Snow wreaks chaos across Europe
Adverse weather conditions continue to impact European airports, with London Heathrow Airport warning further cancellations are "inevitable".
Although Heathrow yesterday confirmed its airfield is now "fully operational" with all runways, taxiways and stands clear, ongoing visibility issues saw the airport cut its schedule by 10%.
"Low visibility means that, for safety reasons, there needs to be a bigger gap between aircraft. Because Heathrow runs at almost 100% capacity, there is no slack in the system and flights unfortunately have to be cancelled," a spokesperson said.
"Further cancellations are inevitable given the adverse weather conditions at other airports around Europe."
Germany's Frankfurt airport reported 203 cancellations yesterday, while Munich cancelled 200 flights. Paris airports Charles de Gaulle and Orly cancelled 40% of total scheduled flights.
Heathrow advised passengers to check the status of their flight before setting off for the airport and has laid on 200 additional staff to assist customers.
However, the airport has come under fire for failing to reduce flight schedules ahead of the heavy snow which fell on Friday, causing widespread disruptions over the subsequent four day period.
Meanwhile, British Airways notified passengers due to travel on January 22 and 23 that they can change the date of their flight free of charge for travel until February 12.
Cathay Pacific confirmed last night that it is closely monitoring the situation.
"Based on the current weather forecast, we expect to operate flights to and from London Heathrow as normal but still subject to change," a statement said.
It has implemented a waiver of rebooking and rerouting charges for bookings involving LHR made on or before January 19, for travel between January 19 and January 21.
Qantas has extended its waiver to cover flights in and out of affected European ports today.
Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au
airlines airports british airways europe heathrow london ukLatest News
Hapag-Llyod Cruises announces a chance to win an exclusive 18-day cruise
You'll need to pack your thermals for this one. Is Greenland the icy one and is Iceland the green one? We forget.
dnata Catering & Retail expands Melbourne Airport facility
25 million meals, that's a lot of breadrolls and would you like the chicken or the beef with that?
Perth tops Australian hotel occupancy in 2024, WA regions see surges over 10%
We've long been fans of the west and it's news like this that has us thinking about another trip.
Uncertain future for The Star hospitality venues if casino operator goes bust
There will be more than gold stars on the yearly report of the accountant who can get them out of this mess.
Tour operators given under two years to ensure all new buses are equipped with seatbelts
Incredible that protocols like this haven't been in place for years, but we are now moving in the right direction.
Journey Beyond launches ‘The Ghan Experience’
We'll be checking the experience out with our own eyes tomorrow, stay tuned for the video review!
Disneyland Paris set for AU$3bn+ expansion
With the amount of money being spent, we're expecting a seamless experience when lining up in the Paris heat.
REVIEW: Our family Anthem? Dad, please make the next cruise a longer one
Despite its size and scale, there are always pockets of serenity and enjoyable downtime to be had on Anthem.
Collette’s new agent incentive taking winners to the Swiss Alps and Italy’s Prosecco region
Plenty of agent incentives to kick off the year, but this 12-day jaunt might just take the glass of sparkling.
Warrawong on the Darling welcomes guests with pets
Yes all will be fine, and enjoy the serenity, that is until your fur baby hears the words 'Possum!' or 'Lizard!'.
NSW Tourism Association welcomes former tourism minister as new chair
There are some heavy hitters in this roll-call of travel professionals. Let's see what they can do for the state.
Virgin Australia triples number of reward seats between Sydney, Brisbane and Perth to Doha
What came first, the chicken or the egg? Or in this case, Qantas' 72 hour flash sale or more VA's Frequent Flyer seats.
One million discounted seats on offer as Qantas puts 100 domestic routes on sale for 72 hours
There's nothing we love more than a 72-hour flash sale, apart from maybe a 96-hour sale, but let's not be picky,
THE YEAR AHEAD: Brett Jardine, Council of Australian Tour Operators
Put a ring on it, goes the lyric, just like a lemur's tail at Brett's honeymoon destination of Madagascar.
Atlas Ocean Voyages announces special President’s Cruise
We are pretty sure this cruise will not include the presence of the new US president.
Wendy Wu Tours announces three new cruise itineraries
We are 100 per cent sure Wendy Wu would have checked out these river cruise and tour itineraries herself.
European Waterways expands its fleet with the Shannon Princess
You just need to choose nine of your closest friends to book this one out. Oh, and the better half! Make that eight.
Fiji hits the magic million mark for visitors in record year
It was a big hill to climb but going from almost zero during the pandemic to 1M is a huge accomplishment.
Virgin Australia rejects ‘unsubstantiated assertion’ that it turned a blind eye to staff safety risks
Young staff need to be protected, but trawling their social media profiles smells of shaming to us.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises elevates onboard entertainment
We expect Tina Turner songs like What's Love Got To Do With It, not the Beyond Thunderdome version of Tina.
Holland America Line welcomes two celebrated chefs onboard Grand Voyages
Worried that you'll be bored eating the same thing on a 100 plus-day cruise? Not with Holland America you won't!
AmaWaterways adds complimentary land packages on hundreds of sailings
And clients can use these added extras by combining them with them with loyalty schemes. Bonus!
Hong Kong Airlines celebrates resumed service to the Gold Coast
We've said it before and we've said it again, we'll never get bored of happy 'resume' service stories
Intrepid Travel launches exclusive culinary journey
Visitors should expect to come back with a brain full of food knowledge, as well as a belly full of produce.
Webjet & Experience Gold Coast partner to offer $50 off flights to OOL
Just what Sydneysiders need to escape the run of bad weather and Melburnians to escape the tennis.
THE YEAR AHEAD: Joel Katz, Cruise Lines International Association Australasia
With record numbers last year, read all about what Joel is planning for a bumper cruise year in 2025.
Singapore Tourism Board partners with Komodo for TikTok travel mini-series
We don't know who a lot of these people are, but this sounds like a pretty creative idea!
Bunnik Tours launches its ‘Hot Deals’ sale
Head off the beaten track with Bunnik and you never know, Dennis or his mum might be on the trip too?
First set of Qantas engineering apprentices arrive at Brisbane training facility
Qantas will be hoping to keep the claws of unions like the TWU away from this group of fresh faced engineers.
CATO Touring Academy doubles achievements
The Council of Australian Tour Operators (CATO) Touring Academy has surpassed all expectations, with over 1,000 enrolments, 11,000 course completions, and more than 600 agents earning their CATO Touring Certification since its mid-2024 launch. As the travel industry gears up for another dynamic year, the CATO Touring Academy is empowering travel professionals to elevate their […]
Explore remote Antarctica by ship and helicopter this year with Quark
A helicopter ride over some of the most incredible parts of the planet sounds like a dream. With Quark, it's a reality.
Sapporo to become Qantas’ 100th destination with arrival of new direct flights to Chitose Airport
Just in case there aren't enough Australians going skiing in Japan...
Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours advises final call for Anzac Day 2025
Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours has advised that the final call for Anzac Day 2025 is on 31 January 2025 with pre-registration also available for Anzac Day 2026. Travellers are encouraged to book their spot for either the 10-day Anzac Day on the Western Front departing on 19 April from Paris or the 8-day Anzac Day […]
Two destinations to visit in Mexico for Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching and here are two romantic getaway destinations in Mexico to make any traveller’s day with their special someone even better. Casona Roma Norte, Mexico City This Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to visit Mexico City, as the streets come alive with roses, heartfelt gifts, and the city basks in […]
Emirates debuts new uniform for Premium and VIP Passenger Services team
Coming soon to a flight near you!
Exclusive: Infinity Holidays redundancies after API hotel business shutdown
Christmas seems a common time for these things to happen. Time to start the new year afresh!