May 20

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May 20

ÖAMTC tips for additional toll claims from Italy

Italy is once again one of the top travel destinations for summer holidays this year. But the good memories of past holidays quickly fade when, years later, a request for toll payment lands in the mailbox. "The ÖAMTC legal advice service is currently receiving many inquiries from club members about demand letters from Italy. Most of them are toll payment requests, but sometimes they go back a long time, in some cases as far back as 2015. In most cases, we still advise payment, as in Italy such requests only expire after ten years," explains ÖAMTC lawyer Verena Pronebner. How do the requests come about and what should you bear in mind? If you receive a letter from Italy, you should first check whether the request is plausible - i.e. whether the specified time coincides with the Italian holiday. Then you try to find out the reason for the letter: if, for example, you are accused of speeding or of entering a restricted traffic zone (zona a traffico limitato), then it is a police fine and you have to act quickly. This must be served within 360 days and you usually have the option of paying a reduced fine within five days. The toll surcharges that are currently frequent for non-payment of the distance-dependent motorway toll are often sent by a debt collection agency. The amounts are between ten and 130 euros. "Many members believe that they have paid the toll because the barrier opened and free passage was possible. However, the barriers open and let the drivers pass, even if no toll amount was debited or the wrong lane was used (e.g. for Telepass holders). This is intended to prevent traffic jams.

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Germany: Federal Constitutional Court confirms bed tax

Since 2005, numerous German municipalities have been levying a so-called bed tax on hotel overnight stays. Four constitutional complaints were pending against this before the Federal Constitutional Court. These were dismissed as unfounded. The trade association Dehoga announced that it was "extremely disappointed" with the ruling of the supreme court. The First Senate of the Federal Constitutional Court dealt with the matter and came to the conclusion that the complaints from hotels in Bremen, Freiburg and Hamburg were dismissed as unfounded. Before this, the proceedings went through all instances. The supreme court ruled that the bed tax does not violate the Basic Law and would not place an excessive burden on the accommodation business. In addition, the legislature can create the possibility of exempting overnight stays by business travelers. This is the case in Berlin, for example. In an initial reaction, Dehoga announced: "We are extremely disappointed with this decision, which we have been waiting for for over six years. We appeal to local authorities not to interpret this decision as an encouragement to introduce bed taxes now.”

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Tourism: Italy is expecting a new record summer

In Italy, demand is expected to be extremely high this summer. According to Tourism Minister Massimo Garavaglia, hotels are recording higher booking numbers than those in France or Spain, for example. The country has set itself the ambitious goal of equaling or, ideally, even exceeding the record figure achieved in 2019. The ministry emphasizes that domestic tourism is playing a greater role than ever before. This suggests that Italians increasingly want to spend their summer holidays on their own beaches. However, Italy also has a problem: the hotel and catering sectors in particular are said to be suffering from an acute shortage of staff. According to the Ministry of Tourism, around 40 percent of businesses are desperately looking for additional employees. Due to the corona pandemic and the repeated forced closures, many have turned their backs on the industry.

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Friedrichshafen: Another Zeppelin NT is built

After a long break, another Zeppelin NT is being built in Friedrichshafen. The client is Deutsche Zeppelin Reederei GmbH, which justifies the order, among other things, by the high demand for sightseeing tours. Assembly is carried out by Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik GmbH, based in Friedrichshafen. The handover is to take place by 2024 at the latest, when the shipping company plans to offer sightseeing tours with three Zeppelin NTs. The company also wants to expand in this segment and become active in charter in other regions or outside Germany. At the moment, the airships operated by DZR mainly depart from Friedrichshafen, Frankfurt and Cologne. The Zeppelin NT is not a rigid airship like those manufactured by Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH, which still exists, many decades ago. The NTs have been in production since 1997, although they were only approved for carrying passengers in 2001. Six units have been manufactured so far, with three delivered to the US partner Goodyear. The last time a new building left the hangar in Friedrichshafen was in 2017.

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Air Arabia Abu Dhabi launches city check-in service

The low-cost airline Air Arabia Abu Dhabi is opening up the possibility of so-called "city check-in" in the capital of the United Arab Emirates. The aim is to enable travelers to drop off their luggage and receive their boarding passes near their hotels. For the time being, the service will be offered in the ticket shop, which is located in the city center. Travelers can use the service from 24 hours to eight hours before departure. The suitcases will be transported to the airport by Air Arabia Abu Dhabi, so that travelers can go directly to the gate. In a second expansion phase, the carrier wants to set up further city check-in options. The aim is to enable customers to receive their boarding passes or drop off their suitcases "nearby". Details have not yet been given, but it is conceivable that a network of partner shops could be set up. City check-in options are offered by some airlines in other cities. For example, in Vienna, when flying with participating airlines, you have the option of getting your boarding pass at the Landstrasse train station (Wien-Mitte). You can also drop off your luggage there if you have it with you. To use the service, the airline you booked with must have a contract with the City Airport Train, and you must have a ticket for this train. The ticket can also be purchased on site if necessary.

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Ex-Aeroflot delivery slots: Turkish Airlines orders six Airbus A350-900s

Star Alliance member Turkish Airlines has decided to order six more Airbus A350-900s. These are to be delivered this year and in 2023. These are delivery slots that were originally intended for Aeroflot. Due to the sanctions imposed against the Russian Federation following the military attack on Ukraine, Airbus is no longer allowed to fulfill Aeroflot's orders. The airline is therefore looking for alternative customers. With Turkish Airlines, it has found at least six Airbus A350-900s. The carrier's decision is remarkable because it was only in January 2022 that it reduced an existing order for this type of aircraft. Just a few months later, it has obviously changed its mind and is taking advantage of the relatively short-term Aeroflot delivery slots.

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Germany: Tui and FTI get more Smartlynx machines

The Smartlynx Group has been able to land further full charter orders in Germany. The company will fly for the tour operators FTI and Tui Deutschland. According to a report in the industry journal FVW, the company will fly for the latter tour operator from Saarbrücken and Nuremberg with Airbus A320s. FTI will fly to Dubai and Hurghada from Berlin with Boeing 737 Maxes. Another customer is Schauinsland-Reisen, which, in addition to Sundair, also relies on the services of the Latvian group of companies. Smartlynx currently has flight operations with its own certificates in Latvia, Estonia and Malta. The latter AOC is home to the A321F operation, which it carries out for the logistics group Deutsche Post-DHL.

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Information and collectors' day organized by Flughafenfreunde Wien was a success

Last Saturday, the Vienna Airport Friends Association held its annual information and collectors' day in Office Park 4 at Vienna-Schwechat Airport. This event has been held for 24 years now. Items traded and exchanged included aircraft models, safety cards, airline merchandise and everything imaginable to do with aviation. Since last year, information stands from airlines and travel agencies such as Qatar Airways, Korean Air, Reisegenuss and Intertravel have also enriched the offering. There were interesting presentations from Westbahn and Kneissl Touristik, among others. "We are delighted that so many interested people attend our event every year. More and more visitors from abroad are also coming to the information and collectors' day - this year we were again able to welcome some guests from Germany, Hungary and Slovakia," said chairman Gernot Kastner. The Birdly flight simulator in the visitor world provided live action. The traditional tombola once again featured over 200 prizes, including tickets to Asia with Eva Air, a VIP Gold Service from the VIP Terminal, several city trips to Salzburg and Munich with the Westbahn, and vouchers for the new Vienna Lounge. The Vienna Airport Friends welcomed Maria Jakl, a former Austrian Airlines flight attendant from the very beginning, and her family as guests of honour. "With Office Park 4, we have found the perfect location for this event, which has grown steadily over the years. We are very grateful for the good cooperation with Vienna Airport, which allows us to offer our visitors various amenities, such as a reduced rate for parking on this day," explains Deputy Chairman Claudia Winkler.

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Travel to the sweet world of honey bees

Hiking is good for you and broadens our horizons: Worldwide hiking, the specialist for hiking adventure trips, makes these enriching experiences possible. In its guided hiking tours, the organizer accompanies its guests to impressive natural sites in new countries and enables intensive encounters with other cultures. Respectful treatment of people, animals and nature is always a matter of course. Sustainability and a sensitive approach to the environment are not presented with a raised finger, but are conveyed through authentic experiences with "personal experience value". For example, on their forays through Romania, Montenegro or Madeira, hikers learn more about the importance of honey bees - the insect is one of the most important pillars of the food production chain. May 20, 2022: World Bee Day The importance of bees as pollinators for the biodiversity of our plant world and their associated key role in food security is fundamental for humanity. With World Bee Day, the United Nations General Assembly also underlines the realization of the decline in the global bee population and the urgent need to protect bees. Around 80 percent of flowering plants depend on pollination by bees and other insects. While the endangered wild bees consume the nectar immediately, honey bees collect both the pollen and the nectar and use them to produce honey. Madeira - a paradise for flower lovers, hikers and bees Nature feels at home on Madeira: The pleasantly mild climate allows flowers and plants to sprout in abundance and gives the Atlantic island the nickname "Flower Island". It is not only friends of flora and fauna who are drawn to the Portuguese Atlantic island, Madeira is also a popular destination for hikers.

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Survey Analysis: Does Austria Need More Army?

After the shadowy existence of recent years, the war in Ukraine has brought the relevance and condition of the domestic armed forces back into focus. The online research institute Marketagent therefore surveyed 500 Austrians in a recent study on the reputation and tasks of the domestic armed forces. According to a recent survey by the online research institute Marketagent, 7 out of 10 respondents believe that Austria needs armed forces, i.e. its own federal army. By comparison: 10 years ago, in 2012, only a good half were of this opinion (57%). "While the federal army has led a rather shadowy existence in this country in recent years, both the corona pandemic - in which the armed forces actively supported - and the war in Ukraine have brought the importance of the army back into the public's consciousness," explains Thomas Schwabl, Managing Director of Marketagent. The Austrian military can also be pleased with its good image: almost every second person surveyed says the army has a positive reputation – only the police have 61% approval. The parliament (24%) and the federal government (21%) are significantly behind in the rankings. The survey also shows that NATO has a rather reserved image in this country. While Finland and Sweden are now also seeking to join the defence alliance, the neutrality debate in Austria is still very reserved. This is also reflected in the attitude of the population: only around a third of those surveyed trust NATO or say it has a good image. The respondents clearly see the most important task of the Austrian army as domestic disaster relief (85%).

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