Something To Declare: BA Club World beds; cheap New York flights; Passport problems; Heathrow offline

Saturday 28 August 2010 00:00 BST
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Bargain Of The Week: BA Club World beds

British Airways is running a flight sale until 4 September, with discounts on seats in all cabin classes. The most impressive savings are reserved for Club World tickets, with which travellers can enjoy the pleasures of lower-cost flat-bed travel on departures between now and 30 June next year.

The airline is quoting return Club World fares from Heathrow to Cairo of £897 (a saving of £302 on previously published fares). Heathrow to Delhi costs £1,296 (a saving of £466) and Heathrow to Calgary is £1,869 (saving £951).

BA's attempt to re-engage with a premium travel market dismayed by the airline's lengthy dispute with cabin crew also means savings in First Class: Heathrow to Barbados (pictured) costs £3,049 (a saving of £1,605). See ba.com for more details.

Destination of the week: Go to Bristol for a cheap flight to New York

Continental Airlines is soon to end its link from Bristol to Newark airport in New York. As a result, forward bookings until it ends on 7 November are light, and fares are very good compared with Birmingham and even Heathrow. A search for dates in September found a fare at £398 return through Opodo.co.uk, saving typically £50 on fares from other UK airports, most of them requiring an en route change of plane. Some flights are shown as "United", but the operating airline is Continental.

Warning of the week: Passport problems

"Only hand your passport over to third parties including Israeli officials when absolutely necessary," says the Foreign Office, following the murder of Mahmud al-Mabhuh in Dubai earlier this year. The perpetrators are believed to have used forged British passports using the personal data of real travellers. The event "raised the possibility that your passport details could be captured for improper uses while your passport is out of your control", says the Foreign Office.

Meanwhile, anyone shopping in Spain, whether Spanish or foreign, has to show ID when buying items by credit or debit card. As a visitor, you may find that a photo driving licence or a photocopy of your passport is accepted. But stores do not legally have to accept either, and you may be asked to show your passport instead.

Tip of the week: Heathrow offline

Two weekends from now, there are important developments in airport links. On Friday 10 September, Delhi airport gets connected to the city's underground network. But on 11 and 12 September, Britain's biggest airport will be disconnected from the Tube network as the Piccadilly Line between Heathrow and Northfields station in west London closes for engineering work. An express bus route runs from Acton Town to Terminals 1 and 3, with another serving terminals 4 and 5.

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