[News] Flying from Heathrow today (Fri 21 March) or picking up please read

[Flounce]

A smartphone is all you need. I was flying to Gatwick that Xmas when there was all the drone problems. I kept on top of developments and booked a flight with another airline..and then cancelled original flight when I was onboard my back up….. all online. I would also advise booking with airlines directly, it’s much easier to deal with the airline directly and not via an agent.

As aside, I had a booking at The Salt Room that evening. I arrived there a few hours late and just as the kitchen was closing, but via the magic of my smartphone, a very helpful and flexible attitude from the restraurant, and my dining buddy, I read the menu and ordered ahead of arrival. There was a bottle of champagne on ice waiting for me.

Smartphones are brilliant.

Strongly disagree as a travel agent has all airlines showing at the same time on the screen when checking the availability and in my experience apps often freeze or chuck you out when there is a problem like this. As an ex travel agent I can assure you I have had multiple experiences of being able to book stuff that clients are struggling to do on their smartphone. If you don’t use a travel agent, you’ll not know this though

We regularly got clients who had booked online asking us to help them out because they were struggling with the airline apps. We couldn’t of course because an agent is unable to access a booking that they didn’t make….much to the client’s annoyance

An agent booked flight can also be refunded instantly if there is no availability due to problems on a pre booked flight and the requirement to book a different airline. No need to request a refund from the airline.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Strongly disagree as a travel agent has all airlines showing at the same time on the screen when checking the availability and in my experience apps often freeze or chuck you out when there is a problem like this. As an ex travel agent I can assure you I have had multiple experiences of being able to book stuff that clients are struggling to do on their smartphone. If you don’t use a travel agent, you’ll not know this though

We regularly got clients who had booked online asking us to help them out because they were struggling with the airline apps. We couldn’t of course because an agent is unable to access a booking that they didn’t make….much to the client’s annoyance

An agent booked flight can also be refunded instantly if there is no availability due to problems on a pre booked flight and the requirement to book a different airline. No need to request a refund from the airline.

Expedia is pretty good at showing current availability, not to mention other websites. It operates in real time. Also, won’t a travel agent be limited by the number of phone lines and staff they have?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

PS use Expedia to find out info/routes etc but then book direct with airline.

 

[Flounce]

Expedia is pretty good at showing current availability, not to mention other websites. It operates in real time. Also, won’t a travel agent be limited by the number of phone lines and staff they have?

Yep, but Expedia is very basic in comparison to the live airline reservation systems. Anyway you are happy doing it yourself so crack on. Just don’t agree that you can do it yourself as well or as quickly/easily as a decent travel agent can when there are airline/airport problems

 

[Hugo Rune]

I had the same thought. Or maybe the French. They’ve not forgotten Agincourt

Nor have the wretched English right wing nationalists who still bang on about it and get offended if the victory is not celebrated and rubbed in French noses constantly.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

BBC News unwatchable. Constantly talking to the same reporters, then some obscure bod abroad blah blah blah. It's shut, it will be still shut until it opens, meanwhile WW3 has started. Lets go back to our reporter outside LHR. What's happening? It's shut. To show the shutness we will show you pictures of a the terminal in darkness being shut. They even managed to get mental health mentioned, bless.

And repeat and repeat and repeat.

Now watching Paw Patrol.

 

[mikeyjh]

How much power do you reckon Heathrow uses ?

Quite - It's quite hard to imagine how much energy Heathrow uses, running all its IT, lighting, A/C, fridges, moving people and luggage around oh and charging plane batteries and the like.

I ended up reading a piece explaining that Heathrow uses more energy than Nigeria's entire national grid can supply. That's a pretty wild analogy but problem helps explain why having a couple of Jackerys on standby probably won't cut it.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Yep, but Expedia is very basic in comparison to the live airline reservation systems. Anyway you are happy doing it yourself so crack on. Just don’t agree that you can do it yourself as well as a decent travel agent can when there are airline/airport problems

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Yep, but Expedia is very basic in comparison to the live airline reservation systems. Anyway you are happy doing it yourself so crack on. Just don’t agree that you can do it yourself as well or as quickly/easily as a decent travel agent can when there are airline/airport problems

Will the “decent travel agent” also sort out my restaurant bookings? I could be swayed!

 

[Flounce]

Will the “decent travel agent” also sort out my restaurant bookings? I could be swayed!

No f***ing way

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

I have put BBC 1 on now, South East News is funny as f***. Think the poor chap needs to go home.

 

[Madafwo]

Looks a bit weird.

Has anybody copped Simon Calder for sight today? He's going to be a busy boy I think.

 

[TomandJerry]

Apparently closed all day with over 1,000 flights effected due to a fire at an electrical sub station

 

[rippleman]

Well I feel sorry for the local residents without power, going to be a right mess....
We've still got power here thank f...
Will be quiet in the sky's over our house, as generally on a flight path.

Thank you. My daughter lives in Hayes with a 3 year old and a baby. No electric obvs, her phone has died and no water - and no sign of any water tankers or bottled water deliveries. Shameful. Son-in-law on a mission to find ready-made baby milk as no water to make baby Arlo's formula.

 

[studio150]

If It was the Russians, what will the Orange Dictator do when Starmer invokes the NATO article so that all NATO members have to support the UK against the Russians

 

[bluenitsuj]

The other thread covers all this.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Yep, but Expedia is very basic in comparison to the live airline reservation systems. Anyway you are happy doing it yourself so crack on. Just don’t agree that you can do it yourself as well or as quickly/easily as a decent travel agent can when there are airline/airport problems

Which is all well and good in normal operating hours but outside them you can't speak to your travel agent if there is a problem.

I recently flew back from India and the departure airport had changed but BA (who I'd booked with) had failed to change our tickets but had sub-contracted the flight to Qatar. 2am in Goa airport and thankfully we were able to contact BA to get the etickets changed. I couldn't have done that if I'd have booked the flights via a travel agent. We made the flight with 30 minutes to spare. I have nothing but contempt for BA - premium airline my arse - due to a number of issues with the flights (£15 credit offered for that fvck up) BUT it is easier to get things sorted if you've booked directly with the airline.

 

[A1X]

It seems utterly bizarre to me that one of the world’s busiest airports in one of the world’s most developed nations is entirely reliant on a single substation to operate. Whatever the reasons for why it’s happened, that is staggeringly blasé by the airport authorities.

 

[AmexRuislip]

Thank you. My daughter lives in Hayes with a 3 year old and a baby. No electric obvs, her phone has died and no water - and no sign of any water tankers or bottled water deliveries. Shameful. Son-in-law on a mission to find ready-made baby milk as no water to make baby Arlo's formula.

Hayes fire: What we did to help - Hillingdon Council

Hillingdon Council is working closely with partners to respond to a significant fire that started last night (Thursday 20 March) at an electrical substation in Nestles Avenue, Hayes.

www.hillingdon.gov.uk

Hope this helps.

Can yr daughter charge phone in a car, go to local shop or supermarket cafe, I'm sure someone would help.

 

[Flounce]

Which is all well and good in normal operating hours but outside them you can't speak to your travel agent if there is a problem.

I recently flew back from India and the departure airport had changed but BA (who I'd booked with) had failed to change our tickets but had sub-contracted the flight to Qatar. 2am in Goa airport and thankfully we were able to contact BA to get the etickets changed. I couldn't have done that if I'd have booked the flights via a travel agent. We made the flight with 30 minutes to spare. I have nothing but contempt for BA - premium airline my arse - due to a number of issues with the flights (£15 credit offered for that fvck up) BUT it is easier to get things sorted if you've booked directly with the airline.

Can only speak for where I worked, where there is a 24 hour line available as most of our business was in The USA and the Far East so time zone differences make that essential. I am talking about IATA business travel agencies not high street package holiday agencies.

and yes BA is a cunty airline for customer service and support in stressful situations. Arrogant and totally lacking in empathy for distressed passengers.

Edit - I also strongly disagree that it is easier to sort a problem directly through the airline rather than an agent in times of crisis. I speak from years of experience on this