Good morning from London Heathrow on the busiest day for departures of the festive season for many airports across the UK. History tells us there's always something that crops up to dislodge the hopes and dreams of thousands of Christmas travellers. You may recall the December Drone (or was it?) at Gatwick airport. Starting seven years ago today, sightings of an unauthorised flying object grounded more than 1,000 flights in the last week before Christmas.
Storms have also wrought their worst, for example at Heathrow when snow struck in 2010. Today, the weather is causing chaos at the world's busiest airport for international passengers. No, not Heathrow: Dubai, which took the crown in 2014. Overnight thunderstorms and flooding have thwarted the complex choreography involving around 300,000 travellers expecting to fly to, from or through "DXB" today. For travellers from the UK to Dubai International, it is a dismal morning. Passengers who left Gatwick, Manchester and Newcastle yesterday afternoon found their flights diverted soon after midnight to the city's other airport, Dubai World Central. Their planes sat on the ground for hours before flying on to the intended destination just 28 miles away. Hundreds of flight connections are toast – and, I am sorry to say, that story will continue through today. The morning departures from Dubai to British airports are running late, which which will push the return services back.
For Paul Croft from Bath, who I have just been talking to here at Heathrow, that is not too much of a problem. "I'm going to Dubai to see my daughter and her family over Christmas and New Year," he says. "Our flight will be delayed this morning, about an hour and a half." For those who miss connections it is a different story. But thanks to air passengers' rights rules, travellers from the UK whose schedules are shredded are entitled to be flown to their final destination as soon as possible on any airline, and to be provided with meals and hotels until they get there. No cash compensation, mind. Good luck everyone.
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Frontiers can be thrilling: I feel a frisson of excitement and apprehension stepping from one nation to another. But this month I experienced the world's weirdest international border. No, not the "de-militarised zone" separating North Korea from South; it is an Asian location that should see many thousands of people crossing each day. Instead, the Wagah frontier midway between Amritsar in India and Lahore in Pakistan has been reduced to a Bollywood tribute to the Berlin Wall. These two great cities are just 30 miles apart, connected by the Grand Trunk Road, Asia's main street – but agonisingly divided by geopolitics. Where Border Security Force signs once showed travellers the way across the frontier, now they direct visitors to the Selfie Point. I went there from Amritsar on the daily £3 open-top sightseeing bus trip run by the government of Punjab.
A huge arena has been built for the nightly spectacle of the lowering of the flag. It is a military parade choreographed for the entertainment of the audience: an elaborate ritual with extravagant gestures is played out by moustachioed officers. I found "Strictly Come Prancing" ultimately a sad spectacle: I wanted the gates to open, the officers to shake hands, and the travelling public to be allowed to flow across the frontier and along one of the world's great arteries. Instead it was mutual loathing in fancy dress. Back in Europe, the airports are worried about frontier delays caused by the new entry-exit system. The EU digital border scheme is causing three-hour waits at passport control as officials struggle with a 70 per cent increase in the time taken for border checks. At present only one in 10 "third-country nationals" (such as the British) undergoes fingerprinting and facial biometric checks. Airports Council International warns of "much more severe congestion and systemic disruption for airports and airlines" when the proportion rises in the new year. "This will possibly involve serious safety hazards." I am happy to end with a cheerful frontier missive from America. "We just wanted to share our fantastic experience arriving at New York JFK this week" – so say Simon Martin and Eileen Davies, whose cheering message arrived this morning. "We were through security in about 20 minutes, and the staff were friendly and chatty. I know we were probably lucky, not having arrived immediately behind two or three other planes, but we just wanted to remind people that there can be good experiences amidst the gloomy talk. And New York at Christmas is fantastic." |
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Better to travel over Christmas or the New Year? |
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On one of the busiest days of the season for festive air and rail travel, I want to know if you prefer to get away over Christmas or the New Year? If you could choose one week straddling 25 December or 1 January for a getaway, which would it be? Vote using the buttons above. Last week, I asked whether mandatory social media inspections would deter you from holidaying in the US. With Donald Trump demanding that foreign visitors be "vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible", an overwhelming 85 per cent of you said it would put you off visiting. |
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Christmas complications at the airport |
Once upon a time I was a security officer at Gatwick airport, and reluctantly had to confiscate items regarded as potentially dangerous. At Christmas, passengers packing items intended for festive fun are prone inadvertently to fall foul of the rules. Heathrow airport considers Christmas crackers to be "explosive, flammable substances that pose a risk to other passengers and crew and the safety of the flight". The same goes for party poppers; brandy butter is likely to be regarded as contraband. Don't wrap presents before airport security. Staff are required to examine manually anything that shows up on screens as ambiguous. Your imaginatively sourced and impeccably deployed Christmas gift wrapping paper could be prematurely ripped apart to find out what's inside the parcel. And be aware of the rules on power banks: they should never be placed in checked baggage because of the risk of combustion. While you can take power banks on board in hand luggage, increasingly many airlines forbid using them while in flight. |
The Australian government has confirmed that the two men who murdered 15 people at Bondi Beach on Sunday had spent much of November on the Filipino island of Mindanao, where it is thought they were trained by Islamic State Philippines (IS-Philippines) to carry out the attack. The Foreign Office warns against travel to Mindanao "due to the very high threat of terrorism and kidnapping", and says: "Multiple terrorist groups have the intent to carry out attacks anywhere in the Philippines, including in the capital Manila. Terrorism attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreign nationals, such as shopping malls, entertainment establishments, public transport, including airports and the metro system, and places of worship." | |
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Costa Rica for a traveller with mobility issues? |
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| I'm trying to arrange a holiday to Costa Rica for my wife and myself. She has medical issues that make walking difficult; we'll have a manual wheelchair with us. She would like to be able to visit both coasts. Can you suggest a two-week itinerary? |
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Costa Rica provides an excellent introduction to the wonders of Central America. But like much of the region, it is not well set up for people of limited mobility. An expert firm such as Journey Latin America can devise a trip appropriate for your wife's ambitions and state of health.
For the itinerary: I contend most of the wonders are in the interior and on the Pacific coast, rather than the Caribbean shore. From the interesting-but-edgy capital, San José, aim north to Arenal – a volcano where the raw, restless earth is on permanent display, with nightly natural displays of molten lava. Wind your way down to the Pacific coast, pausing at Quepos – complete with a tiny beachside national park, Manuel Antonio. Continue southwest towards the Panamanian border, pausing at the superb Esquinas Rainforest Lodge: a proper example of environmentally sustainable tourism, well worth a couple of nights' stay. Rather than retracing steps to San José, I recommend continuing into Panama. The run along the Pan-American Highway to the Panamanian capital is rewarding, and the city itself is the finest in central America; yes, I have checked. |
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"At The Independent, we've always believed journalism should do more than describe the world – it should try to improve it.
This Christmas, we're asking for your help again as we launch our new campaign with the charity Missing People – the SafeCall appeal.
Every year, more than 70,000 children in the UK are reported missing. The misery that follows – for the child, for the family, for the community – is often hidden. Too many of these young people have nowhere to turn when they need help most. SafeCall will change that. Our goal is to raise £165,000 to help Missing People launch this new, free service – designed with the input of young people themselves – offering round-the-clock support, advice and a route to safety."
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| Explore some of Europe's most beautiful waterways next summer and save big with these river cruise deals from Tui. Enjoy delicious dining, top-notch entertainment and stunning views along the way. Various dates and durations available. Learn more. |
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