Watch out for fake travel websites says Fraud Squad
Don't get scammed this summer! That's the message from the City of London Fraud Squad after a surge in fake travel websites trying to steal your money.
Sadly, many holidaymakers have found that www now stands for the Wild, Wild, West when it comes to travel websites.
Already thousands of Brits have been turned away on arrival at villas in Mallorca and the Costa del Sol where fraudsters have conned millions of pounds from unsuspecting holidaymakers. And families have been devastated with many losing both their money and their holiday. Read more
But it's not just holidaymakers who are the victims. The tricksters copied pictures of a £20 million villa owned by a descendant of the Duke of Wellington to advertise on a fake website.
And one genuine rental business owner Clare Taylor who owns Keys & Concierge in Mallorca says she can see five of her properties on fake websites this year including her own personal villa!
Even closer to home a Scottish travel agency, which had its online identity hijacked, warned that fraudsters have set up more than 70 bogus websites imitating travel companies in the past year.
The agency started receiving calls from customers who believed they had booked with the business but had paid money to a lookalike website using the agency's bricks and mortar address and ATOL number.
The City of London police and ABTA have published advice on how to avoid becoming a victim of holiday booking fraud. You'll find details here.
Better still, if you want complete peace of mind call your DialAFlight travel manager - we have access to a wide variety of villas around the world and you know your money is safe!
10 things you didn't know last month
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1. BA to shut door on unpopular business class seats
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2. A cable car for Kilimanjaro?
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3. Now you can bed down in Economy
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4. The ultimate Rock opera
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5. Carry on bags case carries on
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6. Make a point of checking out the arrows
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7. City-breaks getting cheaper
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8. Manneken has been taking the p**s
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9. Red Light tour ban
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10. Brits behaving better
Watch out for fake travel websites says Fraud Squad
Don't get scammed this summer! That's the message from the City of London Fraud Squad after a surge in fake travel websites trying to steal your money.
Sadly, many holidaymakers have found that www now stands for the Wild, Wild, West when it comes to travel websites.
Already thousands of Brits have been turned away on arrival at villas in Mallorca and the Costa del Sol where fraudsters have conned millions of pounds from unsuspecting holidaymakers. And families have been devastated with many losing both their money and their holiday. Read more
But it's not just holidaymakers who are the victims. The tricksters copied pictures of a £20 million villa owned by a descendant of the Duke of Wellington to advertise on a fake website.
And one genuine rental business owner Clare Taylor who owns Keys & Concierge in Mallorca says she can see five of her properties on fake websites this year including her own personal villa!
Even closer to home a Scottish travel agency, which had its online identity hijacked, warned that fraudsters have set up more than 70 bogus websites imitating travel companies in the past year.
The agency started receiving calls from customers who believed they had booked with the business but had paid money to a lookalike website using the agency's bricks and mortar address and ATOL number.
The City of London police and ABTA have published advice on how to avoid becoming a victim of holiday booking fraud. You'll find details here.
Better still, if you want complete peace of mind call your DialAFlight travel manager - we have access to a wide variety of villas around the world and you know your money is safe!
My best holiday ever
Bake Off's Prue Leith is a very good judge when it comes to finding the recipe for a great holiday
What people are saying
A selection of customer comments from Trustpilot
Our top money savers you can't afford to miss
Save 50% on a 7 night stay at The House, Barbados
Save 40% on 5* luxury Ibiza getaway
Save £200pp on this amazing 14 night Western Australia self-drive adventure
Stay 5 nights pay for 4 with this Luxurious Oman holiday
Save £300pp on Seven Seas cape cruise and NY stay
25% off and FREE upgrade to HB on this 3 night Arabian adventure
10 things you didn't know last month
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1. BA to shut door on unpopular business class seats
Finally BA are getting rid of their disliked 'ying and yang' back to front business seats with the launch of a new suite with a sliding door. The suite will be launched in October to Toronto and Dubai with other routes to follow. BA says its their biggest business class overhaul in 20 years. As well as a 6ft 6in lie-flat seat and 18.5in TV, the suites come with 40 per cent more storage, including a vanity unit and mirror.
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2. A cable car for Kilimanjaro?
Tanzania wants to boost tourism by putting a cable car on Kilimanjaro. Each year around 50,000 tourists climb the 19,340ft mountain, which is Africa's highest. The government hopes the cable car would increase numbers by 50 per cent by providing access to those unable or unwilling to climb it. Talks have taken place with a Chinese company and a Western company and a feasibility study is on-going. The length of the route has not been finalised, with porter and guide groups leading the opposition to the plan.
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3. Now you can bed down in Economy
The luxury of lying down for a good night's sleep on a long haul flight has long been limited to those who can afford expensive business class seats. But now budget airline Thomas Cook is offering economy passengers a similar experience. Those flying to destinations including New York and San Francisco can reserve a 'sleeper seat' - a row of three singles over which a mattress is laid after take-off - from £200 one-way. They will also get a head rest, pillow, blanket and amenity kit including toothbrush and toothpaste. The row of seats is around 4ft 8in long and just over 2ft wide, so most adults will have to curl up for comfort. Only four mattresses are available on each flight and customers can book up to 48 hours in advance.
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4. The ultimate Rock opera
Ayers Rock will play host to its first opera a week after the climbing route up the sandstone monolith is closed permanently in October. Eight performances including arias by Puccini and Rossini, will take place at the Field of Light art installation in front of the spiritual rock in Australia's Northern Territory on the weekend of November 1 to 3. National park managers voted in 2017 to end the practice of climbing Uluru, considered sacred by indigenous people. The Ayers Rock Resort is currently selling packages for the opera nights.
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5. Carry on bags case carries on
An Italian court has suspended fines issued to Ryanair and Wizz Air as it seeks to rule out the legality of their hand luggage policies. Last year, the budget carriers attracted the attention of Italy's competition watchdog, Antitrust, after making changes to the basic cabin bag allowance for passengers, limiting them to a small bag that could fit under the seat in front. Antitrust launched an inquiry accusing the airlines of misleading consumers, eventually fining Ryanair £2.57 million and Wizz Air one million euros. Both carriers appealed and the fines have been suspended pending a final ruling.
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6. Make a point of checking out the arrows
Tourists taking a road trip across America can play a fun game to while away the hours at the wheel . . . spot the arrows. There are hundreds of gigantic concrete arrows on the ground dotted across the length and breadth of the United States, which were built in the 1920s and early 1930s to help guide pilots navigating the country's fledgling air mail system in an era long before satellites and GPS. Retired Californian couple Brian and Charlotte Smith decided that a compelling pastime would be snapping photographs of the arrows and putting them on their specialist website called Arrows Across America. After receiving six million hits people from all over the States are now checking out the arrows and posting their own pictures - something that is rapidly catching on with holidaymakers.
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7. City-breaks getting cheaper
The price of a stay has fallen in two-thirds of the most popular European city-break destinations, according to Post Office Money. The biggest decreases were in Venice, where costs have dropped by 23 per cent against last year's figures and Amsterdam, down by 17 per cent. The cheapest city was the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, where two nights in a three star hotel, plus a meal for two and a string of other purchases, came in at just £147. The priciest was Iceland's capital Reykjavik, at £463.
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8. Manneken has been taking the p**s
The famous statue of a urinating child in central Brussels has been wasting drinking water for decades, it has been discovered. Manneken Pis - the "peeing boy" is a 1965 copy of the 1619 original. Officials believed it ran on a closed circuit so did not use up resources, but a technician found that the bronze figure had been weeing fresh water into the sewers at a rate of up to 2,500 litres a day, enough to provide for 10 households. Now the system has been changed and the city's First Alderman Benoit Hellings said: "We can proudly say that for the first time in 400 years Manneken Pis is not peeing out fresh drinking water."
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9. Red Light tour ban
Amsterdam is banning guided tours through its famous Red Light district from next year, claiming they cause congestion and are disrespectful to sex workers. The Dutch capital's council said exemptions would be granted to guides in De Wallen who abide by new rules on quality, group size, and hours of operation. Free tours will not be allowed and anyone who breaches the rules, which come into force on January 1, can be fined £169. The council said sex workers had complained of experiencing nuisance, such as abusive behaviour and unwanted photography.
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10. Brits behaving better
Young people are far more interested in looking good on Instagram when they go on holiday than getting drunk and having casual sex, according to Thomas Cook. A year on from ditching its notorious Club 18-30 brand - once synonymous with cheap rowdy booze-fuelled holidays - the tour operator says that the "age of foam parties and Brits behaving badly abroad is a distant memory". A poll by the holiday giant found that just 10 per cent of 18 to 25-year-olds now rate partying as a priority, while 42 per cent said the local culture at destinations was most important to them. And just one in 10 said getting a tan mattered. A company spokesman said: "Millennials want to look after their bodies, shy away from one night stands and hangover fry-ups and favour wheatgrass smoothies - which make for better Instagram fodder.
This month's top offers
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Save 50% on a 7 night stay at The House, Barbados
A haven of privacy and serenity on the west coast of Barbados, this intimate hotel blends chic design and minimalism with the essence of the Caribbean. You'll stay on a B&B basis at The House, which is located on a pristine stretch of white sand beach and is unsurpassed in terms of luxury and service, as every guest has a personal ambassador. This adults-only relaxing refuge is sophisticated yet informal and not far from the island's capital Bridgetown. Save 50% with our 7 night offer including breakfast and flights with Virgin Atlantic from £1475pp. Valid 23/08/2019 - 11/10/2019.
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Save 40% on 5* luxury Ibiza getaway
The 5* 7Pines hotel is nestled in a pine grove on the cliffs of the west coast of Ibiza and offers sweeping views, amazing sunsets and secluded shorelines. There is a beautiful infinity pool, 2 fantastic restaurants, 3 bars and a Pure Seven Spa, a haven of wellbeing. Or enjoy a host of watersports beside acclaimed beaches and a more local experience including hippy markets. Fly with British Airways and stay 3 nights in a Laguna Suite, including breakfast from £445pp. Valid October 2019.
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Save £200pp on this amazing 14 night Western Australia self-drive adventure
This is a real Down Under adventure with a difference as you travel by car from the sunny city of Perth to Ningaloo discovering all the delights of the Coral Coast along the way. Your adventure starts with a fascinating tour of Rottnest Island where you may get to meet the famous Quokkas. Then you hit the road for a leisurely drive with well-placed stops to ensure you see the best of Western Australia including the Pinnacles at Nambung National Park, the dolphins at Monkey Mia, stunning Coral Bay and on to the world heritage listed Ningaloo Reef where you will enjoy an inclusive snorkel safari boat tour with the chance to swim with the manta rays and whale sharks. Flights with Cathay Pacific, car hire and all hotel accommodation is included with this offer from £2125pp. Valid deps 22/08/2019 - 21/09/2019.
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Stay 5 nights pay for 4 with this Luxurious Oman holiday
The Six Senses Zighy Bay is an ultra-luxurious resort redefining the meaning of escapism. Located on the northern Musandan Peninsula in Oman, the beautiful indigenous village-style accommodations are flanked by dramatic mountains on one side and the sandy beach of Zighy Bay on the other - making a stunning contrast. You'll never experience anything like this again. Stay 5 nights for the price of 4 in a Pool Villa with our offer. We include car hire and flights with Emirates from £1579pp. Valid deps 01/06/2019 - 16/06/2019.
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Save £300pp on Seven Seas cape cruise and NY stay
Escape to the cape this year with a fabulous Seven Seas cruise around the US's east coast and Bermuda. Beginning and ending in New York City, you'll venture through the Cape Cod Canal with a host of sightseeing opportunities; take in the captivating history and sites of Boston and behold the beautiful nature of Nova Scotia before cruising the Atlantic down to Bermuda. Here you'll enjoy two blissful days on Caribbean time, with rum, sunshine and beaches aplenty before you return. Save £300pp with our 10 night all-inclusive cruise offer inclusive of 3 nights at Viceroy Central Park and flights with Virgin Atlantic from £3725pp. Cruise deps 15/10/2019.
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25% off and FREE upgrade to HB on this 3 night Arabian adventure
Behold the beauty of the Arabian desert with unforgettable experiences at the 5* Ritz-Carlton, Al Wadi Desert, UAE. Discover what makes the land and its people so special and partake in camel rides, nature drives and even stargazing, as you garner a true appreciation of the desert. Then, be treated to luxury amenities and a superb choice of dining venues luxuriate here too. Save 25% and enjoy a FREE upgrade to half board with our offer. Flights with Emirates from £999pp. Valid for deps 01/09/2019 - 12/09/2019.
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The Maldives 5*
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Playa Del Carmen 5*
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New Orleans & Austin, Texas
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New York 4*
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Oman 5*
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Sri Lanka 4*
2 FREE Nights
Sun City and Madikwe Safari 5*
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Barbados 4*
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Rhodes 5*
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Chile Tour 4*
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My Favourite Holiday
Prue's best holiday ever was a road trip in America...
Bake Off's Prue Leith is a very good judge when it comes to finding the recipe for a great holiday
What was you first memory of travelling abroad? When I was six I sailed from South Africa to England by steam ship with my family. It was a three week journey and I remember crying on my birthday when I didn't get the enormous teddy bear that was for sale in the ship's shop. But aside from that I had a wonderful time.
What do you need for a perfect holiday? All I need is sun and peace and quiet - perfect book writing conditions. My husband John's and my breaks are often very culture heavy. He cannot pass a museum without venturing inside, so we tend to see a lot of architecture and so-called places of interest.
Places you've always wanted to visit? I had long dreamt of going to Japan and in October I made it. We mostly stayed in Tokyo but also visited the art island of Naoshima where there is really interesting contemporary art on display - including work by the British artist Richard Long.
What's one of your most memorable holiday experiences? It was deep sea fishing in the Maldives which really put John and me to the test. We were angling for some meaty tuna but all we caught was barracuda that just about fed us for breakfast. Waves lapped against our ankles as we ate it. Normally I shudder at the idea of dining on a beach, but I'll admit it was lovely.
Your favourite food in the world? It has to be New British, which is quite classical cooking with really simple but good quality ingredients. I also like top end restaurants and pub grub done well.
What do you think of safari holidays? As a child growing up in South Africa it was so much harder then to spot the animals and I'd get bored stiff. But now when I go to the Kruger National Park I get to see plenty of game. I recommend booking tickets to Baroque in the Bush, a weekend of music played by some of the Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra held in the Kruger. It's a lovely way to see wildlife and listen to beautiful music.
What was your favourite holiday? My best holiday ever was a road trip that John and I took in America about three or four years ago. We drove through California, Arizona and Utah, taking in Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon.
What was your worst holiday experience? It was getting stuck in Harare, Zimbabwe, when the children were young. There was something wrong with the plane and we had to wait for about 14 hours. When we all loaded on to another aircraft it hit a flock of birds and we were delayed for another 12 hours in the boiling hot airport.
Your future holiday plans? Soon I'll be filming a secret project which means I can't go anywhere until July, but I have big plans after that. Firstly I'd like to see the wild flowers of the Alps in summer and I'm hoping to make a film with my daughter about Cambodia in October. Oh, and I've never been to Costa Rica or Ecuador so I aim to travel there at some point too.
What people are saying
A selection of customer comments from Trustpilot
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A reliable company with integrity
Zayne at DialAFlight was amazing. He found better prices than we could from the net and that included car hire in the USA. I wish we had arranged our hotel via DialAFlight too as their prices were better! Zayne made follow up calls to us to ensure we had our ESTA paperwork in place and to offer to arrange seats on our flights. Nothing was too much trouble. We recommended DialAFlight to my daughter for her trip to Australia and Bali and yet again Zayne arranged these at the best price including hotel. I thoroughly recommend this company to anyone.
Susan Clennett gave DialAFlight 5 stars on Trustpilot. Sparkling footnote: Susan's name was pulled out of the hat in our monthly Trustpilot draw and a case of Prosecco is on its way.
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DialAFlight went the extra mile for me
Great communication and value for money. I'm a repeat customer and my travel arrangements this time were handled by Shane. I'd scoped out a 2 week trip to Vietnam so had a good idea of what we wanted to do and how much it was likely to cost. Shane took the itinerary and suggested several hotels, some of which I had not considered.
Peter gave DialAFlight 5 stars on Trustpilot.
He also included several internal flights and the end result was a decent saving on my original budget plus the security of an ATOL protected holiday. The icing on the cake was the quality of the hotels that Shame recommended - 4 of which gave us a free upgrade! -
Brilliant company with brilliant staff
We were recommended by a friend to get in touch with Niall at DialAFlight when we had decided to visit our daughter in Australia. Having never flown on a long haul flight before we were a little in the dark about what to do.
Anita Woodhouse gave DialAFlight 5 stars on Trustpilot.
Niall was extremely helpful, kind and calm. He gave us lots of information and was very helpful. Nothing was too much trouble. Near the time of flying he got in touch to make sure we were okay with everything and knew how to check in online. Would highly recommend. -
Quicker and easier than searching online
I'd spent a fair amount of time looking for flights to Melbourne with a stopover but couldn't find the right times or prices. I phoned DialAFlight and Tony found us great flights on China Southern with a hotel stay in Guangzhou. Very happy with the result and great service so will use again.
Kevin gave DialAFlight 5 stars on Trustpilot.
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