Layover: London Heathrow

by Scott Carmichael on

Of all the airports in the world, Heathrow is probably my favorite to be stranded.

The airport itself is nothing special, but thanks to some very efficient public transport, you can be in the heart of London in about 30 minutes if you find yourself on a layover.

Shorter (2 hour) layovers

As I mentioned – the airport complex is not too impressive, and with the possible exception of some decent shops and restaurants, there won’t be too much to do. Of course, if you do like shopping, then you’ll probably enjoy what the airport has to offer.

Unlike some other major International airports, Heathrow has not invested in any kind of entertainment for waiting passengers – you won’t find a casino or museum here. If you want to stretch your legs, you may want to walk from terminal to terminal, just keep in mind that many parts of the airport are under construction, and you may find yourself walking towards a closed door, or long detour.

If you are lucky enough to be stuck in Terminal 5, then things are different – this terminal is brand new, and a real pleasure to spend some time. Terminal 5 is also home to the best eateries at Heathrow, including a Wagamama and a Gorden Ramsay restaurant.

Longer layovers (4+ hours)

Leaving the airport is the best thing to do if you have more than 4 hours to kill. From the terminal buildings, simply follow the signs to the Heathrow Express. The Express runs every 15 minutes, and trips to Paddington station take just 15 minutes (though in reality these trips often take a little longer). Once at Paddington, you can make your way to the Bakerloo line train, and in just 4 stops you will be at Oxford Circus. I’ve made this trip many times, and without delays, you can travel from the arrivals lounge of the airport to standing in Oxford Circus in 34 minutes.

The biggest downside to the Heathrow Express is its insane price – a round trip ticket is $52! There are alternatives to getting into the city from Heathrow. London Underground trains operate from Heathrow towards London on a very regular basis, the ride will be much cheaper, but it will also take a little over an hour to get to most major destinations in the city. If you have the time, this is a fun way to make your way into the city.

Once in London, the list of things to do is of course endless, and much easier to discover using one of the many London guides available. Personally I always enjoyed starting my trip at Oxford Circus, then walking up or down the street while visiting the many stores. Fans of electronics will enjoy taking a walk up to Tottenham court road, where store after store sells the latest and greatest in gadget land.

If you prefer a more peaceful way to spend your time, make your way to one of the many parks where there is almost always something fun to watch, especially in the summer months.

If you are running a really tight schedule (one hour or less) and don’t mind a decent amount of walking, start at Oxford Circus, walk down Regent Street to Piccadilly Circus, then on to Leicester Square. After taking in the sights and sounds here, walk down Charing Cross road towards the Embankment and take a quick look at the Thames. Of course, the easiest way to get around is by purchasing a bus pass and hopping on board one of the thousands of buses clogging up the streets of London.

A couple of things to keep in mind before you leave the airport are of course to be aware of the time it will take to get back through security and to always keep an eye on your belongings. Like most major cities, London has its fair share of street crimes, but pickpockets and thieves are very active all around the area, especially on the tube.

UK Airports to face penalties when they screw up your trip

by Scott Carmichael on

The UK has a bit of a history when it comes to airports getting in the way of your vacation plans.

London Heathrow airport is where I’ve spent many a night waiting for air traffic to get back to normal while they attempt to fix whatever was interfering with my plans.

Last year was undoubtedly the worst period in the history of UK airport screw ups – the opening of Heathrow Terminal 5 was nothing short of a monumental disaster.

At one point, the airport operator was telling passengers to just stay home until the problems were fixed. And even when things got slightly better, the airport was losing 1000 bags a day.

Another great example of an airport messing things up occurred when Gatwick saw a little snow, and decided to shut down for the morning, stranding thousands of passengers, and forcing planes to divert to neighboring airports.

A new government proposal could help improve things – it plans to give the UK Civil Aviation Authority more power to issue penalties to BAA, who operate most of the airports. The penalties will be in the form of rebates for the airlines who were impacted. Of course, this may not always benefit passengers, as the proposal does not force airlines to split their penalty proceeds with passengers.

Still, it is a step in the right direction, and if the penalties are stiff enough, it might help the offending airports realize they can’t always get away with being incompetent.

Heathrow gets go ahead for third runway – Greenpeace not happy

by Scott Carmichael on

London Heathrow airport is in desperate need of a third runway.

Despite being one of the busiest airports in the world, all 481,000 yearly aircraft movements take place on just 2 runways.

Anyone who has arrived or departed from Heathrow has probably spent a decent chunk of time waiting in line for a take off slot, or received a complimentary 45 minute sightseeing trip making circles over London waiting for permission to land.

The UK government has been working on a proposal for a third runway for years, and finally agreed to grant building permission for it yesterday.

Of course, nothing airport related ever goes without some major opposition, and this one is no different.

Greenpeace is so strongly opposed to the expansion plans, that they purchased a chunk of land right in the village of Sipson. Sipson is one of the communities destined to become extinct when construction on the runway begins.

Their plan is to break the land up into smaller chunks, and sell it to as many people as possible, making it harder for the government to claim ownership.

Greenpeace argues that the third runway is not necessary, and they have a long list of reasons for being against this expansion.

Of course, environmental clubs like Greenpeace have a long history in trying to prevent new runways from being built, but very little history in actually stopping the construction.

A similar situation happened in the Netherlands in the mid 90’s when a local environmental protection club purchased a small plot of land just outside Schiphol airport and planted it full of trees. It delayed things a bit, but the runway was still built.

At the end of the day these actions just cost massive amounts of taxpayer money and clog up our legal systems, but it’s a noble cause and I don’t think anyone denies Greenpeace a little publicity stunt.

Heathrow’s New VIP Lounge is Juvenile

by Josh Lew on

The presence of kids in the fast-paced world of airline travel can evoke as much controversy as McCain versus Obama. The harried business traveler not only has to worry about getting slowed up or annoyed by the incessant whining (real or imagined) of youthful travelers, they also have to be concerned about accidentally thumping a child on the head with a briefcase as they try to hurry to their gate.

In a nod to traveling tots, London Heathrow has created a VIP lounge specifically for families. It’s not the first, but definitely sounds the coolest. That’s right mom and dad, no need to put up with the icy glances of laptop jockeys in the regular first-class and business-class lounges. In fact, the kids’ lounge in Heathrow’s Terminal 5 doesn’t even require a business class ticket. Known as KidZone, it has an ample buffet, computers and whimsical decorations. Entrance costs $27 per trip and is also included in the membership perks of clubs like Priority Pass. Virgin Atlantic has a similar lounge at Heathrow, while some state-side airports like JFK and LAX boast child-friendly facilities as well. American Airlines will continue the trend by opening no less than 9 KidZone-like lounges at major airports in the US. Food you can eat with your hands, no worries about making noise, and I bet they have Legos too. Sounds better than the regular VIP to me. I wonder if they let you in even if you are not traveling with kids.

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Naomi Campbell faces five charges for her bad airport behavior

by Anna Brones on

Remember the Naomi Campbell incident back in early April? If you need your memory refreshed, Campbell was arrested after causing a scene over misplaced luggage in Heathrow’s Terminal 5. Now Campbell is being faced with five different charges in connection with the alleged assault of a police officer who was called in to deal with her melt down, reports The Guardian.

Not that I am a fan of celebrity gossip, but I think we can use this as a good reminder of what airplane-induced stress can bring to you if it goes too far. Campbell is being charged with three counts of assaulting a constable, one count of disorderly conduct and one count of using threatening and abusive words towards the cabin crew.

I am sure that Campbell will be able to scrounge up some cash to pay for a good lawyer, but keep all this in mind next time you want to lose your cool over luggage. Refrain from attacking people and wait for your misplaced luggage in a timely manner, then you won’t find yourself having to appear in front of a court with a good defensive argument for your crazy behavior.