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AIRLINES
|
British
Airways
www.british-airways.com |
|
| The
British Airways site looks predictably stylish but is perhaps a little
lacking in identity. This is partly because the services are shared
between
a global site and a UK one. However, there are plenty of useful
features
on the site, including the opportunity to book your tickets online and
details of some very tempting special offers. The flight information
and
online timetable is also bang up to date and it's easy to find the
information
you're after via the drop down menus. |
British
Midland
www.britishmidland.co.uk |
|
| British
Midland was the first airline in the UK to auction off seats over the
Internet,
bidding started at £19 excluding taxes. The airline auctioned off
thousands of flights so next time around you could grab a real bargain.
Keep an eye on the site to find out when they're holding the next
online
auction. Destinations include popular European cities such as
Amsterdam,
Paris, Dublin and Prague. You can also check out timetable and book
regular
flights from the site. |
| Buzz |
|
| Another
low cost airline, this one sees the Internet as its main way of doing
business.
It's unsurprising, then, that the site is very impressive. Decked out
in
distinctive purple and yellow livery, it's so easy to use that booking
a flight is more of a joy than a chore. It also carefully explains the
Buzz pick 'n' mix approach to flying - you start off with a basic price
and then add extras such as use of the business lounge. |
Easyjet
www.easyjet.com |
|
| Having
trounced the big boys in the value stakes, it looks like the Easyjet
website
also has the best of them in terms of usability and promotion. You
might
need shades to cope with the garish colour scheme but you'll find all
the
information easily accessible and to the point. The online booking
facility
shouldn't cause you any problems and, to keep costs down and show
they've
truly embraced the digital age, you won't even need a ticket when you
get
to check-in - the reference number emailed to you is enough. |
Go
www.go-fly.com |
|
| Having
been squeezed by the success of Easyjet, Ryanair and the rest, British
Airways launched its own low cost airline and this is the result. Many
of the cheapest Go fares are only available to online customers so it's
certainly worth checking back regularly. When we visited there were
bargains
galore - including flights to Barcelona and Milan for as little as
£40. |
KLM
www.klm.uk.com |
|
| The
best way to use use the KLM site is to check back every now and again
for
details of their special offers. You can access these directly from the
front page of the site and you're almost sure to pick up a bargain.
Having
found one there's the opportunity to book online and, should you take
regular
advantage, you'll want to know about Flying Dutchman, their frequent
flyers'
club, which is also covered in some detail. |
Qantas
www.qantas.com |
|
| If you're
planning on flying to Oz for a holiday there's a fair chance you'll be
flying with Qantas. Its site reflects the airline's fun yet
professional
image, being very easy to get around and use. You can search for
bargain
fares, check flight timetables and explore the new terminal at Sydney
Airport.
Kids haven't been forgotten, either, with a fun little beach volleyball
game featuring the company's mascot - which is, of course, the koala. |
Ryanair
www.ryanair.com |
|
| If you
travel by Ryanair you might not get a free packet of peanuts or a tepid
meal but you will get a cheap, cheap flight to a variety of European
destinations.
The website points out the latest special offers on the front page
before
guiding you through an excellent online booking facility. With budget
fares
like this, which soon get snapped up, it's certainly easier to check
availability
and book online than spend hours on hold. |
Virgin
Atlantic
www.virgin-atlantic.co.uk |
|
| whereas
other airline sites have a staid, straightforward approach, Virgin at
least
tries to inject a little bit of fun into proceedings. Each section of
the
site is represented by an animated icon flying past your virtual
aircraft
window, including sections relating to the in flight experience, the
history
of the airline and, of course, an online booking facility. You can even
find out what films are going to be showing on your flight. |
|
TRAVEL
BOOKINGS
|
Deckchair
www.deckchair.com |
|
| If you'd
been wondering what Bob Geldof has been up to since he sold his TV
production
company Planet 24 for a ridiculous amount of money, here's the answer.
Deckchair.com is one of the first new project from Sir Bob and it's a
discount
flight website. The design of this site can only be described as
minimal;
you get a couple of boxes where you type in your departure and
destination
points and that's about it. However Deckchair does boast access to a
big
database of fares (over one million) and it pulls up plenty of relevant
search results. |
EasyJet
www.easyjet.co.uk |
|
| You
don't have to wait for tickets to be sent out to you when you book
online
at EasyJet. All they do is send you an email with a confirmation number
and itinerary details and that's all you need. EasyJet is renowned for
its bargain-priced flights and it's sold over a million seats online so
far. Buy your single fare online and you save a whopping £1 on
the
normal price, go for a return and you save £2. Still, it's better
than nothing and the fares are already cheap. |
Ebookers.com
www.ebookers.com |
|
| Discounted
flights, car hire, hotels and travel insurance can all be sorted out
from
the Ebookers site. Anybody looking for a cheap flight should take
advantage
of the Bid & Go service - you say how much you're willing to pay
for
a specific scheduled international flight ticket and if the fare drops
to that level you're automatically notified. The same service is
available
on city break deals. The site will even send out SMS messages to a
mobile
phone alerting you of the arrival times of specific flights. |
Bargainholidays.com
www.bargainholidays.com |
|
| This
site is home to over 70,000 late availability holidays, city breaks and
flight-only deals. You can search by price, departure date, departure
destination,
destination or by length of stay. The holidays come from a wide
selection
of ABTA approved travel agents. Although you can pick the perfect
vacation
online, you will have to pick up the phone when it comes to making the
final booking. This is a brightly coloured, easy to use site with heaps
of background information on the popular resorts. You'll also find
airport
guides, ferry timetables and exchange rate information. |
Teletext
Holidays
www.teletext.co.uk/holidays |
|
| Many
people use Teletext for finding a bargain holiday but everybody gets
frustrated
with the endless waiting. The Teletext Web site looks exactly like the
TV screen pages, but thankfully you control the navigation. The site
covers
flight-only deals, package holidays and UK breaks and as you'll know if
you've used Teletext on your TV screen, prices are competitive.
Additional
services include flight arrival news, weather reports and the latest
travel
news. |
Travelstore
www.travelstore.com |
|
| This
site looks a lot like the Expedia pages and like Expedia you can book
flights,
reserve hotel rooms, hire a rental car and sort out your travel
insurance.
If you're looking for a cheap flight you can search for the best
available
fare. A good selection of hotel chains are also represented on the site
if you need to book a room. What you won't find is package holiday
deals
but otherwise the Travelstore site is hugely comprehensive. |
Expedia
www.expedia.co.uk |
|
| Microsoft's
online travel service lets you book flights, reserve hotel rooms, hire
rental cars and sort out your package holiday. The Handy Fare Compare
feature
is definitely worth using if you're a bit flexible on departure dates,
it pulls up the cheapest fares on the most popular routes. The holidays
themselves come from the UK's top 20 travel companies and the selection
is huge, with specific sections devoted to skiing holidays and the
business
traveller. Background information on the resorts comes courtesy of the
excellent Rough Guides. |
|
TRAVEL
COMPANIES
|
ABTA
www.abtanet.com |
|
| It may
not be much to look at but this site from the Association of British
Travel
Agents could save you a fortune or help you find the holiday of your
dreams.
The bulk of the site is given over to a list of ABTA's members, which
you
can search by company name or, conveniently, by the type of holidays
that
it specialises in. So if you see an enticing offer, check here to make
sure that the company belongs to ABTA or, alternatively, to find a
particular
type of holiday. |
Airtours
www.airtours.co.uk |
|
| Rather
than reproducing its entire brochure online, Airtours has made the wise
decision of using its website as an extension of its brochures. So, you
can find out about all the latest holiday and flight deals on offer -
certainly
quicker than scouring the newspapers or wading through 30 pages on
Teletext.
You can choose up to five brochures to be delivered to your home within
48 hours and also play a rather surreal little Shockwave game. |
Campus
Travel
www.usitcampus.co.uk |
|
| Professing
to house all you need to know about student and youth travel, the
Campus
Travel site certainly makes a brave stab at doing just that. The most
useful
feature is the chance to browse and book the heavily discounted fares
available
to those under 26 and in full-time education. There's also a useful
selection
of links to those sites that put the adventure into travel, from
snorkelling
the Great Barrier Reef to skydiving in the States. |
Lunn
Poly Holiday Shop
www.lunn-poly.com |
|
| Of all
the big travel agents, Lunn Poly has perhaps the most impressive online
presence. The site has a sunny disposition and contains extensive
details
of all the latest holiday offers on cruises, packages and short breaks.
You can't book online, but the site will help you find your nearest
Lunn
Poly travel shop so you can book in person. |
Thomas
Cook
www.tch.thomascook.com |
|
| If you're
aiming to 'not just book it, but Thomas Cook it', then take a look at
this
very well designed site from the holiday behemoth. Unfortunately, the
site
acts more as an elongated advert than a truly useful site. There are,
however,
the ubiquitous late holiday bargains and opportunities to order
brochures
online. If you know which holiday you want the email booking and call
back
services could save you a lot of time and effort. |
Thomson
Holidays
www.thomson-holidays.com |
|
| As one
of the most famous travel agents in the country, Thomson has a
predictably
professional looking site. Far from concentrating on cheap and cheerful
holidays to the Costas, the emphasis is on the lavish and upmarket.
From
skiing breaks to cruises to all-inclusive packages, if you don't mind
shelling
out you're bound to find something that takes your fancy and selected
holidays
are available for booking online. |
Trailfinders
www.trailfinder.com |
|
| One
of the world's biggest independent travel operators, Trailfinders
specialises
in tailor-made holidays to exotic locations. From the Amazonian
rainforests
to the Pacific Rim, it's sure to be able to come up with a location and
experience to suit you. This site gives you the opportunity to order
all
manner of brochures and videos to help you decide, as well as providing
details of how to book and how to prepare for your trip. |
Wallace
Arnold
www.wallacearnold.com |
|
| If the
thought of jetting away to fancy sounding exotic locations doesn't
appeal,
then how about a coach tour with one of the biggest names in the
business?
The mode of transport may be seen as a little old fashioned but the
website
is anything but. Well designed and neatly organised, it features
illustrated
details of all the holidays available. |
|
TRAVEL
INFORMATION
|
The
Backpackers Guide
www.backpacker.net |
|
| Backpacking
around the world on a budget is becoming an increasingly popular
pastime
for people the world over. Whether you're planning an adventure to
India
to 'find yourself' or a fun-packed time on the beaches of Australia,
you'll
find this site invaluable. Intelligently laid out and written in chatty
style, perhaps the most useful feature is an exhaustive directory to
the
world's hostels. You'll also find some useful tips on the art of
survival
on the road. |
Foreign
Office
www.fco.gov.uk/travel |
|
| If you're
travelling to a dangerous or unusual area then you'll find this site
from
the Foreign Office indispensable. If you're a woman travelling to the
Middle-East
for example you'll need to know which countries will allow you to show
your legs. All of this information is included in handy list of do's
and
don'ts from the Consulate of each country. You'll also find urgent
advice
on weather warnings, civil unrest, visa requirements and so on. |
Healthy
Flying
www.flyana.com |
|
| This
site, produced by American author Diane Fairchild, aims to minimise the
likelihood of you spending your holiday feeling groggy from your
flight.
Aside from combatting jetlag, the helpful hints also concern eating
healthily
and avoiding picking up nasty diseases from other passengers when
packed
into economy class. And if you have trouble with your circulation when
airborne, take a look at the inflight exercises you can do. |
Home
and Overseas
www.homeandoverseas.com |
|
| The
first few pages of this site extol the virtues of the travel insurance
company that hosts it. Click through these though and you'll find
yourself
at an extremely useful travel planner. The global weather guide will
ensure
you're not visiting far-off climes in the middle of a typhoon, while
the
travel health section contains practical and intelligent advice on
travelling
safely. There's also a directory of useful names and numbers that could
get you out of a tight spot. |
Tips
4 Trips
www.tips4trips.com |
|
| It may
not be flashly presented or fantastically designed but this site could
save you time, money and hassle on your hols. It features 1,000 handy
hints
submitted by travellers around the world, ranging from the
indispensable
to the frankly ridiculous but they're all entertaining and snappily
written.
The tips are arranged into various subsections, making it easy to dip
in
and out before dashing for your flight. |
Travel
Health Information Service
www.travelhealth.com |
|
| A fantastically
detailed and informative site, designed to ensure that you have a
healthy
holiday and have had all the necessary shots. Simply click on the area
of the world to which you are travelling and you'll be supplied with
all
the requisite information for a healthy trip. Considerations like
malaria,
disease and drinking water are all covered in some detail. And it's
this
level of detail that makes the site so essential. It'll also tell you
what
to do if the worst should happen and you fall ill abroad. |
The
Trip
www.thetrip.com |
|
| An extremely
well designed and put together site that aims to take the hassle out of
the travel experience. The latest travel news will keep you on top of
everything
from civil unrest to industrial action by customs staff, and there are
a number of invaluable resources you simply won't find elsewhere. The
new
Intellitrip service will scour the Web and beyond to find you the best
flight deals, while Flight-tracker allows you to keep tabs on all the
aircraft
in the world, so you won't be left hanging around in the arrivals
lounge. |
US
Centre for Disease Control
www.cdc.gov/travel/ |
|
| Produced
by the US Center for Disease Control this is a comprehensive discussion
of all the diseases to watch out for when travelling to far-flung
corners
of the world. If you're travelling to a sensitive area, you'll want as
much information as possible on the dangers you may be facing. So the
up-to-date
articles and interactive map of the most troublesome regions may just
save
your life. |
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