Need help? Want a travelling buddy or advice about a place or country – want to share something with us – why not visit our Mutual Aid section of the Website: Mutual Aid

The Globetrotters Club has just teamed up with Oanda.com to provide people with information about currency conversions and cheat sheets. To translate currency or make a cheat sheet, visit:

The Globetrotters Currency Converter — get the exchange rates for 164 currencies The Globetrotters Currency Cheat Sheet — create and print a currency converter table for your next trip.

Re-launched in July 2002 from British European UK as carrier FlyBe is to launch a new West of England low fares base at Exeter International Airport in March next year. The UK’s third largest low fare airline will offer three daily flights to Alicante, Malaga and Murcia in Spain and three domestic flights to Belfast City, Edinburgh and Glasgow in the UK.

Domestic one-way fares will start at GBP£19 (USD$31) and on the Mediterranean routes at GBP£49.

Good news for air fatalities: Flight International's Airline Safety Review of the first six months of 2003 notes that the number of people who died in airline crashes in the first six months of this year nearly halved in comparison with the same period of 2002.

Between January and June 2003, 362 people around the world lost their lives in 12 fatal accidents. In 2002 there were 712 deaths and 18 fatal accidents.

The biggest cause of accidents is still “controlled flight into terrain” incidents (flying into mountains). The report states that airlines from poorer or more immature economies record most accidents, suggesting that safety standards and aviation safety cultures still need to be looked at.

Qantas have been having a hard time recently, and not just being affected by the recent Iraq war and SARS. Mid July, a Vietnamese passenger en route from Bangkok to Sydney was stabbed in the neck with a fork. In May, a man armed with sharpened wooden staves tried to force his way into the cockpit of a Qantas flight to Tasmania and hi-jack the plane. Despite this, Qantas remain one of the Beetle’s favourite airlines.

UK carrier Virgin Atlantic has announced the Upper Class Suite – reclining leather seats, more space for meals and the longest airline flat bed in the world for sleeping. Virgin says it will charge business class rates for a first class service. The service will be available on all of Virgin's Boeing 747-400 and Airbus A340-600 planes from this summer, and will be on all aircraft based at London Heathrow by spring 2004 and those at Gatwick by autumn 2004.

In a bid to raise awareness about and discourage underground trade in human skin, there is currently an exhibition of human skin at an international business fair in Dar es Salaam.

Police in Tanzania have uncovered a ring that has been skinning people. A total of six young people are thought to have been killed and skinned in the Mbeya region of southwestern Tanzania. They say that the skins are in huge demand outside Tanzania and that they are transported to Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo before reaching their final destination in West Africa where they are used in witchcraft rituals.

The prices of the human skins range from $2,400 to $9,600, depending on the age of the victim, police say.

From Webmaster Paul, Budget Flight Directory

Under 30? A member of Globetrotters Club? Interested in a £1,000 travel award?

Know someone who is? We have £1,000 to award each year for five years for the best submitted independent travel plan. Interested?

Then see our legacy page on our Website, where you can apply with your plans for a totally independent travel trip and we'll take a look at it. Get those plans in!!

An American diver has been arrested for penetrating the Yongala, the wreck of a steamship. The Yongala is a popular wreck dive off Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It sank during a cyclone in 1911, resulting in the death of all on board. Despite being told twice that he was not allowed to go inside the wreck, our hapless diver ignored all warnings, was arrested and fined A$2000. If you dive wrecks, particularly where there has been a loss of life please be respectful of this, says the Beetle, and follow local guidelines.

Are you UK based and planning to go on holiday in October or November, but haven't decided where? Do you fancy letting us plan it for you? If you want a holiday with a difference then call us on 023 80 712568 or email us at iwthol@granadamedia.com for an application form. (Please note, you have to pay for the holiday, but you get a fantastic itinerary and good prices.)

An UK independent television company is looking for friends, couples and families who are off on an adventurous trip overseas for a new Channel 4 documentary series.

• Are you currently UK based?
• Are you going away for at least three months and leaving later this year?
• Are you travelling as a family, a couple or a group of close friends?
• Is this your first big trip abroad – i.e. this is not the sort of hing that you do every year?
• Are you spending the majority of your trip somewhere other than Europe?

If your answer to all of the above is 'Yes' then we want to hear from you! If you are interested in finding out more information please ring Emma on 0207 684 1661 x247 or email emma@ideallondon.com.

Blue Ventures research programmes need volunteers. We have always depended, and continue to depend, on the dedication and enthusiasm of our volunteers. Volunteers – from all over the world and from all walks of life – work with us both above and below the water. Overseas, volunteers are responsible for carrying out field research, as well as managing the day-to-day running of field camps. Working as a Blue Ventures volunteer is a challenging yet incredibly rewarding experience requiring hard work and commitment. If you are interested, see the Volunteer Guide (PDF )has particular focus on our current field site in Andavadoaka or visit our website at http://www.blueventures.org/volunteering_volunteers.htm

Bath, well known as being a genteel Georgian spa town has been without its spa since 1978, when it was closed due to an amoebic bug. But now, as from August 28^th, you can book a day session for A335 or A317 for 2 hours. The facilities include access to a the Minerva Spa, a restaurant, terraces overlooking the baths and steam rooms. There are also various treatments, and exercise classed available at an extra cost. The five year project has cost A323 million. For more information, see www.thermaebathspa.com or tel: 01225 331234.

The UK Government is cracking down on air rage by imposing strict sentences on those found guilty of endangering an aircraft with disruptive behaviour.

Serious air rage incidents have increased during the last year with 648 'significant' in-flight incidents reported last year, a rise of around 16 per cent. 40 per cent of incidents were related to smoking and 42 per cent to alcohol.

Under the Aviation Offences Act, air rage passengers will face a five-year jail term if found guilty, three years more than the previous maximum penalty.

US citizens will be issued with “smart” passports carrying a digitally signed photograph by late 2004.

The new passports will include an embedded microchip that stores a compressed image of its owner's face. These microchips will be designed to prevent tampering and each digital image will be cryptographically signed to guarantee its authenticity.

Civil liberties groups fear that the introduction of such international identity schemes could permit governments to monitor the activities of citizens in unprecedented detail.

Los Angeles’ mayor, Jim Hahn has revealed plans to make LAX “the safest and most secure airport in America.” This involves knocking down three of the nine terminals and introducing radical transportation ideas.

If approved, the plan to rebuild the airport would be completed over 11 years and allow for an increase in passenger numbers of more than 20 million.

Amongst the proposals are a passenger check-in linked to the terminals by people mover trains.

There is huge relief among Asian airlines after the World Health Organization declared that the SARS virus has now been contained in all affected countries.

Taiwan was the last area to be removed from WHO’s warning list.

Taiwan's tourist authorities are also planning a USD$8.72 million publicity drive to tempt tourists back to the island.

In Singapore, a TV channel dedicated to SARS information will close. In all, SARS was responsible for more than 800 deaths worldwide and there were a total of 8,400 cases in 30 countries.

The SARS virus started in China’s Guangdong province, on February 21 this year, when an infected medical doctor from Guangdong checked into a Hong Kong hotel. Other guests were infected and spread the virus when they travelled to their next destinations.

Austravel, the Australia and New Zealand travel specialists are holding a fair in London Saturday 30th August 2003.

Lonely Planet will be at the Austravel Fair, where they’ll be offering advice on the top 10 most frequently asked questions they receive about Australia and New Zealand.

Where: London Commonwealth Institute, Kensington High Street, London When: Saturday 30 August 2003 More info: visit http://www.austravel.com

The Theatre Museum has five galleries illustrating the history of the performing arts in the UK. The collection includes displays on theatre, ballet, dance, circus, puppetry, opera, musicals, rock and pop. There's usually a daily workshop on performing arts subjects, such as pantomime and making a play.

Where: Russell Street, Covent Garden.

Open: Tue-Sun, 10:00-18:00.
Tube: Covent Garden Enquiries: 020 7943 4700
Entrance: free admission for individuals.

The UK government still has a warning out, advising travellers against non essemtial travel to Bali, after last October’s bombings.

However, reports from hoteliers and hostel owners in Bali say that the back packing hostels are almost full now, and the upper end hotels are one third full. Garuda, Indonesia’s state airline resumed flights from the UK to Bali at the end of July 2003.

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