class="alignright size-large wp-image-28473" title="Low-cost flights to to Bordeaux" src="http://news.cheapflights.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/france-bordeaux-vineyard-610x450.jpg" alt="Low-cost flights to to Bordeaux" width="258" height="189" />A terminal dedicated exclusively to low-cost carriers has opened in the south-western French city of href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/flight-guide-to-Bordeaux/">Bordeaux.

Billi terminal, short for for Bordeaux Illico, will attempt to capitalise on the boom in no-frills href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/flights/Bordeaux/">flights to Bordeaux from UK airports – currently operated by Ryanair and easyJet.

The terminal will also offer href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/Ireland/">flights to Ireland with Aer Lingus, as well as services to Denmark, Portugal, Norway, Sweden, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Morocco.

Airport developers built the terminal specifically with low-cost travellers in mind, aiming to turn around flights in 25 minutes by speeding up boarding queues and bag collection.

Low-cost air traffic to Bordeaux has been growing by an average of 20 to 30 per cent every year, prompting local authorities to prioritise the development of the Billi terminal. Nearly half a million no-frills travellers took a flight to Bordeaux last year, compared with just 120,000 in 2003.

It is estimated that 665,000 people will travel through the airport with a low-cost carrier this year – equivalent to about one fifth of the passengers visiting the region.

© Cheapflights Ltd

class="alignright size-full wp-image-28331" title="Cancun" src="http://news.cheapflights.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Cancun.jpg" alt="Cancun" width="263" height="173" />UK flag carrier title="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/airlines/British-Airways/" href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/airlines/British-Airways/" target="_self">British Airways has announced that it will be re-launching its service between href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/airports/Gatwick/">London Gatwick Airport and Cancun in November.

The airline, which had previously offered title="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/flights/Cancun/" href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/flights/Cancun/" target="_self">flights to Cancun until April 2002, will be the only British carrier operating direct, scheduled routes to the Mexican holiday hotspot.

From 3 November two flights a week will depart on Wednesday and Saturday from Gatwick , supplementing BA’s existing connecting service to Cancun from title="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/airports/Heathrow/" href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/airports/Heathrow/" target="_self">London Heathrow Airport. That link is operated by codeshare partner title="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/airlines/American-Airlines/" href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/airlines/American-Airlines/" target="_self">American Airlines and includes a stopover in title="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/flights/Dallas/" href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/flights/Dallas/" target="_self">Dallas or title="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/flights/Miami/" href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/flights/Miami/" target="_self">Miami.

Fares for the 11-hour title="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/Mexico/" href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/Mexico/" target="_self">flights to Mexico are now on sale and start at around £630 for Economy Class return tickets.

British Airways’ UK and Ireland sales and marketing manager, Richard Tams, commented: “We’re delighted to be the only UK scheduled airline offering direct flights to Cancun. It is the perfect addition to our Gatwick long-haul premium leisure network.”

The flag carrier recently expanded its network by adding title="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/Maldives/" href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/Maldives/" target="_self">flights to the Maldives, title="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/flights/Montego-Bay/" href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/flights/Montego-Bay/" target="_self">Montego Bay, title="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/flights/Sharm-El-Sheikh/" href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/flights/Sharm-El-Sheikh/" target="_self">Sharm el Sheikh and the href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/Dominican-Republic/" target="_self">Dominican Republic.  As with the restored Cancun route, some of these were reinstatements of previously suspended services.

© Cheapflights Ltd (Picture credit: title="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pdbreen/3319081685/" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pdbreen/3319081685/" target="_blank">pdbreen)

class="alignright size-full wp-image-16930" src="http://news.cheapflights.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/parked-aircraft.jpg" alt="Parking fees at UK airport 'ridiculous'" width="266" height="201" />

Car parking charges at some of Britain’s main airports are “ridiculously high,” a consumer watchdog has said.

Which? Car magazine compared prices for seven days’ on-site and off-airport parking services, with charges starting from £19.84 at href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/airports/Manchester-Intl/">Manchester Airport’s park-and-ride facility.

But at href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/airports/Heathrow/">Heathrow Airport, business car parking fees skyrocketed to a massive £88.70, while even the hub’s cheapest off-airport spaces came in at £53.95 for seven days.

Elsewhere, href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/airports/Edinburgh-EDI/">Edinburgh, href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/airports/Belfast-International/">Belfast International and Bristol airports were credited with offering some of the lowest prices, with charges starting at £20.50, £21 and £23.50 respectively.

Many of the cheapest spaces around the country were offered by off-site provider href="http://www.purpleparking.com/" target="_blank">Purple Parking.

“Travellers from the UK’s major airports now have more choice than ever,” Which? Car said. “As well as standard park-and-ride, long-term car parks, there are meet-and-greet services … and a range of deals that include car valeting, servicing or even a night’s hotel accommodation in the price.

“However, this means prices can range from sublimely low to ridiculously high. And just because you pay for a particular service, such as meet-and-greet, it’s not guaranteed to take the strain out of your journey.

“You could still face a lengthy wait outside the terminal building for your car to arrive. The car park could give you back the wrong keys, or even put miles on your car or flatten its battery while you’re away.”

© Cheapflights Ltd (Photo credit: href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/uggboy/4597223314/" target="_blank">Uggboy)

class="size-full wp-image-16693 alignright" src="http://news.cheapflights.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/NASA.jpg" alt="" width="265" height="212" />Irish airspace will be re-opened at 1pm today (4 May) following a six-hour closure caused by renewed fears of volcanic ash drifting over from Iceland.

All href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk">flights in and out of Ireland were grounded after the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) concluded that the ash plume currently over the country posed a threat to aircraft.

Its decision follows April’s six-day closure of UK airspace, which left thousands stranded overseas and prompted accusations that regulators had overreacted.

Confirming that the Eyjafjallajokull volcano had caused the latest closure, IAA chief executive Eamon Brennan said sporadic disruption could continue for months.

“The reason we have changed our advice is because the ash cloud has moved towards the south, down towards the Bay of Biscay,” he said in an interview with RTE radio.

Mr Brennan continued: “At the moment the volcano is more or less dormant but should it re-erupt again we’d be faced with this problem. We could be faced with this periodically during the summer.

“We are probably facing a summer of uncertainty due to this ash cloud.”

href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/airlines/Ryanair/">Ryanair has cancelled all flights to and from the Republic of Ireland, Belfast and Derry City up until 2pm today, while href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/airlines/Aer-Lingus/">Aer Lingus plans to review its suspension at 1pm. Just one transatlantic service from Ireland has been cancelled, though passengers are warned to expect long delays.

Airspace over Scotland’s Outer Hebrides is also currently closed, disrupting regional services operating out of Stornoway, Tiree, Barra and Benbecula airports.

© Cheapflights Ltd (Creative Commons image: href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/4479064361/" target="_blank">NASA / Flickr)

The cloud of volcanic ash blanketing Europe has thrown the travel plans of literally millions of passenger into chaos. Read our flight disruption Q&A if you’ve been affected. /> /> My flight has been cancelled. What should I do?

class="alignright size-full wp-image-16309" src="http://news.cheapflights.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/departures1.jpg" alt="" width="290" height="191" />Passengers with firm bookings that have been cancelled should be entitled to either a refund or assistance in making alternative travel arrangements. Typically the latter involves booking you onto a rival airline’s flights, but clearly that’s not possible at present.

For this reason any alternative travel arrangements will likely be rescheduled flights with the same carrier, which may not be suitable if your travel needs are urgent. Some short-haul passengers may be offered assistance in making train or ferry reservations, but levels of customer service vary widely in the airline industry. For many people a refund will be the simplest option.

What about if I booked with a tour operator?

When events such as this occur people who have booked with a tour operator often find themselves in a better situation that those who have booked direct with an airline.

Your agent or operator is legally obliged to offer a refund or make alternative arrangements for all aspects of your package holiday. If you’re stranded abroad this means they are responsible for putting you up in suitable accommodation and footing for the bill for extra costs such as carhire. Because tour operators tend to deal with large groups, the process might be smoother than you’d expect.

Am I entitled to compensation?

Sadly, no. A volcanic eruption is a clear-cut natural disaster and so air passengers are not entitled to any compensation under existing regulatory schemes. Don’t feel too hard done-by, though. The airlines themselves are the ones who will have lost the most money from this event.

When is the ash plume over Europe likely to disappear?

Cheapflights is monitoring the situation at all UK airports hour-by-hour on our href="http://news.cheapflights.co.uk/2010/04/airport-ash-disruption-latest-flight-information/" target="_self">Flight Information page, where you can find out the latest forecasts for the ash plume.

Though the worst of the volcanic activity seems to have passed, meteorologists say that the ash already in the sky coupled with the prevailing winds could see this situation drag on for several days. In the worst-case scenario, further seismic activity in Iceland could disrupt air travel all summer.

Useful contact details

Foreign Office – 020 7008 0000

ABTA href="http://www.abta.com/consumer-services/travel_information" target="_blank">travel information for tour operator customers

British Airways href="http://www.britishairways.com/travel/volcano-rebooking/public/en_gb?refevent=volcano_rebooking_lhn" target="_blank">refund and re-booking information

EasyJet href="http://www.easyjet.com/redirect.asp?t=ALERT&l=EN&link=http://holidays.easyjet.com/FlightCheck/flightdepartures.aspx?lang=en" target="_blank">flight departure checker (log into website for refund / re-booking options)

Flybe – 01392 268 500

Ryanair href="http://www.ryanair.com/en/notices/gops/100414-ICELAND_ASH-GB" target="_blank">refund and re-booking information

Thomas Cook – 01274 724 363

Thomson / First Choice – 0800 009 3833

© Cheapflights Ltd (Creative Commons image: href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffk/756715480/" target="_blank">jeffk / Flickr)

class="alignright size-full wp-image-16096" title="Iceland eruption" src="http://news.cheapflights.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Iceland-eruption.jpg" alt="Iceland eruption" width="321" height="254" />

All UK and Irish airspace is currently open and air traffic controller NATS has no immediate plans to re-introduce no-fly zones.

The Civil Aviation Authority bowed to pressure from airlines in mid-May and raised the maximum threshold for safe levels of ash.

Its decision means that airlines can now fly through double the previous concentrations of ash, provided they have consulted and reached agreement with the relevant engine manufacturers.

The move is expected to minimise further disruption, though scientists say the Icelandic volcano is still active and periodic closures of UK airspace are expected throughout the summer.

Cheapflights will update this page continuously with the latest volcanic ash updates for air passengers.

  /> Last update: 3.30pm, Wednesday 19 May

Aberdeen Airport – Scottish airspace is currently open. Monitor the airport’s href="http://www.aberdeenairport.com/" target="_blank">website for the latest.

Belfast Airport – there are currently no delays or cancellations relating to volcanic ash, the airport’s href="http://www.belfastairport.com/en/flights/?type=arrivals" target="_blank">website shows.

Birmingham Airport – flights were briefly halted on Sunday 16 May but have now returned to normal, the airport’s href="http://www.birminghamairport.co.uk/news.aspx?id=10&articleid=602&__utma=1.32374874.1271321823.1271324161.1271340983.3&__utmb=1.2.10.1271340983&__utmc=1&__utmx=-&__utmz=1.1271340983.3.3.utmcsr=google|utmccn=%28organic%29|utmcmd=organic|utmctr=birminghma%20airport&__utmv=-&__utmk=170267296" target="_blank">website states. Knock-on delays and cancellations remain a possibility.

Bristol Airport – flights are currently operating as normal, though the airport’s href="http://www.bristolairport.co.uk/flight-information/arrivals-board.aspx" target="_blank">website warns that “disruption to flights continues as a result of the volcanic eruption”.

Cardiff Airport – there are no reports of disruption due to volcanic ash clouds. Check the the airport’s href="http://www.tbicardiffairport.com/en/flights/" target="_blank">website for the latest.

Dublin Airport – are flights are operating as normal, though passengers are advised that any resurgence of ash disruption is likely to hit Ireland first. Check the the airport’s href="http://www.dublinairport.com/flight-information/live-arrivals.asp" target="_blank">website for the latest.

Durham Tees Valley Airport – services are currently operating as normal, though the airport’s href="http://www.durhamteesvalleyairport.com/flight-information/arrivals/departures.html" target="_blank">website warns: “Whilst the volcano is still active this situation is subject to change.”

East Midlands Airport – no delays or cancellations are expected due to volcanic ash. Check the airport’s href="http://www.eastmidlandsairport.com/" target="_blank">website for the latest.

Edinburgh Airport – Scottish airspace is currently open. Monitor the airport’s href="http://www.edinburghairport.com/" target="_blank">website for the latest.

Exeter Airport – the latest advice is for passengers to “assume that flights will depart and arrive as scheduled but see Flight Arrivals or Flight Departures for status updates”.  Contact details for Flybe, Thomson / First Choice and Thomas Cook are provided on the airport’s href="http://www.exeter-airport.co.uk/important-information?item=288" target="_blank">website.

Glasgow Airport –  Scottish airspace is currently open. Monitor the airport’s href="http://www.glasgowairport.com/" target="_blank">website for the latest.

Glasgow Prestwick Airport – Scottish airspace is currently open. Monitor the airport’s href="http://www.gpia.co.uk/general/newsItem.asp?NewsItemID=378" target="_blank">website for the latest.

Leeds Bradford Airport – normal operations resumed on 18 May, though the airport’s href="http://www.leedsbradfordairport.co.uk/newsandupdates-announcements.php" target="_blank">website advises passengers to check with their airline prior to travel.

Liverpool Airport – all services including easyJet and Ryanair flights are operating as normal, but the airport’s href="http://www.liverpoolairport.com/flight-information/arrivals.html" target="_blank">website warns that the situation is “subject to change”.

London City Airport – all flights have been operating as normal since 18 May. Monitor the airport’ s href="http://www.londoncityairport.com/" target="_blank">website and href="http://twitter.com/londoncityair" target="_blank">Twitter feed for the latest.

London Gatwick Airport – all ash-related restrictions were lifted on 17 May and flights are operating as normal, the airport’s href="http://www.gatwickairport.com/" target="_blank">website states. />

London Heathrow Airport – flights are now operating as normal. The UK’s main hub has largely escaped ash-related disruption since the six-day flight ban in April; however, flights were grounded briefly on 17 May. Further periodic closures are possible, so passengers should check with their airline before travelling and monitor the airport’s href="http://www.heathrowairport.com/" target="_blank">website or href="http://twitter.com/heathrowairport" target="_blank">Twitter feed for the latest. />

London Luton Airport – there are no reports of delays or cancellations at the present time. Check the airport’s href="http://www.london-luton.co.uk/en/" target="_blank">website for more. />

London Stansted Airport – all services are operating as normal. Check the airport’s href="http://www.stanstedairport.com/" target="_blank">website for more.

Manchester Airport – all services are operating as normal. Monitor the airport’s href="http://www.manchesterairport.co.uk/" target="_blank">website for the latest.

Newcastle Airport – the airport resumed services on 17 May, subject to knock-on delays and cancellations. Monitor the airport’s href="http://www.newcastleairport.com/homel.htm" target="_blank">website for the latest.

Southampton Airport – all services are operating as normal. Monitor the airport’s href="http://www.southamptonairport.com/" target="_blank">website for the latest.

© Cheapflights Ltd (Picture credit: href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/4479064361/" target="_blank">NASA)