It was an exchange which made me realise why I am not rich and powerful. I was telling a friend of mine – a young, wealthy and successful individual – that I thought there was something luxurious about a trans-Atlantic plane journey. You could sit, watch a movie or two, have someone serve you drinks and food, maybe take a little nap and – most satisfying of all – no one could get hold of you.

It was an exchange which made me realise why I am not rich and powerful. I was telling a friend of mine – a young, wealthy and successful individual – that I thought there was something luxurious about a trans-Atlantic plane journey. You could sit, watch a movie or two, have someone serve you drinks and food, maybe take a little nap and – most satisfying of all – no one could get hold of you.

1. Lipstick in Pleasure Me Red

Cuts to immigration staff threaten to leave hundreds of thousands facing long delays

Now... Barbados Bliss

British Airways Holidays has a week's break at the Dover Beach Hotel in Barbados (room only), a short drive from Bridgetown. The deal includes flights from Gatwick on 3 Sept for £674pp. Britishairways.com

The night skies are lighting up all over the Chinese city-state as residents welcome the dawn of the Year of the Dragon. Matthew Bell reports.

Sandy shores and warm weather make the Caribbean the perfect family playground

Each week we invite three companies to offer us their best deal for a specific holiday. Today: a two-week road trip in California. Prices are per person, based on two people travelling together. Each includes car hire, room-only accommodation and flights from Heathrow on Monday 5 March.

What to see and where to be seen

Warm days and wildlife on your doorstep make Kenya's capital an appealing place in which to escape winter. Richard Trillo reports.

Deal is screwing the travelling public, says Branson after Virgin Atlantic's rival bid fails

Nicolas Sarkozy doesn't want for support at home after his falling-out with the rosbifs. The radio pundits are lining up behind him. One report at the weekend on Man United's shock Champion's League exit was prefaced by "and David Cameron isn't the only English Euro exit this week". Then an item on Paul McCartney, who had been rude at a concert about the French Government's insistence that meat must stay on school menus, ended with the presenter moaning about "another Brit trying to tell us what to do".

Thousands of British holidaymakers stranded in New York and other US cities could face a long wait to get home. Although Hurricane Irene has now been downgraded to a tropical storm, the threat of severe flooding means that delays may continue after it has passed. Meanwhile, the lack of spare seats on flights in the peak holiday season means the backlog of stranded passengers could take many days to clear.