Tag: holidays

Once more onto the beach!

Which? reveals Britain’s favourite seaside destinations

Bamburgh in Northumberland has been named as Britain’s best seaside destination, as Which? reveals the nation’s favourite resorts and the top towns and villages for avoiding the crowds on holiday. 

With more people expected to book a holiday in Britain this summer than ever before as a result of the pandemic, the consumer champion sought out views on Britain’s coastal towns and villages to find the nation’s favourite seaside destinations.

The survey of more than 4,000 people ranked nearly 100 towns and villages, with Bamburgh rated the best seaside town.

It slipped from its first place ranking last year, but reclaimed the top spot after receiving a customer score of 85 per cent, and five stars for its beaches, tourist attractions and scenery. It received an additional five stars for value for money, with prices for accommodation being half those of some popular spots in Cornwall.

Visitors were particularly fond of the castle, and despite the small size of Bamburgh village, the vastness of its beach meant it received four stars for peace and quiet, allowing visitors to easily distance themselves and avoid busy crowds.

Other responses suggest word has spread about Bamburgh’s appeal, with some encouraging visitors to reserve tables in the restaurants in advance as places are often booked up, and arrive at the castle early to secure a parking space.

The good news is that this year’s reader survey of the best seaside towns and villages shows there is room on our coast for us all to find a quiet corner. Visitors rated nearly 60 British seaside destinations at 70 per cent or above, while 30 were awarded four or five stars for peace and quiet.

Tynemouth, in Tyne & Wear, took joint second place alongside Dartmouth in Devon. Both received a visitor score of 84 per cent, and five stars for their seafronts, while Tynemouth was given five stars for its beach and seafront, and four stars for scenery.

Visitors to Tynemouth praised the selection and quality of restaurants and food options on offer, as well as the market at the Metro station at weekends, while those who had been to Dartmouth recommended taking a boat trip along the River Dart or the steam train from Paignton to get there.

In third place – and taking the title of Scotland’s best beach town – was St Andrews. Busier than some of the other destinations at the top of the table, the “home of golf” earned its high ranking perhaps thanks to its five-star rated tourist attractions as well as its shopping options, which received four stars. It also received four stars for beaches and value for money. Those looking to beat the crowds were advised by respondents to visit outside of term time, when fewer students of its famous university are around.

Aberaeron was ranked fourth and named the best seaside town in Wales, with a customer score of 82 per cent. The quiet harbour town was given five stars for its scenery, with visitors commenting fondly on the painted houses in pastel colours. It also received four stars for peace and quiet – likely due to it being a little harder to reach than more popular tourist locations further down the coast in Pembrokeshire.

At the other end of the table, with a customer score of 48 per cent, was Skegness. The seaside town was also rated bottom by visitors last year, but its score has improved slightly as a result of investment and refurbishment in the town centre and higher footfall, with more people holidaying in Great Britain than abroad last summer. And while it only received one star for its tourist attractions and scenery, its beach was still given three stars.

Respondents recognised the family-friendly appeal of Skegness and its amusements, while one commenter described it as “unpretentious and a very pleasant place to visit”, and encouraged visitors to “enjoy the old fashioned 1950s atmosphere of a traditional English seaside town”.

Other destinations at the bottom end of the table included Weston-Super-Mare (55%) and Ilfracombe (56%).

Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: “Many of us discovered the joy of a British summer holiday last year and the trend looks set to continue well into this summer. The results of our survey show that bigger is rarely better, with smaller and less crowded resorts taking the top spots over better-known destinations.

“Given the crowds and prices at some of Britain’s most popular seaside destinations, the best news from the survey is just how many highly-rated destinations we have to choose from. Whether you want a village with a beach or a big town with all the fish and chips you can eat, there is a fantastic spot by the sea for you.

“Do your research and look beyond the big name destinations – and most importantly, book with a reputable provider with a generous flexible booking policy.”

Global Travel Taskforce: Travel has its wings clipped by cautious UK Government report

Vague and costly recommendations are not enough to reboot aviation and tourism sectors facing another summer without international travel, says Westminster’s Transport Committee.

Lack of clarity

In an analysis of the Government’s Global Travel Taskforce Report, the  Committee concludes that the Report sets out a framework without the detail required to restart international travel. Where detail is provided, the costs may be disproportionate to the risk and add £500 on to the cost of a family of four travelling to the safest parts of the globe where the vaccine roll-out is comparable to the UK.

This distinct lack of clarity does not offer confidence to industry or consumers to plan, invest or recover from the coronavirus pandemic. It leaves the planned safe restart of international travel on May 17 in jeopardy.

The UK’s aviation and tourism sectors were poised to accommodate the public’s desire to travel for business, study, holidays and to visit loved-ones. The UK [aviation industry] has been one of the hardest hit by the pandemic, according to the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation. Another summer without international travel heralds significant economic adversity.

Recommendations

In its Report, the Committee sets out four clear recommended actions for Government:

  • Populate the traffic-light framework with destination countries by May 1 and announce the details in a statement to Parliament.
  • Explain the criteria and mechanism by which countries will move between risk categories by May 1.
  • Offer an affordable testing regime that supports public health and safe travel for everyone by maximising the role of lateral flow tests and ensuring the provision of affordable polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, where required.
  • Act immediately to reduce waiting times and queues at the UK border, including working bilaterally with partner countries to agree mutual recognition of travel health certification, deploying more staff at the border, processing passenger locator forms before passengers arrive in the UK and establishing an efficient system based on a single digital app to process health certification submitted in a range of languages.

Transport Committee Chair, Huw Merriman MP, said: “The aviation and travel sectors were crying out for a functional report, setting out clear rules and offering certainty. This is not it.

“Where the industry craved certainty, the Government has failed to provide it. For UK citizens seeking to travel to the parts of the globe where the vaccine has been delivered as rapidly as the UK, the cost to families from testing could be greater than the cost of the flights. 

“This is a missed opportunity for the Government to capitalise on the UK’s world-leading ‘vaccine dividend’. How can it be right that hauliers, arriving from parts of the globe where the vaccine roll-out is slow, are able to use cheaper lateral flow testing whilst a trip back from Israel requires a PCR test which is four times as expensive?

“This was an opportunity to provide a global lead with standardised rules on international health certification and promoting app-based technology, making the processes at borders more secure and less time consuming. The urgent situation facing the aviation and travel sectors warrants a clear action plan to green light our travel – and the Government must urgently set it out.”

Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: “The government is reliant on factors outside its control in restarting international travel, including high and changing infection rates in many countries, so it’s understandable that it cannot provide clarity on where people can go yet. However, it needs to do a better job of fixing the issues it does control.

“Given the government has now dropped its advice not to book holidays, consumers need clarity on how the traffic light system will work and reassurance that last-minute changes won’t leave them facing thousand pound bills – as they did last summer.

“Test costs remain too high and risk pricing millions out of travel, while the problem of passengers queuing for several hours at border control at some UK airports has been going on for months.

“If people are to travel this summer, whether to see loved ones or on holiday, they need the government to make sure it is affordable and safe.”

Tips for booking a sustainable holiday

The last year has led consumers to be much more sustainably focused, the public are becoming consistently more engaged and putting their money where their mouth is.

With travel on hold for the best part of the last year, sustainable options are becoming more favourable. Whether that be supporting independent businesses or choosing an environmental option.

Small group tour specialist, Rabbie’s (www.rabbies.com), specialises in sustainable travel and has shared its top tips to consider when booking an eco-friendly holiday.

Consider your mode of transport

While it’s hard to resist the temptation of a self-drive holiday post-pandemic, this convenient way of getting around is not the most eco-friendly. Travelling using communal transport modes, such as by small mini-bus, is a much more fuel-efficient option to reduce your carbon emissions while travelling. Domestic coach tours are a great way to explore the country and visit destinations off-the-beaten track in a sustainable way by lowering the number of independent vehicles on the road.

Visit smaller communities

Steer clear of tourist hot-spots and opt to visit destinations that are typically out of reach. Areas outside of the standard sightseeing trail have been hit especially hard by the pandemic. Tourism spend is worth so much more to these smaller communities and sustainable travellers have an opportunity to really make a difference to the lives of locals. Consider taking a trip to areas such as the Isle of Wight, North Wales and the lesser-known lakes of the Lake District.

Leave no trace

Particularly important when choosing to visit natural beauty locations, travellers should aim to leave places as they found them (or in some circumstances, in a better shape than when they arrived). Travelling on a small group tour allows for groups to avoid making loud noise and let nature’s sound prevail.

A local, knowledgeable guide will help to ensure that travellers respect the communities being visited to ensure an enjoyable journey for those on the tour, as well as those who will visit next. With so many amazing natural beauty locations to visit across the UK such as the woodlands of the Peak District National Park and the beaches of Lewis and Harris, it’s vital to preserve these destinations for years to come.

Choose a responsible operator

Selecting to holiday with a sustainable and morally-sound operator will ensure you’re making the world a better place through travel. Tour companies with substantial green credentials and responsible travel initiatives are a great way to reduce the impact your travels have on the environment in which you are visiting.

Small-group touring company, Rabbie’s, have environmental protection as a core focus of the business. The company even taxes itself £10 for every tonne of CO2 they use, with staff then voting on which community or environmental project this money should go towards each year.

With social distancing measures in place, reduced group sizes and increased cleaning measures, Rabbie’s offers worry-free journeys so you can enjoy a sustainable staycation without concerns.

To arrange a private tour call Rabbie’s on +44(0) 131 226 3133 or email explore@rabbies.com, or for scheduled group tours see www.rabbies.com.

Which? warns people to hold off on booking summer holidays

Consumer champion Which? is warning holidaymakers to hold off booking trips abroad until more details become clear.

Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: “Millions of people will be excited to know their next holiday abroad might not be too far off, but the current guidance leaves too many questions unanswered about important aspects of foreign travel – so we would advise consumers to hold off on booking a holiday until the details become clearer.

“Apart from not knowing where we can go and when, the government has also warned that countries will be moved between green, amber and red. Until it details how these changes will take place, consumers face the risk of 10 days quarantine and paying for additional tests, or worse, having to pay £1,750 for hotel quarantine.

“There also remain questions over what the total cost of testing will be for trips, which currently runs into the hundreds of pounds, and what steps will be taken to ensure testing is affordable and accessible. It is vital that the government provides clarity on these issues before people think about parting with their money.”

Post-roadmap travel options from Rabbie’s

The eco-friendly way to see the best that the UK and Ireland has to offer

We are set for another summer of staycations, calling for experiences even more off the beaten track to discover the UK and Ireland’s natural beauty and spread the tourism wealth.

With an increased demand for sustainability-focused, eco-travel, Rabbie’s continues to expand its domestic travel options without sacrificing its excellent green credentials.

Rabbie’s ensures that the places we love are there for future generations to enjoy and advocates ‘taking only photos and leaving only footprints’. Explore the best of what the UK and Ireland has to offer – its wildlife, vistas, delicacies and rich history – all while actively preserving its future …

Visit the sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters of your dreams, but in Scotland:

After so long spent at home, the far-flung islands and dolphin-spotting on the three-day tour of Lewis, Harris and the Outer Hebrides are a welcome escape. Visit the incredible Luskentyre beach known for its tranquil waves, white sands and Loch Braun, home to native whales and dolphins.

This area of outstanding natural beauty comes with a rich history, with Viking relics left behind from over 800 years ago, including the Callanish standing stones to visit as well as the opportunity to experience life as a highlander at the centre of traditional crofting, Arnol Blackhouse. The tour departs from Inverness, and costs from £209 per person.

Hiking through the delightful depths of Derbyshire and rewarding yourself with a delicious Bakewell tart:

Derbyshire is England at its most quintessential, full of quaint cottages and luscious rolling hills. On the Derbyshire, Peak District & Poole’s Cavern tour, visit Castleton, nestled in the hills and the Celtic settlement with former ruins located nearby on the hill of Mamtor.

After a hike to one of the most photographed spots of the county at Monsal Head, tuck into lunch in Bakewell, home of the iconic almond puddings. ‘The cherry on top’ of the afternoon consists of a visit to Poole’s Cavern, a limestone cave system previously marvelled at by Mary Queen of Scots, full of stalagmites and stalactites.

Take a bite out of English history and embrace the natural awe of the UK whilst staying carbon-neutral. The one-day tour, departing from Manchester, costs from £39 per person.

Take in the soaring mountains, spectacular wildlife, and mystical history of Ireland’s West Coast, with nothing in between you and the Atlantic:

A jam-packed three days full of the Emerald Isle’s less visited, awe-inspiring wonders such as the Cliffs of Moher and Connemara National Park. On the West Coast Explorer Tour, Rabbie’s transports guests to a world of dungeons and dragons at Dunguaire Castle, and natural beauty spots such as the Cliffs of Moher and Lough Corrib’s scenic shores which were captured in “The Quiet Man”.

Of course, no trip to Ireland would be without a tipple, enjoy a drink at Locke’s Distillery, the oldest in the world as well as a bite to eat in the foodie hub of Galway. Departing from Dublin, the three-day tour costs from €309.00 per person.

With social distancing measures in place, reduced group sizes and increased cleaning measures, Rabbie’s offers worry-free journeys so you can enjoy a sustainable staycation without concerns. 

To arrange a private tour call Rabbie’s on +44(0) 131 226 3133 or email explore@rabbies.com.

The coast is dear

Some UK seaside accommodation prices up by a third

Holidaymakers face paying more for a UK seaside break this summer as a snapshot investigation suggests some accommodation prices have risen by an average of 35 per cent compared with last summer, according to new research from Which?.

With demand for UK holidays expected to soar this summer, Which? tracked the prices of 15 holiday lets in the top 10 most visited UK seaside destinations, and found that in every case, prices have increased from last summer.

The consumer champion’s snapshot investigation looked at prices for 15 properties listed between Airbnb and Vrbo in the past year, in destinations such as St Ives, Whitby, Llandudno and Brighton.

Which? first looked at the prices of these listings in May and June 2020, for various dates in July and August 2020. The research then looked at the prices of the same properties in February 2021 for similar dates in July and August 2021, and found all had increased in price, with an average increase of 35 per cent.

The largest markup of the properties Which? looked at was for a one-bedroom maisonette in Brighton on Airbnb. When the consumer champion checked the price of the listing in May 2020 for the first week of August 2020, the cost was £53 per night. But when it checked again in February 2021 for the same period the property was £127 per night – an increase of 140 per cent.

It also found a 70 per cent increase in price for a one-bedroom property in the centre of Eastbourne on Airbnb. Last year, for a one-week holiday in the first week of August, it would have cost £409. This year, the same week costs £696.

On Vrbo, a one-bedroom property in Bournemouth rose from £722 for the first week of August last year to £958 this year – an increase of 33 per cent.

Vrbo told Which?: “We are operating as a two-sided marketplace, connecting holidaymakers and holiday-home hosts, without being part of any contractual agreements between those parties at any time. That means that all rental contracts are closed between the holidaymaker and the holiday-home host, or the property manager directly.

“The hosts are also in control and individually set the rental price for their properties, the payment terms and all cancellation policies. Those policies are stated on the booking page for each property and must be acknowledged, and agreed to, by all holidaymakers before a booking on Vrbo is possible.

“Vrbo’s service fee is a percentage of the total amount of the reservation, excluding taxes and refundable fees paid by the guest. The service fee amount varies. Generally, the higher the reservation amount, the lower the percentage of the service fee. A value-added tax is charged on the service fee where required by local regulations.

“Vrbo does not set, change or influence the property prices a host chooses. However, Vrbo provides useful tips and information for hosts on how to be successful with their listing on Vrbo. For instance, Vrbo’s MarketMaker™ gives hosts access to real-time data about competitors, holidaymakers, local events and holidays. This allows them to adjust their prices, if needed, to remain competitive and attractive for holidaymakers.”

Other price rises were more modest. A one-bedroom cottage on Airbnb in Scarborough increased by seven per cent for similar August dates this year, while a one-bedroom property on Vrbo in Swanage with views over the Purbeck Hills had gone up by just two per cent.

Hosts on Airbnb set the prices and cleaning fees for properties listed on the platform. Airbnb said the price increases highlighted by Which? were “isolated examples”, while Vrbo also said hosts are in control and individually set the rental price for their properties.

According to the government’s current plans for releasing England from lockdown, self-contained holiday accommodation breaks are set to return from 12 April.

Demand for UK holidays is likely to be even higher this summer than last year, as there is currently less risk involved in taking a UK holiday than a holiday abroad while coronavirus restrictions, such as testing and hotel quarantine for UK arrivals, remain in place.

There is still some risk involved in booking holidays in the UK for this summer, such as being told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace or local restrictions preventing you from travelling. However most of these risks can be overcome by booking with a reputable company that has a generous flexible booking policy.

Which? is encouraging anyone booking a UK holiday to ensure they choose a flexible accommodation provider that has committed to offering full cash refunds or fee-free rebooking if your holiday is unable to go ahead as planned due to coronavirus.

Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: “Many holidaymakers are looking forward to finally going to the seaside this summer, so it’s perhaps not a surprise that high demand has seen prices for some destinations shoot up too.

“If people are prepared to pay more for their summer holidays this year, it’s essential that they know their money will be protected or returned to them without hassle in the event they cannot travel as planned. Make sure you choose a provider that offers fair and flexible booking terms, so you won’t be left chasing a refund if something goes wrong.”

Full table of price increases:

Airbnb told Which?: “This misleading research features isolated examples that are not representative of prices on Airbnb. A survey shows that more than half of UK guests choose Airbnb because it is more affordable than a hotel or other options.

“With the Great British staycation back on the horizon, hosts are ready to provide clean and private accommodation to help families and loved ones safely reconnect, and around half say they rely on the additional income from hosting.” 

Very lastminute?

Some Lastminute.com customers still haven’t received all their money back for cancelled holidays, despite the online travel agent committing to the regulator that all refunds would be paid by the end of January, Which? has revealed.

After months of breaking the law on holiday refunds, Lastminute.com was investigated by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in December and it agreed to pay all outstanding package holiday refunds that were cancelled on or before 2 December by the end of January 2021. 

Despite this, Which? has seen reports from several customers through social media who still hadn’t received a full refund after the deadline had passed. 

At the time of the CMA’s intervention, the UK’s seventh largest travel agent owed more than £7 million in refunds for holidays cancelled on or before 2 December. Although it seems to be paying back customers for the hotel portion of their trips, Which? found evidence that it had not returned the cost of cancelled flights to some of its customers by the deadline.

Some online travel agents have reported difficulties in securing refunds from airlines to pass on to their customers, meaning many people have reported only receiving partial refunds for their cancelled package holidays. 

However, under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Regulations 2018, if a package holiday is cancelled by the provider, the customer is legally entitled to a full refund within 14 days. A package holiday is a combination of at least two types of travel or travel-related services made through the same source in a single booking, most commonly flights and accommodation. 

The commitment made by Lastminute.com to the CMA was to refund all money to customers for both accommodation and flights. 

Sheryl McLeod, one of the customers Which? heard from, told the consumer champion she booked a holiday for two adults and two children to Barcelona for July 2020 through Lastminute.com.

She told Which? that in June an agent from Lastminute.com advised her the flights and hotel were cancelled and there were no alternatives, so the trip would be cancelled and refunded.

Sheryl then heard nothing for months and struggled to speak to someone at Lastminute.com. In September she was told by email that her refund was ready and she accepted the option of a cash refund. For months afterwards Lastminute.com claimed it was finalising her refund. Then, on 27th January, she was sent £932.49 – more than £300 short of the £1274.68 she was owed in total. 

Sheryl tried to chase up this discrepancy over the phone, but she was met with an automated message to log into Lastminute.com to access her booking. When she accessed her account online, the trip was listed under ‘past bookings’, with no mention of the missing money, or anything to help her apply for it.

Claire Barder is another Lastminute.com customer who told Which? she hadn’t received a full refund for her cancelled holiday before the CMA’s deadline.

Despite receiving confirmation of a refund for her cancelled package holiday to Barcelona, which was meant to take place in July 2020, Claire was only given a refund of £431.75 – nearly £600 short as it did not include the flight portion of the trip.

Claire was told in an email that her total refund was worth £1,010.23. However Lastminute.com told her that because of Ryanair’s policy, she would need to fill out a form on the airline’s website to apply for this refund, despite Lastminute.com committing to the CMA that it would be responsible for refunding the total cost of the cancelled holiday.

Only after Which? approached Lastminute.com were both customers told they would receive their money back for the outstanding portions of their refunds.

Which? has shared its findings with the CMA, and is calling for it to take appropriate enforcement action against the online travel agent.

Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: “Despite being given ample time to return all outstanding refunds to customers – as well as clear instructions regarding its liability for refunding both accommodation and flight costs – Lastminute.com has failed to meet this commitment to the regulator.

“This is perhaps unsurprising to its customers, given it was voted the UK’s worst accommodation booking site in our latest survey, faring little better when it was ranked for flight bookings.

“The CMA was right to intervene to demand action from the online travel agent, but after failing some of its customers once again, tougher measures need to be taken. The CMA should uncover how many customers were not refunded in time and take appropriate action against Lastminute.com, sending a clear message that this kind of behaviour is unacceptable.”

A spokesperson for Lastminute.com responded: “Firstly we’d like to start by saying that the refund process has been a very complex and difficult process due to the length and severity of the ongoing pandemic and frequent changes in the travel advice rules. These conditions not only impact us but the entire travel industry.

“Throughout this very challenging year, our customers have remained our number one priority, and we at lastminute.com continue our commitment to dedicating our resources to helping them with their requests, whether it’s involuntary or voluntary cancellations, re-booking to new destinations or booking new holidays.

“Each customer request is unique, and often requiring a human touch-point and we’ve been working hard to get the money processed back through the system and into our customer’s pockets as quickly as possible. In the cases you have highlighted, we can confirm that the refund has been sent to the customers also for the flight.”

“We confirm our full commitment and dedication during the last months in order to refund and support all our customers and meet the deadlines agreed with the Competition and Markets Authority. We will discuss our obligations on the 10th of February directly with the Competition and Markets Authority as agreed with them.

“Customer satisfaction is our number one priority and we keep listening and learning even from the feedback generated by a very small number of readers involved in the Which? survey. Every comment counts. We have already refunded more than 49,000 customers and completing any open refunds remains our top priority in these unprecedented crisis.”

A Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) spokesperson said: “CMA action led to lastminute.com committing to pay out over £7m to customers waiting for money back.

“They must now report to us on how they are complying with the commitments they signed up to and the deadlines agreed. Should it become clear that they have breached these undertakings we will consider further action.”

Leave your Christmas decorations up until February!

To bring cheer to the winter months, follow medieval tradition and keep your decorations up until 2 February!

After an especially tough year, English Heritage is encouraging the public to do as their medieval ancestors did and leave up their festive adornments until Candlemas on 2 February. This opposes the theory that leaving decorations up beyond Twelfth Night is bad luck, which is a modern take on the tradition.

The charity will be following its own advice at several of its historic places, with decorations remaining in place throughout January at Audley End House in Essex, Framlingham Castle in Suffolk and Osborne on the Isle of Wight.

Falling exactly 40 days after Christmas, Candlemas (or the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary) was observed as the official end of Christmas in medieval England.

The date itself was a great feast day and is so-called because candles intended to be used in churches in the coming year would be blessed on that day. There were also candlelit processions in honour of the feast.

Evidence that decorations were kept up until the evening before Candlemas is well documented. To this day, Christmas cribs remain in place in many churches until Candlemas, and their removal is described in an early 17th-century poem:

Ceremony Upon Candlemas Eve, Robert Herrick (1591-1674)

Down with the rosemary, and so

Down with the bays and misletoe;

Down with the holly, ivy, all

Wherewith ye dress’d the Christmas hall;

That so the superstitious find

No one least branch there left behind;

For look, how many leaves there be

Neglected there, maids, trust to me,

So many goblins you shall see.

Audley End House recreated as a festive centrepiece
Audley End House recreated as a festive centrepiece. © English Heritage

Dr Michael Carter, English Heritage’s Senior Properties Historian, said: “In the Middle Ages, houses would be decorated with greenery for the Christmas season on Christmas Eve day. The feast of Christmas started at around 4pm on Christmas Eve afternoon and continued until the Epiphany on 6 January.

“But contrary to popular belief, the Christmas season actually continues right through to Candlemas on 2 February so there’s no real reason why you should take your decorations down earlier.

“The tradition that it is bad luck to keep decorations up after Twelfth Night and the Epiphany is a modern invention, although it may derive from the medieval notion that decorations left up after Candlemas eve would become possessed by goblins!

“I’m of the opinion that, after the year we’ve all had, we certainly deserve to keep the Christmas cheer going a little longer.”

National Express increases services to meet holiday demand

National Express will be running extra coach services on its UK-wide network in the run up to Christmas to ensure people can get home safely during the festive season (18 December 2020 – 4 January 2021).

The UK’s largest coach operator will be increasing the frequency of over 35 routes, introducing 13 new direct services and adding more locations to its timetable – starting from 18 December and running every day, including Christmas Day and Boxing Day. 

Supported by the Department for Transport, they will initially be doubling the mileage of the network, making nearly 250,000 seats available over the festive period*; and will further increase the number in response to demand – all with covid-secure measures in place.

Tickets are on sale now with more availability being released as soon as possible. Customers are being advised to plan their journey and book in advance as demand has been strong.

Chris Hardy, managing director of National Express Coach: “Trains won’t be running on Christmas Day and there are limited services on others, plus the planned engineering works on the railways.

“We’re happy to step up to help the UK public get home safely this Christmas, when it’s more important than ever. 

“This is also good news for the network of local coach companies who operate services on our behalf, at the end of what has been a challenging year.”

Increased frequency routes:
Bristol<>LondonSouth Coast<>HeathrowManchester <>London
Birmingham<>ManchesterEast Mids<>HeathrowSheffield <>London
Cardiff<>LondonBath<>LondonHalifax <>London
Birmingham<>LondonAberystwyth<>LondonLeeds <>London
London<>DoverNorth-West<>LondonThanet<>London
Brighton<>LondonLeicester<>LondonBirmingham<>Heathrow
Southampton<>LondonGloucester<>LondonBirmingham<>Bradford
Bournemouth<>LondonNottingham<>LondonSouth Wales<>Heathrow
Bristol<>BirminghamYorkshire<>LondonLiverpool<>London
Coventry<>LondonNorwich <>LondonBirmingham<>Nottingham
Nottingham<>BradfordPlymouth <>LondonSwansea <>London
Birmingham<>LeicesterPortsmouth<>LondonNorth Devon<>London
Haverford West<>London  
New direct services:
Tyneside<>LondonTeeside<>LondonHull<>London
Edinburgh<>LondonGlasgow<>LondonLondon<>York (via Leeds)
South Wales<>BirminghamCambridge<>LondonBirmingham<>Hull
Cornwall<>LondonLeeds<>ManchesterLeed<>Manchester<>Liverpool
East Mids<>West Yorkshire  
New locations on festive timetable:
HullPeterboroughCambridge
ChesterSunderlandNewquay
PenzanceFalmouthLincoln
SwindonWeston-super-MareTruro

All National Express coaches have significant covid-secure measures in place including enhanced cleaning, reduced capacity, wearing of face coverings, temperature screening and additional air conditioning filters.

Anyone who has tested positive for Covid-19 so is unable to travel, can request a full refund or amend their ticket. Passengers who no longer wish to or are unable to travel as planned will also be eligible for a free ticket amendment*.

More than £1 billion in refunds being illegally withheld for cancelled holidays

More than £8 billion worth of package holidays are estimated to have been cancelled since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, with just over £1 billion still estimated to be outstanding in refunds, according to new research from Which?.

Millions of people have had a package holiday cancelled by their provider since the UK went into lockdown in March, with refunds for one in five (21%) holidays where a cash refund was requested still outstanding at the beginning of October.

Which? surveyed more than 7,500 people who have had a package holiday cancelled as a result of the pandemic to understand how the situation around refunds has developed since the UK first entered lockdown.

An estimated total of just over £1 billion is being illegally withheld in partial or full refunds from customers who requested their money back, with the survey suggesting the average cancelled holiday cost £1,784.

Under the Package Travel Regulations 2018, if a package holiday is cancelled by the provider, the customer is legally entitled to a full refund within 14 days. A package holiday is a booking comprising at least two types of travel or travel-related services made through the same source, most commonly flights and accommodation. 

Around 9.4 million people are estimated to have had a package holiday cancelled by their operator since the pandemic hit the UK. The backlog of refunds for cancellations caused by the coronavirus pandemic meant that the majority of operators struggled to refund within the legal time limit, with customer service lines overwhelmed by travellers trying to contact them to ask about their refunds. 

Some package providers reported delays in receiving refunds back from airlines, many of which – despite making commitments to the aviation regulator – continue to break the law on refunds. This has meant package holiday operators have often only been able to process partial refunds for customers. 

But while some companies have managed to get on top of the backlog caused by these delays, several other major providers have continued to leave passengers out of pocket, with Which? still receiving huge numbers of complaints from customers waiting for refunds.

The average amount of time spent contacting package holiday companies about cancelled trips was around 15.5 hours. For more than four in 10 (43%) of the cancelled holidays reported to Which?, customers said they waited longer than a month to get their money back.

During the summer, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched an investigation into package travel companies’ handling of cancellations and refunds. Following pressure from Which? and the CMA, Tui agreed to refund all customers by the 30th of September. The regulator also recently confirmed that Virgin Holidays has also committed to processing refunds for all holidays cancelled up to the end of October by 20 November.

Nearly four in ten (37%) people who have had a package holiday cancelled by their provider since the beginning of the outbreak said the experience has had a negative impact on their confidence in the travel industry. 

Which? is calling on the government to outline how it will support the travel industry through the rest of the pandemic, and is urging it to introduce a travel guarantee fund to support package holiday providers that are struggling to fulfil their legal obligations to refund customers. It should also conduct a review of passenger protections following the coronavirus outbreak.

While the CMA has already secured commitments to process refunds from some companies, it is clear that some firms are not improving their practices of their own volition. The competition regulator must continue to closely monitor operators and secure further undertakings from those that flout the law, to prevent trust in travel being damaged any further.

Which?’s advice to anyone looking to book a future holiday is to book with a provider that can be trusted to refund their money promptly if they can’t travel, and to consider booking a package over a flight-only booking, to ensure they have greater legal protections if they cannot travel because of coronavirus.

Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: “Since Which? first highlighted the issue of holiday companies delaying or denying refunds for holidays cancelled due to coronavirus, some operators have continued to flout the law and the sums of money being illegally withheld from holidaymakers are staggering.

“It’s simply unacceptable that some of the UK’s largest operators are still getting away with breaking the law, but without meaningful intervention from the government and the regulators in this space, many people will struggle to get their money back. 

“The CMA must take firm action against any operators that are continuing to drag their feet on refunding holidaymakers, and the government must urgently set out how it will support travel companies in fulfilling their legal obligations to passengers.”

2021 holidays – the tour operators and travel agents Which? recommends:

 www.which.co.uk/news/2020/10/holidays-in-2021-the-tour-operators-and-travel-agents-which-recommends 

HOLIDAYMAKERS IN EDINBURGH OWED NEARLY £8 MILLION IN WITHELD REFUNDS

LOCAL MSP SAYS REGULATOR MUST DO MORE TO SUPPORT CUSTOMERS  

SNP MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands has demanded action after the latest estimations from Which? suggested people in Edinburgh could be owed £7,858,609 in withheld refunds for cancelled trips.

Customers across the UK are waiting on more than £1 billion in refunds according to the results of the survey of more than 7,500 people who had a package holiday cancelled as a result of the pandemic.

Expressed a proportion of population, the findings of the survey suggest that holidaymakers in Edinburgh could be owed nearly £8 million.

Holiday companies are required to refund money within 14 days but the huge number of cancellations has left many of firms overwhelmed. 21% of those surveyed who requested a refund in March were still waiting at the beginning of October.

The research also found that the average cost of a cancelled holiday was £1,784.

During the summer, the Competition and Markets Authority launched an investigation into package travel companies’ handling of cancellations and refunds.

Commenting on the figures, local SNP MSP Gordon MacDonald said: “For many people, this saga has rumbled on for far too long – it’s time for the UK government and the market regulator to get a hold of this situation.

“Times are tough financially for many local families, and while I appreciate holiday companies were inundated with refund requests earlier in the year, we are now in November.

“We aren’t talking about spare change here – the average cost of a cancelled holiday was £1,784 according to this survey.

“While we all recognise the travel industry’s acute financial difficulties, there can be no excuse for them hoarding the hard-earned cash of their hard-pressed customers.

“As a matter of urgency, the UK government needs to set out how travel companies will be supported financially to fulfil their legal obligations to passengers – and take firm action against those who continue to drag their feet.  

“I would urge anyone in Edinburgh Pentlands who is still waiting on a refund from March to get in touch with my office – I will offer any support I can to make sure you get your money back.”