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No-show clients at Paris restaurants now must pay cancellation cash penalties

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Cafes and restaurants in the French capital have opted to follow the lead of hotels and guest-houses, and start charging their customers with cash penalties for late cancellation of reservations or failing to appear in time.

Hundreds of Paris eateries are currently adopting the system that is widely used in the hotel industry, the Times reports. Restaurants oblige clientele to leave details of their credit cards while making reservations, with big-name places warning customers over a potential charge in case of a no-show.

The measure is reportedly connected to losses the restaurants have to suffer, when people make several reservations for the same day and then cancel at least one of them without warning.

“Even in great restaurants customers cancel without having the slightest idea of the economic impact of their action,” the managing director of Les Grandes Tables du Monde, an association of top restaurants Nicolas Chatenier told the media.

Restaurants reportedly have to follow the trend due to French gastronomical habits, in particular fondness for lengthy meals. French cafes cannot allow two bookings for the same table, like restaurants in Britain and the US, as they cannot be sure that the first group will leave before the second one appears.

The financial losses due to no-shows are really significant, accounting for up to 30 percent of the restaurants entire revenue, according to Xavier Zeitoun, founder of a restaurant booking site Zenchef, as cited by the media. The businessman noted that 245 restaurants have adopted the new system so far.

Chatenier said that annual losses of an average Michelin-starred restaurant may total up to €150,000, stressing that one canceled table may wipe out the profits it could make in the evening.

To tackle the problem the Tour d’Argent restaurant has reportedly imposed a cancellation fee of €100 per head at lunchtime and €200 for the dinner service, while the 58 Tour Eiffel restaurant obliges clients who book a table and cancel less than ten days before the meal, to pay €86 per head.

Travel News | eTurboNews

5 Types Of Credit Cards Couples Should Have In This Travel Season!

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The festival season is here and that means vacations! This is the time, most people chose to spend with their loved ones. Some decide to travel to an exotic vacation spot abroad, while others prefer a quiet holiday at home.

It is very important to take care of the expenses while traveling. This is where credit cards come into the picture. Now, you don’t have to postpone your vacation plan due to budget constraints. You can enjoy your vacation without and then pay back later on after you’re back from your trip. You could also avail discounts and deals on travel packages from sites like GrabOn.

But what type of credit cards should one invest in while traveling? Here are 5 types of credit cards to help you get started:

  1. Credit Cards For Travel: Starting off with what might be the most important item on the list: Travel credit cards come with tons of benefits. This type of credit card comes in handy both in India, as well as abroad. Majority of the banks have partnerships with aviation companies which allow them to provide the users with these credit cards. The customers availing the service can earn air miles on making a transaction using the said credit card. The reward points earned can also be traded in for air miles. These air miles can be used to book tickets, upgrade seats and more. The card can also be used to avail lounge services during long hauls. These credit cards not only provide miles, but also help with hotel deals, insurance, and other experiential offers.

    If you are not sure about which bank credit card you should go for, here are a few of the most popular ones:
    JetPrivilege from IndusInd Bank (Odyssey, Voyage Amex, Voyage VISA), American Express, ICICI Bank (Coral VISA, Rubyx VISA, Sapphiro VISA), and HDFC Bank (Platinum, Titanium).
    Standard Chartered Emirates Platinum Credit Card and HDFC All Miles Credit Card.

  2. Credit Cards With Entertainment Offers: These are the credit cards that will come in handy when you go for a movie, or a live show while on a vacation. You can use the credit cards to get amazing cashback and (or) avail buy 1 get 1 free offer on movie or event tickets. If you want to go for a little golfing, you can use the entertainment credit card and avail some benefits while earning reward points for every transaction. These reward points can then be redeemed while booking tickets for a movie, event or for travel purposes. The PVR Gold and Platinum Credit Card from Kotak are some of the most popular cards in this category.
  1. Platinum Cards: These cards are hugely popular among travelers and non-travelers alike because of the wide range of privileges they offer. The users can benefit from offers related to lifestyle, dining, entertainment and more. The joining and renewal fees however a little higher than most other types of credit cards. Some of the benefits that make the platinum cards stand out include accelerated reward points, access to premium lounges at airports, gift vouchers from top brands, cashback, g****l usage, and other exclusive deals. Some of the platinum cards that you can look forward to in India are Platinum Slect and Platinum Aura card from IndusInd, Tata Platinum and Tata Croma Platinum among others.
  1. Cards With Auto Rewards: These credit cards provide benefits on every fuel transaction made. This is very helpful for travelers who would need to refuel their vehicle frequently. This card helps you save big everytime you need to fill gas while on your trip. You can save up reward points which you can redeem while refueling.
  1. Credit Cards With Prepaid Service:
    Last but definitely not the least, credit cards that allow you to load money into them beforehand. These credit cards are a blessing for the spendthrift! You can still enjoy the benefits of a credit card without having to depend on a credit line. The balance would be the amount that is remaining in the account after the transactions are complete. The prepaid card from Axis Bank is pretty popular for the services it offers.