Air India moves to Terminal 4

Air India has today moved its Heathrow operation from Terminal 3 to Terminal 4.

First non-stop Taiwan link for Heathrow

     Heathrow is to get its first non-stop link to Taiwan with the  launch of a new three-times-weekly service by China Airlines.
     The service from Taoyuan Airport beginning on March 28 will be operated with an Airbus A340-300 aircraft, with 30 seats in business class and 246 in economy. It will use Heathrow’s newly refurbished Terminal 4.
     Departing Taipei on Tuesday and Sunday at 09.25 and arriving London Heathrow at 17.05, the London Heathrow – Taipei flight will depart at 21.15 and arrive at 18.15 the following day. A third weekly Thursday flight will depart Taipei at 09.25 and arrive London Heathrow at 16.55, before returning from London Heathrow at 22.05 arriving Taipei at 19.05 the following day.
     Following the launch of the London route, China Airlines will serve five destinations in Europe, with a total of 21 flights per week between Taiwan and Europe. China Airlines growing European presence, combined with its extensive network, provides passengers with more flexibility in planning business or leisure trips to Taiwan and onward destinations including Bali and Sydney, said a statement.
    Philip Wei, Chairman China Airlines commented “As the leading airline in Taiwan, China Airlines is committed to promoting tourism, culture and the economic development of the island.”
    A statement from the airline said “Taiwan was first known to the West as Ilha Formosa, or ‘Beautiful Island’, and visitors will discover countless arresting landscapes and alluring coastal vistas as well as a rich cultural heritage. As a ‘high-tech island’, with products made in Taiwan available throughout the world, the destination also offers a wealth of futuristic attractions, modern art and world-class cuisine, providing a fascinating and unique visitor experience”
   Return fares start from £370.

Excess Baggage Company flagship store in Terminal 4

    Excess Baggage Company, which offers an extensive range of luggage items as well as a baggage transportation and packing services, has opened a new flagship store in Terminal 4.
    The store joins the six other excess baggage drop-off and shipping points, left luggage locations and retail outlets operated by the company in each Heathrow terminal.
     Excess Baggage Company launched its first location in Terminal 3 in 1991. Since then it has grown into one of Europe’s largest excess luggage shipping companies carrying more than 50,000 shipments each year to destinations around the globe.
     The new store offers an extensive range of designer and more affordable luggage, rucksacks, handbags and other travel accessories for sale, plus an extensive range of fashion travel items. Dakine, Carlton, CAT, Swiss Gear, Eminent, Trunki & Jump luggage is available along with Fiorelli, Charlotte Reid and luxury bags from the Hempleman Collection.
     Excess Baggage Company also say they are “delighted” that their new store was chosen to be the venue for the UK launch of Barcelona brand Slang with their chic range of handbags and holdalls.
    Alongside the designer retail selection, the store offers its standard products – baggage shipping service, purchase of packaging facilities and secure bag-wrapping facilities.

Mobile phone boarding pass from Continental

Continental Airlines has announced the introduction of its mobile boarding pass service to Heathrow and says it is the first carrier to offer paperless boarding passes on nonstop flights from the United Kingdom to the U.S.
    The service allows customers to receive boarding passes electronically on their mobile phones or PDAs and eliminates the need for paper boarding passes.
    “We are pleased to add Heathrow to the growing list of airports we serve with mobile boarding passes,” said Martin Hand, Continental’s vice president of reservations  and eCommerce.
     ”Customers have told us this is the type of product improvement they want, and we will continue to expand the self-service technology to more of our domestic and international destinations”.
     Mobile boarding passes display a two-dimensional bar code along with passenger and flight information, which scanners at the security checkpoint and boarding gate validate. The technology prevents manipulation or duplication of the boarding passes and heightens security.In addition to boarding passes.
     Continentalalso provides access to enhanced flight information through mobile devices. Customers may view onboard amenities and standby lists, as well as track the status of their flights.
     Continental was the first carrier to offer paperless boarding passes in the U.S. in a pilot program that began in December 2007
     The airline currently offers mobile boarding passes at 42 airports, including its hubs in New York, Houston and Cleveland. Continental was the first U.S. carrier to offer mobile boarding passes from an international destination when it launched the service at Frankfurt Airport late last year.
     Continental operates five flights per day to Heathrow – three from its New York hub at Newark Liberty International Airport and two from Houston. The airline announced recently that it will add a fourth daily service to the New York – Heathrow route in March and a fifth daily service in October, bringing the total number of Continental daily departures to Heathrow to seven. Continental also announced that effective June 2, 2010, all aircraft scheduled for its Heathrow flights will feature new, flat bed seats in BusinessFirst.

Rituals store for terminal 4

Heathrow – New Delhi route for Kingfisher

India’s Kingfisher Airlines will launch a new non-stop service on the New Delhi – Heathrow route from March 28, it announced

Kingfisher Airlines’ flight IT 001 will take off from New Delhi at 1.20 pm and arrive at London Heathrow’s Terminal 4 at 6.10 pm, local time. From London, flight IT 002 will leave at 9.05 pm and arrive the next day at 10.20 am in New Delhi, local time.

“Guests planning to fly on these routes can now look forward to the award-wining Five Star Kingfisher service at very competitive fares”, said a statement.

The flights on the New Delhi-London sector will be operated using a new Airbus A330-200. Configured in two classes, Kingfisher First and Kingfisher Class, the spacious full-length wide-bodied twin aisle cabin of the A330-200 has gone to great lengths to make flying feel a more natural and pleasurable experience, it says.

The route is already served by British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Air India and Jet Airways.