The great summer getaway is nearly upon us, and as we shop for new holiday items and draw up packing lists, take heed of the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) reminder about dangerous goods which must not be carried on aircraft.

Dangerous goods include items such as culinary blowtorches, fireworks and other explosives as well as substances such as petrol, lighter fuel and weed killer that must not be carried in either hand luggage or checked in baggage.

Geoff Leach, Manager of the Dangerous Goods Office at the CAA, said: “The majority of passengers are very careful when packing their luggage and know which items can and cannot be taken on board. Whilst we are all made aware of the security restrictions imposed, passengers still need to be reminded that some items, which are relatively innocuous in everyday use, are capable of posing a serious risk to the occupants of an aircraft, no matter where they are carried on the aircraft.”

The CAA draws passengers’ attention to the risks of fire from inappropriately packed batteries and battery powered devices, which if accidentally activated could cause a fire. In February 2007, a fire in an overhead locker in an aircraft that had just taken off from New York JFK Airport was believed to have been caused by a battery which had short-circuited and overheated.

Dangerous goods that must NOT be taken on board are:

• explosives, such as fireworks, flares, toy gun caps;
• gases, such as culinary blowtorches, camping or compressed gas cylinders, tear gas, mace or CS gas devices;
• flammable materials such as petrol, lighter fuel, paint, thinners, non-safety matches, firelighters;
• poisons, such as weed killers, insecticides; • corrosives, such as filled car batteries.

For more information on prohibited items check out www.caa.co.uk/dangerousgoods

In the wake of yet another airline collapse, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is again warning travellers of the dangers of DIY holidays.

DIY holidaymakers could be putting their holidays at risk by booking individual components of their holiday independently of each other - flights, accommodation, car hire etc. booked separately as part of a DIY holiday are unconnected and are not covered by the CAA’s Air Travel Organiser’s Licensing (ATOL) financial protection scheme.

Should an airline or another provider of part of your holiday cease trading you are responsible for finding an alternative, often more expensive, replacement - if you cannot purchase a replacement, you may be unable to claim back money already paid for the unused components of your holiday and could run the risk of being stranded abroad if the airline you flew with went bankrupt during your holiday.

For peace of mind, the CAA is highlighting the benefits of booking all the elements of a holiday with the same ATOL protected company.

ATOL spokesman David Clover said: “Our research shows that although millions of holidaymakers will build DIY breaks this summer, they don’t realise they are at risk. Holiday purchases are still a significant household purchase so we want consumers to make informed choices about financial protection. We must also emphasise to those building their own holidays that they may not be protected against the risks of travel company insolvency.”

He continued: “Booking an entire holiday with one travel company does not mean that consumers have to compromise flexibility for protection. Many of the major online holiday operators allow holidaymakers to build their own tailored ATOL-protected break.

“If consumers are booking DIY holidays this summer, we urge them to take out their own financial protection measures such as buying with their credit card, rather than a debit card, or taking out insurance which covers against the dangers of insolvency.”

ATOL (Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing) is managed by the CAA, and provides repatriation costs if a tour operator fails. In the year to March 2008, ATOL enabled more than 2,000 customers of failed tour operators to complete their holidays and return to the UK, a further 21,000 received refunds of advance payments. For the year, total expenditure on repatriations and refunds was £7.5 million.

For more information about ATOL and to check an ATOL number click on the link

Do you reclaim the tax and duty paid on cancelled airline tickets? Did you know you can claim the money back?

Well, you are not alone. According to a poll of 2070 people conducted by YouGov for InsureandGo, 48% of travellers are unaware they can claim their money back, and 3% were put off by high administration charges.

Perry Wilson, Managing Director of InsureandGo said, “The amount of tax and duty paid on each flight people take has increased dramatically and it can now be as much as £150 of the cost of a long haul journey.

“Passengers are estimated to pay £972 million in Air Passenger Duty for 2006/07 and £2.117 billion in 2007/08. If you cancel your ticket, it really does pay to claim back the tax and duty you have paid on it.”

If like me, you like to take total control for your holiday, mixing and matching components such as purchasing flights from one company, accommodation from another and car hire from another…beware! You, like me, and 18 million other people could be putting your holiday at risk in the event of bankruptcy of any one of the companies that sold you part of your holiday.

Flights and accommodation booked separately as part of a DIY holiday are unconnected, so if an airline or accommodation provider ceases trading you could be forced to buy alternative, often more expensive, replacements - if you cannot purchase replacements, you may be unable to claim back money already paid for the unused components of your holiday. You could even run the risk of being stranded abroad if the airline you flew with went bankrupt during your holiday.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which operates the ATOL financial protection scheme, is highlighting to holidaymakers the benefits of booking all elements of a holiday together with a single, ATOL-protected travel company, and urging travellers to check that their summer holidays are financially protected.

ATOL is the UK’s only licensing scheme for travel companies selling air holiday packages, protecting around 27 million people each year from losing money or being stranded abroad if their travel company goes bankrupt. Travel companies are also responsible for all aspects of the holiday, so if one element goes wrong, the company will make alternative arrangements.

The CAA has issued the following advice to consumers on how to check for ATOL holiday protection:

• Look out for the ATOL logo on websites and in brochures if you are booking online or by telephone;

• If booking with a travel agent, check out brochures and ask the agent to confirm whether ATOL is protecting the entire holiday;

• Check the company’s details online at www.atol.org.uk or call ATOL on 020 7453 6430 for free advice.

DIY package holidays are not protected under the ATOL scheme so consumers should consider:

• Booking with a credit card. But beware - this does not always mean full protection. You must have spent at least £100 on each element of the holiday to be covered;

• There is no protection for payments made via debit cards;

• Taking out travel insurance which covers against insolvency - but check the small print, as most policies do not include this cover or will not cover all consequential losses.

• Remember – you may only be covered for the component of your holiday that has gone bankrupt. You may not be able to claim for any subsequent losses from other components.

For more information and advice about ATOL and holiday protection, consumers should visit www.atol.org.uk or call 0207 453 6430.