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Five of the most useful bus routes into Heathrow will start earlier from next week thanks to an initiative between BAA, Transport for London, the London Borough of Hillingdon and British Airways. The four organisations are funding timetable changes to bus routes 350, 423, 482, 490 and 555 so that they start up to an hour and a half earlier, getting both airport workers and passengers to Heathrow for around 4am.

Routes 423 (Hounslow to Terminal 5 via Hatton Cross), 482 (Southall to Terminal 5 via Hounslow West and Terminal 4), 490 (Richmond to Terminal 5 via Twickenham, Feltham and Terminal 4) and 555 (Shepperton to Heathrow Central Bus Station via Sunbury, Ashford and Terminal 4) will now all leave their starting points at around 3.20 each morning beginning on December 5.

Routes 350 (Hayes to Terminal 5 via Stockley Park and West Drayton) will join the early starters on December 19.

The early starts to the routes are considered essential for airport commuters as many shifts at Heathrow start at around 4am. Theo Panayi, Heathrow’s Transport Strategy Manager, said “Heathrow workers and passengers alike have clearly told us that they would like to see bus routes catering for early shifts and early check in times, and we are delighted that, in conjunction with our partners, we are able to make early morning journeys better by introducing these new timetables. This is yet another reason why airport commuters should ditch the car and seek public transport alternatives – it’s cheaper, greener and more stress-free to take the bus or train.”

In addition to the new earlier buses, there are already several Transport for London bus services running 24 hours a day. These are the 105, 111, 140 and 285. Night bus N9 also runs from Central London to the airport from around midnight to 6 30am.

Bus route 441 has also undergone some route changes. The bus from Egham and Englefield Green has now switched from using the Western Perimeter Road to the A4 Bath Road, meaning increased connectivity between Terminal 5, Waterside, the Compass Centre and the central terminal area. These journeys will still be within the Heathrow free travel zone, subsidised by BAA.

For further information about public transport options to and from Heathrow, please see www.heathrowairport.com/commute

The giant mistletoe, which is suspended just three metres from the ground, was created to enable the one million passengers expected to arrive into Terminal 5 in December the chance to share a truly memorable moment with their loved ones.  It is hoped that more than two million Christmas kisses will take place under the mistletoe over the coming month.  To ensure no one misses out on the yuletide tradition, other giant mistletoe will also be installed in Terminals 1, 3 and 4.

Christmas is always a busy time at Heathrow, and this year is no exception.  The airport is anticipating almost three million passengers will fly into Heathrow in the lead up to Christmas and nearly half a million between Saturday 19th December and Thursday 24th December alone.

Mike Brown, Heathrow’s chief operating officer, said: “Heathrow is very often the place where friends and lovers are reunited at Christmas, or where people start their long journeys home to loved ones. We hope our giant mistletoe bring some added Christmas cheer and excitement to journeys taken over the festive period.”

Heathrow Express, the fastest way from London to Heathrow, has made Paddington station the first UK railway station to offer Flight Information Display Screens and Common User Self Service Customer Check In Services. These facilities have been designed to make travelling to the airport more convenient and efficient for customers.

Heathrow Express Managing Director Richard Robinson stated: “At Heathrow Express we never underestimate the stress of travelling and continually strive to enhance our service through leading innovations. People do not always get the opportunity to print their boarding pass before getting to the airport. By introducing this service at Paddington, customers have the opportunity to print their boarding pass and avoid the hassle of queuing for check in at the airport. Customers can then proceed direct to their airline’s designated bag-drop if they have hold luggage. Customers can rest assured on the train because they already know where they are sitting on the plane.” 

Heathrow Express trained staff have been answering the same questions from customers for over ten years: ‘Which terminal?’ and ‘Where do I check-in?’ With an average of 40,000 flights a year leaving Heathrow, the launch of these new enhanced information services will help reduce confusion with passengers trying to find their way to check in.

The Customer Check In Services consist of three machines located below the screens and next to the Heathrow Express ticket office. The machines are easy to use with touch screen facilities. Customers can print their boarding pass and view their flight information before they even arrive at the airport, helping them to feel more at ease on their way to Heathrow. The machines are initially available for passengers travelling on four airlines: Delta Air Lines, Finnair, Iberia and United Airlines.

The Flight Information Display Screens show the day’s flights, the airlines, the terminal and departure times. They are placed by the Paddington Station Heathrow Express ticket office and half way down platforms 6 and 7, which are dedicated solely to Heathrow Express.

United Airlines: United Airlines operates approximately 3,300 flights a day on United and United Express to more than 200 U.S. domestic and international destinations from its hubs in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Chicago and Washington, D.C From London Heathrow, United offers daily services to Washington D.C. , Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. With key global air rights in the Asia-Pacific region, Europe and Latin America, United is one of the largest international carriers based in the United States.

Delta Air Lines: Delta Air Lines is the world’s largest airline and operates daily non-stop services from London Heathrow’s Terminal 4 to New York, Atlanta, Detroit and Minneapolis. From its hubs in Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-JFK, Salt Lake City, Amsterdam and Tokyo-Narita, Delta, its Northwest subsidiary and Delta Connection carriers offer service to 356 destinations in 65 countries and serve more than 170 million passengers each year.

Iberia: Iberia is Spain’s largest air transport group and the fourth-largest in Europe. It is also the leading airline on routes between Europe and Latin America, with the most flights and destinations – more than 120 weekly flights to 17 different American cities. In total, Iberia operates 1,000 daily flights to 117 destinations in 43 countries and carried more than 28 million passengers last year.

For more information about Heathrow Express visit  www.heathrowexpress.com

Heathrow Airport’s on-time performance increased by 11% in the third quarter of 2009 compared with the third quarter of 2008. The average flight delay reduced by five minutes from 16 minutes in the third quarter of 2008 to 11 minutes this year, according to statistics published today by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Mike Brown, Heathrow’s Chief Operating Officer said: "Punctuality is an important measure of customer service and we are pleased to be making progress. The challenge is to continue to improve Heathrow and make every passenger's journey better than the last one."

Passengers travelling to the United States should expect their airline to carry out additional security checks prior to boarding.

To support this important process and keep delays to a minimum, we would advise passengers to check the relevant airline website or call the airline for specific advice before travelling to the airport, arrive promptly at check-in, and limit the amount of baggage being taken on board the aircraft. If in any doubt, please contact the relevant airline for further information.

British Airways: planned industrial action

During the proposed industrial action by British Airways cabin crew between 22 December and 2 January, Heathrow Airport will remain open for business. Passengers travelling with British Airways over the holiday period should contact the airline or visit their website to confirm their travel arrangements.

Passengers who wish to plan an alternative flight should check our flight timetable