Air Travel Archives - Page 2 of 5

Middle East Conflict: Rebooking options for passengers on London – Tel Aviv flights

Following recent events in the Middle East, both US and a large number of European airlines had suspended flights to Tel Aviv on the basis of advice from regulators in the US and Europe.

The Federal Aviation Administration in the US and the European Aviation Safety Agency have subsequently changed their guidance.

British Airways continues to fly to Tel Aviv twice daily from London Heathrow. easyJet has resumed flights from London Luton and London Gatwick to Tel Aviv.

BA is allowing passengers booked to fly to Tel Aviv up to 25 July to rebook on any flight up to 7 August 2014. No refunds are available.

More details are on BA’s trade website.

easyJet was also offering passengers the opportunity to rebook that but this seems to have been withdrawn.

British Airways launches a new route from London Gatwick to Fuerteventura from 13 December 2014

British Airways will return to the island of Fuerteventura from December of this year, with twice weekly flights from London Gatwick.

Flights operate on Wednesday and Saturday.

Flight BA2700 Depart London Gatwick 14:30 – Arrive Fuerteventura 18:50 (Wednesday)
Flight BA2700 Depart London Gatwick 11:40 – Arrive Fuerteventura 16:00 (Saturday)

Flight BA2701 Depart Fuerteventura 19:35 – Arrive London Gatwick 23:45 (Wednesday)
Flight BA2701 Depart Fuerteventura 16:45 – Arrive London Gatwick 20:55 (Saturday)

Two points to note from this:

First, it’s a sign of return of growth by BA to Gatwick after a very long period of contraction in its short-haul network.

Second, it’s also an indication that future short-haul route launches at Gatwick are likely to be longer-range flights for holidaymakers rather than short-haul routes that are well covered by easyJet.

Flights are now on sale on ba.com.

British Airways’ parent International Airlines Group orders 20 Airbus A320neo aircraft

British Airways is not normally an airline to announce aircraft orders at aviation shows.

However, to co-incide with the launch of Farnborough Air Show, BA’s parent company, International Airlines Group (“IAG”), announced that it has converted 20 of 100 options to buy Airbus A320neo aircraft into firm orders.

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Where is Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 asks BBC2’s “Horizon” on Tuesday 17 June

The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 on 8 March 2014 continues to be one of the greatest aviation mysteries in recent times.

In spite of the fact that more than three months have passed since the loss of the aircraft, its black box has yet to be located.

Furthermore, whilst it was thought that the aircraft was lost in the southern Indian Ocean, this has now been discounted after an extensive search operation.

On Tuesday, BBC2’s Horizon tells what it claims to be the inside story of the search for flight MH370, with access to those on the frontline in the southern Indian Ocean and the British satellite engineers who tracked the plane’s final hours.

The film reveals how MH370 disappeared in a radar blind spot; what investigators believe happened to the aircraft in its last minutes; and how the area in which it could be found is still to be searched.

Horizon also examines the new technologies, like black box streaming and enhanced air traffic surveillance, that mean an airliner should never vanish without trace again.

Thailand Coup: Thai Airways & British Airways London Heathrow – Bangkok flights scheduled to operate normally

As has been widely reported in the media, on 22 May, the Royal Thai Army imposed Martial Law in Thailand. The military authorities in Thailand have imposed a nationwide daily curfew between the hours of 10pm and 5am. Broadcasters such as the BBC and CNN have also been taken off air.

British Airways and Thai Airways fly daily and twice daily respectively from London Heathrow to Suvarnabhumi International airport Bangkok under the following flight numbers:

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Virgin Atlantic adds London Heathrow – Atlanta and Delta adds London Heathrow – Los Angeles in Heathrow shuffle

We have to admit to being a little surprised by this news.

Virgin Atlantic and Delta, partners together in a relatively new transatlantic joint-venture, have announced that they will swap flights between London Heathrow and Los Angeles and Atlanta from 26 October 2014.

Delta will take over one of Virgin Atlantic’s twice daily London Heathrow – Los Angeles flights. Virgin Atlantic will take over one of Delta’s thrice daily London Heathrow – Atlanta flights.

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British Airways suspends London Heathrow – Agadir route from 26 October 2014

British Airways has announced it is to suspend its twice weekly London Heathrow – Agadir route from 26 October 2014.

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London Paddington – Heathrow Express Trains – Current discounts, offer codes and promotions

One of the many frequent complaints about Heathrow airport is the cost of travelling to the airport by train from London Paddington.

Whilst there is the option of taking The Tube, the journey on the Piccadilly Line (best described as one long baggage carousel) is long, prone to delays and over-crowding. The carriages are ill-suited to carrying large amounts of luggage and the overland parts of the journey are anything but scenic.

That only leaves (until Crossrail opens in 2018 at least) the Heathrow Express from London Paddington to Heathrow Central (for Terminals 1 and 3 and interchange to Terminal 4) and Heathrow Terminal 5. However, at a cost of £20 for a single ticket or £34 for a return ticket for a 15-20 minute journey (and more if you buy on board!), it must rank as one of the most expensive train journeys per minute in the world!

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Qantas re-times QF9 & QF10 London Heathrow – Dubai – Melbourne services from 20 July 2014

A familiar sight for anyone passing through Heathrow during the day is a pair of Qantas A380s parked at a remote stand near Terminal 3.

Whilst providing those on a mundane business trip to Frankfurt or Geneva the opportunity to dream about going somewhere else, it serves as an illustration of the hard economics for Qantas of competing against Middle Eastern and Asian airlines in the London to Australia market.

Currently, Qantas’ twice daily flights to Australia depart late in the evening and arrive in the morning at London Heathrow meaning hugely expensive assets are left on the ground all day doing nothing.

From 20 July 2014, as part of a broader restructuring of Qantas’ network in response to a deteriorating financial performance, Qantas flights to Melbourne will be retimed from a late evening departure to an early afternoon departure.

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FlyBe to launch new routes from London City to Belfast, Dublin, Edinburgh, Exeter and Inverness

FlyBe has this morning, 23 April 2014, announced it will set up a base at London City airport, launching new routes to Belfast, Dublin, Edinburgh, Exeter and Inverness from Monday 27 October 2014.