Posts

Dave

Edinburgh Airport reveals measures, backed up by “let’s all flysafe” campaign

/in /by

A new campaign and range of measures to help passengers and staff prepare for the return of travel has been announced by Edinburgh Airport.

The “let’s all flysafe” campaign is part of the airport’s readiness programme as airlines begin to restart operations and will provide confidence and reassurance to those travelling through and working at the airport.

Measures introduced at the airport include:


The sky-blue line will guide people into the terminal while the maroon line will guide people out of the terminal.
  • One-way colour-coded systems to manage flow and social distance
  • Hand sanitising stations installed inside and outside the airport
  • Protective screens installed in check-in, security and arrivals
  • A trial of temperature checking technology for departing passengers
  • Staff wearing face coverings and PPE in passenger facing areas
  • Enhanced cleaning schedules and new fogging machines to disinfect trollies and wheelchairs
  • Deep cleaning of security trays, and new anti-viral trays introduced

Sanitising stations have been installed for people to clean their hands before entering the terminal, before and after security and in Arrivals.

The campaign is backed by new signage at the airport clearly explaining to people where they need to go. They include colours different from the traditional brand colours. The sky-blue, maroon red and lime green differentiates the campaign from regular materials.

Social media graphics will also be used to prepare people ahead of arriving at the airport, while emails containing the same messaging will be sent to our passengers.

The campaign encourages staff and passengers to work together and for all of us to do what we can to protect each other and flysafe. The airport has introduced five general rules for travellers to follow:

  • Don’t risk it – don’t fly or come to the airport if you feel unwell
  • Protect yourself and others – please wear a face covering
  • Clean your hands often – wash or use sanitiser
  • Maintain social distancing and be mindful of other passengers
  • Be kind, be patient and flysafe

The introduction of the campaign and enhanced measures comes as airlines such as easyJet, Ryanair, Loganair, Wizz and British Airways look to reintroduce parts of their schedule.

The let’s all flysafe campaign has been created in partnership with Edinburgh-based The Lane Agency who have a strong track record with high-profile campaigns and a close relationship with the airport.

Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport said:

We know how important it is to provide passengers with reassurance and confidence as they look to return to travel and we’ve spent a lot of time looking at how we do that by making improvements to our operation.

The steps we have taken will allow people to get moving safely and reopen our economy by providing that connectivity that our airlines are rebuilding. We all have a part to play in this recovery and we must make sure we do that by encouraging people to flysafe.

Adam Wilson, Operations Director at Edinburgh Airport said:

Although we never want to see a near empty airport, we’ve utilised the time to closely look at the terminal and surrounding areas and come up with a plan to protect everyone as much as possible.

We know the layout is different and we know it will take time to adapt to it, but we believe the campaign and measures are the right thing for our airport and our passengers. We’re effectively welcoming people into our home and these changes are our way of providing them with confidence and reassurance, letting them know we care about and them and their journeys.

We’ll continue to evaluate our approach as we go forward, and we encourage people to provide feedback and help us all flysafe.

Dave

Coronavirus – a guide to the latest travel news and medical advice

/in , /by

For the latest updates on the Coronavirus situation, make sure you are following the GTM Twitter account – details here: http://ow.ly/QYmh50yghXK

To see how Global Travel Management are ensuring clients’ travel plans are managed smoothly, despite the disruption caused by the coronavirus outbreak, please see here:
https://gtm.uk.com/how-were-tackling-coronavirus-for-business-travellers/

UPDATE: 22 MAY 16:45



UPDATE: 15 MAY 16:45

UPDATE: 12 MAY 16:30

There are reports that the UK Government will instigate a quarantine policy on arriving passengers, from early next months – an announcement heavily criticised by IAG‘s Willie Walsh. Elsewhere…

UPDATE: 8 MAY 16:30

Virgin Atlantic has announced plans to cut jobs. KLM mandates face masks. Finland opens borders. IATA oppose the blocking of middle seats, favouring face masks. Eurowings asked passengers for new ideas. Qatar increases operations. Hong Kong Airport introduces full body disinfection booths.

UPDATE: 4 MAY 08:00

Travel providers continue to make plans and adjustments in the on-going fight against the pandemic. Airports are sharing plans and results, hotel groups are enhancing their product and offerings, while airlines and rail companies continue to update their arrangements.

And, finally, on this day in 2018, Heathrow Airport celebrated “Star Wars Day” with an announcement of several new destinations, from Tatooine to the Death Star…

UPDATE: 28 APRIL 10:00

Airlines have announced further suspensions and arranged further repatriation flights; the UK government is discussing passenger quarantine; Gatwick issues a gloomy prediction; while The Londoner’s opening is postponed.

UPDATE: 24 APRIL 16:00

IATA announce the end of cheap travel and predict the UK will see 140m fewer flights; airlines continue to suspend services; airlines mandate use of masks and PPE; while airlines and hotel groups offer further concessions to customers.

UPDATE: 21 APRIL 17:00

Global Travel Management continues to publish regular tweets, every day, to update followers on all aspects of business travel, including the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. You can follow GTM’s Twitter account here – @GlobalTravelMgt h– meanwhile, here are some recent tweets:

UPDATE: 17 APRIL 17:00

Airlines have taken further actions amid warnings of revenues diminishing significantly, while another rail company is seeking government help and a U.S. airline has taken an innovative approach to reducing onboard touchpoints.

UPDATE: 15 APRIL 12:00

Airlines, airports, hotel groups and national governments all continue to react to the global pandemic.

UPDATE: 13 APRIL 18:00

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, is taking full advantage of the aircraft downtime as a result of the coronavirus pandemic to conduct an extensive maintenance and cabin refresh programme.

UPDATE: 12 APRIL 15:00

Air Asia and Air France KLM have been reported in the news this weekend:

UPDATE: 11 APRIL 10:00

Brussels Airlines has released footage of the process of storing their fleet of aircraft, now grounded at Brussels Airport. Each A330 takes about 400 man hours to store and the airline’s Maintenance and Engineering teams meticulously follow Airbus’ instructions to ensure they’re properly and appropriately parked up. Thirty employees are now working, full-time performing weekly inspections and turning the aircraft wheels every day to ensure even wearing, despite the weight of the aircraft.

© 2020 Brussels Airlines

UPDATE: 10 APRIL 16:00

Airlines continue to reduce services and make other savings, while Stansted has opened a testing centre and repatriation flights are planned for stranded travellers in India.

UPDATE: 9 APRIL 12:00 NOON

As airlines reduce their schedules further, Airbus has reacted by cutting planned production. Meanwhile, Marriott Bonvoy joins the increasing number of travel providers taking decisions to protect and extend earned status.

UPDATE: 8 APRIL 15:00

Airlines continue to adapt schedules and aircraft, while an airport in London opens up a drive-through coronavirus testing facility.

UPDATE: 7 APRIL 15:00

Airlines and airports are taking further measures to combat Covid-19, while Google and Etihad have announced technology advances.

UPDATE: 6 APRIL 11:00

Airlines have been told to give prompt refunds, more airlines reduce flight schedules and extend policies, rescue flights from India commence, one UK airport bucks the European trend and robots are deployed to help with cleaning…

UPDATE: 4 APRIL 12:00

Airlines and hotel companies continue to make changes to their schedules and services in reaction to decreased demand in the light of the coronavirus outbreak.

UPDATE: 3 APRIL 16:00

Airports Council International has issued a gloomy prediction for the length of the air travel crisis, but airlines, car hire companies and even museums have released better news.

UPDATE: 2 APRIL 11:45

Airlines continue to announce changes, cuts and suspensions as they continue to battle the effect of the coronavirus outbreak.

UPDATE: 1 APRIL 11:30

British, Chinese, Philippine and Singapore airlines adjust schedules, including routes to and from London, while the Indian Government launches an online resource for stranded foreign nationals and Virgin Australia donates toilet paper to charity:

UPDATE: 31 MARCH 15:00

More travel providers have suspended and reduced services and further restrictions have been announced:

UPDATE: 26 MARCH 09:15

Airlines and airports worldwide have continued to suspend and limit services, including:

UPDATE: 24 MARCH 16:00

Airlines, cities and national governments have applied further restrictions:

Meanwhile, in India:

But, yet again, there are some, small pieces of good news:

UPDATE: 20 MARCH 10:00

Several more governments have issued cross-border and internal movement restrictions:

  • Australia and New Zealand have barred foreign nationals from entering the country.
  • Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has issued a nationwide, 0700-2100 curfew on Sunday.
  • Malaysia is on a movement control order until 31 March.
  • The State of California has started a lockdown, which will remain in place until further notice.

Airlines and other travel providers have announced more suspensions and cancellations:

But there is also some news that is more positive:

UPDATE: 19 MARCH 09:00

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has issued an Exceptional Travel Advisory Notice. The FCO advises British nationals against all but essential international travel

As the Covid-19 outbreak continues, more travel suppliers have released information about their short-term plans.

But there’s also some good news:

In Venice, the city’s canals are reported to have cleared up for the first time in many years due to the drop in visitors.

UPDATE: 17 MARCH 11:05

Last night, the European Commission proposed a ban on travel to the European Union. This was covered on the GTM website, here.

Meanwhile, a number of travel providers have made further announcements, including:

UPDATE: 16 MARCH 11:00

The impact of the Covid-19 outbreak continues to be seen across airlines. Aer Lingus and Delta have released statements aimed to reduce the volume of calls to their call centres. While British Airways has warned of potential job cuts.

Several more airlines have announced reductions in their services:

  • Air New Zealand will reduce its long-haul capacity by 85% per cent over the coming months.
  • American Airlines will implement “a phased suspension of additional long-haul international flights from the US” from today.
  • Emirates has suspended flights between Dubai and Italy.
  • Finnair will cut capacity by 90%.
  • Low-cost carrier Jet 2 has suspended all flights to Spain.
  • Low-cost carrier Norwegian has announced it will ground 40% of its long-haul fleet.
  • SAS has announced it will temporarily halt “most of its traffic” from today.

However, some airlines have made more positive announcements:

UPDATE: 15 MARCH 12:00

Further to the announcement that the United States has extended its travel ban (see below), the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has updated its travel advice for the United States, as follows:

The FCO advise against all but essential travel to the USA, due to restrictions put in place by the US government with effect from 03:59 GMT 17 March in response to the outbreak of coronavirus (Covid-19) 

UPDATE: 14 MARCH 17:00

President Trump and Vice President Pence have extended the United States Schengen-area travel ban to include the United Kingdom and Repulic of Ireland. Please see this breaking news story.

UPDATE: 13 MARCH 15:00

The travel industry continues to react to the coronavirus outbreak. An increaesing number of airlines are suspending services reflecting reduced demand, while several new travel restrictions have been put in place.

The following airlines have recently announced suspensions of service:

Some airlines have introduced relaxation to rules regarding change fees and cancellation fees:

Meanwhile, some governments have introduced increased visa restrictions:

  • India has suspended all tourist visas and e-visas.
  • Thailand has suspended granting of visas on arrival to nationals of Bulgaria, Bhutan, China, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Fiji, Georgia, India, Kazakhstan, Malta, Mexico, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and Vanuatu.
  • The United States has imposed a temporary travel ban for travellers from 26 European countries.
  • Vietnam has suspended visa-free travel for people from the UK, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Norway, Spain and Sweden.

UPDATE: 10 MARCH 12:00

Rail companies and airlines have announced further suspensions of services, fee waivers and details of cleaning and disinfection regimes. These include:

  • Amtrak issues guidance, waives fees and suspends New York-DC service – Amtrak has issued customer guidance and advice on preventative measures; waived change and cancellation fees on all tickets purchased before 30 April; and suspended its non-stop route between New York and Washington DC.
  • Cathay Pacific suspends Japan service – All Cathay Pacific flights between Hong Kong and Fukuoka, Nagoya, Sapporo, and Tokyo Haneda are suspended until 28 March.
  • Emirates announces enhanced cleaning and disinfection and fee waivers – Emirates has announced enhanced cleaning and disinfection procedures on all aircraft from Dubai and a newly-introduced waiver policy for all booked tickets issued until 31 March 2020.
  • Lufthansa Group plans 50% flight reductions – Lufthansa Group has announced a plan to reduce its number of flights across the group by 50% and to examine the extent to which its entire A380 fleet can be temporarily decommissioned.
  • Qantas cuts international flights and grounds eight A380s – The Qantas Group has announced cuts to its international network which will see a 23% reduction in capacity until mid-September.

UPDATE: 6 MARCH 12:00

More airlines have announced cancellations, schedule changes and restrictions due to the on-going Covid-19 outbreak. These include:

  • Aeroflot suspends flights to Hong Kong Aeroflot will temporarily suspend flights from Moscow to Hong Kong amid growing fears over the spread of the coronavirus.
  • American Airlines suspends flights to Seoul American has suspended its daily operation between Seoul Incheon Airport and Dallas-Fort Worth Airport.
  • British Airways to waive flight change fees British Airways has announced it will waive flight change fees for customers who book until 16 March.
  • Delta suspends JFK-Milan Delta Air Lines has suspended its daily route between New York JFK and Milan Malpensa amid global concern over the spread of the coronavirus. The service is set to resume on 1 May. Delta’s daily flights from JFK and Atlanta to Rome remain unaffected.
  • Delta cuts Japan flights Delta Air Lines will reduce its weekly flying schedule to Japan until 30 April and suspend its summer seasonal service between Seattle and Osaka this year.
  • Delta waives change fees for bookings in March Delta Air Lines will waive change fees for all flights booked between 1 March and 31 March to any destinations the airline serves.
  • Finnair announces China cancellations and more frequency reductions Finnair will cancel all flights to mainland China (Guangzhou, Nanjing, Beijing Capital, Beijing Daxing, Shanghai and Xi’an) until 30 April 30. Daily flights to Seoul will be suspended from 9 March to 16 April. Throughout April it will fly to Hong Kong once daily rather than twice daily. It will also reduce its Osaka route from 12 to 10 weekly frequencies from 29 March to 24 October.
  • Finnair suspends all flights between Helsinki and Milan Finnair flights between Helsinki and Milan will be suspended between 9 March and 7 April, following an updated travel advisory from the Finnish Foreign Ministry on travel to Milan.
  • KLM cancels flights to Hong Kong and extends China flight suspensions KLM has adjusted its flights to mainland China and Hong Kong. KLM has suspended its services to Beijing and Shanghai until 28 March and to Chengdu, Hangzhou and Xiamen until 3 May. KLM is also offering flights to Hong Kong every other day instead of daily flights until 3 May.
  • Lufthansa Group airlines to suspend flights to Israel The Lufthansa Group has announced that all flights to Israel will be suspended from 8 March until 28 March due to an Israeli government travel ban.
  • Norwegian cuts transatlantic services Norwegian says it will cancel a total of 22 long-haul flights between 28 March and 5 May. Affected routes include London-New York (where the three daily departures will be reduced to two on some days), and services from Rome to Los Angeles, Boston and New York.
  • Vietnam Airlines suspends all South Korea flights Vietnam Airlines said it will temporarily suspend all flights between Vietnam and South Korea starting 5 March.
  • Virgin Atlantic waives flight change fees for March bookings Virgin Atlantic has announced it will not charge passengers a fee for changing flights for travel booked from Wednesday 4 March until Tuesday 31 March.

UPDATE: 2 MARCH 12:00

Several airlines have announced updates and changes due to the on-going Covid-19 outbreak. Here is a summary of some of the latest announcements:

  • British Airways reduces flights to Italy, Seoul and Singapore British Airways is “merging” a number of flights to Italy, Singapore and Seoul, as it reacts to a fall in demand called by coronavirus.
  • American Airlines suspends flights to Milan American Airlines has announced it is suspending flights to and from Milan, Italy from both New York (JFK) and Miami (MIA) from March until 25 April 2020.
  • Korean Air cuts international flights Korean Air has suspended and reduced flights to a number of international destinations due to the outbreak in South Korea.
  • Delta to cut flights to Seoul until end of April Delta is temporarily reducing flights it operates between the US and Seoul Incheon Airport.
  • Juneyao Airlines to delay the launch of three Europe routes Shanghai-based Juneyao Airlines will delay the launch of three new transcontinental routes from Shanghai to Dublin, Manchester and Reykjavik, all with a stop in Helsinki, which it initially planned to launch in late March this year.
  • Lufthansa Group to cut short-haul operations by “up to 25 per cent” Lufthansa Group says it will cut its short-haul operations in the coming weeks, “As a result of the current situation caused by the accelerated spread of the coronavirus”.
  • easyJet to halt recruitment and offer unpaid leave easyJet said that it had seen “a significant softening of demand and load factors into and out of our Northern Italian bases”, as well “slower demand across our other European markets”. The airline said that as a result it would be cancelling “some flights, particularly those into and out of Italy, while continuing to monitor the situation and adapting our flying programme to support demand”.

UPDATE: 26 FEBRUARY 14:01

The National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) has provided updated general advice for foreign travel and how individuals can help reduce the spread of respiratory viruses during the COVID-19 outbreak and specific advice for those travelling to category one locations (Wuhan city and Hubei Province (China); Iran; Daegu or Cheongdo (South Korea); and any Italian town under containment measures) or category two locations (Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, north Italy, Japan, Laos, Macao, Malaysia, Myanmar, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam).

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office continues to publish travel advice to China South Korea, Italy and other destinations via its public pages.

The Department for Health and Social Care and Public Health England have published the latest public advice on Coronavirus (COVID-19) here and will update this page with the latest situation in the UK at 14:00 every day, until further notice.

UPDATE: 7 FEBRUARY 13:30

Virgin Atlantic has issued the following advice:

Due to the ongoing situation with the Coronavirus the following Governments have made the decision to restrict entry for foreign visitors who have travelled to China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau).

Customers due to travel to:

  • Antigua or Barbuda who have been to China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau) in the last 28 days, will not be allowed to travel

Antiguan nationals are exempt from the restriction however will be subject to quarantine for 14 days on arrival if they have travelled to China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau) in the last 28 days 

  • Montego Bay Jamaica who have been to China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau) in the last 14 days, will not be allowed to travel

Jamaican nationals are exempt from the restriction however will be subject to quarantine for 14 days on arrival if they have travelled to China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau) in the last 14 days

  • Tel Aviv Israel who have been to China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau) in the last 14 days, will not be allowed to travel

Israeli nationals are exempt from the restriction however may be subject to quarantine on arrival if they have travelled to China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau) in the last 14 days

  • Mumbai, Delhi India who have been to China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau) in the last 14 days, will not be allowed to travel

Indian nationals are exempt from the restriction however may be subject to quarantine on arrival if they have travelled to China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau) in the last 14 days

  • St. Lucia who have been to China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau) in the last 14 days, will not be allowed to travel

St Lucia nationals are exempt from the restriction however will be subject to quarantine for 14 days on arrival if they have travelled to China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau) in the last 14 days

  • Grenada who have been to China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau) in the last 14 days, will not be allowed to travel

Grenada nationals are exempt from the restriction however will be subject to quarantine for 14 days on arrival if they have travelled to China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau) in the last 14 days

  • Trinidad and Tobago who have been to China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau) in the last 14 days, will not be allowed to travel

Trinidad and Tobago nationals are exempt from the restriction however may be subject to quarantine on arrival if they have travelled to China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau) in the last 14 days.

Contact your GTM Account Manager for details of any refunds due on flights booked.

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office continues to offer the following advice:

1. The FCO advise against all travel to Hubei Province due to the ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak.

2. The FCO advise against all but essential travel to the rest of mainland China (not including Hong Kong and Macao). The British Consulates-General in Wuhan and Chongqing are currently closed. If you’re in China and able to leave, you should do so. The elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions may be at heightened risk.

3. The Chinese government continues to impose further restrictions on movement within China in response to the coronavirus outbreak. These restrictions include the closure of some provincial highways and inter-city high speed rail, tight control on entry and exit to villages and townships across the country, and restrictions on movement within some provinces, cities and municipalities including Chongqing, Zhejiang and Anhui. Some airlines, including British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, have announced a suspension of flights to and from mainland China. Other commercial airlines are still operating, but it may become harder to access departure options over the coming weeks.

4. A number of countries have announced restrictions on entry by travellers from China in response to the coronavirus outbreak. Given the fast-changing situation, you should check the latest FCO travel advice (including entry requirements) for your destination and anywhere you are transiting through, and check with your airline before you travel.

UPDATE: 30 JANUARY 16:10

British Airways has issued a customer update confirming the planned end date of their current cancellations, in response to the coronavirus outbreak. The airline confirms that Shanghai and Beijing flights will be cancelled for all dates up to and including 29 February 2020. Flights to Hong Kong are unaffected.


British Airways issued a customer statement on 30 January, providing confirmation of the dates during which flights to mainland China will be cancelled.

UPDATE: 29 JANUARY 14:30

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office has issued the following, additional information for travellers to China:

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advise against all travel to Hubei Province due to the ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak. If you’re in this area and able to leave, you should do so.

The FCO advise against all but essential travel to the rest of mainland China (not including Hong Kong and Macao). The Chinese government continue to impose further restrictions on movement within China in response to the coronavirus outbreak. Some airlines, including British Airways, have suspended flights to and from mainland China. Other commercial airlines are still operating, but it may become harder over the coming weeks for those who wish to leave China to do so. If you feel that you may want to leave China soon, you should consider making plans to do so before any further restrictions may be imposed.

Due to increasing travel restrictions and difficulty accessing medical assistance, the FCO is working to make an option available for British nationals to leave Hubei Province. This may happen quickly and with short notice. If you’re a British national in Hubei Province and need assistance, contact our 24/7 number +86 (0) 10 8529 6600 or the FCO in London on (+44) (0)207 008 1500. If you have registered your desire to leave, you will be contacted once arrangements are confirmed.

The FCO has published the following PDF document, setting out the advised travel restrictions in place across China (opens in external site)
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5e306fbe40f0b62c4b0f0aba/FCO_440_-_China_Travel_Advice_Ed3__WEB__pdf_200128.pdf

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office has issued detailed travel advice for China. Please visit the FCO website for full details.

UPDATE: 27 JANUARY 20:45

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office has issued the following, additional information for travellers to China:

The latest information is available on the FCO website, here:
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/china

UPDATE: 27 JANUARY 09:28

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office has issued update travel advice:

We are working to make available an option for British nationals to leave Hubei province. If you are a British national in Hubei Province and require assistance, please contact:

· our 24/7 number +86 (0) 10 8529 6600
· or the FCO (+44) (0)207 008 1500

We continue to monitor developments closely and are in close touch with the Chinese authorities. The safety and security of British nationals is always our primary concern.

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/china

The TravelHealthPro website has further information on the spread of the Coronavirus outbreak https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/country/49/china#CIoutBreaks

Following media reports of an outbreak of a new virus, we have compiled a number of resources that provide the latest advice for business travellers.

About Wuhan novel coronavirus


Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses with some causing less-severe disease, such as the common cold, and others causing more severe disease such as Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) coronaviruses.

The source of the Wuhan novel coronavirus (WN-CoV) outbreak has yet to be determined. Preliminary investigations identified environmental samples positive for WN-CoV in Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan City.

Although evidence is still emerging, information to date indicates human-to-human transmission is occurring. 

Further information: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-background-information/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-epidemiology-virology-and-clinical-features (Public Health England website).

Travel advice

On 22 January 2020, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office issued advice against all but essential travel to Wuhan city, Hubei Province.

The FCO advice on travel to China can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/china.

Coronavirus outbreak updates

Travel Health Pro continues to monitor coronavirus from its initial reports on 31 December 2019 and continues to do so as the virus evolves.

The latest information from Travel Health Pro is available here: https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/updates.php?base=2896.

Enhanced monitoring

Enhanced monitoring has been put in place from all direct flights from Wuhan to the UK. The enhanced monitoring package includes a number of measures that will help to provide advice to travellers if they feel unwell.

For further information and the latest advice on travel to China, see the Public Health England page, here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-and-avian-flu-advice-for-travel-to-china.

Dr Nick Phin, Deputy Director, National Infection Service, Public Health England, said:

This is a new and rapidly evolving situation where information on cases and the virus is being gathered and assessed daily.  Based on the available evidence, the current risk to the UK is considered low. We are working with the WHO and other international partners, have issued advice to the NHS and are keeping the situation under constant review.

The risk to visitors to Wuhan is moderate reflecting an increase in the number of cases being identified in China and evidence that the virus has limited spread from person to person. If you are travelling to the area, you should maintain good hand, respiratory and personal hygiene and should avoid visiting animal and bird markets or people who are ill with respiratory symptoms. Individuals should seek medical attention if they develop respiratory symptoms within 14 days of visiting Wuhan, either in China or on their return to the UK. They should phone ahead before attending any health services and mention their recent travel to the city.

A Foreign & Commonwealth Office spokesperson said:

In light of the latest medical information, including reports of some person-to-person transmission, and the Chinese authorities’ own advice, we are now advising against all but essential travel to Wuhan.

The safety and security of British nationals is always our primary concern, and we advise British nationals travelling to China to remain vigilant and check our travel advice on gov.uk.

Dave

Walsh spells out IAG coronavirus safety plans

/in /by

Willie Walsh has told a committee of MPs his plans for ensuring the safety of passengers and crew while the coronavirus epidemic continues.

Willie Walsh, chief executive of IAG, gave evidence to the House of Commons Transport Select Committee yesterday (Monday, 11 May)
Image: StuBaileyPhoto/Wikimedia-Commons/parliament.uk

Walsh, chief executive of International Airlines Group (IAG) was facing MPs gathering evidence for the Transport Select Committee.

He explained,

There is very little evidence of any passenger to passenger contact spreading of the coronavirus.  That’s not to say people on flights have not got off and subsequently tested positive and spread it as a result of that. 

Walsh went on to explain the measures IAG – comprising British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Level and Vueling – will take:

We will take all measures and we are working with regulators to implement what I hope will be a common system across – let’s start with – Europe, and hopefully globally, will take measures that need to be taken at airports, on board the aircraft and to ensure that all of the responsible authorities are able to track and trace everybody who has come off an aircraft to ensure that, if there is anybody that tests positive, that they can be tracked.

We are working with a number of regulators.  EASA, the European Safety Agency, will be publishing a draft document some time this week which will set out the regulations that they will propose to the EU27.  I expect that to be a comprehensive document which will deal with all aspects.  We will follow any regulation that is introduced to ensure that people can be confident that it is safe to climb aboard an aircraft in this environment.

Dave

HRH The Prince of Wales sees how British Airways is investing in sustainability

/in /by

His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales has toured British Airways’ engineering base in Cardiff, seeing first-hand the changes, large and small, which the airline is making as it works towards more sustainable flying.

In front of more than 400 BA staff, His Royal Highness was shown the nose-to-tail focus on sustainability from the heavy-weight investments in new fuel-efficient aircraft, to the smallest detail of using a light-weight solder in aircraft repairs, bringing down the carbon footprint of each journey.

British Airways is forensically assessing its entire operation to find the little changes which add up to a big change of direction.


His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales was shown around a Boeing 787-9, one of the world’s most efficient aircraft. British Airways is investing in a further 73 fuel-efficient and quieter aircraft to arrive before 2024.
  • Each First-Class duvet is now made from 19 recycled plastic bottles.
  • Replacing seats on short-haul aircraft with new lighter weight versions saves 9,100 tonnes of CO2 per year. That’s equivalent to more than 350 return flights from London to Berlin.
  • British Airways now taxis to the runway using a single engine taxi on short haul flights, saving 3,700 tonnes of CO2 per year, equivalent to more than 100 return flights from London to Madrid.
  • The airline’s lighter cabin trolleys save 5,000 tonnes of CO2 per year; that’s a saving equivalent to more than 300 return flights from London to Paris.
  • BA now retract landing lights earlier on our A320 fleet, burning less fuel and saving 8,000 tonnes of CO2 per year; a saving equivalent to 150 return flights from London to Athens.
  • Plastic swizzle sticks have been replaced with bamboo versions, saving 45 tonnes of plastic per year.
  • The plastic wraps on bedding have been replaced by paper bands. That adds up to more than 19 million pieces of plastic which have been removed.

British Airways’ Chairman and Chief Executive, Alex Cruz, who led the tour, said:

It has been an honour to showcase our work in this area to His Royal Highness today. Every decision we make at British Airways now starts with a simple question: what does that mean for our sustainability aspiration? We’re now offsetting carbon emissions on all our flights within the UK, and were the first airline group to commit to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

We’ve got a lot of work to do, but keeping an eye on the detail as well as the bigger picture is the only way to get there.

Louise Evans, Director of Communications & Corporate Responsibility said:

From new, quieter and more fuel efficient aircraft to sustainable swizzle sticks that eliminate the use of single use plastic, we’re carrying out a huge transformation of the way we fly.

His Royal Highness opened this engineering base 26 years ago, and we were delighted to welcome him back to our engineering base here in Cardiff so he can see for himself the steps we are taking to a sustainable future.

Contact your GTM Account Manager the next time you plan to fly on British Airways.


Dave

GTM overcomes Italian airline’s failure

/in /by

The financing issues of airlines are causing some headaches for passengers wanting to fly between the UK and Italy. But, at Global Travel Management, we can offer a huge range of choice, so if one airline ceases operations, we can continue to find the best-value, most efficient alternatives.

This week Air Italy announced that the airline will be placed into liquidation and that all passengers booked onto flights after 25 February will be refunded or booked onto alternative flights. The announcement confirmed also that flights until 25 February will be operated by other carriers.

Despite the loss of Air Italy, there are still hundreds of regular, scheduled flights between UK and Italian airports, all of which can be booked for customers of GTM. These include British Airways, Alitalia, easyJet and Ryanair.

Paul Baker, Sales Director of GTM said

It always a difficult time when a travel supplier goes into liquidation. We hope that the airline’s staff can secure positions with other airlines as soon as possible.

In the meantime, we continue to offer the widest possible choice of flights from the UK to Italy. In addition, our staff can even provide advice on how to travel between the two countries without flying, by making use of Europe’s high-speed rail network.

Passengers booking flights through GTM benefit from protections from national and international laws as well as industry organisations.

Paul explained:

If customers are concerned about their flight bookings, we encourage them to speak to their GTM Account Manager who can advice on alternative travel plans. And, if an airline were to go out of business, the Account Manager can provide information on which travel industry compensation schemes they can make use of, such as ATOL, EU261 and the Consumer Credit Act.

Please contact your GTM Account Manager when you next need to fly between the UK and Italy.

Dave

British Airways trials automated cocktail maker

/in /by

British Airways is exclusively trialling an automated cocktail maker in its San Francisco and Newark lounges. Cocktails are dispensed in under 45 seconds, adding a new dimension to the food and drink available for customers.

Available until March 2020, British Airways’ First and Club World customers travelling from San Francisco and Newark will be able to choose from a selection of 30 cocktails and customisable drinks from the robotic device. This includes locally-inspired cocktails that British Airways has created – Silicon Galley and Echo-Whisky-Romeo.

The machine has been created by mix-master Barsys using Artificial Intelligence.  As British Airways is the first UK airline to trial the technology, it gives the airline’s customers a first chance to try this autonomous machine.

Customers simply order their drink by clicking one button on the app, then place a glass on the conveyer belt and let the AI do the work.

Ricardo Vidal, British Airways’ Head of Innovation, said

We are always looking at innovative ways to enhance our customers’ journey on the ground and in the air. Barsys offers a new cocktail experience and what better way to trial this technology than in San Francisco, in our newly refurbished lounge, and Newark, two of the most cosmopolitan and tech-savvy metropolitan regions in the US.

Akshet Tewari, Barsys CEO and Founder, said

We are so excited to partner with British Airways as we have always felt that an airport lounge was the perfect place to create a unique and fun cocktail experience. We recognise that Barsys will never replace a good bartender but can free them up to make more complicated drinks and interact with customers.

Natalie

Luis Gallego to succeed retiring Willie Walsh as CEO of IAG in March

/in /by

International Airlines Group (IAG) has announced that Willie Walsh has decided to retire as chief executive. He will stand down from the role and from the Board of IAG on 26 March 2020 and will retire on 30 June 2020. Luis Gallego, currently Iberia chief executive, will succeed Walsh.

Antonio Vázquez, IAG chairman, said:

Willie has led the merger and successful integration of British Airways and Iberia to form IAG.  Under Willie’s leadership IAG has become one of the leading global airline groups.

Willie has been the main driver of this unique idea that is IAG. I hugely admire his commitment, strong leadership and clear vision, always ready to take on whatever challenges lay ahead of him. I am deeply respectful of what he has achieved as CEO of this Group, of his sense of fairness, his transparency and his capacity to integrate people regardless of nationalities or backgrounds.

Willie has established a strong management team and I am delighted that Luis will be promoted from this team to succeed Willie as CEO. The Board is confident that Luis is the right person to lead IAG in the next stage of its development and we look forward to working closely with Luis in his new role.

Willie Walsh said:

It has been a privilege to have been instrumental in the creation and development of IAG. I have had the pleasure of working with many exceptional people over the past 15 years at British Airways and at IAG. Luis has been a core member of the team and has shown true leadership over the years and I have no doubt he will be a great CEO of IAG.

Luis Gallego has been CEO of Iberia since March 2013 and Chairman of the airline since 2014. He will take over as CEO of IAG in March 2020.

Luis Gallego said:

It has been a great pleasure to work with Willie over the last seven years. It is a huge honour to lead this great company. It is an exciting time at IAG and I am confident that we can build on the strong foundations created by Willie.

IAG has not yet named Gallego’s successor at Iberia.

If you need to book flights on any of IAG’s airlines – Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, LEVEL or Vueling – contact your GTM Account Manager.

Natalie

British Airways trials robots to guide passengers through the airport

/in /by

British Airways has announced that from this year it will trial AI-powered autonomous robots at its home at Heathrow Terminal 5 to help customers navigate through the airport, freeing up the airlines’ hosts to help customers with more complex queries.

The cutting-edge robots from tech company BotsAndUs are programmed to interact with passengers  in multiple different languages using the latest translation technology to answer thousands of questions, including real-time flight information.


British Airways has announced it will trial state-of-the-art, fully autonomous robots in 2020.

Additionally, using geo-location technology and dozens of advanced sensors to constantly monitor a 360˚radius, the robots will move around the airport terminal freely and safely, escorting customers to specific locations.

To complement its investment in technology and automation, last year British Airways launched a multi-million pound investment in enhanced training for colleagues as part of its First Contact Resolution Programme at Heathrow. The programme empowers customer service agents to use their expertise, initiative and judgement to solve customer queries on the spot using a suite of specialised apps on iPads.

Ricardo Vidal, British Airways’ Head of Innovation, says the combination of automation and personalised customer service will define the airport of the future:

We are always looking for new and innovative ways to use automation to help our customers enjoy a faster and smoother journey through the airport and beyond. These smart robots are the latest innovation allowing us to free up our people to deal with immediate issues and offer that one-on-one service we know our customers appreciate. In the future, I envisage a fleet of robots working side-by-side with our people offering a truly seamless travel experience.

​

Andrei Danescu, Founder of BotsAndUs, added:

We are very excited to partner with British Airways. The trial will pave the way for other new and interesting services we can provide to improve the customer journey as we work together to re-imagine the airport experience.

Contact your GTM Account Manager next time you need to fly on British Airways.

Natalie

British Airways reunites family for a very special occasion

/in /by

As its centenary year drew to a close, British Airways waved its magic wand for the 100th time to take a very deserving customer on the trip of a lifetime to Australia to surprise her uncle on his wedding day.

Cheryl Lawley, 36 from Nuneaton, contacted the airline in early 2019 to share her story. In 2016 Cheryl was diagnosed with incurable brain cancer and after undergoing a 14-hour operation, Cheryl woke to find her uncle, Ben, unexpectedly by her bedside. Ben had travelled from his home in Melbourne, Australia, to nurse Cheryl and help care for her three children, aged 16, 10 and 9.

After returning to Melbourne, Ben announced that he was engaged to marry his partner of 14 years, Andrew, but given Cheryl’s circumstances she would be unable to attend. Until BA Magic stepped in!

British Airways organised for Cheryl, her partner Adrian, 31, and children Mia, Ashdon and Carson to fly to Melbourne, with lots of surprises and adventure along the way.

Departing from Heathrow Terminal 5, Cheryl was given the VIP treatment with a Heathrow Personal Shopping experience and Elemis spa treatments in preparation for the wedding, before the family embarked on their 22-hour journey to Australia in the comfort of British Airways’ business cabin, Club World.

When they arrived, the family were gifted with a suite at The Langham Melbourne, which has been named as the number one hotel in Australia. 

On the day of the wedding, Melbourne’s leading hair and make-up artist, Jemma, was on hand to pamper Cheryl before she went to surprise her uncle as he got ready for his wedding.

Cheryl said:

When I wrote to BA Magic to ask for help in getting me to Australia so I could be there for my uncle on his important day as he was for mine, I didn’t expect such an unforgettable adventure. British Airways has helped create memories for us as a family that we will always cherish and be grateful for.

Carolina Martinoli, British Airways’ Director of Brand and Customer Experience, said:

Cheryl’s story touched our hearts, so we wanted to do everything possible to help surprise her uncle on his big day. Throughout 2019, to say thank you to our customers, we committed to 100 acts of kindness and this marks our 100th act. We are delighted we could end the year making this special trip unforgettable for such a deserving family.

Helping to surprise Cheryl’s uncle on his big day was part of the airline’s commitment to mark its centenary year with 100 acts of kindness as part of its #BAMagic100 campaign. Following its launch in 2017, the campaign saw the airline arranging surprise proposals, reuniting loved ones, arranging money-can’t-buy experiences and creating holidays of a lifetime.

If you want to book a flight on British Airways, please contact your GTM Account Manager; and if you would like to take advantage of Heathrow’s Personal Shopper Service, please click here:
https://boutique.heathrow.com/en/contact/personal-shopper.

Natalie

British Airways invests millions on reimagined and improved menus on flights from Gatwick

/in /by

British Airways has made a multi-million pound investment in its catering on flights from London Gatwick, with “reimagined and improved” food across its short- and long-haul cabins.

Now available on all flights, the catering brings in new menus featuring new dishes and recipes as part of the airline’s £6.5bn investment for customers. The new food has a focus on provenance with the provider, Newrest, working closely with suppliers in the south of England to source the best quality ingredients.

Customers can enjoy the benefits across all long-haul cabins – World Traveller (economy), World Traveller Plus (premium economy), Club World (business) and First – as well as Club Europe (business) on short-haul. 

A range of Marks & Spencer products continues to be on offer to Euro Traveller customers.

Carolina Martinoli, British Airways’ Director of Brand and Customer Experience, said:

This is the latest development in continuously improving our catering. We’re incredibly proud of this new offering, and we hope our customers enjoy it as much as we have enjoyed developing it.

Paul Baker, Sales Director of Global Travel Management said:

British Airways flies to more than 70 destinations from Gatwick, offering a variety of routes to suit both business and leisure travellers. So it’s great to see an improved selection of great, locally-sourced food being served on routes from London’s second airport.

As part of its £6.5bn investment for customers, British Airways has refreshed its Boeing 777 fleet at Gatwick. So, as well as Panasonic in-flight entertainment on 10″ (World Traveller) and 12″ (World Traveller Plus) screens, offering more choice of movies, television and audio programmes, British Airways passengers now have choices from superbly-improved menus.

If you’re flying on business from London Gatwick, contact your GTM Account Manager.