Ryanair criticised over new card charge

Ryanair has clashed with fair trading officials over plans to introduce a new charge on all bookings made using a credit card.

Ryanair's newest fee is a two per cent credit card charge.

In a statement issued yesterday Ryanair said that the two per cent fee – which will be effective from tomorrow – will allow it comply with a recent ruling by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT).

But today the Government body rejected its claim.

"We have not required any airline to introduce new payment charges, increase their credit card charges or scrap any discounts they wish to offer,” said an OFT spokesman. "We took action to make sure that debit card charges are included in the headline price and credit card charges are transparent and not sprung on shoppers towards the end of the booking process."

The no-frills airline was quick to issue its own assessment of the OFT's response. “Ryanair is disappointed, but not surprised, by the OFT’s attempt to distance themselves from their anti-consumer rulings," said a spokesman. "Before the OFT imposed these baseless changes, airlines could partner with card providers to allow their cardholders the exclusive advantage of avoiding such fees.

"As the OFT has removed our ability to help passengers avoid fees through exclusive partnerships perhaps they may wish to pay these fees on the consumers’ behalf."

Ryanair already charges an “admin fee” of £6 per flight per person on all bookings. This charge has always been avoidable for those customers who pay with a Ryanair Cash Passport – leading many to assume the admin fee is simply a card charge by another name. However, passengers who pay for their flight with a credit card will have to pay both charges from tomorrow.

The airline also announced yesterday that passengers who pay with a Ryanair Cash Passport will no longer be exempt from paying the admin fee.

Ryanair’s other charges include a 25p per person, per flight “ETS Levy”, introduced in response to the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme; a £2 per person, per flight “EU 261 Levy”, which it says covers the cost of compensating passengers for delays; and a £6 per person, per flight “Web Check in” fee.

How Ryanair's fares escalate

Return flight from London Stansted to Marrakesh

Out: Feb 3

Return: Feb 7

1 x adult = £46.48

EU 261 Levy = £4

Web check-in = £12

ETS Levy = 50p

Headline fare = £62.98

One checked bag (15kg limit) = £30

Reserved seating = £20

Admin fee = £12

Running total = £124.98

Credit card fee: 2% of £124.98 = £2.50

Total fare = £127.48

Why CEOs Oppose HIV Travel Bans: They're Bad for Business

More than 30 million people could be denied entry, detained or deported from 45 countries worldwide. They are neither terrorists, criminals nor drug dealers. The reason? They live with HIV.

Restrictions based only on positive HIV status deny the entry, stay, residence or work visas for people living with HIV, even though the HIV virus can't be transmitted through casual contact. These laws and policies not only violate human rights and don't protect the public health, they also harm a business's bottom line. In today's globalized economy and competitive landscape, work-related travel and relocation are essential for corporations to succeed. Companies have to be able to send our employees and executives overseas, regardless of their HIV status.

Inmigration Equality HIV BAN

Yet HIV travel restrictions keep us from moving our best talent and valuable skills where they're needed. Travel restrictions can prevent HIV-positive employees from attending work meetings, conferences and site visits in nations where HIV restrictions exist, and from accepting a promotion or relocation if it involves frequent travel or moving overseas. These situations also may pressure employees to disclose to their companies why they can't obtain a visa or participate in work activities. Their HIV status then becomes an issue that their manager needs to address, not due to performance or health, but to policies that deny equal access to travel, movement and opportunity. Thus, HIV travel restrictions not only hamper a company's ability to freely conduct business around the world, they limit career growth and negate years of progress the business world has made in incorporating HIV confidentiality and non-discrimination policies into the workplace.

Similarly, such measures hamper suppliers of goods, resources and services that are critical to the growth of the private sector. Some of the leading countries in the apparel, manufacturing, energy and mining industries still impose some sort of restriction. Among the 45 countries are Australia, Malaysia, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Singapore.

Many countries enacted travel restrictions "to protect the public health" back in the 1980s when ignorance, fear and prejudice surrounded HIV. Since then we've learned about effective HIV prevention and now have antiretroviral treatment that has revolutionized the lives of people living with HIV so that they are fully productive workers living long and healthy lives. HIV treatment also reduces the amount of HIV in one's body to an undetectable level, lowering the possibility of transmitting HIV to someone else by some 96%. There's no evidence that HIV travel restrictions protect public health. To the contrary, some professionals leave their HIV medicines at home during business trips for fear that their pills will be discovered by airport agents. Skipping one's HIV medication can lead to drug resistance, a troubling and expensive public health concern. 

All of these reasons are why CEOs are taking a stand this World AIDS Day on December 1st. The CEOs of more than 40 companies, including our own -- Levi Strauss & Co. and Kenneth Cole Productions -- have signed an unprecedented pledge calling on the 45 remaining governments to lift their travel restrictions. These CEOs lead some of the world's largest companies from Johnson & Johnson to The Coca-Cola Company from the National Basketball Association to Heineken, Pfizer and Aetna. And they represent a wide range of industries -- from travel to technology from banking to mining -- and almost 2 million employees around the world. The CEO pledge is an initiative of UNAIDS, Levi Strauss & Co. and GBCHealth, a coalition of more than 200 private sector companies engaged in HIV and other global health issues.

The good news is that many countries have lifted their travel restrictions, and we applaud them. Since 2010 alone, eight countries, including the United States and China, have repealed their bans. 

We signed the pledge because we know that CEOs can influence governments around the world. HIV travel restrictions belong squarely in the camp of anti-business regulation that hurts free and fair trade. As global business leaders with significant investments in countries around the world, we call on the 45 remaining countries to repeal their HIV travel restrictions immediately. Doing so will put an end to these archaic and discriminatory practices and will allow businesses to operate at their fullest potential on a global scale. 

Chip Bergh is President and CEO of Levi Strauss & Co. Kenneth Cole is CEO of Kenneth Cole Productions and is Chairman of the Board of the Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR).

Mount Doom's Neighbor Erupts in New Zealand

Mount Tongariro may come back to life again, scientists warn.

A massive plume of ash billows into the sky as Mount Tongariro erupts on November 21.

A New Zealand volcano that neighbors a mountain best known as Mount Doom of the Lord of the Rings films has rumbled back to life.

Mount Tongariro, situated in a remote part of the country's North Island, erupted for five minutes on November 21, spewing clouds of ash 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) high. In August, the 6,490 foot (1,978-meter) Tongariro had erupted for the first time since 1897. (Video: Volcano 101.)

Though the recent activity seems to have ebbed, scientists have predicted another eruption of similar size will occur in the next few weeks, according to the New Zealand Herald.

Several flights were canceled on New Zealand's North Island. Previous eruptions—notably of Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano in 2010—have crippled air travel on a global scale.

(Related: "Volcanic Ash Stops Europe Flights—Why Ash Is Dangerous [2010].")

"Very often volcanic ash contains microscopic fragments of volcanic glass ... and the turbine engines of commercial aircraft produce a level of heat sufficient to melt glass," Steven Miller, of the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere at Colorado State University, told NASA's Earth Observatory in August.

"The ash can melt onto [airplane] turbine blades and other parts of the engine, causing damage and even engine stalls. It also presents hazards to pilot visibility, causing pits and frosting on the windshields in the same way that a sandstorm damages an automobile windshield."

Travelocity's Top 10 Thanksgiving Travel Tips

It's the busiest time of the year, and we're all trying our very best to get home for turkey dinner without too much stress and strain. But as we know, sometimes things don't go according to plan.

Whether you're trying to smuggle a frozen turkey in your purse or find a cheap last minute deal, Travelocity's Turkey Task Force is here to guide you with our Top 10 Thanksgiving Travel Tips:

Don't check your luggage. Let's face it, all you're really going to wear on Thanksgiving is a pair of elastic sweatpants so there's no need to lug a giant suitcase along. By carrying on all of your luggage you'll avoid those dreaded 'checked bag fees' so popular with airlines these days, and you won't have to waste time at the luggage carousel.

Divide and conquer your carry-ons. Remember: Everyone that you're traveling with, from an adult to the tiniest toddler, is allowed two pieces of carry-on luggage. Divvy up your belongings among everyone and keep any fragile items under the seat in front of you. In the busy rush of take-off, items in the overhead bin aren't always handled with care.

Get on Twitter. If you weren't a fan of Twitter before, you should be now. The holiday travel season is full of unexpected changes due to weather and heavy crowds and Twitter is the best way for airlines to communicate updates to the masses. Follow @Travelocity's Turkey Task Force use hashtag #ttf to keep track of delays and cancellations at the ten busiest airports in the country.

Leave the cranberry sauce at home. Whether you're a cranberry perserve or canned cranberry lover, the TSA doesn't really care. Neither are allowed onboard. However, your turkey is! If you've got an item that you're thinking of bringing, use the MY TSA app feature "Can I bring?" to find out what's allowed.

Dont wrap gifts. Your handy work may be torn to bits by a TSA Security Officer who is required to thoroughly inspect all packages.

Fly on the holiday. If you can travel on Thanksgiving morning you'll get home just in time for dinner and avoid all of the chaos and long lines that travelers tend to experience the days leading up.

Compare surrounding airports. Even if you live closer to one airport, a deeply discounted flight may be lurking at a nearby airport. Always tick "Compare Surrounding Airports" when you're shopping online.

Load up your phone with travel apps. Whether you're hunting for gas, looking to book a nearby hotel, or tracking a Superstorm, mobile apps can be a traveler's best friends.

Book a vacation package. If you aren't crashing at grandma's, book a hotel and flight vacation package to maximize savings. You could save up to $525!

Check-in online. You'll save time, money and even be able to download your boarding pass to your smartphone all by checking in online.

Belfast emerges as tourism hotspot

The Titanic Visitor centre in Belfast.

Belfast has made a list of Europe's top 10 fastest-growing travel destinations.

The dock where the Titanic was built is among must-see attractions listed by influential travellers' website TripAdvisor.

The company recognised destinations that have seen the greatest increase in positive feedback and interest from travellers year on year. The city was ranked eighth in the table, with Kiev in Ukraine finishing top.

TripAdvisor's website said: "Belfast has grown into a cosmopolitan destination and become a popular weekend break spot. With feelings of optimism and life pulsing through the city, Belfast makes for an energising getaway."

The city marked the centenary of the sinking of the Titanic earlier this year with the opening of a visitors' centre overlooking the harbour and a series of special commemorative events. Other places noted by TripAdvisor include the Ulster Folk Museum and Belfast Cathedral.

The website highlighted Belfast's "award-winning" restaurants, bars, clubs, galleries and theatres. Other UK destinations in the European top 10 included Liverpool, Manchester and Glasgow.

Gerry Lennon, chief executive of Belfast Visitor & Convention Bureau (BVCB), said: "Belfast now has an excellent competitive position across the UK, Ireland and Europe as a must-visit destination of distinction and this new award demonstrates that yet again.

"We are delighted to be included among the destinations on the rise in Europe and the UK in what has been a momentous and 'Titanic' year for the city."

He said there had been significant investment and the development of existing and new tourist attractions such as Titanic Belfast, the MAC, the Lyric Theatre, and the Ulster Museum and headline-grabbing global events such as the MTV European Music Awards.

He added the city is attracting and welcoming increasing numbers of visitors drawn by a mixture of curiosity and desire to see the city's unique experiences.

First online personalized way to plan book and travel

ATLANTA - Mr. Arlo, the first travel website of its kind, launched on Thursday, 8th November. The launch is in time for PhoCusWright's Travel Innovation Summit in Phoenix, where he is nominated for Start-Up of the Year and People's Choice awards at the Travel Innovation Summit.

Designed for the traveler, Mr. Arlo is an integrated travel retail experience, complete with friends' recommendations and TripAdvisor reviews, as well as restaurant reservations through OpenTable, to make entire purchases all in one place.

By getting to know you, your friends and your preferences, Mr. Arlo recommends trips, restaurants, and activities that fit your personality. His knowledge and expert connections give consumers confidence to make the right decisions, as they are chosen from his favorite 150,000 three-star and above hotels, 25,000 restaurants through OpenTable and 5,500 activities worldwide.

What makes Mr. Arlo different from other online travel web sites is that he is personal, mobile, local, and social.

The proprietary Travel Persona Engine (TPE) customizes each user's experience by making available a personalized list of recommendations. TPE accomplishes this by identifying user's check-ins, likes, dislikes, past behavior and similar decisions made by their friends and/or other users. Mr. Arlo analyzes characteristics of hotels, restaurants, activities and destinations to recommend what he thinks you'll love.

It is estimated that by the year 2015 more than five billion consumers will be booking travel on mobile devices, and to meet this demand Mr. Arlo has an identical mobile and website experience. He knows if you are accessing the site from a computer, iPad, or smartphone and adjusts the screen accordingly. Additionally, Mr. Arlo's personnel works on both the app and the website together - not separate departments like many other retail experiences.

Mr. Arlo keeps you informed on your mobile device - even when abroad. You are a local, not a tourist with Mr. Arlo, with insider advice on restaurants and activities.

He encourages customers to share their travel experience with friends. The permission-only, unique network of social media connections including FourSquare, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and other sharing options lets you know where your friends have been and helps you brag to them about where you have been.

"Planning your perfect trip can be a gamble with typical booking sites. So we designed Mr. Arlo to get to know you by asking questions, tailor-making recommendations, and booking the whole trip on one easy retail site," said VP of Supply & Distribution, Chuck Jensen. "Searching endlessly for hotels and activities on several different sites leads to frustration, and can take the pleasure out of planning a trip. Mr. Arlo provides the solution that is aesthetically-pleasing, easy to use, aspirational and personal."

Mr. Arlo is the only travel site to offer OpenTable restaurant bookings without sending you to another online location. TripAdvisor is also a buddy, and shares up-to-the-minute reviews of every hotel. Making friends all the time, Mr. Arlo continues to enhance your booking experience, introducing flights, car rentals and sporting events soon. 

Mr. Arlo is unique in the online travel industry as it is privately-owned and raised substantial personal investments prior to launch. The online travel industry is a fast-growing $313 billion marketplace dominated by well-known online travel companies. However, statistics show that more than 53 percent of online travel shoppers are dissatisfied with their current shopping experience, according to an Atmosphere Research Group report and a Forrester Research survey.

Mr. Arlo's Experts

Mr. Arlo has an impressive Board of Advisors to back him up. With 125 years' combined experience in the travel industry, including:

• Bob Coggin – Former Vice Chairman of Galileo, Travelport
• Carl Wilson – Former EVP & CIO, Marriott International
• Keehln Wheeler - CEO and Co-Founder
• Chuck Job Lang - CPO and Co-Founder, former Pose Head of Product and Experience Design
• Chuck Jensen - VP Supply and Distribution, former General Manager at Delta.com and VP, Global Account Management at iSeatz

Hurricane Sandy grounds 15,000 US flights

NEW YORK - Nearly 15,000 flights were grounded on Monday as the powerful storm Sandy thwarted travel up and down the US East Coast with powerful winds and blinding rain that could linger for days.

Hurricane Sandy grounds 15,000 US flights

The number is expected to grow as the slow-moving cyclone churns inland after making landfall near Atlantic City, New Jersey and combines with a cold front coming down from Canada that could whip up as much as three feet of snow.

Tens of thousands were stranded as the mega storm's impact on air travel was felt as far afield as Asia and Europe, delaying business trips and ruining holiday plans just ahead of Wednesday's popular Halloween family festival.

Pablo Gomez decided to drive the 800 miles (1,300 kilometers) from New York to home in Chicago after his 6:00 am Monday flight was cancelled.

"The drive is exhausting, but they said I might not get back until Thursday," Gomez, 41, told AFP.

Gomez left Sunday evening to avoid highway closures and the oncoming storm but didn't get home until Monday at dinner time after lengthy delays.

"The roads aren't too bad, just a lot of rain," the university professor said Monday morning from Ohio.

"I wouldn't have known anything was going on if it weren't for all the electricity trucks -- the big ones -- driving the other way."

At Washington's Reagan National Airport, Italian exchange student Joelle Carota, 21, said she has been waiting 36 hours for a flight to Rochester in upstate New York and is taking it with patient resignation.

Carota slept Sunday night in a seat at the airport, plans to do the same Monday night, and said people at National are taking the delays in stride, as they know how dangerous the weather is.

It is her first brush with a potentially deadly storm.

"I have always seen this kind of thing on the news. Now here I am, and it is sort of strange," Carota, who is studying English and Spanish at Nazareth College in Rochester, told AFP. "Here, it is safe. I am safe."

Damien Cirotteau, 35, was in New York on holiday from Paris with his wife and two young children.

They were supposed to be flying to San Francisco on Monday. Instead, he was scrambling for a place to stay after Jet Blue told him they wouldn't get there until Friday.

"The kids weren't happy about being stuck inside all day, it's hard for them to be patient," he told AFP.

Three smaller coastal airports shut down completely Monday and many others -- including as far inland as Philadelphia -- might as well have, as nearly every flight was cancelled.

Some 1,371 flights were cancelled on Sunday as airlines prepared for the storm, according to the online aviation tracking service flightaware.com.

Another 7,744 were cancelled Monday, including 1,220 in Philadelphia and around 1,000 at each of New York's three airports.

A further 5,269 flights have already been cancelled for Tuesday and 487 on Wednesday.

Subway services, buses and commuter trains were shut down in New York, Philadelphia and Washington and Amtrak suspended rail services in the region.

Safety fears over the monster storm caused disruption as far away as Hong Kong and France even before the hurricane reached the US coast after barreling across parts of the Caribbean and leaving 66 people dead.

The European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, Eurocontrol, said 300 of the usual 500-odd flights between Europe and the US had been cancelled, with more expected.

In Asia, Hong Kong's flagship carrier Cathay Pacific announced it was scrapping a total of eight direct flights between the southern Chinese city and New York on Monday and Tuesday.

Flights from India and Japan were also affected, as were flights from Canada, Mexico and Latin America.

Israel tourism campaign embarrassing

In a video clip launched as part of Israel's new campaign to promote incoming tourism, actress Gilat Ankori, dressed in a polka dot blouse, is seen lying in ambush with 'IDF soldiers', wearing a helmet and holding a rifle - just waiting to pull the trigger.

Actress Noa Tishby, who happens to pass by, is surprised to see her old friend from the 90s TV series Ramat Aviv Gimmel. In a belittling tone of voice, Tishby says to her friend: "We haven't asked you to lie in ambush."

"No?" the confused Ankori replies.

"No. But there is something you can do for the state. Invite a tourist to Israel," Tishby tells her.

It is difficult to determine what is more embarrassing: The campaign to bring back Israelis who left the country ("Yordim"), which was based on instilling feelings of guilt, or the new, desperate attempt by the Governmental Publications Bureau (GPB), which serves as an advertising agency for all governmental ministry offices, to promote tourism in such an unstylish manner.

The GPB's call for national recruitment is the Israeli version of John F. Kennedy's "ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country" speech.

Video featuring Tishby and Ankori

The campaign's message is gloomy: We've tried everything, so now it's your turn. This is not only a defeatist attitude that transfers the responsibility to us, the citizens, it also presents a fake reality. After all, it is hard to initiate diplomatic processes that will actually make life in Israel more appealing. It is much easier to act as if it's more appealing. Choosing Noa Tishby, who spends most of her time in the US, to head the campaign does not add to its credibility.

Israelis can convince their friends abroad to visit the country by telling them about our beaches, restaurants and exotic markets. But this campaign is not meant to convince foreigners to visit Israel; instead, it tries to cause us to convince them. 

Tourism is vital for any civilized country, but how civilized can a country be if it uses a battle scene – soldiers, weapons, an ambush – to convince viewers to invite foreigners to visit?