VIP Heathrow Blog

Airports can be stressful places with so much to remember and think about. Make sure you remember, there are restrictions on the amount of liquids you can take in your hand luggage. If possible, pack liquids in your hold baggage (luggage that you check in) or only pack 100ml mini sizes for items in carry on luggage.
Liquids include:
• all drinks, including water
• liquid or semi-liquid foods, e.g soup, jam, honey and syrups
• cosmetics and toiletries, including creams, lotions, oils, perfumes, mascara and lip gloss
• sprays, including shaving foam, hairspray and spray deodorants
• pastes, including toothpaste
• gels, including hair and shower gel
• contact lens solution
• any other solutions and items of similar consistency

If you do take liquids in your hand luggage:
• containers must hold no more than 100ml
• containers must be in a single, transparent, resealable plastic bag, which holds no more than a litre and measures approximately 20cm x 20cm
• contents must fit comfortably inside the bag so it can be sealed
• the bag must not be knotted or tied at the top
• you’re limited to 1 plastic bag per person
• you must show the bag at the airport security point

Tip: Airport Parking Made Easy At Heathrow:

Need to park your car at the airport whilst you are away? Make your summer trip abroad even more enjoyable 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 their 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 parking Heathrow has provided great value, quality 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
https://www.gov.uk/hand-luggage-restrictions/overview

This week, The Airports Commission has backed a third Heathrow runway, saying it will add £147bn in economic growth and 70,000 jobs by 2050.

In a nutshell: the Heathrow scheme is predicted to create the most jobs and make the most money for the country.
The government has said that it will give its official response to the Commission in the autumn and it is estimated that, if given the go-ahead, any new runway would take more than a decade to build.
Heathrow welcomed the Commission’s decision saying it would now work with government to “deliver expansion for all of Britain”.

However, there’s a long way to go yet. This latest development is just a recommendation. It’s thought ministers will then need to run their own consultation, just a short one, maybe a few weeks, to hedge against legal challenges.
The plan involves building a new 3,500m runway about two miles north of the two runways Heathrow already has at an estimated cost of £18.6bn.
Heathrow is one of the world’s busiest, handling 70 million passengers in 2012. More than a third transfer to other flights, making it a major hub airport. But it operates at 98% of its capacity – much closer to capacity than other major London airports and rival hubs in Europe.

Tip: Airport Parking Made Easy At Heathrow:
If you are travelling from Heathrow and need to park your car at the airport whilst you are away, make your trip abroad even more enjoyable 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 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 has provided great value, quality 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.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19570653
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-33340565

Did you know that ‘air passenger duty’ was scrapped for children under the age of 12 in May – but it’s not too late for people who have already booked and paid for flights to claim money back.
As of May 1, all flights booked via airlines and comparison websites automatically deduct the duty for children, up to £71 per passenger.
But thousands of families who booked flights before this date are also due a rebate. Parents who paid £13 tax on a flight to Europe, including flights to Turkey and North Africa, and £97 on longer journeys, did not need to pay as long as the flight departs after May 1.
Some airlines, such as British Airways and Aer Lingus, are refunding air taxes automatically, but others require passengers to fill out a form to claim the money. See below for further information & source(s).

Tip: Airport Parking Made Easy At Heathrow:
If you are flying from Heathrow airport, make your summer trip abroad even more enjoyable 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 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 has provided great value, quality 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.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/tax/11585379/How-to-reclaim-air-passenger-duty.html

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/travel/2015/04/air-tax-scrapped-from-1-may-for-under-12s-how-to-reclaim-airline-by-airline

Travelling from Heathrow airport can be stressful but here’s some tips from VIP the Heathrow parking pro’s to make your trip go as smoothly as possible. If you are checking in two suitcases between two adults, you should split your items across the two cases so in the event of one going missing- you can both get by okay when you arrive at your holiday destination. Here are some more great tips to bear in mind if you are looking forward to a summer holiday abroad.
• When packing cases roll clothes instead of folding, this reduces creases.
• Take extra plastic bags in your case, these can prove useful to transport any damp clothes or opened bottles.
• Travelling with young kids and planning to hire a car? Invest in a travel booster seat come back-pack to save car-seat hire charges. My two boys aged 5 & 3 yrs absolutely love theirs: see http://www.johnlewis.com/trunki-boostpak-car-booster-seat-black-green/p230997661?sku=230997661&kpid=230997661&s_kenid=7be2e787-f080-4420-af55-1801663f4e70&s_kwcid=403×148040&tmad=c&tmcampid=73&kpid=230997661 or instead, great for folding away consider: http://www.kiddicare.com/p/Bubble_Bum_Booster_Seat.htm?product_id=545592&utm_source=pla&gclid=COWxy6qcgsYCFQnItAod7A8AZg
• Be clear on baggage weight allowance for your airline and hand luggage no no’s
More helpful advice: http://www.hintsandthings.co.uk/livingroom/holiday.htm
Tip: Airport Parking Made Easy At Heathrow:
Need to park your car at the airport whilst you are away? Make your summer trip abroad even more enjoyable 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 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 has provided great value, quality 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.hintsandthings.co.uk/livingroom/holiday.htm

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

Flying for business or pleasure is to many people one of the most thrilling experiences in the world, but it remains full of mystery for the average traveller.
Do pilots require a key to start a plane? Where flight attendants sleep on long-haul flights and why do planes leave long white trails in the sky? etc
Condensation trails are similar to the fog that results when a person exhales on a cold day. The white condensation trails form when humid exhaust from jet engines cools very quickly in colder and dryer air at higher altitudes. Water vapour, strange as it might seem, is a by-product of the combustion within jet engines, which is where the humidity comes from.

Read the full article by Chris Kitching for MailOnline with more fascinating flight intel via: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3023336/The-answers-question-ve-flying.html
If you are flying from one of the World’s busiest airports: Heathrow – savvy travellers book VIP meet & greet parking so they can beat the queues and go straight to check-in while their car is taken away to be parked in a secure car-park which has the Park Mark award. The car is brought back upon return- directly outside the terminal. VIP has provided great value, quality meet & greet parking at Heathrow airport for over 10 years and every week 85% of bookings come from returning customers or those who have been recommended to book Heathrow parking with VIP. Parking for 14 days starts from just £67.95. Heathrow parking has never been more enjoyable! If you need Heathrow airport parking, make sure you visit www.vipheathrow.co.uk

Sources:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3023336/The-answers-question-ve-flying.html
http://www.vipheathrow.co.uk/index.php/our-services/heathrow-meet-and-greet-parking

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

We take care of the airport parking for thousands of customers every year who are jetting off all around the world from Heathrow airport. Some of our lovely customers are kind enough to share their favourite destinations and top tips to help inspire others. So if you haven’t already booked your main 2015/16 holiday, here’s some free inspiration from VIP’s Mrs Peasley:

As a bargain hunter I like to feel like I am getting ‘max bang for my buck’. Krabi in Thailand was a winner for me here. My husband and I were able to venture from our luxury hotel into town ‘Ao Nang’ via ‘the monkey walk’ or by boat (both good fun). Transport in town (via taxi or ‘tuk tuk’) and eating out was so cheap. The seafood was amazing and the people were so friendly! Talk about beautiful scenery. The beaches were some of the best I have ever seen with perfect crystal blue sea to cool off in. If you have watched the film ‘The Beach’ you can actually visit the location where it was filmed- Phi Phi Island, which is definitely worth adding to your ‘itinerary.’ We went in the month of April, had perfect weather and stayed in the reasonably priced but very luxurious Centara Grand Beach Resort, http://www.centarahotelsresorts.com/centaragrand/ckbr/

If you are flying from one of the World’s busiest airports: Heathrow – we strongly advise booking VIP meet & greet parking so you can beat the queues and go straight to check-in while your car is taken away 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 meet & greet parking at Heathrow airport for over 10 years and every week 85% of bookings come from returning customers or those who have been recommended to book Heathrow parking with VIP. Parking for 14 days starts from just £67.95. Heathrow parking has never been more enjoyable! If you need Heathrow airport parking, make sure you visit www.vipheathrow.co.uk

VIP offer parking for Heathrow Terminal 1, parking for Heathrow Terminal 2, parking for Heathrow terminal 3, parking for Heathrow terminal 4 and parking for Heathrow terminal 5.

Useful? Please share with your friends. Why not send VIP your top destination to inspire fellow VIPs via: sales@vipheathrow.co.uk – thanks!
For more information and details of the VIP loyalty scheme, please visit : http://www.vipheathrow.co.uk/index.php/about-vip/club-vip-loyalty-scheme

http://www.tourismthailand.org/See-and-Do/Sights-and-Attractions-Detail/Koh-Phi-Phi–6355

The South of England has so far been spared the snow and sleet showers which are making driving difficult for many drivers today. Should these conditions travel southwards, customer’s travelling on the roads for work or driving to / from the Heathrow airport area need to remember how to drive safely in snowy / icy conditions. Snow and ice always causes travel disruption and its vital to avoid that nightmare skid situation when driving. Here is a reminder about how to drive safely in such challenging conditions:
The following tips should always be followed when driving in the snow:
• It’s important to accelerate gently, use low revs and change up to a higher gear as quickly as possible. You may need to move off in second gear as this will help reduce wheel slip
• You may need to leave as much as 10 times the normal recommended gap between you and the car in front
• If you do encounter a skid, steer gently into it – for example, if the rear of the car is sliding to the right, steer to the right. Do not take your hands off the steering wheel or stamp your foot on the brakes
• If the road has not been gritted, be wary of driving in the wheeltracks or other vehicles as compressed snow is likely to be more icy than fresh snow
• Controls such as the brakes, as well as the steering, accelerator and even gear changing should be operated smoothly and slowly
• Sunglasses can help to reduce the glare of low winter sun on the snow
• Keep your speed down and allow more time to stop and steer

Visit this article for further useful winter driving advice: http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/seasonal/winter_motoring.html

Lucky you if you are escaping these wintery conditions soon with a trip abroad. If you are flying from Heathrow airport, make sure you book your meet & greet Heathrow airport parking with VIP Heathrow Ltd. VIP Heathrow Ltd is one of the longest established operators at Heathrow and trusted by thousands every year to deliver a great value, quality service.
Meet & greet means you go straight to check-in with no tedious bus transfer. Your car will be taken by one of our fully insured drivers to be stored until your return in our Park Mark approved car-park. Upon return your car is delivered directly to you as you exit the terminal. Everything is explained automatically after booking via www.vipheathrow.co.uk
7 days meet & greet parking with VIP starts from just £47.95 but if you choose our All-inclusive* PLUS meet & greet option, you cap the price you pay and earn points towards a CLUB VIP loyalty gift. For every 3 bookings of PLUS/FLEXI you can choose a free gift! Visit our CLUB VIP page for further details and terms & Conditions. (*Exclusions apply). http://www.vipheathrow.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=140&bc=1
VIP provides quality, reliable meet & greet parking at all Heathrow airport terminals: 1,2, 3, 4 &5.
Sources:
http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/seasonal/winter_motoring.html
http://www.rac.co.uk/advice/winter-driving/driving-in-snow/

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/

www.vipheathrow.co.uk

The gloomy January UK weather is here with freezing winds and spells of ice and sleet. What better way to put a smile on your face than to escape for some winter sun and warmth? It’s even better when you bag a bargain holiday!
January is one of the best months to go on holiday – not just because the weather is so grim in the UK, but because there are cut-price deals to be found. This is the time of year when people are paying off their Christmas credit card bills and tightening their belts. So for those with cash to spend there are great bargains on holidays in the sun. http://www.101holidays.co.uk/where-to-go-on-holiday-in-january/
With the Euro to pound rate so appealing right now, its never been a better time to consider a winter break. If its sunshine you are seeking you will probably need to consider flying further afield but there are some great savings to be had if you are looking to improve your skiing skills in the top Europe resorts or perhaps want to whisk away your loved one for a valentine’s city-break treat. Don’t forget that holidays in January are not just about sun seeking. You could go north to discover natural wonders and wilderness. One of the most exciting winter trips is to see the Northern Lights. This winter is providing more spectacular – and reliable – displays than in recent years.
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. This means no bus transfer is necessary. 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 three 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.
VIP provides quality, value for money meet and greet airport parking at Heathrow Terminal 1, Heathrow Terminal 2, Heathrow Terminal 3, Heathrow Terminal 4 and Heathrow Terminal 5. VIP provides meet & greet parking for Heathrow business and leisure travellers. (* Terms & Conditions apply).

Sources:
http://www.vipheathrow.co.uk/index.php/our-services/heathrow-meet-and-greet-parking