Have you ever gone on holiday and remembered you had forgotten to bring something, or even lost an item when you got there? Maybe you forgot to take some sunglasses. Ok, well you probably decided to buy a cheap pair to tide you over for your holiday. Or, possibly you mislaid your flip flops when on the beach? Again, that’s not a huge problem.

But, what if you lost say, your passport, or your important travel documents? This is an entirely different proposition altogether. The situation can be made even worse if you do not speak the language of the native country you are visiting.

I would suggest that you take copies and engage in a bit of document scanning to ensure that your dream holiday doesn’t turn into your worst nightmare.

Obviously you cannot copy (or shouldn’t copy) items such as your money, credit card or travellers cheques, but you should certainly make sure you have taken a copy of all your important travel documents: flight details, destination hotels, emergency addresses/phone numbers and most importantly your passport.

You should take a photocopy of both the passport details pages at the back – this is very useful if you lose the original and you can carry this around rather than the original when sightseeing.

You could scan all your documents into a pdf format; then print and even email them to your secure email account so you can access them anywhere (with an internet location and printing facilities).

Accidents and illness can happen on holiday and in stressful situations it is easy to panic. You cannot prepare for every eventuality, but preparing for the worst when travelling abroad is prudent.

So, remember to take a copy of all your documents. But don’t forget to take the originals as well, of course…..

BAA, the world’s largest airport operator, experienced a loss last year with passenger traffic falling dramatically at all of its seven UK airports as the recession hit demand for air travel.

BAA, owned by Spanish infrastructure giant Ferrovial, posted underlying operating profits of £582m, down by 18%. The number of passengers passing through BAA’s UK airports fell by 2.8% to 145.8 million. This included London Heathrow, Europe’s busiest airport, further limiting the company’s ability to earn revenue from passengers and airlines.

BAA said the reasons for the fall in profits were due to lower passenger numbers and higher running costs. BAA admitted that demand had dropped during the final few months of last year and it expects this year to be challenging.

BAA Chief Executive Officer Colin Matthews said in the statement:

“BAA performed strongly in 2008 although its performance was affected by a drop in passengers, which reflects the general economic situation. 2009 will be a challenging year.”

The sale of Gatwick airport, however, still remains on track. BAA would not comment about the future of Stansted, which is expected to be sold following a Competition Commission review of UK airport ownership.

The only way to be sure you have a flight upgrade is to pay for it. However, free upgrades can and do happen. They may be rare, but there are ways that can increase your chances.

Even before you book your flight there may be opportunities to upgrade your flight. Do you have any close friends that work for an airline who could pull some strings? If you know someone who works at the check-in desk, or higher up in the airline, they may be able to help you gain special privileges, such as staff upgrade vouchers.

You should use your title when booking – the more important you sound the more chance you have of getting an upgrade. These can include; Doctor, Reverend, Professor, Judge, Councillor or a VIP.

If you are on a special trip, then let them know about it. If you’re off on your honeymoon, jetting away to get married or other special occasion let a member of the airline staff or travel agent know. You could drop it in while at the check-in. It won’t always result in an upgrade, but you may get some special in-flight treatment.

You could join a frequent flyer scheme and build up points/miles. Getting to the top levels gives you status at the check-in, putting you at the front of the queue for any available upgrades.

Lone travellers are much more likely to be upgraded as they can be put anywhere. Couples have slimmer chances, but it is still possible.

The most likely situation to get an upgrade would be if the economy section is full and the class above still has some room. By booking flights at peak times, for instance during school holidays or flying to popular holiday destinations then you have a good chance of an upgrade. However, these flights can be more expensive.

If you’ve bought a full price ticket you have a much higher chance of an upgrade than someone with a discounted or sale ticket.

These are just some of the ways to increase your chances, as you can sometimes get upgraded at the airport, or even when onboard the flight.

This year, Oscar night belonged to the British. Britons and British films took 11 prizes at the 81st Academy Awards, including best actress for Kate Winslet and eight awards for Danny Boyle’s “Slumdog Millionaire,” the most successful British film in over a decade.

The British turned up in greater numbers to the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. It was the best British showing for years, yet the country’s winners still had an international scope from the Mumbai of Slumdog to the New York skies of Man on Wire.

“Last night was a great night for Britain,” Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Monday, leading official tributes to the country’s success. He said Britain “is showing it has the talent to lead the world.”

Kate Winslet, nominated for the sixth time, finally won an Oscar on this night of British triumph, scooping Best Actress for “The Reader”, directed by another Brit, Stephen Daldry.

Los Angeles has been a popular destination for Brits over the years and even celebrities such as Robbie Williams and Morrissey have found solace there. There is a sizeable British community in Santa Monica, despite the general British negative preconception of Los Angeles, which is still one of the most exotic places in the world to visit.

The last thing I expected to do when visiting Auckland in November last year was to attend a sci-fi exhibition. I was staying in the city for a few days meeting a friend from the UK before I travelled to visit my brother who is living in Tauranga.

As I had a few days to kill I did the usual Auckland sights – a brief visit to Kelly Tarlton’s Antarctic Encounter where I was under awed by the aquatic spectacular; a trip up the tallest free-standing structure in the Southern Hemisphere known as the Sky Tower; a surprisingly enjoyable visit to the Auckland Museum which took up half a day. Of course, I also briefly sampled the cuisine and the nightlife; having a good time, although I will never understand the fascination with rugby, transmitted onto large screens in every bar.

On my penultimate day in Auckland, we had seen the massive queues stretched for miles around the Aotea Centre and were curious to see what was going on. Oh, a sci-fi exhibition… The geeks in us were curious to find out what was going on, so on my last day we decided to see for ourselves what all the fuss was about.

‘Armageddon’ is a commercial science fiction and comics convention; fortunately nothing to do with the terrible America saves the world (yet again) movie of the same name. In recent years it has also showcased computer and video gaming, animation, and consumer electronics. There were ‘celebrity guests’ from popular TV shows and computer games. I must say that describing these guests as celebrities was pushing the boundaries somewhat, as the lesser-known Ghostbuster Winston, real name Ernie Hudson, was one of the few ‘stars’ I actually recognised. Maybe I’m not as much as a geek after all.

Armageddon also hosts a variety of stalls run by stores and companies from all over NZ and Australia, with DVD, gaming, trading card, comic, anime, and sport memorabilia sales. I picked up a few cheap DVDs, modelled a lucha libre wrestling mask and was proud of my pictures with Darth Maul, a stormtrooper, a man with a sword and a selection of the scantily clad models to be found on our way round the exhibition. I even managed to offend a pretty looking girl who starred in an obscure New Zealand show by declaring that “I had never even heard of it.” I have always been smooth when talking with beautiful women. Overall, a strange but entertaining experience that brought out the geek in me.

Istanbul has recently experienced an upsurge in tourism. It is a cheap option for holiday makers looking for a city break. It has also become a popular destination for those looking to get high-tech medical treatment and undergo operations at an affordable price. In fact, many people are combining their medical treatment with a short holiday.

Istanbul has particularly become a global destination for Lasik - laser eye surgery and plastic surgery. The city has many public and private hospitals, clinics and laboratories and numerous medical research centres.

Istanbul; historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; is the cultural and financial centre of Turkey. It is the largest city of Turkey and is well regarded as the national capital in all but name.

Istanbul has always been popular for its abundance of sightseeing activities; important historic buildings, shopping centres, exciting new art galleries and museums providing visitors with more than enough to see during the day.

At night, the place comes alive with its ever-growing array of bars, clubs and restaurants around town.

Istanbul now attracts world famous pop stars, while activities such as opera, ballet and theatre continue throughout the year. The Istanbul International Film Festival is one of the most important film festivals in Europe, while the Istanbul Biennial is another major event of fine arts.

Getting to Istanbul is relatively easy as there are two international airports. The best times to visit Istanbul are around spring and autumn, roughly from April to May and from September to October, when the climate is more bearable; making for a more enjoyable holiday.

So, if you are looking for a short break, or if you are interested in Turkey as a potential destination for your medical treatment then a visit to Istanbul is certainly worth considering.

With the black cloud hanging over everyone’s finances at the moment, fewer people are expecting to go on holiday this year. Don’t be put off by the high price holidays, instead opt for a cheaper holiday. You can even try camping, it’s different and it’s cheap.

Few people think of camping as a real holiday any more, but many campsites have luxury facilities like hot showers and fresh water supplies. You aren’t limited to local areas either. You can try travelling abroad. Why not have a camping holidays in Spain?

Spain has many warm and dry months, so it is suitable for camping without struggling to beat the wind and rain. There are plenty of great sights and landscapes to visit throughout Spain too.

You don’t necessarily have to just go in a tent, you can use caravans or static homes available in most campsites. They are easy to hire and offer many relaxing features. Caravans make things like cooking easier and are more comfortable for sleeping in than tents.

So, when it comes to sitting down with the family or your friends, put forward the idea of camping holidays in Spain. Whether caravan or tent, its enjoyable, different and fun.