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News.com.au
16 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘Technical issues' sees almost all flights across the UK grounded
Almost all flights came to a halt in the UK on Wednesday, local time, after a radar meltdown left air traffic controllers unable to direct aircraft. London Heathrow, Europe's busiest airport and the home base for both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, was put out of action for at least an hour. One major airline has said the incident was 'shambolic' and could leave thousands of passengers stranded. The outage occurred at around 4pm UK time (1am Wednesday AEST). It wasn't just Heathrow. The UK's second busiest airport, London Gatwick, was also affected as were air hubs in Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and London's Luton, City and Stansted airports among others. Eye opening images from flight tracking websites showed no flights at all leaving from Heathrow and barely any planes in the skies over southern England, one of the world's biggest air traffic corridors. The outage was centred on Britain's National Air Traffic Services (NATS) which coordinates the UK's skies. The organisation said there were 'technical issues' at its Swanwick air traffic control centre, outside Southampton in England's south. Swanwick handles 5500 flights a day coming into London or flying over England and Wales. 'We are limiting the number of aircraft flying in the London control area in order to ensure safety, which is always our first priority,' NATS said in a statement confirming the disruption. 'Our engineers are working hard to resolve the problem as quickly as possible and we are working closely with airlines to help minimise disruption.' Around an hour later, NATS said it had restored its systems which were now 'fully operational'. 'We are working with affected airlines and airports to clear the backlog safely.' Clearing that backlog is not easy in such a congested area. British Airways said in a statement that it had been restricted to two thirds of its usual departures and arrivals until mid-evening on Wednesday. Travel journalist Simon Calder told BBC Radio Scotland that 'so much unravels as a result of this that we are talking hundreds of thousands of people will be affected'. 'It's an unbelievable meltdown'. Call for air traffic control head to resign NATS has had similar incidents in 2023 and 2014, reported The Guardian, one of which was caused by a 'single piece of data in a flight plan that was wrongly inputted to its system by an unnamed airline'. While there were backup systems, the erroneous data caused that system to also be suspended for safety reasons. As you can imagine, airlines are not happy about the outage, especially as it has occurred just two years after the last incident. Low cost airline Ryanair, whose major London hub Stansted was heavily affected, has already called for NATS CEO Martin Rolfe to go. 'It is outrageous that passengers are once again being hit with delays and disruption due to Martin Rolfe's continued mismanagement of NATS,' chief operating officer Neal McMahon said in a statement after Wednesday's incident. 'Yet another ATC system failure has resulted in the closure of UK airspace meaning thousands of passengers' travel plans have been disrupted. 'It is clear that no lessons have been learnt since the 2023 NATS system outage, and passengers continue to suffer as a result of Martin Rolfe's incompetence.'
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Telegraph
Heathrow can become the world's best airport – here's how
Pop quiz: which major international airport does not have a Terminal 1? It could only be Heathrow. Europe's busiest hub has grown so fast in recent decades that it has become a bit of a make-do-and-mend airport. Some elements work brilliantly – the Elizabeth Line, Terminal 5, Terminal 4, the passport E-gates in all terminals, and the Virgin drive-in business-class check in at Terminal 3. Other elements are so old that demolition cannot come soon enough. Yes, I'm looking at you T3, with your low ceilings, bad lighting and long walks to the boarding gates. And, this being Heathrow, some elements are so potty that they beggar belief. No, not the recent fire and power cut which grounded all flights. Did you know that the T2 baggage systems still use those in T1, which closed a decade ago? Or that there is a completed tunnel designed for a train shuttle between the main T2 building and its satellite almost a quarter of a mile away but no trains use it because there, er, are no trains? Neither Heathrow nor the airlines could agree on how a shuttle would be funded. So it's a very long walk today to the gates instead. But things might – just might – be about to change for the better. Last month Heathrow Airport published plans for a multi-billion pound upgrade – and later this week will set out its proposals for a controversial third runway. With or without a third runway, Heathrow managers hope to complete a revamp of the airport's core facilities by 2040. The biggest change will come in what is now known as the airport's central terminal area, where T1, T2 and T3 sit. Under Heathrow's proposals, the abandoned T1 will finally be knocked down and T2's main terminal building will expand northwards into the space T1's demolition creates to become more than twice its current size. Trains will finally start shuttling between the main T2 building and its satellites. Airlines currently in T3, notably Virgin Atlantic, Emirates, Cathay Pacific, American and Delta, will move into the expanded T2. This will enable demolition of T3 to begin. Once that has been completed, two new satellites for T2 will be built parallel on the land previously occupied by T3. A new tunnel from the south side of Heathrow will make it easier for passengers driving up from the south to access T2 because it will lead directly to the new central terminal area. Currently, the only access to that area is via the often congested tunnel on the northern side of the runway off a spur from the M4 motorway. While all that is going on, a third satellite for T5 will open on land between the existing main terminal and the M25. This should enable all British Airways flights to take off and land from T5 for the first time. Some BA services still depart from T3. Once all the building work is finished Heathrow's terminal space will expand by more than 150,000 square metres. Heathrow's shareholders – which include French private equity group Ardian – will initially contribute £2 billion in new equity towards the investment programme which will cost north of £10 billion, the airport says. Terminal 4, home to Qatar Airways, Etihad and Air France, will remain unaffected, except for its name. Heathrow managers acknowledge that with only three main terminal buildings in future they will have to rename the terminals 1, 2 and 3 but it is not clear which will be which number. The train stations – Heathrow Express, Elizabeth Line and Piccadilly Line Underground stations – will also need to be renamed. Heathrow has submitted its plans for approval by the Civil Aviation Authority, after which it needs to secure planning permission. The Government has indicated it is minded to approve big infrastructure projects. If the work does go ahead, what will it mean for passengers? The new layout will be more efficient and should enable Heathrow to offer more flights, increasing the number of passengers which pass through the airport from 84 million a year now to up to 94 million – and far more than that if the third runway is approved. Placing the main terminals and satellite hubs in a series of parallel lines between the two runways – a 'toast rack' as it is known – will make it quicker and easier for jets to taxi before take off and after landing, which should reduce delays. The arrangement of gates at T3 currently creates cul de sacs where planes can get delayed. Heathrow expects its plans to ensure that 80 per cent of flights depart on time. Passengers will also enjoy faster access to terminals and greater simplicity. Three terminals are easier to remember than five. But what most passengers will appreciate more than anything will be the latest technology. Heathrow is keeping quiet on that for now but if you're reading, Thomas Woldbye, Heathrow's CEO, Telegraph readers would like: City centre bag drops: Check in and baggage drop at railway terminals in London city centres. Our hold baggage should be scanned and transferred into a secure hold on the train, so we can walk off the train into the terminal with our hand luggage while our hold baggage is unloaded and transferred to the aircraft. More facial recognition: Outdated body scanners and X-ray machines should be replaced by new security scan arches. We want to simply walk through slowly with our hand luggage while both our clothes and the contents of our bags are screened. Facial recognition is essential, so that there is no need to stop at immigration or to show our boarding pass at the gate – or to enter the lounges. Fewer long walks: Please use great design and tech to make walking distances to the gates shorter – or easier. Ideally both. Far too many airport terminals these days are designed for aircraft, not passengers. The distances you have to walk at the current T2 and T3 can be far too long. And how about putting the arrivals hall in the new terminals on the upper floors, rather than in the dungeon as is the case today? That would lift the spirits after 23 hours from Australia. The only downside of all the construction and innovation will be likely higher fares. Under the current regulatory model, Heathrow is allowed to recoup spending on airport improvements through the landing fees it charges airlines, which are typically passed on to customers through ticket prices. Heathrow has asked regulators to approve a 17 per cent increase in landing charges to help to pay for the initial £10bn investment: over the next five years the charge would increase to about £33.26 per passenger, up from the current average of £28.46 – around a £5 increase. The request is likely to be opposed fiercely by the airlines that use the airport, which has been accused of overcharging and exploiting its position as the premium London hub to charge too much.
The Australian
3 days ago
- Business
- The Australian
How Qantas Frequent Flyer, Velocity compare to other airline loyalty programs
Analysis of the best frequent flyer programs for Australian travellers has ranked Virgin Atlantic as number one based on the average value of each point earned. Australian Frequent Flyer's Matt Graham and Wilson McTaggart undertook the detailed analysis in an effort to throw some light on one of the murkiest areas of loyalty schemes. It was noted the value of points varied dramatically based on redemptions — with Qantas Frequent Flyer members getting the equivalent of 0.46 cents a point for a gift card, and as much as 3.66c a point for a domestic flight cabin upgrade. Overall, Qantas points were valued at an average 1.8c per point, just ahead of Virgin Australia's Velocity on 1.7c, and behind Virgin Atlantic's Flying Club at 2.1c. Qatar Airways' Privilege Club 'avios' were worth an average 2c a point, and Cathay Pacific and Air France loyalty programs 1.9c a point. At the other end of the scale was Air New Zealand airpoints — estimated to be worth a mere 1c per point, and Etihad Guest and Emirates' Skywards at 1.3c. Mr Graham acknowledged Virgin Atlantic did not fly to Australia, but said the airline offered 'relatively good value redemptions with lower points requirements than other programs for similar flights'. 'In addition, Virgin Atlantic is part of SkyTeam, and there is very good reward flight availability on key routes, including from Australia to Asia with partner airlines such as Garuda Indonesia and Vietnam Airlines,' he said. 'With Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, you can also book trans-Tasman flights on Air New Zealand as well as economy class flights on Virgin Australia.' On the homegrown front, it was noted it was easy to earn large amounts of points with Qantas Frequent Flyer and Virgin Velocity, particularly through points-earning credit cards. But, Qantas points were considered slightly more valuable, partly due to higher airfares with more inclusions and better access to lounges. Mr Graham said there was no question the best use of Qantas points was for business class reward flights between Australia and Asia, closely followed by using points for upgrades and domestic flights. 'For example, a business class redemption from Sydney to Tokyo through Qantas Frequent Flyer would net you around 3.4 cents per point of value, more than seven times the value of a gift card,' he said. 'The same Sydney-Tokyo business class redemption through Velocity Frequent Flyer is worth around 2.7 cents per point.' Velocity chief executive Nick Rohrlach said the program made it easier to earn and redeem points across a wide range of partners, and competitive fares meant members could access rewards sooner. 'While points valuations can vary depending on methodology and timing, we remain focused on providing a rewarding and accessible program that meets the needs of Australian travellers,' said Mr Rohrlach. Loyalty expert Adele Eliseo of The Champagne Mile said the Australian Frequent Flyer analysis showed there was 'value hiding in programs that may not be on most Australians' radar'. 'As a UK-based program, Virgin Atlantic isn't as easy to earn into as Qantas or Velocity but it's accessible to Australians Amex Membership Rewards,' Ms Eliseo said. 'Virgin Atlantic's high valuation is partly built on access to Air New Zealand's premium cabin seats, with standout redemptions like 15,000 miles for business class from Australian cities to Auckland.' She said it was somewhat ironic that while Air New Zealand's own program delivered some of the weakest returns, 'international partners monetised its best inventory'. 'Air New Zealand's own program Airpoints Dollars, is little more than a fixed cash rebate,' said Ms Eliseo. Although there was no question that airline loyalty programs differed considerably, Mr Graham said the best rule of thumb was to not tie yourself down to just one. 'Collecting points with multiple airline programs — or better, flexible credit card reward programs that let you transfer your points out as needed — ensures you can get the best value for your points every time you want to redeem them,' he said. 'It also helps spread the risk, in case a particular airline devalues its frequent flyer program at short notice.' Read related topics: Qantas Robyn Ironside Aviation Writer Robyn Ironside is The Australian's aviation writer, and has twice been recognised by the Australasian Aviation Press Club (in 2020 and 2023) as the best aviation journalist. She has been with The Australian since 2018, and covered aviation for News Corp since 2014 after previously reporting on Queensland state politics and crime with The Courier-Mail. Aviation A 737 aircraft has been severely damaged after becoming detached from a tug vehicle and colliding with it at Melbourne Airport. Aviation The Boeing 747 was being towed for maintenance when the incident happened, leaving an enormous rip in the side of the aircraft.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Thousands of passengers are abandoning British Airways. These are the best alternative carriers
A few weeks ago Telegraph Travel asked readers for their verdict on changes to the British Airways loyalty programme, the BA Club, which make it harder and more expensive to earn coveted silver and gold status. Many of you said you felt that the near £7,500 spend required to earn silver status or the near £20,000 spend to make gold was so far out of reach that you would no longer prioritise BA when booking flights. Michael Crooks, 60, a translator from Oxford, told us: 'Travelling with BA used to be a 'must' to earn status but now, like many, I'll be on Skyscanner to do a general search for all airlines.' Mr Crooks certainly isn't alone. Thousands of previously loyal customers will be turning their backs on BA. So how should these refuseniks use their new-found freedom? Which carriers should they choose, for which routes? I've flown on almost all of the airlines that operate to and from the UK over the past 20 years and here are my recommendations. Short-haul to Europe and North Africa Air France and KLM will suit those who will in future choose Virgin Atlantic for long-haul routes, since those three carriers are members of the Skyteam airline alliance. You earn Virgin Atlantic Flying Club air miles and tier points when you fly Air France or KLM. Sir Richard Branson's airline is tempting disgruntled BA Club members to shift to its Flying Club by offering to match their BA status, giving them the chance to advance up the membership tiers more swiftly than at BA, and making more reward seats available on all flights at lower redemption rates. Air France has the advantage that it flies from Terminal Four at Heathrow which is the smallest and easiest terminal to use. Air France also flies from Manchester, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Newcastle. To that list, KLM adds London City, Inverness, Belfast, Teesside, Humberside, Leeds, Norwich, Bristol, Exeter, Southampton, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Cardiff. But be aware that flying Air France and KLM to destinations outside France and the Netherlands means changing planes in Paris Charles de Gaulle or Amsterdam Schiphol. If you want to fly direct and/or don't care about earning loyalty points in an airline alliance, it's best to choose whatever airline offers you the best fare on a non-stop service from an airport near you. For those living in London or the south-east, this may well be easyJet at Gatwick. It offers 419 flights a day to and from the Sussex airport during summer to 113 destinations. Pay to choose a premium seat and for speedy boarding, and the service is on par with British Airways economy class. I've found Jet2's service from all major airports across the country to be consistently solid and reliable. Cabin bags are included and families are almost always seated together, without having to pay for seat selection. Long haul to the Americas and the Caribbean When it comes to ditching BA on long-haul flights heading west, there is a clear winner: Virgin Atlantic. If you are on a budget but can't face cattle class, it has created up to 14 rows of Economy Delight at the front of the economy cabin on its new jets. The 28 seats on its A330s have a 34-inch pitch, the most generous legroom of any carrier in economy. All are window and aisle pairs, which makes them great for couples. There are 45 Economy Delight seats on Virgin's Airbus A350s, arranged in sets of three across the cabin. I always choose the window seat in the second row of Economy Delight in the rear cabin because it has no seat in front of it. By contrast, BA just has a single bog standard economy seat on all its long-haul jets with meagre legroom of just 31 inches. Virgin Atlantic Premium (premium economy) is broadly on par with BA's World Traveller Plus. But I find Upper Class (Virgin's business class) better than BA's Club World because Virgin's Clubhouses are more exclusive and luxurious than BA's lounges and have better food and service and the suite and service on board are superior – even without the trademark bar which Virgin announced earlier this month is being phased out. Virgin's code share alliance with America's leading carrier, Delta, ensures easy onward connections to destinations across North America. I should note, however, that BA does offer more direct flights from the UK to US destinations – 25 – and BA is the only carrier to offer first class across the Atlantic. Upper Class is half way between business and first class. American Airlines, which codeshares with BA on US routes, has improved some of its services but, overall, is outgunned by the Virgin/Delta combo. United is upgrading its cabins but does not codeshare with a UK airline which makes it unattractive. If you are on a budget, Norse from Gatwick to New York, Orlando, Los Angeles, and Miami has rock-bottom fares, especially in premium economy. When flying to Latin America, I often find the best route networks and timings are with Iberia, via Madrid. Long-haul to Asia, Australia and Africa Flying long-haul east or south, I recommend Emirates and Qatar in economy class, largely because there are a lot of extra legroom seats on their A380s which you can snag / pay extra for. Qatar also has a small – 48-seat – economy-class section on the upper deck of the A380 with two bathrooms. I've flown it on day flights to and from Doha and it is more akin to a premium economy experience than economy. (Perhaps one reason why Qatar Airways does not offer premium economy). Emirates and Cathay Pacific lead by miles in premium economy largely because the seats are so comfortable and on Cathay the headrests guarantee a little more privacy than rivals. Emirates food and wine is best in class. If you are going to Australia, Qantas is worth considering since it flies nonstop from London to Perth and has a well-designed premium economy cabin. I've done the 17 hours in premium economy and, with the aid of melatonin (and red wine), I managed to get some good kip. Qatar Airways is the clear winner in business class with its vast Q Suite, which is better than first class on some carriers. Cathay, Singapore, and Emirates also offer excellent suites, lounges and service. I flew Cathay Pacific's new Aria business-class suite to Hong Kong last month and it is way ahead of BA's Club Suite both in terms of the suite and the service and lounges. (Side note for BA refuseniks: my tier point reward for my flight from Heathrow to Hong Kong was only one third of what it was under BA's old rules). Iberia via Madrid or Turkish Airlines via Istanbul are also worth a look, especially for cheap business-class fares. Those who fancy a bit of old-school nostalgia should choose Lufthansa and transfer on to an iconic Boeing 747 at its Frankfurt hub. The German flag carrier still operates 27 jumbo jets, many of which fly to Asia. The Abu Dhabi-based Etihad should be your first choice if you only make one trip a year east or south in any class. Its combination of new aircraft, new airport – Abu Dhabi Zayed International is the best-designed, most hi-tech and comfortable hub in the world – plus free hotel during layover so you can visit the Louvre, is unbeatable. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Solve the daily Crossword
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Telegraph
Thousands of passengers are abandoning British Airways. These are the best alternative carriers
A few weeks ago Telegraph Travel asked readers for their verdict on changes to the British Airways loyalty programme, the BA Club, which make it harder and more expensive to earn coveted silver and gold status. Many of you said you felt that the near £7,500 spend required to earn silver status or the near £20,000 spend to make gold was so far out of reach that you would no longer prioritise BA when booking flights. Michael Crooks, 60, a translator from Oxford, told us: 'Travelling with BA used to be a 'must' to earn status but now, like many, I'll be on Skyscanner to do a general search for all airlines.' Mr Crooks certainly isn't alone. Thousands of previously loyal customers will be turning their backs on BA. So how should these refuseniks use their new-found freedom? Which carriers should they choose, for which routes? I've flown on almost all of the airlines that operate to and from the UK over the past 20 years and here are my recommendations. Short-haul to Europe and North Africa Air France and KLM will suit those who will in future choose Virgin Atlantic for long-haul routes, since those three carriers are members of the Skyteam airline alliance. You earn Virgin Atlantic Flying Club air miles and tier points when you fly Air France or KLM. Sir Richard Branson's airline is tempting disgruntled BA Club members to shift to its Flying Club by offering to match their BA status, giving them the chance to advance up the membership tiers more swiftly than at BA, and making more reward seats available on all flights at lower redemption rates. Air France has the advantage that it flies from Terminal Four at Heathrow which is the smallest and easiest terminal to use. Air France also flies from Manchester, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Newcastle. To that list, KLM adds London City, Inverness, Belfast, Teesside, Humberside, Leeds, Norwich, Bristol, Exeter, Southampton, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Cardiff. But be aware that flying Air France and KLM to destinations outside France and the Netherlands means changing planes in Paris Charles de Gaulle or Amsterdam Schiphol. If you want to fly direct and/or don't care about earning loyalty points in an airline alliance, it's best to choose whatever airline offers you the best fare on a non-stop service from an airport near you. For those living in London or the south-east, this may well be easyJet at Gatwick. It offers 419 flights a day to and from the Sussex airport during summer to 113 destinations. Pay to choose a premium seat and for speedy boarding, and the service is on par with British Airways' Euro Traveller economy class. I've found Jet2's service from all major airports across the country to be consistently solid and reliable. Cabin bags are included and families are almost always seated together, without having to pay for seat selection. Long haul to the Americas and the Caribbean When it comes to ditching BA on long-haul flights heading west, there is a clear winner: Virgin Atlantic. If you are on a budget but can't face cattle class, it has created up to 14 rows of Economy Delight at the front of the economy cabin on its new jets. The 28 seats on its A330s have a 34-inch pitch, the most generous legroom of any carrier in economy. All are window and aisle pairs, which makes them great for couples. There are 45 Economy Delight seats on Virgin's Airbus A350s, arranged in sets of three across the cabin. I always choose the window seat in the second row of Economy Delight in the rear cabin because it has no seat in front of it. By contrast, BA just has a single bog standard economy seat on all its long-haul jets with meagre legroom of just 31 inches. Virgin Atlantic Premium (premium economy) is broadly on par with BA's World Traveller Plus. But I find Upper Class (Virgin's business class) better than BA's Club World because Virgin's Clubhouses are more exclusive and luxurious than BA's lounges and have better food and service and the suite and service on board are superior – even without the trademark bar which Virgin announced earlier this month is being phased out. Virgin's code share alliance with America's leading carrier, Delta, ensures easy onward connections to destinations across North America. I should note, however, that BA does offer more direct flights from the UK to US destinations – 25 – and BA is the only carrier to offer first class across the Atlantic. Upper Class is half way between business and first class. American Airlines, which codeshares with BA on US routes, has improved some of its services but, overall, is outgunned by the Virgin/Delta combo. United is upgrading its cabins but does not codeshare with a UK airline which makes it unattractive. If you are on a budget, Norse from Gatwick to New York, Orlando, Los Angeles, and Miami has rock-bottom fares, especially in premium economy. When flying to Latin America, I often find the best route networks and timings are with Iberia, via Madrid. Long-haul to Asia, Australia and Africa Flying long-haul east or south, I recommend Emirates and Qatar in economy class, largely because there are a lot of extra legroom seats on their A380s which you can snag / pay extra for. Qatar also has a small – 48-seat – economy-class section on the upper deck of the A380 with two bathrooms. I've flown it on day flights to and from Doha and it is more akin to a premium economy experience than economy. (Perhaps one reason why Qatar Airways does not offer premium economy). Emirates and Cathay Pacific lead by miles in premium economy largely because the seats are so comfortable and on Cathay the headrests guarantee a little more privacy than rivals. Emirates' food and wine is best in class. If you are going to Australia, Qantas is worth considering since it flies nonstop from London to Perth and has a well-designed premium economy cabin. I've done the 17 hours in premium economy and, with the aid of melatonin (and red wine), I managed to get some good kip. Qatar Airways is the clear winner in business class with its vast Q Suite, which is better than first class on some carriers. Cathay, Singapore, and Emirates also offer excellent suites, lounges and service. I flew Cathay Pacific's new Aria business-class suite to Hong Kong last month and it is way ahead of BA's Club Suite both in terms of the suite and the service and lounges. (Side note for BA refuseniks: my tier point reward for my flight from Heathrow to Hong Kong was only one third of what it was under BA's old rules). Iberia via Madrid or Turkish Airlines via Istanbul are also worth a look, especially for cheap business-class fares. Those who fancy a bit of old-school nostalgia should choose Lufthansa and transfer on to an iconic Boeing 747 at its Frankfurt hub. The German flag carrier still operates 27 jumbo jets, many of which fly to Asia. The Abu Dhabi-based Etihad should be your first choice if you only make one trip a year east or south in any class. Its combination of new aircraft, new airport – Abu Dhabi Zayed International is the best-designed, most hi-tech and comfortable hub in the world – plus free hotel during layover so you can visit the Louvre, is unbeatable.
