TV personality Carol Vorderman is backing British Airways’s call for more women to become airline pilots.
The former Countdown star is a qualified pilot and next year plans to fly solo around the world.
BA already has nearly 200 women pilots but, through its cadet training future pilot programme, it wants more.
Vorderman said last week: “I always wanted to be a pilot. It was the reason I read engineering at Cambridge, and ideally would have joined British Airways after graduating, but sadly their training school wasn't open at that time.”
She said that thanks to the BA future pilot programme there were now “more opportunities for tomorrow's potential future female pilots”. The scheme opens again to new applicants in February. (PA)
Value for money as well as top-dollar hotels
Leeds leads the way in best-value accommodation among British cities despite having the most-expensive five-star hotels, according to a survey.
The Yorkshire city’s five-star hotels charge an average of €383 per night: the highest five-star price among the 11 UK cities in the 150 world-city survey by online travel company GoEuro.
However, including all classes of hotel, as well as hostels and places booked through accommodation firm Airbnb, the average price for accommodation in Leeds was €58; the least expensive among the 11 UK cities.
On this basis, London had the highest UK-city average accommodation price, at €105, followed by Liverpool (€95), Aberdeen and Manchester (both €81) and Newcastle upon Tyne (€78).
London's five-star hotels averaged €345, although its hostel average was as low as €26. Of the UK cities other than Leeds, Aberdeen had the most-expensive five-star hotels, averaging €358, as well as the priciest hostels, at €37.
In the worldwide list London was the 14th most-expensive city, with Leeds 74th.
Around the world, the most expensive city was New York, where accommodation averaged €198.
Next was the Swiss ski resort of St Moritz, where the average was €147 and that was followed by Macau in China and Miami in Florida (both €135).
Of the 150 cities, Tirana in Albania offered the lowest prices, with accommodation averaging just €26.
Next best was Hammamet in Tunisia (€28), with Sofia in Bulgaria's average being €29 and Cairo's being €30. (PA)
Travellers targeted for more than duty free
Airports are home to ever increasing numbers of retail outlets, serving travellers who want to buy goods on the go and brands targeting a global and mobile audience.
Despite a recent downturn in the luxury industry, high-profile deals in travel retail have underlined buoyant long-term growth prospects for a sector driven by emerging market jet setters and the trend towards convenience shopping.
“There is a switch from destination retail to shopping on the way to doing something else: work, holiday, business trip.
“It's about squeezing it in to our hectic lifestyles,” said Ben Perkins, consumer expert at consultants Deloitte.
The sector is enjoying 10 per cent annual growth and should nearly double by 2020 from €60 billion in 2013, according to travel data firm Generation Research.
While airports have long been the preserve of luxury brands, mid-tier names like Spanish fashion chain Desigual and British department store John Lewis are now snapping up prime locations to raise their profile among travellers.
“Nearly 50 per cent intend to purchase while waiting to take a plane or a train. Those people are international, they are captive, they have two or three hours to kill,” said Laurence Anne Parent, of Advancy strategy consultants. (Reuters)