New York is hoping to attract the UK low-cost airlines to fly to the new airport it has purchased just 60 miles north of the city. If low-cost airlines were to start flying over the Atlantic, city break in New York would become far more affordable.

The Port Authority of New York has purchased the Stewart International airport hoping that getting airlines to land there would ease the pressure on JFK. The airport currently handles mainly domestic flights but has immigration facilities ready. There are also plans to open a new terminal and train station.

Colin Smith, the port authority’s regional director for Europe, said: “We have had discussions with operators this side of the Atlantic suggesting that this is not a bad model for them.”

Smith is hoping the airport will be ready to accommodate transatlantic flights in summer 2008.

This year has seen another rise in the number of Britons taking a holiday in Jamaica, and 2008 is expected to be another good year.

In the first six months of 2007 there was a 12.8% rise in the number of Brits entering Jamaica compared to the same period in the previous year, and since that, numbers have continued to rise.

The Jamaica Tourist Board’s Regional Director for UK, Ireland and Northern Europe, Elizabeth Fox said: “Jamaica saw a strong start to 2007 with steady growth in visitor numbers each month. As the year progressed we have continued to see this strong pattern sustained through the duration of the year.

“‘We can attribute Jamaica’s growth in visitor traffic to a number of factors. Our dedicated advertising campaign highlighting the huge diversity of experiences on offer provides us with excellent exposure.

“We also operate a very successful online training programme, and have recently announced our 2000th Jamaica Travel Specialist to have completed the training. Educating travel agents on Jamaica’s abundance of fantastic attractions, mouth watering food, quality accommodation and warmth of the Jamaican welcome is key to our strategy and we are grateful to them for their ongoing support and enthusiasm for Jamaica.”

If you are taking a holiday this Christmas and want to bring some British Christmas crackers along –think again. Airports have banned crackers in hand-luggage due to security reasons.

Stansted airport has said that crackers may include dangerous items ad could scare passengers if they go bang.

A spokesman said: “We won’t allow them in hand luggage, basically because we can’t see what’s inside - we would have to take them apart and that would defeat the object.

“And most airlines don’t want crackers in packed luggage. A bang from a cracker could cause alarm on a plane. Our message is don’t bring Christmas crackers if you’re flying over the holiday period.”

A record high number of Brits are heading abroad for Christmas and New Year starting on Friday December 21, according to Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA). The busiest day of travel will Saturday December 22 when people head for their holidays to escape Christmas.

For holidays in the sun, the Canary Islands, Egypt and Goa are number one choices. For city breaks, Dubai is attracting more Brits than before due to the great shopping facilities in the city.

For New Year people are taking city breaks in European cities like Paris, Amsterdam and Dublin.

Many people are taking advantage of the great early snow conditions and are taking ski breaks in France, Austria and Italy. The weak dollar is attracting some to take a ski holiday in America.

ABTA president Justin Fleming said: “This is always a peak time for travel as people make the most of the bank holidays and once again there are a record number travelling.”

Air France has become the first airline to allow mobile phone use during flights in a new six-month trial aboard an Airbus A318 aircraft.

The trial begun this week on a flight from Paris to Warsaw. For the time being phone calls are not allowed, but passengers can send and receive phone messages and emails. Phone calls will be allowed later on in the trial period.

Mobile phone use is only allowed when the plane is flying above 10,000 feet, there are also ‘switch off your mobile’ signs in the cabin.

There is a special Mobile OnAir technology in use in the plane so that mobile signals do not interfere with an aircraft’s radio-navigation instruments. This is why mobile use is only allowed on the specific aircraft where the technology has been installed.

ABTA has outlined its big holiday trends for 2008, the major factor being a forecast increase in long-haul holiday bookings.

In Europe, Portugal and Turkey stand out as early favourites with travellers.

The 2008 Olympics Games are set to boost visits to Beijing and Singapore will host the very first night-time Formula One race – an event that is likely to attract many foreign visitors.

Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, is predicted to become a luxury holiday destination to rival Dubai as the city has plans to add 25,000 hotel rooms and host a new Guggenheim museum.

Colombia has seen growing political stability in recent years and a film of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s Love in the Time of Cholera, filmed in the country, is due to be released in 2008. The setting of the film, Cartagena, is thought by many to be the most beautiful city in South America and being showcased in the film will promote it as a holiday destination.

Travellers booking economy long-haul flights will be able to enjoy an extra three inches of legroom from next year.

Thomas Cook has announced changes to the “seat pitch” on their flights – this means adjusting the distance between the back of one seat and the one behind it to 33 inches. This follows a recommendation from the House of Lords.

America Airlines, the world’s busiest flight carrier has taken a lead against its rivals by creating a gap of 34 inches on its Boeing 777s. There is a distance of 32 inches on all other flights.

The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee advised Civil Aviation Authority that airlines should widen the space to a minimum of 30 inches to accommodate the increasing size of the average passenger.

They also sought to allay concerns over so-called “economy-class syndrome”, whereby passengers on long-haul coach-class flights are thought to increase their risk of DVT (deep vein thrombosis).

Cities around the world are building skyscrapers with ever increasing modern looks. Companies and investors are trying to outdo each other by coming up with a more eye-catching design than the previous one.

In Chicago there are two unconventional buildings under construction – the aqua Lakeshore East building doesn’t look that odd from a distance, but close up you see a ripple effect as the balconies have been carefully designed to be of various sizes; and the Chicago Spire will be the world’s tallest residential building once completed, resembling a drill doming out of the earth.

The CCTV headquarters in China doesn’t stand tall in the city skyline, but will stop you in your tracks with its unique shape. The shape is described as “z criss-cross” with an unsupported corner.

The Regatta hotel in Jakarta will consist of 11 towers, 10 representing sailing boats and one taller one “a lighthouse”. The main building is shaped almost like a horse shoe upside down.

Going on a city break in some of the great cities of the world is offering views that you thought you would never see with these modern buildings cropping up every year. For some this is the reason to take a holiday – see amazing architecture. Often these modern buildings are in the middle of centuries old beautiful architecture, offering the visitor a chance to see the new and the old together.

To see some pictures of these buildings click here

Germans were rated as the worst lovers by a poll of 10,000 women around the world, while the Italians were voted the best lovers.

Social networking site WAYN.com asked women to rate the men of different nations on their skills as a lover and give reasons for their votes. The Germans are too loud, the Swedish were second worst because they’re “quick to finish”, and the Dutch were branded as “bit too rough” at third, while “too dominant” Americans came fourth.

As the WAYN.com focuses on the travelling, the women members have been on holidays around the world.

The “soppy” Welsh were fifth, while “too loud” Scottish men were rated as sixth worst, and the English got the 10th place because they are “too chubby”.

Peter Ward, co-founder of WAYN.com said: “It seems that our members are well travelled lovers and we found the responses quite eye-opening.

“Who would have thought the world would decide that the Welsh were better lovers than the Swedes?”

He added: “We’d like to remind anyone due to go travelling not to judge potential new lovers too harshly. It does take two to tango.”

On the top end of the list were Italians at first place followed by French, Irish, South Africans, Australians and Spanish.

Ski holiday in Innsbruck just got easier – and a lot more stylish. A new city to mountain lift was recently opened in Innsbruck, Austria; the new lift will take skiers from the city centre to the slopes in 20 minutes.

The renovated Hungerburgbahn was designed by architect Zaha Hadid. She designed the four stations on the Hungerburgbahn to look like natural formations. Each of the four stations is different, depending on the incline of the cable track at the point, but all have the same organic and curvaceous style.

The project cost £36m to complete.

It’s important to get travel insurance when you head for a holiday, but it’s just as important to know what you are covered for. The Times has made a list of top questions about travel insurance.

1. Travel insurance for pregnant women
The further along your pregnancy is, the harder it is to find travel insurance. Most policies will cover women only until their 28th week of pregnancy (even less for a multiple pregnancy). This means that while they can claim for losses unrelated to pregnancy, they would not be covered if they had to cancel their holiday or incurred losses in connection with their condition.

2. Can you insure against holiday hurricanes?
Insurance won’t cover you for inconvenience, but should pay out if you are injured or your possessions damaged. Some Caribbean hotels do offer “hurricane guarantees”, and while you won’t get your money back, there are benefits. Sandals offers a free replacement holiday valid for up to a year if any part of your stay is affected by a hurricane, and SuperClubs will give you a voucher for the number of disrupted nights, valid for the same month the following year.

3. Gap year travel insurance
Make sure you are covered for the entire duration of your gap year before you go, or make sure you extend it BEFORE it expires. If you let your travel insurance expire while away from the UK, there’s not much you can do to renew it.

4. Insurance to drive outside the EU
Make sure to contact your insurer before you drive out of the UK and check if they will extend your cover abroad. Not all do this, and you will need to notify them before you go.

5. Ski insurance: the pitfalls
One person in seven seeks medical attention while away skiing. A European Health Insurance card, despite the name, is not enough. It only covers basic medical expenses. It’s very important to have the right insurance for your ski holiday, and know the conditions of the insurance.

6. Insuring against missed flights
Airlines need to get you to your final destination if you miss a connecting flight with the same airline. If however you have bought a connecting flight with a different airline, they have responsibility for you. You are required to buy a new ticket if you miss your flight. Most travel insurances do not automatically cover you for missed flights so you need to contact them, or the British Insurance Brokers’ Association.

Source The Times

If you are heading for a ski holiday this winter, you should be getting ready for it as soon as possible. The UK skiers have been adviced to include balance training to their fitness program prior to their ski break.
BalanceMaster has given out five main tips to skiers preparing for their 2008 ski holiday.

“Professional Australian skier, Jono Brauer, has stated most ski injuries occur as a result of imbalance of strength in the legs and / or poor core stability, and balance and coordination work should be incorporated into all ski fitness programmes,” said Peter Hope of BalanceMaster.

1 - Cardio work is great for circulatory and respiratory health, and also endurance – remember tiredness can result in injuries.

2 - Concentrate on strength work relative to the type of exercise you will be doing, eg skiing or snowboarding – resistance training can be very useful.

3 - All-round mobility work helps prevent injury, so you can react quickly and prepare for a fall; it also allows injury-prone areas to flex and stretch.

4 - Incorporate balance work into your plan, as this boosts core strength, posture and coordination. Dynamic muscle stability is key on the slopes.

5 - Always speak to a fitness expert, and seek medical advice if required. Plan ahead – you may need two to three months to get ski-fit.

Source Travelbite

A new survey by a major travel site has shown that 75% of women have been on women-only holiday, while just 52% of men have taken off with just their male buddies.

It’s no surprise that hen or stag dos were the main reason to take a single-sex holiday, while the main attraction for such holidays was “big city nightlife”. That’s why most women-only holidays are city breaks.

Less than one in five women wanted a holiday on the beach with their friends. Instead, women seem to be heading to cities like Budapest, Dublin, Prague and other European holiday destinations for a fun holiday.

It’s not just the hen night celebrators who head on holiday, but women in general looking for a break from everyday life. As there is an abundance of cheap holidays available these days, it’s a realistic option to take a holiday with your friends.
The survey was conducted by Kayak.co.uk.

Film star and governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger will be one of the stars of a TV campaign to attract Brits on holiday in California. California has never before targeted the UK with a TV campaign in order to attract holidaymakers to the state.

The £2.4m campaign will launch the TV commercial on Boxing Day, also featuring Rob Lowe and Vanessa Williams. California is trying to boost its image as a holiday destination after the devastating wild fires earlier this year.

“People heard about the fires and they just assumed most of Southern California had burned down. I’m here to announce to the whole world: Southern California is still here and it remains open for business.
“We have the best weather, the best scenery and the best tourist destinations right here in California,” said Gov. Schwarzenegger.

British holidaymakers spent $591m in California last year, making it the fourth largest contributor to tourism in California.

SAS Scandinavia Airlines has landed the first European ‘green’ trans-Atlantic flight. A plane from New York landed in Stockholm, Sweden after a Continuous Descent Approach (CDA), which is designed to reduce carbon emissions.

The airline has used similar green techniques before on domestic flights. The flight from New York to Stockholm with CDA saves approximately 150 kilos of aircraft fuel and 470 kilos of carbon dioxide.

“This is a big step for the aviation industry, and Scandinavian Airlines is proud to once again lead the way when it comes to environmental issues. Next year we will continue with this type of demonstrations, as we are truly committed to support research in this area and make all SAS International flights as environmentally-friendly as possible in the future,” says Lars Sandahl Sørensen, Chief Executive Officer, SAS International.

The airline is planning to continue testing the green approach on other long-haul flights. If SAS International used CDA on all its flights, it estimated it would save 492 tons of fuel and 1,550 tons carbon dioxide per year.

EasyJet has announced six new routes from regional airports in the UK. This is an addition to previously revealed new routes by the airline. Holidays in Europe are becoming more affordable as low-cost airlines open new routes regularly.

The new routes are:
Bristol – Biarritz
Bristol – Olbia
Bristol – Split
Edinburgh - Nice
Glasgow – Faro
London Luton – Pisa

All routes will open at the end of April 2008. “easyJet will launch 18 new routes over the next few months from our bases across the UK and we will shortly announce further expansion, re-enforcing our position as the UK’s largest airline,” said David Osborne, easyJet UK General Manager.