Airport News Blog

The 2012 Games commence in six months’ time and details of a specially designed terminal to deal with the thousands of athletes expected to pass through Heathrow Airport have been unveiled.

The airport’s owners BAA has drawn up plans for an Olympics terminal in order to cope with the 10,100 competitors expected to arrive in London prior to the start of the sporting extravaganza, which gets under way on July 27.

August 13, the day after the closing ceremony, is widely expected to be the busiest in Heathrow’s history, which has prompted BAA to introduce a number of measures to ensure that things run smoothly. It is estimated that the number of bags handled on this day will be 35% higher than usual.

BAA plans to offer check-in and baggage collection services at the Olympic and Paralympic Village and will train 1,000 volunteers to welcome those people arriving for the Games.

Nick Cole, head of Olympic and Paralympic planning at Heathrow, said the Games will represent a “unique operational task” and a “massive challenge”.

Meanwhile, Qatar Airways passengers who want to avoid the Olympics frenzy might want to escape to its new lounge for first and business-class passengers in Terminal 4.

The lounge offers five-star service, including refreshments, entertainment and free WiFi.

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More and more people are opting for adventure holidays in far-flung destinations, experts have suggested.

Industry figures show that more than 400,000 people jet off on high octane holidays every year, from trekking on the Inca trail to living alongside locals in Madagascar.

It’s not just young people on gap years who are opting for such expeditions either, with agents reporting plenty of demand from older travellers looking for life-changing experiences. To this end, Audley Travel has launched a new magazine offering experiences in remote parts of Australia and Burma among other exotic destinations.

Recent years have seen big travel firms set up dedicated arms for adventure holidays, as growing numbers of holidaymakers opt for thrill-seeking breaks that will be as demanding as they are relaxing. However, such travellers will want to ensure their airport transfers from airports such as Heathrow and Stansted are arranged to ensure their weary bodies can make it home with the minimum of fuss.

Wild Frontiers Adventure Travel head of sales Natalie Morris said: “We run groups of 12 people – often for people who hate the idea of joining groups. They haven’t got the time to tackle these difficult journeys by themselves.”

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Celebrations are beginning for the Chinese New Year, with many people around the world looking to jet off from the most convenient airport to join family and friends.

The celebrations, which begin with the Year of the Dragon breathing fire into the Chinese New Year and run until February 6, mark the most lengthy and the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays.

The festival, which starts on the first day of the first month in the Chinese calendar and ends on the date of the full moon, is recognised by Asian populations around the world in countries including Singapore and Thailand.

It’s the sign for buying presents, clothes, food and decorations covering themes such as wealth, happiness and good fortune, and travelling to the best spot to celebrate, often by bus or coach.

Various zodiac animal signs represent different years, with the most familiar image in Chinese culture being the dragon representing power, strength and good luck. Dragons are considered to have auspicious power looked on as positive, in contrast to Europe where dragons are looked on as evil.

And in Chinese tradition, people born in the Dragon years often reach the top of their chosen profession, tending to be brave, innovative and highly driven.

Former US president Bill Clinton, film star Reese Witherspoon and artist Salvador Dali are among the famous born in Dragon years.

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If you like the idea of visiting Greece and Turkey but find yourself swerving them in summer because of the temperature, why not opt for a winter break in one of the destinations instead?

The call comes after strong winds brought temperatures crashing down in both the south-east Europe countries recently.

Temperatures in parts of Greece fell to as low as -21C on Tuesday and Wednesday, suggesting that while you should arrange airport transfers for flights to the country, you can forget about the sun cream for now. Florina, which sits in a part of northern Greece known for its rugged terrain, saw mercury plummet sharply.

The Aegean island of Limnos throngs with tourists in the July and August period, however on Monday its sandy beaches were covered with a dusting of snow. People on city breaks in Istanbul also saw snowfall.

On the other hand, if you’re a sun-seeker there are still plenty of options available. South Africa is currently midway through its summer and temperatures are soaring.

For instance, people enjoying winter sun breaks in Vredendal in the Western Cape saw temperatures soar to a high of 45.4C. It was nearly as hot on the coast too, with 39C recorded at Table Bay in Cape Town.

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This winter’s quiet skiing holiday season in Europe seems to have been given a new lease of life thanks to recent huge snowfalls across the continent.

Just two weeks ago travel companies had almost halved their prices for some package deals because of the hitherto mild winter.

But large volumes of snow falling across the Alps may well indicate the rescue that many tour operators have been waiting for, and is likely to also increase business for airport transfer firms.

Crystal Ski’s Marion Telsnig said: “If your lifestyle lets you drop everything to head for the slopes, it’s the perfect scenario now.

“Prices have fallen because of weak demand in January, so you can get last-minute seven-night breaks in Arinsal, Andorra from £129; Cervinia, Italy from £196 (B&B) and Ruka, Finland from £190 (self-catering).

Travelsupermarket’s Bob Atkinson said: “For weeks, the big grumble was: Not enough snow – full stop.

“In many households, dropping the ski holiday seemed an obvious and easy economy to make.

“Now many resorts have enough snow to last the season, with Ischgl in Austria cut off at times by a freak 5ft snowfall in four days.

“While big operators have cut capacity significantly, the accommodation is still there and so are cheap flights.

“On living costs, the big downside is Switzerland: astronomically expensive for lift passes, meals out, and bars. France, Italy and Austria are more realistic as the pound edges towards 1.20 euro.

“Half-term is showing some ridiculous prices but there is decent value available on either side of that.”

The popularity of cruise holidays – which have been thrown sharply into the media spotlight due to the Italian shipping disaster – has trebled in the last 15 years.

Back in 1997, the number of people from the UK embarking on ocean and river holidays was about 522,000, according to the UK’s Passenger Shipping Association (PSA).

However, with an increase in the popularity, more and more people are flying from airports such as Gatwick, Luton or Stansted to join cruises all around the world; the PSA has predicted 1.73 million Britons will enjoy cruise holidays this year.

As well as trebling the 1997 figure, the 2012 tally is expected to be about 1% up on the previous year, which was in itself 6% higher than the total for 2010.

The fact that no UK companies are expected to take delivery of new ships in the coming years has been blamed for the slowing-down of growth in the industry. The Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth have all been added by Cunard to its fleet in recent years after it sold the QE2.

Another factor behind the rise of cruise ship holiday popularity is a change in the market for most companies. The average age of passengers is coming down and seems to be moving away from the elderly and rich.

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Many happy holiday anecdotes seem to begin with a morale-boosting upgrade.

Everyone seems to have a friend who has blagged their way into first class or fluked a luxurious place to stay.

Yet a new survey has revealed that only 24% have moved to a better class of flight or accommodation.

And 9% admitted to researchers that they either lied or flirted their way to secure a better deal.

More than three out of four travellers have never enjoyed an upgrade on their aircraft seat or hotel room, according to the poll by lastminute.

Top fibs by the upwardly mobile include falsely claiming a special occasion or making a fictitious complaint.

Some admitted lying about being on honeymoon or having recently got engaged. Others said they pretended to be pregnant or arrived at airport check-in with a fake injury.

Crafty tricks revealed by researchers included appearing embarrassed, cross, nervous or frightened to win sympathy.

While most Britons have had better luck with hotel upgrades than aircraft ones, Londoners have proved best in securing better travelling conditions.

Lastminute spokeswoman Eva Bojtos said it is impressive that so many make the most of the opportunities out there – “whether they are bagging top hotel suites or better seats on a flight”.

“However, the vast majority are still missing out – a significant 76%,” she added.

Holidaymakers could soon have another reason to book flights to Ireland after tourism bosses announced plans for a new scenic road trip route.

The drive will stretch from Donegal’s dizzying Slieve League sea cliffs to the wilds of west Cork, taking in remote Mayo and Achill Island, Connemara and the Burren.

Organisers have not yet settled on a defined route – but it is likely to be made up of existing highways along the Atlantic coast linked together.

The ‘Wild Atlantic Drive’ is expected to attract drivers from across the world, particularly the US and Europe.

Tourism chiefs hope it could become Ireland’s answer to iconic routes such as the Pacific Coast Highway in California or Australia’s Great Ocean Road.

And with flights to the Emerald Isle available from London airports including Stansted and Luton, thrill-seeking motorists from the UK will have plenty of opportunities to experience the coastline that was once believed to be the “end of the world”.

Alex Connolly from tourism group Failte Ireland said the drive could be sold as a two-week holiday.

But shorter trips, taking in only parts of the route, will also be available for those with a busy lifestyle.

Mr Connolly said: “We’ll be pitching this at people who want to come over and have an authentic experience and enjoy not only Irish landscapes, but also the company of Irish people.

“It will be for people who are looking for that rugged, authentic Irish experience, the Ireland that at one stage – before the discovery of America – was considered the end of the world, but still has that remoteness and beauty about it.”

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People who want to escape the miserable UK winter weather without breaking the bank might want to consider holidays to Spain or Sri Lanka, Post Office Travel Money suggests.

It discovered that holiday spending money went further in these countries, with a basket of holiday items costing less than £28 in Sri Lanka and £38 in Costa del Sol. The same items cost as much as £113 in Barbados and £115.69 in Brisbane.

Holidaymakers could make further savings by taking the bus to the airport, which would ensure that they do not have to fork out for for long-stay parking for the duration of their trip.

Spain and Sri Lanka were not the only destinations where a holidaymaker’s money went that little bit further. It cost just £39.57 to buy the eight items in Prague, while they would set a holidaymaker back £39.65 in Bulgaria, £44.03 in Cancun, Mexico, and £45.57 in Budapest.

At the other end of the spectrum, the items would cost £113.03 in Singapore, £108.29 in Auckland and £108.07 in Costa Rica.

Post Office Travel Money went on to reveal that these items were 40% cheaper on the Costa del Sol than they had been five years ago, which is partially to do with the fact that sterling has strengthened against many major currencies over the last 12 months.

However, Cyprus was the only eurozone destination where prices have fallen despite the fact that the pound has strengthened against the euro of late. Turkey, meanwhile, is now 60% more expensive than Spain despite traditionally being one of the cheapest holiday destinations in Europe.

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Passenger levels at the UK’s six BBA-operated airports rose by 4.4% in 2011, with Heathrow leading the way with its best-ever year.

The west London airport put a difficult 2010 behind it to post a 5.5% rise in passenger numbers in 2011, as nearly 69.4 million people passed through its doors.

After adjusting for unforeseen events such as the adverse winter weather of December 2010, the British Airways strikes and the Icelandic volcanic ash, BAA revealed that the underlying increase was 0.9%.

December was a particularly busy period for Heathrow Airport, handling a record number of travellers at nearly 5.52 million. It handled a record 476,197 flights, which is just under its annual limit of 480,000.

BAA has complained that capacity restrictions at Heathrow is preventing the UK economy from growing further, and it is frustrated by the Government’s decision not to commission a third runway at the airport.

BAA chief executive Colin Matthews said: “As the UK’s only international hub airport, Heathrow is central to developing our trade links with fast-growing emerging markets. Capacity constraints are damaging the UK economy today when the country can least afford it.

“A new hub airport has been proposed in south-east England, but this has a projected cost of £50 billion and may take decades to build. During this time we would be handing over on a plate the UK’s historic trade advantages to our European competitors.”

Copyright © Press Association 2012