Air New Zealand Premium Economy News

Premium Economy is now even more premium......




Air New Zealand have increased the baggage allowance in Premium Economy so now it's the same as Business Premier .
If you haven't flown in Premium Economy with Air New Zealand before, here are a few things you're missing out on: 50% more seat recline than Economy, exclusive check-in and the same stunning Kiwi style food and wines you get in Business Premier.

Discover more here including flying style tips from Gok Wan!

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Share your top recommendations and win some NZ wine!

We would really like to hear what you thought was New Zealand’s best kept secret?

This could be anything from your favourite accommodation, restaurant or tour to the most wonderful sights and amazing experiences - we have our own favourites but it will be great to hear yours too.
We'll publish the best replies on our website and, if yours is a winner, we’ll send you a couple of bottles of fine New Zealand wine as a thank you!
Please leave a comment below or send us an email
We look forward to hearing from you!

Financial And Holiday Protection

Bridge & Wickers are proud to be member of AiTO as well as ABTA (W7956) and we offer ATOL protection through the CAA scheme (W6611).

Here is an article that explains the very confusing issues surrounding bonding and protection of your holiday, feel free to contact us if you have any queries.

Financial And Holiday Protection

Author: Kieron Sellens

For peace of mind and financial protection on your holidays, many people look to bigger brand names, mistakenly thinking them to be better because of their brand alone. We examine travel protection from the main brands in greater depth.

Financial and Holiday Protection

"ATOL protected". You hear it at the end of radio ads; you see it in the copy on flyers and in newspapers. It's a brand name, and it could be argued that it is the best around because it has such successful and almost infectious marketing. However, there are other companies providing travel protection. We take a look at the various travel protection brands and to see which is the best for you...

What does ATOL and ABTA protected mean?
ATOL and ABTA (Air Travel Organisers' Licensing and the Association of British Travel Agents) are possibly the most well known names in financial travel protection. But what exactly does each offer?

ATOL is based upon a license granted by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), an organisation founded by the government to regulate airlines and tour operators who sell package holidays which include a flight. You are NOT covered by ATOL if your airline fails and you had booked directly with the airline. Protection IS offered if you booked your flight through an agent or tour operator, but you are advised to confirm this at the time of booking. Furthermore if you booked a holiday through a tour operator that does not involve flights (e.g. you chose to travel by ferry, rail or coach etc...) this will NOT be protected by ATOL.

ABTA tour operators provide financial protection for the majority of situations. However they do not have to provide protection when only a single element is booked, e.g. 'accommodation only'. In this case it is left at the individual operator's discretion. Because of this, ABTA affiliation does not mean 'complete protection'. ABTA travel agents offer financial protection against their own failure but do not guarantee protection against all the land arrangements that they sell.

What is AiTO travel protection?
The Association of Independent Tour Operators, or AiTO, is an organisation of specialist independent operators which also offer holiday protection. AiTO has its own financial protection scheme for travel customers, and ensures that any holiday booked through an AiTO tour operator is 100% protected.

AiTO travel protection ensures that should one of its tour operators go out of business for any reason at all, its customers are covered. One of two things will happen; depending on the dates involved, customers will either get a full refund, or they will still be able to go on their holiday.

Some holidays that are ABTA or ATOL protected can be on cheap flights and last minute deals. Is AiTO the same?

Many holidays booked online with no-frills airlines may not be ATOL or ABTA protected. As AiTO is made up of bonded tour operators, customers are covered as soon as they book with AiTO members. Many AiTO members can book no frills carriers meaning the flight is covered as well. In this situation customers won't be stranded either at home or abroad if the airline goes under; as long as they have booked their holiday through an AiTO operator, they will be covered.


Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/financial-and-holiday-protection-828213.html


About the Author:
Kieron Sellens is the marketing manager of the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AiTO). AiTO financial protection offers secure and lasting cover and comes out on top when compared to its counterparts that are ABTA or ATOL protected as you can see on their website.

World’s longest golf course tees off in October

The world’s longest golf course has been officially launched between Western Australia and South Australia.

The 18-hole, par 72 course Nullarbor Links Golf Course stretches 1,365 kms from Kalgoorlie in Western Australia to Ceduna in South Australia with one hole in each participating town or roadhouse along the way.

The Nullarbor Links Golf Course allows golfers to tee off in either location and follow the course along the Eyre Highway, playing a hole in each location, some as far as 100 kms apart.

En route, golfers visit towns and places of interest like Ceduna, renowned for producing 12 million oysters annually; Cocklebiddy with its vast underwater caves and Kalgoorlie, the gold capital of Australia.

The official course opening will be marked by a four-day event starting in Ceduna on October 22, and finishing in Kalgoorlie five days later.

Bridge & Wickers can tailor-make you a tour of Western & South Australia to take part in this most unusual round of golf, please contact us for further details.
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Ashes Madness!!

According to Travelmole yesterday, the cost of flights to Australia are to be based on innings scores during the second England verses Australia Ashes test.

For the second Test at Lord's on July 16-20, the price of British Airways and Qantas economy flights will be determined by Australia's first innings, with availability of seats determined by England's reply.

For example, if Australia are bowled out for 230 and England make 395, there will be 395 seats available from each airline at £230 - a reduction on a typical fare of £730.

Each airline’s website will display qualifying travel periods from July 21.

In the previous Ashes in 2005, BA offered 367 seats at £373 when Australia scored 367 runs for 373 against England in the final test. Flights were sold out within 30 minutes.

Stephen Thompson, executive manager international sales at Qantas, said: “There's always a traditional friendly rivalry between the Brits and Aussies during the Ashes, and this promotion will ensure the second npower test is even more of an exciting showdown.”

So you'll have to be quick to bag a bargain...and be sure to contact us when you're booked and we can help you sort out the rest of your holiday Down Under!

The Best Job in the World!

If anyone missed the documentary, you can try and catch it again on the BBC iplayer (www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer).

And if it's whet your appetite to go and see this fabulous part of the world, take a look here at the various island resorts you can choose from.

If you'd like us to put together a suggested itinerary for you, please email us with your details or call us on 020 7483 6555

Now's the time to go to Australia...!

Interesting quote from Sir Richard Branson in a recent Telegraph travel section who reckoned that “British travellers are currently paying the same as they were when we launched the airline 25 years ago, If you have been wanting to take that trip to Australia, now is the time to so it. There are some unbelievable bargains out there.”

We couldn't agree more...but what he didn’t say was that the bargains are partly down to the fact that there are now around 250 direct flights a week from the UK to Australia, only a handful of which are Virgin.