There is too much news for one person to know. "All the news that is fit to print" should really be re-worded to say "all the news we think fit to tell you about places which interest editors".
The fact is you cannot know all the things you should about the places you will travel. That is why governments have made up travel warnings. These warnings, updated frequently, and posted on the internet, bring what could be a wealth of security information to your home.
Whether it is an military insurrection, coup, or civil war; or a natural disaster, these travel warnings can alert you to very timely events at your destination. However, as the common traveler, you and I have to make do with these public warnings. Private companies often use specialist international risk assessment companies to prepare detailed reports before trips and business activities. But we cannot afford that, so we use the internet.
Below I have listed three important and generally reliable government travel warning websites for English-speakers.
Some of you will notice the omission of the US government. This brings me to the basic problem with the travel warnings: they are often very political rather than non-partisan assessments of a security situation. The worst offender remains the US State Department travel warning system, which seems more geared towards frightening US citizens with scary stories about places and regimes not currently in favour in Washington, than it does with actually presenting useful security information.
So here are three sites, which taken together, will give you a fair idea of what is going on out there.
I recommend you check all three sites about any one country, and compare and contrast the advice. This will give you a more comprehensive picture of the situation on the ground in your intended destination.
CANADA
Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.
UNITED KINGDOM
UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
AUSTRALIA
Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs.
31 August 2008
25 August 2008
A Russian voucher is NOT a Russian visa
Okay, we all realize how tough it is to get a Russian visa due to the curious two-step visa application process.
First you must get an invitation and VOUCHER. This document, issued under the authority of the Russian government, but issued by a private company, allows you to apply for a Russian visa. Without the voucher you will not even be allowed to submit your forms at the embassy.
The good news is that we at Visa Services Canada can get you a Russian tourist voucher in 36 hours for only $50 ($55 for international cruise ship passengers). Business travellers can wait up to three working weeks for a business voucher. However, business people can also use an authorized invitation from a Russian company as their visa support. The Russian company letter must be stamped by the Russian Interior Ministry.
The reason I bring up what seems like a rather obvious topic is that serveral people have tried to apply without a voucher; while others have gotten to the airport thinking the voucher, which is in Russian, was their actual visa. The voucher is not the visa: it only allows you to get a visa for the period specified on the voucher.
The second step is to apply for the visa. VSC will both acquire a voucher, and apply for your visa all in one conveniet step on your behalf. You no longer have to worry about trying to get a voucher and a visa. We do it all for you.
Click here for the Russian visa details.
Click here for the Russian visa forms.
First you must get an invitation and VOUCHER. This document, issued under the authority of the Russian government, but issued by a private company, allows you to apply for a Russian visa. Without the voucher you will not even be allowed to submit your forms at the embassy.
The good news is that we at Visa Services Canada can get you a Russian tourist voucher in 36 hours for only $50 ($55 for international cruise ship passengers). Business travellers can wait up to three working weeks for a business voucher. However, business people can also use an authorized invitation from a Russian company as their visa support. The Russian company letter must be stamped by the Russian Interior Ministry.
The reason I bring up what seems like a rather obvious topic is that serveral people have tried to apply without a voucher; while others have gotten to the airport thinking the voucher, which is in Russian, was their actual visa. The voucher is not the visa: it only allows you to get a visa for the period specified on the voucher.
The second step is to apply for the visa. VSC will both acquire a voucher, and apply for your visa all in one conveniet step on your behalf. You no longer have to worry about trying to get a voucher and a visa. We do it all for you.
Click here for the Russian visa details.
Click here for the Russian visa forms.
18 August 2008
China, after the Olympics
As most of you know by now, travel to China became incredibly difficult this past April as the Middle Kingdom tightened the rules for acquiring a tourist or business or visit visa.
My company, Visa Services Canada, dealt with a lot of customers trying to get to the Olympics. It was our pleasure to be the official provider of visas to Alliant/Bell Canada's contest winners on all the all-expense-paid trips to the Olympics. We even aided some Canadian Olympic team members in getting visas. These were supposed to be be issued automatically, but the bureaucratic nightmare that is a Chinese visa application processes looked for a while to be set to deny visas to several of our athletes. In the end, only days before their flights, we acquired the last visas, and the athletes headed for Beijing.
With the Olympics ending and the demand for visas dropping, there was hope of a return to the former relaxed visa rules. However, I am sorry to report there is no end to the harsh rules in sight.
Tourist visas can now only be issued to passengers with a confirmed itinerary entailing all travel arrangements and a confirmed hotel with full contact data.
Visitor visas are far more difficult. People wanting to visit family must show a copy of the official PRC identity card for their contact, as well as a kinship certificate and a personal invitation letter. They also need confirmed travel arrangements.
The good news is the price: visas are rock-bottom priced at only $50.
China visa details
China visa FORMS
My company, Visa Services Canada, dealt with a lot of customers trying to get to the Olympics. It was our pleasure to be the official provider of visas to Alliant/Bell Canada's contest winners on all the all-expense-paid trips to the Olympics. We even aided some Canadian Olympic team members in getting visas. These were supposed to be be issued automatically, but the bureaucratic nightmare that is a Chinese visa application processes looked for a while to be set to deny visas to several of our athletes. In the end, only days before their flights, we acquired the last visas, and the athletes headed for Beijing.
With the Olympics ending and the demand for visas dropping, there was hope of a return to the former relaxed visa rules. However, I am sorry to report there is no end to the harsh rules in sight.
Tourist visas can now only be issued to passengers with a confirmed itinerary entailing all travel arrangements and a confirmed hotel with full contact data.
Visitor visas are far more difficult. People wanting to visit family must show a copy of the official PRC identity card for their contact, as well as a kinship certificate and a personal invitation letter. They also need confirmed travel arrangements.
The good news is the price: visas are rock-bottom priced at only $50.
China visa details
China visa FORMS
31 July 2008
Fun in Russia
What is big, bizarre, cold, hot, dangerous, exciting, historic, and new? Russia! And the best place in Russia for westerners to visit is the old capital city of Saint Petersburg.
There are tricks to visiting Russia in general, and Petersburg in particular. You of course still need a visa, and we at VSC can help you with both the visa and the visa support.
My favourite time to visit Petersburg is at the end of June for the white nights. It is dark for about 30 minutes per night then, and the city is alive at all hours.
No trip to Petersburg is complete without a visit to the world's greatest art collection: the State Hermitage Museum. The best way to get tickets to the palace is on-line through the museum's own website. You can avoid the long lines at the ticketing office in the museum by purchasing tickets online from the museum website. Get a single day ticket for US$17, or a two-day pass for all their facilities for only US$26. Do not buy from touts or ticket agencies.
Not all culture in Petersburg hangs on the walls. The arts are alive in Petersburg, and one of the best, classiest, and most historic places to see them is at the Mariinsky Theatre, formerly called the Kirov, and originally called the Mariinsky. This is the stage upon which the original Swan Lake was performed. This is a wonderful grand theatre, and the home of the Kirov/Mariinsky Ballet. Get tickets directly from the theatre for the best prices and selection. Weekday box seats near the stage can cost as little as US$35, and you can take your own food and champagne! At these prices touts and ticket agencies will get you seats in the rafters. Get tickets directly from the theatre on-line, for low prices. Dress up and have fun.
Russia, like Britain, has been vilified for poor cooking. But Petersburg is alive with great places to eat. For fine dining in the great Russian tradition, I recommend the Taleon Club in the old Eliseev palace just south of Nevsky Prospect on the Moika canal near the Hermitage. Dinners and luncheons are superb. Brunch is served every Sunday from noon until 16:00, and comes with black and red caviar, lobster, champagne and lots of other delicious dishes for only US$45. Look at the Taleon Club and hotel website to see how wonderful it really is, and then reserve a table on-line.
There are tricks to visiting Russia in general, and Petersburg in particular. You of course still need a visa, and we at VSC can help you with both the visa and the visa support.
My favourite time to visit Petersburg is at the end of June for the white nights. It is dark for about 30 minutes per night then, and the city is alive at all hours.
No trip to Petersburg is complete without a visit to the world's greatest art collection: the State Hermitage Museum. The best way to get tickets to the palace is on-line through the museum's own website. You can avoid the long lines at the ticketing office in the museum by purchasing tickets online from the museum website. Get a single day ticket for US$17, or a two-day pass for all their facilities for only US$26. Do not buy from touts or ticket agencies.
Not all culture in Petersburg hangs on the walls. The arts are alive in Petersburg, and one of the best, classiest, and most historic places to see them is at the Mariinsky Theatre, formerly called the Kirov, and originally called the Mariinsky. This is the stage upon which the original Swan Lake was performed. This is a wonderful grand theatre, and the home of the Kirov/Mariinsky Ballet. Get tickets directly from the theatre for the best prices and selection. Weekday box seats near the stage can cost as little as US$35, and you can take your own food and champagne! At these prices touts and ticket agencies will get you seats in the rafters. Get tickets directly from the theatre on-line, for low prices. Dress up and have fun.
Russia, like Britain, has been vilified for poor cooking. But Petersburg is alive with great places to eat. For fine dining in the great Russian tradition, I recommend the Taleon Club in the old Eliseev palace just south of Nevsky Prospect on the Moika canal near the Hermitage. Dinners and luncheons are superb. Brunch is served every Sunday from noon until 16:00, and comes with black and red caviar, lobster, champagne and lots of other delicious dishes for only US$45. Look at the Taleon Club and hotel website to see how wonderful it really is, and then reserve a table on-line.
23 July 2008
Is it really dangerous?
In our daily lives we tail or our movements and activities for safety. When we travel we also do this, although sometimes it is completely subconscious. We do not even consider going to certain places no matter how interesting or inexpensive they may be, as they are beyond our comprehension.
So how much do we really have to fear bombing and terrorism and extreme acts of violence? Well, almost not at all. Tourists are rarely targeted as a group for acts of political or military violence. The largest attacks on tourists in a major foreign destination (in terms of deaths) took place more than a decade ago in 1997 in Egypt, and turned out to be the last attacks. Egypt stepped up security, and the militant groups were totally suppressed.
The real dangers are common street crimes such a pick-pocketting, mugging, and assault. These are far more likely to touch the average tourist than any major or minor political or military incident.
The sad fact is we have become the target for a virtually endless moving picture show of images and sound bites telling us to be afraid of the world. Governments and the media have restricted our outlets to the world by tightening our perception of our own safety zone. By vilifying certain countries and regions and peoples, the power that be have effectively reduced our space to travel. And the result is somewhat bizarre.
The list of the most dangerous places for Canadian tourists is rather strange and somewhat counter-intuitive. The top three countries for violence against Canadian tourists are China and Cuba and Mexico. Mexico and Cuba are two of the top foreign destinations for Canadians, attracting more than a million people each year. Given the number of incidents of violence versus the hordes of travellers, the actual number of incidents seems small.
A good example of a vilified country said to be unsafe would be Iran. There is no question it is difficult to get a visa to Iran, but it is a safe destination. The official Canadian government position is that we should avoid all travel to most of Iran. At the same time, DFAIT says “Travel is safe in most areas.” The fact is Iran remains a safe destination with many wonderful sites such as Persepolis, and an extremely cheap and efficient rail and airline system. This is just to say the travel warning system is politicized, and cannot always be counted upon for good advice.
On a recent cruise we expeienced this phenomenon first hand. Our stop in the capital of Sri Lanka was cancelled due to political tensions in the far north of the country, well away from our port. At the same time, we added a port visit to Colombia which was then engaged in a nasty little war with a great deal of U.S. military aid. Was there a real, or just a perceived, security concern?
Since the 11 September incidents, US tourists, who make up the bulk of the english travelling public, have by a slim but real majority, selected safety and security as their top concern when looking at foreign travel. They have largely bought into the lie, and thereby cut themselves off from real travel.
External Affairs, now known as DFAIT, issues travel advisories and travel warnings about all countries and places. They are easy to check and sometimes fairly clear in meaning. However, there is a degree of political motivation present, as friendly countries are never violent, while unfriendly countries get lower safety ratings. That said, the DFAIT list and the UK Foreign Office list are head and shoulder above the virtually useless and extremely partisan list produced by the US State Department.
So how much do we really have to fear bombing and terrorism and extreme acts of violence? Well, almost not at all. Tourists are rarely targeted as a group for acts of political or military violence. The largest attacks on tourists in a major foreign destination (in terms of deaths) took place more than a decade ago in 1997 in Egypt, and turned out to be the last attacks. Egypt stepped up security, and the militant groups were totally suppressed.
The real dangers are common street crimes such a pick-pocketting, mugging, and assault. These are far more likely to touch the average tourist than any major or minor political or military incident.
The sad fact is we have become the target for a virtually endless moving picture show of images and sound bites telling us to be afraid of the world. Governments and the media have restricted our outlets to the world by tightening our perception of our own safety zone. By vilifying certain countries and regions and peoples, the power that be have effectively reduced our space to travel. And the result is somewhat bizarre.
The list of the most dangerous places for Canadian tourists is rather strange and somewhat counter-intuitive. The top three countries for violence against Canadian tourists are China and Cuba and Mexico. Mexico and Cuba are two of the top foreign destinations for Canadians, attracting more than a million people each year. Given the number of incidents of violence versus the hordes of travellers, the actual number of incidents seems small.
A good example of a vilified country said to be unsafe would be Iran. There is no question it is difficult to get a visa to Iran, but it is a safe destination. The official Canadian government position is that we should avoid all travel to most of Iran. At the same time, DFAIT says “Travel is safe in most areas.” The fact is Iran remains a safe destination with many wonderful sites such as Persepolis, and an extremely cheap and efficient rail and airline system. This is just to say the travel warning system is politicized, and cannot always be counted upon for good advice.
On a recent cruise we expeienced this phenomenon first hand. Our stop in the capital of Sri Lanka was cancelled due to political tensions in the far north of the country, well away from our port. At the same time, we added a port visit to Colombia which was then engaged in a nasty little war with a great deal of U.S. military aid. Was there a real, or just a perceived, security concern?
Since the 11 September incidents, US tourists, who make up the bulk of the english travelling public, have by a slim but real majority, selected safety and security as their top concern when looking at foreign travel. They have largely bought into the lie, and thereby cut themselves off from real travel.
External Affairs, now known as DFAIT, issues travel advisories and travel warnings about all countries and places. They are easy to check and sometimes fairly clear in meaning. However, there is a degree of political motivation present, as friendly countries are never violent, while unfriendly countries get lower safety ratings. That said, the DFAIT list and the UK Foreign Office list are head and shoulder above the virtually useless and extremely partisan list produced by the US State Department.
11 July 2008
Take the Train, eh!
In an age where we are concerned about the environment, taking the train is an increasingly popular travel option. Throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, and even significant parts of Africa, the railway is the way to get around in comfort while seeing the country and enjoying a true local experience.
But how do you know if the train even runs in the country you will visit? And how do you find out if the train goes to a place of interest to you?
This is now easier than at any time in history, thanks largely to a man named Mark Smith. A few years ago, this train-travel-lover set up a website called “The Man in Seat 61". Seat 61 is said to be the best seat on Eurostar chunnel service between Britain and France.
A quick visit to Seat61.com will tell you immediately about the state of train travel in nearly every country on earth. All countries with passenger train service are listed and detailed. Mark Smith does not hide information, and usually right up top lists the actual rail service website for that country. Smith even tells you about reliable ticket services, and urges readers who have recently used lined and services to write in with comments and suggestions.
If, for instance, you wanted to experience the world’s longest train journey, the Trans-Siberian Express, you would start by visiting the Seat 61 site about the various services which make up this fabled set of routes. Smith even provides the routing to get you from London to Hong Kong without ever being on an airplane, bus, or ship.
If you wanted to move all over China, but not use the airlines, you would visit the Seat 61 section on China.
Rail travel is also possible in several African countries, and Seat 61 covers them all: Botswana, Egypt, Kenya, Mali, Morocco, Namibia, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
You can even learn about rail service in Cuba, and find out how to see the country in comfort from end to end. Cuba has a daily rail service from Havana to Santiago de Cuba (near the US concentration camp in Guantanamo Bay) and return. This service usually takes about 15 hours, and can be done during the day or night. Don’t forget to ride the Hershey Express (named for the former chocolate plant) from Havana to Matanzas.
He also has a new book out: "The Man in Seat 61", published by Bantam Press, July 2008, £12.99
But how do you know if the train even runs in the country you will visit? And how do you find out if the train goes to a place of interest to you?
This is now easier than at any time in history, thanks largely to a man named Mark Smith. A few years ago, this train-travel-lover set up a website called “The Man in Seat 61". Seat 61 is said to be the best seat on Eurostar chunnel service between Britain and France.
A quick visit to Seat61.com will tell you immediately about the state of train travel in nearly every country on earth. All countries with passenger train service are listed and detailed. Mark Smith does not hide information, and usually right up top lists the actual rail service website for that country. Smith even tells you about reliable ticket services, and urges readers who have recently used lined and services to write in with comments and suggestions.
If, for instance, you wanted to experience the world’s longest train journey, the Trans-Siberian Express, you would start by visiting the Seat 61 site about the various services which make up this fabled set of routes. Smith even provides the routing to get you from London to Hong Kong without ever being on an airplane, bus, or ship.
If you wanted to move all over China, but not use the airlines, you would visit the Seat 61 section on China.
Rail travel is also possible in several African countries, and Seat 61 covers them all: Botswana, Egypt, Kenya, Mali, Morocco, Namibia, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
You can even learn about rail service in Cuba, and find out how to see the country in comfort from end to end. Cuba has a daily rail service from Havana to Santiago de Cuba (near the US concentration camp in Guantanamo Bay) and return. This service usually takes about 15 hours, and can be done during the day or night. Don’t forget to ride the Hershey Express (named for the former chocolate plant) from Havana to Matanzas.
He also has a new book out: "The Man in Seat 61", published by Bantam Press, July 2008, £12.99
24 June 2008
Mad for Madagascar
What is part of Africa but not part of Africa, and attracting a growing number of visitors? Madagascar, the "Great Island" off the south-east coast of Africa is the correct answer. With more than 5000 kilometers of coastline, and a diversified wildlife and natural biosphere, Madagascar offers a wide range of travel excitements, including ecotourism. Safaris for wild animals, and safaris for gems, are both available. Travel conditions range from backpacker low to luxury high. Aided by the success of the 2005 animated feature film "Madagascar", tourism on the giant island has grown as people flock in to see the wildlife and vast expanses of nature. Unfortunately, there are no singing lemurs.
TOURIST BOARD
The Madagascar Tourism Board has a french-language website here. However, many tour companies operate in english, and individual and package tourism is easily available to all.
GETTING THERE BY AIR
Air Madagascar flies to Antananarivo from Paris, Brussels, Bangkok.
TRAIN
The absolute best way to travel in many countries is by train, and Madagascar is no different. Badly damaged in 2000 by two storms, the 163km track of the FCE-Madagascar Railway once again takes passengers on a 10 hours journey from the coastal town of Manakara to the highland city of Fianarantsoa through some spectacular scenery. It is one of the world's steepest rail lines, and crosses 67 bridges at a leisurely 25km/hr. There are short stops at 17 villages along the way.
The train leaves Fianarantsoa at 07:00 TuWThSaSu. It departs Manakara at 06:45 MWThFSu. Fares are about $8 first class, and $6 second class. The train has a website here.
VISAS
Every story has a bad news aspect. Last year the visa fee for Madagascar was around $80, which was average for a visa sold to Canadian citizens that year. This past spring the price jumped 100% to the new rate of $155 per visa. The forms and requirements remain the same as before.
Click here for Madagascar visa details.
Click here for on-screen fillable Madagascar visa forms.
TOURIST BOARD
The Madagascar Tourism Board has a french-language website here. However, many tour companies operate in english, and individual and package tourism is easily available to all.
GETTING THERE BY AIR
Air Madagascar flies to Antananarivo from Paris, Brussels, Bangkok.
TRAIN
The absolute best way to travel in many countries is by train, and Madagascar is no different. Badly damaged in 2000 by two storms, the 163km track of the FCE-Madagascar Railway once again takes passengers on a 10 hours journey from the coastal town of Manakara to the highland city of Fianarantsoa through some spectacular scenery. It is one of the world's steepest rail lines, and crosses 67 bridges at a leisurely 25km/hr. There are short stops at 17 villages along the way.
The train leaves Fianarantsoa at 07:00 TuWThSaSu. It departs Manakara at 06:45 MWThFSu. Fares are about $8 first class, and $6 second class. The train has a website here.
VISAS
Every story has a bad news aspect. Last year the visa fee for Madagascar was around $80, which was average for a visa sold to Canadian citizens that year. This past spring the price jumped 100% to the new rate of $155 per visa. The forms and requirements remain the same as before.
Click here for Madagascar visa details.
Click here for on-screen fillable Madagascar visa forms.
02 June 2008
The Russian (Visa) Revolution
Reciprocity is not dead. For every action there is an opposite reaction, and the visa world is no different. Last week the Russian government announced big changes to the visa regime applicable to Canadian citizens.
In their own words: “Please take note that starting June 1, 2008 the processing period of 15 working days is fixed for all kind of visa application for Canadian citizens.”
This means Canadian passport holders must wait a minimum of three weeks for a visa to be issued for travel to Russia, and there is no expedited service available for Canadians. Until the end of April you could still get same-day service, as well as other fast services. No longer.
Word in the diplomatic community is this new longer wait and lack of faster options is a result of Canadian visa processing times in Moscow. we have had to deal with several universities trying to bring Russian professors to Canada for academic conferences, and waiting inordinately-long periods for a visa answer. The Russians have complained about having to wait months for Canadian visas, and finally decided to act.
And just to make us jealous, the Russians added this little dig: “the visa requirements for non-Canadians remain without changes”. Many Europeans can still get visas in a day: even in the Russian embassy in Canada.
So my advice to those of you traveling to Russia is to apply early. The Russians will issue visas more than three months in advance of travel, so you can safely apply early. You still need a confirmed ticket in and out, and a voucher/invitation issued by a Russian agency.
Prices remain the same as for the old two week processing:
Business and tourist single entry $75.
Business and tourist double entry $100.
Business multiple entry $200.
Russian visa details and prices here.
Russian visa forms (fillable) here.
In their own words: “Please take note that starting June 1, 2008 the processing period of 15 working days is fixed for all kind of visa application for Canadian citizens.”
This means Canadian passport holders must wait a minimum of three weeks for a visa to be issued for travel to Russia, and there is no expedited service available for Canadians. Until the end of April you could still get same-day service, as well as other fast services. No longer.
Word in the diplomatic community is this new longer wait and lack of faster options is a result of Canadian visa processing times in Moscow. we have had to deal with several universities trying to bring Russian professors to Canada for academic conferences, and waiting inordinately-long periods for a visa answer. The Russians have complained about having to wait months for Canadian visas, and finally decided to act.
And just to make us jealous, the Russians added this little dig: “the visa requirements for non-Canadians remain without changes”. Many Europeans can still get visas in a day: even in the Russian embassy in Canada.
So my advice to those of you traveling to Russia is to apply early. The Russians will issue visas more than three months in advance of travel, so you can safely apply early. You still need a confirmed ticket in and out, and a voucher/invitation issued by a Russian agency.
Prices remain the same as for the old two week processing:
Business and tourist single entry $75.
Business and tourist double entry $100.
Business multiple entry $200.
Russian visa details and prices here.
Russian visa forms (fillable) here.
29 May 2008
World’s safest airlines
Last week I scared you with a list of the worst airlines in the world in terms of safety. Now to the good news.
So you still don’t like Air Canada? In their defence, they have a superb safety record. It has been twenty-five years since there was a death on Air Canada, and that was caused by a smoker setting fire to the lavatory.
So as a long distance traveler, going overseas to Europe or Africa or Asia, what is the best way to protect yourself? Well, the short answer is to fly on a major western airline using Airbus and/or Boeing aircraft. The airline should be using relatively new aircraft, and have a solid service record. There are a handful of great and safe airlines flying over the wide oceans.
The safest way to cross the North Atlantic ocean by air is on (from North America) Air Canada, Delta, North West Orient, Continental, and United Airlines; and (from Europe) British Airways, Lufthansa, SAS, Alitalia, Air France, and KLM.
The best way to cross the Pacific Ocean by air is also with Air Canada, Cathay Pacific, QANTAS, All Nippon Airways, Air New Zealand, Malaysia, Thai International, and Singapore Airlines.
Africa has one great and safe airline: South African. The Middle East has Saudi Airlines.
So as you plan for your globe-spanning journey, think about using a safe airline.
So you still don’t like Air Canada? In their defence, they have a superb safety record. It has been twenty-five years since there was a death on Air Canada, and that was caused by a smoker setting fire to the lavatory.
So as a long distance traveler, going overseas to Europe or Africa or Asia, what is the best way to protect yourself? Well, the short answer is to fly on a major western airline using Airbus and/or Boeing aircraft. The airline should be using relatively new aircraft, and have a solid service record. There are a handful of great and safe airlines flying over the wide oceans.
The safest way to cross the North Atlantic ocean by air is on (from North America) Air Canada, Delta, North West Orient, Continental, and United Airlines; and (from Europe) British Airways, Lufthansa, SAS, Alitalia, Air France, and KLM.
The best way to cross the Pacific Ocean by air is also with Air Canada, Cathay Pacific, QANTAS, All Nippon Airways, Air New Zealand, Malaysia, Thai International, and Singapore Airlines.
Africa has one great and safe airline: South African. The Middle East has Saudi Airlines.
So as you plan for your globe-spanning journey, think about using a safe airline.
26 May 2008
World’s most dangerous airlines
So you don’t like Air Canada? Well, Air Canada has a superb safety record. At the complete opposite end of the spectrum are airlines so dangerous they are banned from entire areas of the world.
As of April 2008, there are ninety-two (92) airlines and cargo airlines completely banned from flying into or over Europe. Yes, the European Union has totally and completely banned the following airlines from European airspace due to those airlines’ blatant disregard for safety.
For the EU list and updates, click here.
Air Koryo, North Korea.
Air West, Sudan.
Ariana Afghan Airlines, Afghanistan.
Mahan Air, Iran.
Silverback Cargo Freighters, Rwanda.
TAAG Angola Airlines, Angola.
Ukraine Cargo Airways, Ukraine.
Ukrainian Mediterranean Airlines, Ukraine.
Volare Aviation, Ukraine.
All airlines in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
All airlines in Equatorial Guinea.
All airlines in Indonesia, including Garuda Indonesian.
All airlines in Kyrgyz Republic.
All airlines in Liberia.
All airlines in Sierra Leone.
All airlines in Swaziland.
And these are just the worst: there are hundreds of bad airlines, but these are cringingly-scary and life-threateningly awful.
The other bad news is Africa: airlines based in Africa are the most dangerous on which to fly. You are six times as likely on these airlines to be the victim of an airline accident than anywhere else in the world.
So do yourself and your family a favour, and stick to safe airlines with proven maintenance track records.
As of April 2008, there are ninety-two (92) airlines and cargo airlines completely banned from flying into or over Europe. Yes, the European Union has totally and completely banned the following airlines from European airspace due to those airlines’ blatant disregard for safety.
For the EU list and updates, click here.
Air Koryo, North Korea.
Air West, Sudan.
Ariana Afghan Airlines, Afghanistan.
Mahan Air, Iran.
Silverback Cargo Freighters, Rwanda.
TAAG Angola Airlines, Angola.
Ukraine Cargo Airways, Ukraine.
Ukrainian Mediterranean Airlines, Ukraine.
Volare Aviation, Ukraine.
All airlines in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
All airlines in Equatorial Guinea.
All airlines in Indonesia, including Garuda Indonesian.
All airlines in Kyrgyz Republic.
All airlines in Liberia.
All airlines in Sierra Leone.
All airlines in Swaziland.
And these are just the worst: there are hundreds of bad airlines, but these are cringingly-scary and life-threateningly awful.
The other bad news is Africa: airlines based in Africa are the most dangerous on which to fly. You are six times as likely on these airlines to be the victim of an airline accident than anywhere else in the world.
So do yourself and your family a favour, and stick to safe airlines with proven maintenance track records.
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