British Airways and Rolls Royce have launched a scientific programme to search for alternative fuels to kerosene for the aviation industry.

They are searching for an alternative fuel that will not only help to reduce CO2 emissions but will do so without causing an impact on food, land or water.

Alternative fuel suppliers will be invited to tender their fuel to test it on a Rolls Royce RB211 engine from a British Airways Boeing 747 plane.

The tests will be done in Derby under controlled conditions to monitor emissions and performance.  Those who make the grade will be asked to send 60,000 litres to Rolls Royce in the New Year for live engine tests.

Ric Parker, Director of Rolls Royce Research and Technology, said:

“It is critical that the fuel can not only do the job required of it, but can also offer a CO2 benefit and be produced without a detrimental impact to food, land or water.  There must also be clear evidence of the potential for mass production and global distribution of an alternative fuel to support the world’s aviation industry.”

Hopefully all testing will be completed by November 2009 when BA and Rolls Royce will evaluate the results.  If an alternative fuel can be found, we can all look forward to cheaper flights and cheap holidays.

HR experts advise people to be sure to leave their laptops and mobiles behind when they go on holiday.

HR, training and recruitment consultancy firm, The Urquhart Partnership’s Consultancy Services Director, Carol Nicholson, from their Aberdeen headquarters, said:

“The UK has among the longest working hours in Europe and this culture means people feel unable to leave their work behind when they’re on holiday.  It’s extremely important we acknowledge we need a break and that our families and home life have an equal share of our time.”

Thanks to modern technology, people can be ‘on call’ from the most remote places in the world.  Whilst that helps business, it does mean that people can’t relax or rejuvenate properly.

To make it worse, a recent Post Office survery showed that 40% of UK full time employees didn’t even expect to use their full holiday entitlement last year.  Although they might feel that earns them brownie points with the boss, this can hinder performance.

Carol added: “It’s vital people value their mental and physical wellbeing and take time away from the office to properly relax.  Rather than fretting over e-mails and deadlines, workers should take a well earned break and then return to the office replenished and ready for business.  Relationships can break down due to a partner’s resentment of time spent at work or dealing with business when away from the office. It’s essential people consider a healthy balance to avoid work taking over and affecting personal life and relationships.”

After all, nobody ever died saying they wished they’d spent longer at the office, so whether it’s cheap holidays or luxury holidays you’re looking for, make sure you make time for a real break - and leave the laptop and mobile at home.

This summer, an estimated eight million teenagers will go on holiday for the first time without their parents.

As teenagers look to save money and have their cheap holidays, they may be tempted to holiday without insurance.

One in five Brits admit to not having adequate insurance, so it is important that parents and their teenagers make sure they have the proper insurance to avoid holiday mishaps becoming a nightmare.

Teenagers should avoid the following situations:

Sun exposure

33% suffer from sunburn and 80% don’t even wear sun cream.  Remember to keep hydrated, stay out of the midday sun and use sun cream.

Dangerous sports

Adventure sports on holiday can be great fun, but a broken leg can cost as much as £7,000 in treatment abroad, so make sure that they are covered for the sports they want to do.  Teens should also check their insurance if they want to use scooters or motorbikes as many insurer don’t cover for this

Getting lost

11% of teens get lost on the first holiday without their parents, so take time to familiarise with the new surroundings

Drugs / Alcohol

Both drugs and alcohol can invalidate an insurance policy so be careful to stay clear.  40% of Brits detained overseas are for drugs-related reasons

Getting arrested

More than 1500 Brits are arrested annually in Spain and the Greeks are notorious for taking a hard line on rowdy behaviour.  Teens should be sure to familiarise themselves with local customs and laws

Follow these tips to stay safe and avoid accidents, and have a happy holiday.

With the climbing costs of fuel and the increasing strength of the euro, the price of holidays for British travellers is expected to increase next year, by approximately 7 per cent.

Summer holidays for next year are already on sale at a higher price and this trend is expected to increase.

The hike in prices is being further affected by the decreasing disposable incomes in the UK due to the affect of the credit crunch and the rise in living costs, inflation is high and still rising and unemployment is also rising.

Many holiday operators are promoting holidays outside the Eurozone to avoid the effects of the euro, to destinations such as Turkey, which is proving increasingly popular.

This year, British holidaymakers have not been put off booking their summer break, although many are looking to scale down or find a cheaper alternative.  Many are prepared to go into the red rather than cancel their holiday for this year.

However, all this means that it is highly likely that people will be looking to get their cheap holidays and flights this year whilst they can.

In recent publicity, there have been talks of British Airways (BA) potentially losing its slots at London Heathrow airport.

This week, BA has ruled out certain criticisms and stated categorically will not operate empty flights just to maintain its valuable Heathrow slots.  bmi’s deputy chief executive, Tim Bye, appeared to openly accuse BA of operating ‘ghost flights’ just to maintain the slots, which understandably aggravated certain environmental groups.  The bmi spokesperson immediately retracted the statement saying that the comments had been misinterpreted.

Richard Tams of BA stated that BA would not fly empty planes even if it meant losing their slots.  He said:

“The cuts will be spread over Heathrow and Gatwick and they will be on multiple frequencies only. They will be sensible cuts and we are not going to compromise business travellers’ schedules. We can’t take capacity out without cutting flights, but we will not fly empty planes.”

Only last week, BA’s chief executive, Willie Walsh, announced winter cut backs on BA’s winter routes that had been lsoing money.

According to a recent survery by CreditExpert.co.uk, the majority of Brits still intend to take a summer break this year in spite of the credit crunch.  Less than a quarter (24 per cent) are shelving their holiday plans.

The results of the survey showed that many people are willing to get themselves into debt in order to have their holiday, with 2.8 million adults ready to go into the red by paying for their holiday.

16 per cent of respondents said they believe their holidays are important enough that they only think about the money spend when they get back home.

20 per cent of Brits intend to cut back on the cost of holidays by sharing the costs with friends of family.  In the 18 - 24 year old group, this proportion increases to 37 per cent.

Managing director of CreditExpert.co.uk, Jim Jodgkins, said:

“The credit crunch is really biting now and it will be painful for people to make the choice between not going on holiday or taking on more debt to do so.”

The survey showed that those in the north east of England are most likely to get themselves into debt for a holiday, whereas those from the south west of England and Wales are most concerned about how the credit crunch will affect their finances.

Many people are looking for cheap holidays during this economic climate.

As holidaymakers prove that holidays are high on their list of priorities, even with the current credit crunch, they may still be searching for ways to have cheap holidays and get cheap flights.  Travel & leisure Magazine is helping people by publishing a guide called The World’s Best Free Stuff.

According to the guide, many places offer free sightseeing tours with local volunteers, including places like New York, Paris, Adelaide and Toronto.

There are even some cities that offer a free bicycle-lending service, including top citires like Bern, Zurich, Copenhagen and Helsinki.

If people are planning to visit any of the world’s top tourist places, like the Louvre in Paris or the Sistine Chapel in Rome, then they can save even more money by downloading a free podcast before they go.  These free podcasts offer step-by-step guides, rather than hiring a museum’s CD pack or wand.

The guide also includes a list of establishments that are free to tner, including London’s Tate Modern Gallery, Washington’s National Zoo and Smithsonian Museums and Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo.

The Austrian National Tourist Board has tipped Austra as a great destination for walking holidays.  It says the ‘culture-savvy outdoors type’ will be able to find both ground-breaking architecture and great walking trails in the Austrian country.

The tourist board said:

“One highlight is Zaha Hadid’s Bergisel ski jump, a futuristic structure that has come to be known as the Innsbruck Lighthouse.”

At the Zaha Hadid’s Bergisel ski jump there is also a tower where visitors can view panoramic scenery as well as enjoying a meal in the restaurant.

The tourist board also tipped the state of Carinthia, known as the Austrian Riviera, for some great walks.

The Lonely Planet travel guide said:

Austria’s “dizzying peaks, cobalt lakes and rushing rivers” are the perfect place for lovers of outdoor activity and Austria “flaunts its heritage in exuberant fashion” and boasts cities with great “splendour”.

Flights to Austria are quite reasonable and available from many major UK airports.

On August 16th this year, the Persia to Paarl Festival will be held in South Africa’s Cape Winelands.  Wine lovers will be flocking to the festival, taking full advantage of the opportunity to indulge in their passion.

The festival is to be held at the Nederburgh wine estate, located just outside the Boland town called Paarl, which is north east of Cape Town.  The festival will recrate the essence of Persia and is themed around the Shiraz grape, which wine lovers will be familiar with.

The Shiraz grape originated in Iran almost 7,000 years ago and is now one of the wine industry’s most famous grapes.

Festival attendees will get a free wine glass when they arrived, plus the chance to watch ancient Persian art and crafts demonstrations.

Chief executive of the company running the Persia to Paarl festival, Sandra Lotz, said:

“We annually celebrate the Shiraz cultivar because of the special affinity Shiraz vines have for the Paarl terroir, thus gracing wine drinkers with world-class wines.”

There are many wine shows and festivals worldwide worthy of a visit by wine lovers, such as the Johnstown Film and Wine Festival, Pennysylvania, held in July, and Primavera, a wine festival held in Queensland, Australia during the spring.

New research has shown that Tenerife is the favourite destination that many Brits are choosing this summer.  Many Brits are searching for cheap holidays this year with the credit crunch and rising cost of living and Tenerife has long been known as a great destination for bargain holidays and flights too.

Tenerife was top of the list, followed by Orlando in Florida, helping by the weak dollar at the moment - Orlando was sixty per cent more popular this year compared to 2007.

Other popular places included Malage and Alicante, whilst luxury holidays in destinations like Dubai and Bangkok still made an appearance.

Other places in the top ten were Paphos at seventh and the Algarve and Turkey.

Other cheap holiday destinations included those looking to save the environment by reducing their carbon footprint, using a caravan holiday to save them money as well.

According to the Coventry Telegraph, both campaing and caravanning are proving more popular now, especially with the 45 per cent of Brits searching for an environmentally friendly holiday this year.