Travel

Are you thinking about jetting off for some sunshine, soaking up some culture on a mini-break, or visiting some loved ones abroad? If you are, then there’s a number of potential scams that you should be aware of when booking your next trip. Which? magazine have highlighted a recently released report from Lloyds Banking Group warning their customers about holiday scams. Their findings show that between November 2021 and March 2024, the most common travel scams were: Fake flight tickets – most of these scams take place on social media where scammers create fake adverts or pretend to sell airline tickets they’re no longer using, for an upfront payment. They then disappear once they have been paid. Fake holiday home or cottage rentals – scammers use booking websites such as Airbnb, with a fake photo. They will take deposits or upfront payments through the legitimate site, then ask for further payments via bank transfer or PayPal. It’s not until the victims arrive at their holiday accommodation that they find out it’s not legitimate.   Caravan purchase scams – scammers lure their victims by using photos of the caravans that they’ve taken either from real adverts or from Googe. They then offer temping deals for payments up-front. Booking scams – after hacking into booking systems and posing as genuine hotels on real booking sites such as Booking.com, scammers then steal banking or card details. Camping trips – one of the most common holiday scams is when holidaymakers are duped into the purchase of camping items on social media. Which? magazine gives a guide on how to get your money back if you’ve been scammed in the ways above. Tips on how to prevent holiday scams Lloyds Bank offer the following advice on how to evade scammers when booking your next trip: Book directly with the airline or hotel. Use reliable retailers to book through.  Check the reviews on websites such as TripAdvisor to check what you’re booking before you do it. Always use a credit or debit card. You’ll have some protection if anything untoward happens.  When booking on Booking.com or Airbnb only ever pay through their system, never agree to pay directly with the vender. If you receive a message asking for more money, always query it. You can do this by contacting the hotel directly by telephone or contact Booking.com directly to confirm things.  Be very careful when buying items on social media. Always visit in person and view the merchandise before handing over any money. If it looks to good to be true, it usually is! Don’t be rushed into anything. Always take notice of warnings from your bank and follow any advice provided. If you’re not sure if these are genuine, call your branch or pop in and ask them. 

Jersey Airport have issued an important update about British Airways flights. From 1 September 2023 all British Airways passengers will be required to show photographic ID for domestic flights when checking in and out at the departure gate. For details on requirements go to: Passports, visas and API | Information | British Airways  

We’re often contacted by islanders asking what to do when they think they’ve been scammed. If you think you've been targeted by fraudsters or fallen victim to a scam and lost money, report it to the States of Jersey Police on 612 612 or visit fraudprevention.je Get advice about cyber security by calling 500 050 or emailing hello@cert.je. CERTJE is run by security experts who can advise on risk and provide expert assistance in the case of a cyber security incident. Check out the latest scams with Which?: The latest scam alerts from Which? - Which? News

The terrible wildfires in Greece and other parts of Europe have made travel and holiday plans uncertain for lots of people. If you’ve been affected by travel disruption or are preparing to go away, Which? have put together a help guide to travel advice and compensation. Find out more here.

Most airlines let you check in a fully collapsible pushchair for free, but some different restrictions apply regarding the size and weight of the pushchair and where it needs to be stored on the plane. To avoid being hit by extra charges when you check in make sure you’re aware of the restrictions. If you're flying with Jet2, for example, you’ll need to make sure that it weighs no more than 10kg. But with British Airways, the dimensions of your pushchair must not exceed 117 x 38 x 38cm. In Which magazine last month, they published a handy chart that gives details of the requirements for each airline. Airline Hold or cabin Weight or size restriction Air Canada Hold Must not exceed 25.5 x 92cm when folded. Larger strollers are subject to space limitations on the day, so are not guaranteed. Aer Lingus Hold  None. Air Malta  Hold  None. American Airlines Hold Stollers over 9kg must be handed in at the check-in desk. All other stollers can be checked in at the gate before boarding. British Airways  Hold Must not exceed 117 x 38 x 38cm. Cathay Pacific  Both No restrictions for the hold. Storing in the cabin is permitted if there is space on the day - must not exceed 7kg and 36 x 23 x 56cm Delta Hold None. EasyJet  Hold  None. Emirates Both For the cabin: ask at the check-in whether there's space on-board. No weight or size restrictions  Etihad Airways  Hold None. Eurowings  Both No restrictions for the hold. For the cabin: it must be a 'pocket buggy' - see airline's size restrictions for carry-on baggage. Jet2 Hold Must not exceed 10kg KLM Both For the cabin: must not exceed 15 x 30 x 100cm Lurthansa Both No restrictions for the hold. For storing in the cabin, it must be a 'pocket buggy' - see airline's size restrictions for carry-on baggage.  Malaysia Airlines  Hold  Max weight: 10kg Norwegian  Hold  None. Qatar Airways  Hold  None. Ryanair  Hold  None. SAS Hold Max weight: 23kg. Singapore Airlines Both Sum of length, width and height of stroller should not exceed 115cm for cabin. Max weight: 7kg Swiss Both No restrictions for the hold. For storing in the cabin, it must be a 'pocket buggy' - see airline's size restrictions for carry-on baggage.  TAP Air Portugal  Hold  None. TUI Hold  None. United Airlines  Both No restrictions for the hold. For the cabin: must not exceed 9 x 14 x 22in Virgin Atlantic Both No restrictions for the hold. For in the cabin, the following foldable buggies are permitted: GB Pocket, Britax Holiday, Silver Cross Jet, Babyzen YoYo. Vueling Both For the cabin: must not exceed 55 x 40 x 20cm. Max weight 10kg. Wizz Air Hold  None. For other handy travel tips check out our latest newsletter.

The Unite union has said that nearly a thousand airport workers will take strike action at Gatwick Airport this summer. The BBC reports that the strike action will disrupt travel from Friday 28 July to Tuesday 1 August, and then again from Friday August to Tuesday 8 August. Airlines that will be affected include, British Airways, Easy Jet, Ryanair, Tui, and Wizz. It’s sometimes difficult to think about the worst-case scenarios before we go away, but we strongly advise that you always have travel insurance – especially with so much talk of travel disruption this summer. There’s a whole host of reasons why you need to make sure you’re covered every time you leave the Island, no matter the length of your trip – from unexpected medical expenses to last minute cancellations. Here's our Travel Insurance Checklist to help ensure you have the best travel over: The distinction between European and worldwide cover might seem simple, but some travel insurers have different ways of classifying your journey. Check what counts as Europe and what counts as Worldwide when booking your insurance, and make sure that you’re definitely covered for all the places you’re visiting. If you need cover for risky activities, such as skiing, then you must declare this, or you won’t be covered. You may be better buying an annual policy rather than single trip cover, depending on the nature of your trip – especially if there’s a chance you may travel again at some point in the next 12 months. Single-trip cover insures you for one specific journey, whereas annual policies (sometimes referred to as 'multi-trip' policies) provide you with ongoing cover throughout the year, though they usually have limitations on the number of days travel they'll cover. Generally speaking, annual policies tend to be more expensive than single-trip policies, but they become more cost-effective the more you travel. Travelling with your partner or your family? You have the option of covering everyone under the same policy, which might work out cheaper. However, if one of the travellers in your party needs specialist cover due to their age or medical conditions, it may increase the cost of the policy. A good travel insurance policy should provide cover for illness, injury or death and repatriation. Check that the policy covers all the following: Liability for accidents involving others The airline going out of business Natural disasters or natural events such as volcanic ash clouds or severe weather Political instability Security risks For more travel tips and questions answered read our Spring magazine.