Brexit and the impact on travel - News stories

Let's face it, no one knows what the impact of the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union. The referendum result is only 2 days old, and no one really thought it would happen. But here we are.

There are more questions than answers at this point, but here are some highlights of travel related commentary on the Brexit.

Brits abroad

First, a few surprising stories of a number of immediate travel-related impacts, not all of which will necessarily continue:

• Thomas Cook suspends euro 'click and collect' cash service as panic over pound grows following Brexit - Daily Mail
• Brexit leaves CBA and Travel Money cardholders in the cold (story about actions taken by Commonwealth Bank, suspending some Travel Money MasterCard functions) - Banking Day
• Greek hotels refuse to swap British tourists' money amid Brexit market turmoil - Daily Mail

Speculation is the name of the game, with a range of reactions, which we'll organize loosely within the UK, in the EU, in British Overseas Territories, within the British Commonwealth and around the globe.  Here is a sampling:

Impact of Brexit on Travel - reactions in the United Kingdom

The potential impacts on travel Brits are enormous. The stories coming out of the UK are both alarming and alarmist, but there will be real impacts on the freedom of movement of both British citizens and expats.

• Brexit is terrible news for travelers - QZ
• Shock and uncertainty: travel industry reacts to Brexit - Telegraph
• What does Brexit mean for YOUR holiday to Europe this summer? - Daily Mail
• Brexit risks higher fares and fewer flights for UK tourists - The Guardian
• Brexit and the UK's Hotel Industry - Travel Pulse
• Brexit reaction: 'Third runway at Heathrow now much less likely' - Get West London

Impact of Brexit on Travel - reactions in Ireland

Ireland (as in the Republic of Ireland, a sovereign state that is a member of the EU - as opposed to Northern Island, which is part of the UK) is facing numerous implications, including several that will ultimately impact travel.

• Dublin faces policy crisis over Irish implications of Brexit vote - Financial Times
• Brexit creates uncertainty surrounding maintenance of Common Travel Area - Breaking News Ireland
• Brexit could boost transit traffic at Dublin Airport: Ryanair and Aer Lingus could be hit by fall in passengers - Irish Times
• Post Office RUNS OUT of Irish passports forms as Brits scramble for new citizenship following Brexit result - Mirror

Impact of Brexit on Travel - reactions in the European Union

Reactions and concerns vary among other European Union member countries.

• Brexit Means Trade and Tourism Suffer Most in These Six EU Nations - Bloomberg

Impact of Brexit on Travel - reactions in British Overseas Territories

Speculation is rampant in and about Gibraltar, the tiny British Overseas Territory (think "Rock of Gibraltar", bordering southern Spain). Residents here voted overwhelmingly to stay in the EU.

• People are thinking about moving to Gibraltar after BrExit vote - AOL UK
• Spain to seek co-sovereignty on Gibraltar after Brexit - Cyprus Mail

Impact of Brexit on Travel - reactions in the British Commonwealth

Speculation is also taking place in the 53 countries in the British Commonwealth as to the impact of the Brexit. It's early days, but a few highlights...

• Brexit referendum: Australians to enjoy cheaper British holidays - Sydney Morning Herald
• Brexit decision may cut flow of much-needed British tourists - Queensland Times
• Travel agents welcome Brexit, say it's good for Canadian travellers - News 1130
• Cypriots told to “keep calm” over Brexit - In Cyprus
• No impact of Brexit on Tourism, says Thomas Cook chief - Hindu Business Line

Impact of Brexit on Travel -  reactions around the globe

Reactions are mixed around the globe, from airline stocks in the USA dropping 9-11% to enthusiasm for travel bargains in both the UK and the EU.

• Airlines exposed to Brexit volatility - Gulf News (Dubai)
• Brexit a possible boon for China, say analysts - Live Mint
• Impact of BREXIT on the Caribbean’s tourism industry - St Lucia News
• Tourism industry reaction after UK votes to leave the EU - Tornos News (Greece)
• Airline stocks drop on fears Brexit could depress trans-Atlantic travel - Dallas Star Telegram
• 'Brexit' vote means travelers to Britain may get more for their money - LA Times
• Here’s How Brexit Will Affect Your European Travel - Time
• Thanks to the Brexit, the U.K. Just Went on Sale - Travel + Leisure
• U.S. bargains to Europe may follow 'Brexit' - USA Today
• With Brexit, the UK just became a great travel bargain. So did a whole lot of other countries - VOX
• Priceline: 'Brexit' Doesn't Change The Long-Term Story - Seeking Alpha
• Brexit, and how it might impact golf travel - Golf Digest

More perspectives will emerge in the weeks ahead. We are particularly looking forward to perspectives by travel bloggers, so stay tuned for a follow-up post soon.

Related resources
Fateful O'Hare Airport pizza meeting sealed Brexit vote deal: British media - Chicago Tribune

What is The Commonwealth? - World Atlas

What's the Difference Between Ireland and Northern Ireland - Choose Ireland
London: Closest Airports to LHR Heathrow Airport - IHateTaxis


 

Layover Ideas: Lisbon

Iconic Lisbon tram

Have a layover coming up in Lisbon? Wondering what you could do with your time?

Here's a little inspiration. We've gathered the following stories from those who have experienced a layover in Lisbon. Learn what they did, if it was worth it, and their tips... [read more].

Want more layover ideas?
• Read more stories on the LayoverIdeas Blog • Explore cities worldwide on LayoverIdeas.com

Related resources
Mugging: are you a target? 10 resources
Spot the deadly fake taxi on your international travels!
Dealing with taxi drivers
Dealing with touts
Airport arrival advice

I was scammed by an Uber driver

Let we get accused of only focusing on scams by unscrupulous taxi drivers, here is a new category of travel cautions: scams by Uber drivers.

It's hardly surprising. Despite the best designed systems, there are unscrupulous people out there in the big, bad world, and some of them drive for a living. Some drive taxis, some drive for Uber - heck, some even drive for both!

While both environments are also home to plenty of honest and kind drivers, the stories of scams persist - and we share them, so that you can be aware and protect yourself.


I Was Victim of an Increasingly-Popular Uber Scam - Angelina Travels

"The good thing about Uber is that both drivers and passengers are rated at the end of the ride to help weed out 'bad apples'. We all know how important maintaining a good rating is, and I always make sure I rate honestly and accurately to encourage good service... Sadly, it looks like I’ve encountered a bad apple 2 days ago when my husband and I rode home from Newark airport. It was 1:30 in the morning.. [read the rest of the story on Angelina Travels]

Please Help - I think an Uber driver is trying to scam me - dinosaurenthusiast on Reddit

"Some friends and I went out to a bar, had 1-2 drinks, then got an Uber home. The next morning, I got an email from uber saying I was being charged a cleaning fee for an incident during our ride. I immediately submitted a complaint, saying there were no liquids or cigarettes with us in the vehicle, so I could not imagine what they could possibly charge several hundred dollars for. Two days later, they finally responded with photo "evidence" saying we vomited all over the back seat and door. This is absolutely false... [read the rest of the story on Reddit]. (Read more on the Uber Vomit Scam).

I got Scammed by an Uber Driver in Los Angeles going to the Airport - Points Summary

"I took an Uber to LAX (Los Angeles International Airport) for my trip to San Pedro Sula, Hondruas. It was late at night around 9:30pm and I told him I was leaving out of Delta Terminal 5. When the Uber driver took me to the “Arrivals Levels”, I knew I was going to be scammed. Why would he choose to go to the arrivals level other than the departures level? Because he knew that every flight on Earth was arriving at 9pm and that we would be stuck in traffic going from Terminal 1 to 5..." [read the rest of the story on Points Summary]

Related resources
Uber fraud: Scammer takes the ride, victim gets the bill - CSO Online
The Uber tip dilemma - IHateTaxis
Why we shelved Uber updates - IHateTaxis
Uber provides the taxi industry a good kick in the pants - IHateTaxis

Mugging: are you a target? 10 resources

This guy is definitely a target - are you?
creative commons image waldopepper on Flickr

Are you a target for mugging? You might be surprised.

Trust us, you don't want to lose your money, credit cards, identification, camera or anything while you travel. So read on...
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Here we share stories from seasoned travellers who have been duped and robbed -- along with 10 resources to help keep you and your valuables safe.

Lessons learned from Being Mugged Abroad - Yvonne Ivanescu
Just because you've travelled a long time with no major problems doesn't make you less vulnerable, it can make you more so. Here's a telling story from ThePlanetD:

Last month I celebrated the one year anniversary of an event that made a significant impact on my life and molded me into a more savvy, independent and conscientious traveler. In July 2012, I was mugged by thee individuals on a sunny afternoon while I was walking around in Valparaiso, located around 2 hours away from Santiago de Chile. After the event, I recounted my story to numerous eager ears only to be welcomed with blank expressions coupled with snide remarks that my actions had made me an easy target... [read what Yvonne learned].

After 62 Countries in 5 Years, We Were Robbed - Jeremy
Jeremy and Angie  have been travelling the world for years, and thought they had escaped the thieves, but, alas, it happened to them too. Here's their story from Living the Dream:

After 550+ days of travel since 2008, being gone for almost a whole year on this trip, and visiting hundreds of cities in 62 countries, our day finally happened in Puno, Peru. And we nearly lost everything. As we were in the bus station getting ready to leave for Cusco, I looked down and noticed something odd.  My bag containing a computer, expensive SLR, camera gear, passports, and emergency money was nowhere to be found. It didn’t take long to figure out what happened and we soon determined that we were victims to one of the oldest techniques in the book: the diversion... [read what Jeremy learned].

How NOT to Get Mugged on the Paris Metro (By an 8-Year-Old) - Down the Wrabbit Hole
The woman behind the wrabbit has travelled a lot, and thought herself pretty savvy, until she was outsmarted by a little kid. Here's her story from Down the Wrabbit Hole:

My story goes back to my Europe 2010 trip. I was with my 23 junior high students, 10 parent chaperones, and our fearless Explorica tour guide - and a partridge in a pear tree.  Or so it seemed.  Navigating that massive group through the streets of Paris without losing anyone had already proven to be a challenge, but not impossible.  Now we were headed for the underground Metro system, moving from the Eiffel Tower to our restaurant for dinner... [read what this traveller in Paris learned].

So... if it happened to them, it can happen to you!

Here are 10 resources to help protect yourself:

Warning in the Frankfurt Zoo
creative commons image sunixzs on Flickr

1. How to avoid being mugged - WikiHow
2. Theft by pickpockets in Naples, Rome, Florence and Milan, Italy - Bella-Toscana (GREAT RESOURCE)
3. Outsmarting thieves and pickpockets in Europe - Rick Steves
4. Tips for Not Getting Mugged in South America - Going Nomadic
5. Surefire Ways to Get Mugged on Vacation - HuffPost Travel
6. Anti Theft Travel Gear: 6 Ways To Keep Your Valuables Secure - IndieTraveller
7. Top 5 Anti-Theft Travel Bags for Women - Travel Fashion Girl
8. Make A Secret Pocket In Your Pants! - The Expert Vagabond
9. The Dummy’s Guide to Packing a Theft-Proof Backpack - Packsmiths
10. Seven Ways to Keep Your Stuff Safe When You Fly - Independent Traveler

Related resources
Spot the deadly fake taxi on your international travels! - IHateTaxis
Dealing with touts - IHateTaxis
Airport arrival advice - IHateTaxis
The world-wide bad reputation of Bogota taxis - IHateTaxis

Layover Ideas: Boston

Yes, you can go for a drink at Cheers during your Boston layover

Have a layover coming up in Boston? Wondering what you could do with your time?

We have some inspiration for you. We've collected the stories below from those who have experienced a layover in Boston. Learn what they did, if it was worth it, and their tips... [read more].

Want more layover ideas?
• Read more stories on the LayoverIdeas Blog • Explore cities worldwide on LayoverIdeas.com

Related resources
Mugging: are you a target? 10 resources
Spot the deadly fake taxi on your international travels!
Dealing with taxi drivers
Dealing with touts
Airport arrival advice

Zhukovsky, Moscow's 4th airport opens

Open for business, but no flights yet at Moscow Zhukovsky Airport

Earlier this year, we captured the mess that is transportation to Moscow's 3 major airports with an illustration by Andy, a Russian resident in Moscow has HOW many airports?!?.

Well, Andy's life just got a little more complicated.

On May 30th, Moscow's fourth international airport, "Zhukovsky", opened for business.

The newest, Moscow Zhukovsky Ramenskoye International Airport (ZIA), is located in the town of Zhukovsky, on the outskirts of Moscow (in Moscow Oblast, to be precise).

Precise? Well, maybe not, as most of the airport is actually located in the town of Ramenskoye. Perhaps the former aviation research, testing and cargo facility (it once a test site for Soviet Buran Spacecraft) had worn out the city's moniker.

But with a slice of the airport located in Zhukovsky, a town named to honour Russia's pioneer of modern aerodynamics research, Nikolay Yegorovich Zhukovsky, how could they not rename it?

Names aside, Zhukovsky Airport was planned to relieve mounting pressure on Moscow's existing airports, which has since eased (25 airlines pulled out of Moscow last year):

• Moscow Domodedovo Airport (DME) transportation options and guide - 31.3 million passengers/2015
• Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport (SVO) transportation options and guide - 30.5 million
• Moscow Vnukovo Airport (VKO) transportation options and guide - 15.8 million

Moscow Zhukovsky International Airport is intended to serve low-cost airlines. Few have signed up so far, but Air Kyrgyzstan and SCAT will commence service next month. Cities with flights to ZIA will initially include Aktau, Aktobe, Astana, Bishkek, Osh and Shymkent.

Unfortunately, no transportation infrastructure exists or is planned, so if you find ZIA on your flight itinerary, be warned. All Moscow airports share an IATA city code, MOW, so be sure you know which airports(s) you are flying through.

If you happen to be lucky enough to attend the biennial MAKS Airshow, long hosted by the Ramenskoye Airport, perhaps you can manage to take a flight into ZIA to check it out firsthand.

But still, please, don't ask Andy for a ride.


Resources from IHateTaxis.com
Moscow has HOW many airports?!?
Moscow Domodedovo Airport (DME) transportation options and guide
Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport (SVO) transportation options and guide
Moscow Vnukovo Airport (VKO) transportation options and guide
Moscow Zhukovsky Ramenskoye International Airport (ZIA) transportation options and guide
Moscow Layover Ideas & Things to Do in Moscow

Related resources
New Moscow airport's take off stalled by vanishing passengers - Reuters
Zhukovsky Airport to Serve First Flight in June - Russian Aviation Insider
Fourth international airport opens in Moscow RT.com
An Aeroflot Nightmare: How I Got Placed Under Virtual Arrest in Moscow
Airport nightmare: Russians seize concertmaster’s violin
Hundreds Miss Sheremetyevo Flights Because of Road Work
STUCK: The meaning of the city’s traffic nightmare - New Yorker
Getting around Moscow by metro and public transport