Category : Latest News

A day doesn’t seem to pass by without one airline or another announcing their latest cost cutting measures. Soon after the British Airways request for staff to work for free, Singapore Airlines have adopted a similar approach with it’s 2,300 pilots agreeing to take one day of unpaid leave a month, and the airline’s chief executive Chew Choon Seng agreeing on a 20% pay cut.

Singapore Airlines have attributed the drop in profits to weak travel demand and volatile oil prices – the driving factor, and perhaps even suitable excuse, for many airlines to cut back on capacity.

The buck doesn’t just stop there, with the current economic decline affecting not just the airlines, but ancillary services such as lounges at Singapore Airport through to the local hotels, restaurants and car hire.

We at gosimply.com are wondering if, given the current climate, you would take unpaid leave or a drop in pay?  Leave us a comment below and let us know.

Getting the whole family organised for a summer holiday can be a challenge at the best of times, and the task of getting everyone out the door and to the airport on time can make the start of your holiday more stressful than it needs to be.

You can avoid a last-minute rush by pre-booking one of our airport hotels, which just might offer better value than you think.  Some research suggests that a majority of travellers believe family hotel rooms cost up to twice as much as they actually do.  For example, you can get a family room at a 3-star Gatwick Airport hotel for only £45.00 in July*.  If you require parking while you’re away, you can add however many days you need to your room package and enjoy outstanding savings – you may even get your airport hotel with parking as a package deal for less than the cost of parking alone!

So why not eliminate a stress-filled pre-flight routine this year and book your family into an airport hotel the evening before your departure?  One look at our offers and you’ll see why smart people like you always GoSimply.

*Current price based on family room (2 adults, 2 children) for 1 night at Gatwick Russ Hill Hotel on 07/07/09.

The results are in and we can now announce our winners’ list for May 2009.  Out of the 23 GoSimply Award recipients, there are 20 previous winners returning to the limelight and 3 car parks making their debut appearance.

When you select one of our award-winners you’ll know that previous customers’ reviews, along with our own evaluations, have singled them out as an airport car park committed to providing excellent all-round service. These three car parks are newcomers to our honours list, and have proven themselves worthy recipients for the month of May:

The car parks listed below continue to demonstrate a very customer-focused service, justifying their return appearance to our leaderboard.

Although there has been much emphasis on how the credit crunch has affected passenger air travel, little has been reported on the impact that the economic slow down has had on international air freight business.

Amsterdam Airport Traffic Stats

Amsterdam Airport, one of Europe’s main air freight centres, saw volumes of air cargo fall by 31% between May 08 and April 09. Other European airports have also seen steady declines, with reported falls of 21.2% at Zurich, 22.8% at Madrid and 23% at London Heathrow within the same period.

Although worldwide passenger numbers dropped dramatically last year, there have been encouraging signs of recovery, with Amsterdam Airport reporting a sharp increase between March and April 09. The increase in passenger numbers is not only good news for operators flying in and out of Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport, but also for the local economy, tourism and service sectors at the airport including retail outlets and operators of the Amsterdam Airport Lounges.

Johannesburg is ready to welcome tens of thousands of visitors with open arms for the 2010 World Cup.

Extensive works at OR Tambo International Airport and the Coca-Cola Park Arena have been completed in readiness for the 2010 Fifa World Cup. The Confederations Cup on the 14th June this year between Bafana and Iraq is being seen by many as a dress rehearsal that will test the enhanced facilities at both the airport and venue.

Johannesburg airport

Interest in South Africa and Johannesburg as a holiday and business destination has grown in popularity over the last decade with passenger numbers increasing from over 12 million to over 17 million between 2002 and 2006.  Air traffic movements increased by over 25,000  in the same period from around 175, 000 to more than 200, 000.

To cope with the increased demand of recent years and predicted future growth, improvements at Johannesburg OR Tambo International Airport have included: the construction of a main central terminal building, refurbishment of existing services such as the airport lounges at Johannesburg, the development of the international pier, construction of a multi-storey car park, road infrastructure development and a link to the multi-billion Gautrain station, amongst others.

With the huge investments made at the airport, the Coca-Cola Park Arena and in local infrustructure, Johannesburg is ready to demonstrate its ability to host a major part of one of the world’s biggest sporting events.

Three major UK airlines have warned BAA that a £900 million improvement scheme for Gatwick Airport is futile in the face of dwindling passenger numbers.

BAA's £900m plan deemed "pointless" by airlines

Guardian.co.uk reports that, in a letter sent to BAA, British Airways, easyJet and Ryanair said that the business case for funnelling hundreds of millions of pounds into new facilities was “unproven”, especially in light of a fall in traffic of 12% since the start of this year.  The letter went on to state that it was pointless to make decisions about future developments at Gatwick when the airport is due to be sold in the near future.  The airlines are also very concerned that they will be the ones stuck with the bill for any improvements, and will ultimately have to pass on the cost to passengers by increasing fares.

We at GoSimply.com might not have control over the cost of flights, but we can assure our customers that we will always provide great deals on Gatwick Airport parking (and parking at 23 other UK airports) to help keep the cost of holidays down.

Once again, we have conducted our monthly review of all the airport car parks we offer and are ready to announce the winners of our GoSimply Award for Customer Satisfaction and Product Excellence.  We have one first-time winner this month and several consistent performers making return appearances.  So keep an eye out for our award-winning car parks, and make your booking today to ensure a hassle-free airport parking experience.

Aberdeen Airport

• Aberdeen Airpark has returned to our winners’ list this month.  Previous customers praise their prompt service and customer-friendly focus.

Belfast Airport

• Once again, Red Cent Parking has triumphed over three other car parks to win this month’s award.

Birmingham Airport

• You’ll enjoy hassle-free parking at Birmingham Airport when you choose to book your space at the APH Car Park.
• If you prefer to avoid the need for transfers to and from the airport, try Meteor Meet and Greet Parking.

Cardiff Airport

• Highwayman Parking continues to impress travellers flying out of Cardiff Airport, proving that an independent company can provide top-notch service at a great price .

Edinburgh Airport

• Rated highly for providing Value for Money, Secure Air Parks remains a popular choice amongst our customers for parking at Edinburgh Airport.

Gatwick Airport

• Meteor Meet and Greet Parking at Gatwick make their debut appearance in our winners’ list this month.  Their parking compound boasts great security features, and customers have praised Meteor’s polite, punctual service.
• Currently the highest-rated Gatwick car park we offer, Cophall Farm Parking continues to impress with their great prices,
  

  The GoSimply.com Award - recognising outstanding service

  security and customer service.

• If it’s hassle-free parking you want, you should definitely consider APH Car Park at Gatwick Airport.   Combining friendly service, great prices and efficient procedures makes them a popular choice for parking at Gatwick.

Glasgow Airport

• Direct Parking is less than 2 miles from Glasgow Airport, meaning you’ll enjoy quick transfers to and from the terminal building.
• Making a welcome return to our honours list this month is Parksafe Car Parking for Glasgow Airport.  Our customers appreciate their friendly, value-for-money service.

Leeds Bradford Airport

• Less than a mile from the airport, Sentinel Parking at Leeds Bradford Airport continues to be a popular favourite amongst our customers.

Liverpool Airport

• Comprehensive security features and a high Value for Money rating from our customers are just two reasons why Sky Park is our John Lennon Airport parking winner this month.

Luton Airport

• Central Car Storage is a family-run business, providing  a customer-focused service at a great price.

Manchester Airport

• APH Car Parking at Manchester Airport remains a popular choice for our customers.  Their excellent security features help ensure your vehicle’s safety while you’re away.
• As our most popular option for meet and greet parking at Manchester Airport, Meteor Parking receives praise for their hassle-free service and friendly staff.

Newcastle Airport

• Park and Fly offers superb security for your vehicle and a courteous, efficient service to help you get to the airport safely and on time.

Prestwick Airport

• As our most popular, highest-rated car park at Prestwick Airport, Watson’s Ayr Park continues to provide excellent security and friendly, first-class service.

Robin Hood Airport

• The Long Stay Car Park at Robin Hood Airport is within walking distance of the terminal, and previous customers have rated them highly for Value-for-Money.

Stansted Airport

• With excellent customer ratings in the Punctuality and Customer Service categories, Easy Meet and Greet Parking at Stansted Airport takes their rightful place amongst our April 2009 winners.
• Comstrad Meet and Greet Parking (a 4-time winner of our award!), continues to provide a virtually stress-free alternative to standard “park and fly” airport parking at Stansted.

The United Arab Emirates city of Dubai is famous for its lavish lifestyle and world class engineering feats. Remaining a popular destination for business travellers and tourists, 2008 saw almost 7 million people visit the ‘City of Gold’.

Palm Islands Dubai

Despite the current world economic down turn, Dubai continues to see growth in its business and tourism markets with major hotel and resort developments such as the Palm Islands, World Islands and the Burj Al Arab Luxury Hotel continuing to fuel visitor demand.

Located in the Garhoud district, 4km (2.5 miles) southeast of Dubai, is Dubai International Airport.  Officially opened in 1960, the original airport runway was made of nothing more than compacted sand, a far cry from the world class airport that stands today. After many years of development and at a cost of billions, Dubai Airport now has a capacity for 60 million passengers a year and is currently ranked as the 20th busiest airport in the world. With further developments underway to accommodate up to 80 million passengers by 2011, Dubai International Airport and indeed the United Arab Emirates are destined to see many more world traveller in the years ahead.

In true form to the country known for its indulgence, facilities at the airport are also world class with the Dubai Airport Lounge being recognised as one of the top 10 airport lounges in the world by a number of travel journalists.

With work underway to complete the Burj Dubai, soon to be the worlds tallest building at 2,684 feet (818 mtrs), Dubai is well set to ride out the economic slow down with world interest in its engineering projects, heavy investment and growing popularity.

Today is the final day for companies interested in purchasing Gatwick Airport to throw their hats in the ring.

BAA is expected to receive three serious offers, which are rumoured to be for less than the £2 billion estimates suggested last year.  The interested parties are understood to be groups including General Electric, Manchester Airport and Vancouver Airport.

The Competition Commission ordered BAA to sell off Gatwick, Stansted and one of their Scottish airports last year, after an inquiry found that travellers were suffering due to a lack of competition between airports.  BAA has until the 19th of May to appeal against the Commission’s decision.

Luton Airport is to introduce a £1 charge for dropping off passengers at its terminal building this summer. The airport introduced a similar fee last year for the use of its trolleys and for the clear plastic bags used to take liquids through security.

£1 drop off charge at Luton Airport

To avoid the £1 drop off fee when it comes in to force, passengers could be dropped off at the Mid term parking car park to catch the shuttle bus to the terminal. Nic Horton, the development manager for Luton Airport said: “Making a small charge reminds drivers of the ten-minute time allocation and keeps the traffic flowing. “By offering a choice of options we can provide an airport experience to suit the needs of all our passengers.” A date for the introduction of the drop off fee at Luton Airport has not yet been confirmed.