Category : Travel Advice

If you have ever been one of the millions stuck in an airport, you know how frustrating the wait can be and with the looming threat of more industrial action, this time by BAA staff looking to threaten millions of passengers travel arrangements in August, you might be wondering how to beat the stress.

This guide gives you 10 things for you and your family to help beat the stress!

1. Take out travel insurance before you fly. Many insurance plans cover you in the case of cancelled flights, but always read the small print and know your rights before you take it out.
2. Check your flight status BEFORE you leave for the airport. If it’s cancelled, you have already saved yourself the stress! There are plenty of online flight monitors that work in real time and teletext still works!
3. Check your flight status when you arrive and crucially, BEFORE you go through security. If it is cancelled before you go through, go and check with the airline desk when you are likely to be able to board the next flight.
4. Leave plenty of time to check in and get through security. Most airports are now suggesting a 3 hour advanced arrival for flights.
5. Use your hand luggage to pack things that will keep you busy – Bring a charged iPod or iPhone, handheld computer console. Bring a paperback book you’ve been meaning to read and ensure you have a colouring book and small pencils for the little children.
6. Make sure you have added several websites to your phone bookmarks before you set off. For example, if you are flying out of Gatwick, make sure you have a local taxi firm on your bookmarks and a list of Gatwick hotels, just in case you have to wait for an extended time. You can also add the BBC news site, your airlines contact details and their homepage to ensure you have all of the information should a problem arise.
7. Drink plenty of liquids. Don’t take any through the security with you, but ensure you have enough coins to buy water and fruit juice drinks when you are waiting. Avoid coffee and tea, it will heighten your stress levels and dehydrate you.
8. Don’t forget the internet. Most airports have wireless internet available, sometimes free, especially if you already have a mobile phone contract. Check out what you can get from your phone provider before setting off and make sure you have a credit card handy to get online at the airport lounges. This expense can sometimes be refunded if you are facing a cancellation and you can prove you needed the internet to contact loved ones, research hotels or find alternative flight.
9. Play the airport game with your children. Give them a piece of paper and a pen to write down all of the different airlines they can see through the airport lounges and award a small prize for whoever finds the most. Play Airport Snooker with them, can they find a plane with red on it and then a plane with yellow and then green and so on. It’ll keep them amused for hours.
10. Get back to the main terminal for shops and restaurants. Don’t forget this one; it is easily overlooked when you are cooped up in a lounge waiting for a flight. You do have the right to go back in to the terminal, just check with the security people the way you came in, there is usually a way to get back out. Be warned however, you will need to come back through security again so make sure you leave enough time once your flight is announced again.

Note the dates in your diary people. August 12 is our summer d-day, for this is the day that over 6,000 BAA members will finally decide if they strike and what that action will look like. Why should we care? Well, if you are planning on a flight out of the UK in late August, this might well make your life a misery.

Summer Travel Chaos at UK Airports

If the proposal for strike action is agreed, then we could see major disruption to flights around the BAA owned airports such as Heathrow and Glasgow to name but two. If you add in the threat of more industrial action by British Airways cabin crew, our summer getaways could be thrown in to chaos.

So what’s the solution? For some, there is no solution, for those who still have a choice, it would appear you need to fly from Gatwick and avoid British Airways. Some of the Gatwick airport hotels are much nicer than the Heathrow ones, including the Gatwick Hilton and some of the airport services seem to be much better these days too, so its not like you don’t have a valid alternative to Heathrow, even if it is a little further away from home. Even then, the Gatwick Express that runs from Victoria has you there in less than 15 minutes from central London.

It probably won’t be as simple as changing airport, as others hurry to snap up flights on alternative operators going out of alternative airports not owned by BAA. The congestion and pressure on airline seats inevitably mean more chaos as a result, even if you are proactive about it now.

Simply put, we need the government to step in and sort this constant mess out. Year after year we see the same problems arise and yet our government sits by idle, too busy collecting the cash off the increased duty on airplane fuel to do anything about it.

We could just vote with our feet and stay at home, but then we’d just moan about the British weather, right?

A new survey by Which? Car magazine indicates the cost of airport parking is “ridiculously high”…but are they giving you the full story?

BBC News reports that the magazine checked prices for 7 days’ parking at major airports across the UK, and found that there were big differences in cost depending on the location.  For example, Which? found that the most expensive parking option was Heathrow’s Business Parking at £88.70, and the cheapest was Manchester Airport’s “park-and-ride” at £19.84.

Now that’s a huge difference, indeed.  Of course, not all car parks are created equal and you’ll find different levels of service offered, which also affects price.  So perhaps it’s not entirely fair to compare apples to oranges.

You also might find that you get what you pay for when you’re looking for cheap airport parking.  Sure, Farmer Giles is offering you a space for £5.00 less than an “official” car park, but the thing is, you might be leaving your vehicle in the middle of an alfalfa field with cow security guards.  (For the record, gosimply.com offer only reputable airport car parking services, and we are not affiliated with Farmer Giles or his bovine friends.)

The cheapest airport parking deals can be found with gosimply.com

Prices for Liverpool, Bristol and Belfast International were also quoted, but there may be a slight problem…

The news report doesn’t mention what dates or times were surveyed, and as anyone who regularly uses airport parking knows, prices can fluctuate depending on the time of year you need to park.

Let’s look at Manchester Airport parking, for example.  Which?’s survey found that the cheapest price was £19.84, but when you conduct a search for 7 days’ parking (7-13 June) on gosimply.com you’ll see there are two options that cost less at the time of this writing.

The survey also showed that Belfast International had deals on off-site parking that started at £21.00, but a quick search with us reveals an option for £18.00.

The bottom line is, it’s best to check all the facts before you book your airport parking.  The best way to do that is by comparing prices at all of the best car parks, using a website that is unbiased, lets you read legitimate customer reviews, and actually compares several different sellers.  A “one-stop shop”, if you will, where you know you’ll find the best deal on airport parking without having to check anywhere else on the web.

Now how convenient is this?:  You’re already here. 

If you’re worried about your travel plans because of the impending cabin crew walkouts at British Airways, Flybe.com might be able to help you out.

The UK’s number one domestic airline have recently announced that they’re increasing the number of seats on selected flights during the disruption that’s sure to result from the upcoming industrial action planned by BA workers.

Flybe.com might be able to help you avoid scenes like this

Specifically, the routes that will benefit from the increased availability are London Gatwick to and from Aberdeen, Jersey, Newcastle and Dusseldorf.  Flybe.com have also made more seats available to purchase from Southampton, Birmingham and Manchester Airports to a range of destinations (including Paris Charles de Gaulle and Frankfurt) to try and help customers who might otherwise fly from Heathrow or Gatwick.

So, head over to Flybe.com if you’re looking to fly any time during the planned walkouts (between 18 May and 9 June) and see if they can help you out.

And once you’ve got that flight booked, visit us here at gosimply.com to get the cheapest airport parking online.  You’ll be glad you did!

As if the turmoil caused by the volcanic ash cloud wasn’t enough for travellers to contend with, Unite (the union for British Airways cabin crew) have announced dates for more strike action in May and June.

Following their rejection of BA’s latest offer in the long-running dispute over pay and working conditions, workers will hold walkouts on the following dates:  18-22 May, 24-28 May, 30 May – 3 June and 5-9 June.

Some BA flights will be grounded in the coming weeks

When walkouts were held in March, passengers suffered over the Easter holiday period and British Airways lost millions of pounds in revenue.  These new actions will disrupt travel plans over the Spring Bank Holiday and half-term periods, but are scheduled to end as the World Cup starts in South Africa.

BA has stated that flights from Gatwick and London City Airports would not be affected, and that they aimed to keep most of their longhaul flights from Heathrow on schedule.

As always, it’s a must to check with the airline before you head out to the airport to make sure your flight is still going ahead as scheduled.

gosimply.com will keep you up to date on disruptions via our Twitter account,  or you can find out the latest developments on the Official British Airways website.

By now, you know that gosimply.com should be your first and only stop for the best deals on your travel extras. Now there’s even more reason to come to us when you want to book an airport lounge!

New lounges and lower prices!

Our partner provider, Lounge Pass, has added several new lounges over the past couple of months, meaning we can now offer great prices on over 150 lounges at more than 110 airports worldwide. Don’t worry about whether or not you’ve got the right type of ticket to get access to the lounges either. Anyone and everyone is welcome to escape the crowds and noise of the airport terminal and chill out in comfort.

We’ve also got new, lower rates for UK airport lounges (some as low as £13.50 per person!), so there’s little excuse for not taking advantage of the VIP treatment on offer.

No matter where you’re travelling, it’s very likely we’ll have a lounge for you to enjoy, so pre-book your airport lounge today and see just how relaxing a trip to the airport can be. You’ll start your holiday before you’ve even stepped on the plane, plus you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you’re one of the smart people who gosimply.

Unite, the union that represents BA cabin crew have just announced that their members will strike for three days from 20 March and for four days from 27 March.

Grounded Planes - Soon to be a common sight?

BBC News is reporting that British Airways has implemented extensive contingency plans, including training 1,000 staff to work as cabin crew to cover striking workers.  They are also looking to hire charter aircraft to keep as many flights as possible in operation.

A British Airways spokesperson has said that flights from London City Airport and 70% of flights from Gatwick, including all long-haul flights, should be operational.  He went on to say that Heathrow would be able to offer some long and short-haul services.

If you’re planning on travelling on the strike dates, be sure to check with BA for the latest information before you leave to find out if your plans will be affected.

If you think Twitter is only good for keeping up-to-date on the minutiae of the everyday lives of your friends or the latest celebrity feud, you may be surprised by what you’re about to read.

Frequent travellers would do well to consider following the tweets of their local UK airport.  Even those who may just have a casual interest in the comings and goings at airports around the UK may find out some interesting facts.

Twitter's great for travel updates!

Most airports let followers know about current conditions via their Twitter accounts; helpful if you’re preparing for a flight, especially during inclement weather.  The best of the airport tweeters also provide various facts about the history of their airport, or even which celebrities have recently been spotted traipsing through their terminals.  If you’re on the move and you have a WAP-enabled mobile phone, you can take advantage of the real-time updates from the airports, too.

Manchester Airport (manairport) is amongst the most prolific and personable tweeters, letting followers know about local events, contests and a myriad of other facts that may be of interest to the populace.

If you’re interested in the latest news from Liverpool Airport, you can follow LPL_Airport.  They will let you know about new services flying from John Lennon Airport, recent airport events…and they even advised holidaymakers to bring a brolly when it was raining!

Birmingham Airport also maintains a friendly, information Twitter account (bhx_official).  They have links to historical pictures, late-breaking airport-related news and information about local weather conditions.

So there you go…if you thought Twitter was not very useful, or only for those with too much time on their hands, you might need to re-evaluate your opinion and check out the wealth of topical information to be had.

And don’t forget, the gosimply Twitter profile is a great place to find out about the latest deals on Manchester Airport parking, Birmingham Airport parking, parking at Liverpool Airport, and all sorts of other facts of interest to UK travellers.

If you had the choice between parking your car yourself or letting someone (or something!) else do it, what would you choose?

We’re all looking for ways to make our lives a bit easier these days.  Most of us are taking advantage of any little luxuries we can find, including on-board gizmos in our vehicles.  (Remember the steering wheel desk?)

The car manufacturer Lexus introduced a “self-parking” feature a few years ago on their LS 460 L model, which some self-styled comedians over at Automobile Magazine Online had some fun with in this video we stumbled across.

Now, a car that parks itself sounds like a great idea, but not everyone has the capital to spend on a geeked-out vehicle for the super-rich.  Did you know, however, that if you’re in need of airport parking but your funds are in a pinch you can still have a car that virtually parks itself?

Booking a Meet and Greet parking service is the ultimate in convenience, whether you’re travelling with the family, toting loads of luggage or just want to treat yourself and feel like a VIP.  You’ll be met at your departure terminal where a professional driver will collect your vehicle and take it to a secure compound, allowing you to proceed directly to check-in.  Then, when you return from your trip, your car will be waiting for you outside the terminal so you can make a quick getaway.

On gosimply.com, you’ll find meet and greet services providing Manchester Airport parking, Birmingham Airport parking, and parking for just about every major airport in the UK.  So next time you’re jetting off on holiday or a business trip, check out the meet and greet parking on offer and find out what it’s like to have a car that “parks itself”.

For many of us, plans for the post-Christmas getaway are now fully underway. Tickets are booked, hotel sorted and naughty underwear ordered.  Yep – January is fast becoming one of the most popular months in the holiday industry as winter sun-seekers scramble to escape the drudgery of a cold, wet January and the post-Christmas blues.

At a time of the year when most of us are a little cash-strapped, the opportunity to save a little money is a welcome one. Which is, of course, where we come in. You may’ve found cheap flights and a great little budget hotel, but what about your airport parking? Or holiday insurance for that matter?

As with most things in life – the earlier, the better. During peak seasons many of the more popular official car pars at major airports get booked up early by those wanting to capitalise on cheap prices. Working in much the same way as flight pricing – the nearer your departure date, the higher the price is likely to be.

Whilst we here at gosimply will always go that little bit further by comparing the top car park providers and highlighting hidden costs to find you, the lovely customer, the best possible deal – it’s worth remembering that we can only search on available space and prices at any given time.

Oh, and don’t forget – gosimply offer some of the most flexible, value-for-money travel insurance available online. Just promise us you won’t need to use it!