Searches filtered for best prices for three and four star accommodation

Hotels.com's Star Ratings prices have been unveiled revealing the comparisons between three, four and five star hotels, allowing customers to stay at the best higher rated properties for a lot less.

These price comparisons have been taken from Hotels.com 2009 Hotel Price Index, the definitive annual report on hotel prices paid around the world."Higher quality rooms in four and five star properties are now within the reach of more travellers who previously may have chosen two or three star properties," said Taylor L. Cole, APR, director of public relations for Hotels.com.

"By filtering searches by star ratings during a Hotels.com trip planning session, travelers can find the highest quality rooms at the lowest prices and even take advantage of upgrades for holidays like the 4th of July."This is a good time to snag great deals and upgrade their accommodations and travel experience.  These deals won’t necessarily last, but with the fluctuating economy, prices have hit lows and are only now starting to climb back. The room rates in several hotels in different cities have dropped dramatically. To stay at one of the three star San Diego hotels, the Historic Menger Hotel, would only cost you $129 a night. Seeing as only 2 years ago, to stay at one of the three star Chicago hotels would cost you $168 a night, it's quite a drop in price for the standard of hotel. "Broadening a family’s options when it comes to booking is just one way Hotels.com can help enhance a family’s summer vacation," adds Cole. "To help customers further capitalize on these lower rates, Hotels.com is currently running a ‘Family Sale."

Heathrow serves up strawberries and cream to passengers

It's the tennis season and Heathrow airport is getting into the swing of things by serving the traditional tennis treat of strawberries and cream.

For two weeks, all passengers arriving at Heathrow starting from 21st of June will be treated to British strawberries and Cornish cream by a team of airport usherettes dressed in tennis kit.

With 3 million passengers expected to pass through Heathrow during the fortnight, that's a lot of serves from the Heathrow team.

Malcolm Robertson of Heathrow said: “Passengers arriving at Heathrow will be left in no doubt that Wimbledon has arrived. We hope our exciting welcome to the UK puts a smile on their faces and leaves them as excited as we are to cheer on our tennis champions.” 

A taste of Wimbledon at Heathrow

Talks between cabin crew and British Airways collapse

There may be more trouble ahead as Acas reveals that talks between British Airways and Unite have yet again failed.

Unite are hoping to strike a deal on staff perks but failure to do so means 11,000 cabin crew will be asked to ballot on further strikes.

If this happens, the strike will take place in August.

According to Acas "At present there are no further meetings planned but Acas will monitor developments and our services remain available."

The strikes have already cost British Airways an estimated £181 million. The airline has indicated a willingness to meet with Unite again for further talks and have hinted that they may strip strikers of discounted air fares in the hope of swaying voters against striking.

BA CEO Willie Walsh said during a keynote speech at London's Busines Travel Market this week that there was "a gulf between the views of Unite and those of the large majority of cabin crew".

Walsh was in fighting spirit and said that if there were further strikes the airline will aim to fly 100% of the long-haul routes. "Whilst it will be a long, hard road, it is achievable."

Also covered in Walsh's speech were plans to re-introduce apprenticeships at BA thereby ensuring investment in the airline's talent pool.

Book your ticket online and print your own ticket

Trainline.com customers can now print their own train tickets for rail journeys.

Print Your Own, the e-ticketing system being used, was trialled some four years ago but roll out was delayed while ticket designs were being agreed.

"Very early on in the project it became clear that the plethora of ticket designs for all the different rail operators would not only confuse consumers but hold back the rollout too,” said thetrainline.com Product Development Director Richard Rowson. “So the first milestone was getting industry standards agreed both for the visual ticket layout and for how to securely encode the ticket data within a two-dimensional barcode."

Plus lower mobile phone charges when used in Europe

Astronomical mobile phone bills are a scurge for travellers using them in Europe. But there's good news. Travellers can expect cheaper mobile phone bills when using them abroad in Europe.New EU rules came into effect on 1st July making it cheaper to make call and to receive calls.  There is also a cap on how much operators can charge for data roaming * To make a call - 32p/min* To receive a call - 12p/min* Data roaming limit - £41 a month* Prices do not include VATSending a text stays at 9p but to receive a text is still free.

This is the third time that operators have been coerced to cut the cost of calling while in Europe but the capping of data roaming charges is a new initiative. 

Capping at £41 a month while in Europe will automatically be in place unless the traveller informs the operator before hand that they wish tohave unlimited internet access abroad.

Frequent travellers though may be able to save even more on their mobile calls abroad with a country Sim card.Companies like 0044 supply SIM cards that avoid roaming charges and save up to 90% on your call.

All you have to do is swap the SIM card already in your phone for a country SIM card before you go. You can make local calls at local rates, receive calls for free and make cheaper calls to the UK. SIMS cost around £29.99 and come with 5 euros credit to get you started.

There's no contract and all incoming calls are free. Find out more: click here.

Mobile Roaming in Europe

Cross-channel Sailings can be searched via iPhone

LD Lines has become the first ferry operator between the UK and France to introduce a free iPhone app feature that now enables users to search all sailings, fares offers, product information and make bookings via the website, across the company's cross channel route network.The revolutionary app will now assist business and leisure travellers to immediately source all LD Lines' ferry service information, and is the latest high tech innovation introduced by the ferry operator, who have also recently installed self check-in facilities initially at the ports of Portsmouth and Le Havre."We are delighted to be the first cross channel ferry company to pioneer this brand new facility to the ferry market and reflects our commitment to providing competitive, fast, hassle-free transport and products throughout for our customers," says LD Lines' Managing Director, Christophe Santoni."All these latest initiatives are focused on making bookings easier, reducing check-in times and, as the first of our routes to implement self check-in facilities, on the Portsmouth - Le Havre route are an appropriate added value service complemented by the fast three hours 15 minutes crossing time of our high speed ferry, Norman Arrow.LD Lines operates a network of four exclusive cross channel ferry routes:

Portsmouth - Le Havre ; Newhaven - Dieppe ; Dover - Boulogne ; Ramsgate - Ostend (in association with Transeuropa Ferries) 

www.ldlines.comLD Lines iPhone app feature is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad products.

Scientists find new gene

US based scientists have come up with a new type of mosquito engineered to be malaria resistant.

Researchers at the University of Arizona have reported their findings in the journal PLOS Pathogens highlighting the introduction of a new gene at affects the insect gut and gives the insect resistant to the malaria parasite. Research showed that the new gene also reduces the insect's life span.

Eventually the scientists would like to introduce the malaria-resistant mosquitoes into the environment.

Sainsburys and Tesco due to pull out of Calais.

Booze traders in Calais may well have that sinking feeling right as they face major alcohol retailers abandoning ship.

Calais was once the mecca for bargain wines and birthplace of the British Booze but these days British wine bargain hunters are few and far between.

This coastal French town is now languishing in the aftermath of the recession and the terrible performance of the £ against the euro.

In its hey day, Brits would make their way for savings up to £10 on a bottle of champagne and up to £5 on a bottle of wine. Add this to the great bargains to be had on goodies in the Hypermarkets and a shopping spree in Calais left British shoppers quids in.

This weekend Sainsburys has announced the closure of its Calais Wine store at the end of June.

A Sainsbury's spokesman said: "Sainsbury's and Auchan have made the difficult decision to close Sainsbury's Calais."

Sainsbury's are advising customers to call before they come and are no longer taking any online orders.

Rival Tesco is undergoing consultations with their staff about the closure if its Tesco Vin Plus outlet in Cite Europe, and Oddbins Calais, an outlet that closed earlier this year. will not be renewing its franchise deal.

Even major retailers like Majestic who have three stores have seen a downturn in sales of 28%, but they intend to remain open for business.

It's a sad day for the much coveted Booze Cruise.

SeaFrance Ferry

Goldtrail in administration while thousands stranded in Greece and Turkey

Over 50,000 holidaymakers will have to rebook their summer holidays thanks to the collapse of Goldtrail, a UK budget holiday tour operator.

The demise of Goldtrail, a medium sized company, has left tens of thousands of British holidaymakers stranded in Turkey and Greece.

The Greece and Turkey specialist was based in New Malden, Surrey. They went into administration on Friday leaving an estimated 16,000 customers abroad and scuppering the plans of a further 50,000 summer holidaymakers's plans.

Some holidaymakers paid money for trips as late as yesterday when the holidays were already cancelled. Holidaymakers were waiting at Gatwick to board a plane and had to spend more money to get-away.

According to the CAA there are no more outbound Goldtrail flights and customers are advised to check with their travel agent before setting off to the airport.

Flights from Turkey are unaffected but holidaymakers in Greece were warned by the CAA to expect changes.

Those that have yet to travel may not get their holiday but if they are ATOL protected they will get their money back but it may take months for money to be refunded.

Earlier this year CAA had predicted that smaller tour operators could find it difficult to stay in business and there have been rumours for several months that Globetrail may end up being a casualty.

In a statement issued on its website, the aviation regulator said: "The CAA has taken steps to protect customers booked with Goldtrail Travel Limited after the company ceased trading. "The CAA, under its ATOL (Air Travel Organiser's Licensing) scheme, is making arrangements for customers abroad to travel home at the end of their holidays." 

XL went into administration in 2008 leaving 60,000 stranded abroad and the recent ash cloud debacle dealt a blow for the travel industry.

A CAA helpline has been set up to give further information: 0203 441 0846

National customs don"t allow scanners

Whereas the UK has embraced full-body scanner technology to enhance security at British Airports, Dubai will not.

No airports in Dubai will include full-body scanners as part of their border security regime because they do not correspond with national ethics and customs.

Brig Ahmed bin Thani, the Dubai Police’s director of airport security said “I do not feel that it is necessary for us to implement such a technology while we are operating different methods and have different avenues that have worked so far,” he told The National newspaper.

“The use of such a device violates personal privacy and it raises a very sensitive issue for passengers, in addition to the fact that it does not complement our national ethics."

The scanners are able to see underneath clothing to the surface of the skin and special software is used to hide private parts of the body.

The scanners, which cost £80,000 each are able to produce images of passengers alleviating the need for a manual pat down.

However there has been some opposition to the scanners because they are perceived as being immodest.

In March  two women, who were due to fly to Islamabad were chosen at random to pass through the new scanning machine at Manchester airport. They refused and were stopped from boarding the plane.

One, who is believed to be a Muslim, refused on religious reasons and the other cited health grounds.

At US airports passengers are given the option of a pat down search.

Dubai Airport Scanners