Northwest Airlines' long-standing industrial dispute with AMFA, the union which represents its 9,800 mechanics and cleaners, may have been settled.

During talks held over the weekend a tentative agreement was signed which the union will now have to submit to its members for ratification. If the deal is accepted a strike scheduled for 11th May will be averted.

The dispute over pay and conditions has been running for almost four years and most recently has engaged the attention of president Bush who is in the process of convening a Presidential Emergency Board to rule on the dispute later this month.

Thomson Holidays have announced that they are not going to discount their holidays this year.

Hundreds of thousands of package holidays will be available from summer 2001 brochures from today (Thursday 5th April) in a move which the company hopes will reverse the discounting cycle.

"Discounts used to be at sensible levels like five or ten per cent but now they are completely excessive," said Thomson Holidays managing director Shaun Powell, "We feel that the situation has become so extreme - with 70% discounts quite possible early next year if we carry on like this - that we have to try to make a change. We hope that the rest of the industry will follow our lead."

For the last three years, whenever travel agents have got together, the hot topic has been British Airways' plan to stop paying commissions.

Instead, the airline has been proposing to re-write the agent-airline business arrangement by introducing a complicated scheme which offers booking payments (between £6 - £20) per sector, plus a 1.25% admin fee. Undoubtedly some larger travel agencies will do quite well out of the scheme, but many smaller independent agents, fearing that it will start a trend among airlines and tour operators (they are right; KLM is the latest to consider a similar scheme), have been up in arms about it and have threatened to "switch sell" - to steer customers away from BA offering them alternative airlines instead. One survey, commissioned by the Travel Trade Gazette confirms that 56% of travel agents are determined to avoid selling BA where possible.

That moment has now finally been reached. As of yesterday BA is operating the new system. So if you want to check you are being offered the best deal by your travel agent on a trip with non-BA flights, ask him/her what price it would be with BA.

.... especially if your agent seems keen on Virgin Atlantic. Never ones to let an 'anti-BA' opportunity pass by, Virgin Atlantic this morning announced that they are to keep travel agent commissions, and the commission level will remain at a bonus level (9%) for the next three months. Virgin Atlantic's General Manager of Sales, Paul Wait said: "We've listened to the industry's views and have found a way to work together with agents to get the best deal possible for everyone".

By rejecting an offer for binding abitration, Delta Airlines' 9,700 pilots have started the clock ticking on strike action.

Their union, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), yesterday triggered a 30-day cooling off period when it turned down an offer of arbitration in its pay & contracts dispute with Delta management. Unless President Bush intervenes or there is a break-through in back-room negotiations, a strike could start on 29th April.

A White House intervention is possible. There are a number of similar disputes threatening the major U.S. airlines at the moment and President Bush has made it clear that he will not let the airline network be crippled while he stands on the sidelines. He recently forced mechanics at Northwest Airlines to postpone industrial action, and if requested he may do so again.

The prospect of industrial action by UK air traffic controllers has receeded today on the announcement that the Airline Group of seven UK airlines will be the Government's new strategic partner for National Air Traffic Services (NATS).

The air traffic controllers' main union, the Institution of Professionals, Managers, and Specialists (IPMS) has been strongly opposed on safety grounds to the government's plans for a Public Private Partnership (PPP) as proposed by Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) in 1999. Under the proposal the Government will transfer 51% of NATS to the 'strategic partner' (46%) and employees (5%), but retain 49% and a so-called 'golden share'. It was expected that the Strategic Partner would assume operational control of NATS.

In particular, the IPMS was opposed to the competing Nimbus consortium being awarded the partnership. But it is thought now that union members will be content to see the Airlines Group operating NATS in a "not-for-profits" role.

The Airline Group has committed itself to:

• ensuring that safety remains NATS' paramount priority and that NATS will always be managed and resourced to enable it to continue to provide a safe, reliable and efficient service.
  
  
• providing NATS with over £1 billion for new investment over ten years to deliver essential increases in capacity ahead of current plans.
  
  
• working with NATS on the two centre strategy and to ensure the new en-route centre (NERC) at Swanwick becomes operational from NATS' target date in January 2002.
  
  
• putting the new NATS in the vanguard of the movement towards greater operational integration of air traffic systems across Europe and the rest of the world.
  
  
• ensuring NATS continues to provide its services without discrimination and to involve all airspace users, including the MOD, in consultations about how the airspace is going to be managed.

The airlines that make up the Airline Group are Airtours International Airways, British Airways, Britannia Airways, bmi British Midland, easyJet, Monarch Airlines and Virgin Atlantic Airways.

Eurostar services to Brussels are to be cancelled on Friday (23 March) because of a strike by workers on Belgian National Railways.

The high-speed Thalys rail service, which runs from Paris to Brussels and from brussels to Amsterdam and Cologne, will also be forced to stop for 24 hours.

Eurostar say that their services between London, Ashford and Paris, Lille, Disneyland Paris, Bourg St. Maurice will run normally.

After a week of disruption caused by an upgrade made to their computerised check-in systems, British Airways say services are returning to normal today.

Last night engineers managed to successfully complete maintenance work on system, and over the next few days, further work will be undertaken to restore the system to its original state but this should have minimal impact on the airline’s flight schedule.

British Airways has apologised to customers for the inconvenience caused.

Swansea-Cork Ferries have had to cancel their sailings over the peak St. Patrick's Day weekend because the engine room crew of their 1,500-ton ferry, City of Cork, failed emergency fire routines and on friday (16 March) were ordered to remain in port at Swansea by the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

The ship's owners, Hellenic Mediterranean, have had to spend the weekend preparing and retraining the crew for a fresh test this week.

Over the weekend British Airways' passengers have been facing flight delays, and in some cases cancellations, as a result of a computer fault which hit BA's check-in systems around the world.

The glitch, which appeared after a computer system upgrade was made earlier in the week, forced staff to conduct manual check-ins for some flights creating a backlog at Heathrow's Terminal 4 and Gatwick in particular.

BA has identified the problem and hopes to have queues back to normal on Monday. The airline is advising passengers to turn up for departure as normal and to phone their information line numbers (0800 727 800 / 0845 7799977) for up to date information.

A Bankruptcy Court judge in the US agreed yesterday that the assets of TWA can be sold for $742 million to American Airlines.

TWA staff had mixed feelings about the decision which saves their airline from what was seen by the judge as a highly risky future under the control of former Chairman Carl Icahn, but which marks the end of a famous 75 year-old avaiation brand.

The last time TWA made a profit was twelve years ago. Since then it has sought 'Chapter 11' protection from bankruptcy on three occasions.

They are: Sun Modilex Limited, a Warrington-based company which operated holidays to Cuba, and Blue Sky Holidays in West London which operated holidays to Cyprus.

Blue Sky has ceased trading. Sun Modilex can no longer take bookings or carry passengers. Customers seeking refunds under the ATOL bond scheme can contact the CAA during office hours on 020 7453 6361.

Saga Holidays and British Airways have launched a new internet travel service targeted at over 50s.

Is offering flights with British Airways and other airlines, with a choice of worldwide flight destinations at low prices, negotiated specially for Saga customers. Offers will be available on both short and long haul routes and in both economy and business classes.

They say that all advertised fares will be genuinely available for immediate booking, avoiding the frustration experienced by customers of many travel websites who often discover that advertised "bargains" are not available.

People aged fifty plus now make up nearly 33 per cent of the UK population and hold 80 per cent of the country's private wealth. According to Tom Wright, Managing Director of Saga Holidays, many of their customers have the time and the interest to surf the internet. "We estimate nearly 20 per cent of our customers are already on-line and 10,000 over 50s are logging on for the first time every week", he said.

Pilots at Delta Air Lines have voted by 97% to authorize a strike if negotiations with the airline over a new contract, fail at the end of the month.

The pilot's union, DALPA, has been trying to reach an agreement with the airline on pilots' contract for over a year. Both parties agreed in November to a 90-day negotiation period. That period will run out at the end of this month. Then, unless both sides agree to arbitration, a 30-day cooling-off period would mean the earliest date for possible strike action is the beginning of April.

The airline has warned that it would not try to run a limited service if the threatened strike becomes a reality. It would cease all operations.

The timing for travellers is not good. Delta is not the only airline in the USA having difficulties with its unions. Industrial action is possible at United Airlines, American Airlines and Northwest Airlines. Northwest's dispute with its mechanics union has already drawn the attention of President Bush.

Expedia has done a deal with Linguaphone to offer Linguaphone language courses at discounted rates of up to 25%. Customers will have access to online phrase books containing phrases which can be downloaded to WAP phones, Personal Digital Assistants (PDA), or printed out ready to be taken on your travels.

Air travel could be severely disrupted over the Easter period if air traffic controllers go on strike in protest at the government's plans to part-privatise the National Air Traffic Service (Nats).

That's the warning made on the weekend by members of the UK air traffic controllers' union, the Institution of Professionals, Managers and Specialists, who believe that safety will be compromised if private companies own 51% of the service.

They hope to persuade ministers to change their minds on Wednesday when union officials meet officials at the Dept of Transport, but the government has already said that the vote will change nothing and the privatisation will go ahead as planned.

MRL Insurance Direct (08708 450 050 ) is offering an annual multi-trip policy which covers over 80 sporting and hazardous activities.

Scuba diving, windsurfing, white water rafting, abseiling, hang gliding, off-piste skiing, micro lighting and bungee jumping are all covered, as well as more conventional sports such as cycling, boating and golf.

Freezing fog has disrupted flights from both Gatwick & Heathrow this morning, although other UK airports are not affected by the poor weather.

British Airways has cancelled 24 flights this morning from Heathrow & Gatwick and has advised passengers due to fly today that their flights could to be delayed or even cancelled. The airline recommends that passengers check before they travel by telephoning the BA flight information line on 0870 5511155.

If you want to get a detailed and balanced view of the risks to air travellers posed by Deep Vein Thrombosis

We couldn't have written it better ourselves, so we might as well direct you there! (It doesn't hurt to be honest about these things!)

British Airways has begun modifying its Concordes, hoping to get them back in the air this spring.

Alpha Foxtrot is the first of its seven aircraft to be adapted. It is currently in the Concorde hangar at Heathrow, where engineers are preparing it for new linings to its fuel tanks to be fitted and wiring in the undercarriage area to be strengthened.

The new fuel tank liners - manufactured by EADS, the former Aerospatiale, in Toulouse - are made of a kevlar-rubber compound. They have been designed to contain the fuel should the wing skin be punctured, adopting an approach already successfully used in military helicopters and Formula 1 racing cars.

Current estimates are that it will take a team of 40 engineers around eight to ten weeks to carry out these alterations to each aircraft.

Initial tests on the modifications, carried out by the manufacturers using advanced computer modelling and actual physical trials, have proved encouraging. They were presented at the most recent meeting of the Anglo-French Government Concorde working group last month.

Before passenger flights resume, the modifications will be subject to further exhaustive proving, with thorough ground testing on an Air France aircraft due to begin later this month.

Once the modifications have been completed, Alpha Foxtrot, the first British Airways Concorde, will then be used for in-flight proving. Data will be collected and analysed to verify the operational effects of the tank liners, on the aircraft's fuel transfer systems and fuel gauges etc.

British Airways say they will then modify two Concordes at a time, until the entire fleet has been completed.

Provided the modifications are signed off by the airworthiness authorities and no unforeseen issues arise from the investigation into the Paris tragedy, it is expected that the aircraft's certificate of airworthiness will be returned.

BA are clearly confident. They plan to go ahead with a £14 million package of improvements for Concorde which they had announced early last year. While engineers are working on the safety modifications to Concorde's tanks, inside the cabin other technicians will be refurbishing the cabin interiors and installing new seats.

While no firm date has yet been targetted for a resumption of Concorde services, British Airways hopes to start flying passengers supersonically again this spring, with an initial daily return service between London Heathrow and New York JFK, building later, when modifications have been completed to more aircraft, to the regular two daily flights in each direction.

To stop things getting 'rusty', since services were suspended in August, the airline's engineers have been checking systems daily, running the engines regularly and testing the computer, electrical and hydraulic systems. Meanwhile the Concorde flight crews have been keeping their skills honed in the airline's simulator.

Priceline has launched a 'Name Your Own Price' service, selling flights, accommodation and vehicle hire.

The idea has proved successful on the U.S. parent site, Priceline.com, and with the help of a multi-million pound TV, radio and press advertising offensive the company hopes to repeat that success on this side of the Atlantic.

Priceline claims that customers can save up to 50% off retail prices by naming their own price.

South-eastern Australia has been experiencing record-breaking temperatures today, with parts of New South Wales reaching 46 to 49 degrees centigrade in the shade.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that residents of Sydney have been flocking to beaches such as Bondi in a frantic bid to keep cool.

Weathermen expect cooler weather to return tomorrow.

Getting up and stretching your legs may not be a 100% effective remedy for Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) during long flights. The Flight Attendants Association of Australia has confirmed that a male flight attendant is being treated in hospital for a blood-clot after a 15-hour Qantas flight from Sydney to Los Angeles.

Unlike passengers, cabin crew spend much of their time on their feet and moving about.

The risk of developing a blood clot, which can become detached and be swept rapidly in the bloodstream to the heart or lungs with fatal consequences, are increased when a person is forced to remain still in cramped conditions for long periods of time. As a result, DVT is often refered to as "economy-class syndrome".

Aviation health experts have been aware of the problems caused by long-haul flights for many years, and have expressed concern as both the number and duration of international long-haul flights have rapidly increased. However public attention in the UK was only drawn to the problem in October last year when 28-year-old Emma Christopherson collapsed in the Arrivals hall at Heathrow airport when a blood clot, which had formed in her leg during a 20-hour Qantas flight from Sydney, lodged in her lung. She died on her way to hospital.

Her death was stood out because of her age. DVT normally effects elderly or middle-aged passengers. It was thought that worldwide roughly 30,000 people are affected each year, with around 100 cases resulting in death, but last week Ashford hospital in Middlesex claimed that at Heathrow alone, at least one passenger a month dies from a blood clot.

Some airlines are beginning to react to public concerns. BA, Qantas and Air New Zealand, for example, are to print health warnings on tickets. Singapore Airlines has plans to put health warnings and advice on laminated cards and in-flight videos.

Standing out from the crowd is Thai International Airways whose Chairman, Srisook Chantrangsu, was reported last week to think that fears about DVT were just a marketing ploy by airlines to encourage flyers to upgrade to more spacious seating in first or business class. "Besides", he told the Bangkok Times, "There hasn't been a single complaint from our passengers on this matter".

Medical experts advise passengers to move around periodically during flights (ideally every 30 minutes), to minimise alcohol, to drink water, and to recline their seat. Some doctors also recommend taking Aspirin before a flight because it helps to thin the blood.

An up-to-date comparison of typical seat pitch (i.e. distance between rows) by airline is provided online by SimplyQuick Guides.

Tourism and transport bosses in the Bahamas will be disappointed by a decision by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to downgrade the country's aviation rating from Category 1 to Category 2 following an assessment of the Bahamian civil aviation authority.

The FAA has ruled that the Bahamas does not comply with international safety standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the United Nations' technical agency for aviation that establishes international standards and recommended practices for aircraft operations and maintenance. Countries with air carriers that fly to the U.S. must adhere to the safety standards of ICAO.

The announcement is part of the FAA's International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) program, under which the agency assesses the civil aviation authorities of all countries with air carriers that operate to the U.S., and makes that information available to the American public - by far and away the Bahamas biggest tourist market.

The FAA points out that assessments are not an indication of whether individual foreign airlines are safe or unsafe; rather, they determine whether or not foreign civil aviation authorities are meeting ICAO safety standards. However, a Category 2 rating can only cause U.S. travellers to question safety standards on Bahamian registered aircraft.

The simultaneous arrival of two winter storms in the New England and East Coast areas has created travel chaos from Boston to Washington DC.

Airlines spent much of yesterday warning passengers of cancellations and expected delays, as meteorologists warned that blizzards would drop around 30cms of snow on Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and most of New England.

Thomas Cook and British Airways Holidays are to merge creating one of the UK's leading scheduled tour operating companies providing holidays to more than 400,000 customers a year.

Thomas Cook was bought a fortnight ago by the German holiday company, C&N Touristic. This new company will be owned on a 50/50 basis by Thomas Cook and British Airways.

The intention is for the new business to become fully operational from around April 2001, subject to approval from the European Commission. While the new company will have a new name 'behind the scenes', from a public perspective the two companies will continue to use their own brand names and will simply market each other's products.

The two companies compliment each other quite well. Thomas Cook's longhaul strengths lie in Canada, the USA and Egypt, whereas British Airways Holidays is strong in the Caribbean, Florida and the Far East. In the shorthaul sector, Thomas Cook Holidays is a major European City Breaks operator, through its Time Off brand, and has high performing programmes to Disneyland Paris, the Channel Islands and Ireland. British Airways Holidays has an extensive City Breaks programme covering Europe and the Middle East and is a leading golf holidays operator.

The government today warned airlines and airports that passengers should be given more information and better standards.

The warning came from Transport Minister, Lord Macdonald, as he launched the Government's Air Transport Consultation Document covering a wide range of aviation and airport policies over the 30 years.

Lord MacdDonald outlined ten key issues which he expects the aviation industry to address...

1. Better information on health issues
2. Prompt information about delays or cancellations
3. Better care for delayed passengers
4. Fewer lost bags and improved compensation
5. Quicker check-in and baggage collection
6. Guaranteed information about lowest available fares
7. Better provision for passengers with disabilities
8. Extension of passengers' statutory rights
9. Improved complaint procedures
10. Further steps to minimise "air rage" incidents.

Aviation Minister Chris Mullin underlined the importance of getting a better deal for passengers:

"All too often passengers are left confused by ticket pricing, upset when their baggage is lost and frustrated by a lack of information when delays occur. Frequently, passengers don't know where or how to complain when things go wrong.

"Some progress has been made but there is still much more that can be done. Airports and airlines must now pledge to work hard to give passengers the levels of service they deserve. We have asked the industry to report back to us on progress in meeting these challenges at a special aviation summit on passenger standards in February next year".

The consultation document invites ideas and views from the public and the industry on a wide range of aviation and airports issues that underpin our air transport policy. These include consumer issues; environmental questions; integration with surface transport systems; the best use of airspace and airport capacity; and planning for airport development. The deadline for responses to the consultation is 12 April 2001.

The consultative document is published at a time when the aviation industry in Europe is coming under increasing pressure to improve the conditions and rights of passengers.

On health issues...

• Last month the House of Lords Select Committee Report on Air Travel and Health included recommendations for action by airlines to improve the cabin environment. These include sampling of cabin atmosphere, a voluntary ban on smoking, use of ozone converters, upgraded air filters and the provision of individual air nozzles above seats. The Report also placed emphasis on the provision of better information with possible options include putting health information on tickets or on the safety cards placed in aircraft seat pockets, or incorporating it as part of the safety briefing prior to take-off.
  
  
• The problem of Deep Vein Thombosis has also received much attention in the media recently and airlines are having to consider more closely the medical aspects of conditions in-flight. The Dept of the Environment, Transport & the Regions (DETR) and Department of Health have commissioned research to identify gaps in knowledge on cabin safety and health issues, which is expected to conclude in Spring 2001.

On financial issues...

• The European Commission is expected to publish a legislative proposal that would give passengers the right to their money back, or to be transferred to another flight, in the case of a flight cancelled for commercial reasons or severely delayed.
  
  
• The most frequent passenger complaints relate to lost, delayed or damaged baggage. At present the Warsaw Convention limits airline liability to approximately £14.50 per kg of checked-in baggage. The new Montreal Convention, yet to come into force, changes this limit to a maximum of approximately £850 per passenger. The consultative document points out that neither amount is truly adequate and passengers often have to rely on personal insurance. It argues that airlines should increase the level of compensation on a voluntary basis.
  
  
• When passengers buy an airline ticket they are subject to the airline's conditions of carriage. The Office of Fair Trading has recently agreed with the International Air Transport Association a series of changes to these conditions for the benefit of passengers.
  
  
• In the USA, a regular consumers' report is published showing, among other things, the number of complaints received about individual airlines. The European Commission is considering a similar initiative, which might also include comparative statistics on delay and baggage.

The European Commission has initiated an action programme to ensure air passengers receive fair treatment by airlines and airports. A task force, brought together by the Commission and EU Member States and including European representative bodies of airlines, airports and passengers, is currently drawing up a "passengers' charter" - a voluntary set of commitments by airlines and airports covering nearly all the issues identified by Lord Macdonald. It is hoped to launch the scheme in Spring 2001.

December is always a good moment to take a quick look in the history books for clues to next year's hot tickets!

For example in 2001....

• The Seychelles will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of their independence (from British rule) on 28 June. The streets of the capital, Victoria, on the main island, Mahé, will probably see some major celebrations.
  
  
• Malrome in the Gironde, France will no doubt be organising something special for the 9th Sept; the famous French artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec died there 100 years ago on that day.
  
  
• Difficult to know how the Chinese will mark the 25th anniversary of Chairman Mao's death which is also on 9th September, but it could be an interesting time to be in Beijing.
  
  
• There is a choice of two places to be on 11 December. It'll be the 100th anniversary of Marconi's first transatlantic radio transmission, between Poldhu on the Lizard in Cornwall and St. Johns in Newfoundland.
  
  

If you are interested in opportunities for a good summertime 'day out' in the UK....

• One hundred years ago on 18 May, Alexandra Palace and Park in north London was opened to the public for the first time.
  
  
• Fifty years ago on 15 Aug, Dartmoor was designated a National Park - the first in Britain.
  
  

But our hot tip for 2001 is to be at Disneyland in California (or any of the Disney parks) on 5th December 2001, because we just don't believe those folks at Disney will let the 100th anniversary of Walt's birthday go past un-noticed! So if you can, book your flights and hotel now, before the marketing starts!

LastminuteTravel (which pre-dates its famous UK near-namesake and specialises in purely in travel) is gearing up to do business in Europe by signing up buzz as its first low-cost airline customer.

Lastminutetravel.com operates in a rather different way to its competitors. It doesn't sell on behalf of clients or take a commission on flights or rooms sold. Instead, it charges a fee for acting as an interactive notice-board. For example, a hotel manager who has an account with lastminutetravel.com may find he has empty rooms on the coming weekend and can place them on the site at a knock-down price himself.

David Vis, Lastminutetravel.com's Managing Director in Europe says that the strong brand presence of their near-namesake in the UK, makes it likely that lastminutetravel will operate under a different name in the UK and to that end the company is at an advanced stage of negotiation with a "large publishing company" who would run the lastminutetravel.com software in the UK.

Continental Airlines have revealed that earlier this month Air France filed a lawsuit against them relating to the fatal Concorde crash in July.

The legal action follows the official report into the accident which suggests that the crash was caused by a strip of metal on the runway which had earlier dropped from a Continental Airlines' DC-10 jet on take-off. The 18cm strip is thought to have punctured Concorde's tyres throwing debris up into the wing and rupturing a fuel tank.

A German lawyer, Christof Wellens, acting on behalf of some of the victims' families has also said that he will file a similar lawsuit against Continental.

Continental's lawyers will probably defend the case by arguing that runway debris is a fact of aviation life and that the airport (Charles de Gaulle) should be responsible for maintaining a clean runway. They will also point to the withdrawal of Concorde's airworthiness certificate by the French and UK aviation authorities on the grounds that an airworthy aircraft should be able to cope with a tyre puncture without crashing.

Holiday Options, an operator which until now has specialised in hotel & villa holidays on Mediterranean and Adriatic islands, has launched a new range of worldwide island holidays.

The company is keen to promote small independently run luxury resorts and hidden retreats so as a general rule, on each island there are two resorts offered; one well-known established resort and one 'hidden jewel'.

Holiday Options is the largest UK operator to Corsica and this new worldwide programme has a distinct French bias, particularly in the Indian Ocean, the Caribbean, and Tahiti.

For example, unique to Holiday Options is the Habitation La Grange on Martinique in the French Caribbean, situated in a 7 acre tropical park of mango and rubber trees. This is a 'relais creole" with just 16 rooms plus the Master's House, all with a/c, fully equipped bathrooms, international phone, terrace with stunning views and four poster beds plus Creole style furnishing and drapes. Lead in price for 7 nights B&B basis is £1162 per person (1 Oct - 13 Dec departures) based on BA or Virgin flights from Gatwick to St Lucia with onward connection to Martinique.

Some of the resorts they've included in their collection are very special. Mnemba, for example, is an all-inclusive resort on its own small island just of Zanzibar with ten simple cottages built of palm matting and few facilities other than a bar & restaurant and a watersports centre. It's good enough for the world's richest man though. Not only has Bill Gates hired the island for his holidays, but also Conde Naste Traveller magazine named it as one of the three most romantic islands in the world.

Holiday Options is a completely independent travel company. It is not owned by any large chains or airlines.

An expert in henna tattoo artwork is warning that some tattoo chemicals can cause serious health problems.

Catherine Cartwright Jones, an author and lecturer in henna artwork based in Califonia, is trying to alert holiday-makers to the dangers of "Black Henna" tattoos or "Bali Tattoos".

She says: "Tourists visiting sunny beaches and resorts in Crete, Turkey, Greece, Bali, Goa, Phillipines, California, Florida, and around the world, are often tempted by local artists offering temporary Black Henna tattoos, but the jet black tribal tattoos can turn into oozing festering sores, permanent scars, and may cause permanent damage to internal organs!"

The problem is caused by toxic chemicals used in non-traditional dyes. Traditional henna is a plant extract. It is reddish-brown in colour, and has been used as a dye for thousands of years. Black Henna is henna with a chemical added to make it black. Often the chemical is P-Phenylenediamine which is commonly sold as black hair dye.

Not everybody reacts to Black Henna, but Ms Cartwright Jones is collating cases histories and warning tourists of the danger. She has published a guide to the problem on the web.

French fishermen have withdrawn their blockade of ports enabling thousands of travellers to continue on their way. Cross-channel services should get back to normal within 24hrs as companies run extra services to clear the backlog.

Tesco have begun selling travel insurance, literally "off the shelf".

In a new scheme being trialled at a selected number of Tesco stores, customers can simply pick up a travel insurance pack off the shelf, and get instant cover when they pay for it at the till. There are no forms to fill in and the transaction can be completed in a matter of seconds.

There's only one snag, you have to be a Tesco Clubcard holder because the simplicity of the scheme relies on your details (name, address, age, etc) being already known to Tesco.

The 'Pay at the Till' travel insurance comes in a range of packs offering single trip or annual policies for European or Worldwide travel. Annual policies become effective on the date of purchase. For single trips, customers simply tell the person at the checkout which month they will start their holiday and they are then covered.

The prices are as competitive as you are likely to find anywhere, ranging from £15 for one person on a one week trip to Europe, to £135 for an all-in policy that covers a family of six for unlimited travel worldwide, including skiing, for a whole.

Initially available at seven Tesco stores (Newcastle Extra, Pitsea Extra, Bishopsgate Metro, Hull, Cheshunt, Edinburgh Colinton, York), the scheme is likely to be extended to further stores across Britain later this year.