Spanish Airport Guide News

Hi Kay,

Jo has passed your email on to me as I have first hand experience of flying pets in and out of Spain.  

The airlines which carry pets from Spain are British Airways and Monarch Airlines.  You need to get an IATA approved box to transport your dog in and you can find out more about the specification for this and anything else you need to know about transporting your dog from Spain by clicking on the link. 

To double check that you have all the correct paperwork in place go the Defra website.
Linda

Hi Jo, 

Just need some guidence, I want to bring home my dog from Malaga to UK (Heathrow or Manchester) around the end of August..He has all the papers and injections and is in quarantine at the moment till 22nd Aug he will get his flee injections just prior to flt.  

what airline takes them and do you have any idea how much..will I need to get a carrier box etc.. I have priced the cost of a courier to take him all the way over to Ireland  door to door and its 1200e . but if this is dearer I will go that way.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Kay

It is felt by certain organizations that the proposed £750m electronic British Border Control scheme breaches European data protection laws and the free movement of EU citizens.

Under e-borders all airline, ferry and rail operators must collect eight pieces of travel information including a passenger’s full name, date of birth, nationality, date of birth, passport number, passport-issuing country and passport expiry date. The information will be collected electronically from everyone entering and leaving the UK. It is also felt it will lead to longer queues for passengers travelling by rail and ferry to the continent

The results will then be passed to the UK and checked against security lists giving immigration officials early alerts.

This appears to be a similar scheme to API (Advance Passenger information) which was introduced a couple of years ago for all passengers flying into Spain and the USA.

A Post Office report has shown that over 44% of UK holidaymakers are losing out on £288 million a year because they experience difficulties in currency conversion.

Following are some pretty straightforward guidelines to make it easier then trying to “think in a foreign currency”:

1. Make a note of the exchange rate you got when you purchased your currency and keep a note in your purse or wallet of how this equates to £1, £5, and £10 and so on and use as a rough guide.
2. A good way to do a quick mental calculation is with the current rate at around €1.13=GBP1 take away one tenth of the Euro price to get an idea of the price in sterling.
3. Make the most of the calculator that comes with most mobile phones  
4. Don’t be tempted to pay for goods in sterling on your credit card or in cash as shops and restaurants can charge their own high exchange rate and also add fees of up to 4%.
5. Pre-paid travel cards like the Post Office Travel Money Card enable you to load your card with currency when the exchange rate is good and you can use it like a bank card until the money runs out.
6. Don’t get your currency at the airport or purchase it in Spain and you are unlikely to get a good exchange rate.

1. avoid changing your money at Bureaux de Change, particularly at airports as you will almost certainly get a low exchange rate
2. Shop around for the best rate and do not automatically go to your bank or post office as specialist providers (and some large high street stores like Marks & Spencer) can offer much better deals.
3. Beware of hidden charges and high commission rates.
4. Start keeping an eye on the currency markets a few weeks before you are due to come to Spain and consider buying your holiday money early if travel if rates are forecast to deteriorate.
5. Buy travellers cheques with you to avoid using credit or debit cards for large purchases because banks and credit card companies charge some quite high fees for using ATMs overseas.
6. If you are a regular traveller to Spain you can bulk buy currency in advance and fix your exchange rate for future purchases with a specialist provider.

The Post Office Worldwide Holiday Costs Barometer carried out a survey earlier this year and calculated the ten cheapest holiday destinations based on February currency exchange rates. 

The figures below are based on 8 tourists purchasing popular items including a cup of coffee, bottle of beer, can of Coke, mineral water, sun cream, insect repellent, a pack of medium priced cigarettes and a three-course evening meal for two with a bottle of house wine:

In a desperate bid to boost flagging sales scents smelling of sun cream, coconut oil and orange groves are being used by British travel agencies. They are using exotic smells to remind travellers of past sunshine breaks and encourage them to book another holiday.

An aroma of orange groves is being used to attract tourists to Spain and the Mediterranean; there is freshly-mown grass for golf holidays on the Costa del Sol, pina colada for romantic breaks, ice cream for family breaks and the smell of sea breezes for cruises.

The tour operator Fred Olsen has even rubbed coconut oil into the backs of their seats to promote Caribbean breaks.

 Travel agents are hoping to make a visit to their shops a more sensory experience in the hope of making them relax and stay longer and therefore be persuaded into booking a holiday.