Heathrow Airport busier than ever

If you went through Heathrow Airport over the summer holidays you probably noticed it was pretty busy. 

London's main aviation hub has notched new passenger traffic records and is on track for its busiest-ever summer, news portal Travel Mole reports. 

Heathrow set a new monthly record, with nearly eight million people flying in and out in August.

This included its busiest day with 269,000 passengers on August 18.

This puts Heathrow on track to handle 30 million passengers between June and September, which would be the busiest summer period in the airport’s history.

“For the past four months, we have broken several new records, demonstrating our ability to open a world of opportunity for more people, cargo, business and the UK economy,” said keen spinner Heathrow CEO Thomas Woldbye.

The airport says Spain, Greece, Italy and Turkey have been the top holiday destinations this summer.

The Taylor Swift shows also brought in an extra 40,000 passengers, the airport said.

Another British Airways flight goes nowhere

British Airways is nothing if not consistent.

For the second month running BA passengers have spent hours in the air before being deposited back where they started from.

The latest hours-long ‘flight to nowhere’ was caused by an in-flight "technical issue", Travel Mole reports.

Flight BA31 was en route from London Heathrow to Hong Kong earlier this week before turning around and heading back to Heathrow, where it landed safely.

The flight had got as far as flying over Turkmenistan when the pilot made a U-turn. Overall the flight was in the air for 11 hours.

“The flight returned to London Heathrow as a precaution due to a minor technical issue,” the airline said.

“It landed safely and customers disembarked as normal. We’ve apologised for the disruption to their journey.” An apology! How generous of them.

This latest stuff up followed last month's BA 8,000km flight to nowhere over the Atlantic.

The Heathrow flight bound for Houston turned around near the US-Canada border after a technical fault. It also returned to home base.

The 9 1/2-hour flight to nowhere

Imagine being on a plane for over nine hours and going nowhere.

Passengers on board a British Airways flight from Heathrow ended up back at their departure point this week after a nine-hour plus ‘flight to nowhere’, Travel Mole reported.

The Houston-bound flight had reached North America but then turned around and returned to London Heathrow due to a “minor technical issue”. It flew 7,779km.

The Boeing Dreamliner jet had just crossed the Canada-US border when the pilots were alerted to the issue.

It was apparently not serious enough to warrant an emergency diversion so the plane returned to the UK.

The flight to nowhere was in the air nine and a half hours, crossing the Atlantic Ocean twice.

BA hasn’t disclosed what the technical glitch was but the plane landed without incident at back at Heathrow.

“The flight returned to London Heathrow as a precaution due to a minor technical issue. It landed safely and customers disembarked as normal,” BA said in a statement.

“We’ve apologised to our customers for the disruption to their journey.” 

I’d be wanting a whole lot more than an apology. What a nightmare scenario.

Passengers were all re-booked onto alternative flights to Houston. Hotels and information on how to claim for any additional expenses, were also provided.

Airline boss slams "outdated" Heathrow

The head of one of the world's leading airlines has unloaded on London's Heathrow Airport, saying it is not fit for purpose.

Emirates Airlines chief Sir Tim Clarke described Britain's busiest airport as a “Second World War” era facility, industry portal Travel Mole reports.

Heathrow opened just after the end of the war in 1946 and Clark says Terminal 3, where Emirates is based, is looking outdated and showing its age.

It "looks like a utilitarian structure, post-Second World War" he said at the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA’s) annual meeting in Dubai.

He said any new owner of Heathrow must be prepared to invest.

Heathrow is "seriously lagging behind" airports in the Middle East and Asia for customer service innovations, he added.

“New airports are built employing the latest tech to streamline their processes, whether it be security, check in, immigration or whatever.

“I’m hoping that the new owners will get that but airports worldwide are not famous for spending money.”

New technology aims to help airport users

Ever rushed through an unfamiliar airport trying to find your gate?

New technology may help hapless travellers who get lost in airports.

British Airways announced this week that it is trialling a new digital wayfinding tool to speed up passenger flows through London Heathrow.

The new tech offers maps of both London Heathrow Terminal 5 and Terminal 3, helping customers to quickly locate their departure gate, Travel Mole reports.

It also gives passengers instructions on how to find shops, lounges and restaurants. So money is the real motivation.

But the new wayfinding tool also allows customers to save time and reduce the chance of missing a flight.

Through an interactive map, customers can click on areas including shops and view information about their exact location, opening times, and a description on items on sale.

It also shows bathrooms, seating areas and information points.

Customers connecting between flights, can input their inbound and connecting flight details to be given step-by-step instructions to their designated gate.

The trial is available to all customers travelling through London Heathrow, and they can access the tool through QR codes on digital screens.

As part of the trial, links to wayfinding have also been sent to all customers travelling into London Heathrow and connecting from destinations including New York JFK, Dubai, Mexico City and Houston.

Calum Laming, BA's Chief Commercial Officer, said: “The interactive map is simple to use, allowing our customers to easily locate their departure gates.”

Are the lights of Cincinnati calling you?

I know next to nothing about Cincinnati.

OK. I remember the TV show WKRP in Cincinnati, and I've heard of the Cincinnati Bengals football team. And, of course, there was that Scott Walker song.

The name is hard to spell and the city is in Ohio.

Wikipedia tells me it is on the border of Kentucky and with 2.26 million people it is the 30th largest city in the US.

Oh, and it is the latest US destination for British Airways.

Flights from London Heathrow to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport will run five times weekly during the summer and four times a week during winter.

The reason is, I suspect, not because Cincinnati is a tourism magnet, but because the Cincinnati metropolitan area extends across south-western Ohio, northern Kentucky and into south-eastern Indiana.

That means a catchment area of more than 11 million people within 200km of the airport. Which is a whole lot of Americans who might want to visit Europe.

“When we look at the Cincinnati region, we see a vibrant part of the US with a great mix of business and leisure travellers,” Neil Chernoff, director of networks and alliances for BA told Travel Mole.

For Cincinnati region customers, BA offers connections via Heathrow to nearly 200 destinations in 65 countries.

Candace McGraw, CEO, CVG Airport, said: “This Cincinnati flight route offers tremendous growth opportunities for business travel, economic development, and tourism between the UK and our region.”

Cincinnati flights will be flown on Boeing 777 and Boeing 787 aircraft. 

I'm sure it is very nice place - but I'm afraid it is not on my bucket list. 

And not even the local bacon and maple donuts are going to convince me.  

More Heathrow chaos predicted in time for coronation

I personally have zero interest in the coronation of a rather dweebish king.

I just think he and his equally unappealing consort should pay for their own ghastly extravaganza and not expect struggling British taxpayers to foot the bill.

If you are heading for the Charles and Camilla show, however, you might want to make sure you get to London in plenty of time.

Because, as certain as the fact that night follows day, there is talk of another transport strike.

Travel Mole reports that more "Inevitable disruption and delays" are expected at Heathrow Airport next month as 1,400 security officers plan yet another an airport strike.

The industrial action is likely cause some disruption for travellers arriving for the ghastly event.

Security guards also took part in a 10-day airports strike over Easter.

“This dispute is bound to escalate with more workers being balloted and disruption set to continue throughout the summer,” said Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham.

The last strike involved the security officers based at Terminal 5.

Heathrow is acting all defiant.

“We will not let Unite disrupt the flow of visitors to the UK during such an important period for the country,” it said in a statement.

Airport management says it has offered a 10% pay increase plus a lump sum.

The strike could overlap with more industrial action at Passport Office locations.

Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union members plan strikes from May 2-6.

Strikes threaten Heathrow Airport operations over Easter

Something is rotten in the state of Brexit.

Following on the heels of a threatened strike at several passport offices, industrial action at Heathrow Airport is being planned for the Easter holiday period.

Travel Mole reports that security officers at the airport's Terminal 5 will strike over Easter as part of a pay dispute.

Union Unite said over 1,400 workers will strike for 10 days starting from March 31.

“Our members are simply unable to make ends meet due to the low wages paid by Heathrow,” Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said.

"They are being forced to take strike action due to need, not greed.

“Unite has a laser-like focus on prioritising the jobs, pay and conditions of its members and HAL needs to be in no doubt that the workers at the airport will receive the union’s unstinting support.”

Heathrow management says it has plans to mitigate any disruption

“Passengers can be reassured that we have contingency plans which will keep the airport open and operational,” it said in a statement.

The airport says it has offered a 10% increase in pay.

The airport strike follows news that 1,000 passport office workers are due to strike throughout April.

The PCS union said this strike action will likely to have a "significant impact" on new passport deliveries.

Yet another issue at troubled Heathrow Airport

 

Barely a week goes by without some report of issues at London's Heathrow Airport.

The latest is that ground workers at Heathrow have started a three-day strike over a pay dispute.

The Unite union, which represents the workers, says the strike involves 350 workers employed by sub-contractor Menzies.

Unite says it could disrupt flights departing terminals 2, 3 and 4.

Flights operated by Air Canada, American Airlines, Lufthansa, Swiss Air, Air Portugal, Austrian Airlines, Qantas, Egypt Air, Aer Lingus and Finnair are most at risk.

The walk-out is over a "derisory" pay offer by Menzies which is effectively a "real terms pay cut," Travel Mole reported Unite as saying.

“They had every opportunity to make a fair pay offer, but have chosen not to do so,” Unite regional officer Kevin Hall said.

Heathrow Airport said in a statement that it is "in discussions with airline partners on what contingency plans they can implement".

A separate dispute involving Menzies and dnata ground staff was resolved meaning flights taking football fans to the World Cup in Qatar will not be affected.

Heathrow strike threat could disrupt World Cup plans

So far this year dysfunctional Heathrow Airport has endured a summer of cancelled flights, long lines and delays, a plague of lost luggage issues and the imposition of a daily passenger limit. 

Now a threat to strike by several hundred Heathrow workers could disrupt travel for fans the run-up to the World Cup finals in Qatar laster this month.

The Unite union said 700 workers employed by Dnata and Menzies at Heathrow are involved in pay disputes and considering strikes for three days starting from November 18, Travel Mole reported. 

“It will lead to disruption, cancellations and delays at Heathrow," Unite said.

“The strike action will particularly affect Qatar Airways, which has scheduled an additional 10 flights a week during the World Cup.”

Other airlines that could be impacted including Virgin Atlantic, Cathay-Pacific and Emirates.

Unite said Dnata had offered a 5% increase, and Menzies between 2% and 6%, which the union calls 'real pay cuts'.

“Strike action will inevitably cause disruption to flights at Heathrow, with travellers to the World Cup particularly affected,” Unite regional officer Kevin Hall said.

The workers threatening strike action are involved in ground handling, airside transport and cargo. 

Football fans could face the prospect of missing England’s first game, a group match against Iran on November 21 as well as other matches. 

Heathrow could face Christmas crisis

There are few places on the planet right now as chronically dysfunctional as Britain.

And if you are planning a trip to the UK over Christmas, it might be best to avoid perennial problem child Heathrow Airport.

Today's news is that festive season flights in and out of Heathrow could be at risk for some Christmas holidaymakers, Travel Mole reports.

The airport is reportedly in discussions with airlines to restart a cap on passenger numbers over Christmas.

Airport bosses want to avoid this northern summer’s travel chaos and could cap flight numbers on the busiest days during the festive period.

The current passenger cap is set to end later this month.

The airport reportedly proposed "a seat factor limit" during the busiest days

Carriers including British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are considering the proposal.

“This will have a significant impact on consumer choice and airline finances,” according to one person involved in the talks, the Daily Telegraph reports.

This week Heathrow, never short of an excuse, said new Covid fears and the escalating conflict in Ukraine is impacting demand, but predicted Christmas will be very busy.

“We are removing the limit in effect during the summer and are discussing with airlines some more targeted options to proactively manage peak winter days if needed,” it said in a statement.

The lowest of the low fake the need to use airport wheelchairs

Anyone who flies regularly is probably frustrated by the long lines at airports.

But some flyers are taking extreme measures to beat the queues - including faking medical conditions to demand wheelchairs and be taken to head of the line for boarding.

Heathrow Airport boss John Holland-Kay has called out the fakers, telling LBC some passengers are claiming they have trouble walking and need wheelchair assistance.

He says requests for wheelchair support have risen, Travel Mole reports.

“Why is that happening? Some of this is because people are using the wheelchair support to try to get fast-tracked through the airport,” he said.

“If you go on TikTok you’ll see that that is one of the travel hacks that people are recommending. Please don’t do that.”

Last month a video was posted on TikTok of a user faking an injured ankle.

Holland-Kaye urged people who "really need the service" to inform Heathrow well in advance.

The airport capped its daily passenger numbers at 100,000 to relieve pressure on staffing.