Useful Links for the Traveller
Disclaimer. travelwatchdog provides access to these links in the hope that they will prove useful and save travellers valuable preparation time. We are not in a position to recommend any of the services on this list and do not accept responsibility for the consequences arising from their use.
Airline Facilities/Comfort
For the best site for details about airlines and comprehensive assessments of what they offer. Go to http://www.airlinequality.com/
General Advice on Travel Problems
Which consumer site offers excellent guidance for travellers at: http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/problem/travel-and-leisure/
Air Transport Users Council
Sadly the Air Transport Users Council has ceased to exist and problems are to be referred to the CAA. The link is: http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=2211&pageid=12725
Health & Preparation
NHS (Scotland) offers the public access to its web site to people travelling abroad from the UK. It can be accessed at: www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
There are a number of American sites offering very current health information to travellers to specific destinations of which ‘Centers for Disease Control and Prevention” is probably the most authoritative. The site also offers information about particular diseases and disease control. Go to: www.cdc.gov/travel
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
This is the official government information site covering all aspects of travel, with up-to-date information on potentially dangerous areas, tips on laws and customs abroad and what to do in case of trouble. Go to: www.fco.gov.uk
MASTA
The MASTA web site provides travellers and health professionals with facts about immunisations and anti malarial tablets, jet lag and DVT. There is also a wealth of other information of use to travellers. Go to: http://www.masta-travel-health.com/
World Health Organisation
The WHO International travel and health section gives authoritative information about the risks to which travellers are exposed and the precautions needed to protect their health. The information is intended for medical professionals but can be useful to all. Go to: www.who.int/ith
General Shopping
Shopping-Links.net / Travel - Travel Web Directory
Air Safety
Airsafe provides a wealth of information about airlines and their safety records. this site also features the top 10 airline safety tips for passengers. Go to: http://www.airsafe.com/
Yahoo Search Page on Safety
http://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=fp-pull-web-t and p=Airline+Safetyarch.yahoo.com/search?fr=fp-pull-web-t and p=Airline+Safety
Smoking & Health
With the general reduction in smoking, more and more travellers suffer problems when they travel to overseas destinations where smoking is still prevailent. It can spoil a holiday, but we tend to forget that smoking has wider consequences and each year destroys millions of lives. Most UK readers are aware of the UK sites that deal with this problem, but few will be aware of these two USA sites that help to tackle the problem:
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/tobacco/smoking/
http://quitsmokingcommunity.org/