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www.fco.gov.uk 27 October 2010
This advice has been reviewed and reissued with an amendment to the Travel Summary, Natural Disasters and Local Travel sections (updated information on earthquake, tsunami, Mount Merapi volcano and flooding in Jakarta). The overall level of the advice has not changed; there are no travel restrictions in place in Indonesia.
UK: Air Passenger Duty set to rise again [October 2010]
CAA UK 27 October 2010
From 1st November 2010, Air Passenger Duty (APD) is scheduled to rise as follows:
BAND A (Europe, North Africa) £12 (Economy) £24 (Business/First)
BAND B (North America, Middle-East, Russia) £60 (Economy) £120 (Business/First)
BAND C (Caribbean, southern Africa, Far East) £75 (Economy) £150 (Business/First)
BAND D (Australasia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Argentina) £85 (Economy) £170 (Business/First)
Germany: Week-long rail strike action effective from tomorrow [October 2010]
News Service 25 October 2010
The German railway unions Transnet and GDBA have announced their intention to hold week-long strike action across the country from tomorrow Tuesday 26 October. The strike has been called in response to stalled wage negotiations with the private rail companies Abellio, Arriva, Benex, Hessische Landesbahn, Keolis and Veolia Verkehr.
Travellers to Germany should expect countrywide disruptions to rail travel, including city trains (S-Bahn), and are advised to check the status of their train prior to leaving for the station.
Mexico, Yucatan: Hurricane Richard nears [October 2010]
The Anvil 24 October 2010
Hurricane Richard with winds of 85 miles per hour is nearing the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico. It is currently located 95 miles east of Belize City. Hurricane Richard is moving west-northwest at 12 mph and was expected to strike Belize and southeastern Mexico later on Sunday.
China: Typhoon Megi approaches southern provinces [October 2010]
The Anvil 20 October 2010
Typhoon Megi is approaching southern provinces in China. Rail services have been suspended in the area as the strongest storm to hit the northwest Pacific in 20 years nears. 19 people were killed by the typhoon earlier this week in the Philippines. The typhoon is expected to hit Guangdong province on Saturday. "We expect that the strong winds and torrential rain brought by Megi will increase the probability of geological disasters happening in the south such as floods, land and mudslides," a spokesman warned. Boats off of Guangdong and Fujian provinces have been advised to return to shore. The typhoon could create waves of seven metres high. The typhoon is currently producing winds of 115mph. Train services have been halted in Hainan province as the typhoon nears.
UPDATE 22 October 2010
Typhoon Megi is continuing to weaken as it moves towards southern China. It is set to hit Fujian province as a category 1 typhoon on Saturday after dropping from a category 3 typhoon. It will then fade into a tropical storm. The typhoon is set to miss Hong Kong. "It's showing signs of weakening," said a senior scientific officer. "We expect the intensity will gradually decrease until it makes landfall and decreases further."China: Typhoon Megi continues to weaken
France: General Strike Tuesday 19 october [October 2010]
Air Francer 18 October 2010
Air France have released the following strike update:
General strike in France on Tuesday October 19, 2010.
Some Air traffic controllers' trade unions will take part in the general strike launched in France on Tuesday October 19.
As a result, French Civil Aviation Authorities have limited the number of flights for all airlines.
Therefore, on October 19, we plan to operate 100 % of our long-haul flights, and have had to cancel some domestic and european flights.
We apologize for any inconvenience this situation may cause you.
Our commercial services will do their utmost to inform you of flight cancellations and offer you alternative solutions where applicable, either on a flight with Air France, with KLM through Amsterdam, or with one of the SkyTeam alliance partners.
IN ADDITION TO THE AIR FRANCE ALERT:
Further demonstrations are expected in cities around France and Belgium 17 and 19 October. Cross Channel ferry ports are also likely to be affected.
Industrial action continues to cause disruption to rail and air travel in France and Belgium. Ports are also likely to be affected (including cross Channel ferry ports).
There will be industrial action on Belgian railways from 2200 CET on Sunday 17 October until 2200 CET on Monday 18 October. No Eurostar trains will operate to or from Brussels during this period. For further information please visit the Eurostar website.
Information on intercity and international rail travel in France can be found at the Infolignes and SNCF websites.
Further Information:
Eurostar
SNCF
Infolignes
Philippines: Super Typhoon Megi Hits the North [October 2010]
BBC 18 October 2010
According to a report on the BBC, an intense "super typhoon" has made landfall in the northern Philippines, lashing the area with heavy rains and winds of more than 225km/h (140mph).
Thousands of people in the path of storm Megi have fled their homes. Emergency services are on high alert and schools are closed in many areas.
Megi is the strongest storm the Philippines has faced for four years.
UK: Eurostar disruption between London and Brussels due to industrial action in Belgium - Sunday 17 - Monday 18 October [October 2010]
Eurostar 15 October 2010
Industrial action on Belgian railways from 2200 CET on Sunday 17 October until 2200 CET on Monday 18 October. No Eurostar trains will operate to Brussels during this period.
A very limited coach service will operate between Lille and Brussels and Eurostar expect heavy demand for these coaches and journey times will be significantly longer (by approximately 2 hours). We would therefore recommend that customers planning to travel between Belgium and the UK during this time postpone their journeys if possible. Customers whose travel to/from Brussels is essential should present themselves to a member of Eurostar staff at check-in.
Customers can exchange their Eurostar tickets free of charge within 60 days for a journey in the next 120 days. Further details below:
SUNDAY 17 OCTOBER
Train 9158, 19:34 departure London - Brussels has been retimed to leave at 17:27 in order to arrive prior to the closure of the Belgian rail network.
MONDAY 18 OCTOBER
All trains to / from Brussels are cancelled with the exception of train 9158, 19:34 departure London - Brussels, which will run.
Canada, Alberta: Air Canada flight makes emergency landing in Calgary [October 2010]
Anvil Group 15 October 2010
An Air Canada flight from Calgary to Toronto made an emergency landing at Calgary's airport yesterday after a hydraulic problem. Flight 1150 landed safely at Calgary International Airport. No one was injured. The aircraft was towed off the runway as a safety precaution. An Air Canada maintenance crew will be assessing the aircraft. The airline is hoping to get passengers on another flight as soon as possible.
Greek air traffic controllers to strike on 17Oct [October 2010]
Air traffic controllers have announced their participation in a 24 hour strike on 17 October. Severe disruptions are expected and passengers are advised to contact the airline they are travelling with for further information; however, if your flight was booked through ctms your agent should have already notified you of any action your airline has taken to re-accommodate you.
UK Airport chaos threat as Border staff to walk out this week [October 2010]
Mail Online 11 October 2010
Millions of travellers will face chaos next week when UK Border Agency staff responsible for passport control stage a two-day national strike.
Passengers travelling through airports and sea-ports, or on Eurostar and the Eurotunnel car transporter to the Continent, should brace themselves for delays and inconvenience at border control, officials have warned.
Around 600 immigration workers will be striking at Heathrow causing long queues and delays for passengers at Britain’s busiest airport.
Union bosses have confirmed a 48-hour strike will go ahead throughout Wednesday 13 and Thursday 14 with the prospect of more action to follow.
UPDATE: 12 October 2010
UK Border Agency
This strike will no longer affect airports or Eurostar and will be concentrated at ports in the southeat of the country only.
French strikes announced for Tuesday [October 2010]
EasyTravelReport.com 08 October 2010
French rail unions have confirmed another one day strike next week - Tuesday 12th October. Following further actions on the day, the strike may continue without further warning.
The strike is aimed at rail and metro services although travellers should be prepared that some other services may also be affected. Previous strikes have caused Air France to cancel some short haul flights
Belgium: Possible Industrial Action on Railways - Monday [October 2010]
Eurostar 07 October 2010
On Monday 11 October, there is a risk of industrial action on the Belgian railway network that would affect Eurostar services.
If it goes ahead, Eurostar will not be able to run any trains in and out of Brussels Midi between 22h00 on Sunday 10 October and 22h00 on Monday 11 October. This may also affect services to Lille Europe.
Clients already booked for Brussels or Lille (or with onward connections) during this period who would now rather travel at a different time may exchange their tickets for travel within three months.
UPDATE: 08 October 2010
Further to yesterday's communication, we can confirm that industrial action on the Belgian rail network planned for Monday 11 October will not affect international trains and Eurostar will be running a normal service.
Cyprus: Larnaca, Paphos airports to close during 2 strikes this month [October 2010]
The Anvil Group 06 October 2010
Airport workers are planning two strikes this month which will close the country's two largest airports. A ten hour strike is planned between 9am and 7pm on 15 October, followed by a 24 hour strike from 9am on 23 October. The strikes are being held due to the workers' objections to daily metal detector searches which they say are unnecessary and cause them excessive inconvenience as well as maintaining that they are put at risk by daily exposure to the electromagnetic waves emitted by the scanners, despite reassurances from officials.
Finland: Baggage handler strike to affect Finnair, Finncomm flights [October 2010]
The Anvil Group 06 Octoberr 2010
A walk-out by check-in and luggage handling staff is expected to hit provincial airports on Thursday and may also affect incoming luggage at Helsinki-Vantaa airport. National Conciliator, Esa Lonka, has said that he will continue to try and resolve the dispute which revolves around the RTG Ground Handling company's use of temporary workers and their pay and conditions.
Japan, U.S., Britain Issue Travel Alert for Europe [October 2010] 
MeetingsCanada.com
04 October 2010
Japan has issued a travel alert for Europe, joining the U.S. and Britain in warning of a possible terrorist attack by al-Qaeda or other groups.
The Foreign Ministry in Tokyo urged Japanese citizens to be cautious when using public transport or visiting popular tourist sites, issuing another blow to Europe’s tourism industry, which is just starting to recover from the global financial crisis.
European authorities – especially in Britain, France and Germany – tightened efforts to keep the public safe in the wake of warnings by officials that the terrorism threat is high and extra vigilance is warranted.
Last week, a Pakistani intelligence official said eight Germans and two British brothers were at the heart of an al-Qaeda-linked terror plot against European cities, but the plan was still in its early stages, with the suspects calling acquaintances in Europe to plan logistics.
At the time of posting, the Canadian government had not issued any alert or warning for Europe, a popular destination for incentive travel groups led by meeting and event planners .
UK, London: Tube Strike called [October 2010]
Transport for London 01 October 2010
The RMT and TSSA unions have called a 24 hour strike on the Tube next week. If the strike goes ahead, there is likely to be disruption to Tube services from early evening on Sunday 3 October and throughout Monday 4 October.
TfL will keep as many stations open as possible and will run as many trains as safely as they can. Please check before you travel to see
how services are affected.
TfL expect all other services, including London Overground, DLR and Tramlink, to run as normal, but they may be busier than usual.
In addition, extra Bus and River services will be in operation. Cycling or walking may also be practical options for many.
For the latest information and help planning your journeys, visit www.tfl.gov.uk
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