BA INTRODUCE SPECIAL BAG CHARGES
British Airways has introduced a charge for oversized checked baggage and a ‘special bag charge’ for certain items to cover the additional cost of handling these items, with effect from the start of this month. There is a £25 handling charge for bags between 90cm x 75cm x 43cm (35.5ins x 29.5ins x 16ins) and 240cm x 75cm x 65cm (94.5ins x 29.5ins x 25.5ins) the maximum dimension. There is also a £25 handling charge for firearms. The airline claims the changes recognise that additional manual processes are required to handle these large items and that firearms must be handled securely through a third party specialist. Customers’ standard baggage allowance does not change as a result of the introduction of the special bag charge. Customers who are travelling with items that incur a handling charge will need to pay at the airport when they drop off their baggage.

T5 BAGGAGE ACCEPTANCE TIMES EXTENDED
BA has confirmed new baggage acceptance times in Terminal 5. With immediate effect, all customers travelling can now check-in their bags at the Fast Bag Drop desk from 3 hours before and up to 45 minutes prior to flight departure. To help keep delays to a minimum and ensure flights leave on time, customers must pass through security no less than 35 minutes before the flight is due to depart. Customers travelling in First, Club World, Club Europe or if they are Gold or Silver members of the Executive Club can continue to drop their bags at any time on day, up to 45 minutes prior to their flight departure.

NEW AIRPORT TAXES FOR MUMBAI
The Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India, has introduced a levy of User Development Fee for domestic and international passengers departing from Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. The fees are INR 100 for domestic departures and INR 600 for international departures. Exemptions will be made for Infants under the age of 2 years and no stopover Transit/Transfer passengers of up to 6 hours stay.

AVIS TO CHARGE FOR NO-SHOWS ON DIRECT BOOKINGS
Avis Europe is to start charging customers for no-shows. The car rental firm will be the first to impose the charges, and claims it will bring the sector in line with hotels, cruises, tours and flights. Customers who do not cancel prior to the allocated rental pick up time, or do not turn up within 24 hours thereafter, will be charged £40. The initiative will be progressively rolled out across the Avis Europe network throughout 2009, starting with individual customers booking through the web and call centre - this does not apply to bookings made through Hillgate at this time.

TICKET VALIDITY CHANGE TO ANYTIME RETURN RAIL TICKETS
Following a review of Fares Simplification which took place last year, the validity of the outward portion of First & Standard Class Anytime Return tickets will be altered from ‘date on ticket’ to ‘five days’ (including date on ticket). For example, a First Class Anytime Return with an outward date of 20th May will be valid for outward travel until 24th May inclusive. The return portion will remain valid for one month from the date on the outward portion. This will take place for a trial period and will be reviewed in September. First & Standard Class Anytime Singles, and Anytime Day Singles & Returns remain valid on date shown only.

LUTON AIRPORT TO CHARGE DROP-OFF FEE
Luton Airport is to introduce a £1 charge for dropping passengers off at the terminal where motorists will have to pay to spend up to 10 minutes in a refurbished drop-off zone. The fee will be enforced with barriers at the exit of the zone. Luton, like many other airports, already charges £1 for the use of luggage trolleys and the same amount for clear plastic bags to take liquids through security. Travellers can also pay £3 to use a “priority lane” to get through security more quickly. Drivers who did not wish to use the drop-off zone could leave passengers at the mid-term car park where there is a free shuttle bus to the terminal two minutes drive away.

AIR FRANCE, in cooperation with its subsidiaries, CityJet and VLM Airlines started services from London City Airport to Nantes this week.  The 100-minute flights are operated by VLM Airlines’ Fokker 50 aircraft, offering a choice of Business and Economy Class services. In a further announcement, the airline has suspended its ‘CityJet for Air France’ route from London City to Geneva for the 2009 summer season. This decision has been made to allow for the rescheduling of the equipment.

In a separate move, the airline will introduce a new “Premium Voyageur” cabin class from the middle of the month. Air France is confident that this new cabin will provide a suitable alternative for passengers that are looking for extra comfort, with 40% extra space compared to the existing Economy cabin, and guaranteed personal space with fixed seating (no recline). Air France will gradually integrate this cabin on to the entire international long-haul network, on flights operated by Boeing 777s, Airbus A340s and A330s very soon.

BMI stopped the Heathrow to Leeds Bradford and Durham Tees Valley services at the beginning of last month after 30 years. The airline claim a decline in demand, higher-than-inflation cost increases at Heathrow and higher Government Air Passenger Duty charges have made operating these routes unsustainable.

BRITISH AIRWAYS has moved terminals in Paris - flights to and from Charles de Gaulle airport moved from Terminal 2B to Terminal 2A.

CONTINENTAL RANKED NO. 1 WORLD’S MOST ADMIRED AIRLINE
The airline has for the sixth year in a row been rated the top airline on FORTUNE magazine’s annual airline industry list of World’s Most Admired Companies. The rankings are determined in a survey of corporate and airline executives, boards of directors and industry analysts. Continental received an overall score of 7.71, followed by Air France-KLM Group (7.15), Southwest Airlines (6.89), Singapore Airlines (6.85), Lufthansa Group (6.57) and Delta Air Lines (6.18).

ETIHAD now operate daily flights between Abu Dhabi and Melbourne as a third destination in Australia complimenting the existing services to Sydney and Brisbane.

LUFTHANSA are introducing a new booking class on all direct flights between UK and Germany and Heathrow and Milan Malpensa. It is a new high level economy booking class with no advance purchase or minimum stay and the idea is that it will be tailored towards corporate travellers, being open for booking at the last minute.
LUFTHANSA has announced a suspension of services between Bristol and Frankfurt effective 1st May 2009 due the decline in demand during the current economic down-turn. Despite best efforts to manage the situation by reducing the frequency of the service from 21 to 14 flights a week at the start of the winter schedule, Lufthansa now feels it has to make a very difficult decision. Despite the suspension of the Bristol operation, Lufthansa will be maintaining a presence in the South West following the introduction of the new bilateral code sharing with Brussels Airlines.

QANTAS A380 ON LONDON-SYDNEY ROUTE
The A380 is the largest and most technologically advanced aircraft ever built. With its extra space, new materials and advanced technology, the aircraft offers significant improvements in terms of environmental performance, including reduced fuel consumption and emissions, greater efficiency and less noise. With only 450 seats onboard, the Qantas A380 offers more space for every passenger. Qantas operates three return A380 services each week between London and Sydney via Singapore. QF32 departs London on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, and QF31 departs Sydney on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

STAR ALLIANCE Upgrade Awards on UNITED have been reinstated for Mileage Plus members, effective immediately. Star Alliance Upgrade Awards allow Mileage Plus members to redeem the Mileage Plus miles they’ve earned for an upgrade on participating Star carriers.

UNITED has reinstated its nonstop service between London Heathrow and Denver for the summer schedule only. With this service, United’s Denver hub will serve as a gateway from Europe and customers will be able to fly nonstop from London Heathrow to United’s five gateway cities including Chicago O’Hare, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington D.C.

This Travel Alert updates information for U.S. citizens on security situations in Mexico that may affect their activities while in that country.  This Travel Alert for Mexico expires on October 15, 2008.

Violence Along The U.S.-Mexico Border
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Violent criminal activity fueled by a war between criminal organizations struggling for control of the lucrative narcotics trade continues along the U.S.-Mexico border.  Attacks are aimed primarily at members of drug trafficking organizations, Mexican police forces, criminal justice officials, and journalists.  However, foreign visitors and residents, including Americans, have been among the victims of homicides and kidnappings in the border region.  In its effort to combat violence, the government of Mexico has deployed military troops in various parts of the country.  U.S. citizens are urged to cooperate with official checkpoints when traveling on Mexican highways.

Recent Mexican army and police force conflicts with heavily-armed narcotics cartels have escalated to levels equivalent to military small-unit combat and have included use of machine guns and fragmentation grenades.   Confrontations have taken place in numerous towns and cities in northern Mexico, including Tijuana in the Mexican state of Baja California, and Chihuahua City and Ciudad Juarez in the state of Chihuahua.  The situation in northern Mexico remains very fluid; the location and timing of future armed engagements there cannot be predicted.

Armed robberies and carjackings, apparently unconnected to the narcotics-related violence, have increased in Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez.  Dozens of U.S. citizens were kidnapped and/or murdered in Tijuana in 2007.  Public shootouts have occurred during daylight hours near shopping areas. 
 
Criminals are armed with a wide array of sophisticated weapons.  In some cases, assailants have worn full or partial police or military uniforms and have used vehicles that resemble police vehicles.

U.S. citizens are urged to be especially alert to safety and security concerns when visiting the border region. While Mexican citizens overwhelmingly are the victims of these crimes, this uncertain security situation poses risks for U.S. citizens as well.  Thousands of U.S. citizens cross the border safely each day, exercising common-sense precautions such as visiting only legitimate business and tourist areas of border towns during daylight hours.  It is strongly recommended that travelers avoid areas where prostitution and drug dealing occur.
Criminals have followed and harassed U.S. citizens traveling in their vehicles, particularly in border areas including Nuevo Laredo, Matamoros, and Tijuana.  There is no evidence, however, that U.S. citizens are targeted because of their nationality.
 
U.S. citizen victims of crime in Mexico are urged to contact the consular section of the nearest U.S. consulate or Embassy for advice and assistance.

Crime and Violence in Mexico
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U.S. citizens residing and traveling in Mexico should exercise caution when in unfamiliar areas and be aware of their surroundings at all times.  Violence by criminal elements affects many parts of the country, urban and rural, including border areas.  Though there is no evidence that U.S. citizens are specifically targeted, Mexican and foreign bystanders have been injured or killed in some violent attacks, demonstrating the heightened risk in public places.  In recent years, dozens of U.S. citizens have been kidnapped in Mexico and many cases remain unresolved.  Moreover, new cases of disappearances and kidnap-for-ransom continue to be reported.  No one can be considered immune from kidnapping on the basis of occupation, nationality, or other factors.  U.S. citizens who believe they are being followed should notify Mexican officials as soon as possible.  U.S. citizens should make every attempt to travel on main roads during daylight hours, particularly the toll (“cuota”) roads, which are generally more secure.  It is preferable for U.S. citizens to stay in well-known tourist destinations and tourist areas of the cities with more adequate security, and provide an itinerary to a friend or family member not traveling with them. U.S. citizens should avoid traveling alone as a means to better ensure their safety.  Refrain from displaying expensive-looking jewelry, large amounts of money, or other valuable items.

Demonstrations occur frequently throughout Mexico and usually are peaceful.  However, even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence unexpectedly.  Some deaths occurred during violent demonstrations, including an American citizen who died in the 2006 violence in Oaxaca.  During demonstrations or law enforcement operations, U.S. citizens are advised to remain in their homes or hotels, avoid large crowds, and avoid the downtown and surrounding areas.  Since the timing and routes of scheduled marches and demonstrations are always subject to change, U.S. citizens should monitor local media sources for new developments and exercise extreme caution while within the vicinity of protests.  The Mexican Constitution prohibits political activities by foreigners, and such actions may result in detention and/or deportation.  Therefore, U.S. citizens are advised to avoid participating in demonstrations or other activities that might be deemed political by Mexican authorities.

There is likely to be disruption to travel to and from Italy on Wednesday 17 September as workers at some airlines and airports are planning to strike.
A 24 hour strike has been called by cabin crew, pilots, and flight attendants of Air One CityLiner and also by Meridiana pilots, Air One pilots, and Sea and Sea Handling workers at Linate and Malpensa airports in Milan.
Ground staff of Italian air companies have planned a four-hour strike from 12:00 to 4:00 pm. Alitalia workers may also strike on 17 September, but it is yet to be confirmed.