In a highly welcomed move, Longueville Manor has launched its New Leaf Campaign, the umbrella under which the company will give shape and implement its various activities demonstrating its commitment to the environment. The five point plan of the campaign dwells on the impact of the hotel on the environment, in addition to detailing the most suitable business practices for the future in the areas of environment, education; recycling, energy and water are saving. 

Longueville Manor is a wonderful property with a vast resource owned by the company including over 15 acres of woodland. The property is highly equipped to lead an environment friendly initiative in the tourism industry in Jersey.

Malcolm Lewis, Owner of Longueville Manor observes, "New Leaf is a great step forward for us and something we have wanted to do for a very long time. Environmental responsibility is becoming increasingly important politically, but also individually for guests, hence for us as a business this is a natural progression in today's environment but also something we feel passionately about on a personal level".

Joining hands with Bill Brown, the famous eco designer, Eurocamp, the leading camping operator of Europe has developed a special eco beach bag for the use of holidaymakers. Fashioned only from natural products, coconut shell and handloom cotton, the bag shall certainly make a perfect companion while going to the beach or supermarket.

Eurocamp has decided to include this designer bag in the complimentary travel pack mailed out to customers as they book their Eurocamp holiday. The other freebies to be gifted along with the bag are an out-door super-size snakes and ladder, a beach ball, an eco shopping bag and a mini paddling pool.

This new innovative eco shopper bag is completely made from biodegradable material and is a part of Eurocamp's several efforts to encourage the holidaymakers act in a more eco-conscious way while setting out with their holidays. Notably, unlike the UK, several European countries like France have completely banned the use of plastic bags in supermarkets. With the spread of this movement, the demand for eco friendly alternatives is phenomenally on rise.

The magnificent properties of Ski Famille, the family specialist, ideally sit right in the centre of the massive Portes du Soleil ski domain. Notably, this region is presently enjoying highly suitable late season snow conditions. During the peak weak, there was more than 50cm of fresh snowfall. Due to these conditions this year in addition to the excellent nature of this base, there is a heavy last minute demand for this destination.

Chris Thompson, the company personnel observes, "Following serious snowfalls across the Northern Alps over the Easter weekend there has been a dramatic surge in the number of people looking for April holidays. The current conditions give families a great opportunity to experience fabulous snow within school holidays at late season prices."

Ski Famille owns catered chalets in Les Gets providing a unique and surpassing skiing opportunity right at the doorstep for attractive prices starting from £395 for adults and £315 for children on the 5th of April. The comfortable Chalets can sleep from 8 to 20 people and are renowned for their captivating and traditional Alpine charm coupled with some of the most wonderful skiing locations suitable for all skiers. 

In a select range of UK parks, Haven Holidays is offering a full week for only £199 for a family consisting of four people. The price includes a comfortable accommodation at a holiday home in addition to a range of wonderful facilities. In fact, one can say it is even cheaper than staying at home during holidays if you want to keep your kids happy and entertained.

The parks feature multi-sports courts, heated indoor swimming pools and a wide range of exciting activities including a brand new 'Kid's Alive' programme. The highlights of this programme are mini-trampolines, wake and shake session and mini tennis - all included in the price. Over and above, interesting range of games and competitions, arts and crafts, music and dancing are offered at the Kid's Clubs without any extra charge.

On each of the nights, there is a great deal of live entertainment for the whole family. The activities of the evenings start off with party dance sessions in addition to wonderful shows involving some of the popular children's characters like Rory the Tiger, Bradley Bear and friends. This will be followed by stage-shows that are professionally choreographed in addition to cabaret, music and dancing. The entire programme is a great fun offering an amazing value for money.

An in-depth market survey in the rental industry conducted by Avis reveals that the choice to book for a specific make and model of car and price transparency are the most important factors that attract customers while they rent a vehicle. The survey collected the responses of over 2,000 customers across different sectors of the corporate, consumer and business travel arena. The survey results contain valuable insight into the crucial needs of the car rental users of these days.

The main focus of the respondents to the survey was their ability to choose the make and model of the car they rent, the clarity of the condition of the vehicle at the end of the rental contract and the transparency of the rental price. About 65% among the renters were glad about knowing the final price they need to pay before renting out. Around 62% told getting the all-in price was their crucial concern. However, over 50% felt their ability to choose a particular make and model of the car while renting was also an important factor.

Daniel McCarthy, Commercial Director, Avis UK remarked, "The survey provides a valuable insight into what customers see as their biggest priorities through the rental car process. This gives us valuable feedback so we can stay tuned into what our customers expect from the Avis brand."

For booking summer holidays before 1st April, Keycamp offers an amazing 30% discount. The scheme is made available on all mobile and tent accommodation at a select range of sites. According to this special summer deal, families can hope to save up to 30% off over their bookings for holidays scheduled during the months of May and June. Over and above, for breaks scheduled in the months of July and August, the company allows up to 20% off.

For an involved and relaxing beach holiday, one of the perfect choices is the La Yole site offered by Keycamp at St Jean Plage in the Northen Vendee. This wonderful and scenic location is ideally set in a lush green woodland glade at about 2 kms from some sandy beaches very near to the popular Atlantic Toboggan Waterpark. The location is doubly ideal if you are to visit with small children, as they can have a great time out with exciting water sports and activities at this park.

Over and above, the camp features an excellent swimming pool complex combined with waterchute. The other amenities include games room, children's club, family disco and sports like volleyball, tennis and football.
In July, the price of a seven night camping holiday accommodation alone for a family of two adults and up to five children with stay in a Supernova starts from £809, making a saving of £170. As a supplement, overnight stops, fly-drive packages and ferry crossings can be added.

Norway is an ideal destination for a short break. A break at Norway is even more enjoyable and comfortable with DFDS Seaways. The company offers a short break in the most beautiful Fjord region at the cities of Bergen and Stavanger. Some of the highlights of the facilities at the vessels of DFDS include restaurants, cinema, live entertainment, bars, swimming pool and Kids Club during school holiday season.

Stavanger Pulpit Rock Cruise Break is one of the most exciting breaks to enjoy the beautiful Fjord Norway. A three-night break in the city of Stavanger makes you experience the small town charm of this quaint city. After spending enough time at this city exploring its beauty, you can join the Veteran Fjord Cruise sightseeing boat to enjoy the sights of waterfalls, idyllic islands and the world renowned Pulpit Rock. Prices per person start from £99 including two nights onboard, one night in a hotel and a boat trip to the pulpit rock. Departures are scheduled on 19th April, 17th may and 14th June.

Norway Sightseeing Tour is a wonderful opportunity to discover the wild and beautiful coastline, visiting the cities of Bergen and Stavanger. On your arrival at the Gateway to the Fjords, enjoy the atmosphere before setting out with a coach tour to Stavanger, followed by a mini cruise break to Newcastle. With departures on 22nd April, 20th May and 3rd June, prices start from £99 per person including a coach tour and three nights on board.

Continuing the trend of winning several awards as one of the world's hottest destinations, Cambodia has also proudly bagged the prestigious award of "Favourite Long Haul Country" for 2007, awarded at the most prestigious Guardian Travel Awards. Though the tourism interests of this wonderful destination are a hot topic around the world, there are a number of unraveled secrets that are only uncovered by Travel Indochina, the Asia Specialist tour operator.

With the assistance of the knowledgeable guides of the company, the visitors can have exclusive access to the eastern entrance of the magnificent Angkor Wat. The 7-day small group journey titled 'Inside Cambodia' shall certainly prove to be a cherished experience for a lifetime. This trip bestows a rare opportunity to set out to explore this wonder of the world through a short tuk tuk ride. Following this, the visitors wade through the thick forests of Angkor under the cover of darkness guided by torches. This enables them to reach Angkor Wat well before the dawn to witness the most spectacular sunrise.

Once the visitors are at the temple, the guides will take them through the central chambers and upper terraces of this magnificent monument. A cable balloon ride is a highly thrilling experience enabling a rare sight of the monument from a height of about 200 metres. This is an ideal opportunity to marvel at the incredible size and layout of the Angkor Wat in addition to appreciating the ancient Khmer civilization.

Heading Bush 4WD Adventures (headingbush.com) has introduced a highly exciting opportunity for small groups to explore the Australian Outback in a 10-day, four-wheel drive excursion from Adelaide to Alice Springs.

The attractive highlights of the itinerary includes camping amidst bushes, sleeping under the stars, visiting the Simpson and Painted deserts, getting to know about the aboriginal history and culture evident from the lives of Iga Warte community, and visiting the Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kata-Tjuta (The Olgas). The visitors are also taken to the magnificent Fliders Ranges, the world famous Oodnadatta track, the historic cameleer route, old Gham Railway, the mining town of Coober Pedy, Dalhousie Hot Springs, Kings Canyon and the Western MacDonnell Ranges.

There are also a range of interesting activities along the route including bushwalking, hiking, enjoying a refreshing bath in the natural hot springs of Dalhousie, trying a swim at the desert billabongs, visit to the geographical centre of Australia at the Lambert's centre, and wild life spotting. Interestingly during some trips, you might have an opportunity to deliver provisions and mail to some remote cattle stations.

London's theatre land is all set to be blown by the stormy relationship of Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara next month when Gone with the Wind, one of the greatest love stories of all time is to be screened at the New London Theatre on Friday, the 4th April 2008.

The storyline of Gone with the Wind is set in the Atlanta of 1860's during the times of civil war. The focus is on the troubled and passionate story of Scarlett O'Hara and her tumultuous relationship with Rhett Butler. Travelsphere, one of the leading U.S tour operators of the UK are offering a rare opportunity for the visitors to explore the southern states, which is the centre of the movie.

The 15-day itinerary priced from £1299 per person is filled with exciting action all through beginning in Atlanta, Georgia. This is the place where Rhett and Scarlet escape through the burning streets during the climax of the war. A visitor shall be able to compare the setting of the movie filmed 170 years back with the present state of the city of Atlanta, which has become one of the foremost cities of the US and a renowned home to CNN, the 1996 Olympic Games and Coca-Cola. The city tour included in the package takes the guests to visit the famous sites at this city like the Peachtree Street, the home of Dr Martin Luther King and the Georgia State Capital.

Between 11am and 5pm on the four weekends of June, more than 140 finest artists of Suffolk will keep their studios open completely free for their visitors. During the occasion, the visitors can appreciate the artworks displayed, interact with the artist to know the original concept and gain a wonderful insight into the creative process. The idea of meeting the artists at their own world of creation is certainly unique and one of the rare opportunities for the lovers of art.

The skills of the artists stretch over a wide range of mediums like textiles, glasswork, ceramics, sculptures, jewellery, photography and paintings in acrylics, oil and water colours. Since the inception of the event in 1991, some of the artists have rejoined it every year, while some are returning after a break this year in addition to a band of newcomers. With the artists hailing from different parts of the country, some of the centres are beautifully maintained.

The basic idea behind Suffolk Open Studios is to make the visual arts accessible to all and to project the process and setting of the artistic creation, encouraging the contact between the public and the visual arts. A colour directory has been published containing the dates and venues for all the Suffolk Open Studios events, in addition to an illustration and mission statement by every artist. Copies are distributed through the Tourism Information Centres from April. Also available online at www.suffolkopenstudios.co.uk

The most exciting 2008 Bordeaux Wine Festival is scheduled between 26th and 29th of June on the quays of the Garonne River, stretching between the Pont de Pierre and the Bourse Maritime. This year marks the tenth year of this festival inviting the lovers of food, wine, culture and festivity from all over the world to rejoice over the celebrations in this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Following Oporto, Munich, and Fukuoka, the vibrant city of Saint Petersburg will be the guest of honour for this year's Bordeaux Wine Festival. In this connection, an entire pavilion will be totally dedicated to this city. Notably, Bordeaux has established wonderful connections with this city in the areas of scientific research, aerospace, arts and culture, language and education. In addition, Russia is the 15th largest market for exporting Bordeaux wine. 

The Wine Road located between the river and the XVIIIth-Century façades is among the top highlight. The Tasting Pass costs 13 Euros including a glass, glass case, several tickets with special offers and a tasting notebook. This enables the visitors to personally experience the quality and diversity of wines from
Bordeaux and the Aquitaine regions by visiting Pavillon des Négociants and Pavillon des Appellations. In addition, for an additional charge of 3 Euros, the new Duo Pass introduced this year offers the visitors an extra glass and glass case to share the event with their partner or friend.

Preparations for the 2014 World Cup is already underway. Maracanã, the stadium Head Quarter of top Rio de Janeiro clubs including Vasco, Flamengo, Botafogo and Fluminense is under the process of total refurbishment for 2014. However, the football museum of the stadium is open for visitors. The highlights of the museum are mementoes from legendary matches like the ball and net from Pelé's 1,000th goal and the boots used by Garrincha. These items are considered as the best dribbler in the history of football.

In addition to its expertise in football, Brazil is also known for its wonderful hospitality industry. A cold beer in Belo Horizonte will certainly prove refreshing for guests after watching the event at the massive74, 000-seater Minerão stadium. Notably, the city boasts more than 12,000 bars and more per capita income than any other part of the country. 

Spread across its 8 million square km territory, Brazil has proposed a record number of over 18 cities to host the matches, making the event of 2014 as one of the most geographically diverse World Cup ever hosted on the earth. Over and above, the event will attract football fans from all over the world from the heart of Amazon forest to the cities of Rio Branco and Manaus. Brazilians take the World Cup highly serious when compared to other nations. They have the credit of winning the world cup five times so far in foreign soils.

In a much awaited move, Michaela Strachan, the TV celebrity is officially opening the stunning new facility 'The Virtual Dive Bell' of the Lakes Aquarium, at Lakeside, near Newby Bridge on 29th March at 1.45 pm. Best known for her high profile children's programs and wild life programs, Michaela Strachan will mingle with families between 1pm and 4pm besides officially cutting the ribbon and offering her views on this wonderful facility. 

Accompanied by the winners of a story competition organized in LA postcodes, Michaela will herself take a voyage on the Virtual Dive Bell. On her voyage at the virtual dive bell, she will test her nerves during encounters with hippos, crocodiles, sharks in addition to experiencing the interactive created with cutting edge technology forming part of this facility including quizzes, games, skill based and wildlife based knowledge and other fun activities. She will also go through circus workshop and watch some of the most interesting creatures like marmosets, piranhas, mudskippers and tropical fish of many colours.

Katherine Beaumont, Aquarium of the Lakes marketing manager observes, "Our new feature isn't all about thrills and spills, even if these will offer memories lasting a life-time. It has a big wildlife and conservation element as well, which is why we felt Michaela Strachan was the perfect celebrity to be part of our family event."

With a great surge in Middle East bookings as announced by Cox & Kings, Syria remains one of the most rapidly growing destinations for the company. Over the bookings of last year, this year has shown a phenomenal 500% increase. Damascus, the Syrian capital is one of the oldest and continuously inhabited cities of the world, which was occupied from around 800 AD. During visits, the guests can see the walled city with a fascinating Umayyad Mosque located at its heart.

Some of the notable highlights of the trip include visiting the Great Mosque; Azem Palace, the biggest residence of Ottoman in the old city and the small chapel of Ananias. However, watching the vibrant activities of the local souqs add flavour to the visits to Middle East. The amazing scale of Damascus' Souk al-Hamadiye is unique and not found elsewhere in other Arab countries. The short breaks introduced by Cox & Kings for 2008 include two breaks to Damascus, the Arab Capital of Culture for 2008.

Mark Stacey, Middle East Product Manager observes, "Damascus has so much to offer visitors, particularly those interested in the history and culture of Syria. As well as being one of the highlights of any trip to Syria, it also makes an ideal weekend break destination, only five hours' flight from the UK."

Under hectic life schedules, most families are unable to enjoy quality time together when parents, grand parents and children can together celebrate some leisure. As an outlet to realize this fantastic dream, European Waterways family charters offer an opportunity that can be remembered for long.

It is rather difficult to plan a holiday with children. Often setting out with children requires that the hotel rooms are together, the meals are suitable and the trips yield fun for all. Most often, all these concerns do not come true. Family charters aboard a hotel barge are a perfect solution to these concerns.

Scottish Highlander passes through the Great Glen, providing a rare opportunity to enjoy Nessie Spotting with "fish finder" whilst cruising through the most enchanting Loch Ness to reach Fort Augustus. Visiting the Urqhuart Castle dating back to the 13th century, getting marveled at the amazing scenery of the highland with golden eagles and deer, trout fishing on the Oich River can prove to be classic collection of experiences. A wonderful range of visits to local attractions and a wide range of exciting activities can thrill families.

Some of the highly delicious and popular cuisines like Chinese, Indian, Thai and Vietnamese may proliferate in the restaurants and takeaways of High streets. However, nothing can match the experience of sampling it in its own homeland. Imaginative Traveller has launched a new collection of special interested escorted tours exclusively focusing on the cuisines and food of China, India, Vietnam and Thailand.

For instance, A Taste of Vietnam tour is a rare occasion for travellers to discover the French and Chinese culinary influences of the country.

In Hanoi the top highlights are enjoying a food stall supper, in addition to accompanying the chef when he shops in the local markets before cooking dinner and eventually tucking in to see the fantastic results.

Since the legality of the move has raised serious concerns and doubts, BAA has suspended its plans for collecting the fingerprints of the travelers using the £4.3 billion terminal of the Heathrow Airport. However, according to the press reports released recently, BAA has been insisting that the process should be permitted in future. In this regard, talks are underway between the information commissioner, BAA and the data protection watchdog.

This plan will mean the fingerprints will be checked at the gate by way of ensuring that the person who checked in was the same one who boards the aircraft. The move would lead to domestic and international passengers to mingle in the departure lounge of the terminal.

The airport operator reiterates that the process is essential to clearly distinguish domestic passengers from international ones, as there are no processes to segregate them in the lounge of the giant new terminal. However, according to the Information Commissioner, this plan is bound to breach the Data Protection Act. In lieu of collecting fingerprints, he would suggest taking photographs, which is a standard practice at several other airports. BAA has agreed to go ahead with this process for time being before the talks yield fruits.

Ryanair Chief Executive, Michael O'Leary, expects that the profits of the company will halve this year. Owing to this, the airline has decided to freeze pay for top executives since the management is keen to avoid increasing ticket prices to compensate high fuel costs. Earlier in the month of February, the airline warned of high oil prices, a faltering UK economy and weakening of sterling, which might half its profits during the business year commencing in April. However, though some charges may rise, the airline does not want to directly increase the Ryanair fares.

Addressing a press conference, Mr. O'Leary remarked, "Our guidance remains the same from our last. We will update this in June at our results but I expect a 50 percent drop in profits in the next 12 months. I just don't expect our fares to rise. I think our fares will be flat and that will be a good result I think."

He too added, "We are renegotiating airport contracts, handling contracts, maintenance contracts ... we want to reduce costs in every single area of the operation. Baggage fees and credit-card charges will go up. Partly to reduce costs but more importantly to encourage passengers to take hand luggage and reduce our check-in costs. We will move to kiosks very soon."

Inevitable delays are expected when Heathrow's Terminal opens its check-in desks tomorrow. In this regard, business travel agents have been instructed to warn their clients are exhort them to come to the airport well in advance of their departure schedule. HRG, the travel management giant observes that the opening of the terminal is bound to bestow a great deal of long-term benefits. However, the teething problems are rather unavoidable during the initial stages of its opening.

HRG's group industry affairs director, Mike Platt, calls for a 'fundamental change in passenger behaviour' that is crucial for the successful operations of the terminal processes. He remarked, "Heathrow will be the better for Terminal 5 but it would be unwise to think that such major change can work seamlessly from day one. Travellers need to be aware of this in order to get the best out of this new experience."

Notably, the revolutionary and innovative designing of the airport follows the idea that a major number of passengers will resort to online check-in and print out their own check-in cards before they arrive at the terminal. In this connection, the airport has replaced several traditional check-in desks to accommodate 100 fast baggage drop-off points. The travelers need to take a good advantage of this new facility, failing which the long queues at the limited number of check-ins cannot be avoided. It is also told that there will not be dedicated desks for club or Executive Club silver cardholders.

Preparing itself to shift to the new terminal, the Star Alliance has planned the timetable for changes at the Heathrow Airport. Named as 'Move under one Roof', the process will be implemented in different phases and will go on until 2012.

The first phase of the process includes a major overhaul of existing Terminal 1. Works are under progress for demolishing the present check-in islands for making a refurbished check-in hall. This process will pave the ground for Air New Zealand and United to shift on 10th June from Terminal 3 to Terminal 1. For benefiting the customers who depart, Star Alliance will open the gates of the largest lounge of the whole network located in Terminal 1. This will also take place in June.

The second phase of the process will be carried out during the later half of 2008, coinciding with the closure of Terminal 2. In October and November, some of the members of Star Alliance will move from Terminal 2. The list of airlines moving during these months includes Austrian, SWISS, Lufthansa, TAP Portugal and Croatia Airlines, the regional member carrier. During the same time, bmi will start using a new check-in area designed in a linear layout.

Introducing a brand new colour supplement, Helpful Holidays, the specialists in West Country have added more than forty-five self-catering properties. This move enhances their portfolio further to offer more than 600 holiday homes. The properties displayed in the new supplement can sleep from two to sixteen visitors and are located in a variety of settings. The properties are scattered across Devon and Cornwall, while a few are located in Dorset, Hampshire, and Somerset.

The new additions include the magnificent Georgian country house that can sleep sixteen and located on a 6,000 acre Devon estate. The new waterside property located in the popular sailing centre of Newton Ferrers - south Devon, features boats that can sail ten people. Yet another new property located near North Bovey on Dartmoor was earlier a threshing mill and can accommodate twelve. Over and above, the company also newly owns a highly stylish cottage meant for five, ideally set in the heart of Appledore on North Devon's coast.

Maristow Barton is the top highlight of the new additions to the supplement. This amazing property is located near Milton Combe hidden in a silent and serene 6,000-acre estate. Recent refurbishments have highly enhanced the property offering an exceptionally relaxing and refreshing experience to guests amidst a pleasant setting. There are eight bedrooms with all modern amenities challenging the best in the industry. Prices are from £1,296 for a week and £926 for a short break.

In a significant move, Bristol International is vigorously into the necessary groundwork for launching Lufthansa, the German Airline, which will be offering its daily services commencing from 31st March.

Commencing from next week, the carrier will offer flight services to Frankfurt with three flights a day. From Frankfurt, travelers can avail European and International connections.

As part of the groundwork, the airport has been conducting training checks on the systems of Lufthansa to get things ready before the airline arrives. In addition, the airport has also ordered for German Newspapers for the business lounge.

In a move that was welcomes by a great number of passengers, Ryanair, the reputed low-cost carrier has further extended its scheme of lowest fare guarantee to govern all bookings made till 30th September.

Notably, the famous Irish airline had guaranteed its passengers lowest fares on its services from five of the UK airports to any one of the five European destinations namely City, Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton and Stansted. Further, the airline had also added that if a passenger claims otherwise, he would be given a double refund. In addition, he will also be included in a draw to win a cash prize of £10,000.

Peter Sherrard, Ryanair's personnel remarked, "Last year, there were less than 50 successful claims, so any passenger who finds a rare example of a lower fare with a competitor airline stands a great chance of winning. We are so confident that passengers won't find a lower fare with a competitor that we're offering an added incentive to any passenger who finds a rare example of a cheaper fare with another airline."

Leeds Bradford Airport is comfortably on its successful march to achieve its set target of serving over three million passengers during this year. Notably, the drop in passenger numbers during the winter had not impinged on this achievement. Though there was a great set back in the number of passengers in the months of November and December, there was an overall increase in the number of passengers the year 2007 to about 2.86m. This is a 2.5% increase over last year's 2.79m.

A spokesman of the airport reported that the number of passengers came down by 1.7% in the month of November, 5.6% percent during December and 2.6% during January. Usually, these are quieter months in the aviation industry. However, encouragingly, the numbers bounced up in the month of February shooting up to about 6.8%. He added, "Although we did see lower passenger numbers in the final two months of 2007, we remain on track to exceed three million passengers in 2008."

Bridgepoint, the new owner of the airport and a private equity company, has decided to invest around £50m in course of the next five years. Some of the major works to be carried out include surface repairs to the runway, reorganization of the central search zone in the terminal building for allowing more space for passenger queues and baggage handling, upgrading fuel storage in the fuel farm, adding up 2,222 car parking spaces for long stays and expansion of departure lounge and the duty-free area.

The opening of Terminal 5 was anticipated with varying responses from the public and different quarters of the aviation industry. Once the date was announced and several flights prepared themselves to see their first departures on Thursday, the 27th March from this new terminal, the enthusiastically awaited move turned out to be a disappointing experience to hundreds of passengers who arrived at the airport for departures.

On Thursday Morning, Terminal 5 opened its gates to the public and there were long queues all around. The check-in process stretching over several hours was a sickening experience for the majority of the people. This was followed by highly long baggage delays and cancellations of several flights.

Quite surprisingly, on its very first run, the sophisticated new system broke down causing a block log of luggage. Since hundreds of passengers could not collect their bags, not less than 20 flights were cancelled including departures to Aberdeen, Munich, Paris, Frankfurt, Brussels and Glasgow.

Being inspired by three recent movies filmed in Australia for release during this year, Quantas holidays has innovated a collection of tours and come out with a wonderful range of itineraries for those jet-setters who want to personally experience these lively locations of Australia featured in films entitled Australia and Fool's Gold.

Australia, to be released in Nov 2008 tells the story of an aristocrat hailing from England who travels to Australia for being with her husband, finally ending up inheriting a massive cattle station. The three-day itinerary on the Northern Territory discovers the essence of this film and features Darwin, Kakadu National Park and Katherine Gorge, with prices starting from £370 per person. Also, you can experience a cattle station live with a visit to the Kimberley region of Western Australia to spend two nights at the El Questro Homestead. The magnificent property is set in more than a million acres and the price of two nights full board per person starts from £928.  

Fools Gold to be released in April 2008 is set in Queensland and narrates the story of a treasure hunter who risks his marriage and life in searching for lost treasure. The highlight of the movie is the Great Barrier Reef of Australia. With a luxury stay at Qualia, the luxury resort located on Hamilton Island, prices for two nights full board start from £726 per person. Alternatively, full board price to explore the remote reefs starts from £775 per person.

Rome and Florence boast of a wealth of treasures known for their medieval splendour and antiquity. But more than what the guidebooks say, it needs the expert discourse of an expert to discover the real depth of its history.

White Hat tours, the leaders of tours of Italian cities joined hands with the European Rail Ltd, the leading rail providers to offer a rare experience of sustainable travel to access the essentials of culture. The 8-day package departs from the wonderfully refurbished St Pancras station in London, the gothic cathedral, employing Eurostar and TGV to travel to Rome with the comforts of the overnight Swiss sleeper.

Once you are at Rome, the guide of the White Hat guide will accompany you to some of the rare Roman and Vatican treasures normally not available to the public. On the 4th day, you enjoy a 90-minute journey to Florence to stay at the Hotel Degli Orafi popular for 'A room with a view'. You will also enjoy visiting Medici museums and villas ably guided by the expertise of White Hat.

The climate is freezing in UK during Easter this year. More families are setting out to enjoy warmer climates during April for making the most out of the school holidays. This fact has been revealed by the reports of lastminute.com. The company experiences phenomenal levels of traffic and bookings for holidays during the extended Easter weekend with departures during the next four weeks.

From Good Friday to Easter Monday, the traffic and bookings far exceeded the expectations. Most holiday bookings are for warmer destinations during the Easter holiday period lasting throughout April during this year.

For late Easter sunshine break, Turkey and Greece prove to be the most popular. In Trukey, most people particularly prefer Bodrum and Antalya, while Kos, Corfu and Rhodes are the notable hotspots at Greece for the UK tourists. When compared to last year, bookings for these two destinations show a remarkable increase of 22% and 15% respectively. 

Staying in a castle and being served by the lord and lady of the manor is an experience that only people can dream of. However, for the first time ever in history, guests to the Western Loire can see this happen. Opening their doors to the public, the oldest dynasties of the region are welcoming holidaymakers to enjoy a fantastic stay at their wonderfully decorated homes as though they were a part of their family.

This is also a memorable occasion for visitors to enjoy the most famous chateaux of this region, bestowing a greater feel than staying at an anonymous hotel. Over and above, there is nothing like being invited by the owner of the property who will greet you with a personal and informal touch. These grand and luxurious homes are the proud possession of these families and ensure a great and highly enjoyable stay whether the guests marvel at their timelessness or luxury. On the whole, what ensues from the whole experience is a fantastic place to refresh and relax.

The notable properties that are well distinguished among the immaculate collection are Château de Verrières, Saumur, with the most friendly owner Mme de Valbray taking a great care to attend to her guests; the most elegant Château de Briottières, Champigné, owned by François, the brother of Mme de Valbray; and Château de Chambiers, Durtal, a property with more of a family friendly touch, where each room tells stories of the personal history of the owner.

The Central American Country of Costa Rica holds a treasure of highly exciting activities like watching spotted and bottlenose dolphins, riding to the peak of an active volcano of 11,000 feet, white water rafting, gazing at the magnificent quetzal and visiting the silky sands of Pacific beaches and verdant rainforests.

Reef and Rainforest Tours champions the cause of "preservation through visitation". This most reputed company has launched a brand new 14-day itinerary projecting the whole range of diversity and excitement featured by this marvelous country.

If you are a thrill seeker, you can also hope to enjoy horse riding, mountain biking through cloudy forests right to the top of the magnificent Volcan Turrialba measuring 11,000 feet to watch the smoking crater standing at the rim, white water rafting down the Pacuare River, visiting indigenous villages and setting out with a canopy tour to zip above the tree tops. Costa Rica is popular for its abounding wild life numbering around 850 species of birds and rare mammals.

In the fast paced life, short cruise breaks are deemed ideal for relaxing and reflecting. DFDS seaways have launched a wonderful city cruise break to Bergen assuring a highly memorable trip. With the truly magnificent colours of the locality roused by the warmth of the summer sun, summer is the perfect time to visit Norway.

Cruising along the Norwegian coast with two brief stops, you reach Bergen early in the evening to set out with a guided walking tour enjoying the sights offered by this beautiful city. Following this, you cruise to Newcastle.

A short cruise break with DFDS Seaways is always enjoyable and ideal for several reasons. Your break begins immediately once you step onboard. There are absolutely no hassles of the baggage restrictions and long check-in queues at the airport. You just need to check in to your cabin and enjoy at the onboard restaurants and bars, shops, casinos, live entertainment, swimming pool and a movie enroute to Norway.

Highly renowned for the warmth of its tropical climate and the wonderful flower-scented sea breeze, Hawaii has been sought after for so long as a fulfilling holiday destination. Over and above, the distinguishing features of this region are Magnum PI and Hawaii 5-0 that account for the popularity of this destination.

However, as a holiday destination what you find here are the blue lagoons fringed with palm lining, the lush green stretches of forests, volcanoes towering up to two miles into the sky and several hidden gardens. Hawaii is aptly called as the loveliest fleet of islands on this earth. Quite interestingly, the names of most of these places have ensued from synonyms of the expression 'fun', the notable one being Honolulu.

Once you are at Hawaii, the renowned sunset beach known as Waikiki is a perfect place to celebrate your holiday. You can as well take a tour of the most popular movie locations of Hollywood. In an exclusive offer, the British Airways offers a fantastic deal with 7 nights in the 3-star Ohana Waikiki Malia. The charges per person based on two sharing starts from £909, with the offer valid on travels from 1st April to 30th April.

For so long, the majestic Barbados has been regarded as the 'Little England' of the Caribbean. There is so much in the city that justifies this title. The elements that bestow a strong British feel include English Country Churches, afternoon tea, portraits of the Queen and cricket matches to name just a few. However, the weather is far different from that of Britain and holidays at Barbados feature a rich beach life and the vibrant rhythm of the Caribbean. This is evident while strolling across the rum shops and food stalls scattered all along Baxter's Rd, the vibrant and the capital city street that hardly retires. 

Once you are at this wonderful place a visit to the fantastic Dover Beach and a guided hike into the countryside can make a memorable holiday experience. In an exclusive offer, the British Airways offers packages to Barbados with 7 nights at the 3-star Coconut Court Beach Hotel with prices starting from £705pp. The prices are valid for journeys scheduled between 7th May and 30th June for per person based on two sharing.

Prices for exclusive stays at the Coconut Court Beach Hotel start from £35. This family owned and managed property located on the beautiful and silky South Coast is perfect for singles, couples and families seeking a memorable and comfortable holiday with lot of dining and socializing at the beachfront. The property features 126 fully furnished rooms with balconies overlooking the beach or the lush green tropical gardens.

Bahama is a great place for a fantastic holiday experience with the sea being the central feature of more than 700 islands. Interestingly, the region is so vast making it quite easy for the astronauts to recognize its waters from outer space. About three quarters of the county lies beneath the water with the shores abundantly rimmed by some of the greatest barrier reefs of the world. There is so much to do once you are at the land. The city is presently a vibrant centre attracting jetsetters from all over the globe. Cabbage beach located on the Paradise Island is deemed ideal for an involved break at the shores. Also, located on the Grand Bahama, Garden of the Groves will certainly interest green lovers.

In an exclusive offer, British Airways offers 7 nights at the 3-star Nassau Palm Resort; with prices starting from £699pp including all taxes and charges. The offer is valid on travels scheduled between 7th May and 11th June. The prices are for per person based on two sharing.

The magnificent 4-star Atlantis Paradise Island Resort & Casino is ideally located on a vast stretch of waterfront and three miles of white sand beach. The hotel features 1,147 air-conditioned rooms with facilities like balcony, cable television, telephone with voice mail and data port, hair dryer, clock radio, in-room safe, ironing equipment and refrigerator. Some of the exciting activities at the resort are sailing, tennis, scuba diving, snorkeling, water sports, swimming, bi cycling and fitness centre.

Summer is the perfect time to enjoy the alfresco eating and drinking in the Mediterranean-style once you are at Adelaide. In this place the cafes and restaurants are humming all the time with the residents taking their wine and food highly serious. With diverse range of churches all over, the destination is emerging as a prominent sunspot destination with the cafes, pubs nightclubs and restaurants greatly outnumbering the churches.

Adelaide is indeed a dignified and graceful city ideally surrounded by several vineyards. The green parkland bordering the city centre offers a majestic and lush grandeur, with the location set against the beautiful backdrop of the lofty ranges and hills. The Muuray River abundantly irrigates the entire region with the city wearing a green look all through the year.

The daytime at the city is ideal for tasting wines in the Barossa Valley combined with a deli picnic. During nights, you can hit the central market of the city to taste wonderful range of local delicacies with the natives. In an exclusive offer, Quantas is offering a fantastic city break with 3 nights stay at the Directors Studio, a 3-star property with prices starting from £825pp. The offer is valid for travels scheduled between 16th April and 15th June, with the prices for per person based on twin share. The highlights of the Directors' Studio include TV, reverse-cycle air conditioning, ensuite, fridge and tea & coffee facilities. The property is ideally close to several attractions of the city.

Anguilla is one of the few places, which combine sophistication and sun. Ideally shaded by the linings of sea grape trees, this location boasts of one of the finest beaches in the Caribbean region. Located at the northern end of the region, the member of British Leeward Islands takes its name from the French term 'eel'. The name reflects its highly oblong shape, which justifies the long stretches of its wonderful beaches. Though small and less populated, several regular holidaymakers have made this one of the topmost destinations for a sunny holiday. Holidays at Anguilla bestow pampering and peace at once. The fantastic range of cuisine centred on lobster is ideal to make the most out of the holiday under the stars.

In an exclusive offer, British Airways offers packages starting from £815pp with 7 nights at the Sirena Hotel boasting 3-star status. The offer is valid for travels scheduled between 7th May and 30th June.

The 3-star room only accommodation at the La Sirena Hotel starts from £42. This property is a wonderful getaway for a perfect holiday experience located very close to the beach. The hotel features over 30 air-conditioned rooms with balcony, ceiling fans, clock radio, ironing equipment, telephone fitted with data port, hair dryer and in-room safe. The various facilities at the property include coffee shop, restaurant, live entertainment pertaining to seasons, cocktail lounge, laundry, concierge, gift shop and tour desk in addition to a range of exciting activities like water skiing, wind surfing and snorkeling.

Whatever may be your reason to visit Amsterdam; this is a great place offering a warm welcome to its guests to enjoy a refreshing and rejuvenating weekend holiday. The delightful city of Amsterdam boasts globally renowned galleries. One of the most noted is Van Gogh Museum, good enough to fulfill the purpose of your weekend trip. However, you will certainly find the vast array of laid-back coffee shops highly rewarding.

There is so much to do at Amsterdam from an ultimate chance to relish hash cakes served at the Grasshopper coffee shop to enjoying the thrill of a romantic candlelight cruise across the city. The weekend offers for Amsterdam are based on charges per person with twin sharing. Valid for travels between 1st April and 31st July, the exclusive flying offer with the British Airways is priced from £159pp, with one night at the 3-star Terminus Hotel with breakfast.

The 3-star Terminus Hotel provides exclusive offers on accommodation on select dates, with bed and breakfast priced from £62. The location of the hotel is ideally suitable for visiting several places of interest. The property is quite close to the highly popular Dam Square, the Royal Palace on the corner of the red light district. The location is also very convenient for shopping. The refurbishment has added glamour and luxury to the property. The rooms wearing a modern look are of different sizes and styles. The highlights of the rooms are their dark cherry wood furniture, abundantly spaced bedrooms, and full bathrooms.

There is a strong reason for skiers to rejoice during this season, as there is a heavy snowfall at most ski resorts across Europe. With a heavy snowfall, the popular ski resorts located in Austria, France Italy and Switzerland have covered themselves with a thick blanket of ice to bestow a wonderful skiing experience for visitors.

The ideal one among the resorts in France is the Argentiere, located in the Chamonix valley. The location had around 106cm of snowfall during the five days of Easter holidays. Also, Tigens experienced not less than 75 cm of snowfall during the weekend. However, the highest snowfall is recorded in Cauterets, located in the Pyrenees, with a snow depth increasing by 150cm during last week. At the Crans Montana in Switzerland, there was about 141cm snowfall.

Spokeswoman for Ski Club Great Britain told Times Online, Vanessa Fisher, remarked, "For people who want to ski now there are stacks of skiing to be had. The problem is that people tend to think Easter means the end of the ski season, but this year it'll go on well into the end of April."

Escaping with an involved skiing holiday, you will discover the perfect blend of luxury and retreat at French Alps, situated in the ski resort of Chamonix. The luxurious and catered accommodation provided by the chalet is the best way to celebrate a skiing holiday in France. Setting out for an "Alpes" vacation, you are sure to find the ultimate comfort as you stay in the alpine chalet rental ideally located in the foothills of Mont Blanc. The mountains and hills of the Chamonix Valley offer an ideal setting for a memorable French Alps ski holiday.

Clearly distinguished from the other ski-resorts of France, Chamonix is an exclusive chalet village. The best way to rent a chalet is to go for a mountain cabin rental located very close to the skiing stations and the highly famous Aiguille du Midi.

The sports lodge of the company is an ideal base for a range of activities like ski touring, skiing, snow boarding, climbing Mont Blanc and mountaineering. Alternatively, you can also choose to completely relax against the soothing warmth of fire or in the hot tub. Also, the chalets owned by the company in Les Houches, the winter skiing resorts at Chamonix Mont offer ultimate venue for lodging for ski and sports amidst a great location. 

The five museums short-listed for this year's Guardian Family Friendly Museum award demonstrate their unique capability in enthralling families together. The diverse collections ranging from the Dulwich Picture Gallery from the 17th century old masters to the Pictish art displayed in the Shetland Museum are good enough to capture and sustain the attention of visitors with hours of entertaining and educating experience. 

Anra Kennedy, a judge for this year and the head of learning at Culture24 remarks, "Children are fascinated by just about anything, if it's presented in a way that sparks their curiosity. The Rosetta stone, for example - children are absolutely enthralled by the magic that object holds, if they have it explained to them in the right way."

Wolverhampton Art Gallery boasts an exquisite painting collection entitled 'Age of Enlightenment' which might not be able to speak immediately to children under seven years. Corinne Miller, head of Wolverhampton Arts and Museums observes, "You can sit at a dressing table and find the tiny enamelled snuffboxes hidden away in the drawer. There's still the written text on the walls, but the idea is there's a whole range of sensations."

Virgin trains report that due to the unworkable engineering plans of Network Rails, millions of rail travelers using the London-to-Glasgow route will be forced with the hassles of worse overcrowding and more number of bus replacement services. The new work programme suggested by its board is expected to affect the commuter journeys of over 2.5m on the west coast line causing disruptions and troubles on most of the weekends till the end of December.

Virgin Trains feels that this plan is bound to force the cancellation of the services during weekdays and weekends, with the Network Rail scrambling to meet the deadline proposed in the month of December. Virgin Trains states, "Virgin Trains has significant concerns over the viability of introducing this plan, due to the huge disruption that will be caused to our customers, inevitable severe overcrowding on many trains, effect on our revenue and the reputational damage that will be suffered in the longer term."

Network Rail has however requested the Rail Regulation Office to approve the programme. In response to this appeal, the ORR has directed the rail infrastructure company to propose new procedures to upgrade the west coast line. This move followed an investigation over last year's lat-running engineering works.

The brand new Terminal 5 of the London Heathrow airport opens its gates to the public on Thursday, when the first aircraft of British Airways beginning its operation from the facility. Heathrow's brand new Terminal 5 opens to the public as British Airways begins operating from the building. The BA flight departing from Hong Kong is the first aircraft to land at this facility worth £4.3bn. The first departure from the terminal has been scheduled at 0620 GMT.

With the opening of this new facility, BAA, the airport operator and BA together are promising a highly enhanced passenger experience and occasions of fewer delays. On the other hand, Anti-airport expansion groups have called for a "flash mob" at the terminal sharp at 1100 GMT, with the organizers intending to host a "peaceful and legal event" in the arrival area. Notably, the demonstrators including local residents and environmentalists are opposing the plans for the sixth terminal and a third runway at the airport.

Till Wednesday, the services of BA were spread across three terminals of the Heathrow airport and the airline had to carryout a massive operation to shift the aircraft and handling equipment to the new terminal to commence its services from Thursday.

In a highly welcomed move, Ofcom has approved the plans enabling the aircraft registered in the UK to allow their passengers make use of mobile phones during flights. The regulator has worked in close quarters with the other bodies in the European Union to offer this much-awaited facility in European airspace. According to the present arrangements, the system functions as the mobile phone handsets of the passengers establish connection with an on-board base station. However, these base stations will be switched off during take-off and landing. This is to ensure that the cell phones do not interfere with the ground-based mobile networks.

The cabin crew will switch on the system only when the aircraft reaches up to a height of about 3,000 metres. Once this on-board base station starts functioning, travelers can make as well as receive calls that are duly routed to the network on the ground through a satellite link. Billing for calls made on flights will be through the regular service provider of the user's mobile phone. 

Before the facility could be launched, there is still a long line of regulatory issues to be tackled. This process also includes obtaining permission from the European Aviation Safety Agency and Civil Aviation Authority. Over and above, the final decision to allow this facility in their flights will solely rest with the individual airlines. Earlier, Ryanair wanted to test run the mobile phone technology provided by OnAir. In December, Air France began a six-month trial in one of its aircrafts.

Having commenced its operations on 20th March 2002, this month bmibaby is celebrating its six years of flying from the East Midlands Airport. During these six years, the low-cost carriers of the airline have transported more than 7.5 million passengers to and from the airport. More interestingly, while the celebrations were underway, the airline saw one of the busiest Easter banks holiday periods with more than 30,000 people traveling to and from the Midlands during last weekend.

At the East Midlands Airport, bmibaby started its operations six years back with one aircraft to Malaga. Now six years later, the airline boasts five Boeing 737 aircraft operated from the airport, with a choice of over 15 European destinations located in 7 countries with more than 248 weekly flights to and from the airport. Notably, bmibaby has expanded its fleet further this year with the inclusion of three brand new destinations to Warsaw, Gdansk and Nice, departing from East Midlands.

Caroline Plant, Director of Marketing and Communications, East Midlands Airport, observed, "Since bmibaby launched at East Midlands Airport in 2002 they have enjoyed incredible success. The demand for air travel in the Midlands region has since grown significantly, and bmibaby's plans are indicative of this success."

With BAA planning for a second runway at Stansted Airport, the move is said to be ignoring the environmental issues caused by the expansion according to activist group Plane Stupid. The group believes that the move only shows that the BAA is totally unprepared to tackle climate change issues in the airline industry. Several concerns indicate that the expansion is not at all compatible with the climate change. Claiming that the proposal for a new runway is 'an environmental catastrophe', Carol Barbone, campaign director for the Stop Stansted Expansion Campaign (SSEC) sees that there is no economic justification for this move.

She remarks, "This proposed second runway will have a devastating impact, not just in the immediate vicinity of the area but regionally and globally. We are looking at the break-up of villages and the loss of homes and heritage for which there is no justification. Regionally we are looking at the possibility of one million extra passengers travelling to and from Stansted - mostly coming by road. The impact of that alone would be very substantial, not counting the extra air traffic. Globally we face a very serious problem with climate change, and increasing passenger numbers on this scale will do nothing to reduce damaging emissions."

The major concerns threatening the expansion include the noise from tripling the number of flights from the Stansted airport, the impact of the extra million passengers traveling to and from the airport, challenge to the rural character of the region and global warming.

Over the next few weeks, British Airways is to introduce 12 new routes from London Gatwick Airport to several holiday destinations. On the other hand, to enable the launch of these services, several routes from Heathrow, Gatwick and London city airports are to be called off.

With effect from Sunday, the 30th of March, BA will operate its services from Gatwick to destinations including Alicante, Malaga, Faro, Palma, Gibraltar, Malta, Tunis and Poznan. Genoa will see services commencing from 4th April, while Antalya will be served from 10th April. To Ibiza, flights will be available starting from 1st June and to Paphos from 1st July.

The airline is increasing its services to the US from Heathrow during this summer, making it to 41 times a day to over 18 US destinations. A new service will be launched to Malaga from Heathrow on 30th March. From 6th May, BA will offer flights from London City to Barcelona, Amsterdam, Warsaw and Nice.

The transatlantic routes that are axed from Liverpool John Lennon airport are not likely to be reinstated for this summer. Notably, operational problems led to the scrapping of this route during last year. Flyglobespan, the Edinburgh-based business said last year that the New York and Toronto services would be renewed in May, when favourable economic conditions were anticipated by the airline. However, the present circumstances of increasing fuel costs and poor reliability of leased aircrafts are challenging the scenario making it unfavourable to recall the said services.

A spokesman of Flyglobespan remarked, "Two key factors have driven this decision - the price of fuel and aircraft availability. With the price of airline fuel at a record high we have had to look long and hard at the economic viability of all our long- haul routes. Also, after unsatisfactory performances from third- party operators in our programme last season, we are flying only our own aircraft this year, and are concentrating these aircraft on the most popular routes. Unfortunately that means that we will not be resuming Liverpool's transatlantic service this summer."

Last year, John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono introduced the first daily link from Liverpool to New York with great fanfare on 25th May. However, the service was cut within a month of its launch to four flights a week due to technical problems faced with the leased aircrafts, which caused hundreds of passengers getting stranded in New York for several days. During last October, there were only 325 bookings.

Silverjet, the all business class UK airline based at Luton Airport has announced a major change in the timings of its flights to Dubai with effect from 30th March and one of its flights to New York from the 1st of April.

According to this move, the flight to New York, which presently departs at 16:45, will be rescheduled to leave at 18:00, which will eventually arrive at Newark at 21:00. During the return journey, the flight will leave Newark at 22:30 instead of 21:55 to arrive in Luton at 10:40 on the next day. According to the airline, the change was necessitated with respect to the feedback received from the customers. This move is expected to give its customers a full working day at their offices before heading to Luton Airport.

Over and above, the schedule for the airline's Dubai flight is also to change from 30th March. Flight 253 is rescheduled to depart from Luton at 21:55 instead of 21:00 to land at Dubai at 08:30 in Dubai. On its return, the flight will take off from Dubai at 10:30 to land in Luton at 15:45, whereas the present time is 14:45.

In a recent move, plans have been submitted for creating a new train station ahead of a £210million rail link at the Glasgow Airport. The application requests permission to construct two platforms within yards from the main terminal. BAA Scotland has agreed to sponsor the walkway for the passengers to move from the station to the centre of the airport.

Once the link is completed in 2011, four trains will be operated in an hour connecting Glasgow Airport with the Glasgow Central stations. The application has been filed by the Strathclyde Partnership for prior approval to ensure the completion of the project on time.

The construction works for the station will commence once the viaduct to link the proposed route over the M8 motorway is completed. Notably, once the new station is accomplished, the journey time to the airport from the city centre will take only 16 minutes with a brief stop at the Paisley Gilmour Street.