The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it will begin collecting fees on travellers from Visa Waiver countries beginning Sept. 8, 2010. Travellers will be charged a USD 10 fee when applying for an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). A portion of the fee will go toward funding ...

Online travel agencies and other hotel resellers will have to start paying higher taxes in New York from September. The legislation defines remarketers as anyone who "reserves, arranges for, conveys or furnishes occupancy, whether directly or indirectly, to an occupant for rent in an amount determined by the room remarketer" ...

The Federation of European Tourist Guide Associations (FEG) is outraged over European Tour Operator Association's (ETOA) decision to produce its own pan-European ID-badge for anyone who guides tourists. According to ETOA, the main objective of this proposed pan-European ID scheme, is to support the freedom of those who deliver cultural ...

A motion filed on July 16, 2010 by Union des consommateurs du Québec against Air Canada (proposing that the action cover all residents of the province of Québec who have purchased tickets directly from Air Canada since June 30), alleges that Air Canada failed to disclose the complete price of ...

In a press release, UNWTO expressed great concern over Spain's decision to abolish a separate Secretariat for Tourism within the ministry of tourism, industry and trade:While the decision of the Spanish Government to implement a series of austerity measures to address the public deficit is fully understandable, UNWTO expressed great ...

Keilir Aviation Academy, in cooperation with the Icelandic Ministry of Transport, the Civil Aviation Administration, ISAVIA, the Meteorological Office, the Institute of Earth Sciences, Icelandair, the Association of European Airlines, and the US Embassy in Iceland, will convene a conference on Eyjafjallajökull and Aviation at Keflavik Airport, Iceland, on September ...

The U.S. Travel Association announced the launch of www.GulfTravelUpdate.com , a portal site that centralizes links to up-to-date travel and recovery information on Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi - the states directly affected by the BP Oil Spill. GulfTravelUpdate.com includes links to traveler information from federal, state and local sources, ...

Transport Minister John Baird has ordered an investigation into whether airlines are enforcing rules that require staff to see the faces of passengers who board their flights. He said in a statement that there are procedures in place to verify the identity of anyone who has their face covered, adding ...

Danielle Covarrubias of Pierce County, Washington, wants American Airlines to pay USD 5 million. The airline "has breached its agreements with its passengers every time they have lost or delayed luggage and failed to refund the passengers their baggage fee," according to a class action complaint Covarrubias filed in federal ...

Irish budget airline Ryanair has agreed to pay libel damages of 50,100 pounds to the founder of rival carrier easyJet after running advertisements picturing him with a long Pinocchio nose. Stelios had accepted and would donate to his philanthropic foundation. The settlement was announced in court Thursday.Source: AP; find article ...

The U.S. Government Accountability Office - "the investigative arm of Congress" - is investigating how the new tarmac-delay rule is affecting air travel. The new Transportation Department rule caps tarmac delays at three hours and sets minimum requirements for proper care of passengers while they're stuck on the plane. The ...

Andrew P. Kalick purchased tickets for a North West Airlines flight from Kansas City to Philadelphia and was denied boarding as the flight was full. An NWA agent advised Kalick that she had instead booked him on an American Airlines flight to Philadelphia with a layover in Dallas. For reasons ...

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia rejected an airline industry challenge to a regulation letting airport operators charge more at busy times of the day to reduce delays.The carriers argued the July 2008 regulation by the Transportation Department was discriminatory and unreasonable. The airlines also claimed ...

The Chinese government has banned the use of "negative historical figures or literary works" to boost tourism, a new decree says.The Ministry of Culture and the state Administration of Cultural Heritage also said places cannot claim to be the birthplaces or hometowns of characters from fiction or legend, Xinhua, the ...

Tourists in Bangkok are being warned not to buy food for street elephants or risk a 10,000 baht (310 dollars) fine in the latest clampdown on begging by owners of the animals.The Thai authorities have repeatedly attempted to stamp out the problem of elephant handlers, known as mahouts, walking the ...

British Airways, American Airlines and Iberia won EU antitrust clearance on Wednesday to deepen their Oneworld alliance on transatlantic routes and better compete with rival groups.The airlines want to broaden their pact to take advantage of the "Open Skies" agreement between the United States and the European Union, which liberalizes ...

In a working group chaired by Stephan Keiler and finalised in intensive discussions during the workshop held in Moscow this April, IFTTA Europe has elaborated a position paper on the review of the European Package Travel Directive which was presented to the European Commission at a stakeholders' workshop in Brussels.This ...

Thomas Cook Group PLC - Europe's second-largest travel company - agreed to buy the German tour operator Öger Tours GmbH, a specialist in package holidays and tours to Turkey(about 400.000 passengers; revenues: about 250 millionen Euro in 2009).Vural Oeger, founder and manager, plans to sell 100 percent of the company's ...

Eweida v BA PLC [2009] ICR 303BA's uniform policy prohibited the visible wearing of jewellery or personal items unless the wearing of the item was scripturally mandated and could not be concealed under the uniform. Even in the case of this exception, permission from management was required. E, a practising ...

Barclay v British Airways PLC [2008] 1 Lloyds Rep. 661B was flying from Phoenix to Heathrow. She slipped on a plastic strip embedded in the floor of the aircraft as she was making her way along a row of seats to her own seat. She claimed under the provisions of ...

O'Carroll v Ryanair 2009 SCLR 125O, a married couple, successfully claimed against Ryanair in the Sheriff Court for a 48 hour delay in delivery of their luggage. The sheriff awarded £215 in compensation for out of pocket expenses and £535 for stress and inconvenience. R appealed on grounds that the ...

Laroche v Spirit of Adventure (UK) Ltd [2008] EWCA Civ. 12The court held that there was no logical reason to hold that a hot air balloon was not an aircraft for the purposes of the Carriage by Air Acts, which implements the Montreal Convention in the UK. A hot air ...

The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010The EC Habitats Directive was implemented in the UK by a series of Habitats Regulations. The Directive aims to protect biodiversity by conservation of natural habitats and species of wild flora and fauna. The aim of the 2010 Regulations is to consolidate more ...

DFR Properties Ltd. v Glen House Properties 2007 SC 74.The Court of Session held that a term can only be implied to be part of a contract insofar as it is not inconsistent with the express terms.

Arbitration (Scotland) Act 2010The aim of the Act was to “set the scene for a renaissance of Scottish arbitration” and to provide a “modern, impartial and efficient arbitration regime”. It codifies existing Scots legislation and Case Law on arbitration.The New York Convention on Recognition and Enforcement of Arbitration Awards 1958 ...

Tysall Ltd v Snowdrome, 28 July 2006.T was injured on S's premises whilst tobogganing. T set off sequentially with four others from the top of the slope. 50 metres down the slope there was a bend where one had to change direction and perform a 90 degree left hand turn. ...

Civil Aviation (Access to Air Travel for Disabled Persons and Persons with Reduced Mobility) Regulations 2007These set out offences and penalties for non-compliance with EC Regulation 1107/2006 concerning the rights of disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility when travelling by air. The CAA is responsible for enforcement. Complaints are ...

Crosby v Fleetwood Travel [2007] CLYB 2127C booked an all-inclusive package holiday for himself and his family at Sharm El Sheikh. The day before departure there had been a terrorist attack but C was nonetheless told by the tour operator to go to the airport the next day. On arrival ...

Compensation Act 2006This Act applies to England and Wales only. The aim, amongst other things, was to allay the common misperceptions that might lead to a disproportionate fear of litigation. Such fears were leading to the cancellation or withdrawal of otherwise normal activities. It applies to the Occupiers' Liability Acts ...

Bedford v TUI UK Ltd. (Trading as Austravel) 12 October 2006.B booked a trip that included stays at various cities in the Far East and Australia, including a 5 night stay at a 4 star hotel in Sydney. The total cost was £4203. At the time of booking it was ...