Web: www.comeflywithfish.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com
13/11/2008 – InsideTrip.com : Booking Your Flights Based On On-Time Statistics
Very often when I choose my flight schedule I try and find out a flight's on-time performance. In the past finding much of this information required me to use two or three web sites. While gathering this information is important, it could be cumbersome.
Using a new web site InsideTrip (www.insidetrip.com), which is still in its 'Beta Stage,' I am now able to have this information easily at my fingertips. Not only does InsideTrip show display the on-time statistics, it also displays the average security wait times for the flight, the load factor of the flight, and other valuable information.
Why is knowing the on-time statistics of flights so important to me? This information allows me to make educated decisions on the creation of complex itineraries, with minimal unnecessary time on the ground.
Obviously there are many unexpected factors that can come into play, such as weather, accidents, the occasional Union going on strike in Europe, but what I am looking for is the overall performance of the flight.
While looking up an itinerary for a business traveler in New York, who only needs 2 hours in Central London, this information allows me to quickly create a very short trip for this flyer. This business traveler will be flying between New York's JFK to London Heathrow (LHR) on November 24th, returning on the afternoon of November 25th. The following is the information gathered for this trip on InsideTrip in just under 45 seconds:
--OUT-BOUND--
Date: 11/24/2008
Flight: Virgin Atlantic/VS 4
Depart: New York/JFK (JFK)@ 6:10pm EST
Arrive: London/Heathrow (LHR) @ 6:20am GMT
Travel Time: 7hrs 10min
On-time States: Fairly Reliable / 70% On-Time
Security Wait: 8 minutes average
Aircraft: Airbus A340-600 (346)
Legroom: 55" (Business Class)
Average Age of Fleet: 3 Years
Load Factor: Fairly Full / 82%
--IN-BOUND--
Date: 11/25/2008
Flight: Virgin Atlantic/VS 45
Depart: London/Heathrow (LHR) @ 2:00pm GMT
Arrive: New York/JFK (JFK) @ 5:05pm EST
Travel Time: 8hrs 05min
On-time States: Less Reliable / 49% On-Time
Security Wait: n/a
Aircraft: Airbus A340-600 (346)
Legroom: 55" (Business Class)
Average Age of Fleet: 3 Years
Load Factor: Fairly Full / 82%
With this information found on InsideTrip, in under 45 seconds, I am fairly certain my client can get into Central London by 8:30am via the Heathrow Express and get back to Heathrow by 11:30am to check in, via the Heathrow Express.
While the return flight is only on-time 49% of the time, for this itinerary, what is most important is that the JFK-LHR flight is on-time 70% of the time (using other resources to view the last 10 days of actual departure/arrival times I can see that even if the flight is an hour late, this flyer should still be safe to get to their meeting by 8:30am GMT)
So, next time you're checking your flights, why not head over to www.insidetrip.com and check out this information for yourself.
Happy Flying!
Showing posts with label Heathrow Express. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Heathrow Express. Show all posts
29 April 2008
London Heathrow Branded As "Worst Airport In Europe," I Think Not!
Web: www.fishfotoworldwide.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com
29/04/2008 - London Heathrow Branded As "Worst Airport In Europe," I Think Not!
Can a bad airport also be good? This is a tricky question, but in regard to London's Heathrow Airport (LHR) I think an airport that has recently been referred to as "The Worst In Europe" (have they been to Rome's Leonardo da Vinci - Fiumicino Airport, aka: FCO?) can also be a good airport.
I see the downside of London Heathrow. The airport is a bit run down; it has high delays; it could use a 3rd runway to reduce congestion; the opening of the new Terminal 5 was a disaster; immigrations takes longer than some flights (unless you are in business/first class on an airline that pays for the Fast Track); there is a significant homeless population who live in Heathrow; the cost of transiting Heathrow is more expensive that transiting through other European hubs............ and the top "downside" to Heathrow is probably that Immigrations Officers always seem so grumpy with the asking of questions, as if every foreign traveler is seeking to enter the country under false pretenses.
With the downsides of Heathrow out of the way, I am going to buck the trend, go out on a limb and also say that I also see the airport's upside. For starters, I like Heathrow. Overall I find Heathrow to be one of my five favourite airports to be stuck in, have a long layover in and even to sleep in when I have a "missed connection." I know most people don't view airports this way, but I have slept in Heathrow more than any other airport, with the exception of San Francisco International Airport (SFO).
Despite a large, and growing, homeless population Heathrow is a safe airport. Those who are homeless and stay in Heathrow tend to try and act like travelers so they will no be thrown out by the police. The homeless in other airports tend to not blend in, and from my experience tend to be more prone to criminal activity than those at Heathrow. I have been approached by people begging at London Gatwick (LGW); been solicited for drugs at Newark's Liberty Int'l Airport (EWR); woken up to find a homeless man peeing on the wall a few feet from my head at Paris' Roissy Charles de Gaulle Int'l Airport (CDG); watched a clearly homeless and mentally ill woman picking through the trash at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), but at London's Heathrow there is none of that.
For very long layovers the Heathrow Express is a convenient way to get into the city for a few hours. To lighten your load if you misconnect and have to spend the night, Heathrow has very convenient "Left Luggage" operations to store you bags for a few hours, or overnight. To go plane-spotting to kill time the parking garages have quite a few good vantage points for the operations. For long walks, to kill time, most terminals are connected via underground passage ways which makes walking between terminals a breeze.
Overall I have had some of the best long conversations in the middle of the night on topics ranging from foreign policy and economics to choice of computer operating system while sitting in Heathrow. People in airports tend to either be a "pack mentality" or open and welcoming in conversation. In general conversations at Heathrow tend to be more in depth, more intellectual. I am sure it is a fluke this happens at one airport more than another, but it does......and I have extensive experience sleeping in airports all over the world for various reasons.
From a business stand point, Heathrow is the airport all the airlines want to fly into. Yes, London has five commercial airports, yes four of them can handle long-haul international traffic, yes two of them handle a significant amount of international traffic, but overall Heathrow is the one that business travelers tend to use. It is probably because of the train that departs for Central London every 15 minutes. It could be the considerable number of international airlines that fly into Heathrow, it may be that you can fly nearly anywhere in the world from Heathrow (many of those places non-stop) , it could also be that many long-haul airlines have "arrivals lounges" that allow passengers to freshen up upon arrival before heading out to meetings, or it may be that many airlines that call Heathrow home have top-notch departures lounges for their frequent flyers that have significant amenities over those offered at Gatwick.
I think that anyone who calls Heathrow the 'worst airport in Europe' needs to check out the facilities at Paris' Roissy Charles de Gaulle Int'l Airport (CDG), Rome's Leonardo da Vinci - Fiumicino Airport (FCO) and Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport (SVO) in terms of not only on-time arrival/departure but also ease of transit to the city, safety of delayed passengers, access to electrical outlets and ability to sleep before branding Heathrow as the worst.
So, can an airport that is being referred to as the 'worst airport in Europe' be good? I think it certainly can be.
Happy Flying!
29/04/2008 - London Heathrow Branded As "Worst Airport In Europe," I Think Not!
Can a bad airport also be good? This is a tricky question, but in regard to London's Heathrow Airport (LHR) I think an airport that has recently been referred to as "The Worst In Europe" (have they been to Rome's Leonardo da Vinci - Fiumicino Airport, aka: FCO?) can also be a good airport.
I see the downside of London Heathrow. The airport is a bit run down; it has high delays; it could use a 3rd runway to reduce congestion; the opening of the new Terminal 5 was a disaster; immigrations takes longer than some flights (unless you are in business/first class on an airline that pays for the Fast Track); there is a significant homeless population who live in Heathrow; the cost of transiting Heathrow is more expensive that transiting through other European hubs............ and the top "downside" to Heathrow is probably that Immigrations Officers always seem so grumpy with the asking of questions, as if every foreign traveler is seeking to enter the country under false pretenses.
With the downsides of Heathrow out of the way, I am going to buck the trend, go out on a limb and also say that I also see the airport's upside. For starters, I like Heathrow. Overall I find Heathrow to be one of my five favourite airports to be stuck in, have a long layover in and even to sleep in when I have a "missed connection." I know most people don't view airports this way, but I have slept in Heathrow more than any other airport, with the exception of San Francisco International Airport (SFO).
Despite a large, and growing, homeless population Heathrow is a safe airport. Those who are homeless and stay in Heathrow tend to try and act like travelers so they will no be thrown out by the police. The homeless in other airports tend to not blend in, and from my experience tend to be more prone to criminal activity than those at Heathrow. I have been approached by people begging at London Gatwick (LGW); been solicited for drugs at Newark's Liberty Int'l Airport (EWR); woken up to find a homeless man peeing on the wall a few feet from my head at Paris' Roissy Charles de Gaulle Int'l Airport (CDG); watched a clearly homeless and mentally ill woman picking through the trash at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), but at London's Heathrow there is none of that.
For very long layovers the Heathrow Express is a convenient way to get into the city for a few hours. To lighten your load if you misconnect and have to spend the night, Heathrow has very convenient "Left Luggage" operations to store you bags for a few hours, or overnight. To go plane-spotting to kill time the parking garages have quite a few good vantage points for the operations. For long walks, to kill time, most terminals are connected via underground passage ways which makes walking between terminals a breeze.
Overall I have had some of the best long conversations in the middle of the night on topics ranging from foreign policy and economics to choice of computer operating system while sitting in Heathrow. People in airports tend to either be a "pack mentality" or open and welcoming in conversation. In general conversations at Heathrow tend to be more in depth, more intellectual. I am sure it is a fluke this happens at one airport more than another, but it does......and I have extensive experience sleeping in airports all over the world for various reasons.
From a business stand point, Heathrow is the airport all the airlines want to fly into. Yes, London has five commercial airports, yes four of them can handle long-haul international traffic, yes two of them handle a significant amount of international traffic, but overall Heathrow is the one that business travelers tend to use. It is probably because of the train that departs for Central London every 15 minutes. It could be the considerable number of international airlines that fly into Heathrow, it may be that you can fly nearly anywhere in the world from Heathrow (many of those places non-stop) , it could also be that many long-haul airlines have "arrivals lounges" that allow passengers to freshen up upon arrival before heading out to meetings, or it may be that many airlines that call Heathrow home have top-notch departures lounges for their frequent flyers that have significant amenities over those offered at Gatwick.
I think that anyone who calls Heathrow the 'worst airport in Europe' needs to check out the facilities at Paris' Roissy Charles de Gaulle Int'l Airport (CDG), Rome's Leonardo da Vinci - Fiumicino Airport (FCO) and Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport (SVO) in terms of not only on-time arrival/departure but also ease of transit to the city, safety of delayed passengers, access to electrical outlets and ability to sleep before branding Heathrow as the worst.
So, can an airport that is being referred to as the 'worst airport in Europe' be good? I think it certainly can be.
Happy Flying!
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