Iconic London Taxis on the Runway at Heathrow

BRITISH Airways has introduced a brand new and environmentally-friendly electric cab service at its #Heathrow home, giving customers the opportunity to experience travelling in a legendary London taxi without leaving the airport. The London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) taxi features WiFi, phone, laptop and USB charging and a panoramic roof – great for plane spotting.

The taxis will join British Airways’ fleet of chauffeur-driven executive vehicles, to drive premium customers at risk of missing their connecting flight to meet their next aircraft. Customers are met by the driver at the aircraft side and are driven directly to the aircraft side of their onward flight. With every ride completely free of charge, there’s no need for customers to reach for their wallets.


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A heroes send off from British Airways for Team UK

BRITISH Airways is proud to announce it will be the official airline partner of Team UK, a 72-strong group of wounded, injured and sick serving military personnel and veterans, who have been specially selected to represent Great Britain at the #Invictus Games #Sydney 2018, presented by Jaguar Land Rover.

The competitors, along with their families and support staff, will head down under on October 15 after a heroes’ send-off at Heathrow. During the games, which run from October 20 to 27, the team will participate in 10 different adaptive sports against 500 men and women from 18 countries.

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Bringing a slice of Soho to Heathrow

HIDDEN away in the heart of Soho at No.61 Rupert Street is Spuntino, a restaurant that consists of 27 stools and a popcorn machine. The New York comfort-food inspired eatery has developed a cult following with London foodies and is soon to be opening its doors at Heathrow Terminal 3. 

Spuntino, which means ‘snack’ in Italian, will develop a bespoke airport breakfast and takeaway menu to deliver an ‘all day dining’ and ‘on board’ experience for many of the 18 million passengers who travel through Terminal 3 each year. The new menu will follow the same ‘small plates’ theme as its existing site.

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Heathrow offers prize for green aviation ideas

UK businesses and organisations are being invited to apply for Heathrow’s first Sustainable Innovation Prize submitting ideas on how to address the environmental challenges of airports and the aviation industry.

The winning entry of the Sustainable Innovation Prize will be awarded £20,000 and the green light to develop their idea, earning the opportunity to use Heathrow as a ‘live laboratory.’ Here they will be able to trial and develop their winning concept and gain exposure to Heathrow’s operation and partners in the process.

This launch of the Sustainable Innovation Prize coincides with activity marking the anniversary of the Heathrow 2.0 - the airport’s plan for sustainable growth. The prize will further Heathrow’s ambitions to make its business a centre of excellence for aviation sustainability, reducing the airport’s social and environmental impacts, while maximising the economic opportunities in the UK.

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British Airways invests

BRITISH Airways has revamped its flagship Concorde Room at Heathrow Terminal 5, taking inspiration from the very best of British Design. The refurbishment to the airline’s exclusive lounge included re-upholstering iconic pieces of furniture, and adding new feature pieces to the room, all of which are illuminated by handblown glass lighting with bone linen shades and ochre silk linings. 

The terrace, which is so popular with travellers thanks to its position overlooking the runway, features luxurious sofas and new elegant loungers. Mobile phone chargers are also on hand for travellers to ensure their devices are fully charged before they fly. Carolina Martinoli, British Airways’ director of brand and customer experience, said: “In recent years we’ve invested in our lounges, including new ones in Boston and Gatwick South Terminal and revamped spaces in Edinburgh, Cape Town, Amsterdam, Belfast, Washington, Singapore and Dubai.

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Special Assistance from Heathrow

HEATHROW welcomed over 80 passengers this weekend in its first annual special assistance Open Day. The event was jointly hosted with Omniserv, Heathrow’s special assistant provider, along with disability charities like TryB4uFly, Whizz-kidz, and Spinal Injuries Association, and airlines including Virgin Atlantic. Its aim was to help passengers understand how our Special Assistance service works so passengers with disabilities or mobility restrictions have the confidence and information they need before they travel.

In total, over nine companies exhibited at the Open Day. Passengers were also given the opportunity to go on behind-the-scenes tours of the airport, and to walk them through the actual journeys they would take from check-in to gate.

Over one million passengers at Heathrow request special assistance from the airport each year. Following a critical report by the Civil Aviation Authority this year, Heathrow is transforming its service for these passengers and will soon publish a new action plan outlining practical steps to ensure its special assistance is considered amongst the best in the UK.

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Direct flights to the Seychelles with British Airways

BRITISH Airways launches direct flights to one of the world’s most desirable holiday destinations.

From March 24 2018 customers will be able to fly direct from Heathrow Terminal 5 to the #Seychelles, making British Airways the only airline offering a non-stop service from the UK.

Scattered across the Indian Ocean and famed as some of the most idyllic islands on the planet, flights will take to the skies twice-a-week from March to October and will be operated by the airline’s newest fleet of aircraft, the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. The Seychelles offers honeymooners, families and sun worshippers world famous beaches, crystal clear waters, easy island hopping and colourful coral reefs.

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Up in the air . . .

HEATHROW is proud to announce the unveiling of over 200 stunning GREAT campaign images across Terminal 3, displaying a mix of heritage sites, pioneering British businesses and cultural attractions across the UK.

The UK Government's GREAT Britain campaign artwork at Heathrow showcases the many benefits of visiting and doing business in the UK. The images, which capture the beauty of different parts of Britain and Northern Ireland, have been curated as part of a joint initiative by GREAT and Heathrow.

More than 12 million passengers will be able to view the pictures which highlight scenes unique to the UK - from the Angel of the North located in Gateshead, to the Queen's Guard posted at Edinburgh Castle.

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Heathrow soars to new heights

HEATHROW recorded its best-ever single month in its history in July as the summer getaway sent passenger numbers soaring to record highs
Breaking all previous monthly records, Heathrow welcomed 7.53 million passengers in July (+1.2% on last July) – averaging 243,000 passengers or the equivalent of the population of Plymouth every day.

Middle Eastern destinations were particularly popular for travellers as fuller aircraft led to a seven per cent increase in passengers to the region, while more flights to Brazil pushed up passenger numbers to Latin America by three per cent.

UK destinations saw five percent passenger growth on the back of recently launched Flybe flights to Scotland.

This summer saw Heathrow introduce new travelling friend ‘Little Miss Explorer’ to its tiniest travellers. Alongside Mr Adventure, the travelling duo launched a new augmented reality app to entertain children travelling with an interactive treasure hunt across the airport

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British Airways unveils it’s plan for Club World

THE first tranche of British Airways’ £400 million investment in Club World, its long-haul business cabin, is set to arrive on September 1 as a new restaurant-style dining experience launches on flights between Heathrow and New York JFK. 

Travellers will be able to select their choice of freshly prepared starters and desserts from new display trolleys, which will be served by the crew on to new table settings.

The carefully curated wine selection will feature white wines and Champagnes presented on top of the trolleys in large, silver wine coolers, while regiments of red wine bottles stand alongside them.

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Music to your ears

A new route to Music City will be music to traveller’s ears with British Airways’ new service to Nashville.

From May 2018, British Airways will launch a five-a-week service from Heathrow, Terminal 5 and will be the only airline flying direct between Europe and the capital of Tennessee.

The new route takes the number of US destinations the airline flies to from London in summer 2018 up to 26, and the number of daily flights offered by British Airways and American Airlines as part of their transatlantic joint business up to 67 per day.

The route will be operated by a Boeing 787-8, with return fares in World Traveller starting from £749, £1196 in World Traveller Plus and £1849 in Club World available to book now on ba.com.

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Picture Credit: British Airways

Heathrow and FlyFit partnership announced

HEATHROW has announced an exclusive partnership with FlyFit to open the world’s first wellness and fitness studio in an airport. The studio, which opens this autumn, will offer passengers both instructor-led and interactive strength, restorative yoga, and cardio classes.

The brand-new, state-of-the-art space will be located after security in departures at Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 2: The Queens Terminal, accessible through a lift down to its private facilities. The FlyFit team will provide rental workout clothing, shower facilities and healthy food options to help travelers to stay well wherever their journey takes them.

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Take flight to the Canaries

BRITISH Airways is making enjoying the winter sun even easier for customers this year with extra flights from Heathrow and Gatwick being added to the airline's schedules. 

The airline is launching a new route from Heathrow to Tenerife for sun worshippers keen to fly and flop in the Canaries year-round with the first flight taking to the skies from October 21 and return fares available from just £98. British Airways already operates six flights a week to Tenerife from Gatwick. 

The flights are now available to book through ba.com and are scheduled to operate until the end of March, 2018.

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Picture Credit: British Airways

Aer Lingus extra daily flight from Cork to London Heathrow

THIS summer there will be five daily services from Cork to London from Monday to Saturday. The extra daily flights will run from Monday 19 June until Saturday 26 August. 

The extra flight will leave London Heathrow for Cork at 12 noon and arrive at 13.20. The return afternoon flight will depart from Cork at 14.30 and touch down in London Heathrow at 16:00.

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Firsts with British Airways

BRITISH Airways is transforming its customers' airport experience by becoming the first UK airline to introduce automated biometric technology throughout the airport – with the launch of self-service boarding gates. Following a successful trial last June, the first three boarding gates for UK domestic flights departing from Heathrow Terminal 5 are now open, and more than 4,000 customers have already benefited from the new technology. 

The gates create a smoother journey for customers as they travel through the airport, with travellers scanning their own boarding pass when they arrive at the gate and then simply walking through to the aircraft. A digital facial scan of the customer is recorded when they travel through security, and when they arrive at the gate, their face is matched with this representation when they present their boarding pass – allowing them to board the aircraft. Safety and security is at the core of the biometric facial recognition technology, and British Airways' equipment is more advanced than alternative systems currently used by other airlines and airports. 

Three more British Airways self-boarding gates will open at each domestic departure stand each week until mid-June, with a view to roll-out the scheme on international flights in the future. The introduction of the new gates is part of wider investment into new technology that will enhance the experience British Airways customers have during their time at the airport. 

British Airways has also opened self-service bag drop points at Gatwick and Heathrow, and later this year will introduce an improved, more streamlined connections area at T5. This week, The First Wing opened at T5 - an exclusive redesigned check-in area for premium customers, including a dedicated private security channel with direct lounge access for the first time.

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On the runway . . .

Heathrow celebrated 70 years of history as Britain’s front door in 2016, welcoming a record 76 million passengers (+1%) alongside 1.5 million tonnes of cargo (+3%) travelling through the UK’s hub – that’s nearly three full Millennium Stadia of passengers a day and annual cargo equivalent to 118,000 London buses, 7,500 Angels of the North or nearly 30 fully-loaded Queen Elizabeth II ocean liners!

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Rail disruption at London Paddington

Up to 200 projects will be delivered across Britain over this holiday period including major upgrades to the rail network as part of the Crossrail project. 

This means there will be no overground services in or out of London Paddington from the early hours of Christmas Eve to 29 December, including services to Heathrow Airport. 

Instead, trains will start and end at Ealing Broadway. There will also be a reduced timetable in place between 30 December and 2 January.

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Picture Credit: strollerdos flickr.com/photos/87466374@N00/320873261 Paddington station pano 1 via photopin.

Doris & Edward Bair arrive at Heathrow

Following the hugely successful Christmas film which celebrates the gift of coming home, Doris and Edward #Bair arrived at #Heathrow on the December 20 to be greeted by their family, during the airport’s biggest week for emotional #Christmas reunions.

The bears travelled from Munich to Heathrow on a British Airways flight into Terminal 5 to be met by warm hugs and smiling faces in arrivals. Doris and Edward have been hand crafted through the creative magic of the Steiff team in Germany. At around 40cm tall, the couple have been lovingly recreated from the film with Doris wearing her distinctive orange coat and Edward presenting handsomely in his favourite tweed flat cap.

The Bair’s film debut which captured the magic of an airport reunion, has been celebrated the world over this Christmas with the heart-warming couple winning fans right across Heathrow’s route network and as far away as Japan and Australia.

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Picture Credit: Terminal5insider flickr.com/photos/22819720@N02/2306823601 Heathrow Terminal 5 - Arrivals via photopin

Up in the air . . .

BRITISH AIRWAYS is offering a special 20 per cent Christmas discount for all gift vouchers for a session on a British Airways full-motion flight simulator booked by December 24, 2016. 

This truly unique experience will begin with the user ‘reporting for duty’ at British Airways’ state-of-the-art Flight Training Centre near Heathrow where the airline’s 4,200 professional pilots are trained. Would-be-pilots will have the chance to take-off at any of British Airways’ near 200 worldwide destinations and land at another, with the simulators using cutting edge motion, audio and graphics technology to deliver a completely immersive experience. 

Gift vouchers are available for purchase at www.ebaft.com. Gift vouchers must be purchased by December 24, 2016 using the promotional code SANTA to receive the 20 per cent discount. The voucher can been redeemed for available dates during the 12 months from the date of purchase.

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Harry Potter arrives at Heathrow Terminal 5

THE HARRY POTTER™ SHOP has officially opened its doors to passengers at Heathrow Terminal 5.

The shop sells over 200 items, many of them exclusively at Heathrow, from across J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World. The shop sells newly released products from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, as well as collectibles, gifts, novelties and souvenirs from Platform 9 ¾ at King’s Cross Station and the West End hit play ‘Harry Potter and The Cursed Child Parts One and Two’.

The shop will be open 7 days a week from 5:30am-­10:00pm and will be visited by more than 16 million passengers coming through Heathrow Terminal 5 each year to travel around the globe.

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