LCY/LGW/LHR/LTN/SEN/STN | London Area Airports

[PortoNuts]

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[krnboy1009]

Love the documentaries. Are more coming?

[PortoNuts]

These 2 left:





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[PortoNuts]

Virgin Atlantic to offer direct flights between Vancouver and London

Virgin Atlantic is entering the Canadian market next summer with scheduled non-stop direct flights between London’s Heathrow Airport and Vancouver.

The new service, which will run four times a week from May 24th to Oct. 25th, is expected to give a $54-million boost to Vancouver’s tourism revenue annually and may also be expanded to an all-year service at a future date.

Vancouver will be the only Canadian destination for the U.K.-based airline, which offered a brief service to Toronto over a decade ago. However, that was cancelled following the 9/11 terrorist attack in the U.S. “We’ll start with four [flights a week] and see how it builds up,” Steve Ridgway, CEO Virgin Atlantic Airways, said in an interview Friday. “We’re always looking for opportunities to grow [and] we want a market with a strong business component and a strong leisure component.”

Ridgway said that Vancouver is a market Virgin has eyed for years, and that it’s an attractive destination for U.K. travellers. “[It] will be seasonal, but we’d like to make it year-round.”

Ridgway noted that the U.K. has strong historical links and that is the largest overseas market to B.C. “We’re also looking to persuade Canadian business travellers going to London.”

According to Virgin, the new service will use the Airbus A340-300 and increase capacity from Heathrow Airport in London to Vancouver by around 10 per cent, while generating $54 million in tourism revenue for Vancouver each year. It also said that the U.K. is the fourth largest immigrant base in Vancouver and flights will be on sale starting Dec. 1.

Ridgway said Virgin will do well against its main competition, British Airways and Air Canada. “We have a big following in the U.K. and lots of repeat customers.”

He noted that the timing is right, with London hosting the summer Olympics next year and Queen Elizabeth’s diamond jubilee will also be celebrated.

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http://www.vancouversun.com/business...692/story.html

[PortoNuts]

Italian job for Luton’s flyers

Holiday-makers will be able to enjoy the benefits of Monarch Airline’s ‘Italian Job’ when a new route from Luton to Rome is launched in March. The new route is part of Monarch’s significant expansion into the Mediterranean during summer 2012.

From March 2012, Monarch will operate three flights a week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays from Luton to the Italian capital.

Managing director of Monarch, Kevin George said: “The strategy for Monarch Airlines is now firmly focused on its scheduled operations and we are delighted to be adding Rome to our already extensive network of leisure destinations across Europe from London Luton.

“Italy has been much requested by our customers over the past few years and it is great that we are now able to start our expansion into this beautiful country from our home base at Luton.”

Monarch’s plans also include expanding its network to 14 routes to Italy, Coratia and Greece, with two additional Airbus A320 aircraft being added to Monarch’s fleet from May 2012.

Simon Harley, Luton Airport’s business development manager said: “We are delighted with Monarch’s exciting announcement to start this new scheduled service to Rome. It is a welcome addition to the expanding route network at London Luton and will no doubt be a firm favourite with passengers. Rome is a must-see city and a great getaway to the delights of Italy.”

Flights are on sale now, with fares available from £38.99 one way and £65.50 return, inclusive of all taxes at charges at www.monarch.co.uk.

http://www.leightonbuzzardonline.co....yers_1_3218461

[PortoNuts]

Heathrow remains major global hub, says report

The importance of Heathrow as a major international airport was emphasised today by a passenger survey from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). It showed that in 2010 as many as 58% of passengers using Heathrow were foreign residents.

Four years ago - in 2007 - the proportion of overseas passengers at the west London airport was 55% and has grown each year since. Last year, 36% of passengers using Heathrow were connecting passengers - a decrease on the 2009 figure of 38% but higher than the 2008 figure of 35% and also higher than the 2007 figure of 34%.

The Government has ruled out a third runway at Heathrow - a policy that has been called into question by airlines and Heathrow operator BAA. Those pressing for Heathrow expansion argue that the west London airport is an important international hub and that Britain will lose out economically to European rivals if an already-busy Heathrow is not allowed to grow.

The CAA figures were based on responses from more than 200,000 departing air passengers about their travel patterns in 2010 at five London airports - Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and London City - and seven regional airports - Birmingham, Doncaster, Humberside, Leeds Bradford, Liverpool, Manchester and East Midlands.

A total of 51% of the passengers at London City airport were foreign residents. In contrast to Heathrow, fewer than 1% of passengers at Doncaster, East Midlands, Humberside and Leeds Bradford airports were changing planes.

London City was the most business-centric airport in the study, with 63% of its passengers travelling for business purposes, returning almost to the airport's pre-recession 2006 level and representing a 7% improvement on 2009. The next highest were Humberside with 32% and Heathrow with 30%, while the airports with the highest proportion of leisure passengers were Doncaster with 97% and East Midlands with 92%.

Passenger income in general continued to grow when measured at those airports surveyed in 2008, 2009 and 2010. For instance at Heathrow, the average leisure passenger's household income increased by £2,000 to £60,000 and at Manchester the average business traveller's income rose from £65,000 to £68,000.

Average leisure passenger household income dropped slightly at both Gatwick and Luton airports. Travellers from Heathrow took a higher proportion of trips over two weeks in length than anywhere else, at 23%. In contrast, London City had the lowest proportion at only 2%.

Outside London, the highest proportion of trips over two weeks was recorded at Humberside, with 18%. The lowest was at East Midlands at 6%.

CAA regulatory policy director Iain Osborne said: "We survey people using UK airports to make sure that we understand how and why people travel by air to make sure that our regulation is tailored to their needs.

"This year's results will inform our response to the Government's work to develop an aviation policy framework - with information about how passengers use the country's major airports particularly relevant to Government."

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/...t-6259886.html

[krnboy1009]

Rumor is that Korean Air will leave Gatwick immediately as the spots they want at Heathrow opens up.

[PortoNuts]

Fast-fashion brand Zara lands at London Heathrow Airport

Fast-fashion brand Zara has opened a boutique at London Heathrow Airport – the first Zara shop to open at a UK airport.

The 2,830sq ft store in Terminal 3, which began trading this week, is also one of the first stores in the UK which will receive the Spanish retailer’s new global design concept which was recently unveiled at London shopping centre Westfield Stratford.

Zara will offer lines from its premium women’s collection, Zara Studio, as well as a wide-range of accessories such as bags and shoes. Since its first store in 1975 in Spain, Zara has over 1,700 stores in 78 countries. New garments land in stores twice weekly.

“We’re thrilled to have Zara at Heathrow," said Heathrow Retail Concessions Director Muriel Zingraff-Shariff. "It is such a popular retailer, not only in the UK but around the world, so we’re confident it will be a welcome addition to the brands we already house at Terminal 3.”

She continued: “Heathrow works hard to understand what passengers passing through want and it’s because of this the airport is able determine the retail mix at each terminal. With the introduction of Zara, Heathrow will give passengers the high-quality retail offering they want but at accessible prices because value for money forms an integral part of the airport’s retail proposition.”

Zara is the latest retailer to open up at the Terminal 3, joining brands such as Paul Smith, Miu Miu, Mulberry, Harrods, Ralph Lauren, Hermès and Kurt Geiger.

http://www.moodiereport.com/document...0&doc_id=29143

[PortoNuts]

Pegasus launches double daily London flights

Pegasus Airlines has launched double daily flights between London and Istanbul. The four additional flights will operate from Stansted to Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen from 25 March to 27 October 2012, with onward connections available across Turkey, North Cyprus and other destinations such as Beirut.

The announcement follows a strong first half of the year for the airline, which has seen its passenger numbers increase 58.2% during January and June compared to last year. Its passenger rise reflects the growing popularity of Turkey as a holiday destination.

“London is a very important route for us, and one to which we are strongly committed to, investing in the route since the launch of our flights to the UK in 2007, and will continue to do so far into the future,” said Sertac Haybat, CEO of Pegasus Airlines.

The carrier is also extending its network into the Baltic, Balkans and Middle East with new destinations including Bucharest, Donetsk and Erbil.

http://www.traveldaily.co.uk/AsiaPac...?Section=23866

[PortoNuts]

Foster adds weight to island airport plan

The skies over Surrey’s stockbroker belt may well be cleaner and greener because of the decision to deny Heathrow its third runway. Other fallout continues, however, as business and business travellers take stock of what it will mean, and not just for London.

Entering the debate in epic style with a £50bn plan for a new four-runway hub airport (which connects a big port of entry with local destinations) in the Thames Estuary is architect Lord Norman Foster. He argues that Britain must invest in such a scheme if it wants to compete on the world stage.

The airline industry may feel politicians have failed to understand hubbing, but this cannot be said about Lord Foster, who is unequivocal about the need to overhaul the country’s transport system.His plan is for an airport built partly on reclaimed land that will be served by rail with high-speed connections to London, the north of England and mainland Europe.

Located on the Hoo peninsula on the Isle of Grain, it would be designed to handle 150m passengers a year, and it could restore Britain’s position as the top aviation hub by forging new air links with China, Brazil and other markets.
When the plan for Heathrow’s third runway was turned down, worries over future trade links were being voiced throughout the UK.

Colin Matthews, chief executive of the British Airports Authority, a proponent of connecting with emerging markets, warned that Britain was “edging towards a future as an island cut-off”.

Last month Ashley Steel, KPMG’s global head for transport, warned of the problems London would face without an effective hub airport. He said: “In a period of economic turmoil and rising unemployment, the potential benefits of private-sector funded airport capacity expansion in order to enable hub operations has never been greater.

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http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0621b318-0...#axzz1dbXwaqLh

[hkskyline]

After paying crazy surcharges to use Heathrow these past few years, I'm beginning to balk at using the UK as my first port of entry to visit the rest of Europe. Coming from Asia, I can get better overall fares (eg. lower taxes) using a Middle Eastern or Chinese carrier to fly directly into continental Europe with 1-stop. Then if I need to get to London, I just use a LCC and fly into Luton/Stansted.

[Bart_LCY]

What if you miss your LCC connection? And what about extra charges for luggage, very often exceeding actual price of a ticket with LCCs? You won't come with hand luggage only flying from Asia, will you?

[hkskyline]

Originally Posted by Bart_LCY

What if you miss your LCC connection? And what about extra charges for luggage, very often exceeding actual price of a ticket with LCCs? You won't come with hand luggage only flying from Asia, will you?

You can miss your connection with a full-service carrier as well, which will prompt missed flights further down the chain.

Obviously an LCC journey would require hand-carry baggage only to maximize the benefit. I did a 2-week Europe trip earlier this year with standard hand-carry only all the way from Asia. It's perfectly possible.

[Matze20111984]

Originally Posted by hkskyline

You can miss your connection with a full-service carrier as well, which will prompt missed flights further down the chain.

Obviously an LCC journey would require hand-carry baggage only to maximize the benefit. I did a 2-week Europe trip earlier this year with standard hand-carry only all the way from Asia. It's perfectly possible.

Have you ever tried to travel via Frankfurt? I've never seen an Airport which is connected better to that many european cities with such a high frequency. If you miss a connecting flight, you normally will be rebooked on the next flight. Most cities in europa have at least a double daily connection in frankfurt with Lufthansa.

[hkskyline]

Originally Posted by Matze20111984

Have you ever tried to travel via Frankfurt? I've never seen an Airport which is connected better to that many european cities with such a high frequency. If you miss a connecting flight, you normally will be rebooked on the next flight. Most cities in europa have at least a double daily connection in frankfurt with Lufthansa.

I've transited in Frankfurt before, but had to make a mad dash due to my late arrival. It's a far easier facility to transit than Heathrow though, where the experience gets quite awful when multiple terminals are involved.

I'm not so concerned about being rebooked to the next available flight (assuming it's a single ticket all-the-way-through), but more on dragging myself and my luggage around to get to the 2nd flight.

[PortoNuts]

Emirates to Add Third A380 Service to London Heathrow

Emirates’ A380 services to London Heathrow will become triple daily from 24th January 2012. This will mean three out of the airline’s five daily flights into Heathrow will be served by the superjumbo.

Emirates’ flagship aircraft will replace Boeing 777s on EK flight 029 from Dubai and on the return flight EK 030, adding capacity to one of the airline’s busiest routes.

“Given the popularity of Emirates’ A380s, I know this news will be well received by our customers flying between London Heathrow, Dubai and beyond. As these magnificent aircraft continue to join our fleet, we can offer more seats and choice in and out of high density points, while enabling a greater number of passengers to benefit from the Emirates’ A380 experience,” said Salem Obaidalla, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Europe & Russian Federation.

Passengers in all classes can settle down to more than 1000 channels of films, television programmes, music and games carried on the ice entertainment system. A personal satellite phone is fitted to each seat, which also carries a seat-back sms and email service, along with seat to seat calling and a “My USB” personal picture viewing facility.

The third A380 service into Heathrow is another major investment for Emirates in the UK, where it operates 105 weekly flights via six gateways; London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle and Glasgow.

http://www.turizmtatilseyahat.com/en...throw-4234.htm

[PortoNuts]

Hong Kong Airlines to Begin Daily Gatwick and Hong Kong Service

Hong Kong Airlines has announced plans to begin a brand new, daily service that will operate between Hong Kong and London’s Gatwick. The new service will be entirely business class seating and dedicated to providing a premium class standard of service.

The airline will be operating the Airbus A330-200s on the route, as the airline welcomes three brand new models of these aircrafts to their fleet. The aircrafts will have a two class configuration of the business class seating – Club Classic and Club Premier class.

The two cabins will be installed with different amenities and luxuries. The Club Premier cabin will be comprised of 34 private suite-like areas; the seats will recline and transform into fully flat beds that extend to 6’1”. The cabin will be configured 1-2-1 in the two areas near the front of the aircraft. Fine dining options and services will be available, offering passengers traditional table settings as well as luxury wines and champagnes. Business class passengers will also be offered the turndown service that provides duvets, slippers, pyjamas and amenity kits.

The Club Classic cabin on the other hand will be comprised of cradle seats. 82 of these seats will be configured in a 2-2-2 format. Seats extend to 51” and have a width of 22”. Dining options are also available to Club Classic passengers. Both Club Classic and Club Premiere will offer business class passengers Wi-Fi as well as widescreen televisions that are high definition to enjoy in-flight entertainment on.

http://www.skyclub.com/news/2011/11/...-kong-service/

[PortoNuts]

Ryanair announces new route from London Stansted to Turku

Ryanair has announced a new route from London Stansted to Turku in Finland from April 2012.

Ryanair celebrated this new route to Finland, which goes on sale tomorrow, by releasing 1 million £9.99 seats for travel across its European network in December and January which are available for booking on ryanair.com until midnight on Thursday November 17.

Ryanair’s Maria Macken said: “Ryanair is pleased to announce a new route from London Stansted to Turku on Finland’s south-west coast which will operate three times weekly from April. Ryanair’s London Stansted consumers now have a choice of three routes to Finland (Tampere, Lappeenranta & Turku), allowing them to beat the recession by choosing Ryanair’s guaranteed lowest fares and no fuel surcharges.

“To celebrate our new route from London Stansted, Ryanair is releasing 1million £9.99 seats for travel across Europe in December and January. Since these seats will be snapped up fast we urge passengers to book immediately on ryanair.com.

“Fares on the new route from London Stansted to Turku will start from just £37.99 for travel in April and May and are available to book on ryanair.com before midnight on Friday 18 November.”

http://www.easier.com/96672-ryanair-...ted-turku.html

[PortoNuts]

[deasine]

Sir John Major officially opens Gatwick’s North Terminal extension

Former Prime Minister Sir John Major officially opened Gatwick’s new £73 million North Terminal extension yesterday (Thursday November 17), stating that the investment being made will help Britain “extend its reach far round the world and far into the future.”

The terminal building has been extended by 1.25 hectares with 18 more check-in desks being installed, including self-service kiosks and new baggage reclaim facilities.

The extension forms part of a wider £475 million investment in the whole of the North Terminal to help support an increase in passengers each year, from 16 million currently to a targeted 20 million by 2020.

The new features include a multi-storey car park providing 1,177 new short-stay parking spaces, improvement to the inter-terminal monorail, a new interchange facility at the North Terminal and improvements to the security area, which now includes dedicated lanes for premium travellers, families and disabled passengers.

Speaking at the opening Gatwick’s CEO Stewart Wingate said this is just another step towards making Gatwick “London’s airport of choice.” He added that the airport is committed to improving the passenger experience through delivering an improved service and investing in new facilities as well as standing by its three commitments which are: “We’ll treat you as our guest,” “We hate queues” and “We love to be on time.”

Speaking to Business Traveller at the event airline business development manager Simon Edwards said that he is relishing the new lease of life he is experiencing in his role, now that the airport is attempting to compete under the new ownership of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP).

Edwards said that under former owners BAA Gatwick was seen as the “problem second child” but that the new owners are looking to unleash the potential of the airport. He sees the airport's affluent South East catchment area, direct rail links to central London and The City, as well as the new facilities and improved service, as key selling points when it comes to attracting new carriers to Gatwick.

The airport has recently attracted Air Asia X (see online news October 25), Hong Kong Airlines (see online news November 11) and Vietnam airlines (see online news June 20) to base services there. Edwards sees the onward links that these carriers bring, especially into China, as fantastic news for the airport.

Edwards also spoke of the improved service and facilities at Gatwick such as new security lanes which have brought the average transit time through security for passengers down to 1 minute 47 seconds. Finally, Fast Track security, which originated at Gatwick, has now been “taken on a level” according to Edwards and has been rebranded as Premium security, with an emphasis on luxury and comfort as well as speed.

For more information visit gatwickairport.com.

Report by Scott Carey

(via Business Traveller)