FAMILY-FRIENDLY INITIATIVES AT HEATHROW GET FESTIVE SEASON OFF TO A FLYING START
The Christmas holiday is a busy time for families at Heathrow, with more than 3.5 million passengers passing through between 15 December and 3 January alone, so the UK's biggest international airport has put in place a number of initiatives to provide a helping hand and make every journey better for families this festive season.
• Heathrow will ensure passengers have one less thing to think about by handing out 15,000 Christmas cards with free postage to anywhere in the world in early December. An e-card version will also be available at www.heathrowairport.com/holiday
• Family car parking bays have been introduced into all Long Stay car parks and will be in all Short Stay by 16 December. The clearly marked and signposted bays are extra-wide and within close proximity to the bus stops and customer service offices within each car park
• Security will be made less intimidating for younger passengers with child-friendly signage at their eye-level, and new training for staff so they can recognise the unique needs and concerns of families passing through security
• The pre-flight play areas that were first introduced into all terminals over the summer proved so popular that they have already made a return to Terminal 5 and will be in all other terminals from 5 December until 8 January. WHSmith will also host storytelling sessions within the Terminal 5 play area on Friday 16 December
• 'Kids eat for free' restaurant deals will be on offer across Heathrow's terminals at Est Caffe in Terminal 1, Three Bells in Terminal 3, Garfunkel's and Dining Street in Terminal 4 and Five Tuns in Terminal 5
• Extra customer service staff will be on hand to assist families and hand out special treats including Cadbury's Santa’s Elves chocolates and sticker books to keep children occupied and entertained. If that wasn't enough, CBeebies will take over some of the TV screens in each terminal
• Father Christmas himself will be checking into Heathrow from 17 December to meet children and reassure them that, wherever they are flying to, he will still be able to find them on Christmas Eve. Joining Father Christmas will be carol singers from the Salvation Army and even opera singers. The full schedule is available at www.heathrowairport.com/holiday
• The Reserve & Collect service has been revamped so that parents can search for and reserve products online or over the phone before they even leave their front door and then pick them up after security. Products for busy parents include essentials such as baby milk and nappies, as well as a wide range of children's toys from stuffed animals to electrical items
As always, passengers can get in touch with Heathrow via twitter (twitter.com/HeathrowAirport) where their child related travel questions can be answered, and take advantage of the Heathrow mobile app which features an airport travel planner, city guides, five day weather forecasts, long stay car park booking, flight information and terminal maps.
John Holland-Kaye Commercial Director at Heathrow said: "Heathrow is doing everything it can to ensure families have a smooth and stress-free Christmas this year. By working closely with parenting groups, Heathrow was able to identify what worked and what needed improving. We're looking forward to welcoming families over the Christmas season so they can experience for themselves how we've made every journey better.
"Heathrow has recognised that families have unique challenges when heading off on holiday so there will be plenty for children to do, as well as great services and offers, and that means parents have more time to focus on their journey ahead and enjoying the festive spirit."
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