Category : Latest News

After all the stress of planning your wedding, most of the time the only thing you really look forward to is going on your honeymoon and relaxing with your loved one. No more planning, tantrums, which dress, which bridesmaids to choose, who to invite, cars, suits, the ‘how much? that much?’ arguments! etc, etc…

So to relieve you from the stress of planning the honeymoon as well, we are here to help you with all those travelling extras. Why not book yourself into an airport hotel with parking the night before you fly? Then you can relax and be worry free knowing you won’t be rushing up the motorway in the early hours of the morning to catch your flight. So you are ready to start your honeymoon relaxed and refreshed!

Then there is always the matter of hiring a car while abroad or even if you are staying in the UK. We can offer you car hire and travel insurance all under one roof.

So relax. We are are here to make things easy and simple for you on the planning of your honeymoon. Now all you need to worry about is whether or not the best man will remember the rings! 😉

Airport hotel map

Looking for airport parking or an overnight hotel stay? If so, what’s important to you?

We know that price is a driving factor for a lot of people, but a business traveller has different wants than a family going on holiday. Here’s a few things that our customers look out for:

• Distance to airport
• Transfer times
• On or off-airport
• Security features (including keeping their car keys)

With this in mind, we’ve developed a location map for both airport hotels and airport parking to go hand in hand with our gosimply awards and customer ratings.

Airport parking

Each car park or hotel is shown in relation to other products and the airport itself, along with a gosimply rating displayed as a percentage. More information on the rating can be found here.

The location guide uses the google mapping interface allowing you to toggle between a satellite, road map or a hybrid view. Further information and customer reviews on a specific car park or hotel can be accessed by simply clicking the map marker.

The results are in and we can proudly announce the winners of our gosimply Award for January 2009.  This month shows some exciting developments and we are pleased to find some first-time winners alongside the all time favourites. Without further ado the following airport parking services have received an award for customer satisfaction and product excellence:

New winners this month!

Belfast Airport

• Red Cent Parking has triumphed over three other Belfast Airport car parks to take the award this month, thanks to their friendly, helpful staff and value-for-money service.

Birmingham Airport

• APH Birmingham once again take the honour this month.  Customers continue to be impressed with the security of their parking compound and the quick, efficient transfers.
• Meteor Meet and Greet parking for Birmingham Airport also receives kudos this month for their stress-free service and professional staff.

Bristol Airport

• Frequent transfers, helpful staff and trouble-free arrival and departure procedures have secured Bristol Silver Zone car park a place on our winners’ list.

Cardiff Airport

• As the only Cardiff Airport car park to receive our award (every month since we introduced it!), Highwayman Parking has proven you don’t have to rely on big, on-airport car parks to receive top-notch service.

Edinburgh Airport

• Secure Airparks is another multiple-winner of our award for customer satisfaction and product excellence.  Their courteous and efficient service has made them the car park of choice for many of our customers.

Gatwick Airport

• As one of our best-reviewed car parks, Cophall Farm Parking‘s appearance in our honours list is no surprise.  Their value-for-money service and friendly, welcoming staff help ensure customers return the next time they need parking at Gatwick.
• APH Parking also continue to impress our customers with their great security, clean facilities and quick transfers.

Glasgow Airport

• With their easy-to-find location, friendly staff and prompt transfers, Glasgow Airparks are a worthy winner of this month’s award.
• Direct Parking at Glasgow Airport also receive our award, thanks to their punctual transfers and all-round value for money service.

Heathrow Airport

• If you’re looking for secure, efficient, friendly parking at Heathrow Airport, give this month’s award- winner Quality Airport Parking a try.

Leeds Bradford Airport

• Not only has Sentinel Security Car Park topped the British Car Parks Customer Satisfaction Survey for three consecutive years, but they’re also our gosimply Award-winner this month, further proving their commitment to providing outstanding customer service.

Liverpool Airport

• Sky Park at John Lennon Airport is less than a mile from the terminal building and boasts excellent security features, helping to ensure your vehicle’s safety while you’re away.

Luton Airport

• A family-run service, Central Car Storage impresses customers with their helpful staff and efficient transfers.

Manchester Airport

• APH Manchester once again receives our award, showing a continuing commitment to providing a high-quality parking service for Manchester Airport.
• For a stress-free parking experience, look to Meteor Meet and Greet Parking.  Customers travelling with small children find the service especially convenient, and many reviews mention the courtesy of Meteor’s drivers.

Newcastle Airport

• Located just a short distance from the terminal building, Newcastle Park and Fly offers convenient access to the airport and a first-class service provided by friendly and helpful staff.

Prestwick Airport

• Winning our award for the fifth month straight, Watson’s Ayr Park consistently impresses customers with their courteous service, timely transfers and convenient location.

Robin Hood Airport

• The Long Stay Car Park at Doncaster Airport makes another appearance in our list of award-winners this month.  Outstanding security features and their close proximity to the terminal help make them an attractive option.

Stansted Airport

• The professional staff and convenience of their service make Easy Meet and Greet Parking a worthy recipient of our award.

Heavy snow that started to fall yesterday and has continued throughout today has had a serious impact on the UK’s major airports including Gatwick, Heathrow, Stansted and Luton Airports.

With some areas of kent experiencing up to 10 inches of snow, rail networks, bus routes and many roads have all been badly affected meaning that thousands of people have been unable to get to work.

At Heathrow Airport near London, a Cyprus Airways flight slipped off a taxiway due to the snow and icy conditions, passengers aboard the flight were unharmed. BAA (British Airports Authority) said the front wheel of the plane landed in the grass area and they were in the process of recovering the plane from where it stopped.

Further impact of the severe weather include…

• All flights from Heathrow Terminal 5 have been cancelled and the northern runway at Heathrow remaining closed.
• London City, Luton and Southampton Airports are closed. Norwich and Leeds Bradford Airports that were initially closed have now reopened.
• BAA has issued a warning to all passengers travelling to and from Heathrow and Stansted airports to expect “significant delays and cancellations”.
• BAA Scotland said four flights from Glasgow to Heathrow and London City were cancelled and one to Cardiff.
• BA says 65 flights have so far been cancelled, while 73 Ryanair flights are grounded.
• Although Gatwick is open, fewer aircraft are able to take off. Some 23 flights had to be cancelled and 18 diverted to other airports after Gatwick closed its runway for two hours on Sunday evening.
• There is no service on the Gatwick Express.

Passengers that are due to fly out today are being urged to double-check their flights before they begin their journeys.

With Valentine’s day just around the corner, you need to make a HUGE hint to the man in your life! Better still why not surprise him? We’ve teamed up with Superbreak to offer you substantial savings on some of our most popular Valentine packages.

Valentine’s day is on a Saturday this year and availability is running out fast, so be sure not to leave it too late!

We’re offering Wine and Dine hotel packages, London Shows, Murder Mystery breaks, Orient-Express trips, and some great value European short breaks to Paris, Venice, Amsterdam, Rome and Prague.

Have a Happy Valentines!

Transport Minister, lord Adonis, is backing a proposed 4.5bn international rail exchange for Heathrow as part of a £16bn Crossrail scheme for the City of London.

Out of a number of projects that include a new high-speed rail link between London, Leeds and Manchester and the electrification of the Great Western railway to Plymouth and Swansea, the Heathrow international rail exchange has already been categorised as a high priority  by the Department of Transport.

Despite claims to the contrary, the transport ministry have stated that the planned international rail exchange is not being offered as an “environmental sweetener” to persuade opponents to accept the building of the controversial 3rd runway at Heathrow Airport.

With a final decision due later this month, Lord Adonis has re-affirmed that the rail hub which will link the north and south with a high-speed railway is “vital”, slashing journey times between Manchester, Leeds and London. The government however still faces strong opposition from the Conservatives and the general public. The shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers said: “A new rail hub at Heathrow should be an alternative to a third runway, not a sweetener for it.”

The Real Hotel Group, which operates Quality Hotels amongst others, announced yesterday that they have appointed administrators to review their financial assets to help determine the company’s best way forward.

Customers who have booked stays at the Heathrow Quality Hotel, Manchester Quality Hotel and Edinburgh Quality Hotel will have their booking honoured, but no new bookings are being accepted at this time.

Yesterday’s announcement follows the news last week that the company were suspending trading on their shares in the Alternative Investment Market (AIM).

As a new year begins, we’re proud to announce the winners of our gosimply Award, recognising those airport parking services that provide a high rate of customer satisfaction and product excellence.  Without further ado, here are our winners for December 2008:

The gosimply award

Belfast Airport

• Cosmo Car Parking appears in our list for the first time.  Customers praise their friendly, reliable service and also rate them highly on value-for-money.

Birmingham Airport

• APH Birmingham continues to provide an excellent service.  Great security features and competitive prices are just two reasons they are highly recommended.

Cardiff Airport

• Proving once again that it doesn’t take a huge company to provide top-notch parking, Highwayman takes the prize this month, beating two other services to the honour.

Dover Port

• Courteous staff, an efficient service and excellent value have resulted in another win for Relyon Cruise and Ferry Parking.

East Midlands Airport

• Another first-time winner of our award is Airparks, who have triumphed over three on-airport car parks to receive this month’s kudos.   Customers appreciate the fast, friendly service and great value they provide.

Edinburgh Airport

• Once again, Secure Air Parks‘ efficient procedures, quick transfers and great security have contributed to their award-winning rating.

Gatwick Airport

• APH shines over 8 other Gatwick car parks to take the honour for December.  Although they’re located off-airport, they remain popular for their efficient transfers, facilities and value-for-money.

Glasgow Airport

• Less than 2 miles from the airport, Flying Scot provides customers with prompt transfers, a very secure compound and a helpful staff.

Heathrow Airport

• The first of two Heathrow parking winners this month is MBW Valet Parking.  Customers praise their hassle-free service and courteous staff.
• Quality Airport Parking also made the grade in December, with their quick transfers to every terminal and their outstanding value.

Leeds Bradford Airport

• As one of our highest-rated car parks at any airport, Sentinel Security Car Park does exactly what it says on the tin.   Not only can you rest assured your vehicle is in safe hands, but since they’re less than a mile from the airport you’ve got the convenience of a speedy transfer, 24 hours a day.

Liverpool Airport

• Sky Park continues their tradition of providing a safe, secure car park near Liverpool Airport, along with friendly and helpful staff.

Luton Airport

• If you need to park at Luton Airport, we’re happy to recommend Central Car Storage.  Their high customer rating is partly due to the professional, courteous staff and their prompt airport transfers.

Manchester Airport

• APH Parking at Manchester Airport has great security, frequent transfers, and a value-for-money service, making them a worthy winner of our award for December.
• For meet and greet parking, give Meteor a try.  Their parking compound is staffed 24 hours a day and patrolled regularly; plus, you’ll get your vehicle delivered back to you at the terminal de-frosted and ready for a quick getaway.

Newcastle Airport

• Once again, Park and Fly‘s first-class customer service  and excellent security features earn them a place in our award winner’s list this month.

Prestwick Airport

• Watson’s Ayr Park are a popular choice amongst our customers, thanks to their competitive prices, friendly staff and quick transfers.

Stansted Airport

• If you want a stress-free parking experience at Stansted Airport, look no further than our December winner – Comstrad Meet and Greet Parking.  Once they’ve used it, many of our customers wonder why they had never taken advantage of this convenient service before.

The Kent Green Party have responded to plans for the expansion of Manston Airport in Kent as ‘flights of fancy’. The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) has also responded by saying that the plans put forward by Infratil, the current owners of Manston Airport, are unrealistic.

Manston Airport which was taken over by Infratil three years ago currently handles some 16,000 travellers per year. Infratil hopes that passenger numbers will increase dramatically over the next couple of years to reach one million by 2011.

Infratil claims that with the right investment opportunities, Manston Airport could offer a valuable alternative for tourism and freight as London Airports such as Gatwick, Heathrow, Stansted and Luton become more congested.

With improved road networks and passenger facilities such as airport parking, Infratil predict that Manston Airport could potentially handle up to six million passengers a year by 2033. Further claims are that…

• Freight traffic  would increase from 33,000 tonnes to 500,000 tonnes
• Jobs generated by the airport would reach 3,500 by 2018 and up to 7,500 by 2033

With the final version of the master plan due to be published in early 2009, many opponents to the expansion are claiming that the plan is flawed and does not take into account the rapidly contracting air industry or the severe economic slow down.

Industry Future

Steve Dawe, spokesman for the Kent Green Party said that “Coupled with the current recession which is already beginning to reduce the number of flights being taken, plans for Manston Airport to expand are literally ‘flights of fancy’. The party has called for a “more relistic” use of the site including allotments and other leisure and agricultural  uses to benefit the surrounding area and local communities.

Spokesman for The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) Chris Lowe said that the airport plan put forward by Infratil fell far short of the mark. He went on to say that “The master plan is full of aspirations, but is very light on justification”.

“It is impossible to see what the impacts of such major growth will be – not only on Thanet, but on Kent and beyond – as the necessary supporting work has not been done.”

“As it stands, the master plan raises more questions than providing answers.”

It turns out that not even the Batmobile is immune from the wrath of the traffic warden.

Earlier this month, the iconic vehicle was parked outside the GMTV studios to help promote the release of The Dark Knight on DVD when someone noticed it was parked illegally.

Rather than a Lambeth parking warden, it was a resourceful joker who snatched the ticket off of another car nearby and slapped it on Batman’s windshield.

A Lambeth spokesman stated, “There is no way one of our attendants would have issued a ticket.  The car has not got a number plate.”

Hmm…Batman might just be onto something there.