Family-Friendly Features of Heathrow Airport Terminals
An airport is a place where passengers go for boarding a plane or for arriving from a different city. As per airport rules, they have to reach the airport a few hours in advance of their departure time so that there is enough time for checking in and other formalities such as immigration and customs clearance. As such, passengers usually have to stay at the airport terminal for at least three hours. Sometimes, this period extends well beyond it because of several factors such as delay in the flight departure due to technical reasons or for operational reasons. It can also get delayed because of late arrival of incoming aircraft or due to bad weather conditions. There can also be a long gap between connecting flights. Whatever may be the reason, passengers may have to stay at the airport terminal for quite a few hours. If your are not comfortable at airport you can go with the shaftesbury premier london piccadilly hotel
As such, the airport terminal should have all necessary facilities to make your stay as comfortable as possible particularly if you are travelling with your kids. Heathrow Airport is one such airport that offers family-friendly facilities that ensure that you and your family will be comfortable during your stay. These include baby changing facilities, play areas and restaurants offering children's menus. A full range of entertainments and facilities are provided that are designed specifically for toddlers and small children. However, in order to be able to avail of these facilities, it is important to have all information regarding what is available and where. The family-friendly facilities at the various terminals of Heathrow Airport are enumerated below.
Baby Changing Facilities:
These facilities are provided along with other toilet facilities in the terminals both before and after the security control. The facilities are for both feeding and changing babies and are located within the toilets. These are clearly indicated in the form of a bottle sign or baby care symbol. Some of the male and female toilets also have fold down tables. These baby care units are located throughout the terminals of London Heathrow Airport, both before and after security.
Children’s Dining:
At the London Heathrow Airport terminals, a wide selection of restaurants and bars that provide many options of children’s menus and light refreshments are available. Moreover, these restaurants provide complimentary use of high chairs and child friendly seating. For example, Garfunkles offers a full children’s menu along with an activity pack. In Terminal 1, you can also find Giraffe which is a fun family restaurant that offers children’s meal deals that consist of a main course, fruit juice, and ice cream for around £6. The restaurant opening times are 12.00 – 15.00 Monday to Friday.
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Children’s Play Areas:
In London Heathrow airport’s terminals, you can find children’s play areas. There is one that is located by Gates 35-56 in the International Departures near Cafe Nero in terminal 1. The play areas at the airport are unsupervised and as such it is essential for parents and guardians to know that they are solely responsible for them while they are playing in that area. These play areas at the airport terminals are suitable for two to six years old children.
Shops:
Most terminals of Heathrow Airport have a number of shops that include Games Grid that offers computer and arcade games. Moreover, the BAA information desks at the terminals offer free colouring packs with crayons and a colouring book to passengers travelling with children. Moreover, The Tin Goose and Cafe Nero at Heathrow Terminal 1 offer fantastic views of the runways and planes that are parked or are landing or taking off.
Lounges:
The terminals also offer an Executive Lounge in which families can relax with their kids before their flight. However, they have to pay a small charge as entry fee for this facility. They can take their children with them to the Lounge, Infants (0 to 1 yrs) can enter free of charge whereas children (2-11yrs) are charged the adult rate.
Some airlines offer executive lounges which business class and first class passengers departing from the terminals can use for relaxing. Many other facilities are also available at these lounges that include free tea/coffee, snacks, bathing facilities and Wi-Fi. If the layover between two connecting flights is for quite a few hours, visitors can also visit any of the local attractions near London Heathrow Airport that their children would also enjoy instead of whiling away the time at the airport.
The airlines that offer business lounges at Heathrow Airport Terminal 1 include Aer Lingus, Alliance, British Airways, BMI, El Al, Southern African Airlines, Fin nair, Cyprus Airways, Iceland air, and Brussels Airlines. South African Airways also have a First Class lounge at the terminal.
The airlines having a business lounge at Terminal 2 include Aeroflot, Olympic Airways, Syrian air, Swiss, TAP Air Portugal, Yemenia Yemen Airways and Uzbekistan Airways.
Most of the terminals have similar children’s facilities.
