1. Hassle-free Vietnam visas

SOUTH AFRICAN travellers flying to Vietnam can now pick up their visas on arrival in the country, as long as they have completed the online visa-on-arrival form before they depart.

Simply go to the Vietnam Immigration Department at www.visaforvietnam.org and fill in the form. No photos are required and you can pay online by credit card.

The completed form then allows you to pick up your visa on arrival at any international airport in Vietnam. Note that you must complete the form before travelling.

The visa-on-arrival process is also only available to air travellers – people arriving overland or by sea will still need to apply for their visas in advance at a Vietnamese embassy or consulate.

Visa fees start at $20 for a one-month tourist visa plus $23 stamping duty.

2. Tripadvisor faces lawsuit for ‘unfair’ reviews

POPULAR TRAVEL review website Tripadvisor may face a lawsuit for publishing allegedly unfair reviews of hotels and restaurants.

KwikChex.com, a UK-based “reputation management” consultancy, says it is launching a group action to force TripAdvsior to make changes to the site and address specific instances where an establishment’s reputation has been damaged.

KwikChex says on its site that anonymous comments posted on TripAdvisor have caused widespread complaints. TripAdvisor was allegedly unwilling to address “many unfair and false elements on their review site”, KwikChex added.

The action seeks a number of remedies, including the removal of serious allegations for which there is no evidence, the deleting of reviews more than two years old, and an improved filtering system that would “screen out words such as ‘poisoning’, ‘theft’ and vulgar expletives”.

TripAdvisor claims to have 35-million consumer reviews on its pages.

3. New ‘saddle’ seat for airlines

A NEWLY-DEVELOPED standing aircraft seat called the SkyRider could allow airlines to cram even more people into their aircraft, The Telegraph newspaper reports.

The new seat is shaped like a horse saddle and increases the number of seats an airline can have in its economy class.

The seat is to be unveiled at a conference this week.

The design, named the SkyRider, allows just 58cm of legroom, which is about 20cm less than the average legroom space of 76cm.

As passengers would sit at an angle, taking their weight on their legs, the seat would only be viable for flights of up to three hours in duration.

4. Free entry to Maropeng

ENTRY TO Maropeng Maropeng, the visitor centre for the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, will be free on Friday as South Africa celebrates Heritage Day. Gauteng has laid on a day of activities at Maropeng, including live music and dance performances, a live music concert and guided tours around the Maropeng complex.

There will be public transport to Maropeng from various parts of the province. For details, call 0113552500/2642 or visit the website at www.srac.gpg.gov.za.

5. BA looking to buy 12 more airlines

BRITISH AIRWAYS chief executive Willie Walsh has picked 12 airlines as potential acquisition targets once the BA merger with Spanish carrier Iberia is completed later this year, The Times of London reports.

Walsh refused to give details of the airlines on his list but said he had held discussions with Iberia executives about future airline acquisitions.

Analysts speculate that BA might be looking at such established carriers as Qantas, Cathay Pacific, American Airlines, LAN and South African Airways.

The airline business is expected to undergo huge changes as governments relax restrictions on mergers and large carriers combine into mega-airlines.