Ryanair is being investigated by the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) over concerns that emergency exit seats have been left empty after it introduced an extra £10 charge for passengers to sit there.

The seats provide extra leg room, which is popular with many customers, but this extra room is primarily for the exit doors in the case of an emergency, and anyone who sits there is expected to follow directions and, if necessary, open the doors in the event of an emergency.

The extra charge has meant that these rows have been known to be left empty on take off, with passengers on surrounding seats asked to familiarise themselves with the evacuation procedure. Some passengers expressed doubts about being able to fully understand the instructions without sitting next to the exit itself.

This has also raised health and safety concerns from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA), who are keeping a watch on the situation.

A spokesperson from the CAA said: ”Our guidance to UK-registered airlines is that whoever is sitting next to the emergency exit must be briefed about what to do. If that person says they are not willing to do it, then someone else must be found who is happy with that role.”

He added: “It’s an important task. It’s not easy to open the doors and they must be physically strong enough to throw them from the plane.”

A spokesman for Ryanair said it will cooperate with the IAA, but also added: “Ryanair complies with all mandatory safety directives. All passengers are provided with the same safety and evacuation information.”

(Please note that there are other airlines registered in Britain which also charge passengers extra to sit next to the emergency exit.)

Do you believe online travel reviews for when you book to go on holiday? Despite an investigation by an advertising watchdog which told travel review site TripAdvisor that it could no longer claim to offer “trusted and honest reviews”, holidaymakers are still persuaded by online reviews.

TripAdvisor was told by the watchdog that it could not guarantee that customer feedback was genuine, and that although reviewers were asked to sign a declaration to state their views were real and they had no incentive or competitive interest to put a review on the site, “none-genuine” reviews could still appear.

The Advertising Standards Agency acknowledged that TripAdvisor uses “advanced and highly effective fraud systems”, but as this is not completely effective it also raises questions about other review sites which may not have so many systems in place. Despite all of this, according to the eTravel Benchmark study, 75% of consumers still think that the majority of travel reviews are ‘mostly genuine’, whilst 61% would be more likely to make a booking after reading a positive review.

The eTravel Benchmark study, carried out by eDigitalResearch, found the highest level of customer satisfaction in over two years.

Derek Eccleston, research director at eDigitalResearch said that sites that ”support customers with a responsive and helpful telephone and email customer service repeatedly perform better than their rivals”.

What do you think? Do you book according to reviews? Do you regularly make sure to write a review after you have been away to help other holidaymakers?

The clock is ticking! Picture by Flickr User Ben Sutherland

Over 1 in 10 Brits will be going abroad on holiday specifically to avoid the London 2012 Olympics. 12% of the 2,018 adults asked in the ABTA commissioned poll, said they would b going overseas between 27th July and 12th August to get away from the games. Whereas 9% said they were looking for a holidays in the UK that was Olympics free.

Of those who were staying put, 30% said that they ignore the Games completely, whereas 11% are planning to take time off to watch the Games on TV, and 5% will take time off to attend events. 31% said that although they will not take time off during the events, they are excited about them nonetheless.

ABTA head of communications Victoria Bacon said: “With only six months to go until one of the biggest sporting events in our country’s history, it’s clear that hundreds of thousands, especially the young, will be taking time off to enjoy London 2012. However, for those who don’t love sports or want to escape the crowds, going abroad will provide a welcome alternative.”

The research was conducted by Arkenford Ltd, which specialises in tourism and leisure market research.

So, will you be staying for the Olympics, going away, or ignoring them? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below.

By 2020 travel could become a very different ballgame to what we’re used to now, according to the From Chaos to Collaboration report commissioned by technology expert Amadeus.

The report had six key findings:

1. The next generation of experience: Technologies such as augmented reality, gamification mechanisms and smart mobile devices will transform the travel experience.

2. Automatic transit:  Chips, biometrics, long range fingerprinting and near field communications (NFC) can be deployed in a more integrated way to help with speedy check-in and walk through of immigration.

3. Payment with memory: All data on payments made before and during a trip will be integrated, acting as a digital memory of expenditure and activity for individuals, groups and travel industry operators. Intelligent passenger records and contactless technologies could be used to personalise services delivering higher value and more profitable relationships.

4. Intelligent recommendation: As technologies make it easier for people to tag and review all aspects of travel experiences, travellers will be more influenced by peer groups and expert curators.

5. Taking the stress out of travel: Intelligent luggage tags and tickets will give greater reassurance whilst m-Health (mobile-Health) applications will allow travellers to manage and monitor their health and well-being as if they were at home.

6. The business tourist: Continued emphasis on work-life balance and well-being at work may see the rise of the business tourist.

Andrew Curry, director and co-author The Futures Company (which developed the report), said: “We wanted to avoid making techno-centric assumptions about the future of travel – and painting a picture of flying cars and intelligent robots in a world that is otherwise unchanged from today.

“We hope that this study will challenge, provoke and stimulate thinking around how we will all be travelling in the future.”

Happy New Year to all our readers! Before we move on to this year’s news, here’s a round up of some of the biggest stories we covered on this blog in 2011, it certainly was an eventful year!

January started with the troubled BMI threatening to withdraw its Heathrow – Glasgow route after passenger charges at Heathrow were raised (this was confirmed a month later). Ryanair returned to Manchester with four new routes. And the political troubles in Egypt disrupted flights.

Spiraling conflict in Egypt caused complete cancellation of routes to popular holiday destinations in February. Meanwhile, Which? launched a super complaint on airline card fee charges,the cost of Qantas’ engine troubles were revealed, and airlines flying from the UK finally started to show clearer air fares.

March brought faster flight times under a deal signed by traffic controllers. But by far the biggest news of the month was the huge tsunami which hit Japan and led to re-routing of flights to avoid possible radiation risk, and advice to leave Tokyo.

A Skyscanner survey found Spain back in favour for British holidaymakers in April.

In May Belfast Airport started to charge for going for a cigarette break, and the ongoing battle between Unite and British Airways was finally settled!

More natural disasters happened in June with violent aftershocks in Christchurch, New Zealand and volcanic eruptions in Chile.

The News of the World phone-hacking scandal broke in July with airlines withdrawing their advertisements as a result.

In August research revealed the use of smartphones were ruining people’s holidays.

The Rugby World Cup was held in New Zealand in September, where Wales’ hopes were dashed.

The first biofuel passenger flight took place in October, however green campaigners claimed it wasn’t as environmentally friendly as everyone thought.

Europe announced a ban on body scanners at airports in November, but the UK decided to go against the decision.

Finally, December saw 150mph winds hit parts of Scotland, which is where we are now at the start of 2012 as tremendous winds continue to batter the UK once more.

So, what travel news is in store for 2012? Keep up to date here!

Which? has revealed the best and worst airlines in a survey taken from opinions of over 8,000 of its members. The survey was based on overall experience and likelihood of recommending an airline to a friend.

Top of the short-haul category with a customer score of 76% was Swiss International Air Lines, Aer Lingus came second with 67%. The worst scores were those of Thomas Cook Airlines with 37% and not far off with 38%, Ryanair.

Thomas Cook Airlines scored only one star for cabin environment, whereas Ryanair scored one for boarding, both scored two stars for value for money.

In the long-haul category, Singapore Airlines with 89% and Air New Zealand with 88% headed the pack.

Rochelle Turner, Head of Research, Which? Travel, commented on the importance of a good flight to a holiday:”The airline you choose can have a big impact on your trip, making the difference between arriving feeling tired or refreshed.

“The top-rated airlines all score highly for both the cost and value for money of the flight and most still include free hold luggage, plus onboard drinks and snacks in the ticket price – something clearly prized by travellers.”

New Year and Christmas is proving to be an even more popular time for holidaymakers to leave the UK in search of a different festive experience. According to ABTA, it estimates that 4.25 million Brits will be travelling away during this period compared to just under 4 million last year.

Peak travel days are expected to be 22nd and 23rd December so holidaymakers can touch down and settle in just before Christmas day.

Types of holidays vary greatly, some opt for warmer climates such as the Canary Islands, Dominican Republic and Cuba, whereas others want a Christmas snow at ski locations.

Paris, Reykjavik, Rome, Dublin and New York are popular New Year’s Eve destinations for a party vibe.

Mark Tanzer ABTA chief executive said: “With all the doom and gloom of the economy it looks like people are keen to escape for a break, whether they are visiting friends and family or looking to enjoy winter sun or guaranteed snow.”

Check out lots of foreign holiday lets at the Villaseek website to get your perfect festive getaway sorted.

According to the Metro, the controversial airport x-ray scanners have been banned by Brussels over fears that they could cause cancer.

The scanners hit the headlines initially over the images that made people appear naked, which caused concerns over privacy and dignity of passengers. Now the focus is on the low doses of radiation they emit when in use, as initial research suggests that up to 100 US airline passengers could get cancer from them each year.

However, the Health Protection Agency said: “The radiation dose from an examination of two or three scans is less than that received from two minutes flying at cruising altitude.”

The scanners have been tested in Germany, France, Italy, Finland and Holland but will be banned from using the scanners in April next year. Manchester airport has been told it has another year’s use of them as they have 16 of the £80,000 machines, and do not let anyone board an aircraft if they refuse to go through them.

Britain could be given a fine if it ignores the ban, as it has argued that the scans are a “proportionate response to a very real terrorist threat”.

Following the months of flooding in Thailand, the Foreign Office has now advised against travel to the capital city and 26 other provinces.

It said: “Our advice against all but essential travel to the city of Bangkok does not include transit through Suvarnabhumi international airport.

“Flights to destinations elsewhere in Thailand (eg the resorts of Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Phuket, and Koh Samui) continue to operate normally.”

A five-day holiday has been ordered by the Thai authorities so that residents can evacuate the capital. More than 360 people have died in Thailand’s worst flooding in decades.

Torrential rain in parts of Italy is also threatening lives. Rescue workers are searching for missing people in Liguria and Tuscany with the province of La Spezia and its UNESCO- protected tourist site of Monterosso particularly badly hit.

The Foreign Office current update is: ”The A12 highway in Liguria has been blocked in both directions since yesterday afternoon because of a mudslide, and train services throughout the coastal region of Liguria have been halted. British nationals are advised to avoid these areas unless absolutely necessary.

Motorway flooding elsewhere is also a problem. IsoRadio has the best up to date information for travelllers, with a bulletin in English approximately every hour. There are also weather alerts for the Campania, Veneto and Friuli-Venezia-Giulia regions.”

According to Post Office Travel Money’s 2011 Long Haul Holiday Report, customers travelling to long-haul destinations will get better value for money holidays as prices fall in places such as Sri Lanka (where resort costs have fallen by a third from last year), the USA, Dubai and Egypt.

A spokeswoman for Post Office Travel Money, did however admit that the survey was intended to provide only a “snapshot” of prices in overseas resorts. Nevertheless, Sarah Munro of Post Office Head of Travel Money said prospects were bright for British holidaymakers, adding: “After a summer when the weak UK pound bought less holiday cash in Europe, tourists heading further afield for winter sun can look forward to seeing their pounds stretch further in most long haul destinations.

“Resort prices have fallen in two-thirds of the countries we surveyed a year ago and, in addition, sterling has strengthened against 15 of 26 long haul currencies.

“For example, the UK pound will buy over 19% more Kenyan shillings than a year ago and is also stronger against Caribbean and Latin-American currencies. Holidaymakers visiting the USA, Dubai and Egypt will be quids in too.”

The report claims that a ‘basket’ of 10 items, including a three-course meal for two with wine, would cost £31.81 in Sri Lanka and £51.48 in Thailand.

Elsewhere, China showed the year’s biggest price rise of 27%, to make the essential items average £116.43.