Source eGlobal Travel News
Women ‘tried to smuggle corpse onto plane’
April 7, 2010 Aviation,
Two women placed sunglasses on the corpse of a dead relative and attempted to push the body in a wheelchair onto an international flight at a British airport, UK police have reported.Merseyside Police arrested the two women at Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport after bystanders became suspicious about the total immobility of the passenger in the wheelchair.
The women, aged 41 and 66, were questioned “on suspicion of failing to give notification of death” of a 91-year-old man, whose body they were allegedly trying to take with them to Berlin. They were bailed without formal charge.
No suspicion of foul play has been reported. British media surmise that the duo, both German nationals, were trying to evade hefty fees for the repatriation of dead bodies, which can cost up to £3000 (almost A$5000). London’s Sun newspaper reported that the taxi driver who took the women to the airport with their wheelchair-bound passenger was “upset and devastated” when told about the incident.
Written by: Peter Needham
WOW ANOTHER reason to have travel insurance (TIA)
Well blow me down. FINALLY got to a Manilow concert and struck a JACKPOT. It was opening night at the Paris for Mr Manilow.
The theatre was not packed to the rafters as befits his talent, not Mr Manilows fault, but the people at front of house telling people seats were NOT available and I bet turning away disappointed fans.
There appeared to be only a couple of technical hitches , one a mike that had Mr Manilow asking for them to turn it down (or risk his hearing for life), and then a great piano quadruple twist with pike going AWOL when one of the Piano mikes was offline.
Mr Manilow mixed his better known songs with a smattering of lesser songs (but still that Manilow touch) as well as songs from his new Album where he sings other famous writers love songs. As he said if you can’t score with his new Album you never will.
He placed his own life further in the spotligt with photos and scratchy “record your Voice” records from his past. Thank god for a grandfather with vision is all I can say.
My one concern was that Mr Manilow looked thin, perhaps unhealthily so perhaps more pasta?? I also noticed a limp in his right leg (as he is around my age, I can understand the limp….but I have travel insurance to cover any problem and I am sure his health cover is A1)
Despite all this, the ravages of time that we all face, has perhaps removed that youthful voice but the gusto, verve and talent shines through yet again on a star who can show other new acts what stage craft is.
Mr Manilow from Section D to your right, in rows L and M, we thank you for a masterful enjoyable night to remember.
We would LOVE to see you down in Australia I am more than sure we would fill your concerts.
Just 8 days ago I had the pleasure of flying United NOT in Business class, BUT in economy. So why the heading? Well I did not know that they had made business class on their Boeing 747’s in a lounge type configuraion (or tram config if you are from Melbourne) 2 seats facing forward and two facing the rear and those facing the rear had what were basically lap sash seat belts.
The Television monitors divided the front and rear facing, so you were not staring at your opposite passengers. We all keep getting told that lap sash belts are better than straight lap belts so Business class passengers will feel safer (and perhaps Travel Insurance Companies might offer a cheaper rate for them using them? Hmm dream on)
In conjunction with some extremelly cheap Business class fares, a lot more people may be trying them out. I hope I will get that opportunity next time I fly United Business Class.
Travel agents are under renewed attack over travel insurance, with the publication in the Sydney Morning Herald over the weekend of an article headed: Online versus the travel agent.The article quotes Choice magazine spokesman, Christopher Zinn, as saying “it’s very easy and convenient to go with the insurance provided by the travel agent but that might not be the best deal”. Zinn goes on to advise that “substantial discounts” can be found online. “High agent mark-ups” are often negotiable, he adds. Choice, official magazine of the Australian Consumers’ Association, has long held that travel insurance is far too complex and consumers would benefit if it were simplified.
Travel insurance is one product that has traditionally been viewed by the travel industry as providing a decent and adequate return to agents, while margins are squeezed on practically everything else. The online group Travel Insurance Direct claims its policies cost less through cutting out intermediaries like agents, distributors and marketers.
On its website, the company states: “With Travel Insurance Direct you don’t have to pay significant sales commissions and because we are predominantly online, we pass on the efficiencies that the internet offers. Cutting the cost not the cover.” It also includes an automated engine for giving consumers quotes on holiday travel insurance.
AFTA disputes figures put about by some online sellers. The federation contends that commissions comprise only up to 20 per cent of the typical cost of a policy bought through an agent. It points out that online sellers are themselves in business to make money out of selling insurance.
Written by: Peter Needham
Currently there is “1 comment” on this Article:
As a former travel agent of over 20 years, who chose to go into selling travel insurance direct to the public in 1999, I would suggest that travel agents are not under renewed attack over selling travel insurance. Since the start of this world wide financial crisis, we have seen a 40% increase in our sales figures and I can assure you we are not alone. We know travel agents have experienced dramatic increase in sales figures, not necessarily huge increase in revenue due to lower air fares etc.
The problem is that with the advent of FSRA compliance, most Travel Agents dropped secondary travel insurers products because they did not wish to have to do 4 more courses per insurer and basically went and compelled travellers to purchase their single offering. This created opportunities for others to compete head to head with travel agents with their own single insurer offerings and cheaper prices.
In my case, as a travel agent in the good old days I offered my clients 4 out of the 10 products around at the time. Why? Well each had slight differences in coverage etc. which allowed them to get the RIGHT policy not be boxed in to what I wanted to sell the.
My sites (which are comparison purchase sites listing product from 4 insurers )continue to offer the opportunity to any and all insurers who wish there product sold on line (currently Aussietravelcover, CHI, SureSave and Toursafe from QBE). We only make money on sales, and while we may not have flashy premises, our costs in state of the art websites and continuous improvements to simplify purchasing travel insurance balance out in the long run.
We have listened to people like Choice in relation to other industries and our sites have been developed since 1999 to try and remove the complexity for the travelling public. We continue to improve the sites and presentation all the time, and we continue to show comparitive products from 4 insurers we sell unlike the plethora of single insurer sites on the market.
We do not get involved in huge advertising campaigns direct to the public in a battle with Travel Agents, we concentrate on the internet and people find US. We have now developed many niche travel insurance websites to reach disaffected and groups who feel marginalised like seniors. (www.travelinsuranceforseniors.com.au)
Perhaps Travel Agents need to look at the products they are selling and start rebelling against some of the ‘deals’ their buying groups have saddled them with. Remember the CLIENTS buy the products, NOT your buying groups.