| Travel without hassle  Once
upon a time going to the airport used to be good fun.
People even used to dress up to go on a plane for goodness sake!
All has changed now of course and you know you’re in for a dismal
time whatever your mode of transport.
But there are a few steps you can take to alleviate some of the worst
aspects of travelling and indeed to make your entire holiday as hassle-free
as possible.
Now we’re not talking about saving money here we’ll turn
to that next week with a look at the likes of cargo ships and youth hostels.
This week we look at a variety of measures, some of which will cost, although
a few might save you money.
But all guarantee to save wear and tear on your nerves.
n Air with care
Dublin Airport has been described as looking like Saigon the day the US
evacuated the place, with people hanging onto helicopters and children
jammed into coaches.
The problem is Dublin Airport was never built to accommodate the number
of passengers who now use it.
The solution is simple see if you can travel via another airport.
Belfast International is the obvious choice if your Irish destination
lies anywhere vaguely north of Dublin.
It’s much quieter than Dublin Airport and if you arrive from Britain
there are no passport controls (a regular source of aggravation at Dublin).
The other regional airports are similarly quiet and less hassle —
George Best International in Belfast, Derry, Knock and Cork all represent
a more relaxed start to your holiday.
The same is true in England Exeter, Southampton, Liverpool and Prestwick
are guaranteed to be less fevered than Luton, Stansted, Heathrow or Gatwick.
If you do have to use any of the busy airports, do yourself a favour and
don’t go at weekends or early in the morning.
n Carry your bags, sir?
Luggage delivery companies will now come and collect your bags and FedEx
them to your hotel room, villa or family home back in Ireland.
It’ll cost you though £69 per suitcase one-way from England
to Ireland (or any other European country).
A pram will cost £49, a golf bag £59 and ski boots £35.
Contact First Luggage www.firstluggage.com 0845 270 0670 or Carry My Luggage
0845 009 0362
n Check-in online
Ryanair, easyJet and Aer Lingus all have online check-in and with Aer
Lingus you can select your seat online.
The advantages are that (a) you don’t have to queue up at the
check-in desk you go directly to your gate; (b) you have to present yourself
30 minutes before departure instead of 40 minutes; and (c) you get priority
boarding ie, you’ll be one of the first on.
Aer Lingus also provides self-service check-in at Heathrow and Dublin
airports, as well as a few other selected destinations.
Various other airlines offer similar services.
For Gatwick flights contact www.gatwickairport.com/
daybefore which will give you a full list of airlines where you can check
in the day before.
n Affordable VIP indulgence
They say that if you don’t miss the odd flight then you’re
spending too much time at the airport.
On other hand, if you’re an inveterate punctuality freak, you
could look at it this way you save a fair bit of money and hassle by not
missing flights.
But a lot of time is spent hanging about the airport.
So why not use a fraction of that money by booking yourself into the executive
lounge?
Business and first-class passengers have automatic access to these quiet,
comfortable lounges.
But for a reasonable sum usually between £12 and ¤20 you
can spend a restful couple of hours before your flight, taking full advantage
of free snacks, tea, coffee and alcoholic drink as well as newspapers.
Regrettably, alcoholic beverages are now restricted to two complimentary
drinks per person but that’s still not bad value.
To book your place in the VIP lounge worldwide, contact Lounge Pass 020
8253 5146 www.loungepass.com or Holiday Extras tel 0870 844 4186 www.holidayextras.co.uk
NB: Some executive lounges don’t allow children.
n Select your airline with care
Some executive suites don’t allow children; and it would be fair
to say that some airlines treat kids better than others.
Ryanair, for instance, don’t give automatic boarding priority anymore
to families with kids.
As this always seems to come as a surprise to the travelling public, you
can expect a diverting 15 minutes or so while the ground staff explain
this to the generally not-very-understanding parents.
What you have to remember is this: Ryanair are great value (average
single flight is now £28) but if anything outside the norm is involved
in your travel arrangements like children, outsized luggage, a physical
disability or bad weather then things can unravel rapidly.
n Pre-book airport parking
Paying in advance for the car park is usually cheaper and more importantly
ensures there’s space for you.
It might also be worth considering an extra £20 for valet parking
— just hand the keys to the attendant at departures while you go
straight to the check-in.
Contact Airport Parking and Hotels 0870 733 0515 www.aph.com, or BCP on
0870 013 4580 www.bcponline.co.uk or Chauffeured Parking Services 0870
411 1118 www.parkingwithcps.com
n If only it could all be plain sailing
Taking your car and going by ferry could be a remarkably stress-free option.
If your ferry is delayed because of weather (about the same rate these
days as with flying) at least you’re in your own space.
Also you can take as much baggage as you like.
The ferries themselves are remarkably civilised these days and if you’re
on the big ships (as opposed to the high-speed ferries) then you can book
a very comfortable room all to yourself for £20.
With a sea view and cup of tea freshly brewed in your room, the mayhem
of Heathrow will seem a million miles away.
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