World Best Travel

Which African Airlines Are Best?

By Hilary Mujikwa

My first choice for air travel in Africa is with Ethiopian Airlines. I’ve had the good fortune to work a lot with the airline and experience their service firsthand. The company has a long history that started with TWA. They have continued to be on the leading edge management, performance, service and fleet modernization since. They are one of the first to order the Boeing 787 “Dreamliner” and the airport at ADD is the most modern and well-managed in Africa taking it’s design from Atlanta’s Hartsfield. What this means to the traveler is safe, courteous, comfortable service with efficient baggage transfer and on-time performance to meet connections. With an extensive worldwide network this also means connections throughout Africa, Europe and Middle East. ET has flights from IAD to FCO (Washington to Rome) en route to Addis Ababa and this can oftentimes be a less expensive than European and U.S. carriers to get to the continent.

Below is a brief history of the airline:

8th April 1946:

The first scheduled flight took place to Cairo via Asmara in Douglas C-47 Skytrain. The national airline had been set up a few months earlier as Ethiopian Air Lines Inc., a joint venture with American airline, TWA (Trans World Airlines). Five US Government surplus C-47 aircraft were purchased for venture. Following the successful inaugural flight to Cairo, a regular weekly service was established. Weekly services to Djibouti and Aden followed, as well as a domestic service to Jimma. Demands for additional services were so great that towards the end of 1946, four more C-47 Skytrains were purchased. Since these aircraft were ex-US military, they had few comforts; all had folding bench-type canvas seats along the sides, with the central aisle kept clear so that cargo could be lashed to the floor.

1947:

Three more Skytrains were purchased for the international routes. These were fitted out in a `luxury’ layout with 21 forward facing seats and were the first to wear the colorful Ethiopian Airlines livery.

During the late 1940s the route network was extended to Nairobi, Port Sudan and Bombay. Charter flights were also flown to Jeddah during the Hajj season, carrying pilgrims to Makkah.

1950:

Two Convair 240 aircraft were purchased, followed later by a third, for use on foreign routes. These higher-performance aircraft had fully furnished interiors and seats for 36 passengers. Their pressurized cabins allowed the aircraft to fly higher, in smoother air.

By the end of 1952 the faithful Skytrains were still the mainstay for the domestic routes, linking 21 towns and cities to the capital and carrying both passengers and cargo.

1953:

Three quarters of the airline’s staff were now Ethiopian but expatriates still held most key posts. The Ethiopian government negotiated and new agreement with TWA with ultimate aim of operating entirely with Ethiopian personnel.

1957:

The fist Ethiopian commercial aircraft commander, Alemayehu Abebe, made his solo flight as captain on DC-3/C-47 aircraft.

The National Airline Training Project was set up with US Government help in Addis Ababa to train local pilots, technicians and supervisory personnel.

The airline established its own maintenance facility at Addis Ababa, reducing the need for maintenance overseas. In subsequent years the facilities expanded into a well-equipped center for maintenance, overhaul and modification work on aircraft, engines and avionic systems, not only for its own aircraft, but also for other airlines in the region.

The route network expanded with flights to Frankfurt.

1958:

The DC-6B Cloudmasters were purchased. These four-engined, 71-seat aircraft were used on the long-haul routes.

1960:

The airlines prepared to enter the jet age and decide that the Boeing 720B best met its requirements. However, the existing airfield serving Addis Ababa – Lidetta, which had been built in 1936 – was not suitable for jet operation, which required a long runway, and a decision was made to construct an entirely new airport and headquarters at Bole.

1961:

A new east-west service was inaugurated, linking Addis Ababa with Monrovia in Liberia, via Khartoum and Accra. This was the first direct air link between east and west Africa operated by any airline.

1962:

By December the new runway and control tower at bole international Airport were operational and two Boeing 720Bs arrived on their delivery flights. Ethiopian was the first airline in Africa to order Boeing 720B.

1963:

On 15th January the airline inaugurated its first jet service, from Bole to Nairobi. The following day the second Boeing inaugurated a new route to Madrid, via Asmara and Athens. Meanwhile the elderly Skytrains and their related civilian DC-3s continued to fly the domestic and cargo services and six further DC-3s were bought during the next decade. Despite their age, these aircraft were ideally suited to Ethiopia’s rugged terrain and high altitude.

1965:

The company changed its legal status from a corporation to share company. At the same time the title was changed from Ethiopian Air Lines to Ethiopian Airlines.

1971:

Colonel Semret Medhane was appointed general manager, the first Ethiopian to hold the position.

1977:

A Boeing 720B flight simulator was acquired, making the airline independent of foreign airlines for its pilot training.

1979:

Two Boeing 727s were purchased for medium-range routes, to replace the oldest Boeing 720s.

1982:

The airline bought a third Boeing 727 and two de Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo short-field transports for use on domestic services.

1984:

Ethiopian Airlines attracted worldwide attention on 1st June when its first Boeing 767 landed at Bole after a thirteen-and-a-half hour delivery flight from New York – setting a new world distance record for commercial twin-jets. The airline, which was a launch customer for the new aircraft, brought two of the advanced, wide bodied B-767 aircraft to replace the ageing Boeing 720s. In addition to their 190-seat passenger capacity the aircraft could carry 12 tones of cargo in the hold.

At the end of 1985, when the DC-3/Skytrains started to be withdrawn, the airline still had nine of these in service, all of them at least 40 years old. The last of these aircraft remained in service until October 1991. The main replacements were six 18-seater DHC-6 Twin Otters, and – for the busier domestic routes – two ATR-42sL fast and modern 46-seater aircraft.

1989:

The Cargo Management Department was established to afford special attention to the development of the airline’s cargo services. Hitherto the airline had regarded its cargo operations more as a public service commitment that as a secondary source of income.

1995:

The airline’s Engineering Division opened a new purpose-built jet engine test facility, allowing engines of up to 45,000 kg (100,000lbs) thrust to be ground tested.

April 1996:

As the airlines celebrated 50th anniversary the route network stretched from Europe (London, Frankfurt, and Rome) to China (Beijing) and Thailand (Bangkok). The Middle East and Indian sub-continent were well represented, and the airline’s African routes reached Senegal and Ivory Coast in the west, Cairo in the north, and Johannesburg and Durban in the south. The fleet consisted of two ATR-42 and four DHC-6 Twin Otters for the domestic passenger services, one Boeing 737 and four Boeing 757 aircraft for the medium range passenger services and three Boeing 767s for long-range services. For its cargo and non-scheduled services the airline had one Boeing 707 freighter, one Boeing 757 Freighter, two Lockheed L-100 commercial Hercules and one DHC-5 Buffalo.

The pilot training school was equipped with a state-of-the-art flight simulator, replicating the flight deck of the Boeing 767. The simulator was also used to train crews on the Boeing 757, whose flight deck is similar.

In October 1996 the first of five Fokker 50s was acquired to enhance the domestic services.

1998:

Another giant leap was made with the launch of a twice-weekly service to Washington – the Airline’s first destination in the America – and New York followed shortly after.

1999:

In February the ShebaMiles frequent flyer program was launched. Construction started on a new, ultra-modern terminal building at Bole International Airport to upgrade passenger services and cater for an anticipated increase in traffic. In November Scandinavia was brought into the route network for the first time with a new service to Copenhagen, Denmark, along with anew route to Maputo, Mozambique.

2002:

The airline embarked on a period of sustained growth and fleet modernization with plans to purchase, over the next four years, 12 new aircraft, Six Next-Generation B737-700s and six 767-300ERs were scheduled to replace the existing two B737-200s and two B767-200. In October night operations out of Addis Ababa were introduced, to supplement the daytime flights.

2003:

The new, 3,800 meter runway and control tower at Bole International Airport become operation, along with the spacious new airport terminal with its 21st- century facilities. Renovation of the older terminal began, to serve mainly domestic flights.

2005:

Ethiopian Airlines announced that it would be Africa’s launch carrier for the new Boeing 787 `Dreamlinder’, with a firm order for ten of these ultra-modern jets, and an option in five more. The order for the new fuel-efficient, long-range, passenger-friendly aircraft was valued at US$ 1.3 billion. Boeing begins production for the revolutionary new aircraft in 2006 and Ethiopian expects to take delivery from 2008.

All African Travel is a site dedicated to helping people find Ethiopian Tours.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Hilary_Mujikwa

Don’t Let Jet Lag Ruin Your Vacation

By : Lee Dobbins

If you’ve ever traveled across time zones for a business meeting or vacation, you might know firsthand how jet lag can affect you for days after the trip. Inability to sleep, being overtired, lethargy, headaches and loss of concentration can really put a damper on your trip. Luckily there are a few things you can do to try to minimize the effects of jet lag.

Usually, jet lag happens as a result of crossing time zones. This can affect your internal body clock where you lose or gain several hours and your body becomes disoriented as to what time it actually is.

How severe the symptoms of jet lag are usually depends on the direction you are traveling in and is found to be worse if you are traveling eastward. This is because the body rhythm is extended up to 27 hours when a person flies westward thus, the body is able to catch up with it’s environmental changes. Additionally, the “circadian rhythm” is more than 24 hours when a person travels westward due to the time of the day being lengthened which gives the body more time to adjust.

Unfortunately, there is no magic pill that will “cure” jet lag, but there are some things you can do to lessen the symptoms.

1. Natural light tends to help the body adjust, so staying outdoors during the day as much as possible in your new surroundings can help you cope with jet lag. This is because your body clock will be able to adjust at a faster rate once it becomes accustomed to the new surroundings.

2. If you are traveling to an important event, try to arrive well before the event is held. This is to give your body more time to adjust and get accustomed to the area. If you are on vacation, try adding a couple of days on to allow you to adjust so you won’t have to spend your precious vacation days recovering from jet lag.

3. If there will be a big time difference in your actual bedtime, try adjusting it before you leave on your trip – going to bed earlier or later to match the time zone you will be in as closely as possible.

4. It’s best to start right off doing your daily activities to your new time zone instead of trying to hold on to your old time zone. Wake up in the early morning of the new time zone and eat your meals at the new time zone;s time.

Jet lag doesn’t have to be a huge problem if you don’t let it. Just give yourself a couple of days to adjust and you’ll be in sync with your new surroundings in no time .

Article Source : http://www.123article.org

Discount International Air Travel Is Not For Everyone

By : Susan Dean

Traveling internationally means something different to all of us. Some will be going on a holiday while others may be traveling for business purposes for example. Either way many people will choose the option for discount international air travel. Of course this really does depend on your financial situation and whether or not you are happy to accept the compromises that go with this form of traveling. What I mean by this is that to keep airfares at discounted prices the airlines will offer you for example alternatives such as layovers instead of direct flights. Now this may not be a bother to some people but to others it can be very disruptive to their travel plans.

I would seriously suggest to you that before you purchase your discount international air travel tickets you should really do your homework and find out whether these compromises are worth the reduced prices. For instance if you are flying with young children, you may wish to get to your destination as quickly as possible (for the sanity of all) without the hassle of stopping over at airports for hours waiting to catch the connecting flight. Children do not cope terribly well with long delays in airports. They can become quite irritable and understandably so.

Some discount international air travel options also can mean that you may not be landing at the nearest airport to where you want to go to, meaning you will have to find alternative transport to get you to your final destination. This may become quite costly. So when you add it all up it may have been much better to go for a more expensive flight. This is why I stress that you do your homework first.

Some airlines may also cut back on the extras that you get during your onboard flight. This may mean less to eat and drink. They may offer you snacks to buy which can be expensive too. Again, this may not bother some while it will bother others. Make sure when you are purchasing your tickets either through the airline or the travel agency that you ask lots of questions to make sure that you will be happy with the flight. After all whether you are flying full price or discounted it is still a lot of money to be spending when you fly internationally.

I suppose the good thing these days though is that there really is the option in the first place to be able to acquire discount international air travel. This opens up the world to so many people who probably would never have been able to afford to go overseas before but now can. So, save your money, do your homework and enjoy your time away from home for whatever reason it is that you are.

Article Source : http://www.123article.org

Edinburgh is a City of Festivals and Celebrations

By : Gaizka Pujana

Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland since 1437, is considered one of the most dramatic cities in Europe because of its location, layout, and stunning architecture. Located in southeast Scotland, it is the country’s second largest city and a popular tourist destination.

The name Edinburgh is thought to have been derived from the Bythonic Din Eidyn, meaning Fort of Eidyn. This name came from the time period when the city was a Gododdin hillfort. Later, the English changed the name to Edin-burh.

In spite of its exceptional beauty, the city has a rather unique and humorous nickname Auld Reekie, which is Scots for “Old Smoky.” The name was coined in a time when the city was a little, well, smellier than it is today. At one time only coal and wood were available as fuels, so the city was frequently blanketed with a layer of smoke spilling from its chimneys. At the same time, the standards for cleanliness weren’t what they are today, so the city really did have an objectionable odor.

The historic center of Edinburgh contains two very notable areas of attraction. The first, Old Town, is an area that still follows the city plan of its medieval days and many of its Reformation-era buildings are still standing. At one end of Old Town sits a castle with the Royal Mile leading away from it down the spine of a large hill. Because the spine, or “tail,” of Old Town is quite narrow, the area quickly became crowded.

To alleviate the overpopulation of Old Town, in 1766 a competition was held to design the second area of historic Edinburgh, New Town. James Craig, a 22-year-old architect, won the competition and New Town was built according to his grid design. The main street of New Town was George Street with Princes Street and Queen Street on either side. Princes Street is the major shopping street in Edinburgh today.

Edinburgh is well-known for its many festivals and celebrations, which draw huge crowds every year. The most popular of these is the annual Edinburgh Festival, a four-week festival taking place between the end of July and the beginning of September. This festival is actually comprised of many separate events.

Other festivals include the Edinburgh Fringe (a huge festival of over 1867 different acts), Edinburgh Art Festival, Edinburgh International Film Festival, Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival, Edinburgh International Book Festival, and T on the Fringe.

The most well known celebration held in Edinburgh is Hogmanay. This celebration began as a simple street party on Princes Street and the Royal Mile. However, it’s grown into a huge event that requires ticketing to limit attendance to 100,000 people. The celebration takes place over four days and includes parades, concerts, and fireworks.

If you’re planning to visit Edinburgh, you won’t be disappointed by the city or the many beautiful places to stay there. Edinburgh has great vacation accommodations including both hotels and holiday apartments.

Article Source : http://www.123article.org

Airplane Safety Competes with Airplane Comfort

By : Lee Dobbins

Everyone wants to have a more comfortable flight but did you ever think about how this desire competes with the airlines ability to provide you with the utmost in safety?

The public desire for larger and faster aircraft sometimes comes head to head with the need for greater airplane safety. This fact was magnified soon after the world had welcomed the arrival of the year of 2000. One of the supersonic jets then carrying passengers across the Atlantic gave the public an eye-opening experience.

A piece of scrap left on the runway caught on one tire of a departing supersonic jet. The resulting crash led to a re-evaluation of the requirements for airplane safety. Eventually, the airlines decided to discontinue the use of those two jets. Now passengers are no longer able to get a super-speedy flight from London or Paris to a U.S airport.

For a time after that accident, airplane safety had the attention of the public. Of course, the public, as always, quickly forgot about the accident that had so recently appeared on the TV and computer screens.

Airplane designers could sense the dying concern for airplane safety, and the increased desire for a way to ease airport congestion.

Airplane designers introduced the idea of a larger jet, one that would carry almost twice as many passengers. They designed a jet with two different levels. An airline based in Southeast Asia expressed a desire to purchase such a jet.

There were a token number of test flights for the newly-designed and larger aircraft. No one seemed to question whether or not a measure of airplane safety could be properly made from just those few token test flights. The public needed a larger plane, a plane that could help to ease the congestion on the runways.

Therefore plans were made to initiate use of the larger jet plane. Once again the public desire for larger and faster aircraft had trumped the need for airplane safety. Once again, only time would reveal the wisdom of relying on this new and larger plane.

Sometimes we put our “want to haves” in front of our “must haves”, it’s only human nature to want the best of the best, but when the public clamors for more comfort the airlines must react by giving it to them. At times this can take priority over giving more safety. So next time you want a more comfortable seat or larger planes you might want to think about how this impacts the safety of air flight and your safety in general.

Article Source : http://www.123article.org

A Look At Aviator Watches

By : Gregg Hall

Aviator watches or Pilot Watches are very similar to dive watches in that they are often worn by people who have no connection whatsoever to flying or being a pilot. Most of these watches are sold to people who simply like the way they look. While I have no problem with this, actually I love it since it earns me money; this article is geared more on what to look for in a functional aviator watch.

There are several different types of pilot watches so let’s take a look at some of them. The first are those issued or designed to be issued to actual pilots and their crews mainly from WWII through the Vietnam War. Some of these watchmakers include IWC, Benrus, and Longines. Most of these pilot watches were just basic 12/24 military timekeepers and did not feature the chronograph function. These watches are really not true pilot watches as a chronographic feature is really a necessity especially when flying a plane with only basic instrumentation.

Some of the current aviator watches on the market today such as those made by Blancpain, Breuget, Breitling, Longines and others do have an actual aviation heritage and utilize some basic design components in the dial, movement, or case that go back to the watches made specifically for aviators. Most still fall into the designer watch category and do not really function well as true pilot watches.

Now that we have covered a little of the history of aviator watches and talked about the pilot watches that are really not suitable for flying, let’s take a look at some of the watches that are actually chosen and used by pilots and others in the aviation industry.

Among these we will list vintage aviator watches and then current aviator watches.

Among the pilot watches considered to be vintage are the Longines Lindberg Hour Angle, named for Charles Lindberg, the Breitling Navitimer, Breitling Cosmonaute, and the Rolex GMT. The current versions of the Cosmonaute and the Rolex GMT are essentially the same as the vintage models. Some of the better makers of true aviation watches include Torgoen, Breitling, Omega, Citizen, and Seiko. Seiko is one of the most prolific of these watchmakers with a huge range of different models available.

Modern technology and increased instrumentation in aircraft has all but eliminated the need for a pilot to wear a watch but any good aviator will always have a good pilot’s watch as a backup.

Article Source : http://www.123article.org

Discount Travel Saves You A Bundle

By : Susan Jan

Everybody loves to travel, but it is an expensive recreation for most. However, the cost of traveling should not stop anyone from enjoying himself or herself, as long you become adept at discount travel. Airfare is the most costly element of travel, so your ability to find discount flight options becomes handy.

Airline ticket prices fluctuate wildly, depending on the season, the popularity of the route etc. In the US a short international flight from New York City to Montreal, Canada, for example, costs approximately $300, while for about the same price, you can take a much longer domestic flight from, for example, New York all the way to Los Angeles. Regardless of the length of the route, domestic flights are cheaper than international flights as airlines are subject to less taxes and regulations, and these routes often carry more travelers so airlines can afford a discount.

To take advantage of this discount, you can split your international flight into two flights. Despite the small inconvenience, it is definitely cheaper than flying direct internationally. For example, to fly from northern US to South America, it is probably much cheaper to first fly domestic to a southern hub such as Miami, and then taking an international flight to South America. When searching for discount travel tickets, you want to fly as close as possible to your destination domestically, and you also want to fly between major hubs because the cheapest domestic tickets will always be between major hubs such as New York and LA.

Another popular discount travel flight option is charter flights. A standard airline generally has a set route and set schedule between two cites regardless of the amount of passengers. Standard airlines thus charge higher airfares in order to maintain these scheduled routes even if the plane is not half-full. On the other hand, charter companies usually charter an entire plane from an airline for a specific date and time, and therefore receive a good discount, which in turn is passed on to passengers. Airfares for charter flights also tend to get even cheaper as the departure date approaches. However, charter flights are also quite restrictive, in that there is a higher risk of charter companies canceling flights if enough tickets are not sold, and since there aren’t that many charter flights to multiple destinations, you may not be put on another flight immediately. You would probably receive a refund or you would probably have to wait one or two days for other charter flights.

The important thing about discount travel is to explore as many options as possible. If you are willing to be more flexible and to buy tickets on short notice, the cheaper your fare will be.

Article Source : http://www.123article.org

Cheap Airline Trip Tickets – Find Out How To Get Them Here

By : Ray La Foy

With gasoline prices ever on the rise, long distance trips by plane are looking better and better. Finding the best deals on cheap airline tickets requires a little Internet savvy and a willingness to shop around. The more people look around for flights and the more concessions they’re willing to make, the more likely it is cheap airline trip tickets can be had.

To get the best prices on airline tickets anywhere in the world, it pays to shop online and do the following things:

- Start looking for tickets well in advance, if possible. The best savings online or even through agents or directly from the airlines themselves will be realized the further ahead the trip is booked. A good rule of thumb is at least six weeks, but even a two-week lead will help you realize some savings on airline trip tickets. Remember though, even if you find great deals well in advance, if you don’t book the trip, the cost savings won’t be realized.

- Shop multiple locations. Some sites will offer better deals than others. Check out at least three locations before putting your money down. It doesn’t hurt to consider a combination of locations, either. Check the big online airline ticket sites, travel agents and even the airlines directly.

- Be willing to go on standby. This might make trip planning a little difficult, but the cost savings can be incredible for those willing to go this route. Airline tickets for those who are willing to go on standby can be a considerable amount cheaper. You might not travel exactly when you thought you would, but if you’re flexible on time, this option for tickets can be very beneficial.

- Take off hour flights. People who are willing to travel during off hours can often see some serious savings. Red eye flights, extended stays and so on can really help cut the cost on airline trip tickets. This isn’t the most fun way to travel, but it can pay off with reasonable prices.

- Be willing to allow the purchasing site to set your flight times. Very often if a booking site can put you on a flight where the time is available, the cost will be less than a prime time booking for airline trip tickets.

- Check with the smaller name carriers. Start up airlines can offer real savings on tickets. The frills might not go along with the buy, but the cost savings could be worth it. Another option is to downgrade flight area. Coach rather than first class, for example.

Finding cheap airline trip tickets isn’t the easiest prospect, but it can be done. Be smart by shopping well in advance of your flight, if possible, and take the time to look at multiple locations for the best deals. Traveling at off hours or on off days can also help cut the cost of obtaining airline trip tickets.

Article Source : http://www.123article.org

Cheap Flights Boost Malta Holiday Market For 2007

By : Roger Munns

With a considerable period of declining visitor numbers in Malta, 2007 is looking brighter with an upswing expected in holidaymakers and long weekend visitors.

But where the government’s tourist board has failed to promote Malta as a destination, private enterprise Ryanair, the Irish based low cost airline, has transformed the island’s chances of remaining a mainstream vibrant destination in 2007.

‘There have been some complaints from islanders’, comment a Malta travel guide, ‘That the government or the airport authorities have helped Ryanair, and that their costs could be lower than other airlines have had to pay in the past. But to be honest, compared to the millions poured into the tourist board that has produced declining visitor numbers, it’s a drop in the Mediterranean and money well spent compared to the authorities past lame efforts of their own.’

Official statistics appear to bear this out.

Ryanair started their London Luton to Malta service in November. Tourist numbers have picked up year on year since then. In the month before Ryanair started cheap flights to Malta tourist numbers dropped by some ten per cent.

‘If promoting Malta was left down to the tourist authority, the island would disappear from UK travel agent brochures and Malta would be relegated to niche travel status. The tourist authority has spent a lot of money on ineffective campaigns, and it has taken a private enterprise company like Ryanair to reverse the trend of less and less visitors. Perhaps Ryanair could offer to take some of the people who work at the Malta Tourist Authority on a six month secondment to teach them how to be effective at their jobs.’

Malta Property Prices Rise

With the arrival of more holidaymakers, the possibility of increased property sales to overseas buyers becomes more of a reality.

One UK company specialising in Malta property, agree that property prices could rise in 2007.

‘With lower fares, Malta becomes a destination viable for 3 and 4 days trips a few times a year from the UK, and that will attract buyers to look at Malta in the same way they do France and Spain when considering where to buy a holiday home abroad. The weather in Malta and low fares could be a magnet for buyers.’

There is a warning however from YourMalta that property prices on the island might not necessarily escalate in the same way that regions of France have seen when low cost airlines have started flying to their region.

‘The Malta government has allowed more land to be used for property, and we anticipate a lot more apartment blocks being built short and medium term. Supply might well meet demand. Unless the Malta map changes politically and with it a change of policy towards her environment, there is a danger of Malta becoming the Tower Hamlets of the Mediterranean, or 1970’s Spain where development spoiled much of the coast.’

Concern has also been expressed on the island about the infrastructure, with some tourists and potential property investors berating the state of the roads and – compared to mainland European and UK standards – dangerous construction sites.

‘The real winners from the low cost flights could be the Malta hotels rather than the property industry’, conclude YourMalta. ‘We envisage a lot more people taking short three and four day Malta holidays, often booking their flights and hotels on the internet rather than via a traditional high street travel agent chain’.

Article Source : http://www.123article.org

Advance Booking of Airport Parking Place : The Only Solution for the Busy Season

By : Jason Uvios

Some years ago, parking a car on the airport was not viewed as a problem as such. But now it is; thanks to a tremendous surge in business traveling. There are many other factors that also turned airport parking into a hazardous and expensive experience. Let’s come the summer months and there is an extra ordinary rush for getting out of the country. And the consequence is that: you get no place in the parking area to keep your poor car safely for a few days.

Just place yourself in this situation: you have driven up too airport all the way with the hope of parking your car in the safe place before departing for your exotic holiday destination, but in your dismay found out that all car parks have been booked out well in advance! Do you have any idea what should be your next step of action? If it is holiday season, the space crunch is even more acute and during this time you have to pre book parking at least seven days before the journey.

So you can see the trend and unfortunately the trend is now typical of all the important and busy airports across the globe, especially in the USA and in the European countries. If you do not want to be fooled by this crazy craving for parking places in the onset of your journey, take good care of pre booking your parking place in the airport well in advance.

But everything in this world has two sides-a positive side and a negative side. The airport parking also has its share of positive and negative effects. On the one hand, this maddening rush for airport parking place adds to your holiday booking list another item apart from hotel and flights. On the other hand, the airport parking fees tend to come down dramatically in the recent times. There is a reason for it. Few years ago, the practice of airport parking was not so popular. But today it has become so hugely poplar, that the authorities had to work out some solutions and the result is the concept of a number of off airport car parking. Thus in place of a handful expensive car parks in the airports today you can find a number of well served car parks near all major airports in the world.

In a nutshell, the surge in the number of off and on airport car parking and the facility of pre booking not only added to the availability of parking places, it also helped to pull down the expenses of car parking. Thus it is now possible for more and more number of passengers to take the advantage of airport parking at a lower price.

Article Source : http://www.123article.org