Heathrow may divert planes to deal with airport overcrowding
Fears of massive overcrowding as travelers resume flying this summer has officials at London Heathrow Airport considering diverting airplanes to other airports as a last-resort measure.
With concerns that queues at Heathrow could be as long as six hours for border checks once the non-essential travel ban has lifted -- including a social distancing nightmare -- airport authorities are discussing sending aircraft to other U.K. airports and EU hubs to ease congestion. The news comes after a previous warning that backups at Heathrow could lead to passengers being forced to wait on planes for the crowds to ease up.
Sign up to receive the daily TPG newsletter for more travel news!
Officials at Heathrow say more staff are needed to process passengers at the border in an efficient manner and called on the Border Force to take more action.
"Instead of telling passengers to brace themselves for a long wait in immigration queues, Border Force should step up its efforts to automate checks for green list countries, and put in place additional resource for passengers where manual checks might be needed," a Heathrow spokesperson said.
A Home Office representative told the BBC that resuming e-Gate operations this summer remains on target and adding more officers for border checks is also planned.
"Protecting public health is our priority and as we reopen international travel safely we will maintain 100% health checks at the border to protect the wider public and our vaccine rollout," the spokesperson added.
Another problem already causing delays that could get much worse once people resume traveling en masse? Travelers who don't have their documentation in order. With COVID-19 restrictions still in effect, this is essential to minimize delays. We outlined steps for travelers to follow if they're flying into Heathrow. Read them here.
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 5X miles | Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
| 2X miles | Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day |
Pros
- Stellar welcome offer of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year upon account opening.
- You'll earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, which means you won't have to worry about memorizing bonus categories
- Rewards are versatile and can be redeemed for a statement credit or transferred to Capital One’s transfer partners
Cons
- Highest bonus-earning categories only on travel booked via Capital One Travel
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app