Less than a week to go to the London 2012 Olympics and tensions are high with a few major issues still waiting to be resolved. One of them is the announced strike of the British Airport Guards – more about that later. We also have 2 airport news stories from Australia and the delay of the week is coming from the United States.
Continue reading This week: Olympic strikes, blackout & 3-day late departure
Every now and then you get a week with a lot of slightly out-of-the-ordinary airport news all coming in at the same time. This has been exactly such a week: We found news from a Swedish retailer moving into airport space, a baby smuggle attempt, a tower evacuation, sinkholes, a refurbished terminal and two emergency landings. Sounds interesting? Told you!
Continue reading This week: baby smuggle discovered in Xray, sinkholes in Bangkok and more
This week we bring you airport news from India, Australia, England, China and New Zealand with topics ranging from the opening of a new celebrity chef restaurant to fog that disrupted many travellers plans.
Continue reading This week: new airport dining, fog delays and increased security measures
Traveling with children can be stressful – even more so if you are traveling with a baby. Babies have a lot of needs, and they can become distracted or fussy easily.
Continue reading Guest blog: Getting through the airport with your baby
It was a long and very busy week with airport news headlines such as: Drug war hits airport, bird strike delays flight, airlines cry foul over Thai airport transfer or glamorous new terminal opens in the United States. It went on and on, but – as always – we bring you the essence of the top airport stories from the week, all neatly packed in digestible portions.
Continue reading This week: Airport shooting, bird strike and Snoop Dogg’s marijuana
The start of the 2012 London Olympics is only a month away and it’s probably fair to say that if you’re only just thought about planning a trip to the games, you’re definitely a last-minute-person. However, to think that planning late always means paying outrageous prices is not necessarily correct. Our friends over at Budgetplaces.com have kindly put together a selection of ten affordable accommodation options in London that are still available during the Olympics. Combine this with a last minute flight and one of our tips on how to make most of your airport experience and you’re on to win a medal yourself!
1. Mary Rose Inn Hotel
Starting at $34.04 nightly, this charming two-star hotel is located in the center of the village of Saint Mary Cray in the London Borough of Bromley. The beautiful 16th century building provides guests with 45 comfortable rooms and is located only 25 minutes away for the city’s top sites including the London Eye, Buckingham Palace and Oxford Street. Find out more.
2. Piccadilly Stop Guesthouse
Starting at $61.89 nightly, the stylish Piccadilly Stop Guesthouse offers chic and cozy guest rooms in the trendy district of Soho, Central London. Only a short distance away major attractions like Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden and Piccadilly Circus, this affordable guesthouse provides travelers with value and quality accommodations, along with a kitchen and free Wi-Fi. Find out more.
3. Studios2let
Starting at $61.89 nightly, Studios2let boasts 145 attractive studio apartments right in Bloomsbury, Central London. Along with cozy accommodations, travelers will enjoy complimentary Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, a well-equipped kitchenette and more. Find out more.
4. Chelsea Guest House
Starting at $41.95 nightly, travelers can shack up in this contemporary pad in London’s most prestigious neighborhood. The very exclusive Chelsea Guest House is a quick jaunt from London’s greatest museums including the National History Museum. Return home and relax with the Chelsea Guest House’s free Wi-Fi, in room kitchen, and plush bedding. With rooms comparable to topline hotels, guests receive a very personal experience without compromising luxury. Find out more.
5. Britain’s B&B
Starting at $56.58 nightly, Britain’s B&B is only three miles away from the Olympic Stadium. The family owned B&B is sure to provide foreigners as well as those traveling in from around the UK a wonderful, welcoming, and warm experience. In addition, the cozy B&B offers great amenities such as Wi-Fi, laundry/washing facilities, and a kitchen. This English style B&B is only available to Budgetplaces.com. Find out more.
6. Ascot Hotel
Starting at $42.43 nightly, Ascot Hotel boasts exceptional modern quality and décor in the heart of London. The Hotel runs its very own ethnic restaurant, and is known for its clean, impeccable, and simply warm service. Visitors of Ascot Hotel are sure to receive both a wonderfully unique stay within steps of all London has to offer. Find out more.
7. Romanos Hotel
Starting at $64.43 nightly, Romanos Hotel offers bright airy rooms in London’s premiere Pimlico district. Travelers can pop over to London’s best attractions including Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament or can relax by the beautiful River Thames, which is only 500 meters away! Find out more.
8. St. Johns B&B
Starting at $47.15 nightly, St. Johns B&B is the perfect picture of cozy elegance. The Victorian house is located in the quaint and darling High gate Village that is home to Old English restaurants and pubs including their own bar and restaurant. London city life seekers are close to public transport including buses and trains. Find out more.
9. Olympic House B&B
Starting at $51.07 nightly, Olympic House B&B is not only a short walk away from the Olympic Park but also O2 Arena. The Arena is home to the “football” team, top of the line concerts, and Live TV show events like the London hit X Factor. If you are not already overloaded with entertainment, getting from this clean and comfy digs to central London is just an easy Tube ride away. Find out more.
10. High Street Guest House
Starting at $56.58 nightly, the charming High Street Guest House is ideal for visiting London. Travelers can easily pop over to the renowned Tate Museum, London Zoo, St. Paul’s Cathedral, or grab tea at the endless nearby cafes. High Street Guest House is a warm comfortable home base for worldwide travelers providing amenities like free Wi-Fi, baggage storage, and no charge for children under five. Find out more.
[Photo from Flickr – Some rights reserved by dlofink]
New week, new topics – same writer. I hope that’s a combination that works for you. LOL. This week we have news from the USA, London, Colombia and Germany. Quite an interesting mix of topics too – everything from a fire to beer to a volcano. Got your attention?
Continue reading This week: Olympic rings, fire, volcano and airport beer
Another week has past and with that it’s time again for your weekly update of important (or interesting) airport events that reached us during the week. Today we have three courses and one little dessert story for you.
Let’s start dishing up with two stories from the US. The first one arrived on Thursday from The New York Times and focused on a building boom that hit US airports when it read that “New York’s three major airports, as well as the airports in Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta and Chicago, are spending billions of dollars. Many of the airports have aging terminals, some built in the 1960s and 1970s, that are ill suited to the bigger planes, bigger security lanes and bigger crowds of modern-day air travel. They are replacing or improving existing terminals, updating food concessions and parking garages, or adding runways to keep up with growing demand.” Next on the schedule to unveil a new addition to its facilities is Las Vegas McCarran Airport (LAS) with the opening of the new Terminal 3 at the end of the month.
The second American story read as following in our tweet on Thursday:
New York Times: US Security Expands Presence at Foreign Airports – http://t.co/JS6u2nK2
— LateDeparture.com (@latedeparture) June 13, 2012
The New York Times reported that in a section of Shannon Airport in Ireland (SNN), carved out for the Department of Homeland Security, passengers are screened for explosives and cleared to enter the United States by American Customs and Border Protection officers before boarding. When they land, the passengers walk straight off the plane into the terminal without going through border checks. The article then continued by saying that at other foreign airports, including those in Madrid, Panama City and Tokyo, American officers advise the local authorities. American programs in other cities expedite travel for passengers regarded as low-risk.
Now let’s move to our final main course, coming from the United Kingdom: For avid readers of our blog, it’s of no surprise that the ongoing discussion about a new airport vs the expansion of London Heathrow (LHR) is making headlines again. This time The Financial Times wrote on Wednesday that David Cameron has paved the way for a U-turn on building a third runway at Heathrow airport, amid signs that Downing Street is cooling to the idea of building a new hub in the Thames Estuary. According to the article Mr Cameron left open the prospect that the Conservatives would campaign at the 2015 election in favour of expanding Heathrow – a move that would please the business lobby but infuriate environmentalists and Londoners living under the flight path. Once again, our bet is we’ll be writing many more words about this saga before airport building machinery can be spotted on English soil.
No meal is complete without a dessert. So, here’s ours for today, coming from The Daily Mail in London. They wrote that from today millions of passengers flying into Heathrow airport (LHR) will be able to see the giant image of the 2012 heptathlon hopeful alongside the words ‘Welcome to our turf.’ The image shows British World Champion Jessica Ennis and measures 53 by 75 metres (173ft x 246ft) which is bigger than 15 tennis courts. Watch the time-lapse video of how it was created here.
[Picture from British Airways]
That’s all we have – well, actually, there’s one more thing (think of it as a petit four with your coffee…), a quote we found quite appropriate for this forum (thanks, Matt, for sending it in!). Enjoy and read you again next week!
I love the self-contained, hermetic universe that is an airport.
I love the recycled unnatural air. Suspended between coming and going,
I can breathe again. (Eric Weiner)
[Title photo from Flickr – Some rights reserved by Richard Messenger]
Today we have a fairly long list of airport related news bites that reached us during the week: a fuel crisis, more iPads, a useful website, an airport extension, airport construction disruption and a 27 hour flight delay. Interestingly the first and last news articles both come from Manchester.
Continue reading This week: Manchester fuel crisis & 27 hour flight delay plus more
Picture this: you’ve followed our guides and had a great time at your departure airport and your flight was on time. Then you get to your destination and realise you have absolutely no idea how to get into the city. Rings a bell? There’s now a website that can help you out: Cityhook
Continue reading New website helps you find the best way into town
