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Thursday, April 30, 2009

Swine Flu Travel Update

A few days ago I blogged on the impacts of swine flu on travel, what to do about the potential impacts and how savvy travellers can benefit.

This is an update on how the potential impacts are developing. A reminder that for medical advice or up to the minute information on the spread of swine flu, check out the World Health Organization (WHO) website. Note they have now taken to calling it H1N1 Influenza A instead of swine flu.

Current swine flu status

At time of writing the WHO pandemic alert level is 5, which means they think a pandemic is imminent. A pandemic just means this influenza strain is being spread in multiple areas of the world.

WHO is not recommending travel restrictions be imposed at present, although some governments are advising their citizens not to travel to the worst affected parts of Mexico or USA.

While this is still a new strain and it is not yet certain how bad swine flu will be, on the information currently available it does appear to be much weaker than SARS to put this into context. (Note SARS was not an influenza virus, but I compare infection and death rates of swine flu with SARS because many readers remember the impacts that SARS had on travel.)

I have no intention of curtailing my own upcoming travel.

Current impacts on travel

Many countries have introduced elementary screening of international arrivals. These typically are through use of visual checks, thermal cameras (particularly in Asia) or questionnaires. A (extremely) small number of arriving passengers who are unwell may be taken for tests and quarantine.

At least one country has issued a ban on flights from Mexico - Cuba. Other countries may follow suit, although as stated on my how to get to Mexico post there aren't many countries with direct flights (see that post for a list of the main ones). Stopping Mexico to USA or Canada flights is totally impractical, and in the case of USA ineffective when people can easily cross the border by land.

Already some air fares to Mexico from USA, and Mexican hotel rates, are falling.

Outlook

This is very early in the cycle for a new influenza strain. We don't yet understand how serious (or not) swine flu will be. I expect to post another update on the travel impacts in a few days' time, or sooner if there are significant developments. In the meantime I am already thinking about how I may be able to take advantage of some travel bargains which are sure to arise.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

How to get to | Monaco

This is part of a series of blog entries on how to get to countries and places. Here is a link to the index. I plan to eventually cover every country and some other places. If you have a request for a particular country or place please use the email me link at top right, or leave a comment.




Monaco

Source: Georges Dick


The easiest way to get to Monaco is by train or bus from France or Italy. There is a helipad used mainly by the rich and famous, but there are no airports in Monaco. However, the nearby Nice Cote d'Azur airport has flights from a number of airlines and bus service directly from the airport to Monte Carlo.
  • Star Alliance - Austrian, blue1, LOT, Lufthansa, SAS, Swiss, TAP, Turkish
  • Oneworld - British Airways, Finnair, Iberia
  • Sky Team - Aeroflot, Air France, Alitalia, Delta, KLM
  • Selected other - Emirates, many European low cost carriers

TIP Intra-Europe fares are lowest on routes with competition from low cost carriers.

TIP Check out fares to major nearby hubs that are connected to Monaca by bus &/or train - eg Milan, Lyon, Marseille.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Swine Flu and Travel - Waivers

Some airlines have introduced waivers allowing free changes or cancellations if you have imminent travel to an area deemed higher risk for swine flu - conditions apply. So far I've only seen Mexico, but others may be added later. As always, check your airline website in the first instance.

Swine Flu and Travel

Travellers are affecting by major disease outbreaks in several ways, and not just through contracting the disease themselves.

  1. Exposure to the disease (currently swine flu but previously avian flu, SARS, etc).
  2. Denied boarding.
  3. Closed borders.
  4. Quarantine.
  5. Aftermath (travel bargains).

1. Exposure to disease

The nature of travel means that travellers are generally more exposed to influenza-based diseases than the general public. However this greater exposure doesn't necessarily mean high exposure. For example at time of writing the World Health Organisation (WHO) reports 73 confirmed cases of swine flu (H1N1), with almost all confirmed cases being from Mexico and USA. While the number of actual cases is undoubtedly much higher, it is still a very small number compared to the number of people currently with regular influenza. The odds are extremely good that the person coughing or sneezing on the train, plane or bus does not have swine flu.

Travellers should keep themselves informed of public health warnings. For some travellers, in some countries, there may be language barriers to being informed through the media (and local media suppression is an issue in some countries). However WHO is a good source of detailed information (and Centre for Disease Control or CDC a good backup in USA and neighbouring countries).

2. Denied boarding

All airlines have the right to deny travel to passengers who present symptoms of an infectious disease, or to require medical certification of suitability of travel. In practice, most of the time you need to be seriously unwell to be denied boarding. We've all been on flights were someone nearby appears to be fairly sick. Indeed, just a week ago I developed a head cold while travelling.

At time there are public health alerts airlines may take a stronger line, and those with normal sniffles may be denied boarding or requested to have a check up. I haven't yet seen reports of this happening with swine flu, but it is only a matter of time.

If you are moderately unwell and really need to fly it may be worth a pre-emptive medical check to certify that you are okay to travel, especially if you are flying from an area deemed at moderate or higher risk (bearing in mind this can rapidly change from day to day or even hour to hour). If you don't need to fly consider deferring your travel.

3. Closed borders

A more extreme case of denied boarding is when a country or region closes its borders and prohibits travel across it. In today's connected society this is unlikely except in the event of full blown pandemic. However, it is in WHO and many countries' risk management plans for dealing with pandemics. Accordingly, travellers should be aware of the possibility of being stuck inside a high risk area, or being prevented from returning home, at least for a period. In theory travel insurance may cover this, however in the event of a bad pandemic with widespread & lengthy border closures I am sceptical. This is a very low risk but potentially high impact event. Most likely if it occurs travellers who are away from home at the time may have to throw themselves on the mercy of local authorities and charities for assistance, if they are unable to support themselves.

4. Quarantine

A traveller who is on a flight with a suspected case of highly infectious disease may find themselves placed under quarantine on arrival. Also some airports screen all arriving passengers and may detain those with symptoms (such as a temperature) - Hong Kong, Seoul and Tokyo spring to mind from my recent travels. At the minimum a quarantine is likely to be as long as required to be cleared by test results (assuming they come back negative), namely a few days, but could be longer if the test return is positive or there is a backlog in testing.

My suggestion is, where possible, try to avoid international flights which arrive on or immediately before any important events. It wouldn't be nice to have a last minute deferrment of a wedding for example, or to miss it.

5. Aftermath

When public health authorities warn against travel to certain (or all) areas, it is natural that travel loads fall. When SARS happened many intra-Asian flights were very nearly empty and others cancelled. Airlines and hotels that are already struggling with the financial recession may be hit hard by disease-induced drop in travel.

I'd expect more flight cancellations, more flight and hotel bargains (especially hotels - you can't cancel a hotel room like you can cancel a flight!) and incentives (bonus miles, free nights, etc). Obviously some areas will be affected more than others. With swine flu (and other influenza-based diseases) it is more likely to affect airlines and hotels that depend on international passengers/visitors, and especially areas with the most reported cases.

Summary

I am not qualified in medical advice. However, at this stage I have not changed any of my travel plans and nor do I expect to in the short term. Instead I am reminding myself of the above advice, reviewing updated information and being aware of options.

Safe travels and happy bargain hunting.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

First Class on Swiss and Asiana

In my recent travels I flew first class on Swiss and Asiana for the first time. I'm quite impressed with both.

The Swiss first class was on A340-300, which is not their new first class just launched a few days ago on A330-300. The seat was very comfortable and one of the better ones I've flown in despite not being particularly new. It would be great for couples with a decent sized ottoman and very wide table to dine together - pick the middle pair of seats. The inflight entertainment was a bit limited. The food & drink okay. The best part, though, was the service. I know, I shouldn't read too much into one flight - I may have just got lucky. Still, this flight has made me think about how I can get back into Swiss first class again.

On Asiana I was lucky enough to get a 747-400 with their new first class. Again the seat is not leading edge but still comfortable enough. The food and drink was great, and service could not be faulted. I'm disappointed I was flying on such a short flight and am already thinking about how I can fly Asiana first class in longhaul.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

How to Save on Airfares in this Recession

I'm a little late in posting this (I'll blame a busy trip through Europe, Africa and Middle East), but I recently did a guest blog post at IndieTravelPodcast on "How to Save on Airfares in this Recession". You may have heard of IndieTravelPodcast - they recently have been recognised for their hard efforts by winning Lonely Planet's best travel podcast award. Congrats Craig & Linda.

How to get to | Libya

This is part of a series of blog entries on how to get to countries and places. Here is a link to the index. I plan to eventually cover every country and some other places. If you have a request for a particular country or place please use the email me link at top right, or leave a comment.

Libya

Source: David Gunn

You can enter Libya by land from Egypt and Tunisia by bus or shared taxi. However the drives are long (24 hours from Cairo, 12 hours from Tunis) and hot. A few airlines fly to Libya (almost all to Tripoli) as follows:

  • Star Alliance - Austrian, EgyptAir, Lufthansa, Turkish
  • Oneworld - British Airways, Royal Jordanian
  • Sky Team - KLM
  • Other selected - Emirates, various north African airlines

TIP Visa and entry requirements have in the past changed at short notice. Keep up to date by checking through the Timatec tool (link is also on the sidebar).

TIP Some fares from Libya are very cheap, with particularly large savings in first and business class. However not all airlines participate (eg Lufthansa does not) and the ticket must be issued in Libya (by airline ticket office or local travel agent).

TIP Libya is unfortunately not easily able to be incorporated in Oneworld Explorer (xONEx) around the world fares due to backtracking rules.

Updated 2 May: An xONEx rule change now treats Libya as part of Europe (along with the other North African countries) and thus Libya can now be usefully included on the Oneworld around the world fare.

Monday, April 20, 2009

How to get to | Kuwait

This is part of a series of blog entries on how to get to countries and places. Here is a link to the index. I plan to eventually cover every country and some other places. If you have a request for a particular country or place please use the email me link at top right, or leave a comment.

Kuwait

It is difficult, if not impossible, for visitors to cross the land borders with Iraq and Saudi Arabia currently. There are a few flight options:

  • Star Alliance - EgyptAir, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, Thai, Turkish, United
  • Oneworld - British Airways, Royal Jordanian
  • Sky Team - Delta, KLM
  • Other selected - Kuwait Airways and other major Gulf airlines

TIP Fares are relatively expensive, and so Kuwait is a good candidate for awards or around the world tickets rather than simple return fares.

Friday, April 17, 2009

How to get to | Vietnam

This is part of a series of blog entries on how to get to countries and places. Here is a link to the index. I plan to eventually cover every country and some other places. If you have a request for a particular country or place please use the email me link at top right, or leave a comment.



Vietnam


Visitors to Vietnam arrive mainly by air, or by land from Cambodia, China and Laos. International flights are spread across 3 airports at Da Nang, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Flight options include:

  • Star Alliance - Air China (Ho Chi Minh City), ANA (Ho Chi Minh City), Asiana (Da Nang & Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City), Lufthansa (Ho Chi Minh City), Shanghai Airlines (Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City), Singapore Airlines (Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City), Thai (Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City), United (Ho Chi Minh City)
  • Oneworld - Cathay Pacific (Ho Chi Minh City), Dragonair (Hanoi), Japan Airlines (Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City)
  • Sky Team - Aeroflot (Hanoi), Air France (Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City), China Southern (Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City), Korean (Da Nang & Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City)
  • Other selected - various Asian low cost carriers

TIP Some airlines (eg Air France, Lufthansa, United) operate tag flights to Vietnam from a nearby Asian hub (Bangkok or Hong Kong) connecting to/from a longhaul flight. Where fifth freedom rights apply fares can be fairly cheap for the tag leg.

TIP Due to competition from low cost carriers, fares are low from nearby Asian hubs (Bangkok, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore) to Vietnam. Thus if longhaul fares to Vietnam are too high look at going via a nearby hubs on two tickets.

TIP Longhaul fares from Vietnam are usually cheaper (sometimes a lot cheaper) than the corresponding fares to Vietnam.

TIP As with many Asian countries, flights around lunar new year sell out quickly. Book well ahead.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

The Joy of Travel - Challenging Thinking & Stereotypes

I love to travel for many reasons. The other day I was reminded of one of the reasons. Travel challenges my thinking and shatters stereotypes.

I was in Albania - had not long arrived. Just long enough to drop off my bag at the small family-run hotel I was staying at and head out for a walk. Whenever possible at a new place on arrival I like to explore on foot with no particular destination in mind just to get a sense of the place and help adjust to local realities.

I had only gone a block and decided to take a break and watch the world, or rather the local portion of it, go by for a while.

It wasn't long before I saw a small truck with a cow in the back drive by, pouring diesel fumes out as it went. Here I was in Scanderberg Square, the very centre of the capital city of Tirana, having arrived less than an hour beforehand, and it seemed the stereotypes were becoming true. The hotel I was staying in (a block away) was on a dirt pot-holed road. It had a glamourous view of a power substation. There are several large chunky Stalinesque buildings around the square, and now I had just seen a cow go by.

I felt despondent. Surely the stereotypes couldn't be right? There must be more to Albania than this? I like to think I have an open mind but perhaps this time I was being too hopeful? This was not a case of being in a poor country and experiencing culture shock. I've been in far poorer places than Tirana and not gotten the same feeling I had this time. Perhaps my expectations were unreasonably high from previous visits to other Eastern European countries?

Over the following few days I explored the city on foot. I met many nice locals and gradually became to appreciate that I had been looking at it wrongly. My initial impressions were based on material manifestations which merely represent the reality of life in a relatively poor semi-rural country. I think the things that matter more, though, are the present and what people will make of the future. On that score Albania was much more uplifting. Spring had arrived, and perhaps that added to the ambience, but there was a sense of hope, and of positive attitudes.

I'm not very good with words, and so this post cannot adequately describe what I thought & how I feel. Suffice to say I enjoyed my few days in Albania as it challenged my thinking to look beyond the superficial, and acts as a reminder to forever keep a guard against having a closed mind or too many preconceptions.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

How to get to | Noumea

This is part of a series of blog entries on how to get to countries and places. Here is a link to the index. I plan to eventually cover every country and some other places. If you have a request for a particular country or place please use the email link at top right, or leave a comment.

Noumea (New Caledonia)

Source: Bruno Menetrier


A lot of cruises from Australia and New Zealand visit Noumea and/or Isle of Pines. The other way to visit is by air (arriving at La Tontouta airport outside of Noumea) on a few airlines:

  • Star Alliance - Air New Zealand (from Auckland)
  • Oneworld - Qantas (from Brisbane and Sydney)
  • Sky Team - only Air France codeshares (with integrated schedule_ from Osaka and Tokyo.
  • Other - Aircalin (to Osaka, Tokyo, Tahiti, Nadi, Seoul and others), Air Austral (from Paris via Reunion and Sydney) commencing April 2009.
TIP Fares are cheap from Australia and New Zealand, except in school holidays.

TIP Air France's fares to Noumea are essentially the same as to Australia (ie not cheap).

TIP Aircalin flights are eligible on Sky Team around the world fares and allows Noumea and Tahiti to be visited on the fare.

Monday, April 13, 2009

How to get to | USA

This is part of a series of blog entries on how to get to countries and places. Here is a link to the index. I plan to eventually cover every country and some other places. If you have a request for a particular country or place please use the contact me link at top right, or leave a comment.

USA

Source: Doug Dolde


Okay, probably no one needs help on how to get to United States of America, but since I'm covering every country I include it for completeness. There may be some information of use to somebody here. I'll also post about some places within USA later.

Land crossings are simple from Canada or Mexico (apart from the queues), and it is also easy to arrive by cruise ship. The airlines that fly to USA include (all from home country only except as specified):
  • Star Alliance - Air Canada, Air China, Air New Zealand (from NZ, London and some Pacific islands), ANA, Asiana, Austrian, bmi, Continental, EgyptAir, LOT, Lufthansa, SAS, Shanghai (not yet commenced), Singapore (from Singapore, Germany, Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea), South African (from South Africa and Senegal), Swiss, TAP, Thai, Turkish, United, US Airways
  • Oneworld - American, British Airways, Cathay Pacific (from Hong Kong and Canada), Finnair, Iberia, Japan, LAN (from Chile, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela and Canada), Mexicana, Qantas, Royal Jordanian
  • Sky Team - Aeroflot, Aeromexico, Air France (from France and Tahiti), Alitalia, China Southern, Czech, Delta, KLM, Korean
  • Other - too numerous to mention

TIP Trans-Atlantic fares are usually cheaper than Trans-Pacific fares.

TIP Longhaul premium awards (in first or business class) are difficult to obtain on routes to/from Australia/NZ, Tahiti and Africa (directly as opposed to via Europe).

UPDATED November 2009 - Mexicana joins Oneworld and Continental switch from Sky Team to Star Alliance. No change to advice.

Friday, April 10, 2009

How to get to | Greece

This is part of a series of blog entries on how to get to countries and places. Here is a link to the index. I plan to eventually cover every country and some other places. If you have a request for a particular country or place please use the email me link at top right, or leave a comment.

Greece

Source: Onkel Tuca

Many visitors to Greece arrive by cruise ship or by ferry. Land travel from neighbouring countries is also fairly easy by car or bus. There are some train routes but these are relatively expensive. Options for flying to Greece include:

  • Star Alliance - Adria, Air China, Austrian, Blue1, Continental (seasonal), Egyptair, LOT, Lufthansa, SAS, Singapore, Swiss, Thai, Turkish, US Airways
  • Oneworld - British Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Malev, Royal Jordanian
  • Sky Team - Aeroflot, Air France, Alitalia, Czech Airlines, Delta, KLM
  • Other - most European low cost carriers, most major European and Middle Eastern airlines

TIP Ferries, cruises and flights tend to be full in summer peak season (July-August). Book well ahead for summer award flights.

TIP In low season and on the shoulder of peak season watch out for short notice cancellations of ferries or flights as operators struggle to manage the rapid change in demand.

TIP Longhaul fares from Greece are some of the cheapest in Western Europe.

UPDATED November 2009 - Continental switch from Sky Team to Star Alliance. No change to advice.

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

How to get to | South Korea

This is part of a series of blog entries on how to get to countries and places. Here is a link to the index. I plan to eventually cover every country and some other places. If you have a request for a particular country or place please use the email me link at top right, or leave a comment.

South Korea

The land border with North Korea is closed (excepting the tourist attractions within the Demilitarised Zone DMZ) and there are a few ferries to South Korea from Japan and China. However, almost all visitors arrive by air. Many airlines fly to Seoul, and some Asian airlines also fly to Busan, including:

  • Star Alliance - Air Canada, Air China, ANA, Asiana, Lufthansa (also Busan), Shanghai Airlines, Singapore, Thai, Turkish, United
  • Oneworld - Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Japan Airlines
  • Sky Team - Aeroflot, Air France, China Southern, Delta, KLM, Korean
  • Other selected - Emirates

TIP Depending on currency movements, some round-trip and alliance (eg around the world) fares in first or business class from South Korea can be significantly cheaper than starting from other countries.

TIP With few low cost carriers, flights from elsewhere in Asia to South Korea tend to be fairly expensive unless bought as part of a longhaul ticket. Asia airpasses with the alliances can be a good alternative.

TIP Seoul has 2 airports - Incheon used mainly for international flights (including all longhaul flights) and Gimpo used for almost all domestic flights (plus some international flights to/from Osaka, Tokyo and Shanghai). Allow at least 2 1/2 hours for transfers between Seoul and Gimpo.

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

Tweet this

I added a tweet this button to my blog recently. I thought it would be a 2 minute job, but it ended up taking quite a bit longer. There are a number of different versions of code available for Blogger that each do slightly different things, and it took me a while to see which one I liked best.
Personally I prefer it to open a separate window rather than just replacing my blog in the active window, and if I already have Twitter open I do not want it to ask me again to log in.

I also looked for code that allows me to customise the default twitter message. I didn't find something quite as flexible as I'd like - the code I've gone with forces the bit.ly link at the start of the tweet. If anyone knows a work around or better code please let me know.

Hopefully, these features are what you like too. Please let me know if I've made the right or wrong choice.

For those who want to add the code to their own blog, see this Blogger Buster how to add "tweet this" post with the code and very clear instructions on how to do it. As suggested by M&M I added a space after "Tweet this!", and also amended the default tweet wording to include @globtrav so I can easily see who is tweeting my posts.

Monday, April 06, 2009

How to get to | Fiji

This is part of a series of blog entries on how to get to countries and places. Here is a link to the index. I plan to eventually cover every country and some other places. If you have a request for a particular country or place please use the email me link at top right, or leave a comment.



Fiji

While some visitors arrive by cruise ship or yacht, most arrive by air at Nadi. Options are good relative to other South Pacific island nations:
  • Star Alliance - Air New Zealand
  • Oneworld - none
  • Sky Team - Korean
  • Other - Air Pacific (to various places around Pacific Rim), some South Pacific national airlines (eg Aircalin, Air Niugini, Air Vanuatu), and low cost airline Pacific Blue

TIP Air Pacific has codeshares with Qantas (from Australia) and Air New Zealand (from Los Angeles). Depending on fare or award rules these flights may or may not be allowed (eg Air Pacific flights are allowed on Oneworld's Global Explorer fares but not on the Oneworld Explorer fares).

TIP Fares from Australia and especially New Zealand are relatively cheap, except in school holidays (particularly mid-winter break) or if there is a major event on in Fiji.

TIP Some holiday packages from Australia or New Zealand offer great value, with the accommodation, transfers and add-ons sometimes costing little extra on top of the base airfare.

Friday, April 03, 2009

How to get to | Bolivia

This is part of a series of blog entries on how to get to countries and places. Here is a link to the index. I plan to eventually cover every country and some other places. If you have a request for a particular country or place please use the email me link at top right, or leave a comment.

Bolivia

Source: Christophe Meneboeuf

Visitors arrive by bus or car (from Peru or Argentina), or by air. Note roads from Brazil, Chile and Paraguay are apparently not very good. Airlines flying to Bolivia (La Paz and Santa Cruz) include:
  • Star Alliance - none
  • Oneworld - American Airlines (from Miami), LAN (from Lima, Iqique and Santiago)
  • Sky Team - none
  • Other - Gol, TACA, TAM

TIP Fares are normally higher to/from La Paz than Santa Cruz (due to weight limitations at the high altitude flights are half empty).

TIP With relatively high fares, Bolivia is a good option for including on a Oneworld award, round the world ticket or South America pass.

Thursday, April 02, 2009

How to get to | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

This is part of a series of blog entries on how to get to countries and places. Here is a link to the index. I plan to eventually cover every country and some other places. If you have a request for a particular country or place please use the email me link at top right, or leave a comment.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines


Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is one of the harder to reach Caribbean nations. Few cruise ships visit, but it can be reached by boat, water taxi or ferry from Grenada; and by air from neighbouring islands (Saint Lucia, Barbados, Grenada, Trinidad & Tobago). Flight options include:

  • Star Alliance - none
  • Oneworld - American Airlines from their San Juan hub to Canouan
  • Sky Team - none
  • Other - local Caribbean airlines such as LIAT & SVG Air to Kingstown & other islands

TIP On the Caribbean airlines the cheapest fares tend to be only available booking directly (on website if airline has one).

TIP If fares are high consider flying to Grenada and taking the short ride across the channel.

TIP Only small prop aircraft fly into Saint Vincent and the Grenadines so limit your luggage to avoid nasty excess baggage charges (or bags being left behind).

Wednesday, April 01, 2009

G20 - Air Taxes Save Environment & Economy

Shocking news in my email inbox.






A G20 Summit joint press release from the Environmental & Economic Crisis spokespeople April Day and Isa Fool, announces a massive new tax on air travel effective from next month.

To help solve two of the biggest issues of our time - global warming and the economic crisis - Ministers today resolved to implement from 1 May 2009 a new tax on air travel. The fee will be £500 per flight for all flights to, from or via G20 nations. The fee will apply to every passenger including children and infants. Frequent flyer award tickets will be charged a higher rate of £1,000 per flight in order to discourage people from taking extra flights because they are free.

It is estimated that the fee will bring in revenue of £700b and at the same time cut CO2 emissions from flying by 30%.

Already, Finance Ministers of 107 other nations have supported the initiative by pledging to introduce the same levy.

The move is described as a "win for common sense".


I'm speechless.