Essential engineering works mean that Heathrow Express is operating an amended timetable from 24 – 27 December 2011.

For more information on the amended timetable and coach-replacement services click here

Qatar Airways is set to offer a fifth-daily service between Doha and Heathrow.

The extra service will commence on 25 March 2012 and will be operated by a Boeing 777.

Heathrow is preparing for its busiest weekend this Christmas with more than 780,000 passengers expected to pass through the airport between Thursday and Sunday this week.

With millions of Brits planning on making an early start to the festive holiday period, the UK’s only hub airport is forecasting that Thursday (15 December) will be its busiest day with more than 203,300 people including families, couples and friends heading back home or jetting abroad.

To ensure a smooth Christmas getaway, additional customer service employees will be posted in check-in, while dedicated family lanes and pre-flight play areas have also been re-introduced to cater for the many families expected to fly this holiday season.

3.35 million passengers in total will pass through Heathrow during the Christmas school holidays (16 December to 3 January) bringing with them more than 6,000 tonnes of luggage each day – the equivalent to the weight of 20 jumbo jets (based on the average passenger carrying 20kg of checked in luggage and 10kg of hand luggage).

According to forecast figures, the 23rd December will see the most arrivals into Heathrow with 35,000 passengers scheduled to fly into Terminal 5 alone.

Top 5 Destinations from Heathrow this Christmas

1. New York
2. Dubai
3. Dublin
4. Amsterdam
5. Paris

Normand Boivin, Chief Operating Officer at Heathrow said: “The flight before Christmas is for many the most important flight of the year. At Heathrow we’ve pulled out all the stops to ensure our passengers have a smooth journey and very merry Christmas.”

Heathrow airport saw a small drop in passenger numbers last month, November 2011.

The airport handled a total of 5.2 million passengers, a reduction of 0.5% when compared to November 2010. Strike action on 30 November, which saw airlines reduce load factors, contributed to the drop in numbers.

Although passenger numbers were down last month, Heathrow has seen an increase in passenger numbers this year – comparing January to November 2011 traffic with the same period last year, the airport has seen a 4.8% increase, and, in a rolling 12-month period, the airport has seen a 3.7% rise.

Although passengers arriving into the UK on international flights today can expect delays when passing through border control due to strike action by border agency staff, the airports appear to be operating normally at present and contingency plans appear to be working.

According to the twitter accounts of many of the UK airports, including Heathrow and Gatwick, it’s business as normal, so far so go, although queues could build up as the day progresses.

If you are arriving into the UK today it is advisable to:

• Use e-Passport gates where available
• Have travel documents, including passports, ready
• Fully complete landing cards
• Stay in family groups.

For up-to-date information from Heathrow and Gatwick follow their twitter accounts at:

twitter.com/Gatwick_Airport
twitter.com/heathrowairport

To help passengers avoid the queues during Wednesday’s border agency strike, some airlines are offering passengers the option of rebooking flights free of charge. Passengers should contact their airlines for further information about rebooking.

Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand has stated on its website that passengers ticketed to travel on NZ2 29Nov from AKL or LAX to LHR who wish to change their date of travel may do so by either bringing forward or deferring to another date prior to and including Monday 5 December 2011.

British Airways
Passengers arriving at Heathrow, Gatwick or London City airports on Wednesday 30 November have the option to change their arrival date, subject to availability

Virgin
Virgin is offering rebooking options for passengers due to land at Heathrow, Gatwick or Manchester on Wednesday 30 November 2011.

Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways is offering rebooking options for passengers holding confirmed reservations for travel on 30 November arriving into London Heathrow or Manchester. Conditions apply.

Etihad Airways
Several changes have been made to Etihad’s Heathrow-bound flights including cancellations and reduced capacity – passengers are being rebooked on to alternative flights.

Etihad is operating Manchester flights as scheduled.

Flybe
For passengers flying into the UK and connecting to Flybe services, the airline is offering free-of-charge changes to bookings to later, alternative flights – contact Flybe Call Centre on 0871 700 2000

Aegean Airlines
Aegean has announced two flight cancellations – more information: http://en.aegeanair.com/all-about-us/press-office/press-releases/press-release/?prid=337

Heathrow Airport has written to airlines advising them that they expect significant delays of up to 12 hours in Wednesday’s Border Agency strike – the UK Border Agency (UKBA) expects to perform at less than 50% productivity.

The airport said that with extensive delays, passengers could not be safely accommodated in the terminals and would therefore need to remain on aircraft
Heathrow has requested that airlines reduce load factors by half on all incoming international flights to ensure passenger safety and comfort and reduce the risk of outbound flight cancellations.

Heathrow Airport plans for a normal flight schedule on Wednesday.

Border control will be affected from the evening of Tuesday 29 November until midnight on Wednesday 30 November – strike action start times will depend on shift patterns.

Tips to help avoid delays:

Use e-Passport gates where available
Have travel documents, including passports, ready
Fully complete landing cards
Stay in family groups

The war of words over border control strike action continues in the press and it is unknown how badly affected airport passengers are going to be by the action – reports vary from minor disruption to significant.

Border control will be affected from the evening of Tuesday 29 November until midnight on Wednesday 30 November – strike action start times will depend on shift patterns.

Any delays will affect passengers arriving into the UK that need to pass through passport control – outgoing flights should not be affected.

Tips to help avoid delays:

• Use e-Passport gates where available
• Have travel documents, including passports, ready
• Fully complete landing cards
• Stay in family groups.

The UK Border Agency (UKBA) has said that it has robust arrangements in place to maintain the security of the border and that it has

• trained managers, staff and contractors to carry out border checks
• requested overseas staff to provide cover
• asked airlines and ports to identify potential pressure points.

Rob Whiteman, chief executive of the UK Border Agency, said: ‘Securing the border is our priority and over the last weeks and months we have considered all options to ensure we are prepared for union action.

‘We always aim to minimise any disruption caused by the decision of unions to strike, but travellers could see longer waiting times at some ports and airports.’

For up-to-date UKBA information visit  http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/

The largest coordinated industrial action will see up to 3 million workers take strike action next Wednesday, 30 November 2011.

Among strikers will be UK Border Agency staff who look after passport control and immigration at all the UK’s airports and ports.

In order to alleviate chaos at the UK’s airports, the Government is to transfer civil servants from Whitehall to man the UK’s borders, checking passports of EU travellers and also man e-passport gates where passengers use their biometric passports.

A UKBA spokesman told the BBC: “The security of the UK border remains our top priority and it is absolutely right we explore all options to ensure we minimise any disruption caused by planned union action.”

Tips for passengers arriving in the UK on 30 November:

• Have passports and travel documents to hand
• Use e-passport gates if at all possible

Yesterday, UK based Thomas Cook, Europe’s second largest tour operator, was in a hugely vulnerable state, battling to secure its long-term future. It means more than ever holiday travel plans should be financially protected. And raises the question again, is Air Passenger Duty (APD) tax to blame?

The operator found itself going to the Banks to ask for additional funding, seeing its share price drop by 75% in one day.

Immediate Cost Cuts Could Result in 1,000s of Job Losses
Immediate cost cutting action, in a bid to slow down debt that has already amounted to £1billion year to date, with fears of that figure rising to over £1.5 billion by the end of the year, Thomas Cook will look at closing 200 branches of its high street stores. This alone will costs thousands their jobs, which in turn will have a big impact on local towns and the economy as a whole.

This year, the now German-owned company, has already issued three profit warnings. Blaming its debt problems on the lack of families booking their summer holiday break. Not only has the tour operator, who also operates sub-brands such as Going Places, Cresta, Sunset and 18-30s, seen a dramatic dip in the traditional two week summer holiday but also the profitable ‘holiday extras’ such as travel insurance; as the internet offers cut price packages, flights and holiday extras.

Thomas Cook Must Act Fast to Secure Its Future For New Year Bookings
And the company must act fast to secure its financial future. Not only are the winter months when tour operators must look at paying for their hotel rooms for the following year, but also as it fast approaches its busiest time of year – the New Year for new holiday bookings. Whilst the New Year is great for bookings, travellers will want to be sure that their holiday is secure. That they won’t be stranded overseas if the company goes bust. If travellers are put off from booking their holiday with Thomas Cook at the early start of next year this could have a huge impact on the future of the tour operator in 2012.

For many, not only due to the loss of jobs, the stress for those having booked a holiday and the threat of losing a regular high street favourite, possibly one of the saddest things will be losing yet another founder of industry. Thomas Cook was founded in 1841 as the World’s first package holiday provider, and now provides over 7 million breaks to Britons every year!

Government Admit APD is a ‘Tax Grab’
No doubt as the news breaks of this holiday giant in severe trouble it will see major holiday and aviation heads raising the arguments again over the controversial APD. The Government has already admitted a few months ago, in a leaked memo by Chancellor, George Osborne, that APD was nothing more than a ‘tax grab’.

‘Axe the Tax’ Campaign Launched by Four of the Biggest Airlines
By coincidence, four of the biggest airlines to operate out of the UK – British Airways, easyJet, Ryanair and Virgin Atlantic – have again called on the Government to scrap APD. They have even created a campaign called ‘Axe the Tax’. The airlines are calling for the Chancellor to scrap APD in his Autumn Statement, to be given on 29th November, instead of the sharp rise in charges that the aviation industry fears will happen next April.

Financially Protect Your Holiday
Thomas Cook, as a tour operator, is a member of ATOL. This means that for any traveller booking with an ATOL protected operator will have the peace of mind that should the operator go bust before the travel date then a complete refund will be given. And if the traveller is overseas at the time of the operator going bust they will be helped home by the Civil Aviation Authority.

For those booking travel arrangements via a travel agent the advice is to ensure they are an ABTA Travel Agent. This will again mean that your holiday is secure if the agent goes bust before travel, and assistance to get home will be given should the traveller be overseas.

Booking independently? Make sure they are members of either the Travel Trust Association or the Association of Independent Tour Operators.