Something to Declare: Australia 'à deux', DC for under £200, strict limits on cheap cigarettes

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Destination of the week: Australia 'à deux'

Much of the long-haul travel business is suffering because of SARS. Fears about the potentially fatal viral infection are being blamed for a sharp downturn in travel to Asia and Australia. To try to win back customers, Emirates is offering outstandingly low fares for outbound travel to Australia in May and June – but only if you travel with a partner. Through the discount agency Quest Travel (0870 444 5552; www. questtravel.com), Perth is on sale for £499 return per person, with Sydney at £549 and Melbourne for £539, from Birmingham, Gatwick, Heathrow and Manchester. You must change planes in Dubai, where a stopover is permitted on the inbound leg. And to promote its new Brisbane service, Emirates is offering a return fare to the Queensland capital for £539 for outward travel between 25 October and 21 November.

Bargain of the week: DC for under £200

The scale of the problems facing transatlantic airlines has become apparent with an extraordinary offer from BMI (0870 60 70 555; www.flybmi.com). The airline is selling seats on its reinstated US route, from Manchester to Washington, DC, for £199 return for travel in June – when fares normally rise sharply. You must book by next Monday, 14 April.

Simon Calder

Warning of the week: strict limits on cheap cigarettes from Spain

The Chancellor's increase of 8p on a packet of cigarettes this week must surely persuade some serious smokers to fly to Spain to take advantage of the lower prices there. The cost of a packet in Britain is approaching £5, more than twice the price in Spain. So bringing back the UK customs' limit of 3,200 cigarettes (160 packs) for personal consumption could easily save you the cost of a cheap flight to the sun and back. However, Spain allows you to take only one quarter as many out of the country for personal use. Spanish law considers any amount above 800 cigarettes to be a trade transaction, and so it needs to be accompanied by export documentation. Being caught with excess tobacco can lead to the cigarettes being seized and a fine of £1,000 or more.

Travellers bringing cigarettes back from the Canary Islands, whose "tax-free" status excludes them from the EU trading zone, are limited to just 200.

Sam Dunham