Category : Latest News

The Ebola crisis has been a slow burn until recently. The epidemic has been slowly and surely spreading, crossing borders and entering new continents, and it’s only recently that the world’s governments have started sitting up and taking notice, treating the epidemic very seriously indeed.

Ebola Protection – from wired.it

About Ebola, airport screening and safety precautions

What’s the latest news about Ebola precautions at British airports? We thought it’s be useful to give you the facts about the disease itself and how the UK government is dealing with it, so you know exactly where you stand and can make informed travel decisions.

Ebola news: First, where to go and where not to go?

It’s obvious that visiting the African nations worst affected by the virus comes with considerable risk. The Ebola Virus Wikipedia page is full of up-to-date information. The situation is still pretty fluid, which doesn’t help with decision making. Wikipedia currently says this:

“An epidemic of Ebola virus disease is ongoing in parts of West Africa. It began in Guinea in December 2013 then spread to Liberia and Sierra Leone.  A few much smaller subsidiary outbreaks have occurred elsewhere, with outbreaks in Nigeria and Senegal that appear to have been successfully contained, and secondary infections of medical workers with very low case numbers in the United States and Spain, neither of which is yet showing any signs of spreading in the general population.

As of October 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO), the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local governments reported a total of 8,400 suspected cases and 4,033 deaths (4,633 cases and 2,423 deaths having been laboratory confirmed), though the WHO believes that this substantially understates the magnitude of the outbreak  with possibly 2.5 times as many cases as have been reported. On 14 October, during a news conference in Geneva, the assistant director-general of the WHO stated that there could be as many as 10,000 new Ebola cases per week by December 2014.”

How does Ebola spread?

There’s been a lot of scaremongering. In fact human-to-human transmission can only happen via direct contact with blood or bodily fluids from an infected person or, considerably less likely, by contact with objects someone actively ill has contaminated. No airborne transmission risk has been documented. Dead bodies are still infectious, and you can catch the virus through unprotected sex.

Difficulties containing the Ebola outbreak

Apparently the man who first discovered the Ebola virus, Doctor Peter Piot, believes this latest outbreak isn’t following the virus’s usual linear spread pattern, with it “hopping” all over West Africa. Because past outbreaks have been in remote areas, they were less of a threat. This time it has spread to busy urban areas, making transmission harder to track and stop as well as increasing the number of people likely to come into contact with victims.

Ebola – Donald Trump Tweet

British airports’ response to the Ebola crisis

The Department of Health says around 85% of UK arrivals from affected countries will arrive here via Heathrow airport. In September 2014 around 1,000 people arrived in the UK from Ebola-affected West Africa.

Five hours ago at the time of writing this post, the BBC News website announced that Heathrow airport would start screening passengers who are flying both to and from “countries at risk”. The decision follows the Health Secretary’s expectation that a “handful” of cases are likely to reach Britain before Christmas 2014.

Screening is set to begin at Heathrow airport Terminal 1, then it’ll be extended to the remaining Heathrow terminals as well as Gatwick airport and the Eurostar service, apparently by the end of this week (17th October).

Ebola screening at Heathrow airport – from nydailynews.com

What about screening before people reach Britain?

The majority of people flying from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea are already screened once at the other end, before being let on the aircraft. The new UK procedures will involve at-risk people being identified by British Border Force officers when they arrive here, then screened by experts from Public Health England.

What does Ebola screening involve?

Ebola screening involves taking people’s temperatures, asking them to fill in a questionnaire and noting their contact details. If anyone is suspected of having the disease, they’ll be taken straight to hospital. If a person has been in contact with an Ebola victim but don’t have any symptoms, Public Health England will contact them every day to check their status and they’ll also be given advice about what to do if they fall ill, who to contact and where to go.

The questions people will be asked to answer include:

• Where did you start this journey?
• Have you been near anyone with confirmed Ebola virus disease?
• Have you cared for or anyone with a severe illness, or who has died of an unknown cause?
• Did you visit any traditional healers while in the affected country?
• Have you been vomiting or do you feel generally unwell?
• Have you had any contact with dead bodies or been to any funerals?

Does Ebola screening in airports work?

While fever is one of the main symptoms of Ebola, it’s also a symptom of countless other, relatively harmless infections. Screening for fever, one of the symptoms of Ebola, is of limited use but despite criticism from medical and other experts, the government believes it’s better than doing nothing.

There’s more. Because there aren’t any direct flights into Britain from Liberia, Sierra Leone or Guinea, people will arrive in the UK via connecting flights. They could turn up at UK airports where there’s no screening, which leaves a gap in the already-limited protection that screening provides. On the bright side, “highly visible” information will be provided at every British entry point.

Will you face delays at airports because of Ebola screening? It’s doubtful, but it’s wise to keep an eye on the latest developments in case things get worse and you need to factor in Ebola-related delays to your travel plans.

Ebola Cases and Deaths – from themostimportantnews.com

What are the symptoms of Ebola?

The chances of developing Ebola in the UK remain low. But it helps to know the symptoms, which include a fever, headache, vomiting, diarrhoea and bleeding. Sadly, they can all come about through a disease as simple as a tummy bug. This is the official advice:

• If you have these symptoms and you’ve been in contact with an infected person, it’s vital to ring 111 before going to your GP or turning up at A&E
• If you have the symptoms but you haven’t, as far as you know, been in contact with an Ebola sufferer, the official advice is to call 111 or see your GP. If you’re very ill, go to A&E

How to stay safe from Ebola in the UK

First, it’s important to remember that the risk in Britain is currently very, very low.

Second, bear in mind that in every case outside Africa apart from two, in Dallas and Madrid, were infected in Africa
Those at the highest risk of infection are a patient’s relatives and healthcare workers.  But anyone who comes into close contact with an infected person is at risk.

Once someone recovers, they aren’t infectious any more. Having said that, the WHO says Ebola can be found in semen for seven weeks and other research says it’s more like three months – so if there’s any doubt in your mind, condoms are essential.

Ebola myths to ignore

Sadly there have been all sorts of silly scare stories and crazy myths, whether it’s the protective powers of raw onions – complete rubbish – or the wholly inaccurate claims about the  healing properties of condensed milk. They’re very unhelpful, but thankfully the BBC Health website has created a myth busting article to redress the balance. Here it is: BBC Health on Ebola myths.

What happens next?

It depends how the epidemic progresses. Britain may end up closing its borders altogether to people travelling from affected countries or continents, and might even end up preventing UK citizens from travelling to affected nations. The disease’s progression is uncertain, and we won’t know ’til the situation becomes clearer.

In August this year the Birmingham Mail newspaper ran a story about luxury cars being stolen from a Birmingham airport car park. Worst of all, the car park owners’ insurance policy didn’t cover the theft, and the firm had to recompense punters from its own coffers for offering a less-than-secure valet parking service.

Of course the majority of people who use airport car parking find it perfectly safe. Most of us don’t have any problems. Having said that, with the best will in the world, stuff sometimes happens. So how do you reduce the risk of things going wrong while your car is parked at the airport?

Gatwick Airport Car Park – from geograph.org.uk

Luckily BBC1’s Watchdog programme, with support from the British Parking Association, offers some common sense advice about how to make sure your airport car park ‘meet and greet’ services are as safe and secure as possible. It’s good advice, considering the number of British meet and greet airport parking services is increasing fast.

How to ensure meet and greet airport parking is secure

No wonder meet and greet is such a popular way of parking at airports. You avoid all the hassle of finding your own parking space. Instead, an employee meets you at the airport, in a designated place, and does everything for you. And they’re there, with your car ready, when you get home. It’s a brilliant idea, a hugely convenient service that can save you a lot of time and hassle.

Your car is supposed to be kept secure while you’re away. That’s the idea. But it doesn’t mean the meet and greet firm always keeps their promises. There have been a few horror stories in the press, where former meet and greet airport car park staff have been spotted giving lifts to fellow staff, eating in the cars and even damaging them.

Meet and Greet Parking – from aph.com

Obviously when you leave your car at an airport car park, you do so at your own risk. But there are a few common sense checks you can carry out to cut the likelihood of something going wrong.

1. Check the member of staff who greets you is wearing an ID badge and/or wearing a uniform. If not, hang onto your car keys and call the car park operators to check you’re not being ripped off by a stranger.
2. Does the badge they’re wearing match the car park you’re in and the airport you’re flying from? If not, ask for extra reassurance or more evidence that they are who they say they are.
3. Are you arranging your meet and greet car parking at an official kiosk in the airport? If there isn’t a premises and the person is just hanging around the airport or car park, don’t let them have your keys.
4. What does your ticket look like? Check it isn’t just an expired one that the scammer has picked up off the floor.
5. Do you know where your car is going to be kept while you’re away? It will probably be off-site, away from the airport, but if the representative can’t describe the location and point out the direction, be suspicious. Can they show you a photo or a map? If not, why not?
6. Does the car parking operator own the premises where your car will be stored? Or are they renting it? Ownership can mean they really do have a vested interest in delivering a genuinely good, honest service, but bear in mind some will rent car parking space for perfectly legitimate reasons.
7. Can you see a special Park Mark? The Park Mark is only awarded to airport carparks that have had an annual inspection by the police.
8. Can the staff member confirm there are CCTV cameras in the car park, and tell you where they’re sited? CCTV is always obvious, rarely hidden, so anyone who has been to the car park will know where the cameras are.
9. Don’t leave your car without getting a receipt. Check the receipt includes the company’s address details, and that the company name and address match.

There’s more you can ask. What about finding out whether or not the gates are locked at all times, or do they habitually leave them open? Are they insured for car theft? Do they ever subcontract car parking to another company? As a general rule the more questions you ask, the less likely you are to fall foul of a scammer. Most people get flustered when they’re forced to lie for any length of time, and it’s often obvious they’re fibbing.

The BBC’s Your Money Their Tricks series on airport parking

The BBC’s series Your Money Their Tricks has also looked at airport parking services. The programme acknowledged that most car park meet and greet services were perfectly legitimate as well as extremely handy. But they decided to find out how many meet and greet providers were actually tricking punters into thinking their cars were safe when they weren’t secure at all. They booked six cars in with six different companies, over three major UK airports, and each car was fitted with a special  tracking device.

You can follow the link above for the full story, but suffice it to say the results were variable. Some meet and greet airport car park services operated exactly as they should, others failed in various ways, some more spectacularly than others.

Obviously we do our level best to check that every service we offer through our site is the best it can be. But the BBC’s research highlights how it’s always wise to check, do your homework and be adequately observant when you get there.

What about other places phony parking attendants and scammers operate?

If you need to park in an unfamiliar place, it makes sense to beware of phony attendants, uniformed or not. One common scam is to hand you a ticket that, unless you check, you don’t realise is simply an expired ticket thrown away by someone else.

If you come across something that looks like a stand-by car park, perhaps someone’s driveway or a commercial parking lot, check very carefully before parking there. You might find your car gets towed away because despite what the ‘attendant’ claimed, you don’t actually have any right to park there. Worse still, your car could end up stolen.

You’re being extremely careful… but all the same, you somehow manage to hit another car on the way in or out of the car park. If the other driver either tries to get you to shell out cash, refuse. If the incident was ‘real’, not a scam, motor insurance should cover it.

Official Car Park Attendant – from telegraph.co.uk

Barely a day goes by without news about airports, airport hotels and airport parking coming to the fore. September 2014 is no different, with expansion plans at Gatwick and Heathrow given a high profile, excellent low cost seat offers from Ryanair at Luton airport, worrying flight punctuality issues, a political in-flight broadband rebellion in the USA and more. Here’s a run-down of the most interesting airport news items of the bunch.

Gatwick Airport – from dailymail.co.uk

Top airport news for September 2014

Airport parking tragedy spawns offensive marketing gaffe

As any good marketer will tell you, it’s a great idea to react to breaking news with a special offer or tailored message. But there’s a limit.

One airport parking reservations business was slammed recently for basing an email marketing campaign around a human tragedy. When a 55 year old man was found dead in an airport car park at Chicago O’Hare, some not-so-clever marketer decided to send an email to subscribers with the subject line, Can On-Airport Parking Kill?

Their point was that the stress of finding your way to the airport, parking and getting ready to board can kill, and may have played a part in the tragedy. The email even contained a $5 off coupon for the airport’s car parks, and added even more insult to injury by saying:

“Don’t be late and end up in a crate. Save stress and possibly anything worse by utilizing technology and reserving all your travel needs in advance.”

Ouch. Can you hear the sound of a particularly insensitive marketer’s head rolling?

Ryanair offers 100,000 seats costing from just £19.99 across its European network

Amid much fanfare, the launch of Ryanair’s Luton 2015 schedule is offering more a hundred thousand cheap flights for October, November and December 2014. The offer covers sixteen new routes including super-cheap flights to Fuerteventura, Malta and Tenerife, and the new timetable apparently supports a whopping 1300 on-site jobs at Luton airport.

Ryanair – from flyflytravel.com

According to the airline’s spokesperson Maria Macken:

“Ryanair customers in London can choose from 16 routes from Luton next summer, while enjoying allocated seating, a free second carry-on bag, reduced fees, a new website, a brand new app with mobile boarding passes, Family Extra and Business Plus.”

Flight punctuality woes at London’s big 5 airports

Britain’s flight punctuality fell in the second quarter of 2014 compared with the second quarter in 2013, bad news for passengers who have to bear the brunt of delays. At just 78% punctuality across the nation’s five biggest London airports, the latest UK Civil Aviation Authority statistics reveal flights are 3% less punctual than they were at the same time last year, when the figure was 80%. Luton fared the worst, dropping by 8%.

Big Ben – Flight Punctuality

The study also looked at five other popular British airports, Manchester, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Glasgow and Newcastle, all of which also suffered a drop in punctuality over last year, from 84% to 81%.

What does ‘on time’ actually mean? In this case it means a flight that departs or arrives at a UK airport either early or up to 15 minutes late. The average delay identified by the study was 18 minutes, so if you’re flying from any of the airports surveyed, it’s probably a good idea to factor the extra delays into your travel plans just in case.

Air fares set to remain the same for 2015

A piece of research from the travel consultancy company Advito reveals competition between airlines is hotting up. Under the economic theory of supply and demand, it means prices are unlikely to drop. But they’re also unlikely to rise because carriers are worried that overly-rapid fare increases might damage businesses and cut consumer confidence. As a result Advito expects worldwide air fares to stay roughly in line with inflation, with some ticket prices falling but most remaining stable.

Having said that, there’s an exception. The US domestic market is experiencing price hikes in line with consolidation, which reduces competition. On the bright side for consumers, US airlines are still being relatively cautious about fare rises because they don’t want to damage demand.

Labour Party opens the door to Heathrow airport expansion

Ed Balls has said he won’t put up with any more ‘dither and delay’ over the decision about Heathrow airport expansion, which seems to signal that the party no longer completely rules the airport out. While Mr Balls is looking for a ‘rapid and final’ decision, he was careful not to express a preference for expansion at either Gatwick airport or Heathrow.

Heathrow Airport Expansion – from itv.com

People who live near big airports suffer from noise, stress and pollution. But many commercial organisations love the idea of expansion because they believe it’ll open up communications and make it easier to do business.

Balls’ statement comes with a caveat: expanding capacity must be balanced by minimising the inevitable environmental impact. But it’s an argument that can’t be won, since a decision either way will cause issues for one interested party or another, with very strong feelings on both sides.

One woman, who suffers from cancer, says the noise from new trial flight paths being tested over Wokingham has turned her garden into a runway and keeps her awake. Apparently the noise from the planes is present all day, with only the occasional lull. The trial was already unpopular with locals because Heathrow didn’t notify the affected areas in advance.

At the same time, a YouGov poll reveals Gatwick expansion is the favourite option for British small business leaders. Given a simple choice, 42% of small business leaders chose Gatwick while 37% expressed a preference for expansion at Heathrow.

Over 50% of small business leaders said the cost of flights is their most important consideration, a figure that increases to 63% when younger business leaders aged 25 to 34 were quizzed. Another poll reveals just under 60% of Croydon residents support Gatwick’s expansion plans over Heathrow’s. It appears locals feel that the advantages of expanding Gatwick outweigh the disadvantages for them and their families, with just 23% disagreeing.

As Stewart Wingate, the CEO of Gatwick said:

“We are determined to do everything we can to minimise the impacts and maximise the benefits for local people. After listening carefully to what local people told us during the public consultation, we designed a £250 million package of pledges designed to tackle many of the concerns that were raised.”

US House of Representatives rebels against in-flight mobile broadband proposal

If you’ve ever been driven nuts by someone sitting next to you on the bus or train jabbering into their mobile phone, you’ll appreciate why eighty rebellious members of the US House of Representatives have put their foot down over a proposed Federal Communications Commission rule allowing mobile broadband technology on flights.

Inflight Broadband – from crexendotelecom.com

The rebels sent a letter to the head of the Department of Transportation, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice and the FCC, asking for an in-depth review of the policy.

Why are they against broadband on aircraft? Apparently ‘aisle rage’ is on the increase as planes become ever-more cramped and crowded. In the third such incident in just one week, a Delta Air Lines flight had to make a sudden unscheduled landing recently because tempers were so badly frayed it was deemed too dangerous to carry on.

The political rebels believe letting people loose to make cellphone calls in such a confined space is asking for trouble. And the Chairman of the FCC Tom Wheeler, agrees. In his words:

“I get it. I don’t want the person in the seat next to me yapping at 35,000 feet any more than anyone else.”

Flight attendants also feel it’s a bad idea, and applauded the politicians’ move. In their eyes mobile use on planes could be far worse than a nuisance. As Sarah Nelson, the international president of the Association of Flight Attendants, says, allowing broadband on aeroplanes:

“could have catastrophic effects on aviation safety and security.”

There’s something intrinsically annoying about being forced to listen to someone else’s one-sided mobile phone conversation. How would you feel about a short, medium or long haul flight where your fellow passengers were constantly talking on the phone?

Edinburgh airport enjoys one of the busiest summers… ever

It’s official. Scotland’s Edinburgh airport has just enjoyed one of the busiest summers ever. The stats come from the airport itself, which handled around 1.04 million passengers in August 2014 alone, an increase of 11% over the same time last year.

July was extremely busy too, with almost 1.1 million travellers passing through the airport. And it appears to be a trend rather than a blip, with an overall year-on-year rise of 2.6%. Glasgow is experiencing the same hike in traveller numbers, with a 6% rise in passengers leading to 746,000 or so passengers passing through the airport’s doors in August.

Why the increase? It appears the UDO World Street Dance Championships and World Pipe Band Championships are partly responsible.

It’s your space… what would you like us to cover?

Is there anything you’d like us to write about, whether it’s airport news, airport parking, airport hotels or anything else relevant to your travel plans, habits and preferences? If so, let us know and we’ll be delighted to delve into the detail for you.

One of the most popular resources on our airport parking website is the reviews section. It’s packed with honest, genuine reviews from real people, who rate the parking facilities across all Britain’s major airports according to the quality of the transfers and facilities as well as the prices and service. Here’s an example:

“This was the first time that I had used Purple Parking Business and the service proved to be first rate. Check in and transfer to the departure terminal was efficient and very speedy. On my return to Heathrow I made the required phone call and the pick up bus arrived in about 5 minutes, took me back to the parking area where my car was lined up awaiting collection. Could maybe find a cheaper parking option but would not get a better service.”

This week we thought we’d provide a run-down of the performance delivered by one of the nation’s biggest and busiest airports, Heathrow, exploring what our customers think of Purple’s Heathrow airport parking facilities. The results, we think, make interesting reading and prove that, while there’s always room for improvement, everyone’s experience is different.

Purple Parking at Heathrow Airport

Why does it matter? The companies whose products we sell take notice of reviews, using any trends that become apparent to improve their services and facilities in future. And this in turn has a positive knock-on effect for the business travellers who buy discounted airport parking through our site.

Everyone appreciates hassle-free parking and transfers, especially when you have to travel long distances for work on a regular basis, have a long drive ahead, have been travelling for hours, have the kids with you or are on your way to or from a well-deserved holiday. Next time you use our site to buy bargain parking, why not leave a review and help make things even better?

About Purple Parking at Heathrow – Business Parking Experts

Purple Parking Business is a high-tech undercover multi-storey car park with state-of-the-art CCTV and the very latest barrier technology. You can find out the fine details about what they provide on our special Purple Parking Business page.

Our site contains an impressive 1049 reviews for the service at the time of writing this post. Purple enjoys an overall rating of 82% with no wholly negative reviews and just 8% billed as ‘neutral’. There are plenty of 100% reviews, where users are perfectly happy and even completely delighted. But are there any discernible patterns as regards particularly negative or positive comments, things to watch out for if you’re planning to use Purple Parking at Heathrow?

Overall scores

The overall scores for Purple Parking are pretty good.

• Transfers 66%
• Facilities 87%
• Price 83%
• Service 83%

As you can see, the overall scores reviewers have given the service fall down in just one key area:  transfers. With more than 80% in the other categories, a 66% rating for transfers isn’t so good. But like all good businesses, Purple always do their best to make changes where it really matters, and airport parking reviews like ours are helping them to do exactly that.

Purple Parking Airport Parking Minibus

Bus transfer delays on collection and return – An unhappy minority

Looking at the past few months’ worth of reviews there seems to have been an issue around bus transfers, with several people being left out in the cold for 30 minutes or more waiting for the bus, and some left hanging on while the bus transfer people failed to answer the phone.  On the other hand plenty of customers have said the shuttle buses are both frequent and efficient, with positive reviews far outnumbering less positive experiences. It appears reacting to issues pointed out by reviewers is having a positive effect on service quality.

Rude drivers – But most people found the staff extremely helpful

A few people recently found the transfer bus drivers less than polite. But the majority have found the staff at Purple Parking courteous, friendly and helpful. One customer even revealed how staff had gone out of their way to drop them at their hotel, saving them a whole lot of time and hassle.

“We were greeted by name by an extremely polite and helpful member of staff. Both transfers went smoothly and our car was all ready to drive away. Everyone we dealt with was friendly, will definitely use again. Thanks Purple Business Parking for making the beginning and end of our holiday a relaxing and hassle free experience.”

A Mr Dennis, who had obviously used the service before, commented that, “the company continues to improve with more real people on the ground these days making for much better customer experience.”

Purple Parking at Heathrow Airport

Heathrow airport business parking prices

Very few people tend to express an opinion about Purple’s prices. A few mention it’s a bit expensive, but they add the caveat that it’s worth it for the sheer convenience and the time the service saves them.

Several people actually remarked on the good value for money the service represents, which is particularly apparent when everything goes perfectly to plan: the better the service people experience, the less bothered they are by the cost. According to one reviewer, “Could maybe find a cheaper parking option but would not get a better service.”

Purple Parking Heathrow Map Location

Finding the right place

Most people seem to find the Purple Heathrow parking facilities very easily, with problems only occurring when there were roadworks in the local area. It looks like their signage does a good job, a challenge when the area around an airport is often a complex hell of different signage and you need to keep your eyes peeled!

Transfer bus standards

Most people seem to find the transfer buses comfortable and clean, although one reviewer found their bus dirty and scruffy. Perhaps Purple had an off day?

The fine art of making good use of reviews

The great thing about having hundreds of reviews to read is you get an accurate overall picture. It makes much more sense than trying to glean conclusions from just a handful of opinions. One tip: more than 1000 reviews mean they go back some time. It’s probably best to check out the first few pages rather than delve too deep into the past, where the reviews people left are probably out of date.

4 tips for the perfect airport parking experience

1. Check out the alternatives available at your chosen airport
2. Every provider is different, so read their business page on our site so you know exactly what to expect and how the service works
3. Make sure you arrive in good time
4. Leave a review on our site afterwards so the company can take steps to improve areas where they’re not 100% perfect

You’re headed for Heathrow airport car parking, where you’re planning to leave your vehicle while you’re away. Or maybe one of the many enormous Gatwick car parks. Unlike parking your car on the street where it’s vulnerable to prangs, airport parking tends to be much safer and miles more secure, with security patrols, dogs, high fences and CCTV everywhere. Which is great news for travellers. But ordinary car parking isn’t always as safe. What if you’re parking outside the supermarket or in an NCP?

We thought it’d be useful to look at the high volume of incidents that occur in car parks, the vulnerability of parked cars, how insurance companies deal with claims, what you should do if you hit a parked vehicle or discover your car’s been pranged while parked.

Asda Car Park Crash Wrexham – from dailypost.co.uk

How safe is parking in ordinary car parks?

According to the Daily Mail, “Prang and run bandits” colliding with other people’s cars when parked are responsible for a shocking £169 million in damage every year, a lot of dosh in anyone’s book. A fifth of the people who hit a parked car scarper without admitting what they’ve done, forcing innocent vehicle owners to foot the bill, and the average repair cost is breathtaking – a whopping £1800.

The insurer Accident Exchange reckons there are around 3.5 million car crashes every year in Britain, about 700,000 of which involve simple prangs to parked cars and half a million taking place when the damaged car’s owner isn’t around.

About 94,000 of the cowardly culprits get away with it, never to be traced. And while the £169 million consumer bill takes your breath away, the cost to insurers is even higher, with parked car prangs alone responsible for an astonishing £1.2 billion in repair bills. Ouch.

Worse still, it appears many of us, rather than trash our precious no claims bonus, would rather just pay for the repairs ourselves than make a claim. This more or less defeats the object of having insurance. Who benefits? The insurers and the prang-and-runners. It really doesn’t seem fair.

To add a layer of particularly nasty-tasting icing to an already nasty cake, uninsured and untraced drivers are responsible for adding an extra £40 a year to everyone’s motor insurance premiums.

Car Park Crash – from westerndailypress.co.uk

Apparently 80% of prangs happen on the street, with just 20% occurring in car parks. And the situation is set to get worse as more and more cars take to the streets and parking spaces, especially in urban and suburban areas, become even harder to find.

Because more than a third of British households have more than one car, inner city off-road parking is already huge issue. Unless we manage to curb our national obsession with multiple car ownership, it’ll only get worse.

Insurers’ “referral fees racket”

Having worked in the insurance industry for many years, I know most of them will do anything they can to wriggle out of paying claims. According to the AA, the average motor insurance premium has increased a disgraceful 89% over the past four years, an increase that leaves inflation rates in the shade.  But insurance companies insist it isn’t their fault. According to them, fraudulent claims for hard-to-disprove injuries like whiplash are to blame, leaving the good guys pick up the tab.

A reporter for The Telegraph wanted to find out more about the way insurers handled claims, so he set up a crash and noted what happened. You can read his story here, but the point we found most interesting was the fact that insurance companies habitually ‘steer’ punters to their own networks of approved repairers, and it isn’t always to car owners’ benefit. Far from it.

If you want to get your prang repaired by your local garage, who you know and trust, you are perfectly entitled to… but your insurer might punish you for it. In some cases, refusing to use the insurer’s recommended body shop can mean you’re charged a ‘non approved repairer excess’ fee. Good grief. If that isn’t totally out of order, we don’t know what is. Even more of a disgrace, very few drivers even realise they have a choice.

Here’s what The Telegraph’s article says:

“If an insurance company can mend your car in one of their approved garages they can control the costs of that repair. This sounds a reasonable proposition – most drivers would want costs to be kept down if it meant their premiums being reduced. However, some body shop owners and car makers are concerned that because insurance companies and their agents are primarily concerned about keeping costs down, the safety of drivers is potentially being compromised.

Body shop owners would speak to us only off the record, but Volvo, on its own website, states: “Insurance companies are reducing costs by having non-genuine parts fitted or panels repaired rather than replaced, which may compromise the car’s safety integrity.”

A spokesman for the ABI strongly denied that drivers’ safety was ever compromised. In contrast, when you are the not-at-fault driver – and the insurance company passes on the bill to a rival firm – costs are driven up unnecessarily, it would appear. Documents submitted by Ford to the Competition Commission, which has started to investigate the industry, suggest that the average price of a repair for a not-at-fault car is £1,530, compared with £1,375 for an at-fault car. Many experts believe that the discrepancy is far wider.”

What should you do if you hit a parked vehicle?

First of all, stop. If you drive off, you’re committing an offence under the Road Traffic Act.

Turn off your engine and switch your hazard lights on. If someone is hurt, call 999.

If the crash isn’t serious or a car is blocking the road, call the police non-emergency number 101. All car accidents should be reported to the police within 24 hours. If you don’t bother you can be fined, given penalty points on your license or even be disqualified altogether.

If you’re involved in a car accident you’re legally obliged to give your name and address to anyone else involved. Don’t take the blame even if you were 100% to blame and don’t have a leg to stand on.

Car Parking Lot Damage – from 3dbodyworks.com

Some people say it’s OK to say sorry. After all, you probably are sorry, and the word ‘sorry’ doesn’t mean you’re admitting blame, it’s just a very human reaction. Others recommend you avoid saying sorry altogether, which could be tricky when you’re a born and bred, naturally polite Brit!

If you hit a parked car and the owner isn’t there, it’s your job to leave your contact details – a note under the windscreen wipers should do the trick. You should also gather as much information as possible from the driver themselves, if they’re there, and any witnesses:

• names
• addresses
• contact numbers
• motor policy details
• whether they are the car’s ‘registered keeper’ and if not, who is
• the registration numbers of every car involved
• every involved vehicle’s colour, make and model
• the crash time and date

If you can, also do the following:

• make a simple drawing of the vehicles’ positions after the crash
• note down the weather conditions and anything unusual about the road the crash happened
• take a few snaps with your mobile
• get the names of witnesses
• get the names of any police on the scene
• list the damage to all the vehicles involved
• list any injuries to anyone involved, including passengers and passers by

If someone tries to do a runner without giving their details, call 999.

What should you do if someone else prangs your car while it’s parked?

According to the RAC, insurers usually offer a 50/50 settlement for car park collisions, but it’s up to you to prove who was to blame. If you can prove the pranger is 100% at fault, the RAC  recommends you claim on your insurance. On the other hand, an expert driver in the RAC forum says this:

“Don’t go for 50/50 easily but suggest you each pay your own damage. Claiming from the insurance will cost more in the long term.”

As another RAC forum member says:

“Just back from 4 weeks holiday in Cornwall. During our stay, on one occasion I was driving along a narrow road with passing places. As I approached a passing place, a young female coming towards me ignored the wider section that she was in, tried to pass in the narrow part, and our door mirrors collided. The clear plastic lens for the repeater indicator was broken in my mirror. Her mirror was undamaged.

We exchanged details, but a later phone call from “some unidentified male” claimed that her mirror was damaged and accused me  of speeding. Said he had visited the spot, and that he had found “glass” strewn around which proved I was speeding. This was a blatant lie, since I had picked up the broken lens bits and still have them in my car! He also claimed to have a witness.

It was a country road, and the only “witnesses” were my wife and the woman passenger in the other driver’s car. I called into the local police station, just to check if the driver was insured; which a WPC affirmed that she was insured. The WPC took the view that “he” realised that the insurers would go 50/50, and therefore it would be more economical to simply drop the matter and pay out for the repair; a view which, of course, is quite true.

So, a new lens assembly has cost me just over £25, and a further £41 if I don’t do the job myself. Reporting the matter to the insurer is a definite “no-no”. The total repair would be less than my £100 excess, so I would still have to pay for it, and, at renewal, my premium would suffer a permanent rise for “increased risk”!”

It seems crazy that people are avoiding making insurance claims because it costs them more in the long run. But I guess that’s the crazy world we live in. Until things change, it appears drivers need to think things through very carefully before deciding whether or not to claim for a prang on their motor insurance.

All car parking isn’t as safe and secure as something like official Gatwick airport car parking. So take extra care wherever you park.

Your car park prang stories

Do you have any car parking prang stories to tell? If so, we’d love to hear them…

Airports are always in the news, with a steady stream of fascinating stories covering everything from airport parking and security to jet lag (which we’ll cover in detail next week), the measures taken against terrorism, baggage limits, passenger safety and – occasionally – hot topics like new runways and new airport facilities. Here’s this week’s top trending topics.

Plane bomb hoaxer sectioned under the Mental Health Act

As reported by the BBC, the man who passed a spoof note to the pilots of a plane saying there was a bomb on board has been sectioned under the Mental Health Act and held for a ‘fuller assessment’ of his mental condition. We can only imagine the terror the 269 passengers felt when they noticed the fully-armed RAF Typhoon fighter plane escorting their aeroplane.

Manchester Airport

Manchester airport, the plane’s destination, was temporarily closed and some flights were diverted to Liverpool and Leeds airports. But, all credit to the authorities and the airport itself, everything was back to normal by 2pm, with inbound and outbound flights only delayed by 25 minutes or so. It just goes to show that these days, airports will pull out all the stops to keep things running smoothly.

If you’d like to see footage of the drama one passenger, Josh Hartley, filmed the RAF escort on his phone. Here’s a link to the BBC story.

Manston airport business plan on the cards

Do you live in Kent? If so you probably mourned the untimely passing of Manston airport, which shut its doors in May with job losses numbering 150. Now there’s good news on the horizon. Councillors have  agreed to the recommendations highlighted by a report looking at ways to make the airport financially viable.

Thanet council is also keen to establish whether the airport might be attractive to private buyers, a necessary step since the report reveals that the project will need hundreds of millions of pounds spent on it. The first step is a twenty year business plan to give everyone involved the very best chance of returning the airport to useful life.

Manston Airport – Kent

In the past a US-based investor called RiverOak has tried three times to buy the airport. In the end, five weeks before its closure, Manston airport was bought by Ann Gloag, the co-founder of the Stagecoach Group, for just £1.

Fingers crossed for all you Kent-based holidaymakers and business travellers. A good local airport will make your travelling lives much easier as well as saving time and long distance travel costs.

Baggage reclaim nightmares at Gatwick airport –  ABTA’s advice

Apparently a staff shortage was responsible for the deadly delays at Gatwick recently, where passengers faced long waits to reclaim their luggage. On the bright side, the baggage handling company Swissport has rallied forty more staff to help ensure it won’t happen again.

Gatwick Airport Baggage Reclaim

What if there are more delays? The travel organisation ABTA has the answer: pack essential items in your hand luggage.
What do they mean by ‘essential items’? Anything you need on the homeward journey, for example your car and house keys, medicines, spectacles, wallet and anything else you really can’t do without if your baggage goes missing. Better safe than sorry!

Taking Pride in easyJet

Congratulations to easyJet and Manchester Airport who, together, have said they’ll be sponsoring this year’s Manchester Pride event on 23rd August. It’s the second time the companies have collaborated to sponsor the event and their third year of involvement.

With more than a hundred thousand people expected to turn up it’s a high profile event, and good old easyJet will be flying revellers in from far and wide. They estimate ten thousand extra passengers will descend on the city via the airline, with the airport servicing at least 324,000 people over the late August bank holiday weekend.

easyJet offers flights to an impressive 35 destinations from Manchester Airport, including the popular LGBT community destinations Mykonos, Amsterdam and Berlin. And the airport services a whopping 65 airlines flying to a total of 200 destinations.

The companies’ sponsorship highlights the strong relationships they’ve created with local people, and we’d like to wish both Manchester airport and easyJet good luck for the big day. If you’re attending, we hope you have a splendid time too.

Emirates suspends flights to Ebola-affected Conakry ‘indefinitely’

The UK Border Agency, doctors and government officials are all being briefed about what to do if Ebola arrives in Britain. It’s obviously a serious threat. So what about air travel in and out of Africa?

Emirates has suspended all of its flights to Conakry, in Guinea, West Africa, to help stop the spread of Ebola, one of the world’s most dangerous diseases. It was the first  major international airline outside Africa to do so in a bid to halt the worst ever recorded outbreak of the disease, which has already killed more than 900 people across four countries.

Ebola precautions

International air travel provides a way for diseases to spread horribly quickly, one of the biggest risks inherent in a global economy where air travel is often cheap, fast and widely available. The airline says any further bans will be guided by health authority and government advice. If you’re travelling to Africa make sure you refer to the government’s advice.

British Airways have announced that they are temporarily suspending flights to Sierra Leone and Liberia until 31st August. A few other airlines have suspended flights to Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. British nationals already in or travelling to these countries should put arrangements in place for onward travel or exit. In other words, make sure you can get out of any of these countries if your airline suddenly suspends flights.

You can also check out the World Health Organisation’s website for Ebola updates.

Russian air space might prove an expensive no-no

To fly to Asia, EU planes usually use the shortest trans-Siberian route. But the recent horrific MH17 crash and resulting political furore have led Russian lawmakers to consider limiting or even banning European flights from entering Siberian air space on the popular Europe-Asia route.

According to the Russian media, consultations have been held between the Russian Transport Ministry and Foreign Ministry about restrictions on Western airlines flying in Siberian airspace, which they do dozens of times a day. It’s being seen as a tit-for-tat move to revenge any ‘unfriendly’ measures taken by the European Union, whether or not those measures are to do with air travel itself.

Watch this space… if you’re travelling the route, the cost of avoiding Siberian air space might just have an effect on your fares.

New airport security measures for mobiles, tablets and other popular gadgets

Air travellers are being asked to charge devices carried in their hand luggage as part of new security measures introduced at British airports. Passengers flying in or out of Britain will need to prove their gadgets are charged enough to allow them to be switched on. So what gadgets qualify? Phones, tablets, laptops and MP3 players are the obvious ones. But you’ll also need to prove these items are fully charged:

• electric shavers
• travel irons
• hair dryers and hair straighteners
• cameras and other camera equipment
• hand-held games consoles
• e-readers
• to be on the safe side, anything with a battery

Airport Security Tightened

What’s it all about? Apparently the government is acting in line with advice from the USA, but there are no details available. Experts suggest it might be in response to efforts by Islamic militants in Syria and Yemen to build bombs which can evade airport security checks. Whatever the reason, it looks like it’s here for good, with no plans to step down in the foreseeable future.

Next week – Jet lag and how to avoid it

We’ll be back next week with an in-depth feature about jet lag, what it’s all about and, most importantly, what to do about it.

For our Friday dream holidays, we take a look at Hawaii, known to many of us today as a collection of tropical island paradises, where lots of hula girls play ukulele in grass skirts and coconut bras – but these islands have a much more firey, raw past that is often overlooked. If you love Hawaii appreciating where they come from is what really make the Hawaiian islands so amazing.

The stunning power of the beautiful Hawaiian Islands

The “Hawaii Shield” as the archipelago is known to geologist, was formed on the seafloor of the Pacific 500,000 year ago from a series of underwater volcanic eruptions that resulted in the aftermath of formation of Hawaii’s biggest volcano today – Mauna Loa. This triggered a chain reaction that has resulted in the formation of all the islands that are located in Hawaii today.

Due to Hawaii’s location on the Pacific tectonic plate as has turned the islands and volcanoes of Hawaii into a main hotspot, where due to the pressure and uplift creates a mass amount of lava. This all contributes to the plates moving at a rate of 9cm per year in the direction of the north-east, which is the overall reason for the scale and number of volcanic eruptions in the region.

The Amazing Mauna Loa

Not many people know this but Mauna Loa is even bigger than Mount Everest itself, but is obviously classified as a volcano so cannot have the title of “world’s highest mountain”. Towering a massive 56,000 ft above sea level it beats Everest by a staggering 27,000 ft!

When it was first formed, Mauna Loa brought about a rich, fertile but barren volcanic landscape. However due to the fertility of the soil it attracted many forms of wildlife and birds and eventually human settlers in the form of the Polynesians and eventually Europeans.

Although Mauna Loa is frequently active today, it does not have huge gassy eruption all the time unlike it’s European cousins. Mauna Loa is more famous for its constant flowing rivers of molten lava that have helped create the spectacular scenery that you will find all of Hawaii’s volcanoes within.

Go Back to Your Roots

If you wish to discover the roots and foundations of the land you call your home, there’s no better place than to get to grips with that than visiting the volcanoes of Hawaii. See how islands a born and crushed with a centuries instant. Witness the pure power of the rivers of molten lava that are constantly sculpting the landscape they inhabit. There’s no better place on earth to really discover and retrace our human evolution than beholding the spectacle that helped build the land we now inhabit ourselves -the volcano.

For a trip with a difference why not take a holiday of discovery that will have you looking as far back into our past as our own primordial roots and origins. As well as being in the beautiful Hawaii, I’m sure a few cocktails out of coconuts on one of their pristine beaches will be order.

Do your children like Disney films perchance? Are you a big kid yourself deep down and just waiting for an excuse to take the family on a holiday to Disney World?

What better excuse than Christmas! Take the whole family on a fun, action packed, amazing holiday to the capital of every one’s childhood and dreams. Make a Christmas present to remember, by creating memories you will all cherish for years to come.

Since Disney World is a massive place, with 4 different regions and a water park within it – it may take you some time to around everything you want to see and do. Below we have created a list of great things to do whilst on holiday at Disney World, which will hopefully help guide you in having the best family holiday yet! Have a look at our “Top Things To Do At Disney World”

The Magical Disney World Castle!

Universal Studios

Ever wanted to sit on the actual ‘The Simpsons’ sofa? Fancy sitting inside the famous Delorean car from ‘Back to the Future’? Well now you can! A tour around Universal Studios at Disney World will have you gasping with excitement with many attractions from some of the most beloved films and tv-series of all time.

The Disney Zoo

You maybe in Florida but at the Disney World Zoo you can see animals from all over the world. From hippos and hyenas to giraffes and lions, not forgetting the amazing aquarium here that has dolphins and even killer whales! Don’t forget to stick around for one of the dolphin or killer whales shows that will have the whole family whooping and clapping with joy at the amazing tricks these majestic animals can do.

The Rides…

What would a trip to Disney world be without par-taking in some of the spectacular rides they have here? From epic Roller coasters such as Space Mountain and the Big Dip, to magical rides on the tea cups or getting wild and wet on the awesome rapids – no matter what age or preference you or your children have, you will certainly find a number of rides to keep everyone entertained all the day through!

The Disney Parade

Who’s your favorite Disney Character? Sleeping Beauty? Simba from the Lion King? Balou from the Jungle Book? Here’s your chance to re-live your childhood dreams and make those of your children come true by taking part in the amazing and spectacular Disney Parade. See all your favorite characters dance and sing all your beloved Disney songs, whilst marching through the entire Disney World Kingdom. A feast for the senses and something that should not be missed by anyone who loves Disney!

This Christmas, instead of buying lots and lots of gifts for everyone why not take everyone on a great family holiday to Disney World? Not only will you be making memories that you all will remember for the rest of your lives but you’ll also be spending some quality time altogether during this special festive season. Plus some Florida sunshine will be a welcome change to the usual Christmas weather that everyone will be used to!

If you are looking for a Winter Break to Disney World or any other location, take away one little stress by arranging a meet and greet service at one of our airport parking options.

Alaska is the biggest state in North America, spanning over a massive 663,268 square miles of pure, raw untouched wilderness. Not for the faint hearted, Alaska is a mesmerising place with some of the most tremendous scenery etched out of numerous ice ages.

With a plethora of outdoor pursuits to embark on, you’ll never be bored or be stuck for something to do in this great vast mountainous place. Below we have listed a few of the top things to do whilst visiting this enchanting place.

Alaska welcomes the most spectacular of whales – The Humpback

Whale Watching

Every summer the great hump back whales make their journey upstream to Alaska’s chilly waters for their annual feeding and mating season. Take a boat out to the Alaskan Gulf to witness these beautiful creatures in their most natural habitat. Hopefully you’ll be quick enough to capture a snap of one of the great sea beasts before they descend for cover back under the waters!

Hiking

Step through glaziers, gaze up through ice caverns and trek through some of the most stunning mountainous scenery your every liking to encounter. Every twist and turn you make through Alaska’s wild terrain will have you gasping for another breath, over the sheer natural beauty that lay before you. Definitely are great place for people who like walking holidays and there are also some great bike treks around the forests in the summer months.

Kayaking and Rafting

Lake Wonder, reflecting the mountains of Mc Kinley beautifully in its waters just as the sun rises over the snow-capped giants – an image mere words cannot replicate. Take a slow relaxing row for two down one of Alaska’s many lakes or for the thrill seekers take a chance on the rapids and be tossed from one place to the next in all different directions. We repeat once more, certainly not for the faint hearted!

Skiing and Snowboarding

If you like skiing and snowboarding Alaska is definitely the holiday destination for you. As eco-tourism is a very big thing in Alaska many of the slopes and runs are all natural and uncultivated, as to not interfere with the wildlife and nature surrounding them. Bearing this in mind, some of the course can be very rough and wild so ensure you only take on the slopes that you’re confident you can do.

As well as a winter destination, Alaska comes into full bloom during the summer months and is a feast for the senses. A whole wealth of unusual wildflowers and plants grow here and the summer warmth brings to life all of the animals that hibernate during the winter, such as the bears and mooses. A treasure to watch, make sure to take a professional guide with you as these are wild animals in their natural habitat and can be unpredictable! But don’t let such things put you off, as Alaska during the summer and winter hosts a wide fun of amazing things to do in the most beautiful and magical setting.