Flights

We contract special rates on the leading scheduled carriers to each destination. Our best fares are almost always available only when you are booking an inclusive tour so it is well worth your while to tell us about all of your holiday plans at one time, rather than booking flights and the rest of your holiday separately.

Cabin Upgrades
The typical seat pitch in economy cabins used on our routes is 31” to 32” and the aircraft used are wide-bodied Boeing 747s and Airbus. For greater room and comfort, we offer upgrades to ‘enhanced’ economy, business or first class cabins at reasonable rates.
 
Special Requests
If you have a special request, please give us the details when you first contact us. The allocation of specific airline seats is not in our direct control and so we cannot accept it as a contractual condition. However, if you book ahead and confirm rapidly, we willingly request seating on airlines that allow this. These cannot be guaranteed as airlines reserve the right to switch aircraft with different seat configurations and only a minority of seats on a flight can be allocated prior to check in.
 
Airport hotels and parking
If you need to overnight near the airport at the beginning or end of your holiday, or park your car while you are away, we have access to competitive rates for hotels and car parks close to Heathrow, Gatwick and some regional airports.

When to book
Flights and fares are loaded into the airlines’ reservations systems about 11 months ahead; this is when you should plan for Christmas or special events, especially if you have a seating preference. There is everything to gain by booking early and nothing to lose; the days of unsold seats being discounted close to travel are long gone!

Baggage Allowances
There is now quite a difference between airlines on baggage allowances, excess baggage charges and cabin baggage allowances and policy. Please check the details with your carrier using the links on this page or ask your consultant.

E-Tickets
Electronic tickets (or e-tickets) have now replaced paper tickets on all flights from the UK and most other routes.

An e-ticket is a record in the airline computers. It has a unique locator and an e-ticket number, both of which are recognised by the airline and link your data with the reservation. We will print this out for you but in some instances we may also email it to you as well. You could simply write down the two important numbers but most people print the full record.

To check in with an e-ticket, go to the check-in counter and present the confirmation or reservation code. In some airlines it's not even necessary to present the code, as the reservation is confirmed solely on the basis of the passenger's identity. After confirming the reservation, you check in your luggage and receive a boarding pass.
 
Check in
Currently the airlines are requesting that you check in at least 2½ to 3 hours prior to departure for inter-continental flights and at least one hour prior to departure for domestic flights in the UK and Africa.

Online Check In
You can now check in online with some airlines from 30 hours to as little as 3 hours before departure.

This means you can choose your preferred seat and print out your boarding pass at your convenience. At the airport, you drop off your luggage at the dedicated online check in drop off point and proceed to the boarding gate. Use the airline links to see if your carrier is now offering online check in from your departure airport.