UK watchdog tells TripAdvisor's British website to remove certain claims.

Last September we talked about the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority investigating TripAdvisor‘s British website to see if their claims that the site truly offered “trusted advice from real travellers” was accurate.

Well the ASA says that’s not quite the case.

The complaint was brought against TripAdvisor by KwikChex Ltd and two hotels who took issue with TripAdvisor’s claims including  ”TripAdvisor offers trusted advice from real travellers” and “More than 50 million honest travel reviews and opinions from real travellers around the world” claiming they were misleading and that reviews couldn’t actually be verified.

TripAdvisor countered that they used advanced and highly effective fraud detection systems and dedicated substantial resources to identifying and minimizing any non-genuine content. They also pointed to the fact that many hotels use TripAdvisor reviews on their own websites.

While noting that TripAdvisor did have systems in place to verify reviews and even offered hotels a chance to respond to reviews it wasn’t enough and the ASA ruled that the website’s claims that reviews were from real travellers, or were honest, real or trusted had to be removed from the British site.

According to Travel Industry Today TripAdvisor’s British website removed the word trust last year.

I’ve always said to be weary of TripAdvisor reviews but the website is still a good resource. If a large percentage of reviews for one particular hotel are bad and there’s a large enough sample size chances are you don’t want to stay there.

But if you see a couple of bad reviews for a hotel sprinkled in with mostly complimentary ones don’t let it bother you. Chances are you’re going to enjoy that hotel just fine.

You can read the ASA’s ruling here.

What's better than a tropical vacation? How about paying only $25 for that vacation.

At TravelTST we always strive to get our customers the best deal on their vacation.

But we outdid ourselves this time.

All of us at TravelTST would like to congratulate Brandie and Beverly Bradshaw who are heading to the Holiday Inn Puerto Vallarta for $25.

Yes you read that right, $25.

But we can’t take all the credit.

The $25 price tag comes courtesy of Transat Holidays who are celebrating their 25th anniversary by giving away 25 vacations for $25.

But don’t worry if you weren’t one of the lucky 25 as Transat and TravelTST are offering exceptional anniversary sale prices to sun destinations and Europe. So be sure to keep checking TravelTST.ca for the anniversary specials.

The airport improvement fee is going up at YVR.

Vancouver International Airport plans to spend $1.8 billion over the next decade to spruce itself up so it can remain competitive in the marketplace.

What does this mean for the travelling public?

It means that the airport improvement fee will jump from $15 to $20 come May 1 for those travelling outside of B.C. For those travelling within B.C. and the Yukon it will remain $5.

But YVR does point out, and I assume they wouldn’t lie about this, that the airport improvement fee at most other major airports in the country is $25.

What does YVR plan to spend the money on first?

- More than 700 metres of secure corridors and moving walkways to reduce connection times for passengers

- New high-speed baggage systems

- Upgrades to the original areas of the 1968 Domestic Terminal Building

- Runway safety enhancements

Fun fact: the top grossing movie in 1968 was 2001: A Space Odyssey.

San Francisco International's yoga room.

I can’t believe Vancouver International Airport didn’t think of this first.

Today San Francisco International Airport opened its yoga room.

Yeah, a yoga room.

“When we began to remodel Terminal 2, one of our goals was not just to bring the glamour back to air travel, but to also make the entire experience less stressful and more enjoyable,” said Airport Director John L. Martin in a statement on the airport’s website.

Soon we’ll never have to leave airports, everything we could possibly want or need will be available in them.

If you want to check the room out next time you fly out of San Fran it’s located just past security in the airport’s recently renovated Terminal 2.

To describe the room I have to quote the website because nothing else could do it justice.

“Drawing inspiration from contemporary color and light artists, the architects of Terminal 2, Gensler, designed a room enveloped in a calming blue color. A floating wall symbolizes a buoyant spirit and enlightened mind. Large, felt-constructed rocks (to be installed later this Spring) will be arranged throughout in a nod to the Zen garden spaces of the Japanese tradition. Light levels are set low and warm in juxtaposition to the bright, light filled concourse.”

No word in the news release posted on the site whether there are any change rooms nearby as there’s nothing worse than getting on a plane all sweaty after a downward dog – I would think.

But cruise ships have stringent safeguards and regulations in place designed to keep passengers safe.

The International Maritime Organization, a UN body that overseas the design and operation of cruise ships, regulates the cruise industry. The IMO mandates global standards for the safety and operation of cruise ships through the adoption of treaties, regulations and resolutions.

Due to these regulations tragedies such as the Costa Concordia are extremely rare.

Between 2005-2010 there were 16 marine-casualty related deaths out of almost 100 million cruise passengers worldwide.

On a personal note our thoughts are with those who were onboard the Costa Concordia. Travelling should be a joyous experience and when something like this happens it hits close to home.

But more and more the Latin American country is becoming a popular spot for tourists.

But apparently there has been some confusion over the entry and exit requirements which prompted the folks at Thomas Cook to issue this reminder about said requirements:

• Canadians intending to visit Costa Rica require a valid Canadian passport and the passport must be valid for at least 90 days from the date of arrival in Costa Rica.
•Passengers are responsible for payment of a local departure tax of US$28 per person upon leaving Costa Rica. Please note this amount can change without notice.

Forget something? In 2010 travellers left over $400,000 in change at airport security in US airports.

Beep beep beep beep beep beep.

Yeah you forgot to take that spare change out of your pocket. Okay go back to the tub and throw it in.

But now you’re behind schedule and in a rush and what oh no you forgot to take that $0.20 with you.

It might not seem like a lot but the spare change that travellers leave behind going through airport security adds up.

In the United States in 2010 it added up to more than $409,000 according to the Transportation Safety Administration.

That’s more than the president’s salary!

The airport that raked in the most change was New York’s JFK, which collected $46,918.06 followed by LAX which found $19,110.83.

But where does that money go?

The answer won’t shock you, the TSA keeps it and gets to spend it on security.

(NY Daily News)

One of the Sirenis La Salina's three story buildings.

I’ve been meaning to write this entry for a while but got caught up doing winter related things.

But I needed a break from the cold so it’s a perfect time to reflect on my recent trip to Varadero, Cuba. More specifically reflect on the resort I stayed at.

That resort was the Sirenis La Salina.

The Sirenis La Salina is a beachfront, four-star resort which features over 1000 rooms, but you’d never know there were that many rooms based on the layout.

The Sirenis sits on a big piece of property and the rooms are in a series of three story buildings which stretch from the lobby to the beach.

I was lucky, my room was near the beach and had a partial oceanview and it was only a 10 minute walk to the lobby and buffet (I do walk REALLY fast though).

The grounds are expansive but the walk is pleasant and lined with statues but if you really don’t feel like making it there are golf carts on site.

I won’t go into detail about the beach because I’m sure you already know about Varadero’s beaches, they’re fantatsic.

The rooms at the Sirenis are spacious with big bathrooms and each have a balcony or terrace.

Aside from the buffet the resort has seven a la carte restaurants including Japanese, Italian, Mediterranean, gourmet, Creole, a steakhouse and Mexican.

I only went to one a la carte, and I can’t remember which one, but the food was essentially the same as it was at the buffet but the ambiance was pleasant.

The food in Cuba doesn’t come from the same places as it does in other Caribbean countries due to the longstanding trade embargo the United States has imposed over Cuba which means that the resorts can’t buy food from America.

A towel octopus compliments of the cleaning staff.

But wherever they get their food from it’s still tasty.

However on my next trip to Cuba I will take two things with me: ketchup and syrup.

The ketchup in Cuba tasted different and I was hard pressed to find syrup for my french toast.

The resort has two pools, one quiet the other active where members of the entertainment staff will play games with the guests.

At night the entertainment staff hit the stage for performances. There are seven different shows so you’ll never see the same thing in a week.

Make sure you check out the aquatic show that they perform in the activity pool, it’s amazing what they can do in only four feet of water.

After the shows are over you can head to the dance club across from the theatre and party into the morning.

But the most wonderful part of the resort is the staff.

I met many guests there that come back to the resort over and over again and have become friends with staff members and it’s easy to see how.

The staff treat the guests like family.

Both Porter and Air Canada operate short haul flights out of the airport to a range of destinations including Montreal, Toronto and beginning in April Washington D.C.

It’s much more convenient for many people than making the trip out to neighbouring Mississauga to board a plane at Pearson as Toronto Island is just a hop, skip and a jump from the city’s downtown core.

Or at least it soon will be.

Passengers currently have to take a short ferry ride to reach the island but next month construction will start on a new pedestrian tunnel to the island the Toronto Star reports.

The Star says that the tunnel will be 240 metres long and will be both above and below ground.

So travelling from Toronto the easy way just got even easier.

Today’s passport tidbit comes courtesy of the Canadian government.

Starting Apr. 30 Canadians travelling to the Dominican Republic will need to present their passport when entering the country.

Currently Canadians entering the country via direct flight can get through customs with photo ID, such as a drivers license and proof of citizenship, such as a birth certficate. Travellers must also have a return air ticket.

However Foreign Affairs Canada warns on its website that when Canadians are returning to Canada and present documents other than a passport they may face delays or be denied boarding their plane.

Easier to just start carrying your passport now.