Executive Travel Agents | Midas Travel Management

GATE8 Luggage welcomes MIDAS Travel to Affiliate Programme

London, UK, 03^rd July 2020 – June has been an extremely busy month for GATE8 having welcomed five TMC’s to their affiliate programme, with MIDAS Travel Management being the very latest to join.

In response to the current Covid-19 pandemic GATE8 Luggage has launched a range of fully tested and certified Traveller Hygiene Kits. The kits contain the required PPE and hygiene products to ensure that travellers can confidently meet both the regulatory and safety recommendations currently associated with air and rail travel.

MIDAS recently conducted a survey with a selection of their clients including travel arrangers, who confirmed that traveller safety post-Covid-19 was of paramount importance. MIDAS are excited to be working in partnership with GATE8 as a result of the feedback received to ensure that they can offer clients access to the kits as part of their service offering.

Nicola Cox, Director at MIDAS Travel Management, explained ‘Ensuring that we can provide our clients with the absolute highest level of support and guidance is a fundamental value at MIDAS. We have worked tirelessly over the past three months in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and believe that providing our clients’ travellers with access to PPE packs is an important part of our response. Traveller wellbeing and duty of care are at the heart of our operation.’

Alistair Callender, GATE8 Founder and CEO, added ‘We are extremely excited to be working with Nicola Cox, Glenn Watson and the team at MIDAS. With the government due to announce the initial list of air bridges imminently, it is likely that some travel will start to return this month. Although embryonic, it is the first step in the right direction and MIDAS are extremely well placed to assist their clients from both a duty of care and wellbeing perspective.’

CLICK HERE to explore the range and obtain a discount

Manchester airport trials pre-booked security timeslots

Manchester airport is trialling a new system of pre-booked security time slots, in a bid to manage passenger volumes and avoid queues, as part of wider Covid-19 safety measures.

Travellers can now book 15-minute time slots online, allowing them “access to a dedicated lane straight to the security checkpoint”.

Whilst the booking of slots is free, they are available on a first-come-first-served basis at booking.manchesterairport.co.uk/security/dates.

If you arrive outside of the allotted time you will be directed through the usual channels.

Manchester Airport Group says that Manchester is the first UK airport to offer such a scheme, and if successful the group will look to roll it out at London Stansted and East Midlands.

London Gatwick South Terminal Closed

LGW North Terminal

As a temporary measure, all flights will depart from and arrive into London Gatwick’s North Terminal.

If you are arriving by train, please take the free shuttle to North Terminal.

If you’re driving, simply head to one of the short stay car parks located next to the North Terminal.

Face covering required on public transport from 15 June 2020

Following the latest government advice, from Monday 15 June wearing face coverings when travelling by train or other public transport will be compulsory.

To check for full details on what the government means by ‘face covering’ and everything else you need to know about the new rule, please click here.

Social distancing means there is space on the railway for between 10-20% of the usual number of people.

For those who are taking the train, we are committed to doing all we can to help you travel safely.

Please travel at quieter times if you can, purchasing your ticket in advance through MIDAS Travel, and check the latest information before you set off.

Our Frequently Asked Questions section tells you all you need to know to follow this new rule, which will apply on all rail services for your entire journey.

Q. What is a face covering?
The Government’s instructions state that a face covering is a cloth that should cover your mouth and nose while allowing you to breathe comfortably. It can be as simple as a scarf or bandana that ties behind the head.

Q. Will face coverings be provided or available to buy at the station?
Not necessarily. You should bring your own face covering. Some stations are installing vending machines to make it easier for you to buy face coverings if you forget to bring one.

Q. Where does this apply – just on trains or in stations too?
You need to wear face coverings from when you enter a station all the way through your journey, including exiting the station at the other end. If you are then moving onto the bus, tram or tube, you should keep your face covering while interchanging to avoid touching your face or mouth unnecessarily.

Q. What if I can’t wear a face covering for medical reasons or due to a disability?
You can still use public transport. We want you to be able to travel with dignity and staff will act considerately towards those who cannot wear a mask due to their disability or medical condition.

Q. I’m deaf and I need to lip read what staff are telling me. Can they take off their face covering to help me?
At our biggest stations, we are looking at getting transparent face coverings for people in our mobility teams. Elsewhere, a common-sense approach will be taken.

Q. Do children require face coverings?
Children under 11 are not required to wear face coverings.

Q. What do I do with my face covering when I am finished with it?
We encourage you to use reusable face coverings where possible as these are better for the environment. If you have a disposable face covering, then please take it home to dispose of it or put it in the normal bins available on stations at the end of your journey.

Q. What should I do if I’m sitting in a carriage with someone who isn’t wearing a face covering?
We are confident that the vast majority of people will want to do the right thing and help protect others by bringing and wearing a face covering while in stations and on trains. Please also be aware that some people may not be able to wear as mask due to medical issues. Regardless of whether someone is wearing a mask, you should keep your distance – at least two metres, if possible.

For further information please contact the MIDAS Team on 0207 440 5300 or via your dedicated email address

easyJet Cyber Breach – Nine Million Customers Affected

EasyJet has admitted that a “highly sophisticated cyber-attack” has affected approximately nine million customers.

Whilst the risk of identity theft is low, if you have booked or travelled on easyJet, and have provided your personal details online, then we would recommend taking a few steps to ensure your safety and minimise the risk of fraudulent activity.

Be Aware of Phishing attacks

Criminals may use your personal details to target you with convincing emails, text messages, or phone calls
Do not provide any personal or financial details unless you have initiated contact with easyJet directly using the numbers or forms on the easyJet website

Check your bank/credit card statements

If you notice any unusual activity contact your bank/credit card company immediately to place a hold on your card

Change your passwords

Ensure that the password you use for easyJet website is not the same as your banking passwords
Consider using a password manager. We can point you in the direction of trusted providers

Contact MIDAS Travel

Our Head of IT is monitoring the situation and would be delighted to discuss your concerns.
Email cst@midas-travel.com or phone us on 0207 440 5300

Further information can be found on Action Fraud’s website

Rail – Seat Reservations Required from 18 May 2020

Advice for Travellers Using LNER and Avanti West Coast Services from Monday 18 May 2020:

Avanti West Coast

From Monday 18 May 2020, Avanti West Coast is strongly recommending that all passengers who are booking tickets on their services should also make a seat reservation on the train(s) of their choice even if a flexible fare type is being selected. For more information, please contact your MIDAS consultant.

LNER

It will be mandatory to have a seat reservation on your train of choice to be able to travel.

Travellers booking a flexible fare type through Evolvi should make a seat reservation on the service they intend to travel on. Advance fares enforce a seat reservation automatically. Although coupons will print with seat reservation details, travellers should ignore these details as they will not currently be correct, board the train and choose a seat once on-board observing social distancing. To do this LNER advise:-

Use window seats
One person to a row
Use alternate sides of the train
Avoid facing passengers
Wear face covering

If travellers already have a ticket with LNER but do not have a seat reservation, or if they wish to change a seat reservation, then they are advised to do this by contacting your MIDAS consultant.

National Rail companies need you to continue to follow the latest advice from government and public health officials.

As we move into the next phase of the nation’s response, there will be more people needing to travel by train and we need your help to keep services clear for those who need them the most.
Because of the need to maintain social distancing wherever possible, even with more frequent trains than we have been running in recent weeks and in many cases extra carriages, like all forms of public transport our capacity to carry passengers will be reduced. In the case of rail, we will be able to carry around 10% of our usual passengers.
Before you set out please ask yourself if your journey is essential. If it is, please cycle, walk or drive if you can – only travel by rail if you really have to.
If you do need to use the train, help us get you safely wherever you need to go by following the recommended guidance.

Before your journey make sure you plan ahead:

Buy your ticket through your Travel Management Company
Travel during Off-Peak Hours if you can
Allow extra time for your journey
Please wear a face covering
Carry hand sanitiser and wash your hands before and after travelling

Train companies will do everything possible to keep passengers safe, including;

more frequent and thorough cleaning than normal on trains and at stations

giving clear safety guidance on journeys and at stations, and

make extra train carriages available whenever possible.

If your journey is necessary and you need to travel by National Rail, please remember that stations may be busy and leave plenty of time for your journey.

You should also follow public health advice; if you need to cough or sneeze please “Catch it, Bin it, Kill it” and if you or the people you live with have symptoms of Covid-19 (Coronavirus), you should stay at home.

Please travel responsibly and follow the guidance which will help us help you travel safely.

Airline Coronavirus notifications and travel policies

MIDAS Travel is keeping abreast of Coronavirus notifications and travel policies issued by airlines.

Below is an alphabetical list of airline information pages that will be frequently updated during this pandemic.

Please Note:

MIDAS Travel is not responsible for the information provided on these external links, which are maintained by the respective airlines

Our team remains available to assist you 24/7 via telephone (+44 (0) 207 440 5300), via your usual team email, or between 1800-0830 and all day on weekends please use ooh@midas-travel.com

Airline	Link
Aeromexico	https://www.aeromexico.com/en-us/notifications-for-passengers
Air Canada	https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/home/book/travel-news-and-updates/2020/china-travel.html
Air China	https://www.airchina.us/US/GB/info/news/
Air France	https://www.airfrance.fr/FR/en/common/page_flottante/hp/news-air-traffic-air-france.htm
Air New Zealand	https://www.airnewzealand.com/travel-alerts
ANA	https://www.ana.co.jp/en/jp/topics/notice200127/
Asiana	https://flyasiana.com/C/GB/EN/customer/notice/detail?id=CM202002030001195030
Austrian Airlines	https://www.austrian.com/Info/Flightinformation/Travel%20Alerts.aspx?sc_lang=en&cc=US
British Airways	https://www.britishairways.com/travel/flightops/public/en_gb?p_faqid=7982
Cathay Pacific	https://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/en_US/travel-information/travel-preparation/travel-advisories/important-information-for-cathay-pacific-and-cathay-dragon-passengers.html?cxsource=roller
China Airlines	https://www.china-airlines.com/us/en/discover/news/travel-advisory?travelAlert=36257-7030
China Eastern	https://us.ceair.com/newCMS/us/en/content/en_News/TravelAlert/202001/t20200124_13814.html
China Southern	https://global.csair.com/US/GB/GYNH/NEWC?NEWS_CATEGORY=596&SELECTED_NEWS_ID=news20200131
Delta	https://www.delta.com/us/en/advisories/other-alerts/coronavirus-travel-updates
EasyJet	https://www.easyjet.com/en/policy/coronavirus
Emirates	https://www.emirates.com/us/english/help/travel-updates/#3511
Etihad	https://www.etihad.com/en-us/
Eva Air	https://www.evaair.com/en-us/about-eva-air/news/travel-news/2020-01-24-wuhan-coronavirus.html
Finnair	https://www.finnair.com/pt-en/flight-information/travel-updates
Garuda Indonesia	https://flygarudaindonesia.com/news
Hainan Airlines	https://www.hainanairlines.com/HUPortal/dyn/portal/DisplayPage?COUNTRY_SITE=US&SITE=CBHZCBHZ&LANGUAGE=US&PAGE=NEWS
Hong Kong Airlines	https://www.hongkongairlines.com/en_HK/special_news/detail?id=10005576701
Iberia	https://www.iberia.com/us/latest-update-of-our-flights/
Jetstar	https://www.jetstar.com/au/en/travel-alerts#Change%20Fees%20waived%20on%20international%20flights
Japan Airlines	https://www.jal.co.jp/jp/en/info/2020/inter/200127_02/index.html
KLM	https://www.klm.com/travel/us_en/prepare_for_travel/up_to_date/flight_update/index.htm
Korean Air	https://www.koreanair.com/global/en/booking/schedule-flight.html?flight#flight
LOT Polish Airlines	https://www.lot.com/us/en/travel-information
Lufthansa	https://www.lufthansa.com/de/en/flight-information
Malaysia Airlines	https://www.malaysiaairlines.com/hq/en/advisory/coronavirus-entry-restrictions.html
Philippine Airlines	https://www.philippineairlines.com/en/aboutus/newsandevents
Qantas	https://www.qantas.com/agencyconnect/gb/en/agency-news/agency-news-january-20/coronavirus-travel-update.html
Qatar Airways	https://qatarairways.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360006229097-COVID-19-Coronavirus-Update
Royal Brunei Airlines	https://www.flyroyalbrunei.com/australia/en/travel-and-health-advisory/
SAS	https://www.flysas.com/gb-en/traffic-information/message/
Singapore Air	https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/sg/media-centre/news-alert/?id=is5rire4
South African Airways	https://www.flysaa.com/manage-fly/before-flying/health
SWISS	https://www.swiss.com/us/en/various/Breaking-News
TAP	https://www.flytap.com/en-gb/alerts-and-informations
Thai Airways	https://www.thaiairways.com/en_TH/news/news_announcement/news_detail/coronavirus.page
Tiger Airways	https://tigerair.com.au/information-coronavirus
Turkish Airlines	https://www.turkishairlines.com/en-int/announcements/coronavirus-outbreak/
Virgin Atlantic	https://flywith.virginatlantic.com/gb/en/news/coronavirus.html
Virgin Australia	https://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en/bookings/flight-status/travel-alerts/

MIDAS Travel’s COVID-19 Coronavirus update

Due to the Covid-19 Coronavirus pandemic MIDAS Travel has invoked its Business Continuity Plan, putting in place measures to ensure we are best prepared to continue to maintain high service levels and availability to our clients throughout this period.

Our priority is, and has always been, to protect the welfare of all travellers and colleagues at all times.

MIDAS Travel is pro-actively doing everything we can to minimise risk, and have taken onboard recommendations from Public Health England, the NHS, UK Government, the WHO and the FCO.

Due to our recent infrastructure investments, MIDAS Travel Staff have seamlessly transitioned to remote working. We would like to assure you that your data remains secure at all times, and risk assessments have been carried out over the past 12 months in preparation for an event such as this. No new supplier engagement was required to effect this change.

MIDAS Travel’s Covid-19 planning group meets daily to monitor and respond to the evolving situation. We will continue to digest, filter and communicate essential messages from airlines, hoteliers, rail operators and any other ancillary service suppliers that may affect the wellbeing of your travellers.

We will continue to provide our valued clients and supplier partners with updates on any additional measures that we put in place regarding this changing situation.

If you have any questions regarding the above, please contact the MIDAS Travel Client Service Team (Nicola Cox and Jon San Jose) on +44 (0) 207 440 5335 or via email to cst@midas-travel.com

LATEST NEWS AND VIEWS

Information, updates and advice on business travel management.

London, UK, 03rd July 2020 – June has been an extremely busy month for GATE8 having welcomed five TMC’s to their affiliate programme, with MIDAS Travel Management being the very latest to join.

Manchester airport is trialling a new system of pre-booked security time slots, in a bid to manage passenger volumes and avoid queues, as part of wider Covid-19 safety measures.

Travellers can now book 15-minute time slots online, allowing them “access to a dedicated lane straight to the security checkpoint”.

Whilst the booking of slots is free, they are available on a first-come-first-served basis at booking.manchesterairport.co.uk/security/dates.

If you arrive outside of the allotted time you will be directed through the usual channels.

Manchester Airport Group says that Manchester is the first UK airport to offer such a scheme, and if successful the group will look to roll it out at London Stansted and East Midlands.

As a temporary measure, all flights will depart from and arrive into London Gatwick’s North Terminal.

If you are arriving by train, please take the free shuttle to North Terminal.

If you’re driving, simply head to one of the short stay car parks located next to the North Terminal.

Following the latest government advice, from Monday 15 June wearing face coverings when travelling by train or other public transport will be compulsory.

To check for full details on what the government means by ‘face covering’ and everything else you need to know about the new rule, please click here.

Social distancing means there is space on the railway for between 10-20% of the usual number of people.

For those who are taking the train, we are committed to doing all we can to help you travel safely.

Please travel at quieter times if you can, purchasing your ticket in advance through MIDAS Travel, and check the latest information before you set off.

Our Frequently Asked Questions section tells you all you need to know to follow this new rule, which will apply on all rail services for your entire journey.

Q. What is a face covering? The Government’s instructions state that a face covering is a cloth that should cover your mouth and nose while allowing you to breathe comfortably. It can be as simple as a scarf or bandana that ties behind the head.

Q. Will face coverings be provided or available to buy at the station? Not necessarily. You should bring your own face covering. Some stations are installing vending machines to make it easier for you to buy face coverings if you forget to bring one.

Q. What if I can’t wear a face covering for medical reasons or due to a disability? You can still use public transport. We want you to be able to travel with dignity and staff will act considerately towards those who cannot wear a mask due to their disability or medical condition.

Q. I’m deaf and I need to lip read what staff are telling me. Can they take off their face covering to help me? At our biggest stations, we are looking at getting transparent face coverings for people in our mobility teams. Elsewhere, a common-sense approach will be taken.

Q. Do children require face coverings? Children under 11 are not required to wear face coverings.

For further information please contact the MIDAS Team on 0207 440 5300 or via your dedicated email address

From the 8th June 2020, the UK Government is introducing new rules for travellers arriving into the UK.

It’s now mandatory that you provide information about your journey alongside your contact details before you land here.

When you arrive into the UK, you must self-isolate for 14 days at the place you are staying.

For full details please visit www.gov.uk/uk-border-control (this link also lists the exceptions to quarantine).

Please Note:

You cannot submit the form until 48 hours before your arrival time in the UK.

You can save your information and complete it later. However, if you are inactive for 25 minutes, you will be automatically signed out. If you do not return to the form within 7 days, your information will be deleted.

EasyJet has admitted that a “highly sophisticated cyber-attack” has affected approximately nine million customers.

Whilst the risk of identity theft is low, if you have booked or travelled on easyJet, and have provided your personal details online, then we would recommend taking a few steps to ensure your safety and minimise the risk of fraudulent activity.

Be Aware of Phishing attacks

Criminals may use your personal details to target you with convincing emails, text messages, or phone calls

Do not provide any personal or financial details unless you have initiated contact with easyJet directly using the numbers or forms on the easyJet website

Check your bank/credit card statements

If you notice any unusual activity contact your bank/credit card company immediately to place a hold on your card

Change your passwords

Ensure that the password you use for easyJet website is not the same as your banking passwords

Consider using a password manager. We can point you in the direction of trusted providers

Contact MIDAS Travel

Our Head of IT is monitoring the situation and would be delighted to discuss your concerns.

Email cst@midas-travel.com or phone us on 0207 440 5300

Further information can be found on Action Fraud’s website

Advice for Travellers Using LNER and Avanti West Coast Services from Monday 18 May 2020:

Avanti West Coast

LNER

It will be mandatory to have a seat reservation on your train of choice to be able to travel.

Use window seats

One person to a row

Use alternate sides of the train

Avoid facing passengers

Wear face covering

If travellers already have a ticket with LNER but do not have a seat reservation, or if they wish to change a seat reservation, then they are advised to do this by contacting your MIDAS consultant.

National Rail companies need you to continue to follow the latest advice from government and public health officials.

Before your journey make sure you plan ahead:

Buy your ticket through your Travel Management Company

Travel during Off-Peak Hours if you can

Allow extra time for your journey

Please wear a face covering

Carry hand sanitiser and wash your hands before and after travelling