Things To Do At The Airport

So the time has come to make your way to begin your journey but you are unsure of the things to do at the airport.

Ok, so you may not be able to have as much fun as the guys do in the video above but having said that there is no need to think of the time you spend at the airport waiting for your flight as boring.

In many ways the whole experience at the airport comes down to attitude. We all know that in this day and age with the many security checks and other validations that need to be made most air passengers are going to be required to arrive at the airport at least two hours before their flight.

The key thing here is not to think of the waiting time as a waste of time. There are several things you can do to make the time pass pleasantly and if you so wish, productively.

Keep yourself energised by having something to eat and drink. Then, how about re-living some of your  beautiful  times from the past. Think about a loved one who you have spent some wonderful moments with. You will be amazed at how quickly the time will pass.

Buy a newspaper or a magazine and use the waiting time to catch up on all the news you have missed in the past few days.  Or how about listening to some of your favourite music  via your mobile phone. This will also put you in a calm and happy mood for your flight.

And if you are feeling tired, why not catch up on some sleep. There is nothing to feel embarrassed by. Nobody cares, just have a nap. But be warned, make sure you set your alarm on your mobile phone. Many people miss their flight through falling asleep at the airport.

British Airways Cabin Crew Strike Resolved

The 14 month British Airways cabin crew dispute has finally ended with a peace deal.

Hundreds of Unite union members at London’s Heathrow airport agreed to stop industrial action after being assured that travel perks would be re-instated to all those who walked out.

This issue had been a major stumbling block in the bitter argument since former British Airways boss Willie Walsh said that the generous travel perk would never be re-instated to those who had taken strike action.

Cabin crew will also get a 4% pay rise this year which is linked to productivity and 3.5% in 2012.

The deal is welcome news to British Airways passengers who have had their air travel arrangements disrupted since the strikes began in March 2010.

The dispute was triggered in October 2009 when British Airways announced it was going to axe 1700 cabin crew jobs, change working practises and freeze pay. After the first three day strike in March 2010 the row escalated resulting in 22 days of strikes, High Court actions and, despite ACAS talks, the sides remained poles apart. 

Several thousand cabin crew who walked out lost their travel perks and union officials faced the sack and disciplinary action linked to the dispute. British Airways refused to restore the travel perk which allows crew to buy flight tickets for fraction of the normal cost. 

The breakthrough came because new bosses were keen to end the dispute which has cost British Airways £150 million.

Willie Walsh, the airline’s tough talking chief executive was replaced by Keith Williams and Tony Woodley and Derek Simpson were replaced by new Unite union leader Len McCluskey. 

In the end, it was the case of both sides having to compromise a little and thankfully common sense prevailed. It is thought that the change in leadership at British Airways and the Unite union gave the fresh impetus for the dispute to be resoled amicably.

Flight Times From UK

Welcome to Flight Times From UK. Obviously there are a huge number of destinations that can be travelled to throughout the world and the flight durations will vary country to country and airport to airport.
 
However, to give you some idea of how long your flight times from the UK will be, please see the information below. These times are based on flying from a London airport although flight times from other UK airports are going to be roughly the same. Starting with European destinations that have flight times of between 1 and 2 hours to far away destinations in the Far East and Australia that take 11 to 12 hours to fly to.

1 to 2 hours

Austria (Tryol, Salzburg)
Belgium (Brussels)
Denmark (Copenhagen)
France, North to Mid (Paris, Lyon)
Germany (Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg)
Ireland (Dublin)
Netherlands, The (Amsterdam)
Scotland (Edinburgh)
Spain, North (Bilbao)
Switzerland (Basel, Geneva, Zurich)

2 to 3 hours

Romania (Bucharest)
Hungary (Budapest)
Finland (Helsinki)
Balearic Islands (Ibiza, Majorca, Menorca)
Italy, North (Milan, Venice)
Latvia (Riga)
Lithuania (Vilnius)
Costa del Sol (Marbella)
Poland (Krakow, Warsaw)
Portugal (Lisbon)
Czech Republic (Prague)
Iceland (Reykjavik)
Netherlands, The (Rotterdam)
Bulgaria (Sofia)
Spain, Mid to West (Barcelona, Madrid)
Sweden (Stockholm)
Tunisia (Tunis)
Austria (Vienna)

3 to 4 hours

Bulgaria (Sofia)
Greece, North to West (Halkidiki, Preveza)
Greece, South (Kalamata, Athens)
Greek Islands, North to West (Corfu, Kefalonia, Skiathos, Zante)
Gibraltar (South of Spain)
Turkey (Istanbul, Anakra)
Madeira (Island South of Portugal)
Malta (Valletta, Birkirkara)
Morocco (Casablanca, Marrakech, Rabat)
France, South (Marseille, Montpellier, Nice)
Norway (Oslo)
Portugal (Porto Islands)
Italy, Mid to South (Rome, Naples, Sicily)
Russia (Moscow, St Petersburg)
Spain, South (Seville)

4 to 5 hours

Azores Islands, The (inc. 2 hour flight from Lisbon, Portugal)
Canary Islands (Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Tenerife)
Greek Islands, East to South (Mytilene, Cyprus, Mykonos, Kos, Santorini, Crete, Rhodes)
Egypt (Cairo, Luxor)
Jordan (Amman)
Syria (Damascus)
Turkey (Izmir, Bodrum)

5 to 6 hours

Israel (Eilat)
Africa, West (Nigeria)
6 to 7 hours
Africa, West (Gambia, Ghana, Senegal)
Saudi Arabia (Riyadh)
Oman (Muscat)
United Arab Emirates (Dubai)
7 to 8 hours
Antigua (St John’s)
Barbados (Bridgetown)
Bermuda (Hamilton)
USA, East (New York, Boston)
Canada, East (Montreal)
St Lucia (Castries)
Trinidad (Port of Spain)

8 to 9 hours

India, North (New Delhi)
India, West (Mumbai, Goa)
Pakistan (Karachi)

9 to 10 hours

Aruba (Oranjestad)
Bahamas (Nassau)
Bangladesh (Dhaka)
Botswana (Gaborone)
Cuba (Havana)
Dominican Republic (Santo Domingo)
Jamaica (Montego Bay)
Kenya (Nairobi)
St Kitts (Basseterre)
Tobago
Zimbabwe (Harare)

10 to 11 hours

Canada, South (Ottawa, Toronto)
USA, South East (Atlanta, Miami)
USA, West (California, San Francisco)
USA, North to West (Montana, Seattle)
USA, South (New Orleans)
Brazil (Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo)
Argentina (Buenos Aires)
Cayman Islands (George Town)
Hong Kong
Grenada (St George’s)
Mexico (Mexico City)
Namibia (Windhoek)
Chile (Santiago)
South Africa (Cape Town)
Sri Lanka (Colombo)
Tanzania (Dodoma)
Zambia (Lusaka)

11 to 12 hours

Australia (Sydney)
Thailand (Bangkok)
Hawaii (Honolulu)
Japan (Tokyo)
Mauritius (Port Louis)
South Korea (Seoul)
Singapore
Venezuela (Caracas)

New Air To Sea Link At Stansted

There is set to be an exciting development at Stansted Airport this summer.

Royal Caribbean International will launch their first direct cruise connection from London Stansted operated by British Airways charter flights to Venice.

Launching in June, passengers travelling from Stansted will connect directly onto Voyager of the Seas, one of Royal Caribbean International's luxurious cruise ships, for seven nights of Adriatic sailing.

Have You Got Your European Health Insurance Card?

 The European Health Insurance Card or EHIC is a must have item for all UK resident travelling to anywhere in Europe. In the event that your holiday takes a turn for the worst, the card allows you access to state provided healthcare, similar to that provided by the NHS in the UK, in all countries designated as in the European Economic Area or EEA plus Switzerland.

Not all countries healthcare systems are the same, so you might not be covered for everything that would normally be free from the NHS in the UK. In many cases, you will be offered a choice of either private or state provided care. To avoid potentially costly private medical bills, always seek out state provided care and where possible present your EHIC before treatment.

There are certain rules that apply to using your European Health Insurance Card should you require medical treatment during your visit abroad. Most accidents are covered but you are not permitted to go abroad to use the card to receive specific medical care. However, maternity care, renal dialysis and looking after the symptoms of a pre-existing or chronic condition that crops up while you are abroad are all covered by the card.

Broadly speaking, you will receive the same treatment as a resident of the country you are visiting. That said, many overseas countries expect the patient to pay towards the cost of medical treatment anyway so even with the EHIC you may still be expected to pay. It is also worth bearing in mind that you may be able to recoup this cost when you return to the UK if you are not able to do so in the country you have visited. Always remember to keep receipts and paperwork as they may be needed to apply for reimbursement.

Applying for a European Health Insurance Card is free and is valid for five years. Finally, it should be pointed out that the card is not an alternative to travel insurance. It does not cover you for private medical care or the cost of such things as a rescue from a mountain in a ski resort. Neither, of course, does it cover lost or stolen property, repatriation to the UK or flight related problems. It is therefore essential that you have a travel insurance policy as well as your EHIC.

In-Seat Exercises To Combat Deep Vein Thrombosis

Deep Vein Thrombosis is a condition when blood clots form in the veins of the leg. It is a very serious condition and can be fatal. It is caused by long periods of immobility and as a result is associated with air travel. There are a number of simple exercises an air passenger can do to help reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis or DVT.

These are:

1. During the flight place a pillow in the hole of your lower back to maintain the curve of your spine. Avoid crossing your legs. This will help your back as well as your blood circulation. Try to keep your weight evenly balanced on each buttock and keep your shoulders relaxed.

2. Sit back in your seat and flatten the head rest. Sitting up straight and with your shoulders relaxed allow your head to roll slowly to one side. Then, gently roll back through its central position to the other side. Repeat this exercise several times.

3. Sit upright in your seat and move forward a little. Lift your shoulders up towards your ears and then circle them back down. To help you with this exercise imagine you have pencils on the tips of your shoulders to draw circles. Repeat this exercise six times. Then lift your shoulders up towards your ears and drop again. Repeat six times.

4. Sit in an upright position and place a pillow under your right thigh just above the knee. Try to keep your weight even. Now circle your right foot round (rotating from the ankle joint) whilst keeping the whole leg as still as possible. Do twelve circles in each direction with each foot.

5. Sit upright and keep your feet in line with your hips and knees. Push your toes and the balls of your feet into the floor. Hold this position and slowly count to six. Then release. Now push your heels into the floor for a count of six then release.

As you can see these exercises are very easy to do and can be done in your seat without causing interference with other passengers. These exercises can be repeated several times during your flight to reduce the risk deep vein thrombosis.

Air Travel And Deep Vein Thrombosis

Deep Vein Thrombosis or DVT is a serious condition where blood clots form in the deep veins of the legs and this can occur during air travel.

Prolonged immobility is commonly regarded to be the major underlying risk factor so any medium to long haul air travel can result in a passenger developing deep vein thrombosis in the legs.

All reputable airlines and holiday companies provide information on DVT and you are strongly recommended  to seek advice on passengers who are most likely to be affected by the condition and how to reduce the risks when flying.

Most passengers can reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis through keeping circulation active by practising 'in seat exercises' (particularly leg exercises) whilst aboard the airplane. Most airlines and holiday companies also advocate walking around the aircraft to reduce the risk but any regular air travellers will know this is not always possible.

Most airlines will provide details of exercises you can do in their in-flight magazine or during the in-flight videos. For more comprehensive advice please visit the UK Government Department of Health's website www.dh.gov.uk

However, if you believe you are at a high risk of suffering from deep vein thrombosis when flying it is strongly recommended that you should consult your GP before travel.