Corporate e-Newsletter - June 2007

If you normally use the Blackwall Tunnel to reach London City Airport (LCY) from South London in the morning rush-hour, then we recommend allowing at least an extra 30 to 60 minutes to complete the trip.

Traffic tailbacks on the A102 southern approach to the Blackwall Tunnel are resulting from the sudden decision by Transport for London (TfL) to close the "tidal flow" in use for almost 30 years This extra lane has been a vital queue-buster for motorists heading northbound through the tunnel. It operates in the morning peak hours between Monday and Friday inclusive and increases road capacity by a third.

Local radio now regularly reports traffic tailbacks of three and four mile on the A2/A102 heading north with delays of at least 60 minutes to reach the tunnel entrance. Surrounding roads were also heavily congested so public transport users are also victims.

TfL says it has had to close the tidal flow following safety concerns expressed by the Metropolitan Police. A TfL spokeswoman said "Public safety and the efficient operation of traffic through the Blackwall Tunnel is our primary concern. The increasing number of 'near misses' in this enclosed environment had posed a significant safety risk and endangered lives. The decision to stop the tidal flow was taken jointly with the Metropolitan Police and was aimed at delivering the highest possible safety standards to London's travelling public."
TfL has released a video of the near misses. These took place on the north side of the tunnel and were caused by impatient drivers making illegal overtaking manoeuvres.

Closure of the tidal flow has resulted in a flood of complaints from road users. Critics maintain that the tidal flow could be operated safely, provided it is given greater police enforcement and better signage.

The Blackwall Tunnel is a vital economic link between South London, Canary Wharf, LCY plus the expanding areas to the east of the capital. Alternatives for road users would be the Rotherhithe tunnel (which is also heavily congested) and the Dartford tunnel, which is impractical for many, as it is a considerable distance down river.

It seems inconceivable that the authorities can stand by and ignore the mounting chaos now experienced in the morning peak. A factor they seem to have ignored is the effect on the blood pressure of thousands of commuters, and whether this is not a much more serious Health and Safety risk than the one they are addressing with this tidal flow lane closure!

It was recently predicted that the Gatwick Express train service would be scrapped to make better use of track capacity on the Brighton main line.

Instead, this vital rail link to London's second airport has been reprieved by the Department for Transport following objections from the aviation industry and various consumer bodies.

Gatwick Express trains will run at their existing 15 minute frequency until December 2008. But from then, the plan is to better meet demand by extending six trains at peak times between Gatwick airport, Brighton and vice versa. These services will also call at Haywards Heath. The six trains will depart Brighton between 07.35 and 08.50 and will leave Victoria between 17.30 and 18.45.

National Express, the current operator of Gatwick Express, will relinquish the franchise to Southern in May 2008, but has publicly committed itself to maintain the quality of its service right up to the handover, and to ensure a smooth transfer to Southern.

Medway Travel has access to one of the largest portfolios of specially negotiated contract fares open to any travel agent in the country. This means we can - subject to availability at the time of booking - offer unusually low prices for many long-haul and certain European routes.

This month's examples are all from London, are:

Ryanair has declared a price war on its no-frills rivals with its biggest ever seat sale.

The airline, which is now quoting all of its fares inclusive of taxes, is offering 10 million seats across Europe from just £10.

Around 3.5 million seats will be offered for £10, including taxes, with another 3.5 million for £15 and the rest for £20.

Ryanair believes the seat sale will help it reach its target of carrying more than 52 million customers this year compared with 42 million in 2006.

It also announced that if passengers find a cheaper fare on the same route with any other airline, it will pay double the difference between the two fares, even though it expects the move to cost the airline around £1 million.

Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary accepted the moves would put downward pressure on both prices and profits but said it would help consumers and damage competitors.

His pledge came just hours after rival Easyjet vowed to slash its fares to fill seats due to falling passenger numbers.

EasyJet revealed a reduced winter loss, down 58% from £40 million to £17 million, on revenues up by 14% to £719 million.

It blamed the loss on higher taxes, rising interest rates and environmental concerns (see earlier story).

At Medway Travel, we believe competition is good for travellers, but recommend you should think twice before self booking with no frills airlines – especially when the competition becomes this tough.

There are bound to be casualties, with the weaker airlines going to the wall, and then you could well be stranded either still at home or, perhaps worse, away from home with a valueless return ticket. A replacement ticket could then cost you a great deal more. However, when you book through Medway Travel, we arrange Airline Failure Insurance that will ensure you have sufficient cover to enable you to complete your trip.

 

Jet Airways introduces first class from London

 

The privately owned Indian carrier Jet Airways is to acquire 30 long haul aircraft as part of an aggressive $3.7 billion expansion plan. The investment, which includes an overhaul of in-flight services, is aimed at making Jet Airways into one of the top five global carriers.

First class is to be introduced together with new business class and economy seats from next month on the Heathrow-Mumbai route, as the airline receives the first of 20 new wide-bodied aircraft, a Boeing 777-300ER.

The new cabins will be progressively introduced over the next two years as nine further 777 aircraft and 10 Airbus A330-200 aircraft are delivered. These will be used on Jet Airways' 27 weekly flights from London Heathrow to cities in India (Mumbai, Delhi, Amritsar and Ahmedabad).

In addition to the wide-bodied aircraft order the airline holds options to buy further aircraft of each type and has recently signed to purchase 10 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft with deliveries from 2011.

The airline has also announced that it will start flying between India and the US via Brussels from August.

Each 777 will feature eight first class 'suites' providing more than 26sq feet of space featuring dual sliding doors to create a feeling of privacy. The seat within will extend to what the airline claims will be the world's longest fully flat bed at 83 inches. Each suite will include a 23 inch television screen, a personal wardrobe and office facilities.

The airline's chairman claims that the new cabins represent an exciting leap forward in the airline’s expansion plans. The seats are at the cutting-edge of airline design technology and aim to surpass the very best of the British and international competition for comfort, luxury and style.

Virgin starts second daily Washington flights  

 

Virgin Atlantic has launched its second daily service to Washington Dulles International Airport. The additional service will operate from now until October 27.

A Virgin spokesman claimed that this new service gave Virgin Atlantic passengers the best possible schedule. They can now choose the existing morning departure from Heathrow to Washington, or wait until the late afternoon to leave London after a day's work.

On their return, the new late evening departure from Washington will suit the determined lobbyist who can have dinner on the Hill and still catch an overnight flight back to London.

The new flight VS055 will depart from Heathrow at 17.30 and arrive in at Washington at 20.55 and the VS056 will return from Washington at 23.10 and arrive Heathrow at 1135 the following day.

 

 VLM is now operating a jet from London City

VLM is now operating smoother and faster jet flights on its popular London City (LCY) to Rotterdam route. It's a far cry from the Belgian carrier's F-50 turbo-props which have plied between the two cities for many years.

So far the Belgian airline has acquired a single 92-seater BAe146-300 but two more of these craft will be added later this year.

VLM plies the Rotterdam route from LCY ten times a day with the BAe146 operating four of these flights. Jet-operated flights are the 0740, 1030, 1655 and 1935 services from LCY. From Rotterdam you will find the BAe146 on flights departing at 0705, 1000, 1620 and 1915. Seating inside the BAe146 is configured five across (3-2) with 31 inches of legroom.

VLM operates over 100 flights a day in and out of LCY, representing some 36 per cent of all movements. Rotterdam is VLM's second largest base. Besides the flights going to LCY, there are twice daily links to Manchester and Hamburg.

 

More problems for British Airways passengers at Heathrow

 

British Airways recently had to revert to its old baggage handling system at Heathrow following a fiasco at Terminal 4.

According to reports in the national press, thousands of arriving passengers faced delays of up to two hours in the baggage reclaim hall after a new baggage handling computer trial caused chaos. Some passengers, those with urgent appointments or train connections to make, simply gave up waiting for their luggage and left the airport.

It seems the fiasco was triggered by a new "resource management system" for baggage handling which BA is adopting at Heathrow in preparation for its move to Terminal 5 in April 2008.

It isn't the first time BA passengers have suffered problems, however. Many travellers have seen their baggage lost and have been delayed by strikes, bad weather and, more recently, by trials in preparation for the move to T5 next year. So one could be excused for thinking that British Airways is treating its Heathrow passengers as guinea pigs.

A BA spokesman vehemently denied this was the case, saying that the new system at Terminal 4 was already used in other areas of BA and was designed to ensure that the right teams were in place at the right time.
BA claims that on a normal day the new system wouldn't have caused problems, but on that particular morning, Customs decided they wanted to search bags on two flights arriving from Lagos and Accra and this tied up BA’s resources and baggage teams. It meant the new system couldn't work, so it was switched off and the old one reinstated. BA is continuing to use the old system at T4 and will only re-instate the new one when it is considered appropriate.

We wonder whether BA is overdoing the cuts in staffing, if such everyday occurrences as this, can result in wholesale chaos?

 

SWISS has enhanced London City services

 

Swiss International Air Lines has added an early morning departure from London City Airport to Zurich.

The 0700 departure started in April with an additional 20.00 return, giving the airline flights between the two financial centres at roughly two-hour intervals.

SWISS will offer daily UK connections to and from Tokyo via Zurich after increasing its weekly frequencies from six to seven in February. From mid-July, the carrier will also provide daily services to Los Angeles, Santiago and Johannesburg via Zurich. All these destinations were previously served six times a week.

SWISS has already upgraded its premium class cabins and broadened its online service.

A European Airbus fleet upgrade was completed in February and a general improvement of Avro RJ 100 cabin interiors is underway. The aircraft are being given new leather-covered seats and a more spacious five-abreast configuration for greater in-flight comfort.

The lower weight of the new seats helps reduce each flight's fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, according to the airline.

 

Delta Air Lines has emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and announced its intention to operate across the Atlantic from Heathrow "as soon as the airport opens up".

Delta’s CEO said recently, while unveiling a new livery for the airline (see picture), said that one of the ways Delta had managed to exit Chapter 11 was by abandoning many of its unprofitable domestic routes and focusing on the international market.

The airline has grown its international business to forty percent, and we plan to grow that to at least 50% as soon as possible.

The CEO said the airline was pleased with the way EU/US open skies negotiations had gone and would be looking to start operating services between Atlanta and Heathrow and New York JFK and Heathrow as soon as the airport opens up. This is expected to be in May next year when BA completes the move of most of its services to the newly opened Terminal 5, freeing up space elsewhere at the airport.

Delta has expanded its international network dramatically in the past two years. Last year, Delta launched services between Gatwick and JFK after it bought a route authority from United, which dropped its Heathrow-JFK service.

The carrier has been in Chapter 11 for the past 19 months and had used the period to reduce its debt by half, to US$7.6bn (£3.8bn), The airline has reported four consecutive quarters of operating profits and is projecting pre-tax income for 2007 of US$816m (£408m) compared with pre-tax losses for 2006 of US$452m.

Delta’s chief financial officer, said that rather than simply cut costs, Delta had used the Chapter 11 process to transform completely every aspect of the business and create a platform for long-term success that will enable the airline to weather future volatility in the airline industry. With a best-in-class cost structure, improving revenue performance and a strong financial foundation, Delta claims to be exiting Chapter 11 in a position of strength and is planning to build on this momentum.

A new service, aiming to reduce the long queues at check-in, move passengers quicker through airports and make travel easier for everyone, has launched in the UK.

Personal Porter is the first company in Europe to offer travellers an online and seamless
global door-to-door luggage delivery service with real-time tracking via SMS.

The service bypasses traditional check-in, by picking up your luggage and sports equipment
from and delivering it to the addresses of your choice, ahead of your own arrival.

When compared with other existing door-to-door luggage delivery services, Personal Porter stands out as the only company to offer flexible luggage options, preferred time pick-up windows and pro-active luggage management.

With operations in both the UK and Australia, Personal Porter also provides unrivalled regional customer service and support.

Nick Blackledge, M.D. of Personal Porter said, "Airlines all over the world have identified luggage handling as a major issue and are wrestling with ways to address this. It costs the industry millions of pounds each year and we are witnessing the beginnings of how airlines will manage their luggage in the future."

A number of major airlines have recently introduced stricter new luggage policies, possibly
signifying the end of 'free luggage'.

We are pleased to offer our clients this new service, which minimises your risk of experiencing mishandled luggage, shortens your travel time by up to several hours on a return journey, and eliminates the hassle of dragging your luggage to and from the airport. Please contact us for more details.

Airports operator BAA plans to cut congestion at its London airports as part of a £9.3 billion investment plan.

The company is forecasting average passenger growth at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted of 2.8% a year over 11 years.

New facilities planned include a second runway and terminal at Stansted, Heathrow East - a replacement for Terminal 2 at Heathrow - renovation of Herthrow Terminals 3 and 4 and T5C, a second satellite for Heathrow Terminal 5.

CEO Stephen Nelson said: "Last month BAA announced its ongoing investment to cut airport queues quickly, today we are focused on our long-term plans to free the travelling public from congestion and provide a good experience at our airports.

"Our investment programme is big, ambitious and long-term, yet will require no subsidy from taxpayers. The size and strength of BAA's balance sheet and our unrivalled experience in developing new airport facilities give us great confidence that we can deliver this scale of investment on time and on budget.

"We now look to the regulatory authorities to deliver the stable regulatory system and sensible financial incentives necessary to deliver these plans."

This is welcome light at the end of the (very long) tunnel for hard pressed travellers, fed up with the seemingly inevitable scrum they always have to contend with at Heathrow.

If you or your colleagues have plans to visit any overseas trade fair in the future, please contact us as soon as possible about your arrangements for travel and accommodation, as the earlier we can make the bookings for you, the lower will be the cost of the airfares, and the greater the selection of hotel accommodation.

We would also suggest you take a look at our  website Trade Fairs page from time to time, to help with your forward planning.

Algeria – Algiers – SIAC: (Food & Technology) 17th – 20th November 2007

China – Shanghai – WORLD FOOD OF CHINA: 4th – 7th September 2007

Germany – Frankfurt – TENDENCE: 24th – 28th August, 2007
Germany – Cologne – SPOGA: 2nd – 4th September 2007
Germany Cologne – IAM: 7th – 9th September 2007
Germany – Cologne – Eu Vend: 13th – 15th September 2007
Germany – Dusseldorf – GDS (shoes): 14th – 16th September, 2007

Kurdistan – Erbil – ERBIL INTNL. FAIR: 29th October – 2nd November 2007

Russia – Donetsk – METALLURGY UKRAINE: 4th – 7th September 2007
Russia – Moscow – CPM: 5th – 9th September, 2007
Russia – Kiev – Medica/Health: 16th – 19th October 2007

Saudi Arabia – Riyadh – SAUDIBUILD/STONE: 12th – 15th November, 2007

Singapore – ENVIROASIA: 27th – 30th November, 2007

Switzerland – St. Gallen – NANOEUROPE: 11th – 13th September, 2007

Thailand – Bangkok – HOSPIMEDICA: 12th – 14th September, 2007
Thailand – Bangkok – Wire Tube SEAsia: 16th – 18th October 2007

Turkey – Istanbul - Packaging: 17th 21st October 2007

Vietnam – Ho Chi Minh City – Environment Vietnam: 18th – 21st October 2007

Also, don't forget, if there are a number of you travelling together, there are major savings possible for groups of 9 or more, when we negotiate group rates with the airlines. Click here to see more about our Group travel services.

The long-awaited replacement  control tower at London’s  Heathrow Airport has now entered service.

National Air Traffic Services, part owned by BAA and seven UK airlines, said the 87 metre-high tower took over from the existing tower at 2 am on a recent Saturday morning, when the airport was at its quietest.

The move to the new tower was part of the preparations for the launch of Heathrow’s new terminal five, in March next year.

The old 38.8 metre-high tower tower, opened in 1955, and which replaced the airport’s original RAF control tower. whilst geographically central to the airport’s current operations, will be too far off-centre when the new terminal opens.

 

Zoom will compete with British Airways between Europe and the island of Bermuda from next month. The Canadian carrier is set to launch a service from Gatwick on June 8 with flights being extended to New York JFK on June 23. Flights to Bermuda will operate twice a week while the New York service will operate every day.

What it means is that Zoom will be possibly the first airline to allow passengers to visit both Bermuda and New York on the same trip. That means passengers will be able to book all flight sectors at an advantageous price.

At the time of writing, flights to New York from Gatwick are priced from £258 return and there seems to be plenty of availability in June at this price. The service to Bermuda is costlier and you can expect to pay upwards of £360 return. Zoom may yet amend these indicative prices with the regulatory bodies for the Bermuda-New York sectors.

Passengers paying an extra £99 per sector qualify for premium economy seating, which includes extra legroom and various other frills.

Schedules show a 1300 departure from Gatwick arriving in New York at 1545 (or 1845 on Wednesday and Friday when the flight stops in Bermuda). In the return direction, Zoom departs JFK at 1930 arriving in Gatwick the next morning at 0600 (or 0755 when routed via Bermuda).

A major advantage of Zoom's pricing is that passengers can book on a one-way basis. They need not include a Saturday night stay (as the major airlines require) or book round trip only.

Zoom is using B767-300s. Seating in economy is 31 inches rising to 36 inches in premium economy. Watch out for Zoom's luggage allowance, which is only 20 kilos (or 30 kilos in premium economy) in total. Zoom's 20 kilos limit is less than half the "per piece" allowance (normally two pieces of 23 kilos each) offered by the conventional airlines.

This is yet another alternative route and airline to consider, when planning to cross “the pond”, so let us do the research for you. We will offer the best options out of the hundreds available, saving you a lot of time whilst also obtaining the best fare to suit your needs.

Strikes Pound Alitalia, Italy Looks For Exit.

Twin strikes stranded thousands of Alitalia passengers on Tuesday, May 22nd, as the Italian government said it was willing to quit the state-controlled airline by selling its entire 49.9 percent stake.

The travel chaos also affected other airlines and frustrated fans of AC Milan, travelling to the Champions League soccer final against Liverpool in Athens the following day.

Medway Travel consultants were pleased to be able to contact all our affected passengers by early in the afternoon of Monday 21st May, and make any necessary amendments to their itineraries.

 

British Airways Eyes All Business Class US Flights.

British Airways is reported to be considering business class only flights on routes between the United States and continental Europe, its chief executive said on Monday, as the carrier aims to tap the lucrative end of the expanding transatlantic market.

Europe's second-biggest airline (by traffic) is considering such services as a way to take high-margin business from its rivals Air France-KLM and Lufthansa, as the market for flights between the United States and European Union opens up next year.

 

US Airlines less popular than the US Internal Revenue Service.

American citizens like the tax collector better than their airlines, according to a customer satisfaction survey released on Tuesday.

Weighed down by delays, grumpy employees and lost bags, US airlines scored 63 out of a possible 100 on the University of Michigan's Customer Satisfaction Index. That is a touch below the 65 awarded to the bureaucracy-laden Inland Revenue Service.

KLM Charging for extra leg room

KLM is charging passengers an extra EUR50 euros (nearly £35) for seats with more leg room, such as exit row seats, in a trial on some long-haul routes, the airline announced recently.

The Dutch arm of Air France KLM, launched the trial on flights to Singapore, Manila and Curacao in mid May, and if passengers show a willingness to pay more, KLM plans to expand the scheme on other routes - including European flights - as it sees an opportunity to generate additional revenue.

Please contact our travel consultants for comprehensive advice, before you book your flights. We can make all the difference by ensuring you have a comfortable flight.