Bulawayo, Zimbabwe Travel guides & News

Thousands of passengers are facing a second day of disruption as fog continues to force the cancellation of flights in and out of London.

Heathrow Airport and London City Airport, which were disrupted throughout Sunday, are affected.

By 06:55 GMT, 37 arrivals and 22 departure flights from Heathrow had been cancelled.

Ten flights due to depart from London City had also been cancelled because of the weather.

The foggy conditions were expected to lift by about 10:00 GMT, the BBC weather centre said.

Heathrow Airport, which deals with an average of 1,300 flights a day, said passengers should check with their airlines before travelling.

Heathrow said 132 flights, including 50 BA flights, were cancelled on Sunday due to heavy fog.

A total of 58 incoming flights were cancelled.

‘Difficult’ conditions

Some airlines were re-booking passengers on other flights, while others were arranging for accommodation.

Some domestic passengers were being taken to their destinations by coaches, the airport said.

Heathrow Airport is open, but air traffic controllers have slowed the rate at which aircraft can land.

London City Airport suspended up to 44 flights on Sunday and delayed others because of “low visibility”.

BBC Weather forecaster Holly Green said: “The Met Office are warning the fog may cause further travel problems, particularly during Monday morning rush hour.”

Matt Rigby, from London, spent the day at Heathrow having seen his midday flight to Moscow delayed and then cancelled.

He said: “Staff did not know what to do and gave conflicting advice.

“There were lots of other people standing around in queues back in the terminal in the same situation. It was all pretty chaotic.”

Mr Rigby said: “We weren’t even told it was due to fog, but I was able to figure it our for myself because it was pretty foggy out there.”

A Gatwick Airport spokesman said it had low visibility and had a couple of delays, but on the whole it was business as usual.

Driving conditions could be “difficult” and motorists have been advised to take extra care.

A weather warning for dense fog also has been issued for Yorkshire and Humberside, the East and West Midlands, the East of England and the South East.

Fog has also affected large parts of Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium.

Four airlines from the UK and Irish Republic are calling for the UK government to scrap Air Passenger Duty.

The tax, which is applied to almost every ticket on a flight originating in the UK, has risen sharply since it was introduced in 1994.

When APD was introduced, passengers whose journey originated in the UK paid between £5 and £40 per ticket. They now have to pay from £24 to £170.

It is opposed by Easyjet, Ryanair, Virgin Atlantic and British Airways.

The airlines say it penalises British holidaymakers and makes the UK a less attractive destination.

The amount of APD that passengers have to pay depends upon whether their flight is short or long-haul, with business and first class travellers having to pay more than those with an economy ticket.

A Treasury spokesman said that the government had frozen APD this year, and that, unlike many other countries, the UK did not levy VAT on flights.

Environmental campaigners opposed the airlines’ move, saying APD helped combat global warming.

“Air Passenger Duty plays an important part in tackling aviation’s significant impact on climate change,” said Richard Dyer of Friends of the Earth. “Ministers must stand up to this unfair lobbying.”

Bigger and better have long been buzzwords in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and nowhere more so than at the international airport where the Dubai Airshow is held this week.

Vast, glass-fronted terminal buildings are fronted by palm trees and manicured lawns, their facades punctuated by massive cranes that bring testimony to the continued expansion of capacity here.

The existing international airport, with its huge, air-conditioned terminal buildings, has proved that it is capable of processing a monthly throughput of between four and five million people.

In July, a record 4.7 million people travelled through the airport, marking a 9.7% rise over July 2010. Then, in September, Dubai Duty Free proudly declared that its sales had topped $1bn (£625m) since 1 January and could reach almost $1.5bn by the end of the year.

New hub

Those may be big figures, but the traffic at the existing international airport is set to be dwarfed by the new Al Maktoum International Airport, constructed half an hour’s drive outside the city.

The new airport is an integral part of a 140 square kilometre transport hub, and thus essential to Dubai’s grand ambition of becoming a global centre for logistics, trade and travel.

New services will increase Emirates’ African network to 21 destinations 

DUBAI, U.A.E., 21st  September 2011: Emirates’ extensive African network is to be boosted again with the launch of two new destinations – Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, and Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe.

Zambia and Zimbabwe, which share a border with the Victoria Falls, one of the natural wonders of the world, will now be linked with a five times weekly flight from Dubai, starting from 1st February 2012.

“Emirates has long understood the enormous potential of Africa, which today is one of the fastest-expanding economic regions of the world, benefitting from a combined market of over one billion people, rising consumer demand and an abundance of natural resources,” said His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group.

“Zambia and Zimbabwe will be our 20th and 21st African destinations and their addition to our global network will enable us to provide new flexibility and choice for customers, help to grow trade routes and create important new inbound and outbound markets for tourism,” added His Highness.

“The arrival of an airline of Emirates’ stature will be very significant for Zimbabwe, increasing capacity, connectivity and choice as the country strives to consolidate its economic recovery through attracting new trade, tourism and investment,” said Mr. David Chawota, Chief Executive Officer, Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe. “We are extremely proud of the facilities we have at Harare International Airport and look forward to providing the very best service to Emirates customers from around the world. We really appreciate the support of our Government in facilitating this development.”

The Dubai-Lusaka-Harare service will be operated by an A330-200 aircraft in a three-class configuration that offers 12 luxurious First Class seats, 42 seats in Business Class and generous space for 183 passengers in Economy Class.

Customers in all cabins will enjoy meals prepared by gourmet chefs, award-winning service from the airline’s international cabin crew recruited from over 120 countries, as well as hundreds of channels of entertainment and the facility to send and receive emails and text messages.

Passengers flying Emirates from Lusaka and Harare will be able to connect seamlessly to points across the Far and Middle East, Indian sub-continent, Europe and Australasia via the airline’s hub in Dubai.

A must-see for any visitor to Zambia or Zimbabwe is the Victoria Falls, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The 1.7 km wide natural wonder cascades for over 100 metres, making the Falls the largest curtain of water in the world.  Both countries also boast a wealth of other breathtaking sights, including world-class national safari parks.

A bellyhold capacity of 16 tonnes will support the import and export of a diverse range of commodities, such as machinery, clothing, computer parts, and pharmaceuticals. These goods will arrive from markets like the United Arab Emirates, South East Asia, the Indian Subcontinent and Europe. Fresh flowers, fruit and vegetables will be exported – heading to destinations including Europe, China, Saudi Arabia and South Korea.

Africa was one of only two continents to record economic growth during the recent global downturn and its growth rate is likely to exceed 5 per cent this year, according to the Harvard Business Review.

With a collective Gross Domestic Product now roughly equal to that of Brazil or Russia, Relative Market Growth Index forecasts indicate that Africa’s combined revenue could grow by approximately $1 trillion by 2020.The number of households with discretionary income is projected to rise by 50 percent over the next 10 years.

Starting 1st February 2012, EK 713 will depart Dubai on every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 0925hrs, arriving in Lusaka at 1450hrs. The service will depart Lusaka at 1620hrs, arriving in Harare at 1720. The return flight leaves Harare at 1920, arriving Lusaka at 2020. It departs Lusaka at 2150 and lands in Dubai at 0710hrs the next day.

With a fleet of 157 aircraft and already the largest A380 operator in the world, Emirates currently flies to 114 destinations in 67 countries.

Services to Basra, Geneva and Copenhagen have already started this year. Flights to St Petersburg begin on 1st November with Baghdad following suit as of 13th November. Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires become new links into South America from 3rd January 2012.

Emirates currently serves 19 passenger and cargo destinations across the African continent.

Zimbabwe has been in the grip of a spectacular heatwave, which has had the bell-shaped jacaranda blooms on Harare’s expansive avenues wilting and popping on the burning tarmac in the more than 30C heat. In reality, the people are in the grip of the relentless heat and the American greenback, with Zimbabwe having abandoned her own currency, which had once given rise to the collectible Z$100 trillion note, after the coalition government was formed in 2009.

Travelling around in Harare, Bulawayo and Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, it becomes plainly obvious that the American dollar is king – you buy your sim card with it, your airtime, your bottle of water, your newspaper, your tomatoes, your bunch of bananas and at some stage you begin to wonder if everyone’s notes are kept in the bottom of their shoes – so tattered and illegible has this symbol of capitalism become in the hands of every vendor.

But approach Harare Zimbabwe and you can believe that there are more Mercedes Benzes than donkeys in this city. In fact, the total absence of donkeys becomes all too apparent. New roads are under construction, the restaurants are full and the windfall of the nation’s diamond money sparkles in the four-wheel-drive vehicles dodging pot-holes and the outrageous designs for new homes in suburbs.

The executive lounge in Harare Airport in Zimbabwe is full of South African, Bulgarian, Latvian, English, American and Chinese businessmen and women. There is a feeling here that the Gods of Commerce, rather like Zimbabwe’s eternal potential, and the diamonds sprouting in the east, attract more friends than critical journalists.

Is it possible, though, to measure a nation’s wealth in the shiny cars, shiny suits and filling restaurants? If anything, the visible presence of such wealth points to a widening gap between those that have and the rest.

Every society has its own traditions and superstitions, and in Zimbabwe getting married in the month of November is a taboo.

The belief goes back many, many years, with a fear that a November wedding will bring bad luck.

“November weddings are a big no-no… I would have had a November wedding but I think my parents would have a problem with a November wedding. My parents would have had a heart attack. My grandparents would not have attended,” a bride in Harare, Zimbabwe, commented as above.

What we have to say as Travel partners of reliable cheap Airlines about travelling in November is:

However, passengers can still make travel arrangements to Harare, Bulawayo and Victoria Falls to fly in November to take advantage of low season fares. Professionals having  job commitments, students and families of students mostly book cheap flights in advance with us, as we also offer flexibility in payment options where possible. Christmas flights special cheap fares and prices are available all round the year. Early bird offers for Easter and Summer cheap flights can be booked in advance saving substantial amount of money.

Don’t miss the Christmas post

No one wants to be ‘that’ person. You know the one; the manic, apologetic gift giver who hasn’t been able to get anyone their presents in time for the 25th. What a let-down! So, to avoid missing the post for Christmas we’ve rounded up the info you need for the smoothest delivery possible.

Relax, it’s Christmas!

Imagine getting snug on the sofa with a tipple or two, relaxed in the comfort that your cards and parcels will be delivered to your loved ones in time for the big day. With one less thing to worry about in the lead up to December 25th you can concentrate on the rest of your shopping and wrapping, and even have time to rustle up some Christmas treats – not to mention watching festive films and visiting Santa’s grotto! So to ensure you jingle all the way this Christmas, make sure you familiarise yourself with the postal deadlines and important dates.

Don’t miss the sleigh

Online shopping is great for Christmas; you can slot it into the spare minutes between nativi

Christmas dates (not the sweet and sticky kind)ties and card writing, especially if you have a smart phone (ideal for mums on the go). But don’t think you can get away with adding to your basket at the last minute like you do the rest of the year – online shopping has its deadlines too! 40 million of you do your shopping online for gifts, which is no surprise considering the choices available and the ease of shopping from your own home. But don’t hang about and end up missing out on receiving your items in time to wrap and send them. Be sure to check out individual online retailers’ Christmas delivery deadlines; usually the very latest you can order online for Christmas is early afternoon on 23rd December, but some retailers’ cut offs are a week before Christmas. So get shopping!

Beat the Christmas rush and the elbow digs in the post office and make sure you get your Xmas parcels signed, sealed and delivered in time for Christmas day. This means:

• Getting your standard parcels posted by Wednesday 14th December
• Your second class and recorded signed items in by Saturday 17th December
• Your first class recorded signed for items in by Tuesday 20th December

Avoid having a nightmare before Christmas by being organised and using the special delivery service, which offers delivery before Christmas if you post your items by:

• Thursday 22nd December, or
• Friday 23rd December with a Saturday guarantee

Christmas overseas

For those of you with family or friends on further shores then keep in mind that international delivery in time for Christmas has a tighter schedule! (The reindeer have to travel further, you see):

• Airmail services to South & Central America, Caribbean, Africa, Middle East, Asia, Far East (including Japan), Australia and New Zealand must be made by Monday 5t
• h December
• Get your parcels in by Friday 9th December  for Eastern Europe, USA and Canada
• Get your parcels in by Monday 12th December for Western Europe

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The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has agreed that the two carriers can work together on trans-Pacific flights.

Scheduling, marketing, pricing, revenue management and bidding for corporate contracts are all covered by the agreement.

The ACCC had previously authorised an alliance between Virgin Australia and Delta Airlines on the same routes, between Australia and the US.

“The ACCC does not consider the (agreement) will have any anti-competitive effects, as Qantas and American Airlines do not currently provide any overlapping direct services between Australia and the United States,” ACCC chairman Rod Sims said.

Qantas has announced plans to cut 1000 jobs in Australia and push into the Asian market.

AIR BERLIN, Germany’s second-biggest airline and the fifth-biggest in Europe, is set to shrink as a new, cost-cutting boss, Hartmut Mehdorn, takes over from Joachim Hunold, its founding chief executive. The impact on European air travel will be considerable, though the writing has been on the wall for a while. A German air-passenger tax introduced in January, higher fuel prices and the unrest in north Africa have all hit Air Berlin’s margins this year. The air tax, in particular, has cut the volume of low-cost passengers flying from small regional airports, such as Erfurt in east Germany, and Cologne/Bonn, which is uncomfortably near to Dusseldorf, a big air-travel hub.

Air Berlin will sensibly concentrate its business on four main airports: Berlin, Dusseldorf, Palma (Majorca) and Vienna. It will cease flights from Erfurt completely and limit the number of destinations it offers from other smaller airports such as Karlsruhe, Stuttgart, Hanover and Hamburg. This is good news for Deutsche Bahn, the German state-owned railway, which incidentally Mr Mehdorn used to run.

Air Berlin got too big too fast. It has 170 aircraft serving 163 destinations in 39 countries. It competes head-on in Germany with the mighty Lufthansa and its low-cost subsidiary Germanwings. But it should survive if it trims its network as planned and makes use of all the cross-selling opportunities it will get next year from joining oneworld, the British Airways alliance which includes Iberia, Finnair, American Airlines and will soon include Russia’s S7.

In the mean time Germanwings and another low-cost airline, Ryanair, are preparing to fill some of the airspace that Air Berlin is vacating: for example, flights from some smaller German airports to Alicante, Naples, Palermo and a handful of north African cities. EasyJet, which tends to use bigger airports, may be tempted to grab those cancelled Air Berlin routes that compete head-on with Lufthansa.

Nevertheless, the shrinking of Air Berlin threatens to hasten the demise of smaller German airports. Erfurt is looking for a replacement airline, though its owners, the state government of Thuringia and the city of Erfurt, are resisting the temptation to subsidise a newcomer. The neighbouring state of Saxony saw how fickle airlines can be when Ryanair arrived with fanfare last year at the small airport of Altenburg near Leipzig, then this March axed all its flights there.

The London-Surrey Cycle Classic Road Race is taking place on Sunday 14 August 2011, in preparation for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The race will pass through south-west London and Surrey, starting and finishing in central London.

Roads in the area, including access to Heathrow and the M25, will be affected.

If you are travelling to or from Heathrow airport on this day, you are strongly advised to plan ahead.