The international search operation to find a man from Johannesburg, who was thought to have lost in India last month, was stopped after he contacted his family just last week.
The relatives and colleagues of Shaun Gounden, 34 years old, began their anxious search after he did not make contact with them since 9 February. Gounden departed from South Africa last 5 February on a scheduled holiday for three weeks in India. After his Indian tour, he was expected to fly to Afghanistan where Gounden will serve as a volunteer English teacher at one of the country’s orphanages.
Gounden’s sister, Sudashini, said [...]

Customers choosing to fly with the US-based Continental Airlines will soon be allowed to request exit-row seats with additional legroom – for a small cost.
The fourth-largest US air carrier, Continental has stated that it will not be undertaking any modifications of its existing fleet of planes to accommodate the decision, and that the number of seats will vary from plane to plane based on size. A group spokesperson said the move was simply a matter of giving customers what they had said they wanted.
The cost for the extra legroom on Continental flights depend on the how popular the route taken [...]

The European rail industry looks set to continue its frustrating lack of options for seniors in 2010, but Britain and a select few others have some great deals if you know where to find them. Unfortunately, most of the Seniors passes apply to first class travel – meaning that the actual costs are often more expensive than a standard second class ticket. Britrail has reduced its ticket prices this year, others have raised them, while UK seniors should note that across Europe the status age begins at 60.
BritRail continues to offer its Flexipass as the best option for most rail [...]

The goal of London Mayor Boris Johnson to establish the city as the European electric vehicle capital has received a timely boost after £17 million in funding being made available for the programme’s infrastructure.
The financial impetus will go towards making a network of some 7,500 charge points across the city over the next three years, will completion date set for 2012. The next 12 months will see the installation of 1,600 new charging points.
The Department for Transport will comprise £9.3 million according to yesterday’s announcement, which will complement the already ledged contributions from several leading organisations of £7.6 million in [...]

An EU diplomat said that Israel’s alleged role in the killing of a Hamas member in Dubai on 19 January and the assassins’ suspected use of fake EU passports are believed to damage Israel’s ties with the EU.
 
Dubai police said that at least 11 suspects in Mahmoud al-Mabhouh’s killing used altered German, French, Irish and British passports. Police Chief Dahi Khalfan Tamim added that the killers were already staying in Dubai for almost a year before the murder.
Meanwhile, a top Emirati official advised European investigators to initiate a full-scale probe on how EU passports were doctored by a gang accused [...]

Hertz, the world’s largest car rental company and premier hire organization inside the United Arab Emirates, has been ranked the region’s leader under a new survey using mystery shopper. The survey was undertaken by Dubai-based Arabian Travel News and Ethos Consultancy, a leading travel publication for the travel industry.
The leading rental group in the UAE, won points for its keenly maintained depot appearance, ease of access to location, tidiness and cleanliness including how well employees are presented and groomed. This included the prominent display of name tags in addition to the actual length of time a customer was kept waiting [...]

Hertz Rent-A-Car, the world’s largest hire car company, has announced plans to roll out an all-electric car concept. The news comes with plans to make the Nissan Leaf electric vehicle available from a number of locations across the United States and Europe, with the first models scheduled for release as early as 2011.
Ideally placed for family outings within a 100-mile radius, the five-seater Nissan Leaf is predicted to become popular among shoppers and car sharing programs. Rental car fleets will be at the forefront of marketing as their usage can often dictate the role of a new vehicle.
The Leaf cars [...]

For the fifth consecutive year Moscow has taken out the honour of having the world’s most expensive hotels according to the latest HRG survey.
The Russian capital was somewhat affected by the ongoing effects of the economic downturn with average room rates down on 2008 figures but the figure of $420 per room per night is still significantly dearer than second placed Abu Dhabi which averaged $350 per room. The rates for Moscow meant a fall of around $50 on the 2008 average rates.
Coordinated by the international corporate travel company Hogg Robinson Group (HRG) the survey discovered that average room rates [...]

Superbowl week showcases everything that is bold and brash about America and car hire is no exception. The world will be watching Miami next Sunday (US time) as the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints bring superstardom to the southern Babylon but it’s not just the football or the players that are turning heads. Making a special appearance at the Superbowl festivities this year will be a team of Maseratis, Ferraris and Lamborghinis.
According to the manager at Players Car Rental Bruno Vargas everybody who visits Miami wants to be a big shot and this means the top of the line [...]

Shots were fired at the house of a tycoon who was widely blamed for the closure of budget air carrier Flyglobespan.
Cypriot police confirmed that shots had been fired at a residential property owned by the parents of E-Clear CEO Elias Elia. Some of Elia’s friends believed that the assault was a reminder that Flyglobespan’s debt is already long overdue.
Elia’s business empire closed earlier this year with debts of over £100 million, including the £35 million that E-Clear had withheld. The debt had forced the Scottish airline to stop its business late last year, leaving more than 500 people jobless and [...]