All posts by Tom

Tom is the Founder and Chief Blogger of LateDeparture.com. He is a very keen traveller and (obviously) loves to explore airports around the globe. He also enjoys feedback on his posts, so don't be shy and write a comment!

Guestblog: How airports prepare for emergencies

The recent disappearance of Air France Flight 447 off the coast of Brazil raises the question of how airports prepare and handle emergencies. Although the A330 did not send out a distress call, or was able to return, or divert to a nearby airport, airports are prepared for such events, and have very strict protocols of how to deal with various emergencies that occur on the airfield.

All FAA Part 139 airports in the United States are required to have an Airport Certification Manual with an outline of procedures for response teams, such as ARFF (Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting), law enforcement, and airport operations in order to respond to emergencies ranging from aircraft alerts to medical situations. Airports in other countries that are regulated or lease any part of the airfield from the government will have similar regulations in place. An airport needs to be regulated and occasionally audited to ensure that airport staff is adequately trained to deal with such emergencies.

Flights that have been victim of a hijacking, bomb threat, or mechanical failure are serious instances that require special training. Typically, when a Captain receives notice of a bomb threat or hijacking, the aircraft will land immediately and airport officials will direct the aircraft to a safe and unpopulated area of the airfield. Law enforcement officials will be escorted to the aircraft where they will take incident command and proceed with their own procedures.

When Hurricane Katrina struck Louisiana, the city of New Orleans did not have a plan of scale to evacuate elderly residents and those without transportation. The city, which owns the airport has devised an emergency plan, with the help of a private company, and approved by government officials is now in place for the next potential hurricane. The plan includes preferred routes for traffic flow into the airport facility for those being bused or flown out.

Air France Flight 447, an Airbus 330, was flown into a strong storm off the coast of Brazil where it suffered from severe turbulence and a possible lighting strike which may have induced an electrical failure, ultimately causing it to go down. The flight crew reportedly never declared an emergency, but if they were closer to the shore and were able to glide with or without power to a nearby airport, it would have been classified as an Alert III, the most serious of all aircraft emergencies. The airport would be responsible for responding with ARFF and medical teams to evacuate passengers and crew. If the plane were disabled and crippled on the runway, the airline or owner would be responsible for removing it at their cost. The cost of removal is never the responsibility of the airport, but if an actual large scale crash does occur in the vicinity of the airport, a closure is imminent until it can be cleared.

[Article provided by Jeffrey from Airport Chronicles exclusively for LateDeparture.com – Picture shows the disappeared Air France jet with the registration F-GZCP and comes from Flickr, some rights reserved]

Terminal with a view: Heathrow Terminal 5 – B Gates

On my business trips to California I usually prefer to fly Virgin Atlantic, but this time, unfortunately, the economics were against my preference. Well, to be honest, British Airways isn’t actually that bad even though their Premium Economy product lacks all the benefits of its arch rival but I guess value for my employer value for money was pretty okay this time. But there is one very clear benefit of flying with BA out of Heathrow (IATA: LHR): you can leave from Terminal 5. And that, you have to admit, is despite all the BAA bashing, is a fantastic terminal.

LateDeparture.com has previously written about Terminal 5 but we then focused on the main building, housing the “A gates”. Terminal 5’s full structure, however, consists today of the main building and a satellite terminal with the B gates (Terminal 5B). A third complex, the C gates (or Terminal 5C), is currently in construction and due to open in May 2010. British Airways mainly operates their long haul flights from the B gates, hence I now got the chance to have a closer look at it.

Reaching the satellite terminal is simple and quick: you hop on a short underground shuttle from the main building. Make sure you set aside 10 to 15 minutes for the journey with the actual shuttle ride only taking about 1 minute. There, by the way, I suggest you ride in the front as it travels pretty fast and looking out to the track is a somewhat exciting (I know boys will be boys…).

Once at the terminal, you will find a few shops (see PDF map for details) including a nicely stocked Boots (I liked their selection of miniature travel essentials), a WHSmith, a Duty-Free Shop, a “Caviar House Seafood” bar with a great view towards the main building and a sandwich & coffee place. None of them are actually interesting enough for you to leave the shopping and gourmet heaven of the main building in a hurry, but there is one very distinct advantage of the satellite: it is quiet. Because fewer flights depart from this terminal, less people are present which again means you can easily find somewhere to sit and relax. This, together with the 360 degree view of everything that is going on at Britain’s busiest airport makes it an attractive option for people like me who are fascinated observing the airport’s operations, landing and departing aircrafts (try to spot Singapore Airline’s A380). With the satellite’s close proximity to the main terminal, it could even be an attractive alternative for sitting out longer delays occurring in the main terminal.

[Photo by LateDeparture.com – all rights reserved]

Black gold and camels at Abu Dhabi airport?

I counted 34 camels and found millions of barrels of black gold at Abu Dhabi International Airport (Arabic: مطار أبو ظبي الدولي‎; IATA: AUH). Well, upon closer inspection the camels were stuffed and more aimed at children (and anyone shy of a bring-home gift for their young ones). And the oil barrels turned out to be a bit of a mirage.

But is everything a mirage in the airport of the capital of the United Arab Emirates? Not really. The shiny terminal 2 which was built to accommodate the fast growing number of passengers before the new Terminal 3 will be opened later this year is definitely real. It’s real but it lacks a bit of character. More of the latter can be found in Terminal 1 which reminds you of the days when this was a small desert airport serving mainly business people from the Emirates capital. These days the airport is the main hub for the UAE’s national carrier, Etihad Airways. Founded in 2004 the airline already serves 45 destinations and has even ordered the new Airbus A380. It’s no surprise then that the airport is a 24-hour operation with shops and restaurants constantly serving the arriving and departing of mostly transiting passengers.

Besides looking for black gold or animals, there a some other things you can actually do between your flights:

  • Check out the food court on the first floor of Terminal 2 – you will find something for everyone (Upper Crust, Burgerking, Gino’s Pizza, Yum Cha Asian Food, Oriental buffet, bars and coffee shop)
  • Stretch your legs and walk to terminal one (about a 10 minute walk). There you will also find free internet terminals
  • Visit the food store on the lower ground floor of Terminal 1 where you can find some products from the Emirates (dates, nuts, etc.)
  • If you have some more time and are in desperate need of a shower, check in to the airport’s own transit hotel

Airport Facts and Ratings

Airport Name Abu Dhabi International Airport
Website http://www.abudhabiairport.ae/
IATA Code AUH
Design LateDeparture.com Plane Award PointLateDeparture.com Plane Award PointLateDeparture.com Plane Award Point
Shopping LateDeparture.com Plane Award PointLateDeparture.com Plane Award PointLateDeparture.com Plane Award Point
Toilets LateDeparture.com Plane Award PointLateDeparture.com Plane Award PointLateDeparture.com Plane Award Point
Overall LateDeparture.com Plane Award PointLateDeparture.com Plane Award PointLateDeparture.com Plane Award Point
Chanel No 5 Eau de Parfum, 100ml at the Duty Free Shop AED 465.00 (£84.40)
Bottle of Veuve Cliquot at the Duty Free Shop AED 270.00 (£49.00)

[Picture from Flickr – some rights reserved]

How the swine flu affects your travels

Today, the WHO classified the swine influenza A (H1N1) outbreak as a “public health emergency of international concern.” And while more cases of swine flu were confirmed on Monday in the United States, Canada and Europe (Update: Britain is now also directly affected with one case), country organizations began to take actions, particularly by preventing and monitoring travellers to and from their countries.

Furthermore, financial markets have already “penalized” Mexican airports whose shares traded substiantially lower today: The airport owners are among the “most vulnerable” stocks amid the flu outbreak, UBS AG analysts wrote in a note today in which they cut Mexican equities to “underweight” writes Bloomberg.

It’s pretty clear that this latest threat of an influenza pandemic is going to have further implications on the economy. But how does it affect travellers? Various countries have already tightened their airport checks. Australia, for example, has trained airport staff to spot people with flu like symptoms. According to an article any passengers with flu-like symptoms would be met by quarantine officers. In addition, all incoming international flights would have to make an onboard announcement telling passengers to seek immediate medical advice if they felt unwell with flu symptoms.

Hong Kong, the epicenter of a SARS outbreak six years ago, announced some of the toughest measures anywhere on Sunday in response to a swine flu outbreak in Mexico and the United States, reports The New York Times.

So, what should you do if you are travelling to or from North America in the near future? Here is some advice:

  1. Travelling to Mexico: in general it’s probably safe to say that if you can postpone your trip, then do so, otherwise check your countries latest travel advice (the UK foreign office’s one can be found here, Germany’s here, Ireland’s here, the USA’s here and Canada’s here). If you decide to go, then do make sure you check with your airline if the flight is still leaving as today several charter airlines (e.g. TUI in Germany) have cancelled their flights to Mexico.
  2. Travelling from Mexico: be aware of extra precautions at Mexican and foreign airports. Prepare for additional screenings and questioning. Check your destinations country latest immigration advice. Your airline or travel agency should be able to help you.
  3. Travelling to/from other North American destinations: expect delays at the airports due to tightened security and passenger screenings. Check with your local airline for the latest uptodate travel information.

[Picture from Flickr – some rights reserved]

Spacious Kuala Lumpur International Airport

Last week my thirst for travelling frequently as far as possible brought me to Kuala Lumpur where I visited a Swiss friend of mine who recently migrated to Malaysia for work love. I have never been to Malaysia before and wasn’t sure what to expect. Surely, I’ve heard good things, particularly about the countries diving and its capital, Kuala Lumpur, or KL as it is referred to by nearly everyone. While my limited time didn’t allow for checking out any of the diving, I did have a good look around Malaysia’s biggest city and of course the airport – Kuala Lumpur International Airport, or KLIA (IATA: KUL) in short.

As most of the Asian airports I have experienced so far, KLIA was built for the future with plenty of space meaning you feel relaxed from the moment you arrive. But relaxation actually starts even earlier: the Air Asia and Malaysia Airlines hub is very well connected with the city centre by an express train which only takes 28 minutes non-stop. This also means, that even if you are just stopping-over for a few hours, it may make sense to quickly get into the city and see the magnificent Petronas Twin Towers or have a bite to eat at one of the many Indian or Thai influenced eateries around the city.

In terms of what you can do within the airport, there are quite a few options. After passing the passport checks and the security, you will find yourself in the terminal which mainly serves domestic flights. All international flights leave from the C gates which you reach through a short ride with the Aerotrain. Don’t bother checking out the shops before you get to the C gates as there are only a few there. You are a lot better off taking the shuttle immediately and spend your time in the satellite terminal.

There, I’m sure you will be pleased shocked to hear, they even have a Harrod’s store. I have always thought this was a typical London thing, but apparently not. Great weird. Besides that, you will find the usual shops including a Starbucks (on the first floor), Bodyshop, Mango and Versace stores. My top suggestions to kill some time, however, are:

  • Check out the rather nice architecture of the satellite terminal (see picture above)
  • Grab a final Carlsberg beer at the Forrestier bar and reflect on your trip to Malaysia
  • Read your emails at one of the free Internet terminals (before gates C31,33 and C21,23)
  • Visit the “Made in Malaysia” store and find the most ridiculous souvenirs – who could you surprise with one of them?
  • Try to find a bottle of Veuve Clicquot for LateDeparture.com‘s price comparison (I couldn’t find one!)

 

Airport Facts and Ratings

Airport Name Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Website http://www.klia.com.my
IATA Code KUL
Design LateDeparture.com Plane Award PointLateDeparture.com Plane Award PointLateDeparture.com Plane Award PointLateDeparture.com Plane Award Point
Shopping LateDeparture.com Plane Award PointLateDeparture.com Plane Award PointLateDeparture.com Plane Award PointLateDeparture.com Plane Award Point
Toilets LateDeparture.com Plane Award PointLateDeparture.com Plane Award PointLateDeparture.com Plane Award Point
Overall LateDeparture.com Plane Award PointLateDeparture.com Plane Award PointLateDeparture.com Plane Award PointLateDeparture.com Plane Award Point
Chanel No 5 Eau de Parfum, 100ml at the Duty Free Shop MYR 432.00 (£77.80)
Bottle of Veuve Cliquot at the Duty Free Shop n/a

 

[Picture from Flickrsome rights reserved]

Evacuation at Heathrow Terminal 3

Evacuation at Heathrow Terminal 3
Just when I got to Heathrow for my Etihad flight to Kuala Lumpur the police closed down terminal 3 and evacuated everyone. No one from the BAA staff seems to know more at this point.

Update: Fire engines are arriving but are held back at the holding area outside the Central Bus Terminal.

Update: The terminal has just been reopened. Now hundreds of people are trying to get back in. It looks chaotic!

Update: I’ve now made my way to Kuala Lumpur but nearly missed my plane in London since I had to queue for about an hour for security at Terminal 3 and it seemed as most other passengers of that flight were already through it before the evacuation. Luckily for me the fantastic onboard service from Etihad Airlines made up for the Heathrow shambles.

 

Geneva Cointrin – not your usual airport

Genève Cointrin (IATA: GVA) as the airport, situated in the French part of Switzerland, is called in the local language, is quite an odd one. Don’t get me wrong it is actually quite a convenient airport as it is small and therefore rather accessible. But from both, an architectural and a usability point of view, it’s not exactly your standard airport.

Switzerland’s second largest international airport after Zurich is comprised of a mix of buildings from various decades. It looks a bit like an unthoughtfully assembled mosaic. Besides, the airport has a French and a Swiss side – so beware of from what “country” you are departing or arriving from. The good news is that if you are coming from France, you do not have to go through customs if you remain on the French side. The following review, however, is based on the Swiss part of the airport.

My first advice is, not to go through passport control until it is absolutely necessary (but of course allow ample time for security checks). The reason is that there are hardly any shops after passport control other than your usual, boring duty free and watch stores. The suggestions below are therefore based on the “outside”, public area of the airport:

Your best option is to go to the railway centre (also called “centre commerce”). There you can check out various stores and restaurants. You will find it right next to the main terminal building. My top picks there are:

  1. Migros – a grocery store and a Swiss institution. They normally don’t have branded products, but trust me, their quality of produce is excellent. Here you can find anything from chocolates, Swiss specialties like cheese or dried meet to a delicious airline sandwich alternative to take on the plane.
  2. Check out the “Manor” shop with a decent range of contemporary Swiss souvenirs for you to bring home.
  3. And finally, if you sadly experienced bad weather on your skiing holidays, go to the centre’s solarium and freshen up your tan.

In case you are just looking for a quick bite before you board your economy flight, go to an area called “Les jardins de Genève”. You will find it on the 1st floor of the main terminal building. There you will find a Starbucks, Upper Crust, Burger King, a Sushi place (Bento), an Italian eatery (Le Sud) a bar and an outdoor area for when the weather is nice (mind you, smoking is not permitted there).

My final suggestion is a restaurant called “Swiss Chalet” which you will find in the arrivals area. The nicely decorated place offers typical Swiss meals like cheese Fondue, Raclette, Rösti and other delicacies. Oh and by the way, Geneva is only about 8 minutes away by train with trains leaving frequently, so if you have a lot of time, check out Switzerland’s second biggest city.

[Picture from Flickrsome rights reserved]

Airport Facts and Ratings

Airport Name Geneva International Airport
Website http://www.gva.ch
IATA Code GVA
Design LateDeparture.com Plane Award PointLateDeparture.com Plane Award PointLateDeparture.com Plane Award Point
Shopping LateDeparture.com Plane Award PointLateDeparture.com Plane Award PointLateDeparture.com Plane Award PointLateDeparture.com Plane Award Point
Toilets LateDeparture.com Plane Award PointLateDeparture.com Plane Award PointLateDeparture.com Plane Award Point
Overall LateDeparture.com Plane Award PointLateDeparture.com Plane Award PointLateDeparture.com Plane Award Point
Chanel No 5 Eau de Parfum, 100ml at the Duty Free Shop CHF 116.00 (£71.10)
Bottle of Veuve Cliquot at the Duty Free Shop CHF 57.90 (£35.50)

 

 

Zurich prepares for Schengen

Switzerland officially joined the Schengen zone on the 12th December of last year even though my home country is (still) not part of the EU. The original Schengen agreement was signed in 1985 and it provided for the removal of systematic border controls between the participating countries.

With the Swiss joining the club now, this means you will no longer see systematic passport controls between it and the other member countries. This is straight forward with Switzerland’s neighbouring countries as they are all members themselves, but it’s a bit more complex for an airport as flights, obviously, will leave to both, member and non-member countries. Zurich airport will therefore undergo a change to accommodate for the new system. On their website they write

The most noticeable changes for passengers is that they will no longer have to pass through passport control within the Schengen area, and some transit passengers at Zurich Airport will even be able to transfer to their onward flight without having to undergo another security check.

These changes are becoming effective on 29th March 2009. More information can be found on the airport’s website. I’m scheduled to go back there in May and will report on the changes. Let’s hope Zurich remains as reliable as it was and that my favourite “Luxemburgerli” are available in both zones.

 

[Picture from Flickrsome rights reserved]

Pole Pole at Kilimanjaro Airport

Everyone who climbed mighty Mount Kilimanjaro knows the Swahili expression “Pole Pole” meaning “slowly, slowly”. Apart from a few Diamox tablets and a good fitness level walking slowly up to the 5,895m (19,331 ft) high summit of Africa’s highest mountain is the key for success. Unfortunately the Tanzanians extended that philosophy also to the local airport: Kilimanjaro International Airport (IATA: JRO).

But let’s first start with the basics: As you would think, the airport mainly serves travellers as their destination airport for the climb of Mount Kilimanjaro. It is located between the two cities Arusha and Moshi and is also in close proximity of what must be two of Africa’s best wildlife reserves: Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater. KLM is the only non-African airline with frequent flights from Amsterdam Schiphol.

Alright, now back to the airports relaxed efficiency: I thought we had plenty of time at our hands when we arrived at the airport 3 hours before our scheduled departure back to Amsterdam (read the related article). But with various security checks, a long check-in queue and, worst of all, a stupidly strangely complicated immigration system, we basically just got to the gate right on time for boarding. Another annoyance was that all the shops are located before the last security check. My suggestion therefore is to take it easy (Pole Pole), have a look at the shops, eat something and wait until the queue for the gate dies down. Just make sure you don’t miss your flight!

There are still a few things you can do, so here are my top 3 things to do at Kilimanjaro Airport:

  1. Look at the people boarding your flight and guess who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro (hint: watch them walk!)
  2. Make your fellow travel companions happy and buy some Coca-Cola, Snickers, Kitkat, Pringles and Cookies (17.500 Schilling)
  3. Flick through your digital camera’s pictures and smile about the unforgettable moments during your trip

Unfortunately the airport’s duty free shop did not have either Veuve Clicquot or Chanel No. 5 for my usual price rating but then, in my opinion at least, buying expensive French champagne in Africa doesn’t sound right in the first place.

[Picture from Flickr]

A must-have tool for the seasoned traveler: FlightTrack Pro

If you asked me what the most useful online travel tool is the answer would have to be Tripit. The service allows you to forward your travel confirmation emails to plans@tripit.com and automatically get a master itinerary with all their plans, plus daily weather, local maps, city guides and more.

Tripit now just got better with the help of the guys from Appropos Mobile who announce the launch of their newest development on Monday: FlightTrack Pro for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The clever application automatically provides real-time flight cancellations, delays, gate changes, route maps, 10-day weather forecasts and more. FlightTrack Pro is the first application to synchronize TripIt itineraries to its service on iPhone and iPod touch and is available through the iTunes store for US$ 9.99 – a must-have tool for every seasoned traveler.