Travelling already costs a small fortune and its showing no sign of getting cheaper thanks to a new charge made by the USA to enter its borders. This is thanks to the US Government announcing that ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) applications will become chargeable from next month.
If you aren’t familiar with ESTA, you should be. The visa waiver program adopted by the USA many years ago made sure that countries where good relations existed could holiday in the USA by completing an i94 green form. This green form was replaced last year by ESTA and now you must complete the process online before you travel, in fact, failure to do so will actually stop you from being able to board any plane to the United States, so its imperative you complete it.
This process was always free, but recent announcements from the US government mean there will now be a £9 charge starting on the 9th September 2010. It probably isnt the US governments fault, but when you add all the costs up for travelling including travel insurance, airport tax, fuel duty, transfers, air (ok, not air), airport hotels and so on, the price of a holiday and travelling in particular is becoming a serious financial burden to many.
There is a bright point in all of this however, if you complete the form before the 9th September, it will still be free. The same goes for those regulars who are often found frequenting Gatwick airport hotels (you know who you are!) waiting for the next flight to JFK, its best to fill it out right now and save yourself the money and hassle for at least the next 2 years.
Whether or not the US government decides to use the money for tourism, as they have stated, one thing is certain, they will be raking in the cash with over 4 million britons alone travelling to the USA this year.
Having to sit in an aiport thanks to a cancelled flight is a complete nightmate, especially when you want nothing more than a well earned break from stress. You are alread fed up from the journey to the airport, honking horns all over the place, traffic jams aplenty and this is the last thing you wanted to hear. You really didnt want to hear that your flight had been cancelled. continue reading »
We all know how it is, arriving at the airport the night before a big meeting abroad, having to get up super early the next day, only to find you’ve booked the hotel from Psycho. Is there anything harsher in life than having to spend a night in a hotel room with less space than a Harry Potter stair cupboard.
You may be thinking you cant avoid this travel faux pas, but you’d be wrong, because we’ve scoured the country in seach of the very best airport hotels for you and we’ve come up with some crackers. continue reading »
The internet is awash with stories about the demise of the James Bond franchise this week, some even claiming the 22 film franchise is about to end completely.. The real issue is nothing to do with falling ratings or lack of profit, but instead the issue lay firmly at studio MGM’s feet who are struggling with debt.
The roaring lion studio (aka MGM) have worked on all of the previous 22 bond films and looked set for number 23rd MGM, a former leading light in Hollywood as only managed to release one film in 2010. continue reading »
Fake reviews of products and services are unfortunately nothing new, and some companies are actually profiting from the sale of bogus testimonials.
If you’ve ever searched the Internet for product reviews before making a purchase, you’ve surely seen them: glowing reviews, telling you how fantastic this audio system is or what a wonderful time was had staying at that hotel. Did it ever strike you as strange that sometimes there seem to be tens, maybe even hundreds, of reviews that don’t have one bad word to say?It just so happens that those reviews you’re reading might actually be fake. continue reading »
Sky News – Airport Parking Scandal
If you’ve ever taken your own car to a busy British airport you will know how busy they are and why it’s important to pre-book your car parking space. Not doing so will mean paying top price for whatever spaces are available and these can be some distance from your airport terminal.
Luckily, going online and booking your parking space in advance is very simple to do. continue reading »
Propatube.com – Renaissance London Heathrow Hotel
If you have driven to any busy UK airport in recent years you will understand how important it is to pre-book your airport parking space. If you haven’t pre booked you end up paying top price for your parking space, if there is any still available.
Luckily it’s not difficult to go online and pre-book the parking space you will need. continue reading »