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Gatwick airport news - June, 2008 |
A new hotel deal offering to promise a 3 star hotel stay at Gatwick Airport from just £49 per room has been launched by Holiday Extras.
Known as an ‘undercover’ hotel, it means that although knowing what facilities the hotel has to offer, you don’t find out the name until after you have booked. However, the facilities are high considering the price you pay. All rooms are en-suite with a TV & satellite, tea & coffee making facilities, radio, telephone, hairdryer and a trouser press, while the hotel facilities include a bar, lounge, restaurant and wireless internet connection. You can also, for a small entrance fee, pamper yourself in the hair & beauty salon, work out in the gym and aerobic studio, or laze by the pool, sauna, steam room and sun beds.
The hotel also offers free airport transfers to both North and South Terminals at Gatwick Airport, being 6 miles away - about a 10-15 minute journey. |
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Thomson Airways will be the new name in which Thomsonfly and First Choice Airways will operate under, come May next year.
The merge is expected to be phased in gradually over a couple of years, so despite flying under the same name, both brands will operate separately on the high street and abroad until the rebranding has been completed.
Thomson Airways will become the UK’s third largest airline, and follows the merge last year when TUI AG and First Choice Holidays became part of TUI Travel UK and Ireland.
Chris Browne, MD of Thomson Airways, said: “Our aim is to build on the very best from these two award-winning airlines. By operating both airlines under one name, we will have 65 planes flying to over 80 destinations from 21 airports in the UK.”
The airline will also be operating more long haul flights to destinations such as Bali, Hawaii and Mauritius when it takes delivery of the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner in 2010 - the first European airline to do so. |
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50 years ago on 9th June, Gatwick Airport was marked as one of the UK’s major airports by Her Majesty the Queen and HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, when they officially opened the South Terminal.
Despite the airport being used since May 1936, the 1958 opening was after a £7.8 million development that included an extension of the runway, taxiways, terminal apron and roads. It became London’s 2nd international airport and was also the first airport that combined air, rail and road airport links.
Gatwick, which has now expanded to become the 6th largest airport in the world, handles some 33 million passengers a year and provides around 25,000 jobs to people in the South East.
Colin Matthews, Chief Executive of BAA, commented: “The success of Gatwick Airport is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the people who work here. When it opened, the terminal was innovative in design and put passengers at its heart. We remain true to that principle today and have plans in place to invest significantly to revitalise Gatwick".
Unfortunately, the celebrations were hindered by the break down of the monorail that connects the North and South Terminals, causing havoc for thousands of passengers.
Despite the airport providing a replacement coach service, many travellers had to walk between the 2 terminals, pulling their luggage along behind them.
Thankfully it didn’t last too long. A spokesman for BAA said, “I can confirm that there was a problem with the monorail service this morning. Transport between the terminals was provided by a replacement coach service. Normal transport has now been restored and we are investigating the cause of the problem”.
Gatwick Airport is continuing its expanding development with an investment of £874 million over the next 5 years. |
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We all know the stress that comes from being at the airport - will you get there on time, how long will you have to wait in the queue, can you hear the flight announcements?
Well a new independent airport lounge programme has been launched by the Leapfrog Group called Airport Angel. You can relax in comfort away from the crowds, enjoying first class facilities and up to date text messages advising where to check in, when to board, any delays, plus much more.
Covering over 200 airport lounges, it costs £65 per year with an additional £15 per visit if you sign up for the Premium membership. There is also Premium + and Platinum membership plans which are suitable for the more frequent flyer. If you visit their website, you can sign up for a 3 month free trial period - all you pay for is the lounge visit and any text message services used in the 3 months.
MD of The Leapfrog Group, Simon Ward, said: “Airport Angel lets you relax away from the crowds providing respite from the hustle and bustle of the airport departure areas, plus complimentary beverages, snacks and business facilities. When you consider the cost of a coffee and a sandwich, the airport lounge pass practically pays for itself.”
“Airport Angel is the smart way for economy class fliers or those using no-frills airlines to upgrade to airport lounge access without incurring the cost of a business class seat.”
Visit www.airportangel.co.uk to find out more and sign up. |
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New signed contracts by easyCar.com will provide extra services to the car hire website. As part of the easyGroup, the Company will now offer airport car parking, airport hotel bookings - both with Holiday Extras - and a taxi service partnered with Where2Guv.
Gatwick, Heathrow, Stansted, Glasgow and Manchester are just some of the main UK airports where you can reserve parking and/or hotels on the website. The taxi service, Where2Guv, operates not only in the UK, but 30 other countries too.
These partnerships and their services will be offered directly from easyCar.com’s website, providing further tools on their already full service website. |
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A Virgin Atlantic plane had to make an emergency landing at Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados last week. The flight, which was on its way to Gatwick Airport, started to develop mechanical problems after taking off from Antigua.
A spokesman said the flight diverted to Barbados and landed safely ‘with a couple hundred passengers on board’ at approximately 6.15pm.
All passengers and the Virgin crew managed to get off the place as normal, and checked into a nearby hotel. They had a 24 hour delay while the plane was repaired, but were then safely back on the plane for the flight to Gatwick. |
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