World Best Travel

Airline Says No To 2007 Malta Flights

By : Roger Munns

This year has started well for the Malta holidays and hotel industry, with an increase in visitors for the first few months compared to 2006 – a good indication that if the off peak season is doing well the rest of the year could also see good gains in holiday tourists to the Mediterranean island.

The measurable increase for the first months of 2007 has come just a couple of months since Ryanair started low cost flights to Malta from London’s Luton Airport to the island, and later months could be boosted further after Ryanair started flying from Dublin to Malta as well.

Overall some predictions estimate that Malta will benefit in the 2007 holiday season by an extra 80,000 tourists, reversing the decline of recent years.

The airline had to wait some time for the Maltese authorities to finally relent and give the green light for the flights to start, with concern at one stage that if the low cost airlines walked away from the negotiating table that the island would slip from a mainstream holiday destination to one catering for specialist groups of travellers.

But hopes that popular low cost airline easyJet would provide further impetus for the Malta holiday trade seems to have been dashed with reports in the island’s press that talks have stalled, and a proposed London Gatwick route has been shelved.

A new low cost London Gatwick route would have provided competition for the island’s national airline, Air Malta, and possibly have reduced the cost of flying to Malta further.

Malta Flights

Gatwick is located on the borders of Surrey and West Sussex and close to South and West London that would provide Malta with the possibility of extra affluent holiday makers.

In response to the arrival of Ryanair though, Air Malta has been offering reduced fares of its own, and has tried to defend her market share of the UK travelling public by starting a new route from Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport in the North-West of England.

The suggested reason for Malta turning down the possibility of a new low cost route from the UK is that London Gatwick does have tour operators offering their own flights, either as part of a package, or on a seat only sale.

With the arrival of more holidaymakers, the possibility of increased property sales to overseas buyers becomes more of a reality as well, so the real estate sector as well as the holiday market is keeping a keen eye on arrival figures for the months ahead.

Some UK overseas property agencies who deal with property in Malta think 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’, commented one recently,

There is a warning however from some 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.

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

Few Quick Reminders Searching For Air Flights Cheap

By : Bowe Packer

There are many of us who like to travel to various places for our holidays. Still others of us have to travel to another country or far away state for business purposes. At these modern times we tend to look for air flights that can get us to our destination quickly. To help in this affair we can purchase regular costing airline tickets or we can look for air flights cheap tickets. Most people today are looking for a deal, the best deal.

These inexpensive tickets can be found with many of the major airline carriers and with the low cost airlines. The main point that you need to decide on is the maximum amount that you are conformable paying. This factor joined with your time spent in your destination place can make your choice of air flights cheap tickets easier. Now lets look at a few factors for you to think about or keep in your mind when looking for tickets.

To find these air flights cheap tickets and quick departure days you can contact your local travel agent or you can check the assorted air flights on the internet. Knowing how most of us work today, I would have to say looking on line has great benefits. While you may be engulfed by the massive sum of air flights to your destination point you can narrow this search field considerably.

When you have selected at least five or six air flights that you feel will give you a good deal, the next point to see about is their various fees and other costs that you may encounter. Air flights cheap by and large mean that you will have to do some shopping around for a good deal.

It is recommended, of course if you have, time to set a deadline dead to buy your tickets. Because of supply and demand online airline tickets can change on a daily basis. So to get a good deal you must be willing to wait.

Also, keep in mind the time of year that you are traveling. The reasoning is again supply and demand. For instance if you wanted to travel to San Diego in June the online ticket pricing wouldn’t have as much fluctuation compared to traveling in November.

Another tip is to watch for special deals that airlines will have. You will typically see these deals in the off season depending on the destination. Again, the airlines want to fill the seats, so if they have to set a one time special price for a particular flight they have no problems doing so.

Even though this looking about can take some time you will acquire an idea about the assorted price ranges that are available for the different travel sectors. You will also see the departure dates and times that are there for each of these cheap air flights. These pieces of information will allow you to select the best airline for your vacation or business trip.

When you have found where you can get air flights cheap double check and make sure there is seating room available on the days that you want to leave and arrive back home. I know this sounds like a no brainer, but sometimes it is often overlooked. Once these dates have been arranged to your satisfaction you can make your travel reservations. Again, double check to make sure all the information is correct.

Searching for air flights these days is often done so haphazardly. The above tips are often times just friendly reminders to all who are running around in this fast paced world. Having arranged everything just the way that you want all that needs to be said is have a great time.

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

Low Cost Flight Pioneer Plans Extra Malta Routes

By : Roger Munns

The pioneering airline that first brought low cost airlines to Malta has done well enough to start new routes to the island.

Ryanair, the Irish based low cost airline, were the first airline to win the right to fly to Malta from the island’s main markets for tourism of Ireland and the UK.

The first route launched has been running between London’s Luton Airport since November, while the Dublin route had its inaugural flight in March. Both routes have attracted good seat occupancy levels, with tourist numbers in Malta rising.

The new route will run between Bremen in Germany to Malta and will be a welcome addition for Malta’s attempt to attract more German tourists to the island.

Operating three times a week, it is hoped that the first flights will begin in September.

Before the new flights began last November, estimates suggested that the low cost airline could add an extra 80,000 tourists to the island in 2007, but this figure has been radically upgraded to double that.

Malta’s slow pace of life might have contributed to the late introduction of low cost flights compared to her competitors, or it could have been politicians and the tourist authorities more interested in protecting the island’s national airline with attitudes that the rest of Europe began to shrug off in the 80’s, but whatever the reason, now that Malta has allowed the low cost airlines, they can’t get enough of them.

The number of visitors to Malta is up nearly ten per cent this year, thanks mainly to the extra arrivals being delivered by the low cost airlines. And the extra holiday makers couldn’t have come at a better time as the island has seen steadily decreasing tourists numbers in recent years – the ultimate factor in the decision to allow the flights in.

With tourism numbers up, tourism chiefs have seen the magic bullet that has driven the statistics, and embraced the concept of low air fares whole heartedly.

While Malta has previously received most of their visitors from the UK, the idea of diversification has become possible as low cost airlines operate from most European countries, and the island is already receiving flights from Germany and Spain.

The country has let it be known that they will welcome applications for flights from Scandanavia and other areas of Europe.

The u-turn is now complete, from a backward looking slow to respond tourist office, to one that sees a quick fix to Malta’s previous declining popularity as a holiday destination.

Helping Malta’s image in the UK, Germany and other countries have been reports placing Malta at the top of tourist safety tables.

An American journalist last year placed the small Mediterranean island of Malta as one of the five safest travel destinations in the world, and a new report from the US this year confirms Malta as one of the safest vacation spots in the world.

This year’s report bears more official weight than the previous one by a travel writer, as it was compiled by the US State Department.

Commenting on Malta, the report praises the island for the non existence of organised crime, especially surprising perhaps given her proximity to mainland Italy – and closer still to Sicily.

A surprise for many who have driven in Malta is that the report considers the island’s roads to be safe. But this is backed up by official EU figures showing Malta has the lowest road related fatalities of all the EU States.

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

Malta Clicks For Cheap Flights

By : Roger Munns

Another airline has joined the race for the flight to Malta market, putting pressure on the low cost airlines already operating to Malta to further reduce their prices to stay ahead of their competition – all good news for consumers and the Malta hotels and holidays industry.

But unlike some of the airlines running operations to and from Malta, Click Air will be flying in the peak holiday months of June to October, bringing in around 12,000 tourists to the island, a fraction of the estimated 200,000 tourists anticipated during 2007 delivered by low cost airlines as a whole.

Regular travellers to Malta have never had it so good. Not only has their choice of airline and airports serving Malta widened considerably, but the perennial favourite of many business and holiday travellers, Air Malta, has fought back against the new low cost airlines with reduced fares and offers of their own.

In their traditional market of flights from the UK to Malta, the airline started a new route from Liverpool’s John Lennon airport in May, serving the north-west of England.

As part of their offensive to retain current passengers and to tempt new ones to use the airline, Air Malta are offering clients the opportunity to book flights in advance for this autumn and winter with prices starting from around 20 Euros (around US $25).

If successful the extra tourists for Malta in her off-peak months will be a welcome boost for the island’s hotels and holiday trade, coming off the back of a summer that could see a ten per cent rise in arrivals compared to last year.

With official tourism office statistics showing the rise in visitor figures for 2007 compared to 2006, a long period of decline has been reversed for people taking holidays in Malta.

With tourism numbers up, tourism chiefs have seen the magic bullet that has driven the statistics, and also embraced the concept of low air fares.

While Malta has previously received most of their visitors from the UK, the idea of diversification has become possible as low cost airlines operate from most European countries, and the island is already receiving flights from Germany and Spain.

The country has let it be known that they will welcome applications for flights from Scandanavia and other areas of Europe.

The u-turn is now complete, from a backward looking slow to respond tourist office, to one that sees a quick fix to Malta’s previous declining popularity as a holiday destination.

With low cost airlines including Malta as one of their destinations prospects are good for the Malta hotels and holidays industry.

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

Malta Does The Loop For New Airlines

By : Roger Munns

The slow pace of life on Malta might have contributed to the late introduction of low cost flights compared to her competitors, or it could have been politicians and the tourist authorities more interested in protecting the island’s national airline with attitudes that the rest of Europe began to shrug off in the 80’s, but whatever the reason, now that Malta has allowed the low cost airlines, they can’t get enough of them.

The number of visitors to Malta is up nearly ten per cent this year, thanks mainly to the extra arrivals being delivered by the low cost airlines. And the extra holiday makers couldn’t have come at a better time as the island has seen steadily decreasing tourists numbers in recent years – the ultimate factor in the decision to allow the flights in.

With tourism numbers up, tourism chiefs have seen the magic bullet that has driven the statistics, and embraced the concept of low air fares whole heartedly. While Malta has previously received most of their visitors from the UK, the idea of diversification has become possible as low cost airlines operate from most European countries, and the island is already receiving flights from Germany and Spain.

The country has let it be known that they will welcome applications for flights from Scandanavia and other areas of Europe. The u-turn is now complete, from a backward looking slow to respond tourist office, to one that sees a quick fix to Malta’s previous declining popularity as a holiday destination.

German tourists make up an important part of the European holiday market, along with the British. A low cost airline in Germany, Germanwings, started flights from Germany to Malta in late March, and with good bookings is looking to increase the number of flights to the island.

Commenting on the expansion plans, the airline said recently that it was very happy with its Malta route, and that the peak summer months were looking particularly good.

At the moment the flights to Malta are from Stuttgart and Cologne, and they would like to start flying from Hamburg in the autumn. Whether this will be allowed to happen though is problematic as Air Malta already serves the Hamburg route.

If flying from Hamburg to Malta doesn’t prove possible, the airline hopes that it will be able to increase the frequency of the routes it already has.As well as boosting the Malta holidays and hotel market, the arrival of increased numbers of tourists from Germany could also impact the Malta property market.

Property inflation in Malta has been high in recent years, with joining the EU a factor, and joining the Euro currency another.

The majority of sales in the past to overseas property buyers have been to the UK and Irish markets. But if German tourism rises it’s possible that this will add presuure to property prices again if the German tourists decide they like Malta enough to invest in a villa or holiday property.

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

Malta Reaches For The Sky

By : Roger Munns

Malta’s slow pace of life might have contributed to the late introduction of low cost flights compared to her competitors, or it could have been politicians and the tourist authorities more interested in protecting the island’s national airline with attitudes that the rest of Europe began to shrug off in the 80’s, but whatever the reason, now that Malta has allowed the low cost airlines, they can’t get enough of them.

The number of visitors to Malta is up nearly ten per cent this year, thanks mainly to the extra arrivals being delivered by the low cost airlines. And the extra holiday makers couldn’t have come at a better time as the island has seen steadily decreasing tourists numbers in recent years – the ultimate factor in the decision to allow the flights in.

With tourism numbers up, tourism chiefs have seen the magic bullet that has driven the statistics, and embraced the concept of low air fares whole heartedly.

While Malta has previously received most of their visitors from the UK, the idea of diversification has become possible as low cost airlines operate from most European countries, and the island is already receiving flights from Germany and Spain.

The country has let it be known that they will welcome applications for flights from Scandanavia and other areas of Europe.

The u-turn is now complete, from a backward looking slow to respond tourist office, to one that sees a quick fix to Malta’s previous declining popularity as a holiday destination.

German tourists make up an important part of the European holiday market, along with the British.

A low cost airline in Germany, Germanwings, started flights from Germany to Malta in late March, and with good bookings is looking to increase the number of flights to the island.

Commenting on the expansion plans, the airline said recently that it was very happy with its Malta route, and that the peak summer months were looking particularly good.

At the moment the flights to Malta are from Stuttgart and Cologne, and they would like to start flying from Hamburg in the autumn. Whether this will be allowed to happen though is problematic as Air Malta already serves the Hamburg route.

If flying from Hamburg to Malta doesn’t prove possible, the airline hopes that it will be able to increase the frequency of the routes it already has.

As well as boosting the Malta holidays and hotel market, the arrival of increased numbers of tourists from Germany could also impact the Malta property market.

Property inflation in Malta has been high in recent years, with joining the EU a factor, and joining the Euro currency another.

The majority of sales in the past to overseas property buyers have been to the UK and Irish markets. But if German tourism rises it’s possible that this will add presuure to property prices again if the German tourists decide they like Malta enough to invest in a villa or holiday apartment.

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

Travel In The United Kingdom

Travel in the U.K. is a lot better nowadays and a lot cheaper.

Air travel has risen in the U.K with low cost airlines, it has reached the price range of everybody, so people now travel all over the world, rather than just holidaying in the U.K. There used to be two main airports Heathrow and Gatwick, now there are airports all over the country, you don’t have to travel far to find one. You can park your car securely at the airport, and pick it up when you return, it averages about $45 a week, depending on the airport charges.

Rail travel has vastly improved over the years, more so since privatisation. You can get from London to Edinburgh in about four hours, whereas before it used to be twelve, as you slept on the train. You can now book your seat in advance, and the G.N.E.R. (Great North Eastern Railway), now has Internet access in its first class carriages, along with free tea and coffee. A lot of work has been done on the lines to make them safer, following a spate of accidents due to poor maintenance. There is also the London Underground, with its warren of 13 lines; it’s very confusing when you look at a diagram of it.

Road travel has also improved, a lot of the motorways are now four lanes instead of two, there are now more motorway service stations, where you can stop and get a meal and drink, as well as fuel, and public conveniences. The fact there are many more cars on the roads than in previous years, still causes major travel upheaval, with traffic jams in all directions, especially at weekends in the summer, when you have people going out for the day, and Bank Holidays, if the weather is nice. Also roadwork’s used to be a major contributor to traffic jams, especially during the holiday season, they now tend to stop roadworks for Bank Holidays and in the summer, mainly doing repair work through the night. Whereas before you could spend hours even days getting across the country, most distant places are now reachable within 5-6 hours.

Coach travel is also becoming popular in the U.K. especially for weekends away, maybe to London to see a show, or The Eden Project in Cornwall, it’s reasonably priced and includes accommodation, entrance fees and return travel, which is less hassle than taking the car and trying to find somewhere to park, and paying dearly for it.

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

New Low Cost Airline To Offer Cheap Flights To Malta

Air Travel article brought to you by EdwardP

The announcement was made after Norwegian AS, one of Europe’s leading low-cost airlines, successfully concluded negotiations with Malta International Airport (MIA) and the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA), opening the doors for Norwegian AS to operate the route offering cheap flights to Malta.

Norwegian Air Shuttle will operate two flights to Malta a week, every Tuesday and Saturday, and is expected to move tourism to Malta in Norway, providing the Mediterranean island with a new influx in tourism. Joining the likes of Ryanair, who have been operating direct routes to Malta for over a year with relative success.

The addition of yet another low cost airline is expected to further boost tourist numbers visiting Malta and Norwegian Air Shuttle opens a window of opportunity to attract more Scandinavian tourists to visit the Maltese islands. Malta’s economy heavily depends on tourism and the introduction of low cost airlines to offer cheap flights to Malta is seen as a positive move by the authorities who had been protective of national airline Air Malta.

Norwegian AS commenced operations in September 2002 with four domestic routes and six B737-300 aircraft but has grown considerably since then and nowadays has 31 aircrafts and an additional 53 new B737-800’s on order from early next year. The low-cost airline offers a flight network of 128 routes to 76 destinations from Norway, Sweden and Poland.

“We are very proud to include Malta in our already extensive European network” said Daniel Skjeldam, Chief Commercial Officer of Norwegian AS.

“Malta has always been a favourite destination for Scandinavians and we realised that there is a great demand, judging from the numerous enquiries we receive from our customers. We believe that with low prices and a direct flight, it will be a success”. Mr Skjeldam added.

He went on to say that the airline is collaborating with the MTA and MIA to promote the route in Norway, offering cheap flights to Malta, and he expressed his appreciation for the support that both entities have shown throughout.

This Air Travel article is provided by Articleteller – The Free Article Directory http://www.articleteller.com

Low Cost Flights To Reach End Of Runway In 2008

Air Travel article brought to you by Menorca

Right across Europe cheap flights have transformed the continent’s travel, and a rise in tourism has been seen. Nowhere in Europe has this been more important than the United Kindom, an island nation.

But now the writing is on the wall for low cost airlines operating out of the UK and other European countries as the Conservative Party – once a campaigner and implementer of lower taxes – has called for purchase tax to be introduced to domestic flights.

The tax would add up to 17.5 per cent on to the cost of a flight from one British city to another, but while flights to the European mainland and popular holiday islands such as Menorca aren’t specifically mentioned, one travel company believes the new policy will inevitably lead to higher fares for flights not just within Britain, but elsewhere too.

The Tory policy review calls for the UK to be a leader on green growth, noting that it was illogical for flights to attract less tax than cars and trains, with David Cameron, the Tory Party leader, saying that much of the report would be included in their manifesto at the next British General Election, which at the time could have been just weeks away as election speculation mounted in the UK, but is now likely to be in 2009 or 2010 following British Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s decision not to hold an early poll.

‘It’s not so much that we’re convinced the Tories will win the next election and tax domestic flights’, say the travel company, ‘But by proposing new taxes on flights it leads the door open to the Labour Party, who are more likely to win, to use taxes on flights as a revenue raiser with no opposition from the Tories who are traditionally seen as the tax cutting party. We have no doubt that flights will be taxed a lot more in 2008 because the Tories have now made it a soft target for the British government of any political persuasion and the Treasury when they prepare their annual budgets.’

In a pre-budget statement to the House of Commons, the first for new Chancellor Alistair Darling and the first major government statement after Prime Minister Gordon Brown opted not to call an early election, a shift was made away from taxing passengers to planes, making half full flights less financially viable, with a start date of November 2009.

Citing Menorca as an example, the company points to the holiday industry on the island being a major employer, and the Menorca map changing over the years as new resorts have been built to accommodate additional visitors.

‘One of the other aspects of the report that is a worry for the holiday industry’, continues the travel company, ‘Is that new runways at Stansted, Gatwick and Heathrow Airports are all ruled out – all three airports serve London and the South-East of England. Any increased demand for example for Menorca holidays probably won’t be able to be met without increased capacity, inevitably leading to a consequence of higher prices overall.’

From the environmental lobby the Green Party described the proposals as ‘fiddling around the edges when what is needed is urgent and radical action’, adding that the Tory eco-taxes would hit the poorest in society hardest.

Taking Menorca as typical of the areas that could be affected most by additional flight taxes, the travel company takes the view that any downturn in visitor numbers and the volume of bookings for holidays and hotels in Menorca would hit an island that relies heavily on tourism.

The Spanish island is currently served by three UK airlines that offer scheduled flights, including one low cost carrier that offers cheap flights to Menorca. But there are a high number of holiday companies who offer chartered flights in the summer months, and these companies have helped reduced prices for holidaymakers visiting the island. Neighbouring island Majorca attracted most UK tourists for 2007, beating off competition from low cost destinations in Eastern Europe, and Menorca has also benefitted from an increase in visitor numbers.

Despite their geographical closeness and being part of the same group of islands, the Balearics, Menorca and Majorca attract a different type of tourist from each other, and with Ibiza the third of the islands each has its own appeal, and each her unique selling points when compared to each other.

Ibiza is known in Europe for her clubs and nightlife, with 18 to 30’s and their high disposable incomes preferring the island to quieter Majorca and Menorca. A survey by the island’s tourist board sprung a surpise for many in the hotels and holidays industry with a report showing of the three islands that Ibiza’s visitors spent more on their holidays than those in Majorca and on holiday in Menorca.

Majorca is a favourite holiday island for both the British and Germans, and as well as having a cosmopolitan feel to it offers both nightlife for the young with luxury hotels and villa holidays for older visitors. Plans are in place to build Spain’s top luxury hotel on the island.

The island of Menorca, also known as Minorca, is regarded as the quietest of the three holiday islands, and family orientated, with tourists just as likely to be taking a villa holiday with companies like James Villas as they are staying in a hotel or holiday apartment. The island is at her best in May and September when the island’s roads are quiet but everyone is geared up for the season.

The travel company who produce YourMenorca.net concludes that all three islands would be affected detrimentally by any further increases in taxes on flights, and infrastructure improvements planned for the future might have to be reconsidered if the number of tourists visiting for a holiday comes down.

Spain’s island of Menorca will be watching British tax policy closely in 2008/9.

This Air Travel article is provided by Articleteller – The Free Article Directory http://www.articleteller.com

Booking a Self Catering Holiday Home For Your Summer Vacation

By Harwood E Woodpecker

Once more we are approaching that time of year where we all consider our options for the annual two week family vacation, where to go and where to stay when we get there. With the growth of the on line travel industry over the past few years we are more spoiled for choice than ever before on where to stay and with the increase in the number of low cost airlines that are now flying all over the world we have an even greater number of destinations and resorts open to us. One sector that has really benefited from the development of the on line travel industry is self catering holiday homes which are generally privately owned. In the past the only way that you could find these self catering holiday homes was by word of mouth from a friend or acquaintance or by thumbing through the pages of a travel magazine. The growth of the inter web has benefited both the owners of the self catering holiday homes and the traveller as these are more easily accessed than ever before. So what are the benefits of booking a self catering holiday home for your annual summer vacation?

Booking your vacation has become more and more popular over the past few years as people realise how easy it is to actually do as well as how much money you can save by doing so. Booking a self catering holiday home is no different. The first thing you need to decide is where you want to go for you annual vacation as well as the duration of your stay. If you want to make your holiday as cheap as possible you can always look at where the low cost airlines fly to and then plan your vacation around one of those resorts.

Choosing the type of self catering holiday home that suits your family needs is the next task. If you have an idea in your head of how many bedrooms you are going to need to accommodate your family then you can narrow the search down considerably. A few other points worth noting when looking for your self catering holiday home is whether or not you would need accommodation with a pool, if you are a considerable distance from the nearest beach it might be an idea to go for a home with a pool, if you are within walking distance of a beach it may not be so critical.

If you are going to be booking a self catering holiday home the chances are that at some point during your vacation you will need to do some cooking to feed you family unless of course you intend eating out every night. If you do intend cooking you should check to see that the kitchen in the accommodation is fully equipped with all of the appliances that you will need, a cooker with a hob and a refrigerator are necessities whereas a dish washer is nice but a luxury. It is also worth checking to see if you can find accommodation with a washing machine especially if you have a young family.

Booking yourself a self catering holiday home for your family vacation gives you so many options and is much more flexible than staying in a hotel or apartment block for two weeks. If you manage to get the accommodation that suits all of your requirements and is in the correct location there is no reason at all why you should not have a very economical and fun vacation this year.

For more info on self catering holiday homes and holiday homes with swimming pools please visit our site -

http://www.private-holiday-home.com

Please feel free to republish this article provided a working hyperlink remains to our site

Harwood E Woodpecker.

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