Late on Thursday the Home Office announced a sudden U-turn on the daftest of the many mad travel policies inherited from the previous government. Transit passengers at London Heathrow will no longer need to apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA). Britain had insisted connecting travellers go online, pay £10 and wait an indeterminate time for official approval before being able to book their flights. Prospective transit passengers had to apply for permission to enter the UK, even though that was the last thing they planned. All they intended was to land, stay "airside" and await their onward flight – possibly paying over the odds for a drink (but no more than two, if Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary has his way on cutting down on alcohol at airports). It was only nine days ago that the demand for ETAs was extended from a handful of Gulf states to all non-Europeans. On 7 January many travellers were sufficiently trusted that they would have been allowed in to the UK without a visa; overnight they became so distrusted they could not even change planes at Heathrow without an online permit. At a stroke, the appeal of connecting flights on British Airways was wiped out. Rival airlines and airports on the Continent could hardly believe their luck. Until last night ministers unconvincingly argued this eccentric demand would "prevent abuse of our immigration system". Finally, wise heads prevailed. A "temporary" exemption (surely to be made permanent) brings Heathrow airport back into line with Amsterdam, Paris CDG, Frankfurt and all hub airports to Singapore. Let's hope the damage from this latest self-inflicted injury heals fast: one reason British travellers enjoy an unrivalled choice of flights is because the feed of transit passengers makes many routes on BA and Virgin Atlantic viable. Aviation flourishes when airlines are allowed to compete freely and fairly. Yet until 1978 that view was regarded as heresy by almost all politicians and aviation interests worldwide. In that year a courageous US president, Jimmy Carter, overturned conventional wisdom and tore up all the regulations that kept fares high and crushed competition. By relinquishing government control, the late president democratised flying and provided the impetus for "open skies" in Europe. Wide horizons, low fares: give thanks to Jimmy Carter |
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Transit temptation: Bars at Tampa airport in Florida make it clear you can't take drinks on board your plane |
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| This pristine land is worth getting excited about – but it also must be protected at all costs. Read more. |
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| From intimate beachside boutiques to lively resorts, find your perfect stay on the Caribbean island. Read more. |
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| Some of the top events around the UK, whether you want to dance, eat or indulge in fine whiskies. Read more. |
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Taxpayers pump in £400 per second to keep Britain's trains running. The only hope for a sustainable future for the railway is to entice more passengers on board. But travellers must be convinced that rail offers good value and reliability. The current Rail Sale helps on the value front; book your trip by midnight on Monday to benefit from some outstandingly low fares for travel until the end of March. My pick of the bargains: Sheffield to Leicester, £3.80; Portsmouth to Gatwick airport, £3.50; and Leeds to London in first class, £44.20. Reliability is tough, given the precarious state of rail infrastructure: the West Coast main line is set to shut for weeks on end next year for essential upgrades. As I write on Thursday evening, the last Avanti West Coast train of the day from London to Glasgow has been stuck at Wigan for an hour due to a points failure. Anyone tempted to travel on the route on a Sunday is on a hiding to nothing, too. Train managers working for Avanti are unhappy with the amount they get paid for working on rest days, and have vowed to strike on Sundays until June. Some positive news arrived from the RMT union on Thursday: the next two walk-outs have been called off "to allow intensive talks to take place". But the announcement came too late to reinstate this weekend's schedule. Even though no staff will stop work, passengers must endure a strike timetable on Sunday. Most trains will remain cancelled. The earliest departure from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston is at 9.20am, the last at 3.55pm. Only one train will run each hour, instead of the usual three. That £400 per second subsidy could be around for a while. Penalised for travelling without a ticket? The Office of Rail and Road wants to hear from you – podcast |
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After 40 days of closure, Holyhead port has reopened to ferries to and from Dublin – the main shipping link between Great Britain and Ireland. The port in northwest Wales has been repaired sufficiently to allow the normal four-daily round trips to Dublin on both Stena Line and Irish Ferries. Two berths at Holyhead were damaged during Storm Darragh on 7 December. One has been repaired, and the sailings are now scheduled so that only one ship can be in the Welsh port at a time. Stena Line timings are roughly 4am, 10am, 4pm and 10pm, with Irish Ferries at approximately 1.30am, 7.30am, 1.30pm and 7.30pm, in either direction. |
Don't trust the Tube to Heathrow |
The Piccadilly Line of the London Underground is currently in a shocking state and should not be relied upon by anyone trying to reach Heathrow airport. The Tube line has a chronic shortage of trains, due to "leaf fall damage".
In theory trains should run every 10 minutes to and from Terminal 4 and Terminal 5, and every five minutes at Terminals 2/3 (Heathrow Central). Looking at a random point on Thursday for westbound trains at Piccadilly Circus, the next two trains – both to Terminal 4 – were shown as running in 12 and 18 minutes. The first Terminal 5 train was 23 minutes away. The few trains that do run are consequently extremely crowded.
The Elizabeth Line to and from Heathrow is far from perfect, and is more expensive, but at least aims to keep to a schedule. |
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Visiting Rome in Holy Year? |
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Rome is on our wish-list for this year, but we've heard that the city is going to be overflowing with people because it's "Holy Year". Should we postpone? |
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Pope Francis describes the Holy Year or Jubilee as "an event of great spiritual, ecclesial and social significance". Pope Boniface VIII instituted the first Holy Year in 1300. Initially it was celebrated every century, then every 50 years, and now every 25 years.
What does Holy Year mean for city breakers? Millions of Catholics plan to make pilgrimages to Rome in 2025. Crowds will be even more intense than normal, with corresponding pressure on travel and accommodation costs. Many speciality jubilees are planned, starting with the Jubilee of the World of Communications next weekend. The World Youth Jubilee from 28 July to 3 August will particularly increase the city's spiritual magnetism.
I asked the noted guide to Italy, James Hill, for his view of the crowds. "Personally, I don't think the numbers will be as bad as they say until Easter," he predicts. So if you can travel in the next couple of months, Rome will deliver; otherwise, best find another destination and save the Italian capital for 2026. |
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