Should I reconsider my trip to Spain, given the floods?

Simon Calder answers your questions on travelling to Spain after the floods, space on Jet2 planes, rental cars and flying to Fiji

Residents try to open sewers to clear the water in the neighbourhoods of Marmoles and Perchel in Malaga (Getty)

Q I am part of a group of friends who are planning to begin a southern Spanish road trip at the weekend. Worried by news of the devastating floods in Spain, we are reconsidering our trip, which involves flying into Malaga on Thursday and then driving to Ronda, Cordoba and Granada. With more bad weather forecast, we are unsure how safe this route is or what we may find when we arrive. Any thoughts?

Rex S (and pals)

A Two weeks after the devastating floods in Valencia that killed more than 200 people, the Spanish authorities are now warning of another round of extreme rainfall and consequent flooding in the Costa del Sol area around Malaga – as well as the Tarragona area further northeast in Catalonia.

A red weather alert was issued by Spain’s meteorological office yesterday, with local residents and holidaymakers urged not to travel while the powerful low-pressure system persists in dumping extraordinary quantities of rain along the Mediterranean coast. But the warnings for today onwards are eased from “extreme risk” to “important risk”.

Despite the deluge, operations at Malaga airport are continuing more or less normally; a couple of flights yesterday afternoon diverted to Seville, and Air France has grounded links to and from Paris. But I am not aware of any airline linking the UK and Spain offering any flexibility to travellers to postpone trips or switch destinations.

In your position, I would proceed with your plans, while of course heeding any warnings by the Spanish authorities. The beautiful area north of Malaga that you are planning to explore should not experience significant problems, and by the weekend warm, sunny days are predicted. Mid-November is an ideal time to visit the region without the crowds of summer.

If, though, you decide not to travel, I cannot see any prospect of a refund from your airline, the car rental firm or any accommodation you have pre-booked.

Levuka, the main town, was the capital of Fiji until 1877 (Simon Calder)

Q My wife and I are hoping to visit Fiji as part of a trip to New Zealand. What’s the best way to arrange this (ideally not passing through the US during the Trump presidency), and what are your highlights in Fiji?

Jason B

A The South Pacific archipelago is 10,000 miles away from the UK on the other side of Earth. The most direct route from London to the main airport, Nadi, happens to be via Vancouver in British Columbia rather than any US city. (The more usual approach, via Los Angeles, is hundreds of miles longer.)

A stopover in Vancouver is guaranteed to be worthwhile. Hong Kong and Tokyo are other possible routings. Continuing to New Zealand, there are direct flights from Nadi to Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington. A good travel agent will be able to advise on the best-value ticket.

Fiji is much more substantial than most South Pacific island destinations and offers plenty of diversity, both cultural and geographic, beyond the excellent beaches. The country’s people comprise a blend of Melanesian, Polynesian, Micronesian, Indian, Chinese and European heritage.

Viti Levu, the main island, is where you are likely to spend most of your time: it has wooded valleys and sun-seared hills, clustered villages and straggly lanes, patchwork meadows and a horizon strewn with brooding mountains.

The ideal time to visit is during the Fijian winter – the dry season runs from April to October. Rainfall and humidity drop and there is less risk of cyclones. The water temperature remains comfortably at 25C and above year-round, which makes diving and snorkelling popular. You might also want to hike amid the spectacular scenery and diversity of flora and fauna in Koroyanitu National Park Viti Levu, and try white-water rafting or kayaking.

For a different dimension, make a side trip to the sleepy island of Ovalau, which has a rich colonial heritage along with dense green foliage. Levuka, the main town, was the capital of Fiji until 1877, when it moved to Suva on the main island.

Flying high: one reason Jet2 often gets positive feedback is its focus on customer friendliness (PA)

Q Someone told me Jet2 has more space for passengers in their planes. Well, you should know with all your travelling. Is this correct, Simon?

Michael B

A Twenty-one years ago I was happy to be on the very first Jet2 flight: a short hop of less than 300 miles from Leeds Bradford to Amsterdam. The plane was a Boeing 737-300. Even in 2003, it was a relatively old aircraft and not particularly comfortable. As the airline has flourished, it has invested in more modern aircraft – mostly 737-800 planes. These happen to be the same as those used by Ryanair. Both carriers have a strictly one-class operation. And both squeeze 189 passengers into this type of plane.

Yet repeatedly I hear that Jet2 is more comfortable than its rivals. Some years ago, a Which? survey awarded Jet2 three stars for comfort, compared with only one star for Ryanair.

So why should people consider Jet2 more comfortable? One reason, I speculate, is its relentless focus on customer friendliness. Cheerful and helpful staff at the departure airport puts people in a better mood. Also, Jet2 is almost exclusively a holiday airline; the average beach-bound passenger is likely to be feeling more upbeat than (say) a bleary-eyed worker flying off for a week’s labour in some unappealing industrial city.

Perhaps, though, the person to whom you spoke has experienced one of Jet2’s new-this-year Airbus A321 aircraft. They have state-of-the-art slim seats that help to create more space. In addition, the Airbus cabin interior is 17cm (almost seven inches) wider than the Boeing 737. That may sound trivial. But I believe being slightly less narrow-bodied makes an appreciable difference. I have flown the Atlantic in both a 737 and an A321, and would pick the latter every time.

As Jet2 expands, more of its passengers (including those at its latest base, Luton) will get to experience the Airbus. But two other rivals, easyJet and Wizz Air, have the same modern jets with, I contend, equally spacious seating.

Sticking to reputable companies is always best when it comes to booking vehicles (Getty)

Q I booked a flight to Poland with a budget airline, and for once I decided to book a rental car as advertised by the airline because the price was so good. I turned up at the airport car rental office and was shocked to be told that the name on my passport must match exactly the name on the credit card I used. But I have a long name on my passport – too long to fit on my credit card. I was told I would need to make a new booking, which cost three times as much. Can I claim the extra cost back from the airline?

Chris N-T

A No. The airline will have taken legal pains to ensure that the car rental transaction you made was entirely separate from your flight booking. You might think that is ridiculous: surely if you click to reserve a rental car while going through the flight-booking process, that must be part of the same transaction?

But the airline booking system will have given a response along the lines of: “We will pass on your request for a rental car once the flight is confirmed.” The separation of the two purchases is designed to ensure that you have not booked a package holiday – a flight plus another element – under the Package Travel Regulations.

With a proper package, the airline would be responsible for ensuring you got the car you booked, without any nonsense about names on credit cards and passports matching exactly.

As it is, the airline will have pocketed a percentage of the price you paid for the original rental and has no further interest in the transaction. The car rental transaction itself will have involved a broker – who in turn will have collected commission on the reservation through one of its suppliers in Poland.

The rental car company at the end of this chain has a similar business practice to some other firms that offer very low rates: imposing ridiculous and unfair terms that many customers will inadvertently breach. I am afraid you are one of many people who have been taken for a ride like this. I always stick to big, reputable companies – either booking direct or through companies such as British Airways and Trailfinders, which are happy to include car rental as part of a package.

Email your questions to s@hols.tv or tweet @SimonCalder