British Airways Policy during the 2012 Olympics

Posted on by

BA expects unprecedented demand for flights from around the world during the peak dates 16 July – 29 August 2012

We recommend that you make bookings for this period as far in advance as possible, although the airline has tightened its ticketing policy;

All bookings made in advance (more than 90 days) must be paid for and ticketed within 28days of the booking, or 90 days before departure (whichever is earlier)

One advantage of booking through a travel agent is the ability of agents to “hold” seats pending your decision to confirm, pay, and have tickets issued. (Bookings on ba.com need to be paid for and ticketed immediately)

However, as a general rule, British Airways now cancel all travel agent bookings held, after 28 days from booking date unless tickets are issued.

The agent will have to create a new booking should you wish to continue holding seats.

 

Air France – Book Direct for Extra Flexibility

Posted on by

A brilliant enhancement to Air France booking site is the option to book a flight with a deposit of as little as £10 and to confirm the booking by paying the balance up to one week later.

Short Haul fares are usually cheaper direct:

AirFrance.com to Amsterdam quoted £97.91 return compared to Expedia £102.41.

Expedia offer 200 nectar points but these are only worth £1

For long-haul bookings, online agents like Expedia may be cheaper.

Always check our flight search tool first, then make your choice.

Best Hotel Booking Companies for Booking Business Travel

Posted on by

For most business bookings you’ll need flexibility – to hold a room quickly and to cancel without charge.

Always use our Hotel Search to compare the rates and availability and then, unless substantial savings are available elsewhere, we recommend choosing the following two companies:

Booking.com

  • Free Cancellation up to day before
  • Credit Card required to guarantee booking only
  • Payment direct to the hotel (unless special “prepaid” rates)
  • No booking fees

HRS.com

  • Free cancellation up to 6pm
  • No credit card required unless to guarantee arrival after 6pm
  • Payment direct to hotel (unless special “prepaid” rates)
  • No booking fees
  • More website functions: Text confirmation options etc.

 

Wizz Booking Fees

Posted on by

The Wizz booking site is the worst I’ve experienced when it comes to providing total costs, booking fees etc.

You need to complete the booking before receiving the total quote.

I suggest that you check what the charges will be here first

The total costs (Wizz charges are per person per flight) for two people on a return flight are:

Booking Fee – Credit Card £20
Baggage per return flight £52
Check-in fee online per flight £16

Total extra cost £88 or £44 per person. You need to add that figure to fares quoted on our flight comparison site

Wizz allow changes, which many airlines do not, at a fee of £26 per flight per passenger, or you can book a flexible fare for £18

And uniquely, Wizz allow change of passenger names after booking, at a fee of £34

Remember to always book direct with Wizz rather than through an online travel agent as you’ll only pay more ….

 

British Airways Half Price Sale for BA MILES Bookings

Posted on by

British Airways Executive Club members have until midnight Friday 12th August to redeem miles against travel bookings using HALF the usual miles required.

Even if you don’t have many miles on your account, you’ll be surprised at the discounts that may still be available.

Login to the British Airways Executive Club here

Remember, you can boost your BA MILES account significantly by using a BA AMEX card for your travel bookings.

Apply now and earn 1,000 bonus miles

British Airways sale discounts for business and leisure travellers

Posted on by

British Airways has cut prices on hundreds of flight+hotel and flight only bookings.

Long Haul return bookings require a Saturday night stay, to deter business travellers and to encourage leisure travellers.

But the sale also applies to short haul European destinations where one way fares are quoted and these benefit leisure and business travellers alike.

Prices range from £52 to £99 each way to European Cities.

Istanbul is only £65 each way!

For more details and to book, go direct to BA here or use our search tool

Travel dates vary by destination, some up to March 2012

Bookings must be made by Tuesday 12th July

Heathrow Express Discount Fares July 2011

Posted on by

Our promotional discount of Heathrow Express Tickets has ended but we still recommend that you purchase round-trip tickets rather than single journeys, that you book in advance online and save money compared to purchasing onboard.

UPDATE December 2011

Heathrow Express discount of 25% for bookings in December 2011 and outbound travel up to end January 2012
The normal online fare for Express Class Return is £32 but the sale fare saves £8 at a price of £24.00
To obtain the discount Heathrow Express fare you have to click on a Google advert, otherwise you will be charged the normal fare.

Simply Google “Heathrow Express Sale”

If you appreciate this advice please save to your favourites and subscribe to my site to receive occasional travel booking advice.

Also, check out our best hotel search engine

Hidden Credit Card Fees to be Banned

Posted on by

The Office of Fair Trading has ordered travel companies to show credit card and debit card charges at the initial booking stage online.

This will make comparison of fares more meaningful as the charge for two return Ryanair tickets could amount to an additional £24.00

It also wants charges for use of debit cards to be scrapped altogether and is asking the Government to change the law – but how long will that take?

In the meantime, you can avoid Ryanair charges by applying for, and using, the best prepaid card as reviewed in my article, ‘How to save money off your next Ryanair flight’ here.

 

Virgin Atlantic Strike Dates

Posted on by

The pilots strike dates will be during a short window of time.

One week notice must be given and strikes must begin within four weeks of the ballot announcement

Thus at today, Thursday 30th June, the Virgin Atlantic pilot strikes will have to occur between: Monday 7th July and Tuesday 19th July

If you have a flight booking, there is nothing you can do until a date is announced. Unless you have a fully flexible refundable ticket, you will lose cancellation fees etc if you choose to rebook on another airline.

Also of course, a strike may even be avoided.

When, and if, strike dates are announced, the airline will attempt to provide you an alternative flight or a refund.

We’ll monitor the situation and update you, but for now, there is little you can do but wait.

Meanwhile, you can save up to £8.80 Heathrow Express Tickets – see my article here

And if you need airport parking, BAA offer the best rates and most convenient locations if you book in advance here

Booking Business Travel is dedicated to providing impartial help to those who prefer to book business travel online. We offer all the best online travel resources and search engines in one place. Checkout our hotel comparison for example.

If you like my site, please subscribe for occasional updates, or follow TravelHelps on Twitter

Best Airport Parking for Business Travellers

Posted on by

Having researched airport parking at Heathrow, Stansted, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Southampton we’ve conclude that instead of booking through 3rd parties that you should book direct.

Example:
One week Stansted Airport Short Stay (convenience of a walk to the terminal) just £77.00

BAA Official Airport Parking guarantee:

  • You won’t find their parking for less
  • No hidden charges
  • BAA car parks are the closest.

Book direct with BAA here

Booking Tips for booking travel online

Posted on by

Impartial Booking Tips saving time and money when booking travel online

As a former travel agent with 30 years experience, I offer booking tips for the following, and more:

Booking tips for flight search using Skyscanner – the best flight search and comparison tool

Booking Tips for UK Rail – How to avoid booking fees

Eurostar Booking Tips – How to achieve the lowest fares and where best to book Eurostar

Ryanair Booking Tips – Save money on baggage and avoid those extra fees

Booking Tips when booking British Airways – where are the best fares, how booking just one seat even though you need two, can save you money

Please visit my blog category Booking Tips for more information or use the search function.

Sign up to my blog if you book travel online and wish to be kept informed

 

Hidden costs of using a travel management company to book Ryanair

Posted on by

If you book Ryanair through a travel management company, you will pay a transaction fee of, typically £15 but, because the TMC will use their preferred credit card (and perhaps earn points or AirMiles!) you could end up paying more than you expect, for two return tickets:

Transaction Fee £15 per ticket £30
Ryanair Credit Card Fees £6 per sector £24
Total extra cost by using a travel management company £54

Because Ryanair don’t pay commission and because many agents are keen to maximise earnings there is always the temptation to “mark-up” the fare by an additional £20 ….
Always compare fares quoted by using our flight comparison

Apply for your FairFX Anywhere card here

How to save money off your next Ryanair flight

Posted on by

Easily save over £20 on your next Ryanair booking

Ryanair now charges £6 per flight per passenger to take your payment!

That’s  £24 for two return tickets!
Avoid credit card charges by using the FairFX Anywhere MasterCard

The FairFX Anywhere £ MasterCard

The £9.95 application fee is waived if you apply here.

Future top-ups of any amount are free of charge.  Although you have a sterling balance, the card can be used abroad and a competitive prevailing rate of exchange is applied.

A low 1.4% charge is made on all purchases on the card.

International ATM charges are £1.50 plus 1.5%
UK ATM incurs a flat charge of £1.50 (no 1.5% charge)

For two Ryanair passengers with bookings costing £90 each, the FairFX charge will be £2.52 but you will avoid the Ryanair card fees of £24.00 saving £21.48

SPECIAL OFFER:  The FairFX £9.95 charge is waived for Booking Business Travel customers:

Apply for your FairFX Anywhere card here

Top Tips for Booking Ryanair Flights

Posted on by

5 top tips to save money on your next Ryanair trip!

Always search for just one seat

There may be just one seat left at a lower fare and then others at a higher price. See a full explanation here

Always use our flight search comparison engine

You may be surprised by an option or airline that you hadn’t considered.

Book check-in baggage after you’ve booked your flights

If you require a check-in bag in one direction only, you can do this in the Manage My Booking facility after you’ve completed your booking.
One direction booking of baggage is not offered when you make your booking – so you can save up to £35 by arranging baggage afterwards.

Use a FairFX prepaid MasterCard to pay for your tickets

On a return booking for two people you’ll save as much as £21.48. See my article here

Book Stansted Express Tickets via the Ryanair site

And you’ll save £8.10 per person

 

Discount Eurostar Tickets

Posted on by

Eurostar does not offer discount ticket prices below those on its own site.

You will not find discounted Eurostar prices through travel agents or online websites below those offered direct from the official Eurostar site.

However; we do recommend that you compare fares with those offered by Rail Europe

Rail Europe is the UK representative of French Railways (SNCF) and they use the French reservation system which may offer availability at prices that Eurostar may have sold out of.

Both official search engines are provided on our Eurostar Page

There are benefits of booking Eurostar direct:

• Option to book Rail + Hotel for further discounts
• The system warns you if there are less than 10 seats
• Fixed £4 credit card charge, debit cards are free
• Choice of window/aisle/solo seat preference, or
• Specific seat selection at the 3rd booking stage
• SMS text message option in case of delay/cancellations
• Print ticket at home (or office) option, free of charge, and go direct to check-in!
• Ticket on departure, free of charge, but collection by the card-holder only
• Telephone support: 08432 186 186 from 8am to 7pm Mon-Fri, 9-5 Sat/Sun

For your convenience, we provide both Eurostar and SNCF search forms on our Eurostar Page

Booking Tips to reserve a train to Europe

Posted on by

For booking a train ticket to Europe to stations other than the Eurostar mainline stations: Lille, Paris, Brussels, we suggest you use Eurostar to price your through journey first.

Then compare the through journey with Rail Europe

Through tickets are more convenient as you will make one online booking, with little chance of making a mistake. However, it may be considerably cheaper to split the booking into two:

Price the ticket as just as far as the Eurostar mainline station with Eurostar, and, separately, using Rail Europe (SNCF), or German Rail (DER), price the onward domestic ticket.

You may reduce the fare considerably.

An alternative to Rail Europe and worth taking the time to check, is French railways SNCF direct, but you must use the French Language Site*

Booking Tips for Booking French Railways French Language Site

If your French is really poor, use Google Chrome as your web browser as there is an automated page translator which will help.

You will be asked, “Sélectionnez le pays de réception ou de retrait des billet” which translates as “Select the country of receipt or withdrawal of the ticket”

If you choose Grande Bretagne you will be redirected to a Rail Europe site which may cost you more.

Choose FRANCE

Choose e-billet …“Imprimez ou modifiez votre confirmation e-billet en ligne quand vous voulez”  which translates as  Print or edit your e-ticket confirmation online when you want

You can even choose to book now and pay later! (Ou posez une simple option et payez plus tard)

Eurostar Prices

Posted on by

You will not find discounted Eurostar prices through travel agents or online websites below those offered here through Eurostar.com

However; we recommend that you compare fares with those offered by Rail Europe.
Rail Europe is the UK representative of French Railways (SNCF) and they use the SNCF reservation system which may offer availability at prices that Eurostar may have sold out of.

Benefits of booking Eurostar direct here:

• Option to book Rail + Hotel for further discounts
• The system warns you if there are less than 10 seats
• Fixed £4 credit card charge, debit cards are free
• Choice of window/aisle/solo seat preference, or
• Specific seat selection at the 3rd booking stage
• SMS text message option in case of delay/cancellations
• Print ticket at home (or office) option, free of charge, and go direct to check-in!
• Ticket on departure, free of charge, but collection by the card-holder only
• Telephone support: 08432 186 186 from 8am to 7pm Mon-Fri, 9-5 Sat/Sun

For more details, visit our Eurostar Page

 

Heathrow Express Discount June 2011

Posted on by

Our promotional discount of Heathrow Express Tickets has ended but we still recommend that you purchase round-trip tickets rather than single journeys, that you book in advance online and save money compared to purchasing onboard.

UPDATE December 2011

Heathrow Express discount of 25% for bookings in December 2011 and outbound travel up to end January 2012
The normal online fare for Express Class Return is £32 but the sale fare saves £8 at a price of £24.00
To obtain the discount Heathrow Express fare you have to click on a Google advert, otherwise you will be charged the normal fare.

Simply Google “Heathrow Express Sale”

If you appreciate this advice please subscribe to my site to receive occasional money saving travel advice

Discount Heathrow Express Tickets

Posted on by

Our promotional discount of Heathrow Express Tickets has ended but we still recommend that you purchase round-trip tickets rather than single journeys, that you book in advance online and save money compared to purchasing onboard.

UPDATE December 2011

Heathrow Express discount of 25% for bookings in December 2012 and outbound travel up to end January 2012
The normal online fare for Express Class Return is £32 but the sale fare saves £8 at a price of £24.00
To obtain the discount Heathrow Express fare you have to click on a Google advert, otherwise you will be charged the normal fare.

Simply Google “Heathrow Express Sale”

If you appreciate this advice, please subscribe to my blog for occasional travel advice and deals

Check out our best hotel search engine

How to avoid airport tax

Posted on by

If you’re flying to Sydney you could stopover in Europe for more than 24 hours and save £73 UK departure tax! (the Europe tax-band is applied)
However, the fare with a break of journey may cost considerably more than the saving!

What is feasible is to stopover in say Dubai with Emirates and you’ll save £25 tax which you could use towards against your hotel bill!

For details of airport tax see my article here

British Airways Low Business Class Fares

Posted on by

The BA sale is directed at leisure travellers as all tickets require a Saturday night stay.  The airfares are non refundable (although government tax and airport charges of up to £270, included in the fares below, are refundable)

Canny business travellers who stick to their travel plans, and maybe add a weekend holiday to the beginning or end of their trips, thus staying a Saturday night, can benefit from these prices too.

Bookings generally need to be made in advance – by as much as 28 days before departure.

Example return fares in Business Class:

New York            £1,869

Mumbai               £1,750

Hong Kong          £2,447

Bangkok             £2,650

This offer is for travel through to 31st December 2011 and should be booked in advance to avoid disappointment!

British Airways do not discount these prices through any travel agent – or any online agent. The price you see is the price you pay except for a £4.50 charge should you choose to pay by credit card.

Visit British Airways direct to book online.

British Airways Business Class Sale – book by 21st June

Posted on by

The BA sale is directed at leisure travellers as all tickets require a Saturday night stay.  The airfares are non refundable (although government tax and airport charges of up to £270, included in the fares below, are refundable)

Canny business travellers who stick to their travel plans, and maybe add a weekend holiday to the beginning or end of their trips, thus staying a Saturday night, can benefit from these prices too.

Bookings generally need to be made in advance – by as much as 28 days before departure.

Example return fares in Business Class:

New York            £1,869

Mumbai               £1,750

Hong Kong          £2,447

Bangkok               £2,650

This offer is for travel through to 31st December 2011 and should be booked in advance to avoid disappointment!

British Airways do not discount these prices through any travel agent – or any online agent. The price you see is the price you pay except for a £4.50 charge should you choose to pay by credit card.

Visit British Airways direct to book online.