Virgin Atlantic Pilots To Strike Over Pay Row

Virgin Atlantic pilots have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action in a row over pay.

Their union, Balpa, said a massive 97% wanted industrial action following a 94% turnout - a "clear message" for Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson.
No dates have been set for the action, but it raises the threat of summer walkouts which would cause havoc for thousands of travellers.
It is the first time Virgin pilots have agreed to strike and the first pilot strike in the UK for 32 years.
Balpa general secretary Jim McAuslan said: "Pilots do not want to strike and are hugely disappointed by the company's approach... there comes a time when even moderate people say 'enough'."

Disruption as we head into the busy summer months is bad news for consumers.

Bob Atkinson, travelsupermarket.com

Mr McAuslan said: "If damage is to be avoided and passengers not inconvenienced then Sir Richard needs to act now."
Balpa said Virgin pilots had been subjected to a six-year "attack" on their living standards, having received no pay increase since 2008 and a below-inflation offer for 2011.
The union, which represents most of Virgin's 750 pilots, said it decided to ballot its members because it had expected a bigger pay deal this year.
Virgin Atlantic said in a statement: "We are naturally disappointed with the result of the ballot but remain committed to further talks with our pilots' representatives to find a solution.

Virgin Chief Executive Steve Ridgway's Response

"We have made an industry-leading offer to Balpa that is double the national average for a UK business.
"We value our pilots enormously and that is why we have offered three guaranteed pay rises in the next two and a half years and a share of company profits."
Bob Atkinson, of online comparison service travelsupermarket.com, urged the airline and union to secure a deal that would avoid disruption to passengers.
He said: "The last thing that any holidaymaker or business traveller needs is uncertainty over their travel plans and the threat of flight cancellations.
"Disruption as we head into the busy summer months is bad news for consumers."

IMI Team
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Virgin Atlantic Mexico bound

Virgin Atlantic has announced it will commence flights to the Mexican resort of Cancun in June 2012.

The service will provide twice-weekly flights to Cancun from Gatwick and Virgin expects to carry 94,000 passengers over the first year on the new route. The carrier currently runs nine long-haul leisure routes out of Gatwick, covering holiday destinations in the US and Caribbean.

Charismatic Virgin Atlantic chairman Sir Richard Branson explained how Mexico was an important new destination for the company. "Many customers have asked us to fly direct to this exciting destination over the years," said Mr Branson. "With its superb beaches, great hotels and cultural sites, tourism in Cancun is thriving. We believe that we can drive demand even higher by providing great competition to our rivals with our award winning product and service."

Virgin Atlantic said it was expecting to generate around $25 million of revenue for the Cancun tourism market, and is aiming to create as many as 650 jobs across the tourism and aviation sectors. The routes will be services by a Boeing 747-400 aircraft offering economy, premium economy and first class seating.

The new routes have allowed the subsidiary Virgin Holidays to create a dedicated brochure for holidays in Mexico, offering packages for hotels in Cancun, Playacar, Riviera Maya and more. Amanda Wills, managing director of Virgin Holidays, said the new brochure was a unique addition to the company's holiday offerings.

"We're delighted to be increasing our Mexico product and are looking forward to supporting the new route by launching our first ever dedicated brochure to the country in July, featuring a wide range of hotels in Cancun and beyond," said Ms Wills.

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Discount Competition

Competition

Click on the link above to join in the weekly discount competition

IMI Team
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The plane of the future

Ever wondered what flying could be like in 2050? If so, you may be keen to discover Airbus' new Concept Cabin... unless you're prone to vertigo.


Image credit: Airbus S.A.S.
Scared of heights? Then don't look down…

The plane manufacturer has released pictures of a futuristic jet ahead of the Paris Air Show. The images show a transparent cabin, allowing passengers to enjoy a much wider view while on a flight.

And if that wasn't unusual enough, the innovative design also aims to offer services with a difference on board, with personalised zones replacing traditional cabin designs.
Passengers will be able to play virtual golf in the aircraft's "interactive zone", or relax in the "vitalising zone" by breathing vitamin and antioxidant-enriched air.
Charles Champion, Airbus Executive Vice President Engineering, commented: "Our research shows that passengers of 2050 will expect a seamless travel experience while also caring for the environment.
"The Airbus Concept Cabin is designed with that in mind, and shows that the journey can be as much a voyage of discovery as the destination. Whichever flight experience is chosen, the passenger of 2050 will step out of the Airbus Concept Cabin feeling revitalised and enriched."

The only thing I can say is when you land in the dark there are a lot of blinds to pull down!!

IMI Team
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Ryanair do it again

Budget airline Ryanair has ramped up the charges passengers face for carrying a piece of checked luggage onto the aircraft by £5 – but only for the summer.
You’ll now be charged £20 each way for taking on luggage lighter than 15kg, up from £15, while bags weighing between 15kg and 20kg will set you back £30 each way, up from £25. In a brazen display of profiteering, the charges will only apply from June until September 21st – in other words, the peak travel times for summer holidays.

The airline has justified this, saying that it will encourage passengers to travel without hold baggage, highlighting that three quarters of passengers do so already. That’s all well and good, but personally I don’t fancy my chances of getting enough clothing for a fortnight in Spain into my hand luggage.



IMI Team
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Bend it like the Spanish

A flexible thief squeezed into a large suitcase and then emerged to plunder valuables from other bags while inside the luggage compartment of a Spanish airport bus, police say.
The thief had a partner who would buy a bus ticket and place the suitcase in a bus from Girona airport to Barcelona in northeastern Spain, police said in a statement late Tuesday.
"Once the trip began, he would get out of the suitcase, search for valuable objects and hide them in a smaller bag he carried with him," regional Catalan police said.
The thief would then get back into the suitcase, to be reclaimed by his partner at the end of the 90-minute trip.
Alerted by the repeated thefts, police inspected a suspicious bag on the bus on June 3 and opened it up. "They saw there was a man doubled up almost like a contortionist," the statement said.
The man had a mobile phone, a small bag and a sharp object to open zips and locks, police said. Officers boarded the bus and detained the man who had left the suitcase in the luggage compartment.


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Singapore Airlines open to offers for Virgin stake

Singapore Airlines said today it is open to any offers for its 49 percent stake in Virgin Atlantic, but would not comment if any bidders have approached it to buy the stake.
The airlines chief executive, Goh Choon Phong, told reporters: ‘I think we have been quite open. We have stated that we are open if somebody is interested in the 49 percent stake in Virgin, they can make an offer and we will evaluate it and make decision based on that.’

So if you fancy owning nearly half of Vigin Airlines, get your wallets out.

Don't forget to book your parking now for your summer holidays, spaces are going fast!!


IMI Team
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Follow on to ' Cheap Flights??'

We here at IMI have been thinking, at this is what we think you should do.

The answer, obviously, is to play the airlines at their own game and get one of these cards. Visa Electron (accepted for free by bmibaby, easyJet, Flybe and Jet2) is primarily designed for teenagers or students, doesn't have an overdraft facility and isn't as widely accepted as other cards. One of the very few banks that offers customers the cards is the Halifax (0845 720 3040; www.halifax.co.uk). To get one, you need to open an "Easycash" account by applying online or by post (pick up a form with a prepaid envelope from your local branch). For information about Easycash, go onto the website and click on "bank accounts", then "other bank accounts".

Prepaid Mastercards are available from a number of providers (including Ryanair) and, again, are largely aimed at the younger market. Terms and conditions vary depending on the issuer – some charge start-up and monthly fees. For a useful at-a-glance summary and information on how cards work, visit www.what-prepaid-card.co.uk

IMI Team
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Local Authoroties Holiday Vouchers

 

If you're planning a holiday or short break you may be able to get financial help from your local authority to pay for it.

Vouchers

Many local authorities give vouchers to help with the cost of short-term breaks or holidays for carers. Sometimes these vouchers are called respite grants or carers' grants.
As a carer you may be given your own grant, separate to the payments or services given to the person you care for. You can use the grant to pay for your short break or holiday whether you're going away with the person you care for or not. The holiday or short break may be in the UK or abroad.
Some councils allow you to use vouchers to pay for extra costs associated with your holiday, including:

• providing a ‘live-in’ carer to care for the person you look after while you're away,
• a short stay in residential care or a nursing home for the person you care for while you're away, or
• the cost of extra care to cover the time you are away.

Contact your local authority to apply for a short-term-break voucher or grant.

Direct payments

As a carer you may be able to get money towards the cost of a holiday or short break in a direct payment. Direct payments are payments from your local authority, so that you can buy the services you have been assessed as needing.
This might be for a short break or holiday so that you can maintain your health or wellbeing in order to continue providing care.
You'll need to ask your social services department for a carer’s assessment, which will help determine the kind of help you need as a carer. Direct payments are available to carers aged 16 and older.
The local authority may also be able to help with the cost of paying for alternative care for the person you care for while you're away. You may find it useful to read the Department of Health guide on direct payments

Call Carers Direct on 0808 802 0202

IMI Team
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Ryanair may charge €10 for reserved seats

Ryanair is set to allow customers on all its flights to reserve seats, the no-frills carrier has told The Independent.

In a radical departure from usual practice, the airline said trials of a €10 "book-a-seat" service between Dublin and Gatwick and Dublin and Malaga launched last month had proved to be far more successful than expected. The move, believed to be the first by a budget air travel carrier, comes as airlines are closely scrutinised. Hidden extras charged by low-cost airlines are being probed by the Office of Fair Trading, which is due to report its findings in the next few weeks.

Caroline Green, Ryanair's director of customer service, said an extension of the scheme would take place on another route this summer and a decision on whether to extend the service to all 165 destinations the company flies to was likely to be taken in September.

In the past Ryanair has not been afraid to try new charging models. In 2009 its chief executive Michael O'Leary said the company was considering charging £1 to use the toilet.

IMI Team
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Cheap flights??

Cheap flights, do they always work out so?? Well look at this BA VS Ryanair. For a Family of 4.

1 BA flight price £478.80
Card Charge £0
2 bags £0
golf clubs £0
cancellation levy £0
total £478.80

Ryanair price   £271.92
Card Charge £48
2 bags £80
golf clubs £80
cancellation levy £16 
total £495.92


Doesn't always work out the cheapest, you really need to look at the whole picture before booking.

Another thing, Card Charges, how do they get away with it.

BA debit/electron £0 CC/American express £4.50
Virgin debit £0 CC £5.68
Easyjet electron £0 debit £8 CC/American express £12.95
Ryanair £6 each way on all cards except prepaid master card
Monarch electron £0 debit except mastercard £3.90 CC and mastercard debit £5.57
bmibaby electron £0 debit except mastercard £6 CC and mastercard £9
flybe.com electron £0 debit except mastercard £9 CC and mastercard and American Express £10


IMI Team
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Cheryl Cole & X Factor

The judging line-up for this year’s X Factor has been confirmed — but there is no place for Cheryl Cole.
Pop mogul Louis Walsh will be joined by Take That’s Gary Barlow, pop singer Kelly Rowland and Tulisa Contostavlos of hip-hop group N-Dubz.
It means Walsh is the only remaining judge from last year’s show after Cowell left to launch the US version, taking Cole with him. Dannii Minogue (39) has also left the line-up.
Cole, who has been dropped from the US version of the show because of fears audiences would not understand her Geordie accent, is back in the UK trying to piece her career back together.
According to reports, the 27-year-old was given an offer by the British X Factor camp but refused to pick up her phone around the time of the deadline that was given to her.
Friends have claimed she is furious about her treatment and newspaper reports have suggested she is angry with X Factor creator Simon Cowell for not giving her a chance to prove herself.
There was no reference to Cole in the judging panel announcement and an ITV spokesman declined to discuss whether there would be any non-judging role for her on the show.

IMI Team
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IMI Parking team
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Malaysia

Tourism Malaysia launched a new campaign in London last week to promote the country’s nature, diving and eco-tourism offering. Hon. Dato’ Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen, minister of Tourism Malaysia oversaw the launch of its London bus promotion in Belgrave Square on Thursday. “To promote our fantastic destination on the most recognised public transport system, in the world’s most iconic city presents a great opportunity for Tourism Malaysia,” she said. In addition, the tourist board launched three nature-themed packages with three tour operators at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show. Tourism Malaysia has partnered with Audley Travel, Funway Travel and Peoples Travel to create the programmes, which are based on the country’s parks and gardens. They have been created following Tourism Malaysia’s gold medal win at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show.

So if you fancy a trip over there book it now, it is very picturesque. Don't forget though you will need to book your parking as well, so visit our WEBSITE

IMI Team

Don't forget to check out our website

New Virgin planes

This is the new plane that is being talked about, new to Virgin anyway.

These planes only carry economy and premium economy seats. What is the difference? Well apart from the price tag to upgrade to PE quite a bit. I have flown all three classes with Virgin, yes I have been lucky enough to fly 1st class. Question is would I pay for the upgrade to PE from E. In short yes. I am 6'3" tall and of large build. The extra room you get is more than worth the money, oh and the food is served up on plates instead of plastic pots!!

The IMI Parking team

Fifa fiasco

Fifa has provisionally suspended executive committee members Mohamed Bin Hammam and Jack Warner after a meeting of its ethics committee on Sunday.

Football's governing body will now open a full investigation into allegations that financial incentives were offered to members of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU).

CFU officials Debbie Minguell and Jason Sylvester have also been suspended.

But Fifa president Sepp Blatter was found to have no case to answer.

Petrus Damaseb, deputy chairman of the ethics committee, said of Bin Hammam and Warner: "We are satisfied that there is a case to be answered."

However, Fifa insists that they are innocent until proven guilty.

If found guilty, they could be expelled from the organisation and banned from all football activity.

Formula One

Well it looks as though Sergio Perez is ok, although he will not be taking part in this afternoons race. He suffered concusion after his 170 mph crash at Monaco. I have driven this circuit before, although it was in road form then! I never reached the speeds they do so I can say I have noticed that bump. It is believed that that part of the course had been recently re-tarmaced as well, but nobody thought to 'iron' out the bump. Vetall is once again, although for the first time at Monaco, on pole.

Let's hope for a good race, and we all here are glad to here Sergio is OK.

The Fox Patrol

It is with some delight that we can tell you a previous, and hopefully future, customer of ours has done well in a competetion. The Fox Patrol are a college band that were formed in college and have just placed second in a UK competition. Colleges from across the country got together and played their music. We here at IMI Parking LTD quite like the sound.

Just click here and have a listen to their sound. If you like them vote for them.

IMI Team