I meet the long flights in from Singapore, here's what I'd tell you
It's a long one, about thirteen and a half hours nonstop, and you'll usually land in the London morning or around midday. Singapore Airlines comes into Terminal 2, British Airways into Terminal 5. I'll have followed the flight the whole way and I'm at the barrier when you clear customs, so after a flight that long the car is the one thing you don't have to think about.
The flights, plainly
Small things worth knowing
- London is seven hours behind Singapore in summer, so the overnight lands you here in the morning with the day ahead.
- Fares are fixed and I'll quote them in Singapore dollars or pounds. Cards only, nothing to settle in cash.
- Singapore passport? You'll need a UK ETA now, £20 on the official app, usually approved in a day. Do it before you fly.
How you'll find me
Singapore Airlines comes into Heathrow Terminal 2 and British Airways into Terminal 5, and I'm at the barrier in the right hall as you come out of baggage reclaim, your name on a board. I carry the cases from there. A flight that long is enough for one day, the arrival should be the easy part.
How the fare works
The fare is fixed before you fly and it stays fixed: not for a late flight, not for traffic, not for the time I wait at the barrier. I'll quote it in Singapore dollars or pounds once you tell me the flight and where you're staying. Card or account, nothing to settle in the car.
What Singapore clients actually book me for
A good deal of business, and the discreet sort at that: the long flight in, then meetings in the City or at the Wharf with the car kept on. Beyond work it's family trips over, the September run to school or to Oxford with the cases, and the longer stay with the same car and driver throughout. Tell me the shape of the trip and I'll keep it smooth.
Before you book
I land in the morning and cannot check in yet, can you help?
Yes. I'll hold the bags, and we can go straight to breakfast, an early meeting, or a first stop while the hotel readies your room. Plenty of Singapore arrivals do exactly this, and it's all inside the one fixed fare.
Which terminal will I come into?
Singapore Airlines lands at Heathrow Terminal 2, British Airways at Terminal 5. Tell me the flight and I'll be at the right barrier when you clear customs.
What if the flight lands late?
I track it the whole way. However it moves, I'm at the rail when you come through, and the fixed fare covers the wait, so a late landing costs you nothing extra.
Can I keep the same driver for the whole trip?
Yes, and for a longer Singapore stay it's the easy way to do it, one driver who knows the plan for the week. Say so when you book and I'll hold the same car and face for the run of days.