Category: Travel

The pound to euro exchange rate succeeded in having its best week in almost nine months last week, experts have said. GBP’s boost to a two-week high on Friday came despite a dramatic plummet on Wednesday afternoon. Sterling continues to remain vulnerable amid the coronavirus pandemic.

READ MORE

• Stranded Briton reveals nightmare of being stuck in Australia

Greg Baggio, Head of Performance at WeSwap commented last week: “Across all markets, we’ve seen extreme volatility levels and the FX market is no different.

“Currency movements are not only driven by headlines on COVID 19’s progress, but also by the various governments and central banks’ decisions on interest rates and cash injections to support their economies.

“The ultimate question the markets are asking is, ‘How strong is a country going to come out of the crisis and will they be able to attract investment again?’”

The pound is currently trading at 1.1185 against the euro, according to Bloomberg at the time of writing.

Michael Brown, currency expert at international payments and foreign exchange firm Caxton FX, spoke to Express.co.uk regarding the latest exchange rate figures this morning.

“Sterling rose to a two-week high against the euro on Friday, closing out its best week in almost nine months,” said Brown.

“The pound continued to benefit from improving risk sentiment across asset classes, despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

“This week, the aforementioned pandemic will remain the centre of attention.

“Investors are continuing to grapple with the implications of governments placing the global economy into hibernation.”

So what does this mean for travel money?

With the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advising against all but essential travel, it’s unlikely anyone will be looking to buy holiday money.

However, many Britons may have preemptively purchased foreign currency only for their holiday to be cancelled or postponed due to coronavirus.

READ MORE

• Pound to euro exchange rate: Sterling skyrockets to its highest level

Many may wonder whether it’s possible to now exchange the money back into pounds.

However, experts have warned that, given the closure of many bureau de changes and suspension of cash services, it may actually be best to hold on to travel money.

“If they can, holidaymakers might want to keep hold of their currency until their next trip and use it then,” Ian Strafford-Taylor, CEO of Equals (formerly known as FairFX), told Express.co.uk.

“For those using prepaid currency cards, they can spend their money back in the UK online or in stores, keep it for their next trip, or change it to a different currency altogether.”

Sacha Zackariya, CEO, Change Group International Plc, also agreed exchanging money may not be wise right now.

“Unfortunately, there is no easy solution to change your foreign currency at this point,” he told Express.co.uk.

“I would, therefore, recommend holding on to this leftover currency until your next holiday or if it is somewhere you are unlikely to travel again then exchange it at a later date.

“As international travel restrictions are updated and government policies change we recommend checking our website for updates on this situation.”

Source: Read Full Article

Travelling with hold luggage is avoided by many as it can come with its own set of expenses or even slow down the travel process. However, for many, particularly long-haul travellers, flying with bags is simply a necessity.

READ MORE

• Hand luggage: Flights now permitting over 100ml of this liquid

Though check-in costs and weight restrictions are one set of problems, it is the concept of losing bags altogether that can feel like a nightmare scenario for many travellers.

While there are plenty of protocols in place, including an increase in technology in recent years, the latest baggage mishandling report from SITA reveals 24.8 million bags were lost or delayed in 2018 alone.

However, one luggage expert has revealed why he thinks bags go missing, and it could actually be the fault of the passenger themselves, rather than the staff.

Myles Quee, travel expert for Send My Bag spoke to Express.co.uk, explaining that punctuality is the key.

He said: “Travellers who check in late are more likely to become separated from their case as baggage handlers need time to process luggage.

“If you’re wondering about what time to leave for your flight, remember that the later you arrive, the higher the chances are that you’ll lose your luggage.”

Indeed, most airlines encourage travellers to arrive at least three hours early to an international flight and two hours for a domestic flight.

A little extra time is encouraged for those who need to check in bags.

“There are plenty of reasons why passengers are told to arrive several hours before departure, with baggage being the main one,” says Mr Quee.

“It takes time for handlers to transport all the bags from the drop off to the plane.

“Customers who leave everything to the last minute might avoid the long security lines but may find themselves luggage-less when they land.”

This rule of thumb should also be applied to journeys with multiple flights and layovers.

DON’T MISS
Hand luggage: Use this to beat easyJet and Ryanair rules [TIPS]
Hand luggage: The unlikely toiletry you are allowed to take [INSIGHT]
Google Maps: Man strips off to pants in Poland park [PIC]

If a layover is too tight, it may mean your bag doesn’t make it to the next plane even if you do.

Mr Quee says: “Avoid short layovers – if you’re tight for time, the baggage handlers will be too. Try and leave at least two hours between flights to allow for delays and give handlers sufficient time to move your luggage.”

However, it seems even travellers who turn up with plenty of time to spare can fall victim to a case of a missing suitcase.

Another reason Mr Quee says bags go missing is due to incorrect tagging, something that has been echoed by baggage handlers and other industry experts.

READ MORE

• Cruise expert reveals incredible truth about how he packs for cruising

Mr Quee explains: “Another common reason why luggage goes missing is when the routing label gets damaged.

“If this happens and you haven’t attached a contact card in a luggage tag, your suitcase will likely be lost.”

On a Reddit post, another baggage expert explained: “Not a secret, just common sense; the reason some bags miss their flight or get misrouted is because passengers don’t remove old tags.

“It confuses handlers as well as the conveyor belt scanners. I see it happen all the time.”

Bag tags are used by airlines to ensure luggage is routes to the correct flight and destination.

They are usually printed with a barcode and matching stub which is given to the passenger.

However, if old tags are left on the bags this can confuse the technology in place which automatically sends the bag in the direction it thinks it needs to go.

Though baggage handlers do work hard to double-check every tag is correct, in a fast-paced environment, things can easily slip through the cracks.

Mr Quee advises: “To avoid this, put contact information inside your travel itinerary so that airline staff can contact you easily and reunite you with your belongings.”

He adds: “Put your travel itinerary inside your bag along with contact information. Luggage tags can become easily detached in transit, so you need to give airlines an alternative way to contact you if your suitcase becomes lost.”

Luckily, there are alternatives to checking in luggage – particularly if you intend on travelling with a lot of bags.

“Ship your luggage instead of checking it in at the airport,” advises Mr Quee.

“You’ll be able to race through check-in, track your goods throughout transit and not spend the entire journey fretting about whether your luggage made it onto the plane.”

Should you find yourself in the unfortunate situation where your bag does go missing, do not fret.

Julian Kearney, CEO of travel insurance company Staysure spoke to Express.co.uk, offering advice on what to do if passengers find themselves in this situation.

He explained that the best things to do is “keep hold of any airline or any other ticket that confirms your travel arrangements”.

He added: “In most instances, luggage is reported missing whilst under the supervision of airlines and there is nothing that travellers can do to prevent their luggage going missing whilst in their care.

“In the unfortunate event of this happening, Staysure customers are advised to notify their airline straight away and register the loss by completing any necessary paperwork.

“This will be required in support of any claim made under their Staysure Travel Insurance Policy.”

Source: Read Full Article