Three Places to Get Drunk on Indian Spiritual Mystique

An Indian holiday tour proves to be a rich spiritual high. Travel to almost any part of the country and you will find some overwhelmingly holy place of worship. Many of these places also serve as major centres of tourism. Find out more on three such places to visit during a spiritual tour to India :

Somnath Temple

Gujarat is a destination of choice for scores of travellers booking flights to India. The Somnath Temple here remains an all time favourite spot for a religious tour of the country. The temple has great significance in Hindu mythology and one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of God Shiva. To experience the best possible weather during your visit, book your cheap flights to India for the months of March or October.

Sanchi

If you want to make your holiday a blend of spiritualism and history, keep Sanchi in the itinerary while buying tickets for your flights to India. This is one of the places that experienced a major part of the changes that emperor Ashoka introduced after he became a reformed holy man. Sanchi is full of pillars, stupas, and other constructions even dating back to the 3rd century B.C. Sanchi is definitely a worthwhile place to visit if you manage to snare one of the cheap flights to India.

Khajuraho

Khajuraho needs no introduction. In fact, the destination is like a byword in the Indian travel and tourism industry. This is the place where the Kamasutra, the art of making love, has been exquisitely portrayed by stone cut sculptures on temple walls. The destination has quite a few majestic temples of the Chandela dynasty dating back to the period of 10th to 12th century.

Cabin Crew of British Airways Vote for Strike Yet Again

British Airways’ problems are set to be compounded as its cabin crew backed yet another wave of industrial action. This is the fourth time in two years when the cabin crew of the national carrier has voted overwhelmingly in the favour of industrial action.

The dispute which began in 2009 has already cost millions of pounds to the airline and the airline is set to loose much more as travellers get wary of buying of tickets on BA flights.

The results of the ballot could not be more ill-timed for the BA as Easter holidays and royal wedding are just around the corner. Thousands of holiday makers have travel plans and booked tickets on cheap flights to avoid spiralling cost later on. However, it seems that many who bought tickets with BA may ultimately be disappointed as any strike during holidays is sure to affect flight operations. Finding cheap flights during holiday season is certainly not a walk in the park and now with hampered flight operations, it is going to get more difficult. Last year 22 days of strike has been witnessed by the nation that brought along with it chaotic situations at various airports as many flights of the airline got cancelled.

Len McCluskey, general secretary of Unite, asked BA to be more considerate of the demands of its cabin crew. He was quoted as stating, "This vote shows that cabin crew remain determined to win justice. We urge BA's boardroom to see this as a clear message that they must think again about how to regain the trust and confidence of a significant part of their cabin crew operation."

Grab Flights to Singapore and Get Ready to Shop, Shop and Shop!

All set to have a time of your life in Singapore? Even if you are not, don’t worry because Singapore will make sure that you do have one ‘helluva’ vacation in the city!

Singapore is full of charming attractions and scintillating beauty but one thing that is majorly responsible for making cheap flights to Singapore such a popular phenomenon all over the world is its shopping. Well, who doesn’t like good bargains on quality products?

Shopping remains a favourite time pass of holiday makers who buy flights to Singapore and descend upon its shores! From designer collections to street side quaint items, tourists in the city have no dearth of options as far as shopping is concerned. There is almost a flood of shopping malls and arcades in Singapore that sell everything under the sun (and moon!). With so many choices, a shopping excursion in Singapore can sometimes get confusing and baffling. All that one of my friends could manage on her first shopping trip in the city was a bad mood and a glowing tan!. But gradually the radiant city of Singapore made sure that her bad mood turned into joie de vivre and her glowing tan turned into…well, into more glowing one!

Orchard Road and Tanglin Road is the place to be in Singapore for a gratifying shopping session (something my friend came to know later). Some of the popular shopping centres in this area are the Centrepoint, Far East Plaza, Plaza Singapura, Paragon Shopping Centre, Orchard Towers, Lucky Plaza and the Tanglin Shopping Centre. So, enjoy Singapore and enjoy shopping in Singapore even more!

Lovely Pakistani Destinations

Pakistan and tourism may not ring a bell with most travellers. However, with famous cities like Lahore and Peshawar, this cheap exciting country prompts quite a few adventure loving tourists to fix their travel plans. Here are some of the cities worth buying airline tickets to.

Islamabad

Most visitors booking flights to Pakistan tend to visit Islamabad. This is said to be the cleanest cities in the country and is full of numerous lakes and gardens. Islamabad also serves as the site of the world famous Hindu and Buddhist religious spot of Taxila. With one of the busiest airports in the country, one also stands better chances of bagging cheap flights to Pakistan by booking tickets for Islamabad.

Karachi

This hot Pakistani travel destination is another good choice for cheap flights to Pakistan as numerous airlines serve the city’s famous Jinnah International Airport. However, cheap tickets are not the only lure for connecting to Karachi on flights to Pakistan. The city offers ample tourist attractions such as city centre shopping, lip smacking cheap food at the Khadda Market, Boat Basin, and Burns Road food stalls. Karachi is also famous for its numerous beaches, with a very popular one being the Hawkes bay beach.

Peshawar

Peshawar has the potential of becoming a major tourism hub for the country. The city is full of interesting hotspots and also serves as a transit point for Afghanistan. The most endearing places in Peshawar include Bala Hisar Fort, Peshawar Museum, and All Saints Church. Peshawar is also well connected with Lahore.

Singapore Airlines and Jetstar Cut Flights to Tokyo after Demand Falls

As nuclear crisis deepens in Japan, Singapore Airlines and Jetstar Airways cut down its services to the Japanese capital of Tokyo. Both airlines blame the reduced demand for flights to the stricken-Tokyo as the cause of the slash.

Singapore Airlines, which is one of the largest airlines in the world, has decided to do away with one of its two daily flights to the Tokyo’s Haneda Airport from March 27th. The airline is witnessing a steep decline in the demand for tickets on Tokyo-bound flights after the massive earthquake hit Japan and initiated the resultant tsunami and a major nuclear crisis. However, the airline has announced that it will continue to run four daily flights to Narita Airport, one of Japan’s major gateways. Singapore Airlines’ website also announced that the company is going to postpone its plans of introducing the Airbus A380 superjumbo between Singapore and Los Angeles via Narita airport.
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Jetstar Airways, a low-cost offshoot of Qantas Airways, also announced that it is slashing its services to Tokyo by half. Jetstar is a massively popular airline among travellers who are in a constant lookout for tickets on cheap flights. However, in the current scenario that budget airline is finding it difficult to sell tickets even on its cheap flights to Tokyo. Majority of passengers who travel with Jetstar are Japanese citizens who do not seem to be keen on Australia tour anymore after the unfortunate natural calamity in their country.

Indeed, the times are trying for airlines around the world as a sharp decline in the demand for flights to Japan is witnessed.

Find the complete news here

Emirates, Qatar and Etihad Jack up flights to Manchester City

Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways are doing exactly the opposite of what British Airways did! While BA pulled its operations out of Manchester, all three Arabian giants are jacking up their operations in Manchester.

Emirates is leading the pack with the announcement of the third daily flight to Manchester, while both Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways have daily double flights to the city.

Super success of Emirates’ superjumbo services from Manchester seems to have woken up the giants from their slumber.

“Manchester is a real success story. To be adding a third flight just months after introducing our 517-seat A380 superjumbo to the route reflects surging demand for our flights in and out of the north west of England," Salem Obaidalla, Emirates' Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Europe & Russian Federation was quoted as stating in the Emirates’ press release.

However, the story seems to be completely different when seen from British Airways perspective. BA scrapped its long-haul flights from Manchester airport in 2008 in favour of London Heathrow. And even as carriers like Delta Air Lines, Continental Airlines and Singapore Airlines operate long-haul services from Manchester; BA says it has no plans of revising the model.

Emirates surely do not agree with BA as it builds up its fleet of 90 A380s, and seeks to direct price-conscious ticket buyers through Dubai. Ticket on cheap flights is what people gain by this move of the airline. The increased services really escalate the chances of passengers, who need to travel, of grabbing tickets on cheap flights.

Qatar and Etihad aren’t too behind as Qatar has orders for more than 170 jetliners and Etihad has orders for 100.

View the complete news here

‘Need to Know’ information for visiting India

India is known throughout the world for its slew of tourist destinations. Almost every nook and cranny has some or the other tourist magnet tucked away. Every year, people fly all the way from London to India to discover or rediscover the country. While the hill states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh are famed for mesmerising spots like Valley of Flowers, Shimla, and Manali, the beach destinations of Goa and Kerala give offer some of the best sun, sand, and surf experience. Similarly, visiting major historical landmarks like Red Fort, Taj Mahal, and Sheesh Mahal on the Golden Triangle Tour of Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur is another major highlight of an Indian odyssey. Read for some more tips on the country.

- Some of the most popular airlines operating flights to India are British Airways, Jet Airways, Air India, Kingfisher Airlines, and Emirates Airlines.

- Before buying your air tickets to India, make sure that your passport is valid for at least six months from the date of your visa application and also six months after the date of your planned arrival in the country.

- Some of the airlines in India offering domestic travel are Kingfisher Red, Jagson Airlines, IndiGo Airlines, and GoAir. Other forms of domestic travel in India are trains, buses, and taxis.

- The best time to visit India is the winter season as far as most places are concerned. However, while planning India holidays, one also has to take note of regional climatic variations and personal choices regarding the weather and the destination to be visited. .

- Take adequate precautions against mosquitoes and stick to bottled water as well as well-cooked food.

Japan Travel Update: American Flights Resume to Tokyo

Several American airlines have resumed their normal flight schedules to Tokyo in the aftermath of Friday’s shocking earthquake and tsunami in Japan. After numerous cancellations, Japan’s major gateways’ Haneda and Narita are witnessing normal operations.

Delta Air Lines and American Airlines have announced that they have will operate usual flight schedules to Japan; while United Continental Holdings said it is operating its regular schedule to Tokyo's Narita International Airport.

United Continental Holdings, formed as a result of a merger between United Airlines and Continental Airlines, announced that daily Continental flight from Guam to the Sendai airport is abandoned indefinitely as Sendai was the major victim of the Friday’s catastrophe. A United’s spokeswoman stated that there has been no reported injury to any of its 1,000 employees based in Japan, and there are no intentions of evacuating these employees from Japan. United also announced a fee-waiver for passengers who booked tickets on flights to, from and via Japanese airports and need to have their flight schedules changed. Several passengers who bought cheap tickets on United’s flights need not to pay a penalty through March 18.

Delta Air Lines also rolled out fee-waivers for passengers who booked cheap tickets on Delta flights to and from Japan, with travellers entitled one-time travel change through March 20.

Travel Advisories for Japan

Various countries have rolled out travel warnings against travel to Japan or certain areas in Japan. UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office has advised against all non-essential travel to Tokyo and northeast Japan.

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Tips for Travel to the Land of Oz

Australia, a global name in the world of tourism, has been luring visitors year after year. Here are some tips to consider before booking a ticket to this world famous travel destination.



Tips on Flights

Cheap flights to Australia are more readily available with airlines serving Melbourne and Sydney as most airlines operating cheap return flights to Australia cover these two cities.

Cheap flights to Australia is more likely to be available in Sydney and Melbourne sector as these two cities are covered by the majority of the airlines operating cheap return flights to Australia.

Booking flights to Australia with ‘the flying Kangaroo’ or Qantas can help save on ticket prices. Qantas has extensive partnerships with many international airlines and passengers can fly part of the way with a partner airline and complete the remaining leg of travel with Qantas or a domestic airline.

Overview of Climate in Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney
Melbourne, a prominent name in the Australian tourism sector tends to be cheap during late Autumn and early Spring as the climate tends to fluctuate a lot. October, supposedly the wettest month is perhaps best for a cheap visit to the destination.

Perth is good for a year round visit as the destination has sunny Mediterranean climate throughout the year. The winters in Perth are short and mild.

Sydney has chilly and damp winters, which translates as a good opportunity for grabbing cheap deals to the destination. Summers are pleasant with temperatures usually hitting about 35 °C.

Multi Leg Flights

Exploring world’s different popular holiday destinations on a single trip remains one fantasy that has captivated the imagination of many a traveller at some point or other. A range of holidaymakers, be it backpackers, couples, singles or group of friends, hope to embark upon an expedition that may encompass a single continent, multiple continents or even the much sought after round the world travel. While multi stop flights are inherent to every round the world trip, even those on a point to point long haul sojourn can benefit from the flexibility that these multi-stop flights have to offer. Multi-leg flights enable travellers to explore some of the globe’s incredibly fascinating destinations that one has so far only dreamt of. Imagine a London to Sydney travel itinerary that bestows upon the traveller a chance to discover enchanting Asian or Far Eastern destinations like India, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. The choices and perks are unlimited for those who can afford an extended break from their work! Our extensive partnerships with airlines on the global scale and our expertise in chalking out the cheap multi stop flight itineraries ensure that you can embark on a world tour without burning a hole in your pocket.

Why Book your Multi Leg Flights or Round the World Travel trip with us?

Southall Travel has teamed up with global airlines for maximum penetration to destinations spanning across various countries and continents

Not just flights, get an all inclusive package tailored for your round the world or multi continent expedition.

We have expertise in planning and booking complex multi leg itineraries at the cheapest costs.

Best deals on business and first class travel with multi stop flights