This summer, Heathrow is expecting around 189,000 families to depart from the UK for the school holidays, twice as many in July and August than any other month of the year.
Research into family travel has shown that 43% of parents feel stressed or nervous at the idea of travelling with their children. 64% of parents said they would welcome an ‘extra’ hand when travelling through the airport. To help these families have a smoother journey, Heathrow have appointed dedicated Airporters aboard the shuttle buses in the Long Stay car parks to give parents a helping hand to and from the terminals for the summer holidays.
To ensure the Heathrow Airporters are at peak performance for the summer holiday season, each and every one is being trained to help families navigate the airport journey with at least three children, luggage and pushchairs. Each of the porters is also being put through their paces to support families with expert advice on airport travel, answer questions about changing room and high chair locations whilst also helping with their luggage.
Barbara Lee, a newly trained Heathrow Airporter in Terminal 3 Long Stay car park said:
‘I found the training a real challenge and it helped me understand why travelling with kids, luggage, and a lot of questions can feel overwhelming at times. I am looking forward to welcoming families to Heathrow and helping them to get their holiday underway as soon as possible.’
Paul Buckley, Heathrow’s Head of Travel Services said:
‘We want our Heathrow Airporters to better understand families and how tricky it can be navigating the airport with excited children. We hope the Heathrow Airporters will bring an extra smile to children’s faces and relief to busy parents.’
The new initiative will also inform families of the facilities available to them at each stage during their journey, including play areas in all terminals, the wider family lanes through security and baby changing facilities.
80% of families already book their long stay parking in advance, which costs from as little as £5.99 a day. This pre-planning removes the worry and hassle of leaving their car, and all parents can be reassured they have parked in an Official Heathrow Car Park, with one less thing to think about for the journey home.
Porters will be located on shuttle buses in all long stay car parks from 13 July until 4 September 2013.
Survey conducted by Opinion Matter on 1,000 parents in July 2013.
To help families travelling through the airport with young children, Heathrow has:
- Family parking bays in all our Long Stay and Short Stay car parks are closer to the terminal entrances and buses and wider to help families navigate their way with lots of baggage and young children.
- Children’s play areas in Terminals 3, 4 and 5. With slides, soft play areas and separate baby and junior zones, there's plenty to keep young ones entertained and exercised.
- Terminal 3’s Family Lounge - a dedicated area for families with play areas for ages 0-2 and 3-9, a children's quiet room, coffee and soft drink vending, and comfortable seating for adults. There is also a discreet area for nursing mothers
- Kids Eat Free offers at Heathrow restaurants. These are available throughout the summer. All have high chairs and activity packs on standby and are great for keeping young ones to their regular meal times
- Family lanes to help make travelling through security with children a little bit easier. The lanes are wider and our specially trained teams, including 150 passenger ambassadors, will be on hand to help with larger items such as buggies and changing bags
