British Airways to go retro to celebrate 100th birthday

AS part of its 100-year birthday, British Airways has today announced it will be painting four of its aircraft in much-loved retro designs from across its past, with the first confirmed as a Boeing 747 in a British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) design. 

The livery from the 1964 – 1974 BOAC era will adorn a B747, reg: G-BYGC. The aircraft will leave the paint shop in Dublin and arrive in to Heathrow on February 18, before entering service the following day. 

This coincides with the 50th anniversary of the first Boeing 747 flight only a few days earlier. The BOAC 747 will be followed by three other aircraft which will all have different retro liveries, with details being revealed in due course. All four aircraft will fly British Airways’ routes, proudly showcasing some of the popular designs as part of the airline’s centenary celebrations.

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On the Runway at Heathrow

A record 80 million passengers travelled through the UK’s only hub airport in 2018, up 2.7% on last year, with growth boosted by the use of larger and fuller aircraft. #Heathrow is one of only seven airports in the world to achieve this milestone.

Heathrow continued to raise the bar on customer satisfaction scores being named ‘Best Airport in Western Europe’ for the fourth year running, and ‘Best Airport for Shopping’ for the ninth year in the most recent Skytrax World Airport Awards. Terminal 2 beat its international counterparts to win ‘World’s Best Airport Terminal’, with Terminal 5 coming in 4th.


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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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Aeroflot flying high

AEROFLOT'S leading position in global aviation was affirmed this weekend when it took two top prizes at the Grand Final of the World Travel Awards 2018 - World's Leading Airline Brand and World's Leading Airline - Business Class.

Aeroflot maintained its status as the No. 1 brand in global aviation for a second year in a row, remaining the only holder of this title from the World Travel Awards in history. Aeroflot took the World's Leading Airline - Business Class category for the first time.



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Fly into Abu Dhabi F1 in style

WHY drive when you can fly in style to the Abu Dhabi F1 this weekend? Book your helicopter shuttle transfer between Dubai and Abu Dhabi from the 23rd till 25th November with FLYHIGH Dubai Helicopter Services by Alpha Destination Management. 

The service is available every hour from 8am till 2am. If travellers would like to fly to the heart of YAS Island to beat the traffic jams, then they can opt for the most exclusive and rapid helicopter service in the UAE: less than 30 minutes trip to reach the destination enjoying the stunning aerial views of Dubai.

Prices start at AED 2900 per person per way. Below are the rates per 1 way, inclusive of 5% VAT. All prices include free transfers from YAS Links to Yas Marina Circuit and free beverages at Atlantis The Palm Helipad.

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Zero emission Fuel Cell Electric bus service launched at Gatwick

A prototype fuel cell electric double-deck bus was shown in public for the first time at Gatwick's Annual Transport Forum on Friday 12th October.

In a first for the region, the new technology will soon trailed with an in-service trial of the bus run by local service provider Metrobus on the company's Fastway 100 service between Crawley, Gatwick Airport and Reigate. 

Metrobus expects to follow this with an order for 20 single deck fuel cell electric buses to expand provision of zero emission journeys and improve local air quality.

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The skies the limit for Edinburgh Airport

EDINBURGH Airport has been named as Airport of the Year at the Scottish Transport Awards.  The airport recorded the busiest ever year for a Scottish airport in 2017, handling more than 13.4 million passengers – an increase of 8.6% on the previous year. It also added 34 new routes in 2017, 32 to international destinations.

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Hop-on Hop-off in the North Fork

SPENDING a weekend on the North Fork is about to get easier, thanks to a new initiative from The North Fork Promotion Council. Beginning Saturday, July 7th, the North Fork Link, a fleet of luxury vans, will take riders around the region, saving them the hassle of driving while helping to alleviate summertime traffic.

Visitors from Long Island and New York City can arrive to Riverhead and points further east to Greenport via the Long Island Railroad or public and private bus services to connect with "The Link." The hop-on, hop-off service will allow riders to enjoy the wineries, breweries, restaurants, shops, art galleries and various points of interest at their own pace without worrying about driving or parking.

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Up in the air . . .

TRANSATLANTIC airline, Icelandair, adds some pride to the skies with the launch of its latest special livery, marking 100 years of Icelandic independence and sovereignty. Proud of its rich Icelandic heritage, the airline has transformed one of its Boeing 757-300's into a flying piece of artwork, bearing the Iceland national flag, bringing passengers closer to the nation's history before they even step off the plane.

All of Icelandair's planes are named after Icelandic volcanoes and locations of natural beauty. "Thingvellir," is named after Iceland's breath-taking national park and home of Iceland's first Parliament. It becomes the third in Icelandair's family of special liveries, joining "Hekla Aurora" and "Vatnaokull" which were introduced in 2015 and 2017 respectively and inspired by the northern lights and Europe's second largest glacier.

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Tokyo Metro Opens New Tourist Information Center

A new tourist information center has opened in #Tokyo station to assist international travelers. This is the fifth tourist information center Tokyo Metro has opened with the other five being located in Ueno, Ginza, Shinjuku, Omotesando, and Shibuya stations. 

The newest information center will keep 9:00 am – 5:00 pm hours 365 days a year to serve traveling tourists in need and will be located near the central ticketing gate of the Marunouchi line. 

In addition to offering transportation information and Tokyo Metro tickets, the information desk will also provide information on facilities around Tokyo station as well as sightseeing spots, and hotels in the area.

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Up in the air . . .

LOT Polish Airlines has proved to be the success story of Heathrow’s Fly Quiet and Green Programme, having completely transformed its noise and emissions performance - from last place in the first league rankings to second place in the latest results. Scandinavian Airlines System, on the other hand, continues to prove itself an environmentally conscious carrier at Heathrow, coming up first in the rankings.

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Hop on and hop off in Hanoi

THE first double-decker bus was put into service on May 30 with hop-on and hop-off at 13 stops, running through 25 streets and taking tourists to 30 attractions in the capital city of #Hanoi, Vietnam.

Each bus has 80 seats and is equipped with modern technology, including the GPS system, free Wifi, USB gates, refrigerator, a TV screen and safety cameras.

An automatic narration system in various languages such as English, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean is also installed in the buses, giving visitors an overall insight of over 30 most typical tourist attractions of the city.

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Follow me . . .

INTELLIGENT robots often play key roles in futuristic science fiction films, TV series and novels. Those science fiction scenarios are quickly becoming a part of today's real world with what seems like a daily release of a new product or gadget that relies on artificial intelligence. One area which is garnering increasing attention is autonomous or robotic luggage.

Airwheel recently launched the Airwheel SR3, a smart robotic suitcase with a host of helpful features including auto-follow, intelligent obstacle avoidance, a removable battery, an anti-loss alarm and mobile remote control. The smart piece of luggage, which comes equipped with visual tracking and sensor technology, can accurately identify its owner with real-time visual recognition and tracking algorithms and switch into auto-follow mode, while avoiding obstacles with sensor aids, in much the same way as a pet following its human owner. The suitcase's smart features can be put into action by pulling out the extendable intelligent recognition rod and switching the power on.

The Airwheel SR3 comes with multiple sensors including a camera, radar and an ultrasonic receiver coupled with simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) technology as well as visual recognition and detection algorithms, so that it can instantly identify, lock and follow the user, allowing hands-free transport of the suitcase.

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Gatwick to be first airport in the world to trial autonomous vehicles

GATWICK'S 300 airside vehicles are stationary 90% of the time – as staff attend to aircraft and passengers – however a trial of electric-powered autonomous vehicles will soon see workers shuttled between popular locations on the airfield when it starts later this summer, the airport has announced.

The trial is thought to be the first of its kind for any airport in the world and - if successful and scaled up – could lead to airfield transport needs being met from a much smaller pool of autonomous vehicles, reducing the need for such large vehicle fleets, reducing emissions and saving on costs.

If the technology is proven in an airfield environment and following further trials, this project may be the precursor to a wide range of other autonomous vehicles being used on airport, including aircraft push back tugs, passenger load bridges, baggage tugs and transportation buses.

No passengers or aircraft will be involved in this trial, which will be limited to airside roads between the airport’s North and South terminals.

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Mobile ticketing with Google Pay

THE Las Vegas Monorail Company announced the launch of virtual transit ticketing with the new Google Pay app for Android phones. The #Monorail now offers riders the ability to quickly and easily purchase fares online and use their phone at the fare gates for immediate transit access to everything along the #LasVegas Strip. 

It is the first transit system in the world to fully integrate their ticketing system with Google Pay using MIFARE contactless technology. With just a few clicks, Monorail customers can now purchase and save tickets using their credit and debit cards or PayPal account linked to Google Pay with the security of Google encryption. Once customers arrive at the Monorail station, they simply tap their phone on the fare gate and ride.

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Best connected airport

HELSINKI Airport has been voted the Best Airport in Northern Europe by passengers in the SKYTRAX World Airport Awards. The results were announced at Passenger Terminal EXPO in Stockholm, Sweden on 21 March 2018.

#Helsinki Airport is the best connected airport in Northern Europe with 145 non-stop destinations all around the world by over 50 airlines. It is an important air traffic hub between Europe and Asia. In 2017, Helsinki Airport served 18.9 million passengers, which was 9.9% more than the year before. In 2018, the airport expects to reach the 20 million passengers milestone.

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Travel support for those with communication difficulties

GOVIA Thameslink Railway (GTR) is introducing sets of innovative rail travel access aids to support passengers who need help with communication, such as those who are hard of hearing or have language or learning difficulties.

The Accessibility Communication Guide, the second aid, is a pictorial guide that makes it easier for GTR customer service staff and passengers with communications support needs to understand each other. 

Customers can simply point to photographs or pictograms to explain what help they need: getting onto their train, catching a bus or taxi outside the station, finding a toilet or a public phone.

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At the airport . . .

TRAVELLING is one of life's great adventures, but it can also bring its fair share of headaches. Like getting a taxi that can be counted on to be clean, driven competently and coming along with a fair price. In Birmingham, England, Beaufort Airport Taxis Birmingham have all those areas covered the company recently announced the launch of their new website, designed to be even easier to navigate, find out information and book Birmingham taxi appointments online. 

They even offer a professional “meet and greet” service, where the driver will wait for their passenger holding a sign with their name making finding them as easy as possible.

Taxi transfer service is available from Birmingham Airport to all UK airports including Heathrow Airport, East Midlands Airport, Gatwick Airport, Manchester Airport, Luton Airport, and Stansted Airport.

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Skybus services now listed in Travelport’s airport express app

SKYBUS, operator of Australasia’s premier airport transfer service, has announced its arrival on leading travel commerce platform, Travelport, joining the likes of the highly popular Heathrow Express among others. 

The addition of SkyBus means travel agents using Travelport’s award-winning Airport Express App will be notified of the operator’s options; and can instantly book electronic tickets for SkyBus’ airport express services when they plan Melbourne travel itineraries for their customers.

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New Highway 1 Bridge Open in Big Sur

BIG Sur and Monterey County celebrated the opening of a new Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge on October 13. 

The new bridge has helped restore normalcy to the area, making it possible once again for visitors to drive along the 35 miles of California’s scenic Highway 1 between the Monterey Peninsula and Gorda.  

Highway 1 is not yet passable from Big Sur to San Simeon due to the Mud Creek slide. Caltrans expects to have that portion of the highway open in late-summer 2018.

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Picture Credit: Pintrest