VIP Heathrow Blog

Its funny given how hard I try to save money and shop around in the UK when booking a holiday abroad but when I land at my destination, I relax and all good sense goes out the window financially! I generally sort out about £100 worth of currency to ‘get me by’ for when I arrive at the destination and I then default to using a credit or debit card for those restaurant bills or holiday activities. When paying on a card abroad, I am often asked if I want the transaction to be in pounds or the local currency. I must admit I always default to answering ‘pounds’ – ooops. According to the travel advice online that is the wrong choice! As a general rule, never pay in pounds – that means the overseas store/bank is doing the conversion, and rates are awful!
Another ‘clanger’ I drop is that I often default to obtaining the aforementioned currency at the airport (for ease) however whilst it’s the easy option, it’s such a waste. Airport and ferry port rates are usually dismal, as they know they’re the last port of call and you’re a captive customer. Far better that you use TravelMoneyMax before you go or, if you’ve left it too late, at least order in advance online to pick up at the airport to get better rates.
Tip: Airport Parking Made Easy At Heathrow:
One sure way to be savvy if you are flying from Heathrow airport and make your summer trip abroad even more enjoyable is by choosing meet & greet airport parking. VIP Heathrow meet & greet parking is definitely a firm customer favourite with 85% of VIP’s weekly bookings coming from customers who have used them before or who have been recommended to VIP by family / friends. So if you are flying from one of the World’s busiest airports: Heathrow – we strongly advise booking VIP meet & greet parking.
From the name it may sound like VIP Parking Heathrow is only for the rich and famous but actually VIP offers amazing value for money! VIP Meet & Greet parking for 14 days starts from just £67.95. This way you can beat the queues and go straight to check-in while your car is taken away from the terminal drop off zone to be parked in a secure car-park which has the Park Mark award. Your car will then be brought back to you- directly outside the terminal, upon return to Heathrow. VIP has provided great value, quality, affordable meet & greet parking at Heathrow airport for over 10 years. There is even CLUB VIP the loyalty scheme where customers can choose a free gift after every VIP PLUS or FLEXI booking. Heathrow parking has never been more enjoyable!

If you need Heathrow airport parking, make sure you visit www.vipheathrow.co.uk
Sources:
http://www.vipheathrow.co.uk/index.php/our-services/heathrow-meet-and-greet-parking

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money?&_ga=1.134948337.1447271914.1433849588#hell

London Heathrow is the UK’s favourite airport while British Airways is the nation’s favourite international airline, a survey of over 3,700 UK travellers by TripAdvisor has revealed.
The annual Air Travel Survey also revealed British holidaygoers’ pet likes and gripes about the experience of booking and taking flights.
More than a fifth (21%) of those polled named London Heathrow as the UK’s best airport. Manchester Airport was a close second, cited by one in six (17%) of those polled, followed by London Gatwick in third (15%).
For the second year running, British Airways was named Brits’ favourite airline with nearly a quarter of the vote (23%). Virgin Atlantic polled 13% to claim second spot, while just over one in 10n (11%) named Emirates as their favourite airline. Ryanair polled just 2% of the votes cast.
The survey also revealed the extent to which smartphones have become synonymous with air travel. Four in 10 Brits (40%) say they have researched flight options on their mobile, while more than a third (34%) have used their mobiles to check into flights and nearly a fifth (19%) have used their phone as an electronic boarding pass.
When asked which aspects of air travel had most improved in the last five years, nearly three quarters of Brits named the ease of booking online (74%), while nearly half (47%) cited comparison shopping options on flight search sites like TripAdvisor.
The survey showed a shift in attitude since last year’s survey, which had revealed that price was the most important factor for passengers when picking flights. This year, fewer travellers named price as a key factor when choosing flights than those citing departure and arrival times or the option to fly direct, suggesting a majority of Brits are now prepared to pay more for convenience.
When asked which added fees they found most annoying, a third of British passengers (33%) named and shamed checked baggage charges. Seat selection charges were second on Brits’ pet hate list, cited by over a quarter (28%) of those polled.
Airport Parking Made Easy At Heathrow:

VIP Heathrow parking is definatley a firm customer favourite for Heathrow passengers- 85% of VIP’s weekly bookings coming from customers who have used them before or who have been recommended to VIP by family / friends. So if you are flying from one of the World’s busiest airports: Heathrow – we strongly advise booking VIP meet & greet parking. From the name it may sound like VIP Heathrow is only for the rich and famous but actually VIP Heathrow parking offers amazing value for money! VIP Meet & Greet parking for 14 days starts from just £67.95. This way you can beat the queues and go straight to check-in while your car is taken away from the terminal drop off zone to be parked in a secure car-park which has the Park Mark award. Your car will then be brought back to you- directly outside the terminal, upon return to Heathrow. VIP is family run and has provided great value, quality meet & greet parking at Heathrow airport for over 10 years. Heathrow parking has never been more enjoyable! If you need Heathrow airport parking, make sure you visit www.vipheathrow.co.uk
Sources:
http://www.vipheathrow.co.uk/index.php/our-services/heathrow-meet-and-greet-parking
http://www.tntmagazine.com/travel/news/london-heathrow-named-uks-favourite-airport

We all love a bargain (as long as that bargain means we get a good price and the quality we expected). Holidays and all costs related can add up to a hefty sum, so many people shop around extensively and try to get the best possible deal. Any saving means they have more spending money when away- or so they can afford a better destination / hotel etc. However, make sure you exercise caution with your holiday online surfing. In a recent article by The Daily Mail it reports that City of London Police, the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) and Get Safe Online have partnered to warn tourists about holiday scams and encourage them to protect themselves from fraud. More than 1,500 cases of holiday fraud were reported to police in 2014. British tourists were conned out of £2.2million last year after falling victim to bogus holiday letting websites and other internet-based scams, a new report has revealed.
Unsuspecting holidaymakers lost hundreds or thousands of pounds each after booking a villa or flat, only to arrive and find out that the holiday home doesn’t exist or had never been booked.
A report prepared by the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau found that the average loss was nearly £900, with one holidaymaker being swindled out of £62,000 in a fraud relating to a timeshare scheme.
They report that the most common type of scam involved fraudsters hacking into accounts on popular holiday accommodation websites or creating fake websites that appear to be legitimate. The report found that holiday-related scams are more common in the summer months and in December, and those who are most commonly targeted are aged 30 to 49. Most of those who had been defrauded paid by bank transfer or cash with no means of getting their money back. Online shoppers must be vigilant and conduct all the necessary checks before booking a break to ensure the conmen are kept at bay. By using a credit card you are helping to protect yourself in case if things do turn sour.
The report said criminals also targeted UK caravan stays by posting adverts for non-existent accommodation on Facebook, Gumtree and Craigslist.
There were also reports of holidaymakers booking non-existent airline tickets through dodgy websites. Last year more than 1,500 cases of holiday booking fraud were reported to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau.
Save On Your Airport Parking:
It may not be the most exciting part of your trip but make sure you pre-book airport parking before the date of departure; ‘NEVER, EVER just turn up because that parking ticket will hurt upon return. Choose wisely by ensuring the operator you choose has the Park Mark.

Secure, reliable and trustworthy airport parking can be snapped up at a great price. VIP Heathrow Ltd has been established for over 10 years, has the Park Mark award and is trusted by thousands every year. 7 days VIP Budget Meet & Greet at Heathrow starts from just £47.95. Meet & greet parking is the most convenient way to park and can sometimes be cheaper than using the car-park transfer buses! 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 the summer holidays when 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.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3035595/British-holidaymakers-conned-2-2million-fake-holiday-letting-websites-hackers-bogus-airline-tickets.html

This week has seen more changes to which airlines fly from which Heathrow Terminal. Already a frenetic, chaotic place, Heathrow is a daunting airport to fly from for many travellers.

This week, Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines have joined their fellow Star Alliance carriers in the new Terminal 2. With many recent airline moves, be sure to double-check your airline’s terminal before you travel. Have a look at the “Which Terminal?” guide on the Heathrow website for more information: http://bit.ly/WN214P A programme of moves is scheduled over several months.

Originally opening in 1955, Terminal 2 was Heathrow Airport’s first terminal and it was recently redeveloped and reopened in May 2014 renamed The Queens Terminal. The £1 billion Terminal 2 opened as the new home for 23 Star Alliance airlines, United Airlines, Aer Lingus, Virgin Little Red and Germanwings. It is scheduled to provide an estimated 20 million passengers every year with a spacious and modern airport facility.

Parking at Heathrow can be another head-ache if bus transfers or expensive on-site parking is involved. Meet and greet parking is the most convienent to park and is the secret of the savvy Heathrow traveller. It doesn’t have to make a major hole in the travel budget but those who choose the meet & greet parking service provided by the airport do pay quite a premium vs quality independant operators. One week’s Official Heathrow Meet & Greet parking can cost nearly £90 but quality, long established indpenedant operators such as VIP Heathrow Ltd can deliver the same personal parking service from only £47.95 which is nearly half the price. Customers can even choose the level of meet & greet parking service based on the budget they have for parking.

First time users of VIP Meet & Greet Parking can enjoy a special 10% discount for the PLUS & FLEXI parking service options using code NEWVIP (*Terms & Conditions apply). So if you are travelling from Terminal 2 in the near future use VIP Meet & Greet to ensure the parking element is one less complication.

VIP Heathrow Ltd was established in 2004 as the first to bring affordable, quality meet & greet parking to Heathrow. VIP has been successful in delivering brilliant prices but without compromising on quality. Customers using the VIP service can enjoy a friendly, reliable, punctual service with the peace of mind that their vehicle is being stored in a Park Mark accredited carpark for the duration of the trip.

Dozens of other operators have sprung up at Heathrow but many of these fail to deliver the winning combination which has made VIP be loved by thousands of Heathrow travellers whether they are flying for business or leisure. Every week 85% of VIP’s bookings come from returning customers or those who have been recommended to use VIP which is testament to the great value for money VIP provide. With ‘CLUB VIP’ the Loyalty and Recommend A Friend Scheme, customers are made to feel truley valued in return.

Visit www.vipheathrow.co.uk for prices or more information about VIP Heathrow Meet & Greet Parking.