Breaking News: Man runs onto runway at Heathrow

by Abha Malpani on

Heathrow airport is currently in chaos and on high security alert after a man with a rucksack jumped over the perimeter fencing and ran onto the runway.

20 emergency vehicles were sent, the man was arrested, sniffer dogs and explosive officers have been called in. No one is hurt and there isn’t any more information on the man yet.

Drunks, mentally unstable and protesters have done this before, but this case is particularly suspicious as tomorrow the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are due to open the new terminal 5.

Certain flights have been delayed or canceled, it is therefore advisable to call the airport should you have a flight today or tomorrow. You can watch and get constant updates on BBC.

Russian army selling towns

by Iva Skoch on

If you are presently on the market for a town, you might want to buy a ticket to Moscow right about now.

The Russian army is auctioning off property ranging from mansions to barracks, and even whole towns, to raise cash to build modern housing for its officers, writes The Guardian. Izvestia, the Russian daily, said that more than 20 army properties near Moscow, St Petersburg, Kaliningrad and Vladivostok would be offered to the highest bidders in the first auction on April 8.

Among the properties for sale are “fabulous mansions and guest houses, dilapidated garrison towns, unused shooting ranges and vast tracts of neglected land on which no human has set foot for years”. Izvestia claims that the army occupied more land than the territories of Greece or Austria.

Well, what do you think? I could be a great dinner party conversation. “Buying a house in Provence is so bourgeois, Herold. I just bought a town in Russia last week.”

Continental faces manslaughter charges for Concorde crash

by Iva Skoch on

It is hard to believe it has been 8 years since the Air France Concorde crashed. I still remember vividly the image of it on fire.

Now, a French prosecutor has asked judges to bring manslaughter charges against Continental over the crash outside of Paris in 2000 and recommended similar charges against two Continental employees and two French officials, BBC reports.

A French inquiry said the crash, which killed 113 people, was caused by a metal strip from a Continental Airlines plane, which shredded one of the Concorde’s tires as it took off from Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport and caused the fire.

A judge should decide to accept or deny this request in the next few weeks.

Slowing economy in the UK = good news for budget airlines

by Iva Skoch on

The economy in the UK, much like in the US, has been slowing considerably. Some people–budget airlines for example–are actually pretty pleased about this. Their customers are turning to the cheap, no-frills airlines to keep their holidays on budget.

After it released strong passenger numbers, EasyJet said to The Guardian that the biggest danger facing the airline industry is the global oil price of $100+. Hedging, or betting on the future price of oil, is no longer an option because airlines are unwilling to peg their fuel costs at $100 a barrel. EasyJet has hedged 40% of its fuel needs until September at $75 a barrel. Then what? Things might not be so easy for EasyJet come this fall.

European river cruises: AAA travel show tidbit

by Jamie Rhein on

The one presentation I was able to attend at my cyberspace AAA travel trade show, “Europe is Closer Than You Think” was the one by Uniworld Grand River Cruises. As I watched a slide show from the comfort of my home-based office, the presenters talked about what the cruise ship company offers and then answered participants’ questions.

For people who would like to tour Europe, but are afraid of the costs, a river cruise has some advantages. Since you sleep on the ship and meals are covered, that takes care of worrying that you could end up spending much more money than you had planned. Wine comes with dinner and is included in the price. The ship also is your transportation. That cuts down on the wondering about how much getting from place to place will cost you. Since at each stop, local entertainment comes on board, you won’t have to spring for entertainment tickets either.

One of the things the presenter mentioned is that such a trip also cuts down on the hassle of needing to pack and unpack at each destination. There are 5 to 8 hours at each port, but you could stay longer at the city where the cruise starts or ends. Just arrange for your flight to arrive a few days early or leave a few days late.

Another feature I like about Uniworld Grand River Cruises is that there are experts who give tours of the places on the shore excursions and the admission to the places on the tour are included in the cruise price. You won’t be dinged over and over again when you want to maximize your experience. On board the ship, there are programs as well, or you can chill out.

Another plus about these cruises is that the ships are not big so you’re not traveling with huge crowds of people, and because the ships are small they can travel where large ships can’t. Cities are not the only stops–so are small towns and villages.

There are several itinerary options. Here is a link that leads to the page of European river trips. The company also offers trips in Egypt, China , and Russia. There’s a trip that cruises the Black Sea and takes in Ukraine and Turkey.