"Without us, your are on your own": travel agents issue a reminder

It is easy nowadays to book yourself directly with airlines and hotels.

Using a travel agent may seem a little old fashioned - and sometimes more expensive. Until the excrement hits the fan.

Then a travel agent may have the clout to rescue your trip.

With thousands of Australians impacted by the closure of one of the world’s most important airports, London Heathrow, and flight cancellations due to the ash cloud in Indonesia, Australian travel agents took the opportunity to remind potential customers what it is they do: solving problems, rebooking flights, and getting stranded travellers home.

The fire and subsequent power outage at Heathrow created significant travel chaos: disrupting flights worldwide and leaving Australian travellers scrambling for solutions. 

The ripple effect on Australians' travel plans was substantial, compounded by ongoing cancellations and delays due to volcanic activity in Indonesia.
"When travel plans fall apart, accredited travel agents are the difference between a quick resolution and being stuck in limbo," the Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA), which represents travel agents, operators, wholesalers and ITOs, said in a statement.

"Members are working around the clock to support Australian travellers, demonstrating why professional travel assistance is essential. Travel agents are rebooking flights, securing alternative routes, and ensuring travellers make it to their destinations with minimal disruption." 

In times of crisis, travel agents negotiate with airlines and suppliers on behalf of their clients, ensuring fair outcomes, ATIA says.

"The reality is clear: travellers who book through accredited agents and travel businesses have a trusted advocate when the unexpected happens. 

"ATIA urges Australians to always book with an ATIA-accredited travel business to ensure they have the support they need when global events impact their plans."

ATIA CEO Dean Long says: “The scale of disruption caused by Heathrow’s shutdown and the Indonesian ash cloud demonstrates just how critical Australia’s travel agents and businesses are when things go wrong. 

"Every day, ATIA-accredited travel businesses are working behind the scenes to rescue stranded travellers, reroute itineraries and provide trusted advice in real time.

“When the unexpected happens, choosing an ATIA accredited travel business means having the support you need to get back on track - because without a travel agent, you really are on your own.”

See www.atia.travel 

Image: Aleksei Popov, Scop.io

Airport chaos from Heathrow to Bali

From London to Denpasar, flights around the world are being delayed and rescheduled.

London Heathrow Airport (above) will be closed all day Friday as emergency services deal with a significant fire in the vicinity, local media reported.

All flights in and out have been cancelled or diverted after a fire at a nearby substation caused a major power outage.

In Bali, meanwhile, flights have been cancelled due to a volcano erupting.

"Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport and should contact their airline for further information. We apologise for the inconvenience," Heathrow Airport said on Facebook.

At least 120 flights bound for Heathrow have been diverted, flight tracking website FlightRadar24 recorded.

Flights were to land at nearby airports, including Gatwick.

Meanwhile, travellers have been stranded after flights to and from Bali were cancelled and delayed due to volcanic ash caused by the eruption of Mount Lewotobi on the south-eastern part of the remote Indonesian island of Flores.

The volcano was sending rocks, lava and ash about nine kilometres into the sky, Indonesia's Centre for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation said.

Visitors and tourists were ordered to maintain an eight-kilometre distance from the volcano.

There is also a threat of rain-induced lava floods in rivers that originate at the mountain's peak. 

As of Friday morning "several international flights had been cancelled, six of them Jetstar flights bound to Australia and one Air Asia flight to Kuala Lumpur,” Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport spokesperson, Andadina Dyah, said in a statement.

Several other flights - domestic and international and including to Thailand, Singapore and Australia - had been delayed.

Airlines have Georgia on their minds

Georgia is a potential new travel hot spot from London.

The Georgian capital Tbilisi is to get two new direct air links from the UK with British Airways and and budget carrier easyJet both announcing new flights this week.

BA will launch flights from London Heathrow to Tbilisi four times per week from March 30 next year.

It will offer a two-class service on each flight with Club Europe (business class) and Euro Traveller (economy), news hub Travel Mole reports.

“We’re delighted to welcome Tbilisi flights back into our route network, after our last scheduled service in 2013,” said Neil Chernoff, BA's chief planning and strategy officer.

“We expect this to be a popular route with the leisure market, which has seen a strong comeback since 2019, as well as with those looking to enjoy direct flights to visit friends and family.”

Georgia is known for its rich history, culture, and picturesque scenery and has an 8,000-year-old history of winemaking.

Tbilisi is located on the banks of the Mtkvari River and tourism highlights include canyons and caves near Kutaisi and multiple UNESCO World Heritage sites are nearby. One of Europe’s oldest capitals, Tbilisi has been the cultural, political, and economic centre of Georgia for 15 centuries. 

At the heart of the city lies historic Old Tbilisi, which was built during the early Middle Ages.

Mariam Kvrivishvili, deputy minister at the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, said: “We are proud that British Airways has decided to enter the Georgian market, which is important recognition for our country.”

easyJet, meanwhile, announced it will launch Tbilisi flights for the very first time with a new route from London Luton.

The inaugural flight will take off on April 1, 2025, and will operate twice a week on Tuesdays and Saturdays throughout the summer season.

The airline has also launched new routes to Tbilisi from Geneva and Milan Malpensa.

Image: Georgia Travel

Heathrow wants passengers to stay away

London's Heathrow Airport - one of the busiest in the world - has an unusual message for travellers: Stay away.

Heathrow has told airlines to stop selling tickets for the remainder of summer and has plans to limit passenger numbers to a maximum 100,000 a day.

It is the airport’s latest desperate move to limit ludicrously long queues, baggage delays and flight cancellations, Travel Mole reports.

“Some airlines have taken significant action, but others have not, and we believe that further action is needed now to ensure passengers have a reliable journey,” CEO John Holland-Kaye said.

“We have therefore made the difficult decision to introduce a capacity cap to September 11.

“We recognise that this will mean some summer journeys will either be moved to another day, another airport or be cancelled and we apologise.”

Heathrow said the move potentially affects up to 4,000 passengers a day.

“There are some critical functions in the airport which are still significantly under-resourced, in particular ground handlers,” Holland-Kaye said.

Sounds like he should look for another job.

And sadly for Mr Holland-Kaye not all the airlines are willing to play ball. Emirates is one airline that has said it is not willing to cut its slots.

Emirates has rejected Heathrow’s demands for airlines to stop selling summer tickets, calling the move "unreasonable and unacceptable".

The airline accused the airport of having a "blatant disregard" for customers. Sounds about right.