flights last minute?

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Khalid has family in the United Arab Emirates, and a family sized problem: “I normally fly to see them in Dubai for a fare of £330-400 for a direct return flight.

“But for the Christmas and New Year break the best I can see, travelling out on 21 December and back on 2 January, is about £1,000 return.

“So my question is: do the airlines sometimes drop the prices a day before the flight?  I’m thinking of waiting and booking a day before or on the day of the travel.”

Wait a moment and I shall address Khalid’s question. But first, go back three or four decades, when there were actual proper standby fares, and for me and many others buying on the day was the only way to go.

It all began with Sir Freddie Laker’s Skytrain operation, which between 1977 and 1982 democratised transatlantic travel. The entrepreneur’s low no-frills fares from Gatwick to JFK forced the traditional airlines to cut their prices. But rather than cannibalising their revenue, they put in the sort of restrictions that “normal” passengers would not tolerate.

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1/25 Trieste, Italy

Trieste, Italy

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2/25 Lausanne, Switzerland

Lausanne, Switzerland

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3/25 Boulder, USA

Boulder, USA

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4/25 Bergen, Norway

Bergen, Norway

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5/25 Hobart, Australia

Hobart, Australia

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6/25 Chigasaki, Japan

Chigasaki, Japan

Wikimedia Commons/運転太郎

7/25 Bolzano, Italy

Bolzano, Italy

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8/25 Bordeaux, France

Bordeaux, France

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9/25 Innsbruck, Austria

Innsbruck, Austria

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10/25 Porto, Portugal

Porto, Portugal

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11/25 Aachen, Germany

Aachen, Germany

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12/25 Reykjavik, Iceland

Reykjavik, Iceland

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13/25 Savannah, USA

Savannah, USA

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14/25 Postdam, Germany

Postdam, Germany

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15/25 Basel, Switzerland

Basel, Switzerland

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16/25 Chiang Mai, Thailand

Chiang Mai, Thailand

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17/25 Victoria, Canada

Victoria, Canada

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18/25 San Sebastian, Spain

San Sebastian, Spain

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19/25 Eindhoven, Netherlands

Eindhoven, Netherlands

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20/25 Bath, UK

Bath, UK

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21/25 Aalborg, Denmark

Aalborg, Denmark

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22/25 Wiesbaden, Germany

Wiesbaden, Germany

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23/25 Haarlem, Netherlands

Haarlem, Netherlands

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24/25 Annapolis, USA

Annapolis, USA

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25/25 Salzburg, Austria

Salzburg, Austria

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1/25 Trieste, Italy

Trieste, Italy

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2/25 Lausanne, Switzerland

Lausanne, Switzerland

Getty Images/iStockphoto

3/25 Boulder, USA

Boulder, USA

Getty Images/iStockphoto

4/25 Bergen, Norway

Bergen, Norway

Getty Images/iStockphoto


5/25 Hobart, Australia

Hobart, Australia

Getty Images/iStockphoto

6/25 Chigasaki, Japan

Chigasaki, Japan

Wikimedia Commons/運転太郎

7/25 Bolzano, Italy

Bolzano, Italy

Getty Images/iStockphoto

8/25 Bordeaux, France

Bordeaux, France

Getty Images/iStockphoto


9/25 Innsbruck, Austria

Innsbruck, Austria

Getty Images/iStockphoto

10/25 Porto, Portugal

Porto, Portugal

Getty Images/iStockphoto

11/25 Aachen, Germany

Aachen, Germany

Getty Images/iStockphoto

12/25 Reykjavik, Iceland

Reykjavik, Iceland

Getty Images/iStockphoto


13/25 Savannah, USA

Savannah, USA

Getty Images/iStockphoto

14/25 Postdam, Germany

Postdam, Germany

Getty Images

15/25 Basel, Switzerland

Basel, Switzerland

Getty Images/iStockphoto

16/25 Chiang Mai, Thailand

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Getty Images/iStockphoto


17/25 Victoria, Canada

Victoria, Canada

Getty Images/iStockphoto

18/25 San Sebastian, Spain

San Sebastian, Spain

Getty Images/iStockphoto

19/25 Eindhoven, Netherlands

Eindhoven, Netherlands

Getty Images

20/25 Bath, UK

Bath, UK

Getty Images


21/25 Aalborg, Denmark

Aalborg, Denmark

Getty Images/iStockphoto

22/25 Wiesbaden, Germany

Wiesbaden, Germany

Getty Images/iStockphoto

23/25 Haarlem, Netherlands

Haarlem, Netherlands

Getty Images/iStockphoto

24/25 Annapolis, USA

Annapolis, USA

Getty Images/iStockphoto


25/25 Salzburg, Austria

Salzburg, Austria

Getty Images/iStockphoto

The magnificent BOAC building in Buckingham Palace Road in central London, an art deco masterpiece that now houses the National Audit Office, became the temporary target for the masses in search of America. The queue would form hours before opening time, because the first few dozen travellers were more or less guaranteed a seat that day on one of the three daily British Airways New York-bound Jumbo jets.

The rest of us who had not started so early would take whatever was left, often a trip a day or two later. Or simply hear that the week’s allocation had been sold out, and we should try the following week (whereupon there was a scramble for Piccadilly, where the less popular TWA office was located).

Thirty winters, indeed, Virgin Atlantic had probably the best standby deal ever – at least relative to the painfully high fares at the time, paid by people who preferred to know they would be travelling. 

Richard Branson’s airline was trying to fill otherwise empty seats between London and New York for £89 outbound and just $89 inbound – which, at the  prevailing rate of exchange, meant a transatlantic trip home from the US for under £60. The strings attached involved committing upfront by buying a standby ticket – effectively a voucher – and then calling up every day until there was room on a flight.

Soon, though, the airlines realised that they were doing it all wrong: they could sell six tickets at (say) £100 to uncouth youth like me, or one ticket at £600 to someone who was desperate to travel.

Besides, Laker Airways had gone out of business, and the successor challenger, Virgin Atlantic, was largely competing on quality rather than price.

So the standby disappeared from the long-haul air market – apart from some odd quirks such as the KLM day trip to the US, where the Dutch airline told you at the last moment which American city you would visit (I won Houston). 

But in time the UK, and in particular London, has grown into the world capital of aviation. Certainly for any trip to Australia, booking more than a day ahead is unnecessary. I’ve just checked Heathrow-Sydney for tomorrow and have a range from £677 return on United via, interestingly, Houston, followed by £727 on Malaysia Airlines and (probably best value) Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong.


Cabin crew shout ‘passengers get down!’ on 2017 Bali-bound flight

That is because almost any airline based in North America or Asia can offer a trip to Sydney, and with London’s insatiable demand it’s a good way to fill up the last few seats for a few pounds.

But to Dubai, it is trickier. Plugging in the same departure tomorrow, I’m getting quotes of £400 return on British Airways – good value for a nonstop, but I fear it will not last until Christmas. Particularly, I’m afraid Khalid, for the last Saturday before 25 December and the day after New Year’s Day. 

But what might work is stringing together a couple of low-cost flights. Wizz Air has an outbound tomorrow of just £137, involving a late departure to Budapest and connection to Dubai’s “other” airport – World Central. That will be more expensive in a couple of weeks, but hopefully not horribly so. And the inbound journey? You’ll have to take your chances. Just as the standby traveller has always done.



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Why we Cancelled our Bolivia Pictures Tour

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In the ten years I have been managing journey images workshops all around the environment, I’ve by no means had to cancel a journey till now.  And, honestly, I had to struggle my stubborn aspect a little little bit right before accomplishing it. There have been so numerous moments I’ve absent towards vacation warnings and governing administration journey limits.  I went to Sri Lanka soon after the bombings. I lived in Mali all through the war. And, actually, half the areas I went on my scooter journey down Africa decades in the past ended up in spots with warnings.

Crossing into the Democratic Republic of Congo on a scooter

Crossing into the Democratic Republic of Congo on a scooter

But, these warnings normally appeared either exaggerated or centered on extremely precise spots or regions of danger.

So my intuition with Bolivia was that it would boil in excess of.  My instincts say that the extended Evo Morales is out of the country, the extra issues will heal and lifetime will go back again to typical before long.

Even so – to the surprise of most – my qualifications isn’t in photography.  I’m a political scientist. I researched, particularly, conflict resolution in Latin America.  I analyzed Sandinistas, Castro and Pinochet. I know what sort of a electric power vacuum takes place in cases like this.  

So, even if the situation on the team is little by little healing, I just can’t assurance that it will heal absolutely.  I cannot be positive a political splinter does not break up into a civil chasm. I can’t say with certainty that members on my workshop will not have to offer with airport shutdowns, street blocks, protests, strikes, or worse.  I simply cannot in great conscience run a workshop in Bolivia and assure protection.

La Paz, Bolivia, Cityscape

La Paz, Bolivia

It sucks.  But, I just can’t be stubborn with other people’s protection, and money commitments, at threat.

But, as a way to change a adverse into a optimistic, Thomas Heaton and I have resolved to flip the Bolivia trip into a single for Peru.  And, just as I appreciate Bolivia, I really like Peru.

I lived in Peru again when I started travelling. I started my vacation photography career there. And, it is a single of the most numerous images locations in the globe.  I indicate, where by else do you have desert, jungle, coastlines, mountains, and prairies all within just one state? In actuality, aside from the US (which has the benefit of Alaska and Hawaii), Peru is the 2nd most geographically diverse region in the world.

Taquile Island, Peru

Neighborhood on Amantani Island

So, in May perhaps 2020, Tom, Greg, Jodie and I will be bringing a group of photographers to Peru.  

Obviously, all those who have been previously booked on the Bolivia excursion had been offered precedence.  But, there are still a couple of areas that have been vacated by men and women who had their hearts set on Bolivia offered.

For much more details on that tour, head to this site.  Hopefully you can sign up for us on this photography adventure in the land of Inca, of Macchu Picchu, of the Andes, of volcanoes, and of complete wonder.

Machu Picchu

Of course, I’m sad not to be heading to Bolivia in 2020.  But, I’m also psyched to be returning to Peru for the 3rd ever #BvSPeru images workshop.

If you want to be a part of 1 of my journeys in 2020, examine out what’s on offer you listed here.  And, if you are interested in becoming a member of a single of my outings in the upcoming, be confident to sign up to the newsletter down below.

 



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Airlines fly bizarre flight paths to avoid French airspace amid national strike

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The air-traffic control strike in France has led to hundreds of flights being cancelled, including many that merely wanted to use French airspace. 

For a second day, British Airways and easyJet have grounded flights from the UK to Spain and Switzerland, as well as to France.

Airlines have been told to reduce overflights because of the controllers’ walkout, which is part of the nationwide strike in protest against President Macron’s proposals for pensions reforms.

Many carriers between northern Europe and the Iberian peninsula are faced with cancelling flights or giving France a wide berth.

Some have chosen the latter strategy. But because the airspace covered by the French Area Control Centre at Brest extends so far west, airlines have had to file extreme flight plans.

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1/51 5 December 2019

Southeast Asian Games, Vietnam v Indonesia, Women’s Volleyball Preliminary Round – Philsports Arena, Pasig, Philippines

Reuters

2/51 4 December 2019

Firefighters work to contain a large fire at an industrial building at Inlet Road inn Auckland, New Zealand

Getty

3/51 3 December 2019

Doan Quynh Nam Tran of Vietnam competes in the women’s gymnastics at the SEA Games (Southeast Asian Games) in Manila

AFP via Getty

4/51 2 December 2019

A youth plays on foamy discharge, caused by pollutants, as it mixes with the surf at a beach in Chennai

AFP via Getty

5/51 1 December 2019

Southeast Asian Games at the Royce Hotel, Mabalacat, Philippines. Vietnam’s Pham Hong Anh in action during her single dance final.

Reuters

6/51 30 November 2019

A woman holds a coloured flag at the Botswana Pride Parade in Gaborone. The parade is the first one organised in Botswana, after the Court ruled on June 11 in favour of decriminalising homosexuality, which had been punishable by a jail term of up to seven years.

AFP via Getty

7/51 29 November 2019

A child holds a placard during a ‘drop dead’ flashmob protest against climate change consequences at Lumpini Park in Bangkok, Thailand

Reuters

8/51 28 November 2019

Pro-democracy protesters hold an SOS sign and US national flags during a Thanksgiving rally in Edinburgh Place, Hong Kong. Protesters were thanking US President Donald Trump for signing into a law ‘The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act Hong Kong’, provoking an angry backlash from the Chinese government. Hong Kong is in its sixth month of mass protests, which were originally triggered by a now withdrawn extradition bill, and have since turned into a wider pro-democracy movement

EPA

9/51 27 November 2019

Rescuers with a dog search through the rubble of a collapsed building after an earthquake in Durres, western Albania

AP

10/51 26 November 2019

A shepherd leads a flock of sheep on a pontoon bridge in Allahabad

AFP via Getty

11/51 25 November 2019

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects a female company belonging to 5492 troops

KCNA via Reuters

12/51 24 November 2019

A protester jumps between burning tires during ongoing anti-government protests in Basra, Iraq

Reuters

13/51 23 November 2019

Fans dressed as Star Wars characters during day three of the first Test between Australia and Pakistan at The Gabba in Australia

Getty

14/51 22 November 2019

Pope Francis speaks with religious leaders during a meeting at the Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand

Reuters

15/51 21 November 2019

A girl injured in last night’s attack by the Syrian regime on a camp for displaced people near the Turkish border in Idlib, Syria is held up to the camera

AFP/Getty

16/51 20 November 2019

Indian paramilitary soldiers detain a Congress party supporter during a protest against the withdrawal of Special Protection Group (SPG) cover to party president Sonia Gandhi, her children and former prime minister Manmohan Singh, in New Delh. The move to lift off the SPG security, an elite force that protects prime ministers and their immediate families, led to sharp reactions from the Congress, which accused the government of personal vendetta

AP

17/51 19 November 2019

An image taken from a plane window shows Sydney shrouded in smoke from nearby bush fires

AAP Imagevia Reuters

18/51 18 November 2019

Protesters run for cover after riot police fired tear gas towards the bridge they were climbing down to the road below, to escape from Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Dozens escaped the besieged campus by lowering themselves on a rope from a footbridge to a highway. Once on the road they were seen being picked up by waiting motorcyclists

AFP via Getty

19/51 17 November 2019

Anti-government protesters draped in Iraqi national flags walk into clouds of smoke from burning tires during a demonstration in the southern city of Basra, Iraq

AFP via Getty

20/51 16 November 2019

A protester wearing a yellow jacket waves a French flag in a fountain during a demonstration to mark the first anniversary of the “yellow vests” movement in Nice, France

Reuters

21/51 15 November 2019

A Palestinian protester uses a slingshot to return a tear gas canister fired by Israeli forces amid clashes following a weekly demonstration against the expropriation of Palestinian land by Israel in the village of Kfar Qaddum

AFP via Getty

22/51 14 November 2019

A patient suffering from dengue fever receives medical treatment at an isolation ward at a hospital in Larkana, Pakistan. According to local reports, 26 deaths have been reported out of a total of 10,013 confirmed cases of dengue infection. Dengue fever is reportedly caused by a specific type of mosquito, the Aedes mosquito, that bites only during daytime, especially during sunrise and sunset.

EPA

23/51 13 November 2019

An anti-government protester flashes the V-sign for victory in front of burning tyres used to block a main road at the entrance of Tripoli. The previous night, street protests erupted across Lebanon after President Michel Aoun defended the role of his allies, the Shiite movement Hezbollah, in Lebanon’s government, cutting off several major roads. In his televised address, Aoun proposed a government that includes both technocrats and politicians

AFP via Getty

24/51 12 November 2019

An Israeli missile launching from the Iron Dome defence missile system, designed to intercept and destroy incoming short-range rockets and artillery shells. They were sent up to intercept rockets launched from the nearby Palestinian Gaza Strip. Israel’s military killed a commander for Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad in a strike on his home, prompting retaliatory rocket fire and fears of a severe escalation in violence

AFP/Getty

25/51 11 November 2019

A species of deer thought to be extinct, the chevrotain, has been spotted for the first time in 30 years in the wilds of Vietnam. The deer is around the size of a domestic cat

SIE/GWC/Leibniz-IZW/NCNP /SWNS.C

26/51 10 November 2019

The royal motorcade of Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, under tight security, passes through a street in Tokyo. Thousands of people gathered for the rare open-top car parade featuring the newly enthroned Emperor

Kyodo News via AP

27/51 9 November 2019

People knock over a mock-up of the former Berlin Wall during a performance prior to the German first division Bundesliga football match Hertha BSC Berlin v RB Leipzig on the 30 anniversary of the fall off the wall

AFP/Getty

28/51 8 November 2019

Flames from an out of control bushfire from a nearby residential area in Harrington, northeast of Sydney. Australian firefighters warned they were in “uncharted territory” as they struggled to contain dozens of out-of-control bushfires across the east of the country

Kelly-ann Oosterbeek/AFP/Getty

29/51 7 November 2019

Demonstrators shine lasers during a protest against Chile’s government in Santiago, the capital

Reuters

30/51 6 November 2019

Activists from India’s main opposition Congress party shout slogans as they are stopped by police during a protest against what the activists say is economic slowdown in the country, in Guwahati, India

Reuters

31/51 5 November 2019

Smoke rises from a fire in downtown Lagos, Nigeria. Firefighters worked hard to try and extinguish a fire at the Balogun market. Thick black smoke and flames shot from the five-story buildings as fire trucks attempted to get access

AP

32/51 4 November 2019

Women run down a sand dune as they take part in the desert trek “Rose Trip Maroc” in the erg Chebbi near Merzouga. It is a female-oriented trek where teams of three must travel through the southern Moroccan Sahara desert with a compass, a map and a topographical reporter

AFP via Getty

33/51 3 November 2019

Riot police descend an escalator inside the City Plaza mall in Hong Kong after a bloody knife fight wounded six people there. A local pro-democracy politician had his ear bitten off during another chaotic day of political unrest in the city

AFP via Getty

34/51 2 November 2019

People participate in the celebration of the ‘muerteadas de Jalapa del Valle’, as part of the Day of the Dead in Mexico

EPA

35/51 1 November 2019

Firefighters work to control flames from a backfire during the Maria fire in Santa Paula, California

AFP via Getty

36/51 31 October 2019

Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights, over the Vestrahorn mountain in the east of Iceland

PA

37/51 30 October 2019

A model presents a creation at the show Heaven Gaia by Xiong Ying during the China Fashion Week in Beijing. The fashion event runs from 25 October to 2 November

EPA

38/51 29 October 2019

Hindu devotees collect rice as offerings on ‘Annakut’ or ‘Govardhan Puja’ festival at the Madan Mohan temple in Kolkata. People in large numbers gather at the temple to collect the rice offerings in the belief that it will keep them in good health and they’ll never face poverty or scarcity of food

AFP via Getty

39/51 28 October 2019

Authorities investigate after a Port Authority bus was caught in a sinkhole in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

AP

40/51 27 October 2019

South Africa players celebrate after beating Wales in their Rugby World Cup semi-final match. The Springboks will face England in next Saturday’s final following fly-half Handre Pollard’s match-winning penalty four minutes from time. The match ended 19-16

Reuters

41/51 26 October 2019

Participants from Thailand pose in front of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall as they take part in the annual gay pride parade in Taipei. Some two hundred thousand revellers marched through Taipei in a riot of rainbow colours and celebration as Taiwan held its first pride parade since making history in Asia by legalising gay marriage

AFP/Getty

42/51 25 October 2019

A girl enjoys a ball bath as she is being photographed at the made-for-Instagram museum ‘Cali Dreams’ in Dusseldorf, Germany. No artworks are shown in this museum, rather each visitor himself becomes an artwork by staging himself in front of one of the 25 sceneries. Cali Dreams is initially open for three months. After this test phase, however, the museum is planned as a long-term project

EPA

43/51 24 October 2019

A fire lorry speeds towards a rampant wildfire near Geyserville, California

AFP/Getty

44/51 23 October 2019

Protesters facing Lebanese army soldiers wave national flags in the area of Jal al-Dib in the northern outskirts of Beirut. A week of unprecedented street protests against the political class showed no signs of abating, despite the army moving to reopen key roads. Protests were sparked on October 17 by a proposed tax on WhatsApp and other messaging apps

AFP/Getty

45/51 22 October 2019

Liberal leader and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau waves to supporters beside his wife Sophie after the federal election at the Palais des Congres in Montreal. He managed to hold on to power, albeit of a minority government, in one of the most divisive elections in the country’s history

Reuters

46/51 21 October 2019

A convoy of US vehicles is seen after withdrawing from northern Syria, on the outskirts of Dohuk, Iraq

Reuters

47/51 20 October 2019

Japan players go over to thank their fans after South Africa beat them in the quarter-final of the Rugby World Cup. Makazole Mapimpi double ended the hosts’ dreams in Tokyo 3-26. The Springboks will now face Wales in the semi-finals for a place in the final

Reuters

48/51 19 October 2019

Archaeologists remove the cover of an ancient painted coffin discovered at Al-Asasif Necropolis in the Vally of Kings in Luxor, Egypt

Reuters

49/51 18 October 2019

A protester throws a tire on a fire to block the highway north of Beirut, Lebanon. Protesters, mainly civil activists, started demonstrating in the downtown area on 17 October, condemning proposed taxes in the 2020 budget. An unexpected addition to impose a daily fee for using WhatsApp calls caused outrage. However, according to the Telecommunications Minister Mohamed Choucair, the charge will not make it through the government palace after the impact it has made on the streets

EPA

50/51 17 October 2019

Children watch as army tanks are transported on trucks in the outskirts of the town of Akcakale, in Sanliurfa province, southeastern Turkey, at the border of Syria

AP

51/51 16 October 2019

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un riding a white horse amongst the first snow at Mouth Paektu

KCNA VIA KNS/AFP/Getty


1/51 5 December 2019

Southeast Asian Games, Vietnam v Indonesia, Women’s Volleyball Preliminary Round – Philsports Arena, Pasig, Philippines

Reuters

2/51 4 December 2019

Firefighters work to contain a large fire at an industrial building at Inlet Road inn Auckland, New Zealand

Getty

3/51 3 December 2019

Doan Quynh Nam Tran of Vietnam competes in the women’s gymnastics at the SEA Games (Southeast Asian Games) in Manila

AFP via Getty

4/51 2 December 2019

A youth plays on foamy discharge, caused by pollutants, as it mixes with the surf at a beach in Chennai

AFP via Getty


5/51 1 December 2019

Southeast Asian Games at the Royce Hotel, Mabalacat, Philippines. Vietnam’s Pham Hong Anh in action during her single dance final.

Reuters

6/51 30 November 2019

A woman holds a coloured flag at the Botswana Pride Parade in Gaborone. The parade is the first one organised in Botswana, after the Court ruled on June 11 in favour of decriminalising homosexuality, which had been punishable by a jail term of up to seven years.

AFP via Getty

7/51 29 November 2019

A child holds a placard during a ‘drop dead’ flashmob protest against climate change consequences at Lumpini Park in Bangkok, Thailand

Reuters

8/51 28 November 2019

Pro-democracy protesters hold an SOS sign and US national flags during a Thanksgiving rally in Edinburgh Place, Hong Kong. Protesters were thanking US President Donald Trump for signing into a law ‘The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act Hong Kong’, provoking an angry backlash from the Chinese government. Hong Kong is in its sixth month of mass protests, which were originally triggered by a now withdrawn extradition bill, and have since turned into a wider pro-democracy movement

EPA


9/51 27 November 2019

Rescuers with a dog search through the rubble of a collapsed building after an earthquake in Durres, western Albania

AP

10/51 26 November 2019

A shepherd leads a flock of sheep on a pontoon bridge in Allahabad

AFP via Getty

11/51 25 November 2019

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects a female company belonging to 5492 troops

KCNA via Reuters

12/51 24 November 2019

A protester jumps between burning tires during ongoing anti-government protests in Basra, Iraq

Reuters


13/51 23 November 2019

Fans dressed as Star Wars characters during day three of the first Test between Australia and Pakistan at The Gabba in Australia

Getty

14/51 22 November 2019

Pope Francis speaks with religious leaders during a meeting at the Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand

Reuters

15/51 21 November 2019

A girl injured in last night’s attack by the Syrian regime on a camp for displaced people near the Turkish border in Idlib, Syria is held up to the camera

AFP/Getty

16/51 20 November 2019

Indian paramilitary soldiers detain a Congress party supporter during a protest against the withdrawal of Special Protection Group (SPG) cover to party president Sonia Gandhi, her children and former prime minister Manmohan Singh, in New Delh. The move to lift off the SPG security, an elite force that protects prime ministers and their immediate families, led to sharp reactions from the Congress, which accused the government of personal vendetta

AP


17/51 19 November 2019

An image taken from a plane window shows Sydney shrouded in smoke from nearby bush fires

AAP Imagevia Reuters

18/51 18 November 2019

Protesters run for cover after riot police fired tear gas towards the bridge they were climbing down to the road below, to escape from Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Dozens escaped the besieged campus by lowering themselves on a rope from a footbridge to a highway. Once on the road they were seen being picked up by waiting motorcyclists

AFP via Getty

19/51 17 November 2019

Anti-government protesters draped in Iraqi national flags walk into clouds of smoke from burning tires during a demonstration in the southern city of Basra, Iraq

AFP via Getty

20/51 16 November 2019

A protester wearing a yellow jacket waves a French flag in a fountain during a demonstration to mark the first anniversary of the “yellow vests” movement in Nice, France

Reuters


21/51 15 November 2019

A Palestinian protester uses a slingshot to return a tear gas canister fired by Israeli forces amid clashes following a weekly demonstration against the expropriation of Palestinian land by Israel in the village of Kfar Qaddum

AFP via Getty

22/51 14 November 2019

A patient suffering from dengue fever receives medical treatment at an isolation ward at a hospital in Larkana, Pakistan. According to local reports, 26 deaths have been reported out of a total of 10,013 confirmed cases of dengue infection. Dengue fever is reportedly caused by a specific type of mosquito, the Aedes mosquito, that bites only during daytime, especially during sunrise and sunset.

EPA

23/51 13 November 2019

An anti-government protester flashes the V-sign for victory in front of burning tyres used to block a main road at the entrance of Tripoli. The previous night, street protests erupted across Lebanon after President Michel Aoun defended the role of his allies, the Shiite movement Hezbollah, in Lebanon’s government, cutting off several major roads. In his televised address, Aoun proposed a government that includes both technocrats and politicians

AFP via Getty

24/51 12 November 2019

An Israeli missile launching from the Iron Dome defence missile system, designed to intercept and destroy incoming short-range rockets and artillery shells. They were sent up to intercept rockets launched from the nearby Palestinian Gaza Strip. Israel’s military killed a commander for Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad in a strike on his home, prompting retaliatory rocket fire and fears of a severe escalation in violence

AFP/Getty


25/51 11 November 2019

A species of deer thought to be extinct, the chevrotain, has been spotted for the first time in 30 years in the wilds of Vietnam. The deer is around the size of a domestic cat

SIE/GWC/Leibniz-IZW/NCNP /SWNS.C

26/51 10 November 2019

The royal motorcade of Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, under tight security, passes through a street in Tokyo. Thousands of people gathered for the rare open-top car parade featuring the newly enthroned Emperor

Kyodo News via AP

27/51 9 November 2019

People knock over a mock-up of the former Berlin Wall during a performance prior to the German first division Bundesliga football match Hertha BSC Berlin v RB Leipzig on the 30 anniversary of the fall off the wall

AFP/Getty

28/51 8 November 2019

Flames from an out of control bushfire from a nearby residential area in Harrington, northeast of Sydney. Australian firefighters warned they were in “uncharted territory” as they struggled to contain dozens of out-of-control bushfires across the east of the country

Kelly-ann Oosterbeek/AFP/Getty


29/51 7 November 2019

Demonstrators shine lasers during a protest against Chile’s government in Santiago, the capital

Reuters

30/51 6 November 2019

Activists from India’s main opposition Congress party shout slogans as they are stopped by police during a protest against what the activists say is economic slowdown in the country, in Guwahati, India

Reuters

31/51 5 November 2019

Smoke rises from a fire in downtown Lagos, Nigeria. Firefighters worked hard to try and extinguish a fire at the Balogun market. Thick black smoke and flames shot from the five-story buildings as fire trucks attempted to get access

AP

32/51 4 November 2019

Women run down a sand dune as they take part in the desert trek “Rose Trip Maroc” in the erg Chebbi near Merzouga. It is a female-oriented trek where teams of three must travel through the southern Moroccan Sahara desert with a compass, a map and a topographical reporter

AFP via Getty


33/51 3 November 2019

Riot police descend an escalator inside the City Plaza mall in Hong Kong after a bloody knife fight wounded six people there. A local pro-democracy politician had his ear bitten off during another chaotic day of political unrest in the city

AFP via Getty

34/51 2 November 2019

People participate in the celebration of the ‘muerteadas de Jalapa del Valle’, as part of the Day of the Dead in Mexico

EPA

35/51 1 November 2019

Firefighters work to control flames from a backfire during the Maria fire in Santa Paula, California

AFP via Getty

36/51 31 October 2019

Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights, over the Vestrahorn mountain in the east of Iceland

PA


37/51 30 October 2019

A model presents a creation at the show Heaven Gaia by Xiong Ying during the China Fashion Week in Beijing. The fashion event runs from 25 October to 2 November

EPA

38/51 29 October 2019

Hindu devotees collect rice as offerings on ‘Annakut’ or ‘Govardhan Puja’ festival at the Madan Mohan temple in Kolkata. People in large numbers gather at the temple to collect the rice offerings in the belief that it will keep them in good health and they’ll never face poverty or scarcity of food

AFP via Getty

39/51 28 October 2019

Authorities investigate after a Port Authority bus was caught in a sinkhole in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

AP

40/51 27 October 2019

South Africa players celebrate after beating Wales in their Rugby World Cup semi-final match. The Springboks will face England in next Saturday’s final following fly-half Handre Pollard’s match-winning penalty four minutes from time. The match ended 19-16

Reuters


41/51 26 October 2019

Participants from Thailand pose in front of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall as they take part in the annual gay pride parade in Taipei. Some two hundred thousand revellers marched through Taipei in a riot of rainbow colours and celebration as Taiwan held its first pride parade since making history in Asia by legalising gay marriage

AFP/Getty

42/51 25 October 2019

A girl enjoys a ball bath as she is being photographed at the made-for-Instagram museum ‘Cali Dreams’ in Dusseldorf, Germany. No artworks are shown in this museum, rather each visitor himself becomes an artwork by staging himself in front of one of the 25 sceneries. Cali Dreams is initially open for three months. After this test phase, however, the museum is planned as a long-term project

EPA

43/51 24 October 2019

A fire lorry speeds towards a rampant wildfire near Geyserville, California

AFP/Getty

44/51 23 October 2019

Protesters facing Lebanese army soldiers wave national flags in the area of Jal al-Dib in the northern outskirts of Beirut. A week of unprecedented street protests against the political class showed no signs of abating, despite the army moving to reopen key roads. Protests were sparked on October 17 by a proposed tax on WhatsApp and other messaging apps

AFP/Getty


45/51 22 October 2019

Liberal leader and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau waves to supporters beside his wife Sophie after the federal election at the Palais des Congres in Montreal. He managed to hold on to power, albeit of a minority government, in one of the most divisive elections in the country’s history

Reuters

46/51 21 October 2019

A convoy of US vehicles is seen after withdrawing from northern Syria, on the outskirts of Dohuk, Iraq

Reuters

47/51 20 October 2019

Japan players go over to thank their fans after South Africa beat them in the quarter-final of the Rugby World Cup. Makazole Mapimpi double ended the hosts’ dreams in Tokyo 3-26. The Springboks will now face Wales in the semi-finals for a place in the final

Reuters

48/51 19 October 2019

Archaeologists remove the cover of an ancient painted coffin discovered at Al-Asasif Necropolis in the Vally of Kings in Luxor, Egypt

Reuters


49/51 18 October 2019

A protester throws a tire on a fire to block the highway north of Beirut, Lebanon. Protesters, mainly civil activists, started demonstrating in the downtown area on 17 October, condemning proposed taxes in the 2020 budget. An unexpected addition to impose a daily fee for using WhatsApp calls caused outrage. However, according to the Telecommunications Minister Mohamed Choucair, the charge will not make it through the government palace after the impact it has made on the streets

EPA

50/51 17 October 2019

Children watch as army tanks are transported on trucks in the outskirts of the town of Akcakale, in Sanliurfa province, southeastern Turkey, at the border of Syria

AP

51/51 16 October 2019

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un riding a white horse amongst the first snow at Mouth Paektu

KCNA VIA KNS/AFP/Getty

The live air traffic service, FlightRadar24, has created a map showing some of the more remarkable flight paths on Thursday, the first day of the air-traffic control (ATC) strike. 

It shows a TAP Portugal flight from Berlin to Lisbon that flew over Cornwall and them another 300 miles out over the Atlantic in order to avoid the Brest sector. The Airbus then flew slightly east of south to reach the Portuguese capital.

Normally the flightpath would be mainly over France, from the Luxembourg frontier to Bordeaux.

The flight covered around 1,800 miles rather than the direct distance of 1,433 miles.

Another TAP Portugal flight from Brussels to Lisbon took an equally strange flightpath, beginning by heading for Essex, then overflying London. 

The easyJet departure from Lanzarote to Luton also made a dog-leg, flying north towards Ireland before turning east once inside UK-controlled airspace. It took 35 minutes longer than usual.

In the opposite direction, the Gatwick-Fuerteventura flight followed a similar course.

From Barcelona, the direct route for the Level flight to San Francisco crosses the Pyrenees into France, then traverses the Bay of Biscay in French-controlled airspace.

But on Thursday it remained on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees and continued west for hundreds of miles into the Atlantic, then turned north to fly over Ireland.

The pressure group for leaving European carriers, Airlines for Europe, retweeted the FlightRadar24 chart and added: “We respect workers’ fundamental right to strike, but  ATC strikes in France continue to be a real problem when the rest of European aviation is trying to reduce emissions.”

The air-traffic controllers are expected to return to work on Sunday.





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TTG – Journey marketplace news

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Forget Interrail – How Eurail really paved the way for border-free European train travel

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Amid a galaxy of travel anniversaries in 2019, from British Airways’ centenary to the half-century since Concorde first flew, there’s one which has barely warranted a mention. It was 60 years ago that the first Eurail passes were sold. And without the growing success of Eurail in the 1960s and the launch in 1971 of a Eurail pass for students visiting Europe from overseas, it’s very likely that the great travel icon, Interrail, would never have been created. 

The credit for getting Eurail launched must go largely to an unassuming Frenchman called Pierre Le Bris. From his base in San Francisco, he worked closely with the French national rail operator SNCF and the US-based Rail Europe agency. Le Bris realised the difficulties that Americans visiting Europe had in booking train tickets in advance. His canny idea was to liberate these visitors by letting them use a rail pass which afforded a real freedom to roam. 

Rail Europe Inc sold the first Eurail passes in 1959. Before long the company was very purposefully shaping itineraries that showcased European cities and landscapes. The firm helped to create in the American imagination an idealised view of a Europe which swept from Paris through the Rhineland, the Alps and the Riviera to northern Italy.

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1/10 Belmond Andean Explorer

Explore Peru with this luxury train service

Belmond

2/10 Coast Starlight

Gorgeous: take in the scenery on a train ride from Seattle to Los Angeles

Amtrak

3/10 TranzAlpine

See stunning views on this New Zealand train journey

TranzAlpine

4/10 Rovos Rail

This rail service takes you to the heart of Africa

Rovos Rail

5/10 Interregional Portugal

Explore all the beauty Portugal has to offer by train

Interregional Portugal

6/10 Glacier Express

Take in jaw-dropping views of Switzerland from a train

Glacier Express

7/10 East Lancashire Railway

Travelling back in time in northern England

East Lancashire Railway

8/10 Durango & Silverton

Enjoy one of America’s most scenic train rides

Durango & Silverton

9/10 Caledonian Sleeper

Wake up to the beauty of Scotland with this overnight train

Peter Devlin

10/10 Belmond Eastern & Oriental

A breezy observation car on a luxury Asian train

Belmond


1/10 Belmond Andean Explorer

Explore Peru with this luxury train service

Belmond

2/10 Coast Starlight

Gorgeous: take in the scenery on a train ride from Seattle to Los Angeles

Amtrak

3/10 TranzAlpine

See stunning views on this New Zealand train journey

TranzAlpine

4/10 Rovos Rail

This rail service takes you to the heart of Africa

Rovos Rail


5/10 Interregional Portugal

Explore all the beauty Portugal has to offer by train

Interregional Portugal

6/10 Glacier Express

Take in jaw-dropping views of Switzerland from a train

Glacier Express

7/10 East Lancashire Railway

Travelling back in time in northern England

East Lancashire Railway

8/10 Durango & Silverton

Enjoy one of America’s most scenic train rides

Durango & Silverton


9/10 Caledonian Sleeper

Wake up to the beauty of Scotland with this overnight train

Peter Devlin

10/10 Belmond Eastern & Oriental

A breezy observation car on a luxury Asian train

Belmond

In the early days, Eurail was an unashamedly upmarket product. The rail pass was geared mainly at leisured North Americans who wanted first-class travel on posh trains that boasted amenities such as silver-service dining and even, on occasions, an on-board hairdressing salon.

A few months before the first Eurail pass was issued, the Boeing 707 entered service – and the new jet meant that transatlantic air travel became more comfortable and affordable. With air fares falling in the 1960s, there were demands to open up Eurail to a wider clientele. That came in 1971 with the launch of a modestly priced second-class pass for students and young travellers who wanted to roam the rails of Europe west of the Iron Curtain.

Again, it was restricted to travellers from outside Europe.

The post-1968 beat generation was on the move, guitars in hand, and they came in their thousands, keen to explore not merely the canonical sights that featured in the Rail Europe posters but also eager to take in places off the beaten path. 

Young Europeans were quick to question the logic which underpinned Eurail.

“Why,” they asked, “should young Americans and other overseas visitors get a great value rail pass to explore Europe, while we who live here on the continent cannot benefit from this offer?”

Adventure ahead: a 1974 Interrail pass (Penny Ritchie Calder)

The pressure was on, and it was no surprise when in 1972 the national rail administrations of 21 countries launched Interrail: a product which was geared to European residents and actually covered an even larger area than Eurail. 

Both schemes have gone from strength to strength. These days both Eurail and Interrail are administered by a single agency, based in the Netherlands, which ensures that broadly similar conditions apply to the two schemes.

In overseas markets, Rail Europe remains a major retailer of the Eurail pass and they, like other agencies, are keen to promote the idea that having a rail pass valid for one, two or even three months unlimited travel doesn’t mean riding the rails endlessly.

Wise travellers are more inclined to opt for passes which allow five or seven days travel in a one-month period. And both Eurail and Interrail also offer passes which can be used for 10 or 15 days within a two-month spell. 

Looking back at some of the early publicity for Eurail in its launch year, it’s interesting that the focus was as much on the journey as the destination. Bavarian castles, snowy Alpine peaks and Riviera coastlines were things to be seen from the secluded comfort of a first-class seat. Europe was presented for its cinematic appeal.

The launch of Interrail in 1972 used other touchstones, placing less emphasis on scenery and landscapes, instead promoting the merits of engaging with young Europeans from other countries. 

These days, the explorers who roam the railways of Europe with Interrail and Eurail are as likely to be pensioners as students. But, whatever their age, we hope they will spare a thought for Pierre Le Bris who first had the fine idea of creating a rail pass which would allow travellers to discover the joy of travelling on a whim. 

Nicky Gardner and Susanne Kries are the authors of Europe by Rail: The Definitive Guide. The 16th edition of the book has just been published. Find out more at europebyrail.eu.



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TTG – Vacation sector news

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06 Dec 2019by Franki Berry

The LateRooms site is back again up and in motion right after it shut down before this year.

LateRooms' website is back up and running

LateRooms’ web-site is again up and managing

Getaway rental marketplace Snaptrip has revived the site, which was shut in August along with Tremendous Crack when its father or mother firm Malvern Group collapsed.

 

Snaptrip obtained the web page domain and electronic property from Top secret Escapes, which in flip had acquired them just after the collapse.

 

The new LateRooms web site, which launched on 3 December, is at present employing Reserving.com to electrical power its search.

 

A spokesperson explained the possible for new partnerships would be reviewed above the future 6 to 12 months.

 

Snaptrip is owned by Rest Easy Group, alongside other brand names these kinds of as Previous Minute Cottages and ​iknow-british isles.com​.

 

“Not only is it [LateRooms] a model recognized nationwide, but it is synonymous with past moment bookings and we are hugely thrilled to breathe new life into what was when a person of the largest and most suitable internet websites in United kingdom vacation,” claimed Matt Fox, Snaptrip co-founder and chief govt, at the time of the acquisition.



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Flight attendant turns up for work seven times over legal alcohol limit

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A flight attendant who was found to be almost seven times over the legal alcohol limit when she arrived for work has been fined £548 and ordered to pay £85 in costs.

Lemara Thompson, 27, pleaded guilty for being over the legal limit at Uxbridge Magistrates Court.

The Delta Air Lines cabin crew member, from Brooklyn, New York, failed a breathalyser test after she arrived at London Heathrow airport on 16 June smelling of alcohol.

She was then given further tests that revealed her blood alcohol level was 135mg per 100ml – the legal limit for aviation professionals is 20mg.

“She was almost seven times over the limit,” said prosecutor Shann Sethi.

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right Created with Sketch.

1/8 Cockroach curry

A cockroach was found in an Air India breakfast meal.

Twitter/Manoj Khandekar

2/8 Apples and pears

Avianca’s idea of a vegetarian meal was an apple and a pear on board one flight.

Twitter/Steve Hogarty

3/8 Chicken sandwich

Emirates served this disappointing Cajun chicken and cheese sandwich on a flight to Dubai

Paul Carlin

4/8 Gluten-free banana

Martin Pavelka was handed this banana, complete with “gluten-free” label, as his inflight meal on an ANA service from Tokyo to Sydney.

Martin Pavelka/Evening Standard

5/8 Mushroom sandwich

Oman Air’s finest: presenting something approximating a mushroom sandwich on a flight to Heathrow.

Nick Boulos

6/8 Raw vegetables

Aegean Airways served up some raw pepper and carrot sticks as its veggie option on one flight.

musterknabe

7/8 More cockroaches

An Air India passenger wasn’t impressed when she found this in the business class lounge.

Twitter/Harinder Baweja

8/8 Leftovers

Not everyone turns their nose up at plane food – this Urumqi flight attendant was suspended after a video of her eating leftovers went viral.

Viral Press


1/8 Cockroach curry

A cockroach was found in an Air India breakfast meal.

Twitter/Manoj Khandekar

2/8 Apples and pears

Avianca’s idea of a vegetarian meal was an apple and a pear on board one flight.

Twitter/Steve Hogarty

3/8 Chicken sandwich

Emirates served this disappointing Cajun chicken and cheese sandwich on a flight to Dubai

Paul Carlin

4/8 Gluten-free banana

Martin Pavelka was handed this banana, complete with “gluten-free” label, as his inflight meal on an ANA service from Tokyo to Sydney.

Martin Pavelka/Evening Standard


5/8 Mushroom sandwich

Oman Air’s finest: presenting something approximating a mushroom sandwich on a flight to Heathrow.

Nick Boulos

6/8 Raw vegetables

Aegean Airways served up some raw pepper and carrot sticks as its veggie option on one flight.

musterknabe

7/8 More cockroaches

An Air India passenger wasn’t impressed when she found this in the business class lounge.

Twitter/Harinder Baweja

8/8 Leftovers

Not everyone turns their nose up at plane food – this Urumqi flight attendant was suspended after a video of her eating leftovers went viral.

Viral Press

Thompson’s defence said she had been drinking the night before rather than prior to the flight, and that this was “unusual for her”.

“’The defendant made, in her own words, a horrible mistake – she jeopardised everything she had worked so hard to achieve in life,” said Dan Martin, defending.

“She is extremely remorseful.”

He added: “She made a great error of judgment in attending work the next day.”

Thompson faced disciplinary proceedings for her actions but is still employed by Delta, said Martin.

A Delta spokesperson told The Independent: “In June, Delta cooperated with law enforcement in its investigation into a crew member who was removed from a flight prior to departure.

“We treat all reported allegations in contrast with our strict employee alcohol policy as serious.”

 

It’s not the first time a member of flight crew has been found to be over the limit.

In July, a pilot was arrested on suspicion of being drunk while onboard a full plane ready to take off.


Drunk passenger vomits in other passenger’s hair

The pilot, who also worked for Delta, was arrested at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport when officers smelt alcohol on his breath.

The plane was on the tarmac but had not yet left the gate.

Before boarding the flight, to San Diego, California, he was seen trying to leave a security line when he noticed extra screening taking place, according to Minnesota’s Star Tribune. 

“Delta’s alcohol policy is among the strictest in the industry and we have no tolerance for violation,” the airline said in a statement. 

“Delta is cooperating with local authorities in their investigation.”



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