Flights to Sharm El Sheikh to resume and other news

Date: 23 Oct 19

Flights to Sharm El Sheikh set to resume

The UK government has finally lifted the restriction banning UK airlines from flying to Sharm El Sheikh. As of the 22nd October 2019 airlines can now fly to the once popular Egyptian resort.

The ban was imposed after a number of security deficiencies were identified culminating in the crash of the Russia bound Metrojet flight in 2015. It is widely believed that the plane was downed by a bomb that was carried on board.

The resort of Sharm has suffered a massive decline in its fortunes since with hotels deserted and tourists deciding to stay away.

The Egyptian government has since taken advice from security professionals and spent millions of pounds beefing up security and has had its formal request for the UK to lift the ban accepted.

Both TUI and EasyJet have confirmed that they intend to resume flights to Sharm El Sheikh in the near future.

Missing out your middle name could cost you the price of  a new flight

Most airlines don’t require you to enter your middle name when making a booking but a passenger flying with Blue Panorama was forced to purchase a new ticket when checking in as the name on the booking didn’t exactly match the name on her passport.

The website she booked with (kiwi.com) didn’t request a middle name but the terms and conditions of the airline clearly request this information. Passengers are being warned to check the requirements of the airline they intend to book with to ensure they comply with all of their conditions of travel.

Other common mistakes such as misspelling names have caught out many passengers in the past with most airlines happy to make changes for free if caught early on. The issue arises when using a third party website to book flight tickets – many passengers have endured a torrid time to get name changes as airlines pass the blame to the agents and vice versa. It is always advisable to book directly with the airline where possible.