Travel News | Travel Advice

The ACI (Airports Council International) has released its annual figures on the top rated Airports in the world.

Based on Passenger Data the top 10 Airports in the Word, are, according to the ACI:

1. Atlanta (1)
2. Chicago / O’Hare (2)
3. London / Heathrow (3)
4. Tokyo / Haneda (4)
5. Los Angeles (5)
6. Paris CDG (7)
7. Dallas Fort Worth (6)
8. Frankfurt (8)
9. Beijing (9)
10. Madrid (13)

Figures in brackets show 2006 ranking.

Denver has slipped out of the top 10, ranking at 10 in 2006 it now ranks at 11. Madrid has managed to break in to the top 10, after its previous ranking of 13.

The top 10 fastest growing airports are ranked as follows:

1. Whuan 37% growth
2. Sayan 36% growth
3. Denpasar Bali 35.7% growth
4. Bangalore 33.8% growth
5. Moscow 32.5% growth
6. Chonquing 28.6% growth
7. Nanjing 28.2% growth
8. Calcutta 28.2% growth
9. Sharm El Sheikh 27% growth
10. Hyderabab 26.1% growth.

The ACI have sounded a cautious note with regard to growth, noting that although the 2007 expansion was a positive sign, preliminary data from 2008 indicated the rate of growth was slowing.

Charlotte / Douglas International Airport in North Carolina, USA, is to benefit from a $400 million overhaul during 2009, which is intended to improve the airport’s competitiveness over other airports in the region.

Improvements include:

Construction of 2 new taxiway bridges
Installing better storm drains
Expansion of the terminal entrance
Expansion of the road system and car parks
Extra security checkpoints
Improved baggage facilities.

Since 1997 passenger numbers at the airport have increased steadily by 59% and last year totalled 33.2 million.
Passengers who stand to benefit from the improvements are ultimately being asked to pay for them – each passenger now pays a $3 facility charge per flight.

International travel really does broaden your horizons and helps you enjoy the diversity of lifestyles around the globe. The world is a much more accessible place even for people on a moderate salary and there are huge savings to be made if you carry out your own research and book over the internet especially if you don’t travel during peak times. You will be hard pushed to find more pleasant European destinations in the winter than Greece, Italy, the South of France and Spain especially when they do not have the colder temperatures of their Northern European cousins. When carrying out your online research, look for people that rent out their own apartments and homes perhaps for a shorter time which may mean it will be less expensive than through other specialist organizations.

Most properties on the continent have modern facilities so your laundry cooking and internet will still be available. Obviously it is easy to go out for a meal but this can be costly if it is done for every meal of the day so having a kitchen where you can prepare a breakfast is going to save a considerable sum. If you planned to send cards to all your friends then you can do it electronically which won’t cost anything and all your laundry can be done without having to go elsewhere, once again, saving time which means you have more time to do things. Sometimes we become so engrossed in our own culture that we forget that others exist and it is interesting to see how other people run their daily lives even if overall they are not that much different from our own daily needs.

Food is a much more drawn out event than our eat-and-run habit as meals are enjoyed slowly, seasoned with the friendship of your companions plus it is actually quite safe to go out at night in any major European city. Why not head off the normal tourist routes an explore the local areas where you can find some wonderful shops, cafes and the local business where you be able to get a feel for how the local population run their everyday lives. A true international traveler will want to experience the local food and traditional dishes like French Pistou and Spanish Paella instead of the plastic versions you can get elsewhere. The international traveler is adventurous and not afraid to travel and explore cities without a guide so when visiting Paris for instance, it is only a matter of boarding the underground which is efficient and also inexpensive.

However, if this is how you like to travel then restricting how much you carry with you is paramount and being able to fit everything you need into hand luggage can save a great deal of time at the airport. If you are considering this type of trip then you may want to reduce the amount of luggage you take and travel light using only a carry on which will certainly save a huge amount of time and there is less chance of anything going missing. You may not think this is possible but it is; you just need to remember that many of the essentials of traveling like toiletries will be available almost everywhere you travel too. Many seasoned travelers will recommend this as a way of visiting new places with less hassle and it can all be done online if you know where to look.

We all love our annual vacation but there are those that never go too far from home and then you find the adventurous types that will travel the world. No matter what your interest is with travel, there are always travel sites to help you out. Not only this but many people have given up going to a travel agent altogether (unless they are after a brochure) and make all their travel, car hire and accommodation arrangements online. The predominance of websites dedicated to travel says just how popular this method is as every tour operator has their website as well to add to the mix.

There is obviously a great deal of trust required to use the internet this way as often the companies you deal with have never been anything else but an internet based business. I much prefer to deal with someone I can see and touch, that‘s why I still use my travel agent and I also know they have a real office that I can visit. My travel agent is also used to me changing my travel plans and knows that I will complain if something is not right. The problem I find with travel sites is there is no-one to speak to and I find this very impersonal; if you are fortunate enough to find someone to speak with they may be in another country for all you know.

How do you know what they are telling you is the truth because it won’t be until you actually go away that you will find out. With a travel agent they are real and I can always go back to them and clarify points especially if something goes wrong. A best friend of mine only books her vacations on teletext flights travel site and often she’ll book a last minute vacation that a travel site is offering which is one huge advantage of using a travel site. Admittedly, she has save a small fortune this way as she will just look at the sites and be patient until the right vacation comes up at the right price.

I wish I could do this but my work just wouldn’t allow me to suddenly take time of as they normally need a couple of months notice. Other savings to be made using travel sites are the costs of other day trips or tours that are not part of the main vacation. Although I actually spend time with my travel agent, I do actually carry out a great deal of research on prospective locations before I make up my mind. I know it may seem unkind after all the help that my travel agent has given me but I know that if I have problems that need correcting when I return, it is easy to go along and see her to have sorted out.

Tanning booths are now a regular method to ensure people in ’sun poor’ countries can have that all over tan every day of the year. Although evidence compiled over the last few years has shown conclusively just how dangerous it is to lay out in the sun, new methods are being used to give the same effect. The most recent of these methods is spray tanning and many salons have set themselves up specifically to provide this service. The spray system appears to be more consistent than other artificial methods like crams or lotions where streak marks are not uncommon.

Just to provide an even more convenient service, manufacturers have introduced spray tanning equipment that can be used in the home. Regardless of the method you choose there are a few basic steps to follow to ensure that you get the best results possible. First off, you should exfoliate your skin to remove any dead skin. The last thing you want is to have dead skin dropping off and leaving lighter patches where it once was.

Once that stage has been carried out it is best to apply a moisturizer to your whole body. One of the biggest mistakes people make at this stage when applying a bronzer from a bottle or cream application is to forget to wear gloves, this leaves them with orange palms which is hard to disguise. To avoid any other application mistakes that could give away the fact that the tan is not real, make sure those fingers, feet, elbows and knees are only given the lightest of coats as they have a habit of coming out darker. When a spray tanning system is used a towel will be needed to wipe off any excess which could cause a streak.

Always stay as still as possible after artificial tanning to allow time for the application to settle down and create an even coating. These agents are notoriously good at marking clothing once they have been applied so you are advised to be careful how soon you get ready afterwards and what you intend to wear. The best advice here is to have a change of clothing that is darker than the color of the tan as this way it will not notice. With a little care there is no reason why you cannot have a golden brown skin color throughout the year whilst keeping the method you use a secret, if you just take note of the information provided here.

Many people use artificial tanning booths prior to going on vacation and are not used to what will happen if they stay under too long. If you are wanting to “start your tan off” before going on vacation on do it a few minutes at a time and make sure that you give your skin a rest between treatments.