It's one of the oldest airport debates: whether or not to suck it up and take a taxi into town, or risk public transportation. For us, it depends on how large our party is and how much baggage we're dragging, but taxis are just so darn tempting.

Thankfully, Virgin Atlantic knows this and echoes our sentiments when they say: "we think it's crazy that people often wait in line and then get one taxi each. Most people go from the airport in a similar direction, so it's a great waste." Hallelujah, go tell it on the mountain, Virgin Atlantic! And since they're a giant company and all, they've decided to do something about this shared taxi conundrum by creating Taxi2, a social networking way to link up with other from your flight and share a ride with them into the city, cutting down on ride cost and maybe even making you a new friend. ]]> JetSetCD 2009-11-11T13:19:25-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/10/24/195319/85

Last week, we had a perfect demonstration of how not to look and how not to handle your passport when Twilight star Kristen Stewart traveled through LAX looking a mess and barely holding onto her passport. But trust good old former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham to trample through London-Heathrow in a black cape-y thing and giant shades and put in-flight fashion back on track.

No, we're not necessarily endorsing going pantsless with only a cape to keep you warm, but if you're flying first class from London back to the States as super world traveler Beckham is, you're welcome to look a little over-the-top. And that is why Victoria also gets a pass for toting a blue bag with a black outfit—at least she's also got her passport under wraps. ]]> JetSetCD 2009-10-28T09:19:17-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/9/16/73151/0930

After a long snooze in one of Eithad Airways' crazy fancy suites, you are going to need to eventually stumble off the plane, like it or not. That’s why the airline is starting to expand its offerings when it comes to matching fancy schmancy lounges. The airline opened their first lounge outside of the United Arab Emirates over the summer in Frankfurt, and now they have their eyes on the comfort prize in London.

Along with moving their flights from Terminal 3 to Terminal 4 at London-Heathrow, a new lounge will open for the classiest of fliers on September 30. Give them a call now and book your private treatment room where you’ll be pampered by treatments from the Six Senses Spa. The foot and leg massages will be quite a relief after an overnight long-haul flight. ANd if you’re hungry after a rubdown, just swing by their five-star dining facilities where you can watch your dinner being cooked through an open kitchen. ]]> kjb 2009-09-16T09:15:25-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/8/21/111151/688

As travelers, we all have our sleeping-in-airports stories, ones that usually involve all the drama of finding a comfortable sleeping position with several armrests fighting against you, and which rarely are remembered fondly. The ever-philosophical and brainy writer (and author of The Art of Travel) Alain de Botton is out to change all this, however, by becoming writer-in-residence at London-Heathrow while preparing to write a book about the beauty of his experience in such a place of transience.

The book, coming in September and to be called "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary," is being written in Terminal 5 by Alain as we speak. The Faster Times has an exclusive excerpt, and it's just as full of airplane personification and Sunglass Hut mentions as we hope it would be.

Are you walking through Heathrow's Terminal 5 this week? Watch out for the bald writer who is positively aching to turn you into a dreamy character in the book. We dare you to stop and chat with him, so that maybe then he can dedicate a chapter to the smallness of the world.

Related Stories:
· TFT Exclusive Excerpt: Alain de Botton Reports Live From Heathrow [The Faster Times]
· TFT Guest Alain de Botton First Airport Writer-in-Residence [The Faster Times]
· Literary Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: The Faster Times]]]> JetSetCD 2009-08-21T11:41:08-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/8/21/34032/6040

London's busy Heathrow Airport is way down the list of our favorite airports – yes, it's the airport named worst in the world recently, but there is something brewing there that we really do love.

Last year we heard about the cute driverless vehicles that should form a Personal Rapid Transport system by sometime in 2009, and now they're really here. Each of the 21 pods carries four people and their luggage from the car park to the terminal; at the moment, it seems, just to the much-maligned Terminal 5.

Heathrow is promising maximum waiting times of one minute, although we've kind of learned to ignore Heathrow's promises already. Just the same, we still think these travel pods are damn cute.

Related Stories:
· Heathrow Airport Rolls Out Driverless Travel Pods [news.com.au]
· We've Fallen For Heathrow's Cute Vehicles [Jaunted]
· London Heathrow Coverage [Jaunted] ]]> amandak 2009-08-21T08:44:38-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/8/13/151345/137

We love airplanes, you love airplanes, so let's go look at airplanes! In our Prime Plane Spotting series, we'll let you in on all the best spots to whip out your cameras and binoculars for a piece of the aviation action.

Alright, let's talk Airbus A380s for a moment. They are currently like the holy grail of airplanes to be spotted, and although it is totally possible to watch the behemoths during takeoffs and landings as well as on the tarmac, maneuvering their butts around, you've got to do some planning to catch them.

To spot them in action, we recommend popping a squat with your camera outside of London-Heathrow Airport's nearby Tube stop at Hatton Cross. As well as a parking lot and easy connection to the city by underground train, Hatton Cross has a grassy area where diehard plane spotters already spend their weekends propping their telephoto lens-cameras up on tripods and drinking milk tea from a thermos. ]]> JetSetCD 2009-08-13T16:19:34-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/6/22/54726/7066

Sir Richard Branson and Kate Moss just did a photo shoot on the wing of VA's Lady Penelope here at Heathrow. The two were later joined on the wing by Branson Next, Sam and Holly. Kate Moss? She is British right? Guess that explains her appearance on the wing.

Today is Virgin Atlantic's 25th birthday and the celebration, which is now ongoing in London goes trans-atlantic later this morning. While the 1984 inaugural VS1 flew from Gatwick to Newark, today's birthday flight will go from LHR to EWR.

Branson just announced that Virgin Atlantic has placed an order for $2.1 billion worth of Airbus A330-300 aircraft. Delivery of 5 planes will be in 2011, while the second 5 will arrive in 2012. These planes are 10% more fuel efficient than todays and will all have USB ports and power sockets as well as email capabilities.

New Virgin Atlantic destinations were also just announced: Beijing, Vancouver and Cancun were mentioned by Sir Richard at his LHR presser today. Furthermore, Branson noted that it is "likely inefficient big carriers will disappear, and in a sense they should. In a forest, when some big trees die new saplings can get going." The VA founder went on to lament that upstarts like his Virgin America can not get additional slots at JFK because of legacy carrier squatting at NYC's biggest airport. ]]> markj 2009-06-22T06:33:33-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/