AIR & BUSINESS TRAVEL NEWS 15/08/05
Jim Mason
A WEEKLY NEWS REVIEW PUBLISHED EVERY MONDAY PO Box 1315, Potters Bar,
Herts EN6 1PU, United Kingdom
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15 AUGUST 2005
OCTOPUS ON TOUR is a new and for the future regular feature which ABTN
introduces this week. Our new sponsor/supporter has on its web site a
splendid ?Travel Guide? link detailing hundreds of cities all over the
world. London deserves a boost in difficult times and our first OCTOPUS
ON TOUR review is a cut down version of the excellent offering. The web
version gives costs and a full list of suggested hotels in all price
ranges. http://guides.octopustravel.com/Dest.jsp
BREAKING NEWS is the crash of a Helios Airways Boeing 737 at 09020 GMT
Sunday morning north of Athens on a planned route from Larnaca to Prague
via Athens. All 121 on board are believed lost and first reports
indicate that a very rapid pressurisation problem caused a loss of
consciousness of the pilots. With the cockpit door sealed under current
security regulations it would have proved difficult for passengers or
cabin staff to attempt to break in even if they knew of the flight deck
crew?s problems. Established in 2000 Helios has been accident free until
this time although reports suggest that pressurisation problem was
experienced last December resulting in an emergency landing at Larnaca.
It cannot be confirmed at this time if it is the same aircraft.
With regard to the Heathrow problems concerning British Airways and its
partner airlines the BA shorthaul schedule from Heathrow should return
to normal today (Monday 15 August) as the airline plans to operate 100%
of flights. The return to normal for UK and European flights is a day
earlier than originally envisaged. The longhaul programme is also
returning to normal and will average just above 95% of flights for the
next couple of days as crew operating hours, rosters and aircraft
continue to come back into alignment. All displaced bags at Heathrow
will be transited to their final destination tomorrow to be reunited
with their owners. Flights will continue to have limited catering
provisions onboard due to the ongoing industrial dispute at the catering
supplier, Gate Gourmet. The complete flying programme for Monday is
available on the airline's website. http://www.ba.com
AIR NELSON ? Canadian acquisition
BA CITIEXPRESS ? no service break
BOEING ? prices
BRISTOL ? now the northeast
EASYJET ? facts
EDINBURGH ? new life for a grand old lady EVA AIR ? connecting airline
FARNBOROUGH ? better still in 2006 FLYBE ? expensive seats GATWICK ?
improvements HEATHROW ? who is nervous?
JOHANNESBURG ? French connection
LORDS CRICKET GROUND ? Hungarian view
NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE ? airline contract ON BOARD TV ? who?s first?
RADISSON SAS? Internet changes
STANSTED ? Scottish operator expands
SUITCASE ? problems solved
TUNINTER ? sad loss
UNITED AIRLINES ? no free help
OCTOPUS ON TOUR: London ? The World?s finest tourist attraction
INCIDENTALLY: Here are a few thoughts for those boring moments
COMMENT: Heathrow ? Enquiry wanted.
Hopefully today we can look at the disastrous industrial problems at
Heathrow in retrospect, but this may not be the case and in any event
the practical implications will linger on until the end of the week at
least with the repercussions yet to be seen.
There are two separate disputes currently up for discussion at Heathrow,
not connected in any legal sense. That the world?s second largest
catering company, with 160 flight kitchens in 34 countries around the
globe cannot sort out its industrial relations in a professional manner
begs serious questions of its local management.
But then it is up against a very skilled trade union whose media sense
leaves many British organisations behind. Don?t believe all you read in
the newspapers.
As regards British Airways this is the third year in a row that problems
have arisen with ground staff at Heathrow. The mass ?downing of tools?
by the airside personal was totally synchronised and you have to be very
naive not to see the hand of the Transport and General Workers? Union
behind the scenes. Without getting into an area considered ?hot?, the
ethnic make-up of the two groups would hardly make for mutual
understanding. And it is no good BA saying how good it has been in
turning around the airline in recent times. A carrier that controls 40%
of the slots at the world?s busiest international airport ought to be a
success story. The British Airways staff who walked out will just be
docked for the hours lost. No disciplinary action taken!
Surely some kind of punishment should be invoked even if only a loss of
perks. And the total closing down of the airline at Heathrow, can that
be justified? Gate Gourmet says it supplied basic foodstuff.
Passengers have been known to carry bags to aircraft on previous
occasions. BA has a huge public relations team and a sophisticated
communications system. Surely it was better to give out some news rather
than no news at all. Why close all the check-in facilities at the
various terminals? What happened to the staff? Were they sent home to
watch, rather like Nero, whilst their jobs burnt? In one of the busiest
weeks of the year just to abandon customers seems to be indefensible.
Get some of the ?planes away. Everyone knows the ?knock on? effects.
One has to ask the question. If not for the trouble due to Gate Gourmet
might there still have been problems for BA at Heathrow this August? BA
is a great airline with some wonderful enthusiastic staff, but it seems
it is being let down by a resentful minority and some serious management
problems. Nothing appears to have changed since last year or the year
before. Or is the strike a prelude to festering industrial trouble
caused by the consolidation of British Airways services into the single
Terminal 5 in the spring of 2008? It will be a great opportunity for the
airline to increase efficiency all round with better equipment and
facilities particularly regarding baggage handling. Staff reductions
will be required.
The obituaries have not yet been written on Rod Eddington?s short tenure
at British Airways. He has steadied a rocky ship and kept the city
happy. The airline?s image has improved but not reached any highs. Its
marketing has come in for much criticism and its operations unit
seriously questioned for the third year running. When Willie Walsh takes
over on 1 October his first objective is to ensure that ?Anguish
August? does not befall the carrier in 2006 and that the number one
target, the passenger, is always kept happy. The world?s sometime
?favourite airline? needs to get itself back on course.
Quickly.
___________________________________________________________________
AIR NELSON has taken delivery of the first of 17 Bombardier Q300
aircraft which will gradually replace the airline?s much smaller Saab
340s over the next two years. Air Nelson is New Zealand?s main regional
carrier, now 100% owned by Air New Zealand. Originally created in 1976
it takes its name from the city on the top northwest corner of the South
Island founded 150 years ago. Nelson of course never went to New
Zealand. (P) http://www.airnz.co.nz
BA CITIEXPRESS flew as normal during the Heathrow disruption last week
offering hot meals as usual on its longer sectors including London City
to Edinburgh where it is now up to five return flights weekdaily (plus
one on a Saturday and two on Sunday), a schedule that has proven
worthwhile to continue during the normally quiet month of August. The
100% owned division of British Airways says that its market share on the
route has risen to 65% competing with Scot Airways who have twice the
number of flights mainly operated by Dornier 328 aircraft. This winter
the airline will operate ten RJ100 (110 seats), 28 ERJ145 (49 seats),
eight Dash 8-300 (50 seats) and three 146 (79-110 seats). It also has on
its books a single Boeing 767 which is used on a daily BA Manchester ?
JFK service.
http://www.britishairways.com/travel/basubsid/public/en_gb
BOEING has published what it calls its 2006 price list. However just as
with a car if you phone up your friendly salesman from Seattle and tell
him that you have cash no doubt he will make you an offer. But ask him
for an early delivery slot and you might be disappointed. You could
suggest calling Toulouse. A 737-600 comes in from $45.5m upwards, $205m
will give you a nice freshly painted 747-400, and at the very top of the
list the 777-300ER, with all the goodies, is $253.
The yet to fly 787 starts at $125m and as with most of the aircraft has
a choice of engines. http://www.boeing.com/commercial/prices
BRISTOL is to be linked to Teesside for the first time when Eastern
Airways introduces a three times daily service this coming winter
between Lulsgate and the renamed Durham Tees Valley Airport. The flights
commence 24 October and will take 70 minutes. They will be operated by a
mixture of Jetstream 41 and Jetstream 42 aircraft and there will be a
single return service from Bristol on Sundays. The airline says that its
new Aberdeen ? Bristol operation will increase to three services each
way from 5 September and a Saturday schedule will also be introduced on
8 October. (P) http://www.easternairways.com
EASYJET seems to have taken a leaf out of Ryanair?s book by issuing a
?knocking? press release, but in this case it seems to be justified.
Latest figures from the Civil Aviation Authority show how both Ryanair
and Aer Lingus have suffered since easyJet?s arrival in the Irish
Republic with the Luton-based airline grabbing a significant market
share. Aer Lingus? market share has fallen on both the routes it
competes with easyJet from London to Cork and Shannon; while Ryanair?s
fares have collapsed since easyJet?s arrival. The latest CAA figures
show that easyJet has acquired significant market share on its three
routes from Gatwick, achieving 14%, 27% and 10% of passengers between
London and Cork, Knock and Shannon respectively. (Figures for 2005 are
for January till June). While Ryanair has lost market share
significantly to easyJet on its London ? Knock route its levels on both
Cork and Shannon are below that of a couple of years ago.
http://www.easyjet.com
EDINBURGH?S historic Caledonian Hilton is completing a £6.4m upgrade,
significantly modernising this classic world famous property. First
opened in 1903 as part of the dismantled and forgotten Princess Street
main line railway station ?The Caley? has been completely refurbished
with all 249 rooms featuring broadband Internet access and most gaining
full air conditioning. The LivingWell leisure club, which spans two
floors, has also gone through a makeover, offering state of the art
cardiovascular equipment and a fully equipped weights studio.
Over the years the Caledonian has hosted some of the biggest stars of
stage and screen, and top politico?s, including King Hussein of Jordan,
Grace Kelly and Bob Hope. The Pompadour restaurant competes with the
best that Edinburgh has to offer. (P) http://www.hilton.co.uk
EVA AIR, Taiwan-based and a Heathrow tenant, has become the latest
carrier to offer on-line text messaging, a system developed by OnAir.
The service is being introduced to coincide with the arrival of the
airline?s first Boeing 777ER and will be available to passengers in all
cabins costing only US$1.50 per message sent or received. The OnAir
service allows travellers to communicate using the in-seat entertainment
system to send messages to mobile phones and e-mail addresses, and also
to receive replies. The system will be installed on the entire 48 EVA
Air fleet over the next few years. In addition, crew members will be
able to use the in-flight SMS service to communicate quickly with ground
personnel about important flight or passenger-related information or
requests. http://www.evaair.com
FARNBOROUGH, the Airshow, is another British institution that sees
benefits from the London 2012 Olympics. That year?s exhibition will take
place in the month before the great sporting occasion and the organisers
will probably theme in on the events centred on east London. In the
meantime plans are well under way for next year?s gathering of the world
of aviation, a fully finished and available for public inspection Airbus
A380 expected to be on display for the first time. With the official
closing date for booking looming up (2
September) exhibitor numbers are expected to top 2004?s record 1,360.
Now totally separate in terms of organisation from the Society of
British Aerospace Companies, Farnborough International Ltd is
emphasising its flexibility in offering would-be exhibitors just what
they want including linking chalet participation to indoor stand
requirements. The media will be delighted to learn that the press area
has been moved from its present somewhat inaccessible position to a new
first floor centre right in the heart of the show area. Hall 1A becomes
double deck overlooking the flight line. (P) http://www.farnborough.com
FLYBE, said to be a budget airline, has come up with an idea that
completely contradicts the ?keep it simple, keep it cheap? deal.
Passengers can now pre-book their seats but it costs £8 per sector per
person for normal seats and £16 per person per sector if you want to sit
by an emergency entrance or bulkhead. And you have to phone up no later
than 24 hours before your flight to book. Normal check-in rules apply,
as do those concerning children and disabled.
http://www.flybe.com
GATWICK regulars will be pleased to learn that the baggage reclaim hall,
directly above the immigration area in the South Terminal has doubled in
size and is open for business in time for the peak summer holiday
period. Three new baggage reclaim belts have been installed increasing
capacity by 40%. The extra space has been found by extending the
existing baggage facilities to the north. (P) http://www.baa.com
HEATHROW is to be the venue for the very first time of a Virgin Atlantic
'Flying Without Fear' course now in their eighth year at Birmingham,
Gatwick and Manchester airports. Set for Sunday 28 August, and costing
£234 28 tax paid, the one-day course includes a 45-minute flight at the
end of the session for passengers to put their new-found confidence to
the test. The day starts with a brief introduction, after which two
Virgin Atlantic Captains run through aircraft functions, noises and
safety. After a hot lunch, participants can ask questions on a one-to-
one basis and psychotherapist David Landau teaches skills to help people
learn to control their fears. During the 'test' flight, pilots give a
running commentary re-enforcing all that has been learnt throughout the
day. And to give an added bonus Virgin Atlantic is offering all
successful participants membership of its frequent flyer programme
including 2,000 'Flying Club' miles.
http://www.flyingwithoutfear.info
JOHANNESBURG is proving to be one of the most popular destinations from
the UK, underserved in terms of capacity many would say although linked
direct from Heathrow by British Airways, SAA and Virgin Atlantic.
Starting on 1 November Air France will be increasing its non-stop
flights from CDG to ten per week and targeting the various regional
points flown out of the UK. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays there
will be double daily outbound service, an Airbus A340 supplementing the
daily three-class Boeing 747 operation.
http://www.airfrance.co.uk
LORDS CRICKET GROUND has a new Hungarian hotel overlooking it. Perhaps
this is a slight exaggeration in that the Danubius Regents Park Hotel
has been taken over by the Budapest-based Danubius Hotels Group. The
four-star 376-room hotel stands in a dominating position at the junction
of Regent Park and St Johns Wood Road opposite the home of cricket. All
rooms are air-conditioned and with free broadband Internet access. Once
a state-owned corporation today the Danubius Hotels Group owns and
operates a whole series of hotels in Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia
and Romania. Danubius Regents Park Hotel is its first property in the
UK. (P) http://www.danubiuslondon.co.uk
NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE has made British Airways its preferred contractor
for the 2006 programme. Next year the sister company of Orient Lines and
Star Cruises of Singapore is returning to Europe with the brand new
93,000 ton 2,200 passenger Norwegian Jewel
(Mediterranean) and its smaller sister ship Norwegian Dream which will
offer 12-night cruises into the Baltic from Dover. ?Jewel?, as with all
the presently ten strong NCL fleet, offers what it calls ?Freestyle
Cruising? from two main restaurants and eight speciality outlets. There
are bars galore, two large swimming pools and what must be the most
impressive spa area afloat. Nearly half the cabins have balconies and at
the top of the ship the Courtyard complex is designed in such a way that
the ten suites can become a private area, complete with pool. A full
restaurant service will also be provided. You can be very private but
still have the benefits of a big ship. Very competitively priced
?Jewel? will provide stiff competition for the established cruise lines
with European programmes. (P) http://www.ncsssl.com
ON BOARD TV for international flights is bound to happen in the very
near future and several airlines have been quick to say that they will
be first. In the US it has already happened but within that huge country
problems concerning licensing and copyright can easily be resolved and
likewise those concerning the actual technical connection. Not so when
it comes to international services overflying many countries? airspace
and needing sophisticated satellite connections. Qatar Airways has
claimed that they will be the first, installing by the end of the year a
system developed by Rockwell Collins in conjunction with Lufthansa
Technik. It will be available in all cabins and is part of the general
in-flight entertainment service.
Singapore Airlines has now quickly come up with an installation based on
the Boeing Connexion Internet product which can be used by individual
subscribers who have an approved wireless laptop capable of taking
streamed down TV channels. This is already going into their fleet and it
is for others to judge whether it is proper television and really
practical. http://www.lufthansa-technik.de
http://www.connexionbyboeing.com
RADISSON SAS is to offer free wireless Internet connections at its 11 UK
hotels from 1 September. This will really throw down the gauntlet to
competitors some of whose high charges have come in for criticism by
clients. Radisson has also confirmed that its new Birmingham (UK)
property at Holloway Circus, Queensway, is nearing completion and will
have 211 rooms, ten meeting rooms, a Sardinian restaurant, two bars and
a health and fitness spa. It will be housed in Birmingham?s tallest
building. (P) http://www.radissonsas.com
STANSTED is to gain flights to Tenerife this winter. FlyGlobespan,
Scotland?s largest airline, plans to launch daily all the year round
flights to Tenerife South from November, the only carrier to do so.
The airline, which currently offers twice daily Stansted ? Edinburgh and
Glasgow services, will also introduce a Geneva operation, in direct
competition to easyJet, who are also opening up a service on 15
December. FlyGlobespan is part of the Globespan Group established in
1974 and has its own AoC operating both 300 and 800 series Boeing 737s.
http://www.flyglobespan.com
SUITCASE problems are of course good news for some. Quick to see a
positive news angle regarding BA and Heathrow baggage mover First
Luggage have issued a press release pointing out that passengers do not
have to drag their heavy items down to the airport, even when things are
going smoothly. Whether it is a leisure or business trip their service
enables travellers to send their suitcases ahead, without it ever
passing through the hands of the baggage handlers who have caused so
much disruption and frustration. By phone call or online, First Luggage
say they will arrange to collect any bags before the day of departure
and deliver them by courier service to the customer's destination in
time for their arrival. A text message lets them know that it has
arrived safely. The same applies for the return trip. It is all done
with the help of FedEx. In the States, luggage-free travel is an
accepted norm and the company believes that it will also catch on over
here. Interestingly a league table compiled by the Association of
European Airlines (judged on their lost luggage
record) found Turkish Airlines to be the best performer with just four
bags out of 1,000 lost or delayed, while among the worst were BA (24.1
per 1,000) and KLM (26.1 per 1,000). 20 million bags are lost by
airlines worldwide each year. (P) http://www.firstluggage.com
TUNINTER, the regional division of Tunisair, lost one of its two ATR 72s
on Sunday 7 August when the aircraft ditched in the sea eight miles
north of Palermo, Sicily. It was on its way from Bari to theTunisian
resort island of Djerba. There were 39 passengers and crew on the
aircraft of which 23 survived. The aircraft itself had been built in
1992 and had a total flight time of 30,000 hours. Initial reports have
confirmed both engines cutting out which would indicate a fuel problem
but a more detailed analysis will have to wait until the Italian and
French authorities have made a full inspection of the wreckage.
http://www.atraircraft.com http://www.tunisair.com.tn
UNITED AIRLINES will start charging $2 a bag to travellers who turn
their luggage over to a skycap at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport
from today. Previously the help was part of United?s marketing effort.
The change is expected to save the bankrupt airline millions.
A contractor currently operates the porter service and invoices the
airline for the work. From now on travellers will pay the contractor,
who in turn will lease baggage carts and other equipment from the
airline. http://www.unitedairlines.com
FORTHCOMING EVENTS THAT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST TO READERS:
The World Airline Entertainment Association (WAEA) 26th Annual
Conference & Exhibition: Hamburg Messe & Congress Center Hamburg,
20-23 September 2005.
http://www.waea.org/events/conference/2005/index.htm
___________________________________________________________________
OCTOPUS ON TOUR: London ? The World?s finest tourist attraction
The Octopus Travel Guide of London is far more detailed than this 2,000
word summary. In this précis we have taken items of the review that
might form part of a walking tour. We include some sites but don?t
forget that it is at night when London really comes into its own with
the greatest selection of live theatre and entertainment anywhere on
earth. And the eating can be very good too.
?London is one of the world's most international cities ? borrowing a
bit from here, a piece from there, and changing almost daily.
Nevertheless, London's landscape is steeped in history and tradition.
The classic sights of Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square and Big Ben
could not be more British. If any single thing epitomises London's
character for both local and tourist alike, it's the tube, trains and
red double-decker buses of its public transport system; the frenetic
lifeblood that circulates three million people around the capital daily.
As everyone will tell you the city is undeniably expensive, but you get
your money's worth like nowhere else on earth: no other city has such an
excess of accessible history and dynamic modernity.
Start at Buckingham Palace, which is normally open to the public in
August and September. You don't get access to the Royal Family's private
quarters but the sumptuous interior and portrait gallery make this visit
worthwhile. Even out of season it's worth seeing the majesty of the
Queen's main home from the outside. The biggest attraction though is the
ever popular Changing of the Guard ceremony.
The big event takes place every day at 1130 and if you want a good view
you will have to get there early. From the Palace a delightful walk
through St James?s Park takes you to Westminster Abbey with more than a
thousand years of history, the scene of coronations, marriages and
funerals of British Royalty. Also buried and commemorated are the
nation's most famous poets, including Chaucer, Tennyson and Charles
Dickens. The memorial to the Unknown Soldier is a particularly poignant
reminder of Britain's many war dead.
Cross Westminster Bridge passing by the Houses of Parliament and Big
Ben. Next stop is the British Airways London Eye with its fantastic
views, followed by the nearby Tate Modern easily the most successful of
the capital's Millennium projects, the former Bankside power station
building. Now fronted by the Millennium Bridge that connects the
attraction to St Paul's Cathedral it is no exaggeration to say that the
gallery has revolutionised the way people see modern art in Britain.
Visit the Globe Theatre before catching a river bus down past HMS
Belfast and Tower Bridge to Greenwich, the home of the former tea
clipper Cutty Sark, the Naval College and the Royal Observatory that
takes it name from the site. The Dockland Light Railway will bring you
back to the Tower of London.
First established by William the Conqueror, over 900 years ago, the
Tower was designed to be the seat of the king and a fortress to defend
the City, both from invaders and from internal insurrection. It was
originally only the square keep, today commonly referred to as the
"White Tower". Over the centuries subsequent monarchs extended the
tower's walls and defences to their still impressive present size. As
well as being the garrison for the city of London militia, the tower
served as the royal armoury and even private zoo (whose menagerie was
the basis of London Zoo) but it is most famous for being the site of
incarcerations and executions during the Middle Ages. The prisoners?
roster here includes Walter Raleigh, Thomas More and Elizabeth I (as
Princess Elizabeth), Henry VIII's wives Anne Boleyn and Katherine
Howard. In the Armoury you can see the robust original battle armour of
Henry VIII and various weaponry, while the Jewel Tower holds the Crown
Jewels. It takes at least half a day, and plenty of shoe leather to
explore the Tower's attractions fully.
From the Tower it is an easy walk to the Bank of England which has its
own museum and as with most national exhibitions is free. St Paul?s is
next, half a mile down Cheapside, rising from the ashes of the Great
Fire of 1666, designed by England's most famous architect, Sir
Christopher Wren. The cathedral took ten years to design and over 40
years to build, but even several centuries on the massive dome and the
fabulous acoustics are objects of architectural admiration. During the
Second World War it became a symbol of British resilience in the face of
the Blitz bombing campaign that saw areas of the city reduced to rubble
? the dome proving indestructible even on the occasion that it was
directly hit by a Luftwaffe bomb. Although it has since been dwarfed by
the skyscrapers of the financial "City" that surrounds it, the cathedral
remains an indomitable part of the London skyline. Climb the 530 steps
to The Golden Gallery for an outstanding view and try out the amazing
acoustic properties of the Whispering Gallery.
Entombed in the Crypt are the remains of great English heroes including
Admiral Horatio Nelson, General Wellington, Florence Nightingale, and
fittingly, Christopher Wren.
Then take the Underground or a bus to Holborn and the rejuvenated
British Museum. The whole complex is now oriented around its splendid
Great Court, opened by the Queen in 2001. Around this large covered
space are over 80 galleries packed to the rafters with pieces from the
world of art and history. The collections span the entire globe,
exploring cultures and societies through artefacts that range from
housekeeping to warfare. Naturally Britain is well represented, with
displays such as the Mildenhall Treasure (a priceless collection of
Roman silver discovered in Suffolk in the 1940s) and the remains of
Lindow Man, an early Briton pulled from a peat bog in Cheshire. The
British Museum can also boast one of the largest Egyptian collections
outside Cairo, as well as extensive Greek, Roman, and Japanese
galleries. Some of the pieces are only on display in the face of
controversy. The presence of the Elgin Marbles in particular has long
been a bone of contention between the museum and Greece, and political
movements have been made to have the frieze returned to Athens.
Not that far from the museum is Leicester Square and the area around it
is the classic tourist magnet for any visitor to London. With hundreds
of restaurants, bars and nightclubs, the plaza is the natural centre of
theatre land. Nearby is Charing Cross Road where you come across a
bibliophile's heaven: more than 30 bookstores ranging from Foyles,
considered by many as the world?s greatest bookshop, to highly
specialised antiquarian treasure troves. Next up is Covent Garden, the
famous flower market saved for posterity with always plenty going on in
this European-style plaza and its central Victorian market hall.
The nearby opera house relays live performances onto an open-air screen
during the summer months.
The mark of any great capital is the amount of space left open for its
citizens. London is dotted with dozens of parks, but Hyde Park, right at
its heart, is one of its most popular. This vast open space is a bolt of
green amid the city grey where the picnic blanket and the rollerblade
rule in peace. On a summer's day it's just about possible to forget you
are in one of the world's busiest cities.
You can also ride a horse down Rotten Row, take a boat on to Serpentine
Lake or listen to people share their views at Speakers'
Corner.
London offers an exhaustive selection of hotels ranging from luxury
five-star properties, through the mid-price chains, to the burgeoning
boutique style accommodation offering privacy and personal attention.
The bad news is that bargains are hard to find, and prices tend to be
high even when compared to other European capitals. Your first decision
should concern the area you wish to stay in as it goes a long way to
determining how much you'll pay for your accommodation. The West End ?
comprising Soho, Covent Garden, St James's, Mayfair and Marylebone, and
the western suburbs of Knightsbridge and Kensington ? is dominated by
expensive four and five star properties. If you're looking for a stylish
hotel, the Millennium Mayfair could be just the ticket. A grand period
building, the Millennium is in the heart of the West End just minutes
away from the upmarket shops of Bond Street and a short hop from
Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly and the theatres of the West End. A
slightly cheaper alternative is the smart Kensington Close, a little
further out of the centre but still within easy reach of attractions and
located in the prestigious area of Kensington with its many shops and
restaurants. The other ?end? of London can throw up some other options.
Around Bloomsbury and Russell Square you'll find plenty of Edwardian-
style hotels that are extremely handy for the main northern stations of
Euston and Kings Cross, and tourist attractions such as the British
Museum and British Library. The Grange Holborn is a good example of a
five-star hotel located in this vicinity ? one of the most fashionable
areas in London. If you're really looking for something more affordable
the main train terminals of Victoria and Paddington, and the Earl's
Court area have an abundance of cheaper hotels that are clean,
convenient and proud to be part of the London scene. Haggle, you might
even get breakfast thrown in?.
INCIDENTALLY: Here are a few thoughts for those boring moments.
Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?
If people from Poland are called Poles, why aren't people from Holland
called Holes?
If you take some from the far east and spin him around several times,
does he become disoriented?
If a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled?
Why do croutons come in airtight packages? It's just stale bread to
begin with.
Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist but a person who
drives a racecar not called a racist?
Why are a wise man and a wise guy opposites?
Why do overlook and oversee mean opposite things?
If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn't it follow that
electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged,
models deposed, tree surgeons debarked, and dry cleaners depressed?
If Fed Ex and UPS were to merge, would they call it Fed UP?
Do Lipton Tea employees take coffee breaks?
Why do they put pictures of criminals up in the Post Office? What are we
supposed to do, write to them? Why don't they just put their pictures on
the postage stamps so the mailmen can look for them while they deliver
the mail?
If it's true that we are here to help others, then what exactly are the
others here for?
No one ever says, "It's only a game", when their team is winning.