Fifth of parents aged 50+ have visited children living or holidaying abroad Parents aged over-65 most likely to ‘gatecrash’ their child’s gap year or holiday Post Office Travel Insurance extends its annual multi-trip insurance policy to the over-65s.

With many young adults expected to take a gap year to avoid the credit crunch, research from Post Office Travel Insurance reveals they could be receiving some unexpected guests. A fifth of parents (21 per cent) aged50+ with children that have lived or holidayed abroad, said they had visited their child to broaden their own horizons.
Most intrepid are those parents aged over-65 with almost half (48 per cent) admitting to ‘gate crashing’ their child’s gap year or holiday.

With economising at the heart of many travellers’ plans at present, one in five (19 per cent) of people from all age groups said they plan to holiday with friends and family abroad this year. Once again it is the over-65’s who form one of the biggest groups – 32 per cent said they have already taken advantage of a family member living abroad or in the UK, or plan to so later this year.

Despite their willingness to travel, it’s not always easy for over-65s to get travel insurance, with many providers simply not offering policies to this age group. The Post Office’s research reveals that 14 per cent of those aged 65+ have struggled to get insurance in the past. To make life easier, the Post Office has recently extended its annual, multi-trip insurance policy to cater for over-65s.

Rachel Croft, Post Office head of travel insurance, said: “Many children may use their gap year as a chance to get away from their parents, only to find mum and dad have plans of their own to tag along! For parents, being able to stay with their child whilst they are living abroad means they can holiday for less, but often leads to them travelling to new places and holidaying for longer, making it even more important to have adequate travel insurance in place.

“We understand that finding affordable travel insurance can prove difficult for older travellers and can lead to people having to take out policies that impose high costs or heavy stipulations, which is why we are extending our multi-annual travel insurance policy to the over- 65s.“We hope this move will signal the end for seniors to have to buy expensive single trip policies every time they go on holiday. Instead they can now buy one simple policy to cover all their trips for the year, including trips to stay with children living abroad on gap years.”

Issued by Post Office Ltd:0207 250 2468100 Victoria EmbankmentLondonEC4Y 0HQ www.postoffice.co.uk

Notes to Editors
All figures are from Yogi Plc. Total sample size was 2024 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 3rd – 6th July 2009. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).

About Post Office Travel Services: The Post Office offers single trip policies (no upper age limit and cover available for a maximum of 90 days) and annual multi-trip policies (age limit 74 years). A range of great value extras is also available, including extended baggage, excess waiver and golf cover. The annual multi-trip policy provides cover for any number of trips in a 12-monthperiod, up to a maximum of 31 days’ per trip. The Post Office was voted Best Travel Insurance Company for the third year in a row at the 2008British Travel Awards.
The Post Office is also the UK’s largest bureau de change provider offering over 70 different currencies with 0 per cent commission on all foreign currency and travellers’ cheques. The Post Office pre-paid Travel Money Card offers customers a secure and convenient way to carry their holiday money and the Post Office Credit Card is one of the few to offer 0 per cent commission on overseas purchases,
The Post Office also provides a range of other great value travel services including EHIC forms, passport check and send service and photos and international money transfers.
About Fortis: Fortis Insurance Limited is a leading provider of award-winning personal and commercial lines insurance solutions in the UK. As the fourth largest travel insurer in the UK, insuring in the region of 3 million travellers, Fortis boasts a highly skilled team who on hand 24/7/365 days a year, to provide the very best service to their travel insurance policyholders. Over nearly 30 years Forties’ Assistance International and its team of multi-lingual staff have built an enviable and solid base of experience in managing a network of agents worldwide. Forties is consistently recognised for delivering high-quality customer experiences and links quality of service to speed of settlement. Fortis Insurance Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

Tags: British Gas, Gap year, Holiday, Holiday Activities, The Post Office, Travel, Travel Insurance

BT customers can continue to benefit from the convenience of paying for and towards their BT telephone services at Post Office branches. The Post Office and BT have extended their long-standing relationship by a further three-year period, from September 2011 to the end of September 2014.

The agreement will enable BT customers to pay for their quarterly bills by cash, cheque or debit card at any of the UK’s 11,500 Post Office branches.

Also, customers can continue to save towards their quarterly bill by making regular payments using their BT payment card in Post Office branches.

John Petter, MD, Consumer, BT Retail said “BT customers have the widest of choice of payment options in the UK, which includes payment at the 11,500 Post Offices around the country where they can pay their bills or make payments towards their next bill via their BT payment card. We are delighted to continue our relationship with the Post Office and give our customers another convenient way of paying their bill. ”

Post Office marketing director Gary Hockey-Morley said: “BT customers enjoy the convenience of paying for or towards their bill at the same time as posting a parcel or buying their foreign currency at the Post Office. We are delighted to extend our long-standing and valued relationship with BT, which allows our mutual customers to continue paying at their local Post Office.”

In addition to paying bills, customers can access a wide range of other services at their local Post Office, such as banking and financial services including free cash access over the counter, travel services including travel insurance, passports and commission-free currency, and mail and postal services.

Tags: Banking, Banking and Insurance, BT, Insurance, Passport, The Post Office, Travel Insurance

You drive off the ferry, full of love for your European cousins, desperate to enjoy that once a year driving in France experience, only to be cut up by your first Clio, and you’ll soon be swearing like a trooper and gesturing in such a fashion that Entente Cordiale had drained right out of your car.

Okay, lets get one thing straight right away. If you’re heading off across the Channel, then get car breakdown cover in France. Don’t risk it. The cost of taking out good cover will not only give you peace of mind, but it could also save you a fortune.

But back to the French roads. The French do generally give a wider berth to cars with foreign number plates. It’s almost as if they know the average foreign driver does not have a steel stomach and a brain which seems to weigh up dangers with a different mathematical formula than most.

Take the average French driver along one of their ‘A’ roads. Not a motorway, or a dual-carriageway, but a straightforward road that links say two towns, with a couple of sleepy villages in between.

Firstly, the speed limit of 90 kilometres per hour (kph) – that’s 56 mph in old money, note some 4 mph slower than the national British speed limit) is only there so that some French people are employed making, erecting and maintaining speed signs. After that, it has no purpose.

Secondly, a long line of cars, with the odd lorry thrown in, all behind a lost Dutchman pulling his 75 metre caravan in first gear, is seen as a challenge by the average French driver. It is something to be overcome. This is best done by revving the old Peugeot up to 100 kph, pulling out once there’s nothing coming for at least 20 metres, then hurtling down the long line of traffic on the wrong side of the road, whilst lighting up the fifth Gauloise in four minutes, chatting animatedly to the passenger about the meaning of life and trying to stop the dog in the back licking the baguette.

It’s also best to ignore flashing lights, blaring horns and gestures, and once pass the caravan, swerve majestically across to the right side of the road and gun the Peugeot a bit more, because if you take the village at warp factor six, you’re going to get through quicker.

As for foreigners, don’t ignore the speed limits (or take a suitcase of bank notes instead), enjoy the motorway speed limit of 130 kph (81 mph), unless its raining, when it is 110 kph, and remember to take the warning triangle with you, just in case you do break down. And nowadays, you need a fluorescent jacket as well. It’s so that bloke doing warp factor six can see you and hopefully miss you.

All very French and oddly, quite charming. And the reason why you need good car breakdown cover in France.

Tags: Car Breakdown, Car Insurance, Cars, France, Holiday Activities, Holiday Transportation, Holidays, Overseas Driving, Travel, Travel Insurance

Most parents have their own horror stories when it comes to travelling with children and when you decide which car breakdown service to use, when it comes to your offspring, make sure you get one which offers the full recovery service.

Kids and cars don’t always mix that well, because usually the former don’t really comprehend the complexities of driving. Most kids don’t understand the tensions and passions that can be aroused by getting behind the wheel.

They see their parents up front, turning a black round bit of plastic in their hands, kicking their feet at something underneath their seat and pushing backwards and forwards the strange knobbly thing in their hands.

They might hear their parents shout something strange at a taxi driver, question a pedestrians parentage, or indulge in strange gestures at people outside.

It’s a good job that when it comes to comparing rescue and recovery services, there isn’t an option for a reduced price when a child in involved.

Then of course there’s that attention seeking thing, when kids get a tad jealous that the car is getting a bit more of mummy’s attention than it should. A child usually corrects this by either picking up their Mummy’s handbag and emptying the contents all over the inside of the car, or taking the top off their juice drink and pouring the contents over Mummy’s head. The child quickly learns that this tactic tends not to work with Daddy, who immediately pulls over, bellows like a lion, jumps up and down outside, and threatens his offspring with the orphanage.

Then there’s boredom, which is why God invented that great phrase: “…are we there yet?” It is, for the average child, guaranteed to get a rise from their parents so it must be used liberally throughout a journey. Firstly, it can be fired off when the car is still in the drive, just when the parents are going through their pre-flight checks, including “…I thought you switched the gas off.” The phrase can then be used at each stress point, including when the map reading goes wrong, just after the policeman has finished lecturing Daddy about a 20mph speed zone and when the tail-back has lasted ten minutes. At this stage, it’s best to keep repeating it over and over, and over, until the parents turn a funny beetroot colour.

Which is why of course many children nowadays get their way and as soon as the journey starts, are either given an iPod, or a Nintendo to wile away the hours.

But, apart from making sure that the kids seats are of the proper type and quality, and that they are firmly strapped during the duration of the nightmare, there’s little you can do to alleviate the stresses of travelling with children.

Just ensure, when considering car breakdown UK, that you go for the complete works. You’ll certainly need it, should the worse happen, and you’re stranded with the kids somewhere, the Nintendo battery flat and the iPod stuck on a Britney classic.

Are we there yet?

Tags: Car Breakdown, Cars, Child Safety, Children, Holiday Transportation, Travel, Travel Insurance, Travel Sickness

The beautiful country of Mexico is situated in the North American continent and boasts of various exotic tourist destinations. Grasslands, high rugged mountains, exquisite desert locations and tropical rainforests are perfect examples of nature’s beauty and are sure to have a spellbinding effect on you (tourist).

There may be some unpleasant and unsafe places in Mexico that may have a high crime rate. These places may also witness thefts, rapes and drug-related violence quite often. Therefore, it is recommended that you avoid traveling to such places.

You may also have apprehensions about traveling to Mexico due to the recent Swine flu outbreak. Many parts of Mexico have been affected by the flu. The Pandemic Threat Alert Phase of the WHO has been kept at level five. Also, hundreds of people have fallen prey to this H1N1 influenza. It has also affected the natives of other nations who had visited Mexico and this way, the Swine flu has spread to other countries such as the U.S. and Canada. All these facts may make a serious dent in your plans to visit Mexico.

However, you need to know that, not all places in Mexico are unsafe to visit. There are many other places in Mexico that you can choose as your destination. You can prefer visiting ‘Sun and Sand’ resorts that are situated in Mayan Riviera. Some of these resorts are as follows:

Zoetry Paraiso de la Bonita Resort:

This place is one of the safest and fascinating resorts in Mexico. It boasts of excellent features such as reflective pools, fountain-laden walkways and open courtyards. You can also spend away your time in a huge luxury spa situated inside the resort.

Escencia Resort:

If you are on a honeymoon, this may turn out to be the most ideal destination for you. You will surely be able to enjoy some precious personal moments with your spouse or enjoy the luxurious treatment at the spa that makes use of only organic ingredients in all its products.

These places are sure to intrigue your senses and provide you with a fascinating experience. Also, considering the present Swine flu outbreak in the country, it is advisable to pack some important items with yourself. Do not forget to include some Swine flu medicines and extra vitamin supplements. You may also include other useful products such as soaps, hand sanitizers, masks and a pair of gloves. You are also advised to have your medical and travel insurance papers in place.

By undertaking few precautionary measures, you may surely have an enthralling experience in Mexico.

Tags: Mexico, N1H1, Package Holidays, Swine Flu, Thomas Cook, Travel, Travel Insurance

Has your plan of visiting Mexico for spending your holiday is canceled after hearing about the high crime rate? You need not worry then, as not all parts of Mexico are unsafe. One such place is Mayan Riviera. It boasts some of the Mexico’s best and safest boutique hotels and beach resorts. The climate is also very idyllic.

However, at present, you might have to think again before visiting Mexico due to the present swine flu pandemic.

You may also consider certain countries apart from Mexico that will surely make your vacation a pleasurable experience.

Europe:

Europe consists a number of places that you can choose to travel. Countries such as Germany, Spain, Austria, Italy, Denmark and Finland are considered as some of the safest holiday destinations on the planet. Besides having a pleasant climate, these countries also have low criminal rate. Also, the people here are very friendly. In fact, Helsinki, the capital of Finland is often referred to as the ‘friendliest city’ of the world.

Many European cities have got very narrow lanes and so driving can be a tough task for you if you are not used to driving on narrow roads. Therefore, it is good to use the metro, bus or subway transport medium.

Australia and New Zealand:

Australia and New Zealand are two of the world’s most safest places to visit. The crime rate in New Zealand and Australia is negligible and corruption is almost zero in New Zealand. Also, both Australia and New Zealand have stable governments. The law and order of these countries is also very commendable.

Hong Kong:

Thousands of people fly to Hong Kong every year due to its hospitality. Moreover, the economic condition of Hong Kong is very stable and the city is secure even for single women. The people of Hong Kong are of very amiable.

Japan:

The list of ’safest places in the world’ cannot be completed without the inclusion of Japan. It is considered to be a country with the lowest crime rate in the world. This proves the friendly and disciplined attitude of the Japanese people. The chances of you getting duped by a local are marginal.

Thus, you may travel to any of the above mentioned places as per your convenience to treat your loved ones with a pleasant and safe vacation. In fact, you may even look to get settled in any of thee places.

Tags: Holiday, Holidays, N1H1, Package Holidays, Swine Flu, Travel, Travel Insurance

Travelers around the world are in a state of panic, because of the number of increasing swine flu cases. In fact, many tour companies, airlines and cruise lines are rescheduling their flights and reducing fares, as travelers are delaying their trips.

The airline industry have been affected due the series of problems including terrorist attacks, the respiratory syndrome, high rise in fuel prices and the SARS occurrence. The result of the industry may rely on the how much fear the travelers have.

Due to the flying fears, travel analysts have found that fares have reduced tremendously. The fares are ranging from an average of less than $300. In spite of the decrease in fares to Mexico, travel agents are striving hard to re-book the travel trips of people. However, the agents are having a real tough time, as travelers are either changing their destinations or are rethinking on their travel plans.

In fact, people are so panicked by the swine flu that they avoid to go for shopping or going out of their houses.

In addition, there are travelers, who are canceling their trips not due to the fear of catching the H1N1 virus. Instead, they are canceling their trips because of the assumptions that, they will find all the resorts vacant and the restaurants closed.

These travelers are even worried that they would get stuck up in the airport due to the outbreak of swine flu. Therefore, they are planning their trips to some other places, which are free from swine flu.

It is also found that the hotels, which are providing services in Caribbean and Mexico are shifting their guests from Mexico to other places. Due to the fears of swine flu, Alaska airlines is keeping all the planes sanitized by cleaning each surface and ascertaining that the seat buckles, knobs and overhead bins are hygienic.

Passengers on Mexico flights are getting individual sanitizing wipes. It is also found that more than half of the travelers are reconsidering to postpone their international travel bookings. However, some of the travelers even say that all the flights towards Mexico need to be canceled.

Hence, the fear of flying to and from Mexico and the places around has been forcing travelers to stay indoors. This fear has forced many travelers to cancel and/or postpone their trips that have resulted in huge losses to the airline industry.

Tags: Caribbean, Mexico, N1H1, Package Holidays, Swine Flu, Travel, Travel Insurance

Travel jabs; who needs them? Well, we all do actually, especially if you don’t want to end up with something nasty that is.

Firstly, a true story. This writer once went on a business trip with a number of well-heeled commercial guys to Bangkok. Everyone thought they had got fully immunised and after the trip was over, one of the party fell ill. Not just ill mind you, but very ill. In fact, he was incarcerated in a hospital isolation ward for over four months. After weeks of testing they discovered he had a particularly nasty bug which is not uncommon in Asia, but very uncommon in this country. And although not life-threatening, if not spotted quickly enough, it can certainly ruin your social life for a while.

But the point is, that an innocent trip to the commercial centre of Thailand which, afterall, is not the Third World, turned into a nightmare for a guy who, said the hospital, if he hadn’t had some form of protection with his jabs, might have suffered even more. 

So, don’t take risks, but also appreciate that getting fully tanked up with the recommended vaccinations can be a very expensive business. Most crucially, it could invalidate your travel insurance and leave you with a big bill for getting treatment and then getting back home.

And you have a choice between private clinics, which can do things in a rush if need be, but are generally more expensive, and your local GP, which are cheaper, but do need some warning.

A quote for getting say rabies, yellow fever, hepatitis A and typhoid jabs at a private clinic could cost you well over £200, whereas a GP might be able to shave over a £100 off that bill.

Bear in mind that anti-malaria tablets alone can cost, for a box of 50 tablets, around £25.

GP’s will usually provide free jabs for hepatitis and typhoid, and are more competitive with shots for yellow fever and rabies. And the NHS will also offer you, sometimes at least, free meningitis and polio jabs. 

Of course, you might think it wiser to use a private clinic, especially one which specialises in travel vaccinations, as they hold bigger stocks, tend to have rarer vaccinations and have a greater knowledge, and one which is updated regularly, on the changes and developments.

So, when you are planning your exotic holiday, remember a key things regarding your travel vaccinations.

Firstly, get plenty of advice from the NHS, The Department of Health, The Foreign Office and the National Travel Health Network and Centre. Do a bit of research and find out what you need for the countries you intend to visit.

Secondly, plan way ahead. Some jabs might need to be taken three months before you intend to travel.

Thirdly, even if you intend to use a private clinic, or vaccination centre, have a word with your GP. He can chat you through a few things you need to know and if you have an issue in your health history, might advise a course of action relevant to you. He will also give you an idea as to what they would charge for the jabs.

But finally back to the Thai example at the start of this article. To give you an example, if you wish to travel to this country it is recommended (some more strongly than others, depending on the current opinion of the day) that you have jabs for the following, a certain number of days before you leave:

• Diphtheria (three months before travel);
• Hepatitis A (two weeks);
• Hepatitis B (two months);
• Rabies (one month);
• Tuberculosis (three months);
• Typhoid (ten days).

Mind you, nothing for Dengue fever, which might suggest there’s not a lot you can do about catching that, apart from avoiding those pesky mosquitoes.

Tags: Holiday, Holiday Activities, Holiday Transportation, Holidays, Package Holidays, Thomas Cook, Travel, Travel Insurance

In the good old days, when the words credit crunch had yet to be invented, it was the done thing to aspire to the best method of travel possible and the best holidays.

It was de rigeur to be seen flaunting your wealth and this was especially evident when flying. Airlines made it very clear that for those enduring the ‘walk of shame’ through the sumptuous luxury of the business cabin into the cramped cattle pen conditions of economy, flying was about spending your hard earnt money on the best seats. Okay, all those on the bucket airlines didn’t really care where they sat, even on the wing, as long as they did so at the least cost, but at least there are no other classes to show you up.

Also, travel destinations were all about being pampered; going to exotic locations, preferably as near to the sea as possible and having to hand international 18-hole golf courses for the men and with beauty salons for the women.

It was the time of the travel ego, when money was spent on giving yourself a treat and letting everyone else know that you were doing just that. It was the personification of hedonism and summed up the start of the 21st century.

Now, with world economies crashing with greater frequency than Eddie the Eagle, a new phrase has been coined by the travel industry: recession chic.

In the true sense of the ingenuity of the human race, people are trying to make the best from having to make their money go further.

Leading the way are the Americans and the trend for getting a better deal for holidays has been spotted at a New York travel show, where people are said to be on the hunt not only for bargains, but for a chance to show an heightened awareness of the new world order.

Those in the industry attending the travel show say their customers are not only considering how much their dwindling savings will buy them, but also how they can show that the important things in their lives, such as family, their health, or the environment, can in someway be accommodated when booking their holidays.

And for those holiday destinations that offer guilt-free pampering to those wiling to pay for it, they are worried that people will spurn their enticements and go for something more akin to the recession chic experience.

And to try and cope with this development, many of the more luxurious resorts are trying tone down their top end holidays with chances of doing good. Therefore, in certain destinations, such as Central America, Asia and the Far East, travellers are encouraged to participate in conservation and social projects.

In one such project holiday-makers are given the chance to purchase a book for a village that has no library. And not only purchase the book, but also deliver it in person and talk to the villagers themselves.

It’s almost a case of social guilt offsetting. So you can not only now offset your carbon footprint, you can also now offset your conscience.

Another company has hit upon a novel idea of ‘Laid Off, Take Off’, possibly a pretty sad reflection of the hard times people face. Simply, when you get made redundant, take some time off. Whether that’s a good use of their money remains to be seen, but, maybe it’s a good an idea as any.

So, when booking your holiday, remember now that its cool to be cost conscious and maybe, as you walk down the plane to cattle class, you can hold your head up high with a new sense of superiority.

Tags: Holiday, Holiday Activities, Holiday Transportation, Hotel, Package Holidays, Thomas Cook, Travel, Travel Insurance

The Jumbo has reached middle-age; its 40 years old this year.

But far from showing it’s age; there’s still life in the old dog yet, with the next version, the 747-800, about to be launched in 2010. And to think that it has taken forty years for a true competitor to try and fill the Jumbo’s shoes, in the shape of the Superjumbo, the Airbus A380, is testament to Boeing’s engineering skills.

And when you talk about the Jumbo, you have to use superlatives. The main one being that the 1,525 Jumbos ordered have collectively clocked up around 42 billion nautical miles. That’s the equivalent of having flown to the moon and back 100,000 times, having made approximately 17 million flights.

The first Boeing 747 flexed its wings over Washington State in 1969 and enjoyed around 75 minutes in the air. It was called City of Everett, the place where it was built, and it carried the hopes of the Boeing company. Repeated funding exercises have been needed to get the cash needed to build the Jumbo and observers at the time had said that had it proved a white elephant (an appropriate simile), it would have been the end of the Boeing Company. The Jumbo proved anything but a white elephant, and it has been one of the world’s greatest products.

In 1970 the first commercially equipped 747, decked out in the colours of the now defunct airline Pan-Am, was christened by the then First Lady of the U.S. Pat Nixon and made its first commercial flight on 22 January, 1970.

The Jumbo had a number of aviation firsts. It was the first commercial airliner to have twin aisles and provide the passenger with a sense of roominess. It was also the first to have an upper deck and gave the marketing men a chance to show first class passengers leaning against a top deck bar enjoying a mid-flight drink.

That novel idea was eventually dropped when the airlines realised that a 37,000 feet high bar was not a good use of space. Nowadays most Jumbo’s use the three-class system (between 350 to 400 seats) and put their pampered first-class passengers in the nose of the Jumbo, with the upper deck for business class (or sometimes economy, in those Jumbos exploited for maximum seating capacity) and the economy passengers in the main cabin.

The pilots also have their cockpit at the upper end of the upper deck, meaning that they had to be re-trained to not only fly such a larger aircraft, but one where they are positioned so far off the ground. And it was not only the pilots that had to change. Airport runways had to be widened and lengthened; taxi-ways had to be strengthened, and, terminal buildings made larger to accommodate the bigger aircraft and their larger loads of passengers.

The 747 also introduced the concept of ‘big fan’ engines. Such was the power needed to get the Jumbo in the air, that it was only possible after a leap-forward in jet-engine technology. Not only did they become more efficient, they became huge, having to collect as much air as possible to force along the engine, which was then mixed with aviation spirit, before being ignited and creating the thrust necessary to lift tonnes of metal into the air. And such is the size of a modern turbo fan jet engine, that you could fit a fuselage of a 737 into the front of it.

But, for the airlines, the Jumbo was not about remarkable engineering, or the beauty of the aircraft’s design; for them, it all comes down to economics. The Jumbo offered lots of seats and that meant lots more passengers on each flight. Of course, the downside is that the more seats you have and the more you can’t possibly fill it, then the more money you will lose.

So whilst the airlines were salivating at the thought of getting more passengers on board, they were also worried if the travel industry could stand that increase in numbers of people wishing to fly. They needn’t have worried, because apart from the times when recession has blighted the world economy (such as the various oil crises), the Jumbo has done much to stimulate air travel, opening up the market by allowing airlines to lower fares.

In the broadest terms, a commercial airliner with 400 seats does not cost twice as much to run as one with half the number of seats. The effect is that the cost per seat on a large aircraft is reduced over its smaller counterparts, so once airlines realised there were major economies of scale to be achieved, then fares came down (not only because they could, but they had to to increase the market size) and modern aviation as we know it now, was away.

And few aircraft have played such a part in modern culture. The Jumbo has played a starring role in many movies, novels and songs.

Whether the pretender, the A380 Superjumbo will prove such a hit with people’s imagination, remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure, the good old Jumbo is set to be around for many decades to come.

Tags: Holiday, Holiday Activities, Holiday Transportation, Hotel, Jumbo, Jumbo Jet, Package Holidays, Thomas Cook, Travel, Travel Insurance