We thought that this article by Lufthansa City Center was very concise and thought it made a very good point!

Image credits to KODAK

Just WOW, WOW, WOW!!!!! This is a challenge and a half!!!!!

Kodak have come out with a fabulous puzzle here! It is 1.9m high, 8.6m long and weighs a MASSIVE 18.5KG!!! To put that into perspective that's: 

• A tall Adult, high
• Around 5 adults lying down, long!
• The weight of an average 5 1/2 Year old child!!!!!!!!

What an amazing idea! we can't travel the world right now, however we can create hours of Fun putting it together. They estimate it will take around 3 weeks to complete it. This will keep you going through the lockdown for sure, drive everyone crazy and take up a lot of space but what an achievement when you have done it!

It features 27 of the World's landmarks and cities, how much fun would it be to pick the cities in order of where you want to go next and then construct the puzzle in that order? I would choose Prague, Czech Republic first! I love it there! What order would you choose?

They have made it a bit easier than it first sounds by splitting it into each of the 27 destinations which 1900 puzzle pieces per destination so in effect you have 27 puzzles to do and then connect them together!

I have to ask the question once done would you then:

1. Get puzzle glue and glue it all together and put it on your wall (you would have to have a very big wall to put it on!)
2. Break it up into the 27 destinations again and carefully put if back in the box? (very sensible)
3. Break it all up and put all 51,300 pieces together in the box so the next person to try it has a nightmare of a time having to go through all the pieces to put it together? (that would be a cruel thing to do but it would be amusing!!)

​
I have to say it would be 2 for me as I do not have a wall big enough to put it on and you never know I might be the next one to do it all over again!!!

​Let us know what you would do!

edinburgh@ttce.com
+44 131 467 7000

It has been a very difficult time for everyone over the last few months and the Travel Industry has suffered a dramatic downturn due to this awful Coronovirus that has effected so many people Globally. There have been numerous cancellations and postponements of people's travel plans with all the different restrictions that each country has put into place for everyone's safety to combat this horrendous virus.

The 'Stay at Home' Measures that The Government have put in place are extremely important and have just been extended by 3 weeks. We take this very seriously and all our team are at home staying safe so that we can get back to the the office sometime in the near future. Working from home is OK however we all miss the office banter!

One thing that we have noticed over this time is that people are feeling optimistic about their future holidays. We have seen a large increase in people browsing our holiday website www.ttceholidays.com looking at different destinations and getting ideas of where they may want to go when we can all travel again!

We love dreaming about holidays and where to go to next and now more than ever I think we all need those holiday ideas giving us something exciting to look forward to!

We have added an overview of almost 100 lovely holiday destinations for you have browse through while you are staying at home. We want to give you some ideas of where you may want to go with the top destinations and average temperatures etc.

Stay safe and well and we look forward to being able to help you with any travel plans in the future!

​If we can help with anything you can call us on +44131 467 7000 or email us on edinburgh@ttce.com

Flying by private jet is normally seen as a luxury and a very expensive mode of transport, although there is lots of benefits to consider which we have listed for you below:
 
Why fly by private jet?  
You are in charge of your schedule
You travel safe and sound
Saves time and money
Local smaller airports to depart or take off from
Productive while travelling  
 
You are in charge of your schedule
The truth is that the real luxury when you fly private is the ability to reschedule your flight according to your needs. Business jets can even let you arrange your take off times as you go about your day, making it even more convenient to reach your destination when a meeting runs late or you can even change your arrival point while travelling in the air.
 
You travel safe and sound
Private aircrafts provide a safe and comfortable environment while travelling. When hiring a private jet, the safety checks are much more thorough than flying on a commercial airline, giving you a better picture of who you are sharing the aircraft with. It also protects you from any illnesses you could obtain from being on a commercial aircraft, as you won’t be sharing the circulated air with hundreds of people who could be potentially carrying any viruses or illnesses.
 
Saves time and money
When business executives and their colleagues fly private, the biggest benefit is the time they save – for both their employees and any third parties involved. Instead of arriving to the airport hours early to check in and wait in long security lines, you can arrive just before take-off. This also saves time at the other end, saving having to wait for baggage. In a scenario where executives need to visit multiple cities for meetings, private travel can provide incredible cost-saving advantages. Rather than flying commercial and taking multiple days to travel back and forth, private travel can reduce this trip to a single day. Instead of paying for multiple nights at hotels and multiple meals for the entire team, all meetings can happen in one day.
 
Local smaller airports to depart or take off from
Travelling on private jet allows you access to smaller, local airports, over 10,000 to be exact!! Giving you the freedom and flexibility to fly right to the heart of your destination or take off from closer to home, saving you time and money. Flying on a luxury jet allows you to travel non-stop to your preferred destination, avoiding unwanted road trips and lengthy layovers in places you don’t want to be.
 
Productive while travelling
Prepping for a big business meeting or trying to catch up on your emails? This may seem impossible on a commercial aircraft, with people listening in to private conversations and the background noise and buzz. Renting a private jet provides you with complete privacy from the minute you take off until touchdown, giving you peace and quiet to catch up on work or discuss the company strategy. Comfort is another major benefit to flying private, with spacious, walkable cabins featuring lavish, plush interiors and many comforts for a more relaxed flight.
 
Travelling by private jet can be more cost effective than you think. Call 0131 467 7000 today to receive a no obligation quote. 

Citizens of the world, global businesses and Government are watching, monitoring and adapting plans as the Coronavirus crisis continues to unfold. In travel, we’ve been through many a destination crisis, from Caribbean storms, Icelandic volcanos and the previous SARS outbreak, amongst others. However, the rapid spread of Coronavirus has taken the world by surprise.

At The Travel Company Edinburgh, we understand and appreciate the concerns of our customers, who are unsure if they should travel, as well as our trade partners who are facing heightened corporate pressures as well as concern for their customers and loved ones.

As the situation unfolds, there are lots of questions on cancellation fees, how insurers are approaching force majeure and the Foreign Office’s advice to travel. A lot of the answers are as yet unknown, but we will communicate new information when we have it.

We don’t intend to make any impulsive reactions here and will be following destination tourism advice as well as our own Government’s action plans to protect our customers and partners. Trade associations and bodies continue to aggregate and share news and issue guidance, which will inform our position too.
We are hopeful that like SARS, which spread rapidly and then all but disappeared, the Coronavirus outbreak will be temporary, and we can return to creating incredible, stress-free holidays. In the meantime, we suggest that for those of us who are well, it’s business as usual for ourselves and our clients.

The world should keep on travelling where it’s safe to do so. And the over-riding view of the industry is that most of the world is safe. We advise to take common sense steps to protect from illness, at home and on your travels. Good hand hygiene, self-isolation if unwell and reporting any travel to infected areas. If you are booked to travel to an infected area, rather than cancel your trip we recommend that you postpone it or switch destination.

At The Travel Company Edinburgh, we reassure that we stand by our customers, partners and employees over the next few unknown months. Together, we’ll find our way through this crisis, whilst standing together and preserving the beautiful experience of world travel and the industries that support it.
If you have any questions on imminent travel to an affected region, get in touch with us on our dedicated hotline on 0131 467 7000.

Did you know that from the 13th September 2019 there are new regulations coming into place with an extra layer of security for online purchases.

​Officially: PDS2 (Payment Services Directive 2).

This new regulation covers ALL card payments made online, both personal and company credit cards. 

So what does this mean? It means that every time you make a booking with online payment, your bank will ask you to authenticate it using a code from the bank to verify that you are the person who is authorising that payment.

The Good News:
This is good news as it make sure to limit fraud online! so you know that all your payments will be safe.

What might it effect for you and something to be aware of:
If your card is used to make your travel bookings online and it is not always you making the booking then every time you will receive a text with the authentication code to input into the screen to verify the payment.
This may not seem too bad, however if you have someone else making the booking and you are on a flight or in a meeting where you can not check your messages then the booking can not be made until you give the person assisting you the code.
This will delay the booking and potentially the price or availability may change by the time you are able to give the code so it could be an issue.

For your Travel bookings - what is the solution?
As a travel management company we can make the bookings immediately for you without the need for the credit card.
So no worrying about if the cardholder is available to give the code or not.
We would then simply invoice for the bookings as per our agreement with your company.
Making it very simple.

Get in touch with us to set up and account and away you go!

The Travel Company Edinburgh
edinburgh@ttce.com
0044 (0)131 467 7000
www.ttce.com

Here at The Travel Company Edinburgh we are very excited to be working with Medical Travel Companions as their UK partner. It is very exciting because the service that we can now provide is a fabulous addition for all travellers that need this service.

What is Medical Travel Companions?
Medical Travel Companions is a unique service that assists people with their travel needs from a local domestic or complex international journey. There are a large number of individuals or families who choose not to travel due to a variety of reasons. MTC can remove many of the barriers that will allow many to realise their travel dreams.

MTC travel companions are experienced paramedics, nurses, or nannies, that have undergone a rigorous selection process. They have a range of knowledge including: families with elderly parents, young children, people with a mental health issue, disability, or simply people who just need reassurance or help on a holiday or in transit.

MTC companions are available on a global basis.
Key Benefits of Using Medical Travel CompanionsTravellers can engage MTC services for travel on all forms of travel including, tours, cruises, flights, private vacations, or concierge transport services for local transportation requirements.

MTC companions are available to help you to your desired destination or even to stay with you for the duration of the entire trip. Medical Travel Companions is flexible and can tailor a solution to suit your specific needs.
​
MTC companions provide caring assistance to travellers such as:

• Elderly
• Disabled
• Insurance recovery
• Patient discharge
• Sporting groups
• School groups
• People with a psychological condition
• Children needing assistance
• People recovering from surgery or illness
• Families
• Or it could simply be a case of a person travelling on their own who requires a trusted companion to accompany them on their travel journey.

About Ben Wilson | Co Founder & CEO of Medical Travel CompanionsBen holds a Bachelor of Business Degree from the University of South Australia.
​Ben brings to MTC experience in the Airline, Airport, Travel, Health and HR sectors. Ben is responsible for the day to day strategic direction of MTC on a global basis.
Before starting Medical Travel Companions in 2000, Ben held management roles for a major international airline, and also at a global management consulting firm.
Ben has travelled extensively, including completing a transatlantic sailing voyage.
He has lived and worked in the UK and Africa. Ben is married and has three children and enjoys boating, Kangaroo Island, diving, tennis and, of course, travelling.
Text accredited to: Allan Suss, Podcast travel

Contact us on +44 131 467 7000 or edinburgh@ttce.com or link to make a booking Medical Travel Companions

The very first thing to think of is 'What is this meeting for and what do we want to achieve?'
Is it: A brainstorming session, simple meeting, training, inspirational staff meeting, fun day out, an awards event, a serious meeting to discuss strategy or anything else you can think of.
Once you know what you are looking to do in the meeting, that’s when you can decide what you need and you can then source the perfect venue. This can take a long time to get right, especially if you are not familiar with the town or city you want to hold it in. This is where we can help you by doing all the leg work and negotiating the best rates for your meeting.

What are you looking for?

• Do you need a venue with accommodation for the delegates or even just for the speaker?
• The size of the room to fit your numbers
• Do you need AV (Audio visual) equipment for your event?
• What time will the meeting start and finish?
• What is the timing of the different parts of the meeting, working this out will help you to work out when you want to have the breaks.
• Will you be providing food and drinks?
• When do you want your refreshments? In the room for a working coffee break or lunch break or outside the room so your delegates can stretch their legs?
• If you want to keep everyone really happy what about Breakfast before the meeting or working breakfast sandwiches?
• What will you provide for lunch on the day a buffet, a restaurant meal or a working lunch?

• Do you want to arrange a dinner or even a Gala Dinner?

There are many more things to consider but the above is a start. Now it's time to think about what you want from the meeting. These are potentially the same thing or they can be 2 different things.
My idea of the perfect meeting is something like this:

• Room that works for the specific meeting request, you would be surprised as people often think 'a meeting room is just the same as an other' you don't realise how wrong that comment can be!
• The room has blackout blinds if the screen is going to be used
• A venue that is flexible, so if there is a change last minute then the venue can accommodate me.

• Friendly, efficient and flexible staff at the venue.
• if using AV the venue needs to have technical support. Just in case you need it!
• A great lunch. it’s funny because people always remember the lunch from a meeting! I guess when you are out of the office and you are being given a free lunch in the middle of a training or team meeting etc it’s important that the lunch is delicious. It can make or break a meeting!

If you want some help in finding the best venue for your meeting or event anywhere in the world then get intouch:

The Travel Company Edinburgh
0131 467 7000
edinburgh@ttce.com