[Travel] Airports and flying

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Can't be too far off now until they reach the tipping point where there's more Easyjet Speedy Boarders than Non-Speedy Boarders

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

And it begins - Strikes announced at LGW

Gatwick Airport staff to strike at start of summer holidays

Unite has scheduled the strikes for the end of July and the start of August, and has warned that delays and cancellations are "inevitable".

news.sky.com

Good Luck all.

 

[SeagullinExile]

Heathrow was fine this morning, landed at 7:30, back home at 8:55. No hassle whatsoever.

 

[PeterT]

Try the train. I’m three weeks into a month’s inter-railing around Europe. I’m doing it with a seven-days rail travel within a month, 1st class, over-65 inter-rail pass (£350). And that includes my train from Seaford to St Pancras and Eurostar. I use accommodation within a 20 minute walk of a city’s central railway station. So, for a 10am train to my next destination, I leave the accommodation at 9:15. If that were a flight I’d be getting up at 6 to catch a bus taking half an hour to get to an airport two hours before take-off. Looking out of a train window is more than a little better than looking out of a plane’s window.

I was tempted by the new sleeper trains to Berlin but the prices are just eye watering. I do have a few long distance train journeys when heading out to the Rugby World Cup though.

 

[Lyndhurst 14]

Airports may not be as important as water and electricity but they are still vital parts of our country's infrastructure and require continuous investment to remain fit for purpose. Gatwick used to be part of British Airports Authority (a nationalised industry) which also owned and operated another 6 UK airports. BAA was one of the most efficient and profitable state owned industries at the time. Thatcher then decided it should be privatised and it became a plc along with the utility companies. It is currently owned and operated by a French company, Vinci. So yet another foreign owned infrastructure company where profits disappear outside of the UK. Sound familiar ?

 

[Washboard Didgets]

True. But if you fly from an airport, or fly a route, very often it helps. You get to know how to navigate the airport efficiently, learn short cuts (eg know which gates your plane will go from, and you can cut your timings to the minute.

If you regularly fly from North Terminal you will have to amend your short cuts, there is a Brewdog opening in the IDL later this year.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

If you regularly fly from North Terminal you will have to amend your short cuts, there is a Brewdog opening in the IDL later this year.

Fair point.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I was tempted by the new sleeper trains to Berlin but the prices are just eye watering. I

Is this the new European Sleeper company?

 

[Mr Bridger]

Try the train. I’m three weeks into a month’s inter-railing around Europe. I’m doing it with a seven-days rail travel within a month, 1st class, over-65 inter-rail pass (£350). And that includes my train from Seaford to St Pancras and Eurostar. I use accommodation within a 20 minute walk of a city’s central railway station. So, for a 10am train to my next destination, I leave the accommodation at 9:15. If that were a flight I’d be getting up at 6 to catch a bus taking half an hour to get to an airport two hours before take-off. Looking out of a train window is more than a little better than looking out of a plane’s window

Doing this really appeals to me.
Fancy booking two weeks off but not really planning anything other than that nights accommodation and then look from there.
One of the train rides in particular I want to do is the Bernina Express down to Italy through the Alps. It's just deciding on what time of year to do it to get the most spectacular views.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Can't be too far off now until they reach the tipping point where there's more Easyjet Speedy Boarders than Non-Speedy Boarders

I do agree with this, I queried this on one flight and there were 60. Either limit the numbers or add a new and higher speedy-speedy boarders category? Or as one passenger I overheard say “speedy wankers more like”

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Can't be too far off now until they reach the tipping point where there's more Easyjet Speedy Boarders than Non-Speedy Boarders

Not just easyjet - I flew home with BA from Zurich a while ago. The queue for those with 'priority' was longer than the the one for the rest of us.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

I was tempted by the new sleeper trains to Berlin but the prices are just eye watering. I do have a few long distance train journeys when heading out to the Rugby World Cup though.

To be fair, if you think of it as travel and a night's accommodation, it doesn't sound so bad (particularly compared to some train fares in this country).
The only sleeper train I've been on was Istanbul to Sofia (when I was interailing in 2011). On the Turkish side of the border they got everybody off the train to check passports. I was about 3 people from the counter when my food poisoning kicked in and I fainted face first on the platform on my way to the toilet.
On the Bulgarian side, they took the more pleasant approach of walking down the train to check passports on board (I didn't even have to get out of bed).
Anyway, great way to meet people. Highly recommended.

 

[PeterT]

To be fair, if you think of it as travel and a night's accommodation, it doesn't sound so bad (particularly compared to some train fares in this country).
The only sleeper train I've been on was Istanbul to Sofia (when I was interailing in 2011). On the Turkish side of the border they got everybody off the train to check passports. I was about 3 people from the counter when my food poisoning kicked in and I fainted face first on the platform on my way to the toilet.
On the Bulgarian side, they took the more pleasant approach of walking down the train to check passports on board (I didn't even have to get out of bed).
Anyway, great way to meet people. Highly recommended.

I once did about 40 hours Hong Kong to Beijing, with a hole onto the track for your number twos, and a Charlie Chan psycho trying to get into the room in the middle of the night. Good fun apart from that!!

 

[PeterT]

Is this the new European Sleeper company?

Yes, i reckon I could get there flying for about a tenth of the price and time, so very hard to justify unless time and money are not your concern!

 

[PeterT]

Can't be too far off now until they reach the tipping point where there's more Easyjet Speedy Boarders than Non-Speedy Boarders

For the summer destinations, I hear they are introducing EasyJet Speedo Boarders, but no luggage allowed apart from somewhere for your keys and passport ……

 

[Weststander]

When I fly on my own, or with colleagues, for business it's the easiest thing in the world. Turn up with hand luggage only three hours before the flight, book priority security or a lounge or both. Have a coffee and breakfast if it's early or a beer and something light to eat if later. Go to the gate when called, sit in pre-booked seat, read good book, get off, get in pre-booked taxi or get an Uber. Job. Done.

I'd rather attach a pair of dog leads to my eyes using hooks and be taken for a drag by a pair of angry Staffies than fly with my wife and children in August.

I was very use to stresses and bad atmosphere at home when building up to a family holiday. A huge packing list, a fear of missing something vital and ‘someone’ insisting that the house is left pristine no matter the angst. I thought this was just unlucky me, until several clients told me they tread on eggshells at home in the days prior to a flying holiday. Add the stress at airports, ensuring you don’t lose the key docs, collected everything from the security trays (without me last November, Mrs.W left a new Kindle in one) and pointless whining about delays.

Then a few years ago I discovered travelling alone sometimes, meeting similarly minded folk overseas. Calmly packing one case the day before, my heart rate not raised one beat, paradise. Relax and go with the travelling flow

 

[Weststander]

Can't be too far off now until they reach the tipping point where there's more Easyjet Speedy Boarders than Non-Speedy Boarders

Do you ever see overseas, with checking in or boarding, the Easyjet system effectively abandoned? I’ve seen this lots. The ground crew overwhelmed by liars, so they avoid aggro.

I’ve also seen “Now boarding just rows 11 to 20” ignored.

 

[PeterT]

Do you ever see overseas, with checking in or boarding, the Easyjet system effectively abandoned? I’ve seen this lots. The ground crew overwhelmed by liars, so they avoid aggro.

I’ve also seen “Now boarding just rows 11 to 20” ignored.

They need to be thrown off the flights and their baggage removed. That’ll learn ‘em, worth a few hours extra delay to send them a message they won’t forget!

 

[nicko31]

As does taking private jets everywhere.

Private jets are literally a climate crime, heard to think of any single act that is more carbon intensive. Time to start imposing high landing levies on these aircraft

 

[Weststander]

Private jets are literally a climate crime, heard to think of any single act that is more carbon intensive. Time to start imposing high landing levies on these aircraft

Multiplying them x100 for starters seems fair.

The business meetings/attracting overseas investment case is bollocks.