Half-price hotels
A new website launched last week puts bargain-hunting travellers in direct touch with British hotels offering special rates. Halfprice hotels.co.uk is free to use and lists over 400 hotels. The site simply lists special deals and details, and users are referred direct to the hotel they wish to book.

Back to Bali
Following the Foreign Office softening its advice on travel to Indonesia earlier this month, STA Travel has introduced a number of special deals to Bali, including B&Bs in Kuta from just £6pp a night and return flights to Australia via Bali from £685 (statravel.co.uk).

FO warnings lifted
The Foreign Office has downgraded its advice against travel to Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Ivory Coast and Yemen. The FO still warns against "all but essential travel" to Ivory Coast; but Algeria, Saudi Arabia and Yemen have all dropped out of that category - although caution is still advised (see fco.gov.uk).

Heart patients free to fly
People who've suffered heart attacks are safe to fly as little as two weeks later, according to research published this week by Yale University. And patients who've had coronary bypasses can travel by air just three weeks after their operations, says the report. Previously doctors recommended much longer waits.

DIY check-ins for BA
Families and groups can now use BA's self-service check-in kiosks (ba.com).

Belgian connection
A new ferry service, Transeuropa, has opened linking Ramsgate to Ostend from £128 return per car (transeuropaferries.co.uk).

Viva Las Vegas
BMI is to begin flying Manchester-Las Vegas from £399 return including tax, from October (flybmi.com).

New Amsterdam flight
Thomsonfly is launching flights from Coventry to Amsterdam from £20 one-way, including tax, starting November (thomsonfly.com).