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Posts Tagged ‘European flights’

Tips for alternative routes to flying as ‘volcanic ash’ cancellations persist

Monday, April 19th, 2010

Ash plume from Eyjafjallajokull Volcano over the North Atlantic at 13:20 UTC (9:20 a.m. EDT) on April 17, 2010, by NASA/MODIS Rapid Response Team

If your flight has been cancelled recently due to volcanic ash and you are looking for alternatives ways to reach your destination in Europe, then Zoombu can help.  It is the only website where you can enter in your precise starting location and destination and run a single search across many modes of transport, including ferries, Eurostar, trains, coaches, driving and taxi options, and (when they are running) flights to find the best door-to-door route.

Currently news reports estimate that flights will continue to be suspended over Britain until 1am Tuesday 20th at the earliest. Here are some tips for travelling during the flight disruptions:

1. Run a search on Zoombu to see what door-to-door route options exist, including ferries or Eurostar trains. You can ’switch off’ flights in the results filter to exclude this option entirely

2. Click through to transport suppliers to check availability and make a booking directly.  Be wary that some options, for example Eurostar trains, are booked out for up to a week ahead from now.  Cross-channel ferries including Brittany Ferries and SeaFrance do still have some space on crossings despite a huge surge in bookings over the weekend, but tickets are being snapped up quickly.

3. Consider teaming up with others and hiring a car to reach the port (many car hire companies will let you return the car at a depot close to a port, rather than the pick-up depot, for an additional fee). There are also many train options to take you close to the ports. If you run a Zoombu search we can help you pick your way through the options.

4.  If you have booked a flight that has been cancelled, you may be due compensation. The Which website is a great source of information about your rights. You should contact your airline straight away to request a refund or a ticket change.

5. If you’re stranded abroad you can call the helpline +44 207 008 0000 for travel updates and information on exceptional services.

Good luck with your travels and keep checking in for further updates.

- Posted by Rachel

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It could be time to say “on your bike” to flying within Europe.

Wednesday, September 9th, 2009
Image by Noël Zia Lee under the creative commons license

Image by Noël Zia Lee under the creative commons license

If you’re a sporty type and used to taking your favourite sports equipment away with you on holiday, it’s time to think of new ways of travelling to your destination. Flying within Europe may no longer be the best option.  This week Ryanair announced it is increasing its already high fees for baggage.  From 1st October the airline will charge £15 for the first 15kg bag and £35 for the second £15kg bag if checked-in online, whereas leaving bag check-in until the airport will cost you £30 for the first bag and a massive £70 for the second bag. And make sure you don’t go overweight as each additional kilogram will cost you a whopping £15.  Explicit carriage of ‘sports equipment’ (such as a bike or pair of skis) is charged at £30 – 40 per item.

This follows the move a couple of months ago as every sportsperson’s favourite airline British Airways fell out of favour with its fans. BA announced significant changes to its sporting equipment policy meaning that from 7th October 2009 sports equipment is no longer considered additional to the checked in baggage limit.  You can carry just 23kg of sports equipment or otherwise ‘for free’ and each additional bag is charged at £30 (if you travel economy class you have a 1 bag limit) and if you go over the 23kg limit you’ll be charged £30 to increase the limit to 32kg.  BA used to by sympathetic to sports fans but now flying with skis or a bike as well as a check-in bag starts to get pricey.

Easyjet have not announced changes but still charge a one-off variable fee of around £16 for up to 20kg of checked baggage and £9 per kilogram thereafter (up to 50kg total and 32kg per single item). To travel with specific sports equipment, for which the same weight limits apply, will cost you £18.50 – £26 per item depending on whether you check it in online or at the airport.

If you are used to flying with your favourite set of clubs, carbon-fibre racing bike or designer skis then you might want to think again.  Maybe taking the train could be a better option.  Eurostar allows you to take 2 items of baggage in addition to hand luggage and has no weight restrictions, so long as each item is less than 85cm at it’s longest length.  If it’s bigger and under 30kg in weight then you’re required to register the equipment for £15, or £20 for a bike.  And of course with a drive + ferry or Eurotunnel option, the sporting world is your oyster.

Zoombu lets you compare the end-to-end cost of a route involving a flight, train or ferry to Europe.  Where we have information about ‘hidden fees’ on any transport component, we will pass the details on to you, so you can find the best route for your passion.

- Posted by Rachel

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