VIP Heathrow Blog

Many said it was inevitable, given Heathrow has been bursting at the seams for some time but Dubai has now overtaken Heathrow to become the world’s busiest airport for international passengers in 2014, the head of the Gulf hub said on Monday. Dubai International airport dealt with about 71m international passengers in 2014, according to chief executive Paul Griffiths, surpassing the 68.1m that passed through Heathrow.
“Heathrow is losing a lot of traffic to Dubai because we’re able to cater for the connections that Heathrow no longer has the capacity to service,” said Mr Griffiths, referring to how the UK’s largest airport is operating at near full capacity on its two runways.
Dubai’s surpassing of Heathrow comes as the Airports Commission, a body set up by the British government, seeks to reach conclusions on whether to recommend a new runway at Heathrow or Gatwick, the UK’s second largest airport.
Both Heathrow and Gatwick on Monday reported record passenger numbers for 2014, and brandished the figures as support for their cases for new capacity.
Heathrow dealt with 73.4m passengers ( a combination of domestic and international travellers) — last year, up 1.4 per cent compared with 2013, as additional large aircraft flew into the airport.
Heathrow highlighted strong traffic growth on routes to emerging markets, including China and Mexico.
However, Mr Griffiths, a former head of Gatwick, said that Dubai would continue to grow strongly, adding it was “highly unlikely the UK will regain number one spot for international passengers”.
When airport capacity is constrained, companies “start to base headquarters overseas because of cost of travel. It strikes at the core of a country’s ability to be competitive”, he said.
Dubai International airport’s growth is rooted in the expansion of Emirates Airline, the state-controlled carrier that was established in Dubai, part of the United Arab Emirates, in 1985.
Heathrow Airport Holdings said the loss of the airport’s status as busiest international hub lent weight to its calls for a third runway.
“Britain has benefited from being home to the world’s largest port or airport for the last 350 years . . . But lack of capacity at Heathrow means we will shortly lose our crown to Dubai,” said John Holland-Kaye, Heathrow’s chief executive.
Gatwick dealt with 38.1m passengers last year, up 7.6 per cent compared with 2013, with strong growth on its core European routes.
Airport Parking Made Easy:
If you are planning a trip from Heathrow, make sure you combine your flight with meet & greet parking from VIP to ensure your trip is even more enjoyable. With meet and greet parking you are met outside the Heathrow terminal by a VIP driver who then takes your car away to be securely parked in the off-site car-park which has Park Mark accreditation. On date of return, providing you follow the simple instructions in the booking paperwork, your car will be brought to you outside the terminal ready to drive home.
VIP offer 3 options of meet & greet parking so customers can choose the level of service dependant on their budget. FLEXI is the on-call option and is especially recommended for travel during busy periods such as Xmas where Heathrow is expected to be even more frenetic than usual. Customers who book VIP FLEXI have priority customer status which means minimal waiting time regardless of whether their flight lands earlier or later than scheduled. VIP even offers a loyalty scheme where customers are rewarded for every 3 bookings with a free gift of their choice. Visit www.vipheathrow.co.uk to find out more about VIP parking, prices and the loyalty scheme etc.

Sources:
http://www.vipheathrow.co.uk/index.php/our-services/heathrow-meet-and-greet-parking
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/02759cc4-9a6a-11e4-9602-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3Ou7z2LKU
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30775021
http://your.heathrow.com/takingbritainfurther

British families can expect to save hundreds of pounds on trips across Europe due to a slide in the value of the euro which has created the cheapest holiday-booking season since the financial crisis, according to a weekend report.
Holidaymakers can expect to save anything between 5% and 15% on the cost of travel and accommodation booked this month and pay almost 20% less than last year on expenses such as eating out.
Experts said British travellers could expect the cheapest holiday prices since before the financial crisis of 2008, the Telegraph reported on Saturday.
It comes as the travel industry gears up for the traditional January surge in bookings.
Despite volatility on the currency markets which saw the pound fall further against the dollar on Friday, sterling is trading more than 7% higher against the euro in comparison with last spring and close to the highest level against the single currency for more than six years.
A euro is now worth just over 78 pence, compared with almost 84 pence in March.
If you snap up a great deal on a flight/ accommodation and need to book airport parking, VIP Heathrow Ltd has provided a quality, great value Meet & Greet parking service for 10 years. Meet & Greet makes parking stress-free. You drive straight to your terminal and are met by an authorized meet & greet driver who then takes your vehicle to be parked in a secure car-park. This means you can go directly to the check-in desk and beat the queues! Upon return you telephone when your flight lands and then after collecting any luggage you are met outside the terminal with your ready warmed-up car ready to drive home. http://www.vipheathrow.co.uk/index.php/our-services/heathrow-meet-and-greet-parking
VIP is unique by offering customers three different service levels so they can choose accordingly to their budget. However all VIP meet & greet Heathrow options are quality options where the customer vehicle is parked securely in the VIP car-park which has Park Mark accreditation.
VIP also offer a vehicle valet option for customers parking at Heathrow. Customers often appreciate this option at this time of year. It is lovely to let someone else sort the grime and come home to a shiny, fresh car. Visit www.vipheathrow.co.uk for prices and full details.
VIP Customers can also enjoy CLUB VIP which is the loyalty reward scheme. After every 3rd booking*, VIP customers can claim a free gift. Visit the CLUB VIP page for full details and *Terms & Conditions.

http://www.vipheathrow.co.uk/index.php/about-vip/club-vip-loyalty-scheme

Sources: http://www.vipheathrow.co.uk/index.php/heathrow-airport/heathrow-airport
Source: http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/Articles/2015/01/05/51666/euro-slump-prompts-cheapest-peaks-since-2008.html

With more than 100,178 passengers scheduled to travel through Heathrow Airport on Christmas Day alone this year, this can make travel even more stressful for families. Families will be happy to know that all five Terminals offer dedicated family Fast Track lanes at security check points, allowing those travelling with children to transfer through the airport stress-free. Additionally, a Reserve & Collect Service is available at all Terminals allowing customers to pre-order items such as baby milk at Heathrow retail stores and then collect them in the departure lounges after security; this service is available during Boots’ opening hours which are between 5:00am-10:00pm.

However, with regards to specially-equipped rooms for feeding babies, parents should be aware that only Terminal 1 offers a mothers’ nursing room both before and after security, whereas Terminal 3 only has a nursing room after security and Terminal 4 before security. Terminal 2 and Terminal 5 do not provide any nursing rooms at all, however all terminals do supply Baby Changing facilities both before and after security with further family toilets at Terminal 1 and Terminal 3.

All the Terminals at Heathrow Airport supply “Stay and Play” areas which include slides, soft play areas and separate Baby and Junior Zones. These are open from 6:00am until 9:00pm and are located in the departure lounges at selected gates. The “Stay and Play” area at Terminal 3 also offers a dedicated Family Lounge divided into two areas, one for children aged up to 2 years old and one for children from 3 – 9 years old.

For those families looking to escape the hustle and bustle of the airport terminal, No.1 Traveller Lounge at Terminal 3 offers a range of facilities including a colourful family room with a TV showing children’s programmes, as well as a family room offering complimentary food and drink, as well as free Wi-Fi. Entry costs £30 per adult and £15 per child when booked in advance. Servisair’s Lounges at Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 accept children but they must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Entry costs £14.99 per child (aged 2 – 11) in Terminal 1 and £10.99 per child in Terminal 3, children aged between 0 – 1 year old are allowed in for free.

All the terminals also provide a number of dining options both before and after security with restaurants such as Giraffe, Wagamama, Bite, Strada, Carluccio’s and Gordon Ramsay’s Plane food, all offering children’s menus.
Make sure you combine your flight from Heathrow with meet & greet parking from VIP to ensure your trip is actually made more enjoyable. With meet and greet parking you are met outside the Heathrow terminal by a VIP driver who then takes your car away to be securely parked in the off-site car-park which has Park Mark accreditation. On date of return, providing you follow the simple instructions in the booking paperwork, your car will be brought to you outside the terminal ready to drive home.
VIP offer 3 options of meet & greet parking so customers can choose the level of service dependant on their budget. VIP welcome new customers with a 10% saving off their first VIP Meet & Greet parking booking with code NEWVIP *(*Terms & Conditions apply).

http://www.vipheathrow.co.uk/index.php/our-services/how-does-meet-greet-parking-work

VIP even offer a loyalty scheme where customers are rewarded for every 3 bookings with a free gift of their choice. http://www.vipheathrow.co.uk/index.php/about-vip/club-vip-loyalty-scheme
Visit www.vipheathrow.co.uk to find out more about VIP parking, prices and the loyalty scheme etc.

Sources:
http://www.vipheathrow.co.uk/index.php/our-services/how-does-meet-greet-parking-work
http://www.traveldailynews.com/news/article/63793/airport-parking-and-hotels-highlights

Families travelling abroad over the hectic Xmas period will find the cold weather and hoards of fellow passengers makes travelling from the airport even more stressful than usual. Many travellers automatically opt for the more traditional ‘park and ride’ bus transfer option. This involves finding an off-airport car park (which can prove no mean feat at the World’s busiest international airport which has no less than 5 terminals), then waiting for a transfer bus which may not take you to your terminal as the first stop. Throughout this process, luggage is being hauled about in cold, wet and windy weather which is typical of this season. With kids in tow this is not a fun way to start the trip! Without researching other options, whilst the prices can seem appealing for the ‘park & ride’ method, there is another more common option- which is surprising affordable: ‘Meet & Greet’ airport parking.
Many people will have heard or ‘Meet & Greet’ or ‘Valet parking’. This parking method means that after pre-booking online, you are met outside the Heathrow terminal by an authorized driver who then takes your car away to be securely parked in an off-site car-park. On date of return, providing you follow the instructions in the booking paperwork, your car will be brought to you outside the terminal ready to drive home. Now more of a common parking solution, it is estimated to be the choice of 25% of travellers from Heathrow per annum. Many customers would be shocked to realize that there is quality meet & greet parking out there which costs only marginally more than the traditional ‘park & ride’ method. For example Purple Parking Park & Ride for 7 days costs £44.95 vs. VIP Meet & Greet which starts from just £47.95!
However, with recent media highlighting some low price but low quality meet & greet providers at various airports, without the proper security/ staff in place, some customers may stay away from this option. However, there are many solid, trustworthy operators out there who competently deliver what is without doubt the most convenient parking solution for travellers. As long as travellers follow some basic rules they can too enjoy this great solution- with peace of mind:
1. Ask family / friends/ colleagues if they use meet & greet parking at your airport and any operators to avoid!
2. Visit the meet & greet operator’s website and check to see that they have the ‘Park Mark’ logo- this is like a seal of approval, based on the car-park meeting strict criteria and is always a good sign.
3. Visit independent customer review sites rather than testimonials on the operator’s actual website as the operator may be selecting the best ones only and leaving out the bad ones which is misleading.
4. Call the parking provider before you book- you can tell a lot by who answers the telephone in this industry which can trigger justifiable alarm bells in a customer’s head.
VIP Heathrow Ltd was the first company to bring affordable, quality meet & greet to London Heathrow. 10 years on and 85% of their weekly bookings come from repeat customers or those who have been recommended to VIP. Park Mark accredited, customers regularly feedback their appreciation of VIP’s great value, friendly, quality service.
Rob Cooper from gaming giant Ubisoft is a valued customer and fan of VIP, speaking highly of the benefits of the service: “I am the Northern European and Export Managing Director for Ubisoft Entertainment, we are a global video games company based in Paris. In my role I obviously travel a considerable amount in and out of Heathrow airport, to me if I can make any part of this aspect of my job a bit quicker, a bit easier and a bit less stressful then I will do so. When you arrive late for a flight or when you just want to get home it is reassuring to know that at least you will be on your way into or out of Heathrow as fast as possible.”

VIP welcome new customers with a 10% saving off their first booking with code NEWVIP *(*Terms & Conditions apply). http://www.vipheathrow.co.uk/index.php/our-services/how-does-meet-greet-parking-work
VIP even offers a loyalty scheme where customers are rewarded for every 3 bookings with a free gift of their choice* (Terms & Conditions apply). http://www.vipheathrow.co.uk/index.php/about-vip/club-vip-loyalty-scheme

Visit www.vipheathrow.co.uk to find out more about VIP parking, prices and the loyalty scheme etc.
http://www.vipheathrow.co.uk/index.php/our-services/heathrow-meet-and-greet-parking

Let’s hope the current ‘weather bomb’ ravaging the North stays away from the South of England- particularly Heathrow airport! This can be one of the busiest times of the year for travel and air-travel being no exception. There are trips to buy Xmas presents from the Christmas Markets of Europe’s cities and people spending Xmas / New Year away or visiting relatives abroad. Snow and high winds are always guaranteed to cause travel chaos and inevitably delays flights.

Make sure if you are travelling from Heathrow airport over the next few weeks that you choose meet & greet parking. This means no driving to an off-site car park with an often unpleasant bus transfer to the terminal. Remembering where you parked your car is always a daunting through at the world’s busiest international airport. It is never fun waiting around for a bus but its even less fun standing around in freezing or wet, windy conditions with suitcases (and maybe children) in tow.
Meet & Greet parking means that you drive straight to your terminal and are met by an authorized meet & greet driver who then takes your vehicle to be parked in a secure car-park. This means you can go directly to the check-in desk, not be exposed to the elements and you beat the queues! Upon return you telephone when your flight lands and then after collecting any luggage you are met outside the terminal with your ready warmed-up car ready to drive home. http://www.vipheathrow.co.uk/index.php/our-services/heathrow-meet-and-greet-parking
Now accounting for around 25% of parking at Heathrow, Meet & Greet is definitely the one for the savvy traveller. Especially when it doesn’t break the bank. VIP Budget meet & greet parking starts from just £47.95 for 7 days. However during the winter months it is recommended that customers opt for the VIP FLEXI option which means absolute flexibility and minimum waiting even if your flight lands early or late through winter weather conditions. VIP FLEXI can be booked for just £65 with the current 10% Xmas discount (Code: xmas14) enter online via www.vipheathrow.co.uk (Terms & Conditions apply, expires 12/12/14 at 23:00).
VIP is unique by offering customers three different service levels so they can choose accordingly to their budget. However all VIP meet & greet options are quality options where the customer vehicle is parked securely in the VIP car-park which has Park Mark accreditation.
VIP also offer a vehicle valet option which customers often appreciate at this time of year. It is lovely to let someone else sort the grime and come home to a shiny, fresh car. Visit www.vipheathrow.co.uk for prices and full details.
VIP Customers can also enjoy CLUB VIP which is the loyalty reward scheme. After every 3rd booking, VIP customers can claim a free gift. Visit the CLUB VIP page for full details and terms & Conditions. http://www.vipheathrow.co.uk/index.php/about-vip/club-vip-loyalty-scheme

The month of December is here and Christmas is looming. If the idea of buying Christmas presents and decorating the house fills you with dread, maybe its time to get out of Grinch mode and consider squeezing in a weekend away to one of the fabulous cities in Europe which are sure you fill you with festive spirit. The cities offer wonderful Christmas markets where shoppers can browse for gift inspiration, take in the atmosphere and sample delicious local produce.

A flight from Heathrow to Paris with Air France from £142pp* which means that it won’t break the bank to jet off for a Christmas fix.

What’s the best thing you can do for free in Paris at Christmas?
Enjoy the window displays in the city’s Grands Magasins department stores. Galeries Lafayette, Printemps, Bon Marché and BHV all compete each year to outdo each other.
Heather Stimmler-Hall (secretsofparis.com)
What are the unmissable Xmas events in…?

…Brussels:
Brussels Winter Wonders is one of Europe’s biggest Christmas markets and is the best way to get into the holiday spirit. The nightly light show on the Grand Place is a beautiful spectacle. Combine it with a glass of mulled wine and a plate of oysters.
….Berlin-
Christmas markets, lights and decorations in the streets, special dishes and mulled wine at restaurants, and Christmas programmes at the opera and concert houses.
…..Rome?
First of all there is the Christmas market in Piazza Navona. The square gets filled up with stands selling ornaments, toys, candy etc. Another tradition is nativity scenes – you find them in every church.
So if you decide to fit in a magical festive getaway, make sure you combine your flight from Heathrow with meet & greet parking from VIP to ensure your trip is even more enjoyable. With meet and greet parking you are met outside the Heathrow terminal by a VIP driver who then takes your car away to be securely parked in the off-site car-park which has Park Mark accreditation. On date of return, providing you follow the simple instructions in the booking paperwork, your car will be brought to you outside the terminal ready to drive home.
VIP offer 3 options of meet & greet parking so customers can choose the level of service dependant on their budget. FLEXI is the on-call option and is especially recommended for travel during busy periods such as Xmas where Heathrow is expected to be even more frenetic than usual. Customers who book VIP FLEXI Heathrow parking have priority customer status which means minimal waiting time regardless of whether their flight lands earlier or later than scheduled. VIP are currently offering 10% off their FLEXI option by using the code XMASFLEXI by 12th December 14. VIP even offers a loyalty scheme where customers are rewarded for every 3 bookings with a free gift of their choice.

Visit www.vipheathrow.co.uk to find out more about VIP parking, prices and the loyalty scheme etc.

Source:
http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2014/nov/30/festive-breaks-brussels-paris-berlin-madrid-rome-europe
(*Flight found via lastminute.com, subject to change)

The festive season is upon us. December often proves to be another extremely busy time for air-travel. Some people are squeezing in a winter sunshine escape abroad, some are visiting relations abroad and to some less lucky travellers it is business as usual flying to attend important meetings amongst the masses of Xmas stressed leisure travellers. With this even greater volume of people travelling, it is expected to cause more chaos and stress than usual at the already straining at the seams Heathrow airport.
What would ruin a trip over xmas? Airport baggage or flight delays/ long queues / freezing car-parks / inconsiderate fellow passengers? At least if you book meet & greet parking with VIP you can ensure that element goes seamlessly by beating the queues through being met outside your terminal to have your car parked for you. Peak busy times are the worst time to choose the alternative traditional ‘Park & Ride’ bus transfer service where travellers drag suitcases around in the freezing cold.
VIP was the first to bring affordable meet & greet parking to Heathrow, 10 years ago and offer:

Meet & Greet Parking For Terminal 1

Meet & Greet Parking For Terminal 2

Meet & Greet Parking For Terminal 3

Meet & Greet Parking For Terminal 4

Meet & Greet Parking For Terminal 5

VIP is unique, especially as customers can tailor the level of service to their budget through the 3 options which include: VIP Budget/ PLUS & FLEXI. However during peak periods of travel such as the festive season, it is strongly recommended that travellers book the VIP FLEXI meet & greet parking option for their Heathrow airport parking requirements. Business travellers in particular are encouraged to opt for FLEXI. The small premium will soon pay off with this priority customer status service which means maximum flexibility with minimum waiting in the event of changes to flight times. Business travellers do not wait to get caught up with the hordes of leisure travellers. With FLEXI Meet & Greet you have the confidence to know that you can arrive under your own steam and you will be met by a VIP driver no matter whether you are earlier or later than expected, providing you always stick to the simple service rules.
VIP launched the VIP FLEXI meet & greet parking option at Heathrow over 12 months ago, serving all Heathrow terminals and it has proved extremely popular, particularly with business travellers to whom time is of the essence. Such customers often need to change flights and do not want to join the customer queue system if their flight lands earlier / later than scheduled as per the VIP Budget and PLUS customers who are working to a tighter budget and accept that a short wait might be involved- especially at peak times. So if you want to be in and out of Heathrow airport as quickly as possible, book the VIP FLEXI meet and greet parking service which unlike Budget & PLUS is ‘on-call’ and includes most of the extra charges which could arise when booking parking so the price you pay is better ‘capped’.
To find out more about VIP FLEXI meet & greet Heathrow parking please visit www.vipheathrow.co.uk there is even a special festive promotion for FLEXI with the code: XMASFLEXI which is valid until 12/12/14.
Read more about VIP Meet & Greet Heathrow parking : http://www.vipheathrow.co.uk/index.php/our-services/heathrow-meet-and-greet-parking
Business travellers visit here: http://www.vipheathrow.co.uk/index.php/our-services/corporate-customers

Heathrow airport parking with ‘VIP’ is tried and tested, something travellers can always count on. This is unlike the future of Heathrow airport in ‘The Great Will It / Won’t It Expand’ debate. The speculation continues over expansion plans for Heathrow Airport. This week it has been in the news that the Heathrow and Gatwick new runway costs have been ‘underestimated’
Plans to build new runways at Heathrow and Gatwick will cost substantially more than the bidders have estimated, a report says.
The Airports Commission says a second runway at Gatwick would cost £2bn more than the bid suggests. Two separate plans to expand Heathrow are predicted to cost £3-4bn more.
The commission has been tasked with weighing up where a new runway should be built to meet rising capacity demand in the South East of England.
It is considering three options – a second runway at Gatwick, a third runway at Heathrow, or an extension to one of the existing Heathrow runways.
Alternative proposals, including building new airports near Oxford or in Thames Estuary, have already been ruled out.
VIP has been providing an efficient, reliable and friendly meet & greet parking service at Heathrow for 10 years. Travelling from the world’s busiest international airport can be stressful enough with droves of harassed passengers battling their way around the confusing infrastructure to reach the hallowed Check-in desk. Parking can add to the stress if you don’t choose wisely. It might not be the most exciting thing to think about but it is critical – so don’t wing it (excuse the pun).
If you just turn up and park without pre-booking, you could end up with a scarily high parking ticket to pay upon return which always puts a major dampener on a trip. If you pre-book but choose an off-site car park with a bus service- you have our pity! Transfers are not fun no matter how quickly they try to herd you aboard and transfer you to your terminal. Drivers who choose meet & greet parking are definitely on the right track as this is the most convenient way to park at Heathrow. However never park with an operator who does not show the ‘Park Mark’ logo on their website which shows the car park has been properly vetted to meet standards. VIP is relied upon by thousands every year to deliver a great value, quality service so they can travel with peace of mind.
Choose from Budget/ PLUS or FLEXI VIP meet & greet parking options dependent on your budget and requirements. VIP even offers hotel with parking packages for those poor travellers with early / late flights. Visit www.vipheathrow.co.uk for further information and prices.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-29998859

Many of us have experienced the misery of a long flight delay disrupting our holiday or jeopardising that important business trip because of, for example, some airline’s ‘technical computer issue’. In the newspapers last weekend, readers would have been delighted to learn that the airline industry is now expected to pay out £3.89 billion for historic claims relating to delayed flights.
Millions of holidaymakers who endure long flight delays will now receive compensation following the landmark court rulings on Friday 31st October. The Supreme Court’s ruling has been hailed as a major victory for holiday makers who have long been fobbed off with excuses by airlines. Two million passengers a year whose flights are delayed by technical faults, could now be entitled to hundreds of pounds each after judges found such problems are the sole responsibility of the airline, which is why the industry is now expected to have to pay out the £3.89 billion for historic claims. Lawyer David Bott, who represented the passengers, said “this is a landmark day”.
“Airlines will be made to face up to their legal responsibility and pay out fair compensation to those who have suffered. We expect hundreds of thousands of people to now come forward and make a claim.” These judgements follow a six year battle between airlines and passengers. Judges rejected separate appeals from airlines Jet2 and Thomson which had been taken to court by angry holidaymakers. Under European law, passengers are entitled to up to £470 in compensation if a flight arrives at their destination more than 3 hours late.
The exception is if the delay is caused by a so-called ‘extraordinary circumstance’ such as bad weather, industrial action or a bird hitting a plane. Airlines have been accused of repeatedly exploiting this rule to wriggle out of paying legitimate claims. They have argued that delays caused by technical faults also count as ‘extraordinary circumstances’ beyond their control, which they said frees them from any obligation to pay. Holidaymakers who had claims rejected on these grounds took the airlines to the Small Claims Court and then to the Court of Appeal.
Flying from the World’s busiest international airport can be stressful enough, so make sure the parking aspect goes seamlessly for you. Be sure to choose meet & greet parking which is the most convenient way to park when you next fly from Heathrow. Meet & Greet parking helps to ensure that you reach Check-in quickly and seamlessly. VIP has been providing a friendly, good quality and great value meet & greet parking service at Heathrow airport since 2004 and every week 85% of their bookings come from returning customers or those who have been recommended to use VIP by friends / colleagues.
For further information and prices please visit www.vipheathrow.co.uk

Source: Daily Mail Sunday 1/11/14

Users of domestic UK flights will be disappointed as Virgin Atlantic has announced plans to scrap its recently-launched domestic airline, Little Red, after just 18 months.

The struggling carrier, which took over slots from BMI, has tried in vain to fill sufficient seats on its flights linking London Heathrow with Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Manchester.

The airline’s daily services to Manchester will end in March; its Scottish services will cease in September. The valuable slots will revert to arch-rivals British Airways unless another bidder comes forward.

Some reports suggest that the airline was running at little more than a third full during the quieter months

Sir Richard Branson, the Virgin Atlantic president, claimed the venture had benefited consumers but “the odds were stacked against us”.

Little Red launched in March 2013 after European competition authorities made British Airways relinquish Heathrow slots for domestic flying after its takeover of BMI.

While more than a million passengers have flown on its domestic routes, Virgin Atlantic admitted that demand had been predominantly from point-to-point customers rather than the connecting traffic it had hoped for, feeding more passengers on to its more profitable long-haul routes.

The Virgin Atlantic chief executive, Craig Kreeger, said: “Little Red came about through an enduring passion at Virgin Atlantic to make a difference for our customers. We really wanted it to be a success and everyone involved worked extremely hard and has given it their best efforts.

“It was always a huge challenge on behalf of the consumer, as the totally inadequate number of slots made available by the European commission did not deliver close to BA’s network position, even when supplemented by our own slots to fly between Heathrow and Manchester. The time lag between the takeover of BMI and our entering the market also meant Little Red initially faced an uphill battle to win recognition and convert customers to its services.”

Little Red was operated for Virgin Atlantic by Ireland’s Aer Lingus on a wet lease basis, meaning that the Dublin-based carrier supplied the crew and the aircraft, albeit in Virgin colours.

Also, this week:…

…Virgin God Sir Richard Branson showed his support for expansion at Heathrow. The head of Virgin Atlantic, which operates out of both Heathrow and Gatwick, said that it was the “logical choice” for any new runway – although he would ideally like to see them at both airports.

“I’ve always said that I think Heathrow is where people want to fly from. Heathrow is where all the businesses are set up and that is certainly our ideal first choice,” he said

Speaking at a press conference in Atlanta to promote their new Dreamliner, he said that Virgin Atlantic continuously had to make tough decisions over its network because of the runway restrictions.

“At the moment at Heathrow if we wanted to do a new route we’d have to close a current route, we have no other choice. There are no other slots at Heathrow.”

The debate goes on. To keep up to date with Heathrow’s expansion campaign please visit; http://your.heathrow.com/takingbritainfurther

If you require parking at Heathrow airport, whether its for a leisure or business trip, choose VIP, the Heathrow parking experts. For information regarding Heathrow airport parking please visit www.vipheathrow.co.uk

Source: Heathrownews.com