Dec 1st, 2011 at 7:00AM:
It wasn't the Heathrow shut-down of the decade, that's for sure.
As widely reported, there was a public sector strike yesterday in the United Kingdom. The biggest fear within the travel industry and media was that London's Heathrow Airport would go into heavy-delay meltdown, but the anticipated chaos never materialized. In the Guardian, Robert Booth and Alan Travis reported yesterday that ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Heathrow posts
Heathrow: The shut-down that wasn't
Dec 1st, 2011 at 7:00AM:
It wasn't the Heathrow shut-down of the decade, that's for sure.
As widely reported, there was a public sector strike yesterday in the United Kingdom. The biggest fear within the travel industry and media was that London's Heathrow Airport would go into heavy-delay meltdown, but the anticipated chaos never materialized. In the Guardian, Robert Booth and Alan Travis reported yesterday that ...Knocked up abroad: flying with a baby
Oct 31st, 2011 at 10:00AM: This is the second in the Knocked Up Abroad series on travel with a baby. Read more here about planning a trip with baby, from choosing a baby-friendly destination to booking an apartment rental.
Before traveling with my baby for the first time, I was very nervous and apprehensive. Not about the baby, but about the other passengers. I've flown many times and know full well of The Look that ...SAS Stewardess suffers spinal cord injury after turbulent flight
Mar 10th, 2011 at 12:45PM: When the captain says "fasten your seat belts," please listen. News is just emerging that a SAS Scandinavian Airlines stewardess suffered spinal cord injuries from an incident involving turbulence last August.
As reported by the BBC, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) report said the stewardess had been in a crew seat, unrestrained, and was making a passenger announcement when ...Heathrow CEO kisses bonus goodbye
Dec 23rd, 2010 at 3:00PM: The backups and mayhem at Heathrow, the largest airport in Britain, have come with a very personal price tag. With thousands of flights cancelled and crowds of disgruntled passengers forming, it only makes sense that there would be some consequences. So, while passengers look for ways to get to their ultimate destinations this holiday season, there will be a little less under the tree in one ...Europe flights still delayed as airports try to catch up
Dec 22nd, 2010 at 8:15AM: Thousands of travelers in Europe still don't know if they'll be home for Christmas as airports struggle to deal with a huge backlog of flights. Unusually heavy snowfall in Northern Europe led to cancellations in several countries. London's Heathrow airport was hardest hit. BBC reports that the UK Army offered to help, but Heathrow refused.
The world's busiest airport is only running at 30 ...Concorde supersonic jet to find new home in London
Oct 13th, 2010 at 1:30PM: Seven years after the final Concorde flight, one of the 11 remaining supersonic passenger jets may find a new home on London's South Bank, next to the London Eye. RHWL Architects, whose past projects include the British Airways headquarters and the Four Seasons Canary Wharf, are rumored to have planned a $35 million dollar double-decker display with a river boat landing underneath the plane.
...European flights grounded due to Icelandic volcano
Apr 15th, 2010 at 7:30AM: The massive eruption of a volcano in Iceland may be turning into a local tourist attraction, but it's seriously hurting the travel industry. Ash from the volcano is heading for the skies over the UK and Scandinavia and has caused most flights in the UK to be grounded.
The thick, gritty ash can damage engines, causing them to jam, so all airports in Scotland are closed, as are numerous airports ...Stress gets to Susan Boyle at Heathrow
Jan 15th, 2010 at 5:00PM: With all the regulation shifts, evacuations and the recent terror attempt on Christmas Day, it's a stressful time to fly.
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Stress affects all of us; passengers, airport staff, pilots and yes, even superstars. Perhaps it was stress that got to Britain's Got Talent prodigy ...Worst travel mistakes of the 2000's : Locked in the lounge
Dec 28th, 2009 at 10:00AM: As we look back at the past ten years, and prepare ourselves for the next ten, lets take a moment to remember the dumbest mistake we ever made when traveling. For the coming week, we'll entertain you with embarrassing stories of our dumbest travel mistakes, all for the sole purpose of your entertainment.
For me, the dumbest thing I did in the past ten years was fall asleep in the airport ...Inside Virgin Atlantic's Upper Class clubhouse
Dec 15th, 2009 at 11:00AM:
Any traveler who has come within a stone's throw of a major American airport has heard of the Virgin airlines. Among other brands, they've got Virgin America operating service between a handfull of fortunate, domestic cites, V Australia bouncing between Los Angeles and Australia and the granddaddy, Virgin Atlantic, serving the United Kingdom and beyond.
Throughout the years, the airline has ...Survey shows best airports for making your (love) connection
Dec 11th, 2009 at 11:00AM: If you think about it, all of the stars are aligned at an airport.
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Get a group of people together with a) a common interest in travel, b) extra time on their hands, and c) good ol' human chemistry, and you've got a petri dish with love connections in ...Heathrow invites you to kiss under the world's largest mistletoe
Dec 6th, 2009 at 11:00AM: Remember that scene from the movie "Love Actually" that takes place in Heathrow Airport? The one where everyone is arriving and being greeted with big hugs and happy kisses from their loved ones? That may be what Heathrow really looks like now that the airport has hung the world's largest mistletoe.
The 10X8 structure, which weighs 43kg, will hang in Terminal 5 through December (and according ...
Cockpit Chronicles: Come along and enjoy the view
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.
digg_url = ...Drunk pilot arrested in London
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 ...
Plan your airport layover with T+L's Airport Navigator
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 ...British Airways flight greeted by hazmat team after 6 passengers faint
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 ...Survey ranks Heathrow, Charles de Gaulle and Los Angeles worst airports in the world
Oct 24th, 2009 at 12:00PM:
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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 ...Heathrow up, other UK airports see traffic fall
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 ...Heathrow hires author to write about Heathrow
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 ...Heathrow unveils driverless personal transport pods
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 ...
