Passenger stories: festive edition!

Here at Heathrow, we pride ourselves as the UK’s largest airport and connecting hub for travellers worldwide. This is especially the case during the festive season when we are helping those travelling far and wide to reconnect with loved ones for the holidays. Not only is it important to us that travellers reach their exotic destinations or make it back home in time for Christmas, but we want to make sure Heathrow is a place they can do so smoothly and comfortably whilst feeling the magic of the season in the air. We were lucky enough to connect with some passengers during their airport travels and hear about their experiences travelling through Heathrow this festive season. 

Srijeeta Srivastava

Originally from India, Srijeeta is currently studying in the UK but flying back home for Christmas to spend the holidays with her family. She is extra excited as this is a complete surprise for her mum, and she can’t wait to see her face when she lands back home!

Since moving to the UK, Srijeeta has travelled all over the UK and to several destinations in Europe. She has also, of course, gone on many trips back home to India. Her airport of choice when she is traveling in Europe or going back home to India is always Heathrow.

Even though she lives in Glasgow, she prefers to travel down to London to fly out of Heathrow due to its familiarity and comfort. She always feels like Heathrow is the safer option for her when choosing an airport to fly from and is familiar with all the shops and restaurants, a massive added bonus for Srijeeta!

Her commute from Glasgow to Heathrow is always smooth and seamless, whether she is taking the train or bus down. Today, Srijeeta took the bus from central Glasgow that dropped her all the way to Terminal 2, which she found incredibly easy and convenient, especially with all her luggage.

She is looking forward to doing some last-minute Christmas shopping at the airport and surprising her family with some British snacks and treats! 

Chris Smitheram

Chris is a school teacher, and he is (bravely) taking 50 kids on a trip to Reykjavík in Iceland so that they can see the northern lights, waterfalls and natural glaciers.

Naturally, as a Geography teacher, Chris has the opportunity to travel for work quite a lot; he also travels a fair bit for pleasure with his family. He lives in very close proximity to Gatwick Airport, so that is his go-to airport for travel for convenience. However, he very much enjoys travelling through Heathrow whenever he gets the chance and is especially fond of Terminal 5 since it has been built, with its spacious and airy atmosphere.

If he lived closer to Heathrow, he would definitely travel through it more!

Bradley and Jet Skidmore

Bradley and Jet Skidmore are travelling to Iceland to celebrate their 15^th wedding anniversary! They are originally from Texas and New Mexico and now reside in Tennessee. They are in Heathrow on a transit before their final stop to Iceland.

They have travelled through Heathrow before and have always found the Brits to be so nice. A prime example happened today when they missed their flight connection, and on their flight over, British Airways had already booked them onto the next flight and sent them new booking information.

They are particularly fond of travelling through Heathrow and spending a layover here in comparison to other global airports, as they love the array of options it provides, from the various restaurants to the enticing shops.

In their opinion, Heathrow is a warm and inviting airport, and they love that it is so kid-friendly. As parents of four little ones, they greatly appreciate the play areas for young kids and find these added little features go a very long way when preparing for a flight.

Their favourite thing about Heathrow is seeing all the places people can fly to worldwide and witnessing how a massive connecting hub operates. 

Joy Sharp

Joy is travelling to Cairo with her husband and best friend for a few days of winter sun. They try to get away a couple of times a year, with their last trip being back in February when they travelled to India.

If they are going on a long-haul flight, they much prefer to travel through Heathrow. Even though they live in Lichfield, approximately 15 to 20 miles north of Birmingham, their airport of choice is Heathrow, especially for long-haul flights.

Their journey to Heathrow from Lichfield today was very easy; they drove to Purple parking, which they booked in advance, and left their car there for a stress-free experience. It was all a very simple and seamless experience with nothing to worry or think about as they booked in advance.

Joy enjoys travelling through Heathrow as an airport. She thinks it is beautiful, nice, clean, spacious, and not too noisy, and there is plenty to do and look at when waiting for a flight. 

Jonathan Polsinelli

Jonathan is travelling to Cork for a new job! He came from Costa Rica with a stopover in Toronto, with Heathrow as his last stop before reaching his final destination. It is his first time travelling through Heathrow, and he expresses how it is one of the better airports he’s been to.

He likes how big and clean the airport is, and everything has been smooth during his transit. He especially liked how he was in and out of immigration quickly and smoothly.

He has a 2-hour layover here at Heathrow and is looking forward to checking out the shops and wandering around the airport to explore all its nooks and crannies!

If you are travelling through Heathrow this festive period, then make sure to check out all the superb seasonal festivities happening all over the airport to add a touch of sparkle to your travels this holiday season!