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Just having a poke around Guiness World Records looking for travel related achievements and I found this - a video of Niek Vermulen and some of his collection of airline sickness bags. Niek has collected 5,180 bags from 1,003 different airlines.
Martin Couzins, online editor
Remind anyone of a meme? I dub thee 'holcat'...
It's from a new £4 million TV, print and online campaign advertising Teletext's digital TV and online services.
I don't know whether the huge popularity of I Can Has Cheezburger and lolcats provided any inspriation, but if this was me I'd do a full-on kitty pidgin one, release it onto the web and get some viral going too.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Travel Rants links to some 3D videos of Heathrow Terminal 5, including arrivals, the champagne bar, the Club Lounge and so forth.
Here's a video of Troika's Cloud sculpture, which will hang inside Heathrow Terminal 5 hypnotising people into missing their flight.
Our aviation reporter Ian Taylor did a preview of Heathrow Terminal 5 a while back - take a look. The Guardian also has some recent Terminal 5 photos.
Want proof that there are some travellers who really, really need the help of an expert?
Look no further than peace campaigner Mark Boyle, who has cut short a pilgrimage from Bristol to India after language barriers prevented him from securing food and shelter.
Mr Boyle, who believes we should scrap money and live in a 'Freeconomy', had got as far as Calais on human kindness alone.
Upon arriving in Calais, Boyle realised none of his party spoke French, and was astonished to be taken for a 'freeloading backpacker'.
The French apparently lacked the subtlety to distinguish between a solvent young man dossing his way to India for fun and one who is doing it for a cause.
Boyle now intends to walk round the coast of the UK and learn French en route, a plan which it is kindest to call 'incomplete'.
Presumably he will gen up on German on the way through France, then cover the basics of Czech on the way through Germany, and so on all the way to India (whose constitution recognises 22 languages).
Get this man to an agent. All the atlases and web services in the world can't help him: he doesn't need information, he needs guidance.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Congrats to ABTA for being named a business superbrand in a poll of leading business brands.
ABTA demonstrated quality, reliability and distinction, according to the judges - exactly what the UK travel trade needs from its representative body.
Martin Couzins, online editor
Holiday ads crop up in the strangeset of places. One of Travel Weekly's sister brands, Personnel Today, is celebrating its 20th birthday with a look back to 1988. It has included this TV ad from Pontin's.
Can someone tell me the message of this ad?
Martin Couzins, online editor
What was your first clue?
Oh, okay - it's just a misleading headline. Said expert was talking to a Canadian emergency readiness conference, and pointed out that Canada should not consider itself exempt from threats. Fair point.
This is a classic example of why you need to get your keywords in if you want a news headline to make sense in search results.
Just inserting 'Canadian' turns this from a statement of the obvious into something specific and relevant.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Following on from news that Warner Leisure Hotels has launched an Experience Breaks brochure offering more than 600 breaks, I called up Ian Bradley, PR for the Association of Independent Tour Operators to find out what unusual activities his members offered.
This is what he came back with:
Martin Couzins, online editor
Disneyland Resort Paris has launched a web site to promote the opening of its new ride, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. It is a great looking site which really does give a sense of what is in store (believe me). The site is also running a competition for consumers to upload their very own TV or radio ad for the new ride. Visitors to the site can also upload their own pictures.
Martin Couzins, online editor
UPDATE: Ryanair now says that it met the OFT deadline but that pricing updates were delayed because of technical problems associated with the booking service relaunch.
The Ryanair website kerfuffle shows few signs of slowing down.
ABTA is incensed that Ryanair's website still does not comply with Office of Fair Trading pricing rules.
Remember there was an agreement between ABTA and the OFT that the former would crack down on operator pricing, and the latter on airline pricing, so the idea of a carrier still being in breach of the rules is no doubt galling to the travel agent body.
At the time an ABTA spokesman told Travel Weekly, "We will keep our side of the bargain and we expect the OFT to do the same."
As for Ryanair's website upgrade - which everyone expected would deal with the pricing requirements straight off - it has been the subject of 'mutterings', as Travolution puts it.
A Ryanair statement blames the problems on a traffic surge, which is what happens if you shut your booking engine over the weekend and come back online with a huge sale.
Travel technology blogger Alex Bainbridge comments:
Ah... a self inflicted wound created by the marketing team. In my large system projects we try to leave at least 3-4 weeks between system change and any major marketing push… because this gives you enough time to develop (and test) a further release and solve any teething problems
According to Travo, Ryanair has said that pricing will be sorted by the end of the day. For now we have the Ryanair USP writ large: the website's on the blink, the advertised prices are causing controversy, but OMG LOOK! SEATS FOR A PENNY!
Screamingly low prices will trump anything else, as Ryanair has consistently demonstrated - and all the media attention may not sit ill with the airline either.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
The new head of BAA is Colin Matthews.
Be interesting to see how it pans out for him as he faced certain 'customer service' challenges at Severn Trent water group.
Customer service is his number one challenge, with both airlines and consumers wanting a much improved airport experience. BA will be happy as he once worked fro them as technical director. Should help with the opening of Heathrow Terminal 5 on 27 March.
Martin Couzins, online editor
Here is No 1 Croydon, home to Directline holidays. I particularly liked the address which is based on London's best address, No 1 London - pictured below.
Martin Couzins, online editor
As you'll have heard, Greenpeace activists climbed on an aircraft at Heathrow earlier to protest against the proposed third runway.
The affair was over as soon as it began, but it left us with this small masterpiece of pathos and comic timing:
Anna Jones, one of the protestors, told reporters: "I am standing on this plane because our planet and the people who live on it are in danger. Climate change can be beaten but not by almost doubling the size of the world's biggest airport. The scientists say we only have 100 months to get emissions down so we are here to draw a line in the sand and tell Gordon Brown his new runway must not and will not be built."
An airport spokeman said: "The protestors have now been removed and this has caused no disruption to flights."
There's a good pic of the protest on this report from Reuters.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
The Guardian has just published some sneak preview shots of the shopping inside Heahrow's new Terminal 5.
And here's BA's terminal 5 website.
Martin Couzins, online editor
It is good to see a piece of Holiday Which? research which comes out on the side of travel agents - let's face it, this doesn't happen very often. It was particularly interesting to note that of the respondents to the Holiday Which? survey that used travel agents, 81% felt they’d received honest, trustworthy advice.
Trust is key for consumers and online players are still grappling with the issue. Agents are in a position of strength here because consumers still want face to face advice and transactions.
A search on 'trust' on the Travolution blog reveals some interesting discussion points around consumers' trust of online players.
Martin Couzins, online editor
The Guardian has a story which suggests that the UK wants to see measures identical to the 2007 PNR Agreement between the EU and US, under which airlines are obliged to share up to 19 pieces of data, covering domestic flights and sea and rail travel within the European Community.
It struck me that readers might like to know what the 19 pieces of information covered by the 2007 PNR agreement are, so I've dug them out. Here's the list:
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Here's a worrying story. During a recent flight to Barbados, a friend of mine told the cabin crew of a sudden and severe pain in her leg.
According to my friend, the stewardess looked puzzled and said she'd never heard of that happening before.
Bad answer.
As the aviation industry has been at pains to stress, the risk of developing a deep vein thrombosis is only minimally higher on a flight, and even then it is caused by immobility, not flying per se - a long car journey involves just as much risk.
But it should be obvious that a passenger complaining of severe leg pains could be suffering from, or at least worrying about a DVT, and you would expect cabin crew to respond accordingly. Especially on a big full-fare airline, which this was.
It transpired that my friend had developed a superficial thrombosis, which is less immediately dangerous but still very painful, and carries the risk of complications, including the development of a DVT.
Things did not improve on the ground. She spent virtually the whole trip in doctors' surgeries and on crutches, and said dealings with her package operator (again, a big name) left her feeling like a burden.
When it came to flying home, her requirements hadn't been passed on to the airline, and only bursting into tears (which I'd probably have done much sooner in the trip) secured her a bulkhead seat where her leg could be properly elevated.
I'm not naming companies, because this is all anecdotal. But it is dispiriting to hear that someone has put their money down with trusted brands and ended up with this standard of care.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
A press release arrives from Holiday Which?:
Tourists can avoid social gaffes when abroad by checking out local customs and traditions before they travel, says a new report from Holiday Which?
Oh... that's how you avoid social gaffes. No wonder I've been deported so often.
Whether anyone needs a report to tell them this is debatable, but Holiday Which? does include some nice travel trivia.
So remember to pack your worst shirt.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
A transcript of a Northern Ireland Assembly debate on tourism recently popped up on my theyworkforyou.com email alert.
What makes it particularly interesting is that Paul Maskey of Sinn Fein, whose motion initiated the debate, recommends developing political tourism.
I understand that people have sensitivities towards political tourism. However, I also recognise that it has massive potential to grow the tourism industry and will assist in the regeneration of many areas of social need throughout the North.
Robin Newton of the DUP later counters:
The aim of political tourism is to confuse the political process and to present a biased and prejudiced approach to the events of the past. That is a road down which Northern Ireland tourism must not travel.
There's much to think about here, even for those with no specific interest in Northern Ireland. Is there a time threshold beyond which dark episodes of history can acceptably be used to drive tourism? Does the mere possibility of bias make all 'political tourism' untenable? And if objectivity is vital, how is it to be enforced?
Anyone with even a passing interest in tourism and/or destination marketing should give it a read.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
A good summary of bad travel news from the Telegraph. No surprises that Heathrow and BA feature - lost luggage, fog, delays - the usual stuff.
It's not all bad though - London Cabbies voted best in the world by hotels.com . . . no really.
Let's see what the 21 Feb brings.
Martin Couzins, online editor
...to mark the 200th anniversary of the composer's death. Haydn Year will involve exhibitions, concerts and other events all over the country, especially in Rohrau, Vienna and Eisenstadt.
Why do I mention it? Because Haydn is the dead artist I'd travel farthest for (come on... everybody has one...) and I am there.
If you're interested too, get some other Austria ideas in this week's Central Europe feature, which, as followers of TW Blog on Twitter will know, was what kept me from posting this morning.
(Via Jaunted.)
Nathan Midgley, web producer
The New York Times reports that US rail operator Amtrak is to start randomly screening passengers' luggage this week. (Via Gadling.)
It will also have armed officers and bomb-sniffing dogs patrolling platforms, in a security push apparently modelled on measures in place on the New York subway.
Amtrak is promising minimal disruption - those that are searched will only be held up for a few minutes, the NYT's interviewee promises.
Even so, many will wonder whether this could be a first step towards the more rigorous security measures we have on Eurostar services.
I wonder how rail services that are in direct competition with air services would fare if the security playing field was levelled.
Would the other benefits of rail travel - directness, lower carbon emissions and in some cases lower cost - be enough to keep it in the game?
We may yet get a chance to see...
(PS - the Telegraph's Francisca Kellett started a lively discussion on Eurostar vs. flying recently - look out for TW Blog in the comments section...)
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Have you heard of skiers - and not those on two skis? I hadn't until last night when I spoke to Martin Edwards, a product manager at Bales Worldwide. He was telling me that he had started to hear of the term 'skiers' from clients. Skiers being those that spend their kids' inheritance on travel.
His was anecdotal evidence but could this be a new traveller who is hell bent on a) having a good time b) spending their cash to avoid tax and c) breaking the hearts of their children who will get less inheritance?
Martin Couzins, online editor
Travolution has a good story on how airlines fared in a recent study of brands' online reputations.
Virgin Atlantic came top, and Ryanair got a sobering score of minus 20. Here are the Kaizo Advocacy Index scores:
And I see on Gadling that the New York Times ran a 'cruise issue' on Sunday. This article on interesting land extensions has a little drop-down menu that takes you to most of the content.
The cruise revolution marches on... I wonder whether the freesheet that doesn't do cruise has relented yet.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Travel insurer Complete Ski has produced a list of top fracture resorts for skiers based on insurance claims made since 2000. France accounts for 53% of all claims followed by Austria and Italy.
Only French resorts make the top 10 . . .
And here is a map of the top 20 fracture resorts.
Martin Couzins, online editor
Regular contributor Brian Hordon (Silversea UK) sends this last missive from Australia... his next post will come from Singapore
It was nice to see ABTA come across well in an article in the Australian national press recently.The Australia Bureau of Statistics had announced that UK tourist numbers had fallen by 6% in November 2007 compared to the same period in 2006, although it conceded that the 2006 numbers were inflated by UK visitors supporting our Ashes campaign.
Arrival figures for Japan and Korea were also substantially down, primarily due to various cost implications. But ABTA rallied to the cause, saying that "Australia is a destination hotspot for British tourist this year".
And this was supported by predictions that the launch of the new wartime epic Australia would boost numbers. Indeed, the same article hailed star Nicole Kidman as a "potential saviour of the Australian tourism industry".
Kidman has an enormous following, but the saviour of the Australian tourism industry will be the creative and aggressive UK travel agent, who will continue to recognise the features and benefits of this enchanting destination.
I now wonder just how many of these agents will exploit the film in their promotional programme. It's a potential partnership opportunity (no matter how small) to die for.
Brian Hordon
Director of Training Development
Silversea Cruises (UK) Ltd
Heads-up for any cabin crew readers: the production company that does Gordon Ramsay's The F Word for Channel 4 is looking for some of you to appear in the new series.
We would like to hear from Cabin Crew who would like a cooking lesson from Gordon and are interested in learning about delicious exciting healthy food
...says someone from their offices, but requests for more information elicited a press release that was even more generic than the first.
This has not helped to dispel TW Blog's prejudices about TV people, most of which are taken from Charlie Brooker shows.
Anyway, if you're interested email fwordcooking@optomen.com telling them why you need Gordon's help. Tell us how it goes if you get picked.
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Here's a look at Boeing's second flight-test 787 Dreamliner, which went into final assembly on Friday.
Photo: The Boeing Company
There are currently 21 Dreamliners 'in various stages of production', which includes two models for static and fatigue testing.
Nearly 60 airlines have Dreamliners on order (there's a list on Wikipedia), but the aircraft has been beset by delays. The maiden flight is now expected in June of this year, with deliveries beginning in 2009.
Quick addition: if you're following the development of the Dreamliner, read our stablemate Flight International's flightblogger, who specialises in it.
Nathan Midgley, web producer