Guide to Heathrow Airport

Tue, 22 Nov 2005 11:28:37 +0100

Introduction and History - London Heathrow is one of the busiest airports in the world. it supports over 90 airlines and connects to 170 destinations worldwide, using four terminals carrying over 64 million passengers a year. The airport is owned by BAA. During that First World War it was used by there are meetings the army. it remained a military airfield until 1919. In 1944 airport was used by it that royal air force and we was owned by that Ministry of Civil Aviation. In 1947 runways were built. In 1955 terminal two was opened by the Queen. In 1968 terminal one was opened following huge demand for passenger services. In 1976 British Airways and Air France provided supersonic Concorde services. In 1986 the Prince and Princess of Wales opened the new terminal four building. In 1988 the Heathrow Express railway link to London was opened by the Prime Minister. This provided high-speed services between Paddington London station and the airport. Work is currently underway on Terminal 5 which is now one of the largest construction projects in the UK. The airport is located 15 miles west of London near the M4. Local tourist attarctins near the airport include ascot racecourse, windsor castle, legoland, eton college, thorpe park and central london

Facilities - include public phones, wall mounted fax machines, chemists, left luggage offices, chapel, showers and a visitor centre.

Food: AMT Coffee - Top quality, individually made and 100% Fairtrade coffees. | Bagel Street - A wide selection of delicious and healthy New York style bagel sandwiches | bite. - Bite is a fresh, bright and bold sandwich brand offering a complete range of coffees, juices, hot and chilled sandwiches, salads and desserts. | Burger King - Flame grilled burgers, fries, soft drinks and kids' meals. | Café Rouge - French cafe with real ambience offering breakfast, coffee, lunch and dinner. | Caffè Italia - Panini, pasta, pizza, caffe e vino and English breakfasts - freshly made with Italian passion. | Pizza Express - Authentic Italian cuisine in stylish surroundings. | Ritazza Coffee - Fine coffee and hot drinks. Range of sandwiches, pastries and snacks. | Starbucks - Fine range of freshly roasted coffees and Italian style espressos. | The Bridge Bar - A contemporary bar with a friendly and informal atmosphere serving draught and bottled beers, wines and spirits plus a delicious food menu with coffee. | The Tin Goose - Retro pub, themed around travel in the 1930s and 40s. | Upper Crust - Range of hearty baguettes, sandwiches and pastries. Hot and cold drinks. | Village Grill - Offering a selection of hot food and a range of quick snacks and drinks for peckish passengers. |

Shops: Accessorize - A modern, inspirational, globally sourced collection of every kind of fashion accessory. | Agent Provocateur - High quality designer lingerie with creative flair, enchanting both wearers and their partners. | Austin Reed - Men's and women's accessories, business and leisure wear | Bally - Fine leather shoes, handbags, briefcases and accessories. | Barbour - Offering a wide selection of world famous traditional wax jackets, knitwear, hats, boots, socks and footwear | Chanel - Exclusive fragrances and beauty products | Chocolate Box - Chocolate Box offers a wide choice of confectionery from everyday products for the family, to luxury chocolate for a special gift, something for the kids or perhaps a special treat for yourself. | Christian Dior - Exclusive French designer wear including all the latest bags and t-shirts. | Church & Co - Leather shoes in timeless styles portraying the best British craftmanship | Cigar House - Finest range of of cigars from Cuba, Honduras and the Dominican Republic. | Clarks - Contemporary casual and formal shoes for men, women and children. Adventure travel clothing and luggage for all climates | Clinton Cards - Greetings cards and gifts for all occasions | David Clulow - Complete designer spectacles in 15 minutes | Dior Studio - Make-up, fragrances and skin care from Dior Studio. | Dixons Tax Free - Cameras, portable hi-fi, computer equipment and all the latest models. | Ermenegildo Zegna - A world leader in elegant men's clothing utilising exclusive fabric designs. | Escada - Accessories including belts, bags, shoes, scarves and eyewear | Fortnum & Mason - Quintessentially English ranges including Royal Blend tea, English honeys, Rose Petal jelly | Franklins - Coffee bar with excellent sandwiches and pastries | French Connection - Unique apparel tailored for holidaymakers with a global reputation for style.

Currency Exchange: In all the terminals of Heathrow there are bureaux de change exchange and ATM services.

Disabled Facilities: Disabled facilities at the airport for the hard of hearing include a minicom information line, wheelchair accessible phones and induction loops. In addition, disabled toilets are available in all terminals, ramps, porter and wheelchair assistance and specially reserved parking areas are provided as well as a wheelchair accessible bus operating between all terminals.

Business Travellers - The Servisair executive lounge can be pre-booked - it has complimentary drinks and snacks. The following airlines also provide lounge access:- Aer Lingus - The Gold circle | Alliance - Servisair executive lounge | British Airways - Club Europe | British Airways - International executive lounge | British Airways - Domestic executive lounge | bmi - bmi business lounge | bmi - diamond club lounge | El Al - King David suite | Finnair - Servisair executive lounge | South African Airways - Springbok - first class lounge | South African Airways - Servisair executive lounge | Cyprus Airways - bmi business lounge | Icelandair - Servisair executive lounge | Brussels Airlines - Servisair executive lounge. The Travelex Heathrow Business Centre, is based in Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 before security. There are twenty meeting rooms seating sixty with, PC's, internet, photocopying, video conferencing and fax facilities.
Getting There and Local Travel Connections...

Road: Terminals 1, 2 and 3 are located in the centre of Heathrow, Terminal 4 is located to the south of the airport - take m25 Take the M4 J4 following signs to the airport. From M25 J15 take M4 east to J4 and follw signs to airport.

Train: There is a rail connection from the airport to London Paddington train station, called the Heathrow Express. It is a non stop fast train service running every 15 minutes to and from Terminal 4. At Paddington you can connect to other trains to location across the west of England. Paddington also has an unerground station on the District, Circle, Bakerloo and Hammersmith & City lines.

Taxi: Taxis can be obtained outside the terminal building to travel in and around London. The average cost from Heathrow to the central of London is approximately £45-50 - it takes about one hour.

Bus or Coach: There are many local buses operating from the central bus station, stopping at all terminals and into London. Bus tickets to London can be purchased on the bus. The bus station is based above the London Underground station and accessed via underground walkways. Terminals 1, 2 and 3 are connected using the underground walkways. The free Heathrow Express train (joonnects terminals four and takes about eight minutes.

Heathrow Airport Guide

Guide to Heathrow Airport