The sprint to the London Olympics
If the London Olympics - or just London for that matter - are on your radar for 2012, there's no time to rest on your laurels. With the UK preparing for its biggest and busiest summer in history, you need to leap now to secure your bookings!
What you can expect
Between 27 July and 12 August 2012, London will be abuzz with millions of visitors attending the 16-day London Olympic Games across 34 venues in the Greater London area. While many people will stay on for the 11-day Paralympic Games (29 August - 9 September), there are a number of other major events that will place further strain on local infrastructure and travel. These include the following, to name just a few:
- Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee (2 - 5 June)
- Wimbledon (25 June - 8 July)
- Ramadan (20 July - 18 August)
- Notting Hill Carnival (26-27 August)
- London Fashion Week (September).
If you already find travel on London's 'Tube' physically and mentally challenging, imagine how those rail tracks will groan under the weight of an additional 20 million (on top of an existing 3.5 million) trips per day! The influx of visitors to London will not only place extraordinary pressure on local transport and infrastructure, but also on air travel, accommodation and ground transport.
Bear in mind if you have offices based in London and/or elsewhere in the UK where Olympic events are being hosted, those locations will also be affected by the high demand on services as well schedule changes for deliveries, collections and freight operations.
What you need to know
Should you be bound for London during the summer of 2012, particularly during the Olympics, cost and availability of flights and hotels are the two hurdles you need to clear as quickly as possible. Prices are rising as availability closes out in the lead up to the games, so you need to plan and book your travel now.
Air travel
As inbound travel to London will be significantly affected, some airlines are considering extra capacity and could release 'early-bird' specials. But in those cases 'early' could mean 12 months early! Travellers who delay booking until closer to the event will almost certainly pay premium prices as discount tickets are snapped up.
Hotels
Hotels and property chains in central London have been required to allocate a certain number of rooms to the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG).
The combination of limited hotel room supply and the spike in demand from the influx of visitors will impact London's hotel prices. While rates for rooms committed to LOCOG have been capped, prices for the remaining inventory will be subject to supply and demand, and therefore potential increases. Some of the demand, however, will be absorbed by new hotel supply - with more than 4,800 hotel rooms - to be released to the market over the next 12 months.
At this stage, many UK hotels have not yet set their rates for the games period and are only logging enquiries rather than taking bookings. Other properties have indicated minimum length of stay and rate/spend requirements will apply during the peak games period.
Numerous properties are also allocating a certain number of rooms to their top corporate clientele, and some have introduced 'blackout dates' from July to September. Stage and Screen clients that are in negotiation with these properties for client preferred hotel programs will be advised on availability and rates for this period at a later date.
Ground transport
Rail
Advance tickets are not likely to be available in peak travel times during the Olympics. With 80% of spectators expected to travel by Tube or Docklands Light Railway, train carriages may be declassified and extra carriages may operate to cope with demand. Rail 'hotspots' for commuters are expected to include:
- The West End
- Westminster
- Bank
- The South Bank from Waterloo to London Bridge
- Canary Wharf
- Stratford and Canning Town
- Liverpool Street
- King's Cross St Pancras.
The Jubilee Line and Central Line, as key routes to the Olympic Park will be significantly busier than usual during the peak games period. The Northern Line is also expected to be heavily impacted.
Eurostar
Advance Eurostar fares will be available during the peak games period and priced within the current fare range, however, they could carry a different set of terms and conditions. All Eurostar tickets purchased four months before departure or later will revert to the normal pricing schedule.
Road and river services
Throughout Greater London, road and river services will be heavily impacted by high demand and temporary road closures around the Olympic Route Network and Paralympic Route Network. Parking controls will be in place around each Olympic venue. Roads that will be affected around the venues outside London include: Eton Dorney, Hadleigh Farm, Lee Valley, White Water Centre, Weymouth, Portland and regional football stadiums such as Cardiff and Manchester. Buses and coaches will be transporting spectators from local rail stations and park and ride sites used be the venues.
How you can prepare
To follow are Stage and Screen's top tips to reduce the impacts of the London Olympics and other major events on your travel plans.
During the peak Olympics period...
Reconsider all non-essential travel to/from and within London, and look at what alternatives are available. Consider bringing forward or postponing meeting dates or conduct your meetings outside of London.
For international travel to/from London during the peak summer period...If travel to London at this time is non-negotiable:
- plan your bookings with Stage and Screen now so we can lock in your flights and hotel rooms while they are still available and before prices skyrocket
- explore the option of using alternative airports to Heathrow, such as Gatwick, Stansted or Luton
- consider using alternative modes and different classes of travel where feasible and carefully assess the need for all travel
- consider accommodation options outside Greater London
- allow enough time for travel to and from the airport as well as additional time for security and visa checks at the airport.
For domestic travel within the UK:
- reduce non-essential journeys during the peak games period
- reschedule trips or meetings to avoid busy periods
- re-route trips to avoid busy locations and try to use less busy modes of transport
- if travelling within the UK, factor in extra time for potential road, rail or domestic air travel delays.
Planning travel around the 2012 London Olympics is all about understanding the affected areas, as indicated in the map below, and moving quickly to organise your bookings. It's also about working with an experienced travel specialist that knows the lay of the land. Having managed travel for the Beijing and Sydney Olympics, as well as the Delhi Commonwealth Games, Stage and Screen has the nous to organise your travel for London in 2012 and ensure you stay one step ahead of the action.
Ben Stokoe, Team Leader
"In the lead up to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, my team and I sourced airfare quotes for a client with 650 travellers two years in advance! We formally requested seats 18 months prior to departure - and confirmed them 12 months out from the Games - to ensure availability among our client's preferred carriers. We educated our client about the different flight schedules and airlines, we managed all schedules, bookings, and late booking changes electronically, and we negotiated their excess baggage in advance. We also based ourselves in Beijing throughout the Games to provide on-the-ground assistance. Our client was thrilled with how smoothly their travel went, particularly given the high number of VIPs involved."
Emma McAuliffe, Team Leader
"Prior to the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, those clients who made last minute bookings paid far more for their flights and were not able to use their preferred carrier. We are also mindful that since many companies block book hotel room nights, finding hotel accommodation can prove extremely difficult. We can't emphasise enough, how important it is that you plan and book now for the London Olympics."
