My flight was cancelled in the Heathrow power outage — but BA wouldn't give a full refund
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The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
What is the best way to get from Birmingham to Dubai?
Q Do I fly Emirates from Birmingham to Dubai direct for £600 return? Or should I choose Royal Jordanian from Stansted to Dubai, with one stop in Amman, for £341 return? Is it safe to travel that way, and would I still need a visa just passing through? Richard Tolton A Plenty to unpick here. First, the only time I flew between Dubai and Birmingham on Emirates, earlier this year, I was unimpressed. It is fair to say the airline does not put its freshest aircraft on the route – there's a marked difference compared with those used between London Heathrow and Dubai. The plane was around 90 minutes late. So, were I choosing a flight to the UAE, Emirates might not be at the top of my list. I am intrigued, though, that your alternative is Royal Jordanian from Stansted, which is a long way from Birmingham. But it is certainly a good choice. The link from the Essex airport to the Jordanian capital, Amman, is a reasonably recent addition. To help fill seats until it becomes fully established, Royal Jordanian is offering some attractive fares from Stansted to Dubai. The afternoon flight from the UK has a one-hour connection in Amman before the onward departure to the UAE. You need have no worries about this: Amman airport is modern and reasonably compact, and a swift 'airside' transfer should be easy. You will not clear passport control, and no visa is necessary. Royal Jordanian is a good airline. The downside from my point of view would be the 4am touchdown in Dubai. To keep the cost below £400 or so, I suggest Turkish Airlines from Gatwick via Istanbul. Ideally, you could build in a 24-hour stopover in Turkey's largest city, which would cut the air passenger duty (and therefore the fare) by £77. That is probably enough to pay for a hotel stay. Turkish is an excellent carrier. It also flies from Birmingham to Istanbul, with connections to Dubai, but fares are running at about £500 return – at which price point I would be looking at Emirates once again. Q We are heading to Korea in September, spending a lot of the trip in Seoul. What recommendations do you have for the city and for day excursions? Paul C A I salute your choice of destination and timing. South Korea does not yet get the number of tourists it deserves. The nation has many rewarding dimensions: a deep history, considerable natural beauty with impressive mountains, and a welcoming population. But perhaps like you, I am most attracted to the capital. Seoul combines startling modern architecture with tranquil temples and plenty of open space, plus energetic nightlife. Conveniently, the city offers good-value accommodation, even in the centre, and thousands of excellent places to eat and drink. While it has a hyper-efficient and affordable Metro system, walking is an excellent way to see Seoul. I particularly like the hike up to the Seoul Tower, and the linear park created from a former elevated highway running northeast from Seoul railway station. Day trips are easy. The signature excursion is to Panmunjom, the border village where North and South Korea scowl at one another across the DMZ (demilitarised zone). Many tours to the geopolitical scar are on offer, typically providing the chance to visit the hut in the middle of the DMZ where talks are occasionally held, and later, to peer across a valley into North Korea. The cost including transport from Seoul is around 100,000 won (£54). You must register your passport details several days in advance. For something different, spend a day on a triangular excursion. From Seoul station, take the half-hour train journey south to the small city of Suwon. As well as plenty of street art, there is an impressive fortress offering walks along the walls. Walk back to the station along the canal footpath. Suwon is on the southern extreme of the Seoul Metro, and you can skirt around the capital to the city of Incheon – a journey of around 80 minutes. (Incheon is also the name of the airport, but that is in a separate location.) The older parts of the city are scenic and include a substantial Chinatown. Returning to the centre of the city is easy by Metro. Q My wife and I are flying to Malaga on 27 September and not returning to the UK until 5 November. Given the new Schengen area rules taking effect on 12 October, what do you advise? Davey D A No subject in recent memory has caused such confusion and consternation as the introduction of the European Union's much-delayed entry-exit system (EES). As you say, the rollout across the Schengen area (the EU plus Iceland, Norway and Switzerland, but minus Ireland) will begin on Sunday 12 October. From that date, some British travellers crossing Schengen frontiers will go through a biometric check. On their first encounter with the EES, they will have to provide fingerprints (unless they are under 12) and a facial biometric. For subsequent crossings, only a photo of the face will be required. Yet on day one, most UK travellers crossing a Schengen area frontier – whether entering or leaving – will swerve the formalities. Initially, as few as one in 10 border posts will be running the entry-exit system. Even at those where the EES is in operation, only a modest proportion of travellers may be selected to have their biometric details registered. The last thing the European Union wants to see is long queues building up. It is feasible that some frontier posts will be running the EES from day one for both arriving and departing travellers. In such a case, travellers could be required to have their fingerprints and facial biometrics taken before travelling home. But I think it highly unlikely. By 5 November – several weeks later – it might be that you are called upon to register on the way out. That could prove useful for your next trip to the Schengen area. Again, though, the focus will be on arrivals, not departures. The key point to understand is that you will not need to prepare anything ahead of time; just do what you are told at the airport. It will be another year before you have to enrol for an Etias 'euro visa' ahead of a trip. Q We are currently stuck in Calgary due to the Air Canada strike. The offer from the airline is to fly three days later than we were booked. Can we buy a different ticket ourselves and reclaim the difference from the airline? Pete Dearing A What a Canadian kerfuffle. At the peak of the summer season, Air Canada has announced 'a complete cessation of flying' due to a planned strike by cabin crew. Members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees working for the airline voted overwhelmingly to walk out in a long and bitter dispute over what they describe as 'poverty pay'. When Air Canada received the strike notification, airline bosses decided to ground all flights from Saturday 16 August onwards. The move at least provides certainty that your Calgary-London flight will not be departing, rather than keeping you on tenterhooks. In line with Air Canada's promise, you have been 'notified of alternative travel options'. The airline has presumably rebooked you on one of its Star Alliance partners, such as Lufthansa or United. I can see options for this Sunday on Delta (not a Star partner) via Seattle or Minneapolis at around the £700 mark. Were you flying from the UK, you could buy such a ticket in the knowledge that Air Canada would need to reimburse the extra cost – it is required to get you to your destination as soon as possible on any airline with spare seats. But the same does not apply in the opposite direction. Because your flight is on a non-UK, non-EU airline and you are flying from outside Europe, standard air passengers' rights rules do not apply. Air Canada can choose when to assign you an alternative flight. Furthermore, the airline has no obligation to provide accommodation and meals while you wait, because a strike is regarded as being beyond its control. You have the unenviable choice of stumping up for extra hotel nights while you wait for the appointed flight, or buying an earlier ticket knowing that the airline will not pay for it. Travel insurance may help with extra hotel costs, so you might choose to stay put. Finally, if you are flying home via the US, note that you must obtain an Esta permit in advance, even though you merely want to change planes.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Kylie Jenner stuns fans with shock move amid Timothee Chalamet breakup rumors
has shocked fans with her latest move amid Timothee Chalamet breakup rumors. The 28-year-old beauty mogul - who recently sported a racy look for a girls' night out - has been embroiled in split speculation with the actor, 29, after the pair were last seen together over five weeks ago. However, the TV personality seemingly proved that all is well between the two when she reportedly liked Timothee's latest Instagram post on Wednesday, per E! News. While Daily Mail could not verify if Kylie had liked or possibly unliked the post, her mom Kris and sister Kendall's likes are still on full display on the post. He uploaded a new trailer for his upcoming film Marty Supreme, and they also showed their support for the Oscar-nominated star. It comes after the stars were last spotted together on July 5 during a vacation to St. Tropez, France. While Daily Mail could not verify if Kylie had liked or possibly unliked the post, her mom Kris and sister Kendall's likes are still on full display on the post The actor was also notably absent from Kylie's birthday celebration which took place over the past weekend. However, the reason for the pair's 40 days apart has now been explained. Timothee has been busy filming the sequel Dune: Part Three in Hungary, where he plays the character Paul Atreides in the third installment of the Dune franchise. 'Timothee is busy making a movie and the schedule is grueling because he is in so many scenes, he is the star,' a source told Daily Mail. 'So he has to be very focused and together to do his best work.' Even from a distance, the reality star gives him all the support he needs, added the insider. 'She helps him out as much as she can, like give him space to work and have her private jet on standby in case he needs to go somewhere fast.' The source continued, 'Kylie is a good girlfriend to him. She is always there and wants him to be happy, and if that means he has to be overseas for a few months, she is OK with it, she will wait. She also secretly jets off to see him when she can. 'Of course she misses her man and her heart hurts when he is not near, but she makes it work.' Timothee has been shooting in Budapest for the third Dune film, with his other co-stars being Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Robert Pattinson, Anya Taylor-Joy, Florence Pugh and Jason Momoa. Dune Messiah will be in theatres on December 16, 2026. The IMDB logline for the film is brief: 'The film follows Muad'dib, heir to unimaginable power, as he brings to fruition the ancient scheme to create a superbeing ruler among men, not in the heavens.' Dune Messiah is a 1969 science fiction novel by American writer Frank Herbert, the second in his Dune series of six novels. A sequel to Dune, it was originally serialized in Galaxy magazine in 1969, and then published by Putnam the same year. Kylie and Timothee started dating in January 2023, were rumored to be an item in April 2023 and then they went public with their romance in September 2023. Their first red carpet together was at the 70th David Di Donatello event at Cinecitta Studios in Rome, Italy on May 7, 2025. In early July, Kylie started following Timothee on Instagram. The businesswoman boasts almost 400million followers on the photo-sharing site, but she is quite choosy about who she follows, with only 119 profiles making the cut. However, one of those is now her boyfriend of two years. Fans of TyMothée - the pair's most popular ship name - have been driven into a frenzy after spotting Kylie has allowed the A Complete Unknown actor into her close social circle. However, at the time of writing, the follow is yet to be reciprocated. The actor has 19.7 million Instagram followers, and has only shared 147 posts, compared with Kylie's whopping 7,244 posts. But the Kardashians star shouldn't feel snubbed because he doesn't follow anybody on Instagram. Kylie is mom to Stormi, seven, and Aire, three - whom she shares with ex and rapper Travis Scott. And Timothee has had the chance to meet her children. A source told People in April that the two stars are 'making it work' and added, 'Kylie is truly his biggest fan. 'She would clear her schedule to attend awards and premieres with him. She couldn't be more supportive of his career.' The insider added, 'When they are in LA together, he spends time with her kids too. Her family loves that she's dating him. They have seen such positive changes in Kylie. She's the happiest.' Earlier this month, Kylie celebrated her 28th birthday on August 10 - and jumped to Instagram to share special moments from her intimate bash. She was joined by close family and pals for the special occasion while being able to indulge in more than one sugary cake. One of the desserts was covered in white frosting and colorful sprinkles while the other was covered with raspberries. In the caption of the Instagram carousel, she gave a shout out to her older sister Kendall for planning the party. The group also had a blast painting outdoors and later enjoyed a tasty dinner as well as the yummy cake for dessert. 'best birthday ever!!!!!!! I'm so grateful to my family and friends for making this weekend so special and full of love. 28 feels so good!!!!!' The Kylie Cosmetics founder added, 'and to my sister @kendalljenner thank you from the bottom of my heart for planning everything so perfectly. I'm so lucky to have you.'
BBC News
7 hours ago
- BBC News
'Bus fares eat my budget': Under-22s join call for free travel
Young people have told the BBC the "extortionate" cost of bus travel in England means they socialise less and struggle to pay rent. A report by MPs has recommended everyone under the age of 22 should get free bus travel to help them get into work and education - similar to in Department for Transport says it is already spending "£1bn in multi-year funding to improve the reliability and frequency of bus services across the country".But the BBC has heard from people aged 22 and under who say bus fares are too expensive and eat into their food budget. 'I get hungry at college but can't afford snacks' Maisy Moazzenkivi, 18, lives in Coventry with her mum, dad and brother, and travels almost two hours each way to get to college, four days a has a disability bus pass because of her autism, meaning she pays less for travel than her friends. However, she still spends £8 a day on getting to college as her free travel allowance only kicks in after 09:30, half an hour after she needs to be says money she spends on travel eats into what she would otherwise spend on food and snacks throughout the day. "Sometimes, when I finish college I'm really hungry and just want to get a meal deal or something for the way home, but it's so expensive on top of everything. I'm very lucky that I can go home and my family can feed me, but not everyone has that." If bus travel was free, Maisy says she would be able to socialise more, and save for "luxury items". "I know it doesn't sound like a big deal, or an essential item, but one day, I'd love to save for a Juicy Couture tracksuit," she said. 'I don't understand how it's so extortionate' Gracie Moore, 22, lives in Slough and catches the bus every day to and from work, which costs her £120 a month."For someone who is not earning much more than minimum wage, it's quite a big expenditure," says Gracie who works as an administration assistant for a care home says the high cost of travel for young people makes it difficult to navigate having a job and a social costs are "absolutely" a factor which stop her from moving out from her family home, she says."I have less independence this way, but I'm paying so much less."Gracie previously lived in Madrid, where she enjoyed unlimited travel on bus, train, tube, and tram) for only €8 (£6.90) a month with a young person's travel card. "I don't understand how it's so extortionate here when other countries in Europe subsidise it so well," she says. "I just don't know how the price of transport here can be justified." 'Free bus pass would make a big difference' Originally from Nepal, Nikita Upreti, 20, is an international student studying at University College Birmingham. She says the rising price of travel means it is getting "harder" to pay for her bus pass each month. When Nikita first moved to Birmingham in September 2024, a monthly bus pass with a student discount cost her £49. Now, it costs her £53."The student discount is not helping us anymore," she says. Nikita also works 20 hours a week as a waitress. Despite working the maximum amount of hours her university will allow her to while studying, she still struggles to pay her rent while juggling the rising cost of living. She says that free bus travel "would make a big difference" to her life. "I could spend the money I save on groceries and things that would help my education. It would be really helpful."
