Flight disruptions due to severe weather for New York, Washington and Boston
The severe weather conditions on the east coast of the United States are disrupting many flights in and out of New York, Washington and Boston. Virgin Atlantic has confirmed its flying programme is returning to normal however previous flight cancellations may result in some possible delays.
Virgin Atlantic is urging all passengers to check the latest flight status before travelling to the airport. You can do this by logging on to www.virginatlantic.com and selecting the 'flight status' option. In addition by selecting the 'manage my booking' option, you can leave your mobile phone number or e mail address. In the event of further disruptions, this allows Virgin Atlantic the opportunity to be able to send advisory messages to you.
For all other airlines we’re advising our customers to refer to the relevant airlines websites for the most up to date travel information.
Please continue to check this site regularly for the most up to date travel information.
Advice for all passengers travelling to the USA
From 26 December 2009, additional security measures have been
put into place for all flights going to the US. This includes extra screening
of passengers and hand baggage at the gate immediately before boarding.
In order to minimise delays and congestion, we are asking all passengers to
arrive at the gate early. Hand baggage allowances for all passengers
flying into all US airports has been reduced to only one item of hand baggage.
This item should not exceed 23 x 36 x 56cm, (approx 9 x 14 x 22 inches) and
13lb/6kg in weight, and should only contain the items you need during the flight.
There will be no charge for checking in extra items of hand luggage.
Hand baggage allowances on all other routes remains unchanged.
FlyGlobespan and JetLife Collapse – 19th December
Virgin Holidays would like to re-assure all their customers that the recent
announcement regarding Globespan and JetLife will not impact on their holiday
in any way.
For full information on the recent announcement, please click here www.caa.co.uk
If you have been affected by the recent news and would like to talk to a member
of our team please call us on 0844 573 2768.
British Airways Strike update – 18th December
We are pleased to advise that British Airways have won their high court ruling
against the planned cabin crew Industrial strike between 22nd December
and 2nd January 2010, therefore this strike has been lifted.
ESTA - Electronic System for Travel Authorization
US Customs and Border Protection have advised that with effect from January 20, 2010 it will be mandatory for all passengers travelling to the USA under the Visa Waiver Program to receive approval to travel using the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) scheme. All passengers travelling to or transferring through the US from this date are advised to apply for an ESTA at least 72 hours in advance of their journey.
The ESTA is very similar to the automated visa that you purchase to enter Australia and is completely paperless.
ESTA can be obtained free of charge by visiting the Visit
USA Website at www.visitusa.org.uk
or https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov
where further information on the scheme can also be found. Once completed &
approved, the ESTA application is valid for two years and allows multiple visits
without the need to reapply. Travellers can apply for an ESTA even if they have
no firm plans to travel to the US.
Some points to remember are:
If you are staying in a private house and you don’t have the address, then you can use the address of our Orlando Villa Centre - 109 Lake Davenport Boulevard, Davenport, 33897, Florida The green I-94 forms will continue indefinitely and will be handed out on all flights as usual If you are having difficulties in logging onto the ESTA website, then please do try again as the site often has delays – this is why a minimum of 72hrs is recommended to complete it. Once you’ve entered your details, you’ll see a confirmation screen and then receive an approval number once the application is successful. Once approved, print this off and take with you when you travel. It’s strongly recommended that you keep a note of your approval code so that you can update your information in the future, should anything change.
Your ESTA will usually be valid for up to 2 years from issue and any changes to the application during this timeframe should be updated online.
Under the new regulations, US Customs and Border Protection will not
now be able to accept US-bound customers for their flight if they have not received
ESTA approval or if they do not hold a valid visa or Green Card. Although not fully implemented during the past year, most UK-USA travellers are already familiar with the ESTA requirement.
Please note this is not in place of a visa and should you be declined or have
required a visa in the past, then you must contact the US embassy and apply
for a visa as usual. You can find them at www.usembassy.org.uk
The APIS information you provide to the airline (Advance Passenger Information
System) is separate and you will need to provide information for both services.
They are run by two different government bodies and run separately.
Swine Flu Information
What if the destination I'm going to has swine flu?
We work very closely with the Foreign Office and continue to monitor updates
on Swine Flu very carefully. If we were to be notified of any changes that will
affect our customers then we will of course be in touch with you.
Please use the following link here
for any questions you may have on Swine Flu.
What if I have swine flu?
If you’re not well enough to travel due to Swine Flu or symptoms, then normal
booking conditions will apply. You’ll need to contact your travel insurance
company in the first instance
Please use the following link here
for any questions you may have on Swine Flu.