The Importance Of Leg Room

As Ryanair announces plans to cram more passengers in its planes - we look at the best and worst airlines for legroom and ask whether fliers are feeling the squeeze

Ryanair has agreed a £13bn deal for up to 200 new Boeing planes, each of which - thanks to slimmer seats and reduced galley space - will be able to accommodate more travellers.

The budget carrier announced that it will fly its new Boeing 737 MAX 200s with a total of 197 seats – eight more than the 189 seats possible in the 737-800 planes currently being used.

Michael O'Leary, Ryanair's CEO, said the extra seats would generate around €1million of additional revenue per plane per year and that, with the new planes, he hopes to start a new price war in Europe, “which, like all the old price wars, Ryanair will win.”

Yet this latest move to increase passenger numbers in economy comes in a month when rows about legroom caused three planes to be diverted. Will Ryanair passengers have less room?

Ryanair claims legroom space will actually be increased, thanks to the svelte seats and smaller galleys. While not revealing the exact dimensions, or a configuration plan for the new plane, it has said the pitch (ie. depth - the key indicator for legroom) will be at least 30 inches on average.

Airbus, however, Boeing’s rival manufacturer, said the MAX 200 configuration would mean removing three of eight galley trolleys - used for serving drinks and meals - to make way for more seats. This, it said, would leave only five trolleys for the 197 passengers. "Even low-cost carriers need more than that if they are serious about on-board sales and ancillary revenues," Mary Anne Greczyn, an Airbus spokeswoman, told Reuters.

Cheap Breaks? Try Warsaw

While many dream of a no-expense-spared five star trip, few can actually afford one. That is unless you travel to Warsaw, which has recently been revealed as the cheapest European city for a luxury break.

A night in a top hotel in the Polish capital costs on average £84 a night, while London, Florence and Paris, unsurprisingly, are the most expensive, according to travel website kayak.co.uk.

It pays to head east when looking for a bargain as Thessaloniki and Bucharest are two cities where a five star experience will cost an average of £87 and £98 respectively. This is in sharp contrast to staying in Florence, Europe’s second most expensive city for luxury, where a stay in its Belmond Villa San Michele starts at £632.

London is the continent’s priciest city - its famous five star hotels, including the Ritz, the Savoy and Claridges, cost on average £321. A night at The Berkeley costs £750, the equivalent of 11 nights at Domotel Les Lazaristes in Thessaloniki, where prices begin at £67. Elsewhere in the UK, Edinburgh is the second most expensive place to stay - prices for a five star hotel cost £211.

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Bucket List

From The Telegraph:

When Barack Obama ordered his helicopter pilot to make an unscheduled stop at Stonehenge on Friday, following the Nato summit in Wales, he explained that the prehistoric landmark in Wiltshire was something he had always wanted to see.

"Knocked it off the bucket list," he said.

A visit to Stonehenge also features on the "Great British Bucket List", published in April - 50 feats to complete in Britain, which includes things as mundane as watching a box set of Only Fools and Horses to more active experiences, such as walking the Lake District and sailing around the Isle of Wight.

Top of the list was eating fish and chips on a seaside pier followed by whale watching in Wales.

Having a pint in the Rovers Return, the fictional pub in ITV's Coronation Street, is one thing Britons apparently must do before they die, as is seeing Morris dancers at a country pub.

Others said people must take a ferry across the Mersey and see the Christmas lights in Oxford Street in London before they die.

The Great British Bucket List was compiled by Ask Jeeves, the search engine, which asked 1,000 people what they would like to do before they die.

The phrase "Bucket List" comes from the idiom "kick the bucket" - meaning to die.

The phrase became increasingly popular after the 2007 film The Bucket List, staring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman as two terminally ill men who escape from a cancer ward to go on a road trip with a wish list of things to do before they die.

Their adventures include skydiving, visiting the Taj Mahal, riding motorcycles on the Great Wall of China and going on a lion safari in Africa.

The Great British Bucket List in full

1. Eat fish and chips on a seaside pier

2. See whales off Wales

3. Go to a night at the Proms at the Royal Albert Hall

4. Visit Giant's Causeway

5. Have a picnic at an open air concert

6. Go up in the London Eye

7. Travel Scotland's West Coast by rail

8. Watch a Shakespeare play in Stratford-upon-Avon

9. Dine in a Gordon Ramsay restaurant

10. Go to a British Grand Prix

11. See inside the Houses of Parliament

12. Get the Ffestiniog railway in Snowdonia

13. Go to Glastonbury festival

14. Hold the FA Cup trophy in your hands

15. Take in the view from the top of the Shard

16. Be at Stonehenge on longest day of the year

17. See the Trooping the Colour

18. Go to a cricket test match

19. Visit 'The Prisoner' village in Portmeirion, Wales

20. Have tea at Betty's tearooms, Harrogate

21. See a traditional Christmas pantomime

22. Watch a British player at Wimbledon

23. Do a 'Wainwright' walk in the Lake District

24. Drive round Brands Hatch motor racing circuit in Kent

25. Visit a whisky distillery

26. Go to a Six Nations rugby match

27. Go on a Jack the Ripper guided walk in London's East End

28. Have a pint in the Rovers Return, the fictional pub in ITV's Coronation Street

29. See Lake Windermere by boat

30. Go on a historic London pub tour

31. Experience the Notting Hill Carnival

32. Try a deep fried Mars Bar

33. See the fireball ceremony at Stonehaven, Scotland, on New Year's Eve

34. Sail round the Isle of Wight

35. Attend the Grand National, Guineas and Gold Cup horse races

36. Go to a World Darts Final

37. Take a selfie at both John O'Groats and Land's End

38. Take a ferry across the Mersey

39. Climb Ben Nevis

40. See Tower Bridge raised

41. Visit Borough food market, London

42. Eat Haggis on Burns Night, in Scotland

43. See Morris dancers at a country pub

44. See the Christmas Lights on Oxford Street

45. Be at a recording of The X Factor or Britain's Got Talent

46. See Blackpool Illuminations

47. Watch a boxset of Only Fools and Horses

48. Watch the Boat Race

49. Attend first day of Harrods sale

50. Watch the London Marathon live

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Seat wars

From The Telegraph this week:

They were invented to ease the stress of air travel by helping taller passengers to fly in comfort.

But a new device called the knee defender – designed to prevent people leaning back in their seats – has sparked a vicious new row over the right to recline.

Now, dozens of the gadgets are believed to be on their way to the UK after worldwide sales spiralled in recent days.

And passengers may have to get used to finding their seat sabotaged by the traveller behind after the industry safety watchdog said it had no power to ban the products from flights.

The knee defender clips onto the lowered table and prevents the flier in front from tilting their seat.

Although it looks innocuous, its effects can be explosive. Last Sunday, a US flight had to be diverted when a fight broke out between two passengers over its use.

A man had attached a knee defender to his table to make sure he had space to work on his laptop. When a woman in front tried to recline, he refused to remove it, even when flight crew intervened.

The woman became so upset that she threw a glass of water over him, and the row prompted the pilot of the four-hour flight between Newark and Denver to make an emergency landing in Chicago.

On Wednesday evening, another battle over legroom forced a US passenger jet to turn back.

The American Airlines flight from Miami to Paris was diverted after the clash between Edmond Alexandre, a 61-year-old Frenchman, and a passenger in front who was attempting to recline their seat.

Air marshals on board intervened when Mr Alexandre allegedly grabbed the arm of a flight attendant who was trying to help. The plane was diverted to Boston, where Mr Alexandre was charged with "interfering with a flight crew".

Despite its potential to cause conflict, sales of the knee defender have rocketed, with many buyers believed to be in the UK. On Tuesday, its website crashed as travellers flocked to buy the gadget for £13.

To keep tempers from fraying, the knee defender even comes with a ‘courtesy card’ which explains to the passenger in front that their knees will be banged if the flier's seat is reclined.

Part of the card reads: “I realize that this may be an inconvenience. If so, I hope you will complain to the airline.

"Thank you for your understanding.”

British Airways (BA) said it would continue to offer customers reclining seats because many requested them. It has not yet specifically banned knee defenders on its aircraft.

But budget airlines including Monarch Airlines, EasyJet and Ryanair all have non-reclining seats for their short-haul flights.

Launching its new, non-reclining seats in May, Monarch said its customer feedback indicated that reclining seats were “deemed unnecessary and a bone of contention on short-haul flights”.

Many of America’s largest airlines have already banned the knee defender, as have carriers such as the Australian firm Qantas.

Others, such as Singapore Airlines, have said they will review their policies after this week’s airborne arguments.

The Civil Aviation Authority said it had not heard of the knee defender being used in Britain yet and said its use was up to the discretion of individual airlines.

It was created by Ira Goldman, a 6ft 4in businessman from Washington DC, who wanted to help other tall travellers fed up with being “bashed in the knees over and over again”.

A former aide to U.S. Senator Pete Wilson, Mr Goldman has said sales of his product have spiralled, but not so far that he can yet afford to travel first class.

He said: “Either your knees will be the stopping device or you use two bits of plastic to defend them.

"I was the kid who says, 'The emperor's not wearing any clothes. He's naked.”

The issue prompted Telegraph Travel readers to air their views this week. An online poll attracted more than 18,000 votes, with almost 70 per cent of readers – 12,632 people – in favour of banning reclining seats on planes.

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Volcano

Another warning that Iceland's volcanoes could affect air traffic again soon. From the BBC:

Iceland's authorities have evacuated an area close to the country's Bardarbunga volcano over fears it could erupt.

The area, which is more than 300km (190 miles) from the capital Reykjavik, has no permanent residents but sits within a national park popular with tourists.

The move came as geologists said about 300 earthquakes had been detected in the area since midnight on Tuesday.

Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted in 2010, producing an ash cloud that severely disrupted air travel.

The national civil protection agency said the decision to evacuate more than 300 people close to Bardarbunga was a "precautionary" safety measure.

"It cannot be ruled out that the seismic activity in Bardarbunga could lead to a volcanic eruption," it added.

On Monday, Iceland's meteorological office raised its assessment of the risk level to the aviation industry from yellow to orange.

The orange alert, the fourth level on a five-grade scale, indicates that a volcano is showing "escalating unrest with increased potential of eruption".

The Bardarbunga volcanic system is located under the north-west region of Iceland's Vatnajokull glacier.

Authorities say any eruption in the volcano, which sits under an ice cap, could result in flooding of the area north of the glacier.

The volcano was said to be stable on Wednesday but scientists warned that it is big enough to disrupt air traffic over the Atlantic if an eruption does occur.

The Eyjafjallajokull eruption in April 2010 caused the largest closure of European airspace since World War Two, with losses estimated at between 1.5bn and 2.5bn euros (£1.3-2.2bn).

Criticism following the strictly enforced shutdown resulted in the UK's Civil Aviation Authority relaxing its rules to allow planes to fly in areas with a low density of volcanic ash.

Fraudsters

A recent article warning British holidaymakers to check the credentials of online Travel Packages:

People booking holidays are being urged to check before they hand over money

Fraudsters are stealing as much as £7m a year from UK holidaymakers, a report by police suggests.

Criminals are faking airline tickets and accommodation adverts, and selling bogus package holidays, according to the City of London Police's National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB).

One couple lost more than £1,000 after booking what they thought was a romantic break with a bogus company.

Travel industry experts urged people to do their research before booking.

The NFIB says more than 4,500 cases of holiday-booking fraud were reported in a 12-month period.

Airline-ticket fraud accounted for around 21% of the total scams in 2013, with flights to West Africa a particular target.

About 30% of victims fell foul of fake adverts for holiday villas and apartments.

The report said that some people arrived at their destination only to discover they had nowhere to stay.

Laura from Thirsk, North Yorkshire, booked a Valentine's Day weekend break at Loch Ness for herself and her husband, Sean, a soldier on leave from Afghanistan.

They paid to stay in a lodge advertised on Facebook. But photos of the accommodation had been taken from another website - and the real owners had nothing to do with the people Mrs Parks had paid.

When the couple arrived, they were stranded in a blizzard.

NFIB director Detective Superintendent Peter O'Doherty said the internet had changed the way people booked holidays and was "enabling fraudsters to prey upon those looking for that perfect break".

Mark Tanzer, chief executive of the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA), said: "Fraudsters are conning unsuspecting holidaymakers and travellers out of thousands of pounds each year - leaving them out of pocket or stranded with nowhere to stay through fake websites, false advertising, bogus phone calls and email scams."

The NFIB, ABTA and web security advice organisation Get Safe Online are all warning of possible holiday fraud ahead of the Ryder Cup this year, and the football World Cup in Brazil in the summer.

Abta has a full list of tips on how to avoid becoming a victim on its website.

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Passports - A Warning.

From the news this week - more about Passport difficulties experienced by many and dispelling some myths.....this was written in June this year at the height of the news profiles on The Passport Office - but these details still apply...read on....

Given that around 6m passports are likely to be issued or renewed this year, and assuming a three-week processing time, at any one time you would expect around 350,000 passports to be in the system – with a peak around this time of year, as people realise their passports are soon to expire and they have a holiday booked.

Most of the people who have contacted us with concerns are special cases: people who have had their passport stolen or simply can’t find it; adults who have never had a passport before, and who must have a personal interview; and expatriates based abroad who are experiencing long delays. The information here deals only with straightforward replacements for adults and new passports for children.

Q I am going on holiday in Europe in July, and my passport expires in August. Do I need to renew it?

No. There are lots of scurrilous rumours doing the rounds online saying that, for example, anyone going to the Canaries needs three or six months remaining on their passport. This is nonsense. The Foreign Office says: “Your passport should be valid for the proposed duration of your stay. No additional period of validity beyond this is required. This applies to the whole of Spain, including the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands (Majorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera).” The same applies to Croatia – another country that is subject to misinformation – and anywhere else in the EU. As far as I am aware, the only European countries with more complex rules are Russia, Belarus and Iceland.

Q What about further afield?

Egypt and Turkey are likely to present problems to some British holidaymakers. Your passport should be valid for a minimum of six months from the date of entry into either country. In addition, for Turkey you need to apply online for a visa at evisa.gov.tr/en.

For the US, however, you need no additional validity. But you must apply in advance for an “Esta” at esta.cbp.dhs.gov.

Q I am travelling in July and I need a replacement passport. Should I apply in the normal way?

In theory, if you apply today you should expect a straightforward renewal within four weeks. However, to make sure you will need to invest more time and money. Either go for the Fast Track one-week service for £103 (compared with the normal fee of £72.50) or the Premium 1-day service for £128. Whichever you choose, you will need to call the Passport Adviceline on 0300 222 0000 to make an appointment at one of the passport offices in London, Liverpool, Belfast, Durham, Glasgow, Newport or Peterborough. You may have to wait up to three weeks for an appointment.

Q And August?

With seven weeks to spare, I would apply in the normal way – but invest an extra £8.75 for the Check & Send service at the Post Office, which should pick up any errors and avoid hold-ups.

Q My passport is already in the system and I am due to travel in a week. What can I do?

Call the Passport Adviceline on 0300 222 0000 to see if you can upgrade your application to use the Premium 1-Day service. You will need the barcode number of your application; this was on your application form, or on your receipt if you used Check & Send. If you are allowed to proceed, you will need to go to one of the passport offices.

The Passport Office warns: “Upgrades are usually only available in special circumstances - for example, you’ve had to change your travel plans at short notice” and “the service isn’t always available during Her Majesty’s Passport Office’s busy periods.”

Q If I miss my holiday because I haven't got a passport, can I claim compensation?

No. The Passport Office says: "Don’t book travel until you have a valid passport - doing so is at your own risk."

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