Terminal 5 shambles continue

The chaos at London Heathrow Terminal 5 seems to carry on today.

British Airways cancelled a fifth of its flights from Heathrow's Terminal 5 this morning as it admitted the £4.3billion facility was not ready to be opened.

The airline continues to offer apologies. It has set up an information line for passengers: 0800 727 800 and service updates are available at www.ba.com.

I think today’s Metro summed this national embarrassment very well with a question; ‘Why can’t BA and BAA get you from A to B without A BA**S-UP?’

Picture: Daily Mail

Mobiles on airplanes are OK

Ofcom has given the go ahead to mobiles on UK-registered airplanes, although subjected to approval by both the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Civil Aviation Authority in the UK.

Ofcom also said that when people received a call in-flight, the cost would be a matter between them and their mobile operator – however they added that they were, "Concerned about this issue as tariffs may well be high relative to other mobile communication services and there is a danger that consumers will receive unexpectedly high bills."

Satellite comms vendor Inmarsat welcomed the decision since it currently provides inflight communications for government and private users – "Much of the required infrastructure for inflight mobile phone use is already in place," added Inmarsat.

Bookreading service in London hotel

During London Book Fair, starting next week, the new Andaz Liverpool Street hotel in London will offer its guests "reader-in-residence," who will be available to read aloud to them in their rooms.

Andaz Liverpool Street hotel "reader-in-residence” event is one of the series to promote hotels focus on personality. There are plans for on-site performance by the Real Hamlet Company.

UK domestic flights passengers to be fingerprinted on Heathrow’s Terminal 5

From next month all passengers boarding flights from Heathrow’s Terminal 5 will be fingerprinted.

Heathrow’s Terminal 5 will accommodate yearly for 4 million domestic passengers. To make sure the same person who checked in boards the airplane, all passengers will our fingerprints taken, as well as being photographed, when they check in and then the procedure will be repeated while boarding.

BAA, the Heathrow’s owner, sees biometric security check as a way to prevent criminals, terrorists and illegal immigrants trying to bypass border controls and assures all biometric data will be destroyed after 24 hours and will not be passed on to the police.

If biometric is to be used to prevent immigrants, how come it is to be implemented on domestic flights terminal? Even security mad U.S. does not fingerprint their domestic passengers.

It's Same Difference time!

‘Potentially the most annoying people you've ever met’ aka Same Difference will entertain Butlins’ visitors in Skegness, Minehead and Bognor Regis. Same Difference will be performing between 24th March and 13th April and overall give five shows.

Fellow X Factor contestant Chico will also be performing at Butlins between February and June, when he will host 28 shows with Ben Mills, Eton Road, Robert and Ashley as guest stars.
source: Butlins