Have you tried out Flybe’s new London Heathrow service which launched at the end of March? The service will operate four times daily year round and Flybe is the first domestic carrier to begin operating at Heathrow since 2013. The airline now offers daily flights from both Edinburgh and Aberdeen.
It was a very early start for all of the journalists and tourism industry professionals one dark Monday morning at the end of March. We had been invited to travel to London Heathrow and back with Flybe who have taken over a new route between the capitals.
A little delay was caused by the barrage of photos outside the plane, but then we were soon out across the Forth and hanging a sharp right to head south.
Early start this morning for the inaugural @Flybe Edinburgh to Heathrow pic.twitter.com/XwWgrG5T0v
— Edinburgh Reporter (@EdinReporter) March 27, 2017
Gordon Dewar Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport told The Edinburgh Reporter he was pleased that passengers will now be offered more choice. He said : “We now have a second carrier back to Heathrow, one of the biggest airports in the world. It means we also get the connectivity into the Star Alliance and into other carriers with Flybe. They are a great partner to work with, and they have a great number of routes already at Edinburgh but are just adding another string to their bow and we are delighted to have them.”
There is a choice of up to four daily services from Edinburgh and three from Aberdeen, with a network of onward global connections for travellers from Scotland.
The move follows Heathrow’s introduction of a £10 reduction in domestic passenger charges in January as an effort to boost domestic connections at the airport.
Prices start from £29.99/£34.99 one-way.
Four flights a day to Heathrow with prices from £29.99 with @flybe pic.twitter.com/S7r594LuuG
— Edinburgh Reporter (@EdinReporter) March 27, 2017
Flybe services operate from Heathrow’s Terminal 2 : The Queen’s Terminal which provides passengers with convenient connections onto Star Alliance’s network of 44 global destinations.
It is also possible to transfer onto flights from Flybe’s codeshare partners Emirates, Virgin, Etihad and Singapore Airlines in the nearby Terminal 3.
On board we got a nice breakfast box with Kenco coffee which was very welcome at that hour, and when we reached London we were treated to a proper breakfast by Flybe in The Gorgeous Kitchen.
This restaurant in the refurbished terminal is open from 5.00am until the last flight has left. It is a nice space with a good menu featuring healthy and seasonal dishes. We tried the porridge, but there is a wide range to choose from : everything from avocado to nutella french toast (next time!)
Heston Blumenthal has a restaurant here which we did not get the chance to try out, but it has a wood fired oven, giving security a bit of a challenge as every piece of wood has to be x-rayed on arrival!
Flybe CEO Christine Ourmieres-Widener, said: “We are so pleased to confirm further our commitment to Scotland by offering even more flights to London with our two new routes from Edinburgh and Aberdeen to Heathrow’s Terminal 2: The Queen’s Terminal, giving passengers greater choice and also linking them with our range of codeshare partners through our ‘One Stop to the World’ approach.
“Passengers can, for example, fly onwards with Virgin Atlantic to Los Angeles or New York, or fly east with Singapore Airlines – all on one ticket from Edinburgh or Aberdeen. Early bookings show this is an increasingly important part of the booking profile for these two new routes and we look forward to adding even more codeshare partners shortly.
“Flybe is the UK’s leading regional airline, with more routes connecting local communities than any other carrier. Our new flights offer the best value for money for those flying between Scotland and Heathrow and mean we can now better serve our passengers in both Scotland and the South East.”
The @flybe @EDI_Airport to Heathrow route is seen as important particularly as there are many onward connections from Terminal 2 pic.twitter.com/fFiYD45GEC
— Edinburgh Reporter (@EdinReporter) March 27, 2017
Heathrow Operations Director Derek Provan added: “Earlier this year, Heathrow reduced domestic passenger charges by £10 and it’s great to see the benefits of that coming through with Flybe’s new services to Aberdeen and Edinburgh boosting choice for our passengers.
“More airlines flying routes to Scottish airports means more flights, more competition and choice for families, and more visitors to Scotland. With Flybe operating from the award-winning Terminal 2, Scottish passengers and businesses now have direct access from Heathrow to over 180 global destinations including some of the fastest growing export markets around the world. We’re delighted to welcome them to the Heathrow family.”
Picture © Lesley Martin
t: 07836745264
e: lesley@lesleymartin.co.uk
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
