By John Downes |
Cherry v Malta Bargain Ltd [2005] CLYB 958C booked a holiday including flights and a 3 star hotel in Malta for herself, her husband and 4 children. The total cost was £1848 (€2037/$2761). On arrival she discovered that the bedding was stained and that the bathroom and bedrooms were dirty. ...
Read More New Zealand: German tourist jailed for smuggling geckos
By Michael Wukoschitz |
A German tourist was sentenced to jail after he admitted trying to smuggle native New Zealand geckos out of the country — the second such case in five weeks. He was caught with 13 adult geckos and three immature animals in the southern city of Christchurch on Feb. 16 by ...
Read More Brazil: interactive online tourism experience
By Michael Wukoschitz |
The Brazilian Tourist Board, EMBRATUR, announced the world's first Google/YouTube brand channel combining videos and Google maps to provide an interactive online Brazilian tourism experience. Accessible at www.youtube.com/visitbrasil, the site features more than 85 videos from Brazil. This is the first convergence of its kind involving Google Maps into YouTube ...
Read More UNWTO: Solidarity with Chile after Earthquake
By Michael Wukoschitz |
In a letter to the Chilean tourism authorities, the UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, conveyed the Organization's “solidarity with the people of Chile” after the earthquake that hit Chile on 27 February. Through its Regional Representation for the Americas, “UNWTO will deal extensively with the issue of natural disasters”, he added. ...
Read More Famous Victoria Falls to loose World Heritage status?
By Michael Wukoschitz |
The Victoria Falls World Heritage Site was proclaimed in 1989. When the governments of Zambia and Zimbabwe signed the agreement with UNESCO, they committed themselves to work together for the protection of the Victoria Falls and its surrounding area.UNESCO required the governments to form a Joint Management Team and an ...
Read More USA: Congress passes disputed Travel Promotion Act
By Michael Wukoschitz |
The Senate voted 78 to 18 for the legislation, which sets up a nonprofit corporation for travel promotion. It now goes to President Barack Obama for signature.The necessary money would come from a $10 fee levied on travelers from the 35 (mostly European) countries participating in a visa waiver program. ...
Read More Brazil: Distribution of slots from Congonhas airport scheduled for trial this Thursday
By Michael Wukoschitz |
The ministers of the Court of the Superior Court of Justice (STJ) are set on Thursday, March 25, the distribution by the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) of the slots (spaces at the airport used by airlines to park / park aircraft) from Congonhas Airport (SP) will or not with ...
Read More UNWTO: Statement on Madeira
By Michael Wukoschitz |
UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai today issued the following statement on the events of Autonomous Region of Madeira: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic events that struck Madeira Island last Saturday 20th February and have already expressed our full support ,as well as our commitment to help in any way ...
Read More European Union: Workshop on the revision of the Package Travel Directive in April 2010
By Michael Wukoschitz |
The European Commission will hold a full-day stakeholders' workshop on the revision of the Package Travel Directive (90/314/EEC) on 22 April 2010. The workshop will take place at the Albert Borschette Conference Centre in Brussels. It will primarily aim at hearing and collecting stakeholders' views on the impacts of identified ...
Read More UNWTO: International Summit on Tourism, Sport and mega-Events to be held in South Africa
By Michael Wukoschitz |
The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism in South Africa is organizing the International Summit on Tourism, Sport and Mega-events in Johannesburg, South Africa from 24 to 26 February 2010.The Summit will provide a forum to consider the impact of mega events - ...
Read More Collapse of Scottish Airline
By John Downes |
As previously reported, FlyGlobespan, Scotland's largest independent airline, based in Edinburgh, went into administration in December. Initially, it was thought that it had fallen victim to the economic downturn. However, despite the recession, airport passenger traffic has continued to grow at Edinburgh; the only major UK airport where this has ...
Read More Sturgeon v. Condor: German Supreme Court grants compensation to plaintiffs
By Michael Wukoschitz |
Following the preliminary ruling of the ECJ in Case C-402/07 - Sturgeon v. Condor, German Supreme Court (BGH) in judgement Xa ZR 95/06 delivered Feb. 18. 2010, granted plaintiffs' claim for compensation. BGH saw no reason for another reference for preliminary ruling as requested by Condor: there were no doubts ...
Read More Airline Insolvency-Pasenger Rights
By John Downes |
On the collapse of the Scottish airline, FlyGlobespan, previously reported, those customers who had booked a package holiday with the company were protected by the Civil Aviation Authority's Air Travel Organiser's Licensing scheme (ATOL). This enabled those abroad to continue with their holiday and arrangements were made to provide them ...
Read More Germany: Lufthansa facing a four-day strike of its pilots
By Michael Wukoschitz |
German pilots' union Vereinigung Cockpit has called on Lufthansa pilots to participate in a four-day strike from Feb. 22 to 25. Lufthansa said the decision was made despite willingness shown by the airline to reach a negotiated settlement. Vereingung Cockpit tries to explain their reasons in a passenger information sheet.Lufthansa's ...
Read More European Court of Justice has no jurisdiction to interpret Warsaw Convention
By Michael Wukoschitz |
Reference to ECJ was made in the course of proceedings brought by Ms Bogiatzi against Société Luxair, société luxembourgeoise de navigation aérienne SA (‘Luxair'), and Deutscher Luftpool, an association under German law, concerning joint and several liability to compensate her for the injury she suffered as a result of an ...
Read More ECJ Advocate General Mazák: liability limits of Montreal Convention cover both, non-material and material damage
By Michael Wukoschitz |
Mr. Walz' checked suitcase was lost on 4 June 2007 during a flight from Barcelona to Porto operated by Clickair. Mr Walz claimed damages of EUR 3 200: EUR 2 700 for the value of the lost baggage and EUR 500 for non-material damage resulting from that loss. Clickair challenged ...
Read More USA: 2009 showed improved airline on-time performance and decreased rate of mishandled baggage
By Michael Wukoschitz |
The nation's largest airlines had an on-time performance rate in 2009 that was their best since 2003, according to the Air Travel Consumer Report released today by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). In addition, the report shows that the carriers' rate of mishandled baggage last year was the lowest ...
Read More German Supreme Court: statutory period of limitation of Montreal Convention not applying to claims under Reg. (EC) 261/2004
By Michael Wukoschitz |
On April 2, 2008, plaintiff had filed a claim for compensation under Reg. (EC) 261/2004 because of cancellation of his scheduled flight from FRA to PMI on Nov. 19, 2005. The statement of claim had been delivered to defendant on May 5, 2008.Both, first instance court (AG Rüsselsheim) and court ...
Read More ECJ Joined Cases C‑402/07 and C‑432/07 (Sturgeon ea)
By Stephan Keiler |
Defendant (Condor Flugdienst GmbH) is of the opinion that ECJ exceeded it's competence when deciding indemnities to be paid in case of a delay of 3 or more hours under Air Passengers' Rights Regulation 261/2004/EC (judgement as of November 19, 2009). German's Highest Court BGH reopened the proceedings (Case 2 ...
Read More Main St / FFD
By Phil Cameron |
: FYI -- Main St / FFD2010 WL 265805 (Kan.Dist.Ct.) (Trial Order) District Court of Kansas.Johnson CountyZachary FEE, Plaintiff,v.EXPEDIA, INC., d/b/a Hotels.com, Defendant.No. 09-CV-8466.January 25, 2010.Order on Motion to Dismiss for Improper VenueDavid W. Hauber, District Court Judge.The Court has before it defendant Expedia, Inc.'s ("Expedia") motion to dismiss plaintiff ...
Read More Austria: city trips offered in conncetion with a student exchange programme do not constitute a “package”
By Michael Wukoschitz |
Defandant, an Austrian association organising international student exchanges including free accomodation with host families, was offering a 6 day city trip to New York for students participating in the exchange programme in the U.S. and a 3 day city trip to London for students participating in the exchange programme in ...
Read More Germany: new Supreme Court decision on liability under Reg. 261/2004
By Michael Wukoschitz |
Plaintiff had booked a round trip flight FMO-FRA-GRU-FLN-GRU-MUC-FMO with defendant air carrier (LH). The section GRU-MUC was a codesharing flight with RG, recognizable by indication of both flight numbers (LH/RG) and the note "operated by RG". The flight GRU-MUC was cancelled and plaintiff rerouted to a later LH flight to ...
Read More Taiwan: Travel restrictions on Chinese tourists to be eased
By Michael Wukoschitz |
Travel agents on Taiwan's outlying islands of Kinmen and Matsu will be allowed from May to apply online for travel permits on behalf of Chinese tour groups who want to visit the two islands via direct ferry services across the Taiwan Strait, the National Immigration Agency (NIA) said yesterday.Chinese tourists ...
Read More ICAO: revision of Limits of Liability under the Montreal Convention
By Michael Wukoschitz |
Article 24 of the Montreal convention provides that the limits of liability are to be reviewed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) at five-year intervals by reference to an inflation factor which corresponds to the accumulated rate of inflation since the date of entry into force of the Convention. ...
Read More California: Ruling on Online Booking Tax overturned
By Michael Wukoschitz |
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge has overturned an earlier ruling that would have given the city of Anaheim $21.3 million in back taxes and penalties from online travel companies such as Expedia and Travelocity. (See posting of Feb. 20, 2009)The city in 2007 had sued the online travel companies ...
Read More German BGH: Airline bonus points
By Stephan Keiler |
Germany Highest Court (BGH) ruled yesterday about the forfeiture of Airline bonus points (BGH 28.01.2010, Xa ZR 37/09): Plaintiff was a participant of the flight awards program of the defendant airline. Under this program, travelers were able to collect a number of bonus points dependent on the route booked that ...
Read More USA: DOT Unveils Improved Aviation Consumer and Enforcement Website
By Michael Wukoschitz |
Air travelers will find it easier to file complaints with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) about airline service, compare the historical on-time and baggage mishandling records of airlines, and find helpful tips about air travel thanks to a redesigned, more user-friendly aviation consumer web site unveiled today by the ...
Read More USA: Airbus sued over Sudan Airways crash?
By Michael Wukoschitz |
Reportedly several families of victims of the Sudan Airways crash, while landing in the Sudanese capital a year ago, have filed a law suit in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. The flight which originated in Amman, passed through Damascus, and landed in Khartoum. Twenty-nine passengers and crew died ...
Read More UNWTO: Statement on Haiti
By Michael Wukoschitz |
The UNWTO is deeply saddened by the losses of lives and devastation caused by the earthquake that struck Haiti and expresses its support to its people and sincere condolences to those who lost their loved ones. The severity of yet another natural disaster poses a new challenge for the international ...
Read More Canada: visa-free privilege to be withdrawn from Hungarian tourists?
By Michael Wukoschitz |
The federal government of Canada is considering withdrawing from Hungarian tourists the privilege to enter Canada without a temporary resident visa. The plan to require visas from Hungarian tourists follows a similar move made by Ottawa a few months ago to impose visa requirements on tourists from Mexico and the ...
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