News

bmi will be operating as per normal in the UK today, with the exception of Berlin and Hanover flights from and to Heathrow this morning.

UTracks has added a selection of new itineraries outside of the euro zone to its programme this year.

The Tourism Malaysia garden has won gold at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2011, following on from last year?s garden success story at Chelsea.

We can confirm that our flight schedule for today remains unaffected and there are no planned cancellations.

A Manchester Airport spokesperson said: "The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has advised that high concentrations of ash from the volcanic eruption in Iceland will reach parts of Scotland during this morning.

"Consequently six flights between Manchester and Aberdeen and Inverness have been cancelled. Approximately 200 passengers who should have travelled on these services should check with their airline before coming to the airport. Edinburgh and Glasgow services are not currently affected. ?Manchester Airport will also today handle nine Thomas Cook and Thomson flights that should have departed from Glasgow and Edinburgh. A further five flights operated by these airlines to Glasgow and Edinburgh have also landed at Manchester with all passengers connecting by coaches arranged by their airlines.

"Other than this, Manchester Airport is operating normally and we do not expect this to change for the foreseeable future. "We can reassure passengers with travel plans over the next few days that unlike 2010, the CAA will not close airspace. "This is because since April 2010, the aviation industry has learnt enough about the effect of volcanic ash on aircraft to allow all flights to operate safely if low or medium concentrations of ash are present in the atmosphere.

"The CAA will work with the Met Office to advise airlines and airports precisely where ash is present in the atmosphere and at what density."

Airlines will then use this information and test results from the manufacturers of aircraft engines to plan and operate flights safely.

The WWE RAW World Tour takes place at Butlins Minehead from November 11-14 and tickets are now on sale.

A new survey by Journeys of Distinction has revealed that 2011 is the year of the 60+ gap year, with older travellers taking more exotic and longer travels than before - a marked change from 2000 when a much younger gap year generation were travelling the world between school and university.

The survey of 1,000 regular travellers was undertaken to establish how social attitudes and attitudes towards travel have changed in the last ten years. ?

The operators managing director,?Karen Gee, said: ?There?s a marked trend that older people are the new gap year generation, those aged 60+ are travelling more often and further afield than ever before. We also discovered that of there is a much greater concern about the environment and the effects of travel, as well as a far greater interest in taking part and experiencing local life.?

The survey found that:-

?????More than 80% of people now research their holiday destination on the internet and then fact-check if necessary with an operator before booking.

????90% of those asked wanted several holidays and breaks a year, some taking up to seven holidays annually.?

????74% felt that holidays become more important with age

????The 60+ age group are taking the most holidays, now travelling to more exotic locations than any previous generations of that age

????Those in the 40+ age group feel they work much harder than past generations and therefore feel they deserve more holidays

????62% of respondents feel that they have helped their children financially more than their parents or grandparents helped them and now want to enjoy life

????60% of respondents agreed that they would rather take a holiday than spend money on a new car or home improvements

Gee said: ?It?s clear we are becoming increasingly adventurous in our choice of destinations as we get older. People are inspired by their grandchildren taking time off to see the world and now many older people are now taking the time to explore and take their own gap year.

"The Antarctic, Bhutan, Ecuador, The Amazon, Cambodia and the Baltic States are just some of the places that our respondents aged 60+ told us they would like to visit.?This age group are fitter, healthier and more active than ever and have more travel opportunities than before, on top of which the advent of more affordable air travel, greater social mobility and the introduction of the internet have all helped make exotic travel more feasible."

The survey of 1,000 regular travellers was undertaken to establish how social attitudes and attitudes towards travel have changed in the last ten years. ?

The operators managing director,?Karen Gee, said: ?There?s a marked trend that older people are the new gap year generation, those aged 60+ are travelling more often and further afield than ever before. We also discovered that of there is a much greater concern about the environment and the effects of travel, as well as a far greater interest in taking part and experiencing local life.?

The survey found that:-

?????More than 80% of people now research their holiday destination on the internet and then fact-check if necessary with an operator before booking.

????90% of those asked wanted several holidays and breaks a year, some taking up to seven holidays annually.?

????74% felt that holidays become more important with age

????The 60+ age group are taking the most holidays, now travelling to more exotic locations than any previous generations of that age

????Those in the 40+ age group feel they work much harder than past generations and therefore feel they deserve more holidays

????62% of respondents feel that they have helped their children financially more than their parents or grandparents helped them and now want to enjoy life

????60% of respondents agreed that they would rather take a holiday than spend money on a new car or home improvements

Gee said: ?It?s clear we are becoming increasingly adventurous in our choice of destinations as we get older. People are inspired by their grandchildren taking time off to see the world and now many older people are now taking the time to explore and take their own gap year.

"The Antarctic, Bhutan, Ecuador, The Amazon, Cambodia and the Baltic States are just some of the places that our respondents aged 60+ told us they would like to visit.?This age group are fitter, healthier and more active than ever and have more travel opportunities than before, on top of which the advent of more affordable air travel, greater social mobility and the introduction of the internet have all helped make exotic travel more feasible."