1st Contact has teamed up with the North London Lions in 2013, to support Aussie Rules Football in London.

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On February the 24th, Hollywood will once again come together to celebrate and award the previous year’s best achievements in film, or more accurately, American film.

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Johnny Clegg will be performing the much-admired A South African Story at the Royal Albert Hall. This story follows Johnny’s life through his music, and his inspiring journey.

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Grab a mate, pick a tour & take advantage of Travel Talk’s 2 FOR ONE deal this February.

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Valentine’s Day is around the corner and if you haven’t planned anything and seem destined for another last minute meal and a tacky bunch of flowers, we’ve got you covered. Here are 10 great ideas for spoiling the one you love. Continue Reading

Since the early nineties, First Festival Travel have built a solid reputation for operating well-organised, professional and fun tours to key European festivals and exotic destinations. February brings more exciting travel deals to choose from.

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The Democratic Alliance, along with DA Abroad, are running a VOTE HOME campaign, designed to encourage more South Africans living in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere in world, to vote in the next national election.

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Topdeck offers a fantastic range of unforgettable adventures across the globe. Africa or Australia, Europe or Egypt and the Middle East, New Zealand or North America: the choice is yours.

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Gail Graham, owner and nurse at the 1st Contact Travel Clinic in London, passed away on the 20th of January 2013, after a long battle with illness. She was 56 at the time and left behind a long-time partner and sister.

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First Festival Travel is firmly established as a leading festival, events and group tour operator and have an exciting deal for all 1st Contact customers.

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With the start of a new year, it is very important that you ensure that you are aware of your visa status.

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It’s a new year and Travel Talk is offering avid travellers yet another exciting deal to kick-start the year with adventure.

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So the holiday’s over, you’re back to work and the only thing that remains is a distant memory and the Christmas paunch? Here are a few sure-fire ways to beat the back-to-work blues and get you into a positive frame of mind.

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Wednesday the 9th of January marks 150 years since the first London Underground train made its maiden voyage. Many events have been planned for the month and the rest of the year to celebrate this monumental occasion.

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The 101st Australian Open takes place between the 14th and 27th of January this year and all eyes are firmly set on Andy Murray, who finished runner-up in 2010 and 2011.

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George Osborne’s Autumn Statement: read our quick run-down of all the key points. Continue Reading

Travel Talk have plenty of Christmas specials up their sleeve – with extra discounts for 1st Contact customers.

If you want to grab yourself a bargain this Christmas, make sure you book one of their selected tours to Europe, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, or Russia before the 31st of December. You could save up to 35%, plus grab an extra 5% off for being a 1st Contact customer.

And if you’ve not got any travel plans for 2013, you can get 30% off an epic ski experience in the French Alps if you book this month.

To find out more, check out www.traveltalktours.com/deals.

It’s silly season again. Deck the halls and be jolly with all the festive finds you can source from these London-based Christmas markets and fairs. Continue Reading

Thanks to Topdeck Travel, we are offering a special offer where you can get 10% off your next European summer trip. Continue Reading

Maximum speeds, the longest flights, flight attendants’ weight and pilots’ meals – here are 20 little-known facts and snippets about air travel and its history.

1. Many airlines have a rule that each pilot flying the aircraft eats a different meal, in order to minimise the risk of all pilots on board being ill.
2. One third of the world’s airports are in the USA.
3. The first flight attendants had to weigh less than 115 pounds, be unmarried and be trained nurses.
4. An online check-in facility was first introduced by Alaskan Airlines in 1999.
5. QANTAS, the name for Australia’s national airline, was originally an acronym for Queensland and Northern Territories Air Service.
6. In 1987, American Airlines saved an estimated $40,000 by giving one less olive in each salad served in first class.
7. The world’s busiest commercial airport is Hartsfield-Jackson Airport (ATL) in Atlanta, with 970,000 airplane movements a year. It’s followed by Chicago (ORD), London (LHR), Tokyo (HND), Los Angeles (LAX).
8. A Boeing 747 is made up of six million parts.
9. In 1971, D. B. Cooper hijacked Northwest Orient Airlines Boeing 727 – flight 305. He successfully negotiated a $200,000 ransom for the release of the passengers. He then parachuted from the rear of the plane and was never found.
10. Since 2004, the longest scheduled long-haul flight was the Singapore Airlines flight 21 from Newark to Singapore, which takes 18.5 hours via an Airbus A340-500.
11. Earlier this year, Singapore Airlines cancelled this flight, meaning there is now no direct flight from the USA to Singapore.
12. The longest flight is now a Delta flight between Johannesburg and Atlanta, which at 17 hours has the longest duration, while the longest route will be a Qantas flight between Sydney and Dallas — around 8,500 miles.
13. The maximum speed of a Boeing 747 is 955 km/h.
14. At any given hour, 61,000 people are airborne over the US.
15. British Airways passengers consume six tons of caviar per year.
16. Singapore Airlines is the second largest buyer of Dom Perignon champagne in the world.
17. In the early years of commercial flight, before pressurised cabins were invented, airline passengers sometimes had to wear oxygen masks during routine flights.
18. In 2011, Heathrow Airport handled 69, 433, 230 passengers.
19. Famous people killed in aircraft accidents include SA cricketer Hansie Cronje, golfers Payne Stewart and Davis Love Sr, musicians Stevie Ray Vaughan, John Denver, Jim Croce and Aaliyah, as well as John f. Kennedy Jr.
20. In 1936, the airship Hindenburg provided entertainment in the form of a piano lounge, dining room, smoking room, and bar during the 2½ day flight between Europe and America.