Heathrow posts

by Kent Wien (RSS feed) (7 days ago)
Nov 17th, 2009 at 4:30PM: "Descend to 1-3-0."
"Descend to 1-2-0."
I found myself listening to London Control while admiring one of the all-time greatest views I've ever seen.
"Slow to 220 knots. Fly heading 1-7-0."
As we banked to the right, I looked over my right shoulder at the London eye, a blue ferris wheel that stands out among the amber lights struggling for relevance against the sunrise.
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![Drunk pilot arrested in London]()
by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) (11 days ago)
Nov 13th, 2009 at 1:00PM:
After (another) pilot was found drunk in London this week, the issue of pilot inebriation has become a frequent discussion topic. Since 1997, 11 commercial pilots, on average, have tested positive for alcohol every year. According to FAA regulations, pilots can't fly with a blood alcohol content of above 0.04 percent (it's 0.02 percent in Great Britain). Last year, 13 pilots tested ...

by Katie Hammel (RSS feed) (20 days ago)
Nov 4th, 2009 at 4:00PM: I hate airports. I hate sitting around and waiting, and I hate being unable to escape the thought that soon my plane will be the one zooming down the runway and lifting off into the sky. So rather than arrive early to the airport and allow myself time to get anxious about flying, I prefer to arrive at the last possible second, so that as I run through security and down the terminal, I don't have ...

by Scott Carmichael (RSS feed) (24 days ago)
Nov 1st, 2009 at 10:00AM: Here is a sight you don't want to be greeted by when you land at your destination - upon landing at London Heathrow, an ambulance hazmat team boarded the aircraft to check on the condition of six passengers who had fainted during the flight. It probably isn't too uncommon for one passenger to faint after the stress of a long haul flight, but six of them on a single plane usually warrants some kind ...

by Scott Carmichael (RSS feed) (1 month ago)
Oct 24th, 2009 at 12:00PM:
tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.gadling.com/2009/10/24/survey-ranks-heathrow-charles-de-gaulle-and-los-angeles/'; tweetmeme_source = 'Gadling';
A Priority Pass survey of frequent business travelers has revealed what many of us knew all along - London Heathrow is the worst airport in the world. Heathrow is followed by Charles de Gaulle and Los Angeles.
These three airports tend to pop up on ...

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) (2 months ago)
Sep 11th, 2009 at 1:00PM:
Vacationers compensated for business travelers at Heathrow last month, helping the airport realize its busiest August in history. Airport operator BAA Ltd. noted that its total traffic, though, had fallen 3.1 percent for the month. Heathrow is Europe's busiest airport, and 6.4 million passengers passed through, a slight increase of 0.3 percent compared to August 2008.
The other London airports ...

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) (3 months ago)
Aug 22nd, 2009 at 8:00AM: Hate it? Embrace it! Heathrow Airport has decided to immortalize the plights of their passengers – rather than bury or ignore them. The airport has tapped best-selling author Alain de Botton – whose titles include The Consolations of Philosophy and How Proust Can Change Your Life – to spend a week in Terminal 5 and reveal what really happens in this environment.
He kicked off ...

by Katie Hammel (RSS feed) (3 months ago)
Aug 19th, 2009 at 3:30PM:
Buses and shuttles make up a large portion of an airport's traffic. People need to be shuttled back and forth from parking lots, garages, terminals and rental car lots, and all those vehicles mean congestion and pollution. Heathrow Airport is working on a system that will address both of those issues. The new Personal Transport Pods, or PRTs will run on dedicated tracks and use 50% less energy ...

by Sean McLachlan (RSS feed) (3 months ago)
Jul 29th, 2009 at 1:00PM: British Airways has announced that as of next week it will no longer serve sandwiches on its short-haul flights, the BBC has reported.
The move, which the airline hopes will save £22 million ($36.3 million) a year, will affect all flights after 10am that last less than two-and-a-half hours. Passengers will be served "snacks" instead, most likely meaning a tiny bag of pretzels and a ...

by Scott Carmichael (RSS feed) (5 months ago)
Jun 26th, 2009 at 11:00AM: Of all the airports in the world, Heathrow is probably my favorite to be stranded. The airport itself is nothing special, but thanks to some very efficient public transport, you can be in the heart of London in about 30 minutes if you find yourself on a layover. Shorter (2 hour) layovers As I mentioned - the airport complex is not too impressive, and with the possible exception of some decent ...

by Scott Carmichael (RSS feed) (5 months ago)
Jun 2nd, 2009 at 10:30AM: Has an airline ever lost your bags? Did you arrive abroad, only to discover that your bags were sent in the opposite direction? Quit your whining, things could be worse. Much, much worse. In this lineup of major luggage mishaps, we'll cover everything from luggage left out in the rain to bags burned to a crisp. We'll even throw in an incident involving the tossed ashes of a passengers mother. So, ...

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) (6 months ago)
May 23rd, 2009 at 10:00AM:
Something happened between Melbourne, Australia and London, England. A Lieutenant Commander from Canberra "became rowdy" in the sky and "accosted" another passenger. The details of the encounter were not revealed, but the Sydney Morning Herald reports that it involved a scuffle, landed the sailor in restraints and ended with arrest when the plane touched down at Heathrow Airport.
During the ...

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) (7 months ago)
Apr 6th, 2009 at 1:30PM: It always starts with a drunken model. Always. Cover girl Sarah Hannon was beyond furious when awaking to find her boyfriend, Daniel Melia, engaged in a "sex act" with the woman next to him. It sounds like he had a middle seat and liked it! Hannon fell asleep on a nine-hour flight from Bangalore to London, as anyone would hope to do on such a long flight. Oh, and having bent elbows with boyfriend ...

by Scott Carmichael (RSS feed) (8 months ago)
Mar 10th, 2009 at 2:00PM: The UK has a bit of a history when it comes to airports getting in the way of your vacation plans. London Heathrow airport is where I've spent many a night waiting for air traffic to get back to normal while they attempt to fix whatever was interfering with my plans. Last year was undoubtedly the worst period in the history of UK airport screw ups - the opening of Heathrow Terminal 5 was nothing ...

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) (9 months ago)
Feb 22nd, 2009 at 5:00PM: The members of social network Where Are you Now? have spoken! Heathrow is the worst airport in the world, according to voters, thanks to passport control lines and baggage problems. The Brits don't get all the glory, though. JFK in New York and Los Angeles picked up spots #2 and #3, respectively. The good news, for Heathrow and JFK, at least, is that both were at the top of the list for security. ...

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) (9 months ago)
Feb 18th, 2009 at 2:00PM: If you're having trouble staying awake or just like to party, book your next flight on South African Airways. The UK Border Agency arrested 15 SAA crew members – nine men and six women – at Heathrow Airport. Why are they now guests of the Queen? This crew was caught trying to slip 11 lbs of cocaine into the country. The episode is just another example of poor timing. The drugs are ...

by Jamie Rhein (RSS feed) (10 months ago)
Jan 20th, 2009 at 5:30PM: After three bags filled with 110 pounds of pot -- cannabis to high brow folks -- were found on a flight from Johannesburg to Heathrow after the plane landed, fifteen members of the cabin and crew were arrested.
From the BBC article, it's not clear why all fifteen were arrested, but they are being questioned to find out what they know about how these bags ended up on their South African Airways ...

by Scott Carmichael (RSS feed) (10 months ago)
Jan 20th, 2009 at 2:00PM: Feeling nostalgic? I've compiled ten travel related things that are no longer around, including a couple of things that really brought back some memories of trips from the past. Read through the 10 things I could think of, and leave a comment with anything you no longer see when you travel. Smoking or Non Smoking? With the possible exception of a few smaller airlines, you won't find an airline in ...

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) (10 months ago)
Jan 19th, 2009 at 3:00PM: The worst airport delays in the world, of course, are those that affect you. If I'm stranded at LaGuardia's Marine Air terminal for a short hop to Boston, I really don't care what's going on over at JFK, O'Hare or anywhere else. However, some airports are more likely to inspire your anger than others, so it's a pretty good idea to know which are the worst. If you are headed to India or Europe, it ...

by Scott Carmichael (RSS feed) (10 months ago)
Jan 15th, 2009 at 2:00PM: London Heathrow airport is in desperate need of a third runway. Despite being one of the busiest airports in the world, all 481,000 yearly aircraft movements take place on just 2 runways. Anyone who has arrived or departed from Heathrow has probably spent a decent chunk of time waiting in line for a take off slot, or received a complimentary 45 minute sightseeing trip making circles over London ...
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