<a href=news.ft.com>By Kevin Done, Aerospace Correspondent Published: March 25 2003 22:06 | Last Updated: March 25 2003 22:06

British Airways and Lufthansa, two of the top three European airlines, are cutting capacity in particular on North American routes in response to falling demand for air travel triggered by the war in Iraq.

In further retrenchment in the European airline industry Swiss, Switzerland's national carrier, said that it was halving its firm order for 60 regional jets from Embraer, the Brazilian aircraft maker, to only 30 with first deliveries pushed back to next year. It is also seeking to delay the delivery of five Airbus A340-300s from 2004 to a later date.

BA is expected to announce on Wednesday a capacity reduction of close to five per cent initially until the end of April with a cut in daily frequencies to New York, to both JFK and Newark airports, and to Chicago.

It is expected to reinstate a daily service to Tel Aviv, however, after suspending its former twice daily service to Israel last week on the eve of the start of hostilities in Iraq. The move will leave Kuwait, as the only one of BA's Middle East destinations to which service remains suspended.

Lufthansa, the German flag carrier, said that it was cutting capacity on intercontinental routes mainly to North and South America and to Asia and would take seven aircraft out of service from its long-haul fleet.

The group said there had been a "sharp fall" in passenger bookings particularly on routes to America and Asia.

In response it is cutting one daily frequency from Frankfurt to each of New York, Boston and Los Angeles while individual flights will be scrapped to Phoenix and Dallas and smaller aircraft used to Philadelphia.

Frequencies to Caracas, Venezuela, will be halved from six to three a week, while capacity is being cut to Nagoya and Osaka in Japan and to Seoul, South Korea.

Lufthansa had already moved in February to cut capacity on short-haul routes in Europe with 31 aircraft taken out of service in addition to the 17 removed by its regional airline partners.

The capacity cuts by the European airlines follow similar actions already taken by many North American and Asian airlines.

<a href=www2.ocregister.com>An already-stressed public braces for more worries – here's how to cope Sunday, March 23, 2003 By GARY A. WARNER Travel Editor

MULTIMEDIA Interactive Travel Warning Map

THE DRILL: Americans are used to doffing their shoes and getting patted down at airports, but security lines will likely get longer.

The invasion of Iraq may be happening on the other side of the globe, but the effects will be felt by travelers everywhere, from the corner gas station to the local airport.

Short of hiding out in our homes for the duration, there's little hope of avoiding hassle. Any journey is going to reacquaint Americans with the renewed realities of heightened security and uncertainty. Navigating travel in wartime will take extra preparation and patience. It's the price for some kind of peace of mind.

"I think America wants us to be prepared – America wants us to take precautionary measures," Thomas Ridge, Secretary of Homeland Security, said on March 17, the day President Bush issued his ultimatum to Saddam Hussein.

Ridge has even given the heightened domestic security measures one of those names usually reserved for military campaigns: Operation Liberty Shield.

GETTING INFORMED Travelers should start by getting a general security assessment from the Department of Homeland Security, on the Web at www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/.

The home page for the command center in the nation's war on terrorism, it has the latest updates on the color-coded threat levels.

Even the lowest levels mean scrutiny at airports, but the elevated (orange) threat level can lead to tighter border controls, limits to airport and other transportation-center access, and long delays at security checkpoints. A severe (red) threat level could mean the partial or complete shutdown of airports and borders, or at least extremely long delays at security checkpoints.

ON THE ROAD For many Americans who still want to travel during wartime, the answer is to hit the road and stay close to home. Automobile travel is on the upswing again, along with rec reational vehicle use.

The main effect for road travelers will be the high cost of gasoline, which is well over $2 a gallon throughout much of the country and higher in some areas, such as Southern California. Some analysts expect an additional fuel-price spike during the war. Adding to the effects of the war is the unsettled situation in Venezuela, where continuing civil unrest has strangled the flow of oil to the United States.

However, there is little chance of a fuel shortage of the kind Americans went through in the 1970s. Saudi Arabia has promised to open a 50-million-barrel strategic reserve. The United States could also open its own 600-million-barrel strategic supplies if the price spiral continues. The question will be whether gasoline companies and gas-station owners pass their savings to motorists.

To monitor the price of gasoline, check out the Web site www.fuelgaugereport.com. Also check out the Web sites of state auto clubs. Monitor what is going on at the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries Web site, www.opec.org.

National and state parks are reporting a high volume of reservations for the spring and summer vacation periods. Check out National Park updates at www.nps.gov.

DOMESTIC AIR TRAVEL The biggest effect will be on the flying public. With the heightened security requirements, airports are instituting new screening procedures, which get tighter as the color-coded threat levels increase.

During orange (elevated) threat levels, airport access can be limited and some roads shut down.

Red (severe) threat levels could mean the partial or complete closing of some airports.

Most airports suggest arriving two hours before a domestic flight. Try to use public transportation because of increased inspections of private automobiles on the access roads and in the parking lots at airports. Restrictions on carry-on items are still in place and will likely be tightly enforced during the higher threat levels.

In response to the war, many airlines have instituted temporary waivers of limits on the lowest priced nonrefundable tickets. Some airlines offer one-time rebooking during specific times in March, while others link their looser policies to whether the government issues a red (severe) threat level. Because there is no common policy among airlines and even differences in rules for tickets at the same airline, find out the rules for your specific fare.

An added concern for travelers is that the war could push already-teetering airlines over the brink. After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, airlines slashed the number of flights by 20 percent. Flight cutbacks could again occur if the war is prolonged or the rebound in travel immediately afterward is not speedy. Check well in advance to make sure an airline has not changed or canceled your flight.

For the current status of air travel in the United States, go to www.faa.gov. A list of what you can and cannot bring aboard a commercial airline flight can be found at www.tsa.gov.

FOREIGN TRAVEL Traveling overseas during the war is cause for both trepidation and opportunity. Consult the U.S. State Department's travel warning list of places Americans should not travel to. A second list includes countries where Americans need to take extra precautions. The lists can be found on the Web at www.travel.state.gov.

Travelers flying overseas are cautioned to arrive three hours before their flights and to be prepared for long lines and multiple security checkpoints. Limit your amount of carry-on luggage to speed your time in line. Make sure your passport is valid – some countries require that you have at least six months of validity left before your next renewal date. Everyone – even infants – must have his or her own passport. Because of heightened security, processing applications is taking longer. It takes at least six weeks for normal service and two weeks for expedited service. For information, go to travel.state.gov.

The only upside of the conflict is that airlines are seeing a steep decline in the number of passengers. As a result, fares are at a 12-year low in some cases – as low as during the gulf war in 1991 – and airlines are waiving many cancellation and rebooking restrictions. If you can stomach the stress, you can take advantage – travel overseas hasn't been this cheap in years. For the best bargains, go to airline Web sites and sign up for weekly updates on sale fares. Travel services Web sites like www.travelocity.com also allow you to enter a limited number of destinations and will send you e-mails when fares drop by more than 1 percent.

CRUISES Some cruise lines are canceling voyages during the war. Others are loosening the refund and rebooking rules for passengers who feel uncomfortable about going to sea during the war. There is no industry-wide standard, so contact individual cruise lines for more information. A good clearinghouse for information is the Cruise Lines International Association trade group, whose Web site is www.cruising.org.

RAILROADS Amtrak does not plan any changes in service. For passengers who have not taken the train lately, be aware that new security restrictions limit carry-on luggage to two bags per passenger (not including personal items such as laptops or purses). Bags must be tagged with the name and address of the passenger. Information: www.amtrak.com.

ANTI-AMERICANISM ABROAD Whatever your position on the war, you are an American. Many travelers fear they will be treated coolly even in countries like Britain – where the government supports the war, but polls show most people do not. France in particular has been a source of some worry for foreign travelers. The U.S. State Department cautions Americans traveling abroad not to call undue attention to themselves and to stay away from any public demonstrations.

Emmanuel Gagniarre, a spokesperson for the French Embassy in Washington, said the fear of a rude reception is understandable but unfounded.

"I understand that some Americans might be afraid " Gagniarre said. "The fact is that it's not the case. Americans should not fear anything. They are welcome. They will enjoy their trip as millions have before them, no more, no less. My message is that relations are always easier when they are approached in an adult manner."

CONTACT US: Warner can be reached at (888) 436-0026 or by e-mail at gwarner@freedom.com

www.visaliatimesdelta.com By Heidi Rowley Staff writer

Since January, the government has issued travel alerts for the following countries:

Algeria, Bahrain, Bolivia, Central African Republic, Columbia, East Africa, Guatemala, Iraq, Israel -- the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Kenya, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Mexico, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Qatar, Republic of Congo, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Syria, Tanzania, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Venezuela and Zimbabwe. See www.travel.state.gov.

Wary travelers are holding off on buying international tickets while they wait for a decision on the war with Iraq.

Wes Rowland, owner of Cruise Experts Agency on Court Street in Visalia, said the impending war and the nation's recently upgraded security alert doesn't affect his staff's everyday workload, but some of his customers have been affected.

"We do have some travelers who have chosen not to go to France," he said. "They're making alternate arrangements."

Before Sept. 11, 2001, Rowland said, March was a busy time of year, with people planning their spring and summer vacations.

"March has definitely been slower," he said. "It's a continued challenge for the travel industry. Certainly there's a decline in European demand."

Some people are opting out of trips to Europe or any air travel, Rowland said, and many are choosing easier, and sometimes cheaper, cruises. Those who do fly are restricting themselves to the United States, including Hawaii and Alaska.

Since the security alert upgrade, Geraldine Bratshon, travel consultant for FirstValue Travel, said her agency has fielded many calls from worried customers who are traveling within the next week. Travel agents are still recommending that customers continue to travel, but also that they be cautious and use common sense.

The State Department recommends that U.S. citizens who travel outside the country "remain vigilant," avoid demonstrations and use common-sense precautions. In a worldwide caution issued in February, the government advised staying away from residential areas, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, schools, hotels, outdoor recreation events, resorts or beaches where Americans are known to gather.

Locally, airlines are restructuring their flight cancellation policies to deal with the threat of war. Bratshon said most airlines have set policies that in the event of war or a red alert, concerned customers can cancel their flights or reservations and get credit for that flight at a later date. No airline or cruise line has said it will refund tickets.

International picture

British Airways announced it would suspend flights to and from Israel and Kuwait beginning today and pull its staff from those countries in light of a travel advisory issued by the British Foreign Office. Thai Airways International is suspending flights from Bangkok to Kuwait and Bahrain beginning Thursday.

"The safety and security of our operation is always our absolute priority, and we would not consider operating any flight unless we were satisfied totally that it was safe to do so," said Spencer Hanlon, British Airways commercial manager in Israel.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Originally published Wednesday, March 19, 2003

www.simcoe.com Bruce Hain: The Advance Mar. 11, 2003

How would like to spend your annual vacation keeping an eye out for deadly snakes, or being offered fresh dog meat for supper? Or having to negotiate with a hostile group of Amazonian natives?

If you're a member of the congregation at Heritage Baptist Church in Barrie, or contractor Ed Donnelly of Springwater Township, these cheery scenarios have all been just part of a typical work day, while being on 'holiday'.

For the past decade, members of Heritage Baptist have been helping construct new churches in exotic locales such as the Philippines and Venezuela. It all started back in 1990 when Pastor Leroy Pennell was invited by a minister in the Philippines to visit one of their work sites.

"I really wanted to see first-hand what some of the issues were in that country," Pennell recalls. "I spoke in a church over there, sort of a storefront operation, and I came home with a real burden."

Pennell realized there was a pressing need for a new building to house the far-away congregation.

"I told the pastor if he could get land, I could arrange to build a new church."

The property was acquired, and the Canadian campaign began to raise funds for building materials, and to seek out volunteers who would accompany Pennell back to the island nation archipelago. Pennell was hugely successful on both fronts.

"For about $10,000 Canadian, we were able to put up a 20-foot- by 40-foot building. It was our first project."

Pennell says back in 1990, his congregation initially raised approximately $13,000 for their mission work.

"Now, we're on schedule to raise $130,000 this year," he says.

And members of his church have returned several times to the Philippines.

"We went back and did a church campground, and then built an orphanage," Pennell states. "Last year, we built dormitories in Venezuela."

News of these good deeds have spread throughout the congregation, making the task of finding volunteers easier.

"A large number of our people have gone on one, or more of these trips," Pennell says. "It gives them a real sense of the mission field. In two weeks, you get a real bond with the people you go with."

Pennell and his followers have always been warmly received by their hosts, wherever that might be.

"One of the things is that we've been treated very well," he says. "They were surprised at first to see us getting dirty, and watching us work hard. They always thought of North Americans as businessmen. I think it broke down some walls."

"Some of them were amazed to see our pastor get down mixing mortar, getting blisters," Bob Martin adds. "In turn, they taught us a lot about reaching out and ministering to children."

Pennell says, "we leave behind a building, but we're taking away a lot more. It enriches your life and you're grateful for the experience."

Brothers Ben and Jonathan Langman of Elmvale are two of the youngest members of the Heritage Baptist Church who have participated in the mission work.

"It's one of the best things a teenager can do," Ben says.

"We had a great time, too," Jonathan says. "It was fun to do."

"It's just a thing that makes you appreciate your own family more," Martin says. "It's a time to grow spiritually, and you rely on Him to overcome any challenges."

"We've never had any real problem getting people to go," Pennell says. "People have taken their own vacation time, and rather go lie on the beach in Florida, buy a air ticket and go work for two weeks. You see Christianity in its barest form, stripped of the materialism. You see joy, laughter, singing, which is a little harder to come by in this country."

The church's next project is on tap for 2004.

Born and raised in Springwater Township, contractor Ed Donnelly shares many of the sentiments expressed by Pennell and his flock.

"At one point in my life, I used to just fly south to some island," Donnelly says. "But I just didn't like sitting around in the sun."

He found out about an organization called Maranatha Volunteers International, based in California, which organizes working expeditions to developing nations.

"I had a chance to go help build a church in Brazil," Donnelly says. "It was quite eventful."

Journeying to far-away lands is one of the best forms of personal growth, he believes.

"It's such an opportunity to get to know the flavour of a country, and get to know the people. We don't have a clue up here what it's like in the poorer countries."

Donnelly made his first trip in 1989, and has made six in total. His passport includes stops in Brazil, Santo Domingo, Mexico, Chile, Honduras and Panama.

"The big high is helping the local people," he states. "Churches are really community centres. They are used seven days, and seven nights a week."

Being handy with his hands has served Donnelly well. Jobs he has performed include masonry, roofing, general labour, painting, carpentry, and even helping out in the kitchen.

One of his most memorable anecdotes happened in Brazil.

"We had put up a building in a village. It was complete, and we were on our last day."

They were just about to leave, when the group encountered some tribal politics along the Amazon River.

"Some canoes came up river," Donnelly recalls. After some heated discussions, and through interpreters, "we appeased them by giving them all of our medicine, and sent our dentist to remove their chief's mother-in-law's abscessed tooth.

"However, we had lost four hours, so we decided to take a shortcut. The rudder of our boat broke, and we started to drift in the river. It took about five hours before we could get back ashore. It was just like 'The African Queen.'

"It was pretty scary. The Amazon can be more than a mile wide, with whirlpools and sandbars. We finally landed in a village. There was only one phone, and it was broken. We fixed it, and got a boat to come and get us. A bus picked us up, and we caught our flight - with about an hour to spare."

Other excursions have been mercifully less exciting.

"In Chile, we worked for 11 days, and then took a two-day excursion into the Andes," Donnelly says.

"It was very exotic, and very beautiful."

Even though they are foreigners in a distant land, and there is little, or no English spoken, Donnelly says he, and his fellow travellers, know they are welcome.

"In Chile, the chief of police came to see us. He said they had some building materials, but didn't know how to build the structure. We accommodated them. We built it, and made sure it was safe. They threw us a banquet - complete with costumed dancers.

"The people are ecstatic with their smiles, they really appreciate your help. If you went for a walk at lunch time, they would invite you into their house. It was a very warm feeling," he states.

"You're in a village, say the size of Stroud, and you're building a school. Everyone knows why you're there."

Donnelly doesn't stop at just donating his time and talent, either.

"I go down fully loaded with clothes to give away - socks, shirts, and anything else I can carry."

Being away from home also brings out Donnelly's creative side.

"When I go down there, I write poems and music of my experiences. Some day, I'm going to put them on CD."

For those wondering if they could pass muster on such an adventure, Donnelly offers these words of encouragement.

"Don't be concerned about your age, or lack of expertise. There's a job for you!"

expatvillage.com

Last year I remained in my home town of Maturin to experience Carnaval in all its colourful glory; but this year I deliberately missed the party & headed, instead, for the Orinoco Delta.

Waranoko Jungle Camp, Orinoco Delta, Venezuela Right now, most of Venezuela has only one thing on its mind: Carnaval. In every town & village, people are out on the streets drinking, dancing, & drenching one another with bucketfuls of water. The music is loud; food & beer kiosks have sprouted everywhere; normal traffic is diverted to make way for gaudy carnival floats & costumed merrymakers; men dressed as devils enact strange dramas, as excited children & pretty señoritas look on. This annual explosion of joie de vivre starts on a Saturday & finishes the following Tuesday. Last year I remained in my home town of Maturin to experience Carnaval in all its colourful glory ; but this year I deliberately missed the party & headed, instead, for the Orinoco Delta. If you look at a map of Venezuela, the mouth of the River Orinoco is impressively vast: its many fingers cover an enormous area as they stretch out into the Atlantic Ocean towards Trinidad. Today is Sunday ; I am writing this letter in a remote jungle camp on the banks of one of the many rivers, or caños, that comprise the Delta system. Getting here was easy : I took a por puesto (shared taxi) from Maturin to the little town of Tucupita, which is the starting-point for Orinoco trips ; from there I travelled by motor launch to Waranoko camp. The river journey was amazing. For 5 hours we snaked our leisurely way between the mangroves, stopping once for lunch (at the comparatively luxurious Guamal Camp), once for gasoline (supplied by the Warao Indians, whose home this is), once to buy Warao craft items (I bought a balsa-wood toucan & a beautifully woven fruit bowl) & many times to observe the birds & animals. The region is a natural paradise. Huge turquoise butterflies flap lazily by; blue & yellow macaws scream overhead ; prehistoric-looking hoatzins fly off panic-stricken as the boat approaches. On one occasion our boatman stopped & pointed at what looked like bright red flowers in the trees ahead. Suddenly the flowers began to move; then they were air-borne. My first scarlet ibises! Another memorable sight was the pink dolphins, which never go out to sea but permanently inhabit the fresh waters of the Orinoco. The river is a deep brown, so these creatures are only visible when they breach the surface. Meeting the Warao Indians was fascinating. Many of them speak no Spanish, only their Warao native tongue. They are a boat people who live in wooden open-sided houses raised on poles out of the water. There are wooden walkways, also on poles, connecting the houses. The Warao are self-sufficient - fishing, hunting & baking bread - but, to make a little money, they sell baskets, hammocks & balsa carvings to the tourists. When we stopped for gasoline, I noticed an animal skin stretched out on the logs of a walkway. I asked in Spanish what it was. "Tigre," came the reply. I discovered that this was a jaguar which had been killed for its skin & teeth. The teeth had magical properties & would be worn as amulets. The skin was being dried & would eventually be sold to tourists. Waranoko Camp, where I am sitting now at 8pm, is splendidly basic. Everything is home-made; everything is wooden. In the Delta there is no such thing as a rock or a pebble or sand - only mud, silt & trees. The main building is constructed from mangrove wood ; the roof is thatched with palm leaves. The hammocks that we sleep in were woven by the Warao Indians from the fibres of the moriche palm tree. This camp, because of its remoteness, does not attract the tourist hordes from Margarita Island. They stay at Guamal Camp, which is 1½ hours from the Tucupita airstrip. Apart from myself there are only two other tourists here: Gerard, a laid-back South African geologist who works in Caracas ; & Melisa, a polyglot Argentine who cares passionately about nature. The camp is staffed by a couple of locals & by Charlie from neighbouring Guyana. Charlie is as laid-back & friendly as they come. English is his first language. His trousers are full of holes & his arms are crudely tattooed. He arrived here from Guyana 14 years ago & has never gone back - not even to visit his relatives. He says he likes the tranquillity of the jungle. We talked about cricket &, like all good Guyanans, he had heard of Clive Lloyd & Gary Sobers. Then I asked him a quiz question: which Venezuelan state shares its name with a famous current West Indian cricketer? Charlie hadn't a clue. He perused the map of Venezuela hanging on the wall but still couldn't say. I gave him the answer: Lara (Brian Lara is the current West Indian kingpin, & Lara state is to the west of Caracas). Charlie knew the old cricketers but was blissfully ignorant of anything that had happened in the 14 years since his arrival in the Delta. Tonight we may go out to see alligators. But it is so pleasant just sitting by the water's edge - watching the stars, listening to the jungle noises, sipping a cuba libre - that I will probably stay here. One blessed feature of this camp is the absence of mosquitoes. Nobody knows why, but there aren't any. I will sleep tonight in my hammock without a mosquito net. This is quite different from Guamal Camp, where mosquitoes abound & mosquito netting is essential. Tomorrow I travel back to 'civilisation' & the excitement of Carnaval. But for now, I will savour the stillness & beauty of this pristine place in the heart of the Orinoco Delta. Kevin Mulqueen 5/3/2000