Travel Information

EFFECTIVE October 25, VFS will implement a price change for both 96-hour and tourist visas for the UAE.  The new prices are as follows: 96-hour visa: R500  Tourist visa: R620  Please note that these prices will only apply to applications received from October 25.

IT’S only a matter of time until airlines in the South African market start to pass on credit card merchant fees to agents and their clients. A report released by BCD Travel recently outlines how airlines are either imposing surcharges on tickets bought with credit cards or blocking travel agencies from using airline merchant accounts. [...]

Cathay Pacific Airways has called on passengers who have booked flights for the latter part of this week, or are planning to do so, to check the latest flight information on its website as severe Typhoon Megi approaches Hong Kong.  In view of the latest forecast track of the storm, flights departing and arriving Hong [...]

GATWICK Airport has signed a contract enabling Shiva Hotels Limited to operate a new 192-bedroom ‘Hampton by Hilton’ hotel. The new hotel, to be located in the North Terminal, will offer three-star accommodation for business and leisure travellers and provide facilities for conferences and events.    Emma Rees, head of property at Gatwick Airport said: [...]

TRAVEL review website TripAdvisor made headlines recently after disgruntled property owners threatened the site with legal action for publishing defamatory “false allegations”. Now a new website has been launched that only publishes positive travel reviews.  The new site, TripElated banishes negative travel news by saying: “We know you’re an optimistic bunch and don’t want to [...]

SOURCES within French trade unions have said that unions are planning to organise more industrial action throughout France on October 2 and 12. The strikes are in protest at the government’s planned retirement age reforms.

BRITISH Airways, American Airlines and Iberia have finally signed off their strategic alliance. The long-awaited alliance will now see the airlines co-operate on flights between Europe and North America. In a statement, British Airways said the strategic alliance was set to launch in October. The airline continued to say that it would provide customers with [...]

STARTING October 1, Malaysia Airlines will offer two weekly non stop flights from Kuala Lumpur to Cape Town. The service has been established in recognition of the demand for flights to and from Malaysia. Flight MH201 and MH202, which usually operates via Johannesburg to Cape Town before heading onwards to Buenos Aires, will now operate [...]

THE strike by Air Zimbabwe pilots continues with no indication as to when the airline will resume scheduled services.  The airline suspended its international and some regional flights indefinitely, including Lusaka, Lubumbashi and all international flights to London, Kuala Lumpur and Beijing. However, in a statement, management said they were continuing to renegotiate with the [...]

THIOPIAN Airlines will take delivery of the first of its two B777-200LRs in November, making it the first African carrier to operate the aircraft.  The B777-200LR will enable the airline to fly non-stop from Addis Ababa to the US and to more destinations in Asia. Passengers will benefit from large overhead compartments, more spacious seating [...]