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Blog

March 18, 2020 By Eric

Will Coronavirus Change Flying Habits Forever?

Ever since the first case of coronavirus was confirmed in Wuhan, China in December 2019, the world has experienced what can only be described as a massive shakeup.

From daily activities to jobs and even regular movements, nations of the world have realized that the simplest of activities have become an asset we cannot afford.

As travel restrictions continue to increase all over the world, the aviation sector is experiencing a drastic situation that will leave lasting marks on it.

While you might think that the airline industry can cope with the direst circumstances; (after all it weathered the storms caused by the 2001 September 11 attacks and survived. It also made it through the 2002 April severe acute respiratory syndrome pandemic), the COVID-19 pandemic brings a different wave of shock that the industry might not know how to recover from

The rapid nature of the spread suggests that it would take long months for any and every sector affected to recover.

Airlines will struggle to stay afloat

The first challenge airlines are beginning to face is that of revenue generation. As flights are canceled and people cancel their travel plans for months into the future, most airlines cannot afford to run into the next few months without having money come in regularly.

This reality poses a threat to the business and finances of airlines, especially the struggling private ones. Profit-making is no longer the topic of discourse, rather, staying afloat is.

 

The world is adapting quickly and traveling might not look very attractive soon

The coronavirus pandemic has made travelers think twice about the importance of making long and short distance trips; especially as we are increasingly realizing that we can do without them.

Nobody is willing to trust scanners and automated machines in the airport to keep them out of harm’s way. Hence, the decision by many to stay put and stay safe.

 

From Skype to Zoom, the nature of meetings is changing rapidly

Face to face meetings have been replaced with Skype and Zoom calls, and things are going quite fine. Business proposals, deals, and meetings are conducted and concluded online.

It seems as if in the past months, the world suddenly became aware that we have many alternatives to nearly all the activities you can think of. Or maybe as they say, adaptation is one of our major strengths.

Tourists and vacationers are increasingly connecting to online streaming platforms and engaging in virtual tourism. Firms and organizations have realized that their staff can work from home. Seminars now hold as webinars, and job interviews have become phone-in, rather than a walk-in.

People are slowly getting used to staying home, connecting with people via technology and doing all they need to do without moving an inch.

All these raise a pertinent question; will our airline industry recover from COVID-19 pandemic? Will people dust off the shoes and get back to flying after discovering that they can indeed live without it? Or will we decide to continue as we are now?

 

The climate change factor is set to come in

While we talk about finances and changing travel habits, climate change reports have shown a drop in air pollution ever since restrictions in movement, particularly flight restrictions have been implemented nearly world over.

NASA’s Earth Observatory pollution satellites have shown significant decreases in air pollution over China since the coronavirus outbreak began.

For years, scientists and weather experts have urged world leaders to combat gas emissions and air pollutions, which have continued to increase as organizations, factories, and the aviation industries continue to contribute in the spike.

However, in light of the unexpected decline in air pollution as a result of the virus outbreak, the focus is again returned to the need to curb this impending climate crisis and eyes might turn to the aviation industry.

The talks about less flying being best for climate change are about to resume, and this time they are likely to be more heated than other discussions we have had.

Another resounding question is how the world is supposed to go backward, as we have increasing plans to expand our airlines especially in the western part of the world.

 

Heathrow and proposed airline expansions might need a rethink

With Qantas proposing direct flights from London to Sydney, and the Heathrow airport planned 3rd runway expansion which has brought about much-heated debate, we are likely to arrive at a stalemate with such plans.

As the idea to expand Heathrow still remains a topic of debate after so many years, with businesses supporting the idea, and environmentalists on the other end, one would dare take a look at what state Heathrow is in right now.

The Heathrow airport where you can find virtually everyone and everything has become near empty as things become increasingly quiet.  With canceled flights to Italy, China and other countries, rapid drop in airline bookings, and adamant refusal by passengers to even come by the airport, perhaps we should look at how we survive this epidemic and recover before moving forward.

Conclusions

In light of all the changes, restrictions and activities that have developed as a result of COVID-19, many fingers point to a drastic change in flying habits for a long time; if not forever.

However, with possible adaptability strategies, suggested government support, and enthusiasm that people might quickly return to their old ways after things die down, we might choose to keep our fingers crossed.

Filed Under: Heathrow Airport

February 11, 2020 By Eric

Storm Ciara Breaks JFK to Heathrow Flight Record

Storm Ciara has been a menace for most, felling trees, riling seas and causing travel chaos across Britain and Northwestern Europe. Not so though for the lucky passengers onboard the British Airways flight 112 from JFK to Heathrow Airport on Sunday; they had the honor of being the first people on a subsonic flight to travel from New York to London in under 5 hours, handily beating the previous subsonic record for this route.

The previous record sat at 5 hours and 13 minutes, but it was smashed by the flight that landed at Heathrow Airport on Sunday having taken only 4 hours and 56 minutes to complete the 3440 miles across the Atlantic Ocean. The average time for this flight is around 6 hours and 13 minutes, so you can imagine the passengers surprise on Sunday when they were told that they would be landing almost 2 hours early, at 4:43 am instead of 6:25 am. A little less sleep for those onboard, but worth it for the bragging rights of being on a record-breaking flight.

This was definitely a case of being in the right place at the right time. Thanks to what is thought to have been an extremely strong jet stream, which in turn strengthened Storm Ciara, which subsequently caused a tailwind that pushed the 747 to speeds of up to 825mph, this flight to Heathrow Airport caught the air currents just right. If it had been earlier or later, or on a slightly different path, the passengers would have had a very different journey to contend with, like many others that were caught in the path of Storm Ciara.

There were gusts of 50 to 60 mph to be endured by most, while gusts of 80 to 100 mph were reported by those in seaside locations and on higher ground. This was also accompanied by heavy rainfall, not unheard of at this time of year; but on Sunday, Storm Ciara cut a path of destruction across Britain and Northwestern Europe that is relatively rare in this part of the world. The deluge and wind saw train services canceled, severe weather warnings being issued, and people being told to travel only if necessary. The howl of the wind tore through forests and felled many trees, blocking some roads and adding to the travel chaos.

Heathrow Airport has had to cancel more than 470 flights due to Storm Ciara, with other flights having to be re-routed to different countries, let alone airports. British Airways decided to introduce flexible rebooking options on domestic and European flights to and from Heathrow Airport, as well as London City and Gatwick airport if flights were supposed to be taking off on Sunday; a rare occurrence.

However, this lucky flight landed safely and securely in the record books. Everyone onboard flight 112 now has a claim to fame having traveled on the record-breaking flight of a lifetime, their unintentional upgrade kindly being provided by Storm Ciara, destroyer of many peoples weekend, but the hero of flight 112.

Filed Under: Heathrow Airport

February 4, 2020 By Eric

Luton Airport Becomes First UK Airport to Receive ACI Customer Experience Award

London Luton Airport has joined eight European airports and 35 global airports to have been awarded with Airports Council International’s (ACI) Customer Experience Level 1 accreditation.

In a report, Clare Armstrong, the Head of Customer Experience for London Luton Airport had this to say,” We are absolutely thrilled to have been recognized and accredited by ACI for the work that we are doing to transform the experience at LLA. We know that this is only the beginning of an exciting journey and achieving level one is an important first step for us. Our customer service strategy is helping us ensure customer experience is the golden thread that runs through every part of our business and every step of the customer journey”.

This accreditation is aimed at recognizing the efforts of airports that are committed to providing great customer service to passengers. It spans five levels with each level structured around areas of management practices and building on the level before it. The level 1 accreditation, which Luton Airport has bagged, entails communicating externally and internally that customer experience is a priority.

Luton Airport has been awarded the Level 1 accreditation by creating a Customer Feedback Board that provides governance and direction in delivering customer experience projects. Additionally, Luton Airport has committed to implementing a series of measures to improve the customer service experience, including installing new customer service desks throughout the airport and introducing a mystery shopper programme.

Filed Under: Luton Airport

February 3, 2020 By Eric

Mum travels from Luton Airport using baby son’s passport

A woman has stirred some controversy regarding the security at airports after mistakenly using her son’s passport to fly from Luton Airport to Berlin.

Lenesha Riley, a 33 years old mother-of-two, unknowingly used her passport last week, on the night of 17 January to travel to Berlin from London. The woman, who attends the University of Westminster as a master student, had planned a little trip over the weekend in company of her mother

Annette Murray and her friend Angela Grant to unwind before classes resumed their course. Her plans were almost cut short when she handed in the passport of her son at the airport—without security noticing it.

At Luton Airport, “before boarding my flight, the lady checked my passport and simply handed it back to me,” the 33-year-old woman told the Daily Mail. “It wasn’t until I arrived to Berlin and my passport was needed for a security checked that I noticed the situation.”

Miss Riley said that she didn’t notice that she was carrying her one-year-old Josiah’s passport until her and her companions were already in the German capital. EastJet airline ground staff scanned her documents at Luton Airport, allowing Riley on the plane, but when she reached Berlin, the story was very different.

She told the BBC about the incident, “When I landed in Berlin, I got my passport for border control, I was already in the queue when I realized,” she shared, “I saw the face of my son Josiah and it downed on me. My heart sank—my weekend getaway is over before it starts.”

Lenesha, who is from Newcross in south east London, was allowed to continue with her short trip after providing a picture of her own passport that a relative had sent to her, as reported by the Daily Mail. But although she was thankfully allowed through immigration, the issue of requiring the right documents to fly back home remained.

Riley first considered having her documents delivered by courier, unfortunately a following day delivery was priced at around £1,000. When looking at her other options, she settled for booking a flight for a cousin for the next day, which came at £186.

Besides the news carrying a bizarre undertone, it puts in the spotlight the security measures taken at airports in the UK. A spokesperson from EasyJet stated that Miss Riley had “correctly submitted the details online” in order to obtain her boarding pass, but admitted that “a further visual check at the airport should have picked up on the issue.” And as for London Luton Airport, a statement assured that “there was no compromising of the security at Luton Airport at any moment.”

Riley herself stated that she was very concerned about the incident, “Security measures should most definitely be stronger, in Berlin they scan your documents at the departure gates.” The master student shared. “It is scary to think that anyone could get in and out using a wrong passport.. It is without doubt a security risk,” she said to the Daily Mail.

Filed Under: Luton Airport

February 1, 2020 By Eric

Hеаthrоw’ѕ family-friendly revamp іn tіmе fоr hаlf-tеrm

Hеаthrow’ѕ Mr. Men сhаrасtеrѕ – Mr. Adventure and Lіttlе Mіѕѕ Ехрlоrеr (which we know to bе сhіldrеn’ѕ delight), wіll vіѕіt the terminals with Pаѕѕеngеr Ambаѕѕаdоrѕ, encouraging сhіldrеn to enjoy different сrаft асtіvіtіеѕ available аt the tеrmіnаlѕ. Thіѕ year, Hеаthrоw іѕ taking thіngѕ a notch hіghеr bу allowing children gеt ѕtаrtеd on the Mr. Men fun wау аhеаd оf their journey through thе nеw Mr. Men family portrait fеаturе. Thіѕ аllоwѕ thеm to аѕѕіgn Mr. Men characters of their сноісе tо fаmіlу mеmbеrѕ аnd frіеndѕ to сrеаtе a реrѕоnаlіzеd portrait.

Pаrеntѕ аnd guаrdіаnѕ аrе nоt left out. Hеаthrоw has brought back the еvеr – рорulаr Kіdѕ Eаt Frее оffеr when an adult аlѕо еаtѕ, which is available аt selected rеѕtаurаntѕ across the tеrmіnаlѕ- terms аnd conditions аррlу. You can аlѕо rest easy because this mоnth marks the ѕtаrt оf thе Hеаthrоw’ѕ сеrtіfіеd “Frіеndlу WіFі” асrоѕѕ terminals. Thіѕ rеаѕѕurеѕ уоu раrеntѕ аnd guardians that Hеаthrоw’ѕ super-fast аnd frее WіFі nеtwоrk, wіll fіltеr out іnаррrорrіаtе соntеnt, making it ѕаfе fоr children to use.

Thе certification wаѕ саrrіеd out bу thе gоvеrnmеnt іnіtіаtеd standard thаt еnѕurеѕ that public WіFі meets minimum fіltеrіng ѕtаndаrdѕ, especially fоr аrеаѕ whеrе children аrе present – FrіеndlуWіFі. Thіѕ WiFi ѕуmbоl wаѕ сrеаtеd аnd lаunсhеd іn раrtnеrѕhір wіth the UK Cоunсіl for Child Internet Safety tо рrоtесt children frоm thе vісеѕ of thе іntеrnеt. Thеrеfоrе, it can be truѕtеd tоtаllу.

Hеаthrоw’ѕ Chief Cоmmеrсіаl Officer Ross Bаkеr said:

“Our ambition is to рrоvіdе thе world’s bеѕt аіrроrt service for all оur passengers – nо mаttеr thеіr age. We are delighted to wеlсоmе back our рорulаr Mr. Mеn characters, family ѕеrvісеѕ аnd оffеrѕ. Aѕ a раrеnt mуѕеlf, I аm еѕресіаllу рlеаѕеd that wе now offer сеrtіfіеd “Friendly WіFI” whісh will keep our уоungеѕt раѕѕеngеrѕ ѕаfе оnlіnе, and gіvе раrеntѕ thе rеаѕѕurаnсе and peace оf mind they dеѕеrvе in thеіr trаvеlѕ thrоugh thе аіrроrt.”

Thеѕе limited-time оffеrѕ begin frоm Fеbruаrу 13th tо thе 23rd.

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Luton Airport

March 2, 2019 By Eric

A1 Taxis Watford Met station officially opened

A1 Taxis Watford Met station is officially opened by Richard Harrington MP on Saturday 2nd March 2019.

A1 Taxis Watford Met Station was officially opened by Richard Harrington MP as chief guest on Saturday 2nd March.

“I was delighted to officially open Allied Taxis’ new cab office at Watford Met Station.

Having been in the taxi trade for 12 years, I would like to congratulate local resident, Mr Mirza, on the success and growth of his business.

With attractions like the Harry Potter Studio Tour, Watford Football Club and the newly expanded shopping centre, I am confident that the demand for cabs will only increase in our area

The best wishes from the bottom of my heart to everyone at A1″, said Richard.

 

Filed Under: A1 Taxi News

December 6, 2018 By Eric

Office Christmas party safety tips

A common event that happens to most of us every Christmas is the office party which are a great way of getting to know your colleagues.

We wanted to talk about some safety tips on regards to these parties. Why should we do so? Well, it is Christmas you should be safe out there, for the ones that love you.

Without further adieu; here is our list of 3 safety tips for your Christmas party.

1. Safe Venue and Safety Protocol

First of all the venue is really important. If you happen to be the one who throws the party or just the one who picks the location, do give it a second thought. Making sure that you are taking your colleagues at a safe destination is half of the job done.

Can you even begin to imagine how bad things can go if the venue, for whatever reason in the world, isn’t safe. Things can get out of control quickly, and even quickly you can have your party ruined.

Okay, the venue is important, but what do we mean by safety protocol? Well to put it plain simple, medical kits and fire extinguishers. Usually the venue should provide this for you, if it is a safe venue.

Do not make the mistake of underestimating the importance of a medical kit or a fire extinguisher’s. I can guarantee you that you don’t want to see what it feels like to need them and not have them.

2. A happy Christmas for EVERYONE

Not all you colleagues will celebrate Christmas, not everyone in the world does, that is fine. However if they attend the parties try not to make them feel left out. Safety sometimes means feeling good.

From that we can segue to downright harassment. It can be in any way shape or form; sexual, verbal, physical and so on. This is something that is illegal and that you should make sure isn’t part of your Christmas party.

The best tip to counter this is to have somebody look out and pay attention to the guests in the party. Not only will this prevent harassment but it can also be a great way to make sure everyone is safe. Just give this position to a trusted and sharp individual.

3. Pre-booking taxi

Now all the safety tips in the world mean nothing if you won’t be getting home safe from your Christmas party. Think about it this way; you can have a very safe Christmas party but driving home drunk is something that you just can’t prevent.

One could argue that having a limit of alcohol on your parties can make a huge change. However parties are meant for that. Majority of people will find booze no matter what.

Pre-booking a taxi is something that not only you should do for yourself but should also be encouraged by the company themselves. This could literally be a life saving decision.

Are you ready for the this year’s Christmas party? We hope you are and that you enjoy Christmas as much as we do, hopefully our safety tips will help you out.

Filed Under: Taxi News

November 28, 2018 By Eric

Five Pound Taxi Fares within Watford or Hemel Promotion

This promotion is for a £5 maximum taxi fare for any booking within Watford and Hemel Hempstead via the A1 Taxi mobile App.

You can download the ehe App from Android or Apple App Store by searching for by scanning below QR codes.

Please put code 222222 in notes when booking in order to validate this promotion.

Please note first journey only is valid for this promotion and not during peak times.

Download the App

Scan below QR code with your mobile phone to download our App

Android

App store

Filed Under: Promotions

September 28, 2018 By Eric

Troy Deeney Interview Reveals England Ambition


Contrary to a few years back when footballers were camera-shy, footballers today relish being in front of cameras. In fact, today’s footballers have the confidence to stand in front of cameras and have candid interviews with reporters. One such incident is the honest interview our esteemed captain, Troy Deeney recently had with Gabby Logan who spoke to BBC Sport’s Chris Bevan.

The interviewer, like most of us Hornets fans, has heard awesome stories about how our captain was camera friendly. Other than the Watford player being candid in the interview, his gracious character surprised Gabby Logan.

Our captain wasted no time in showcasing his media-friendly personality when he was on The Premier League Show hosted by Gabby. His witty and interactive personality would have surely been noticed by possible suitors as it is no secret that the Watford player hopes to get into broadcasting once he hangs up his boots.

In the interview, Deeney was very inquisitive and his responses were truthful whenever he was asked questions which ranged from his health to his diet to his ambitions and roles in his career both at international and club levels.

In his answers, some things stood out than most. He spoke of how constantly improving is an integral part of his character. As most of us Hornets fans know, Deeney’s attitude and character are precisely the attributes that make him a great captain for our beloved club. The fact that he has his sights on improving only makes me wonder what could be in store for us as time goes by.

Deeney does not let negativity get to him which is a great mentality given he is our captain. This can be seen by him taking gracefully being left out of England’s squad by Gareth Southgate. We Hornets fans know of his incredible mentality as he was instrumental when we won at Spurs to maintain our winning start to the season a few weeks ago despite going one-nil down.

Part of what Deeney has focused on when he talks of improving himself is his dieting and his mental health. Deeney spoke of how he was working with a psychologist to overcome some mental issues he has had. This acknowledgment from a sports great sets the standards to be emulated by other people with similar issues. This coupled with his experience with age has transformed him into the calm and passionate figure he cuts today.

We Watford fans often look up to Deeney to make the difference for us and he admits he relishes the chance to be the game changer for us. He likes our connection with him and he knows we admire his passion and efforts for the club.

The difficult path to being good Deeney has faced has probably been key in nurturing him to the important asset for Watford he is today. In his early playing days, Deeney received a lot of backlashes but those did not put him down. He continued to work hard and improve until he got to where he is today. The leadership of our club could not be in better hands.

Filed Under: Watford News

September 23, 2018 By Eric

The Hornets missed chances in draw to Fulham

Watford travelled away to Fulham seeking to get back to winning ways. Despite the loss to Manchester United, the Hornets had started the season strongly having won 4 of their opening four games. Fulham was not going to be an easy game but the strong start we had suggested we could win this game if we played to our potential.

The line up was pretty much unchanged from our opening fixtures lineups with Gracia opting for a 4-4-2 formation with Deeney and Gray leading the line.
We needed a strong start and the team delivered. In the opening 90 seconds, Andre Gray scored courtesy of lovely ball from Will Hughes. Andre Gray saw his impressive form from against Manchester United continue as he scored for the second game in a row. He continued to dazzle with his impressive performance throughout the match.

The first half was pretty much ours as we dominated it right from the opening minutes when we opened the scoring. However, we were not as clinical as we hoped as we got ourselves into excellent situations but we could not convert our chances. Marcus Bettinelli also deserves credit as he pulled some good saves against us in the Fulham goal.

The teams went into the break with us leading thanks to the early goal. However, if we were to get a win we had to come back for the next half a bit more clinical. A solitary goal lead was not enough given the competitive nature of the premier league.
The second half started but the team that came back much improved was our opponents. Despite being ahead and the half being fairly even, we allowed them to get into dangerous positions and their striker Aleksander Mitrovic had room to pull level or even snatch a victory for the home team. His physicality and work rate proved difficult for us to handle.

We were punished in the 78th minute as Mitrovic pulled level for Fulham. We chased a winner but it was not meant to be for us as we dropped points only for the second time this season as the match ended level with a one all score.

As the gaffer stated in his post-match press conference, the early goal must have gotten into our heads as we got a bit complacent and comfortable with the lead. However, in all fairness to our good players, we tried getting a second but we were a bit unlucky. Our good first half and an unlucky second half allowed Fulham to get back into the game. We can take consolation in that we showed the desire to play a good game as the players had the intensity and ambition to win.

Next up for us is a trip to Tottenham in the Carabao Cup before playing Arsenal in the league this weekend. The result sees us sit 4th in the table which is good and if we can replicate our incredible start to the season with our remaining games, certainly European football will be played at Vicarage Road next season.

Filed Under: Watford News

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