What travellers should know before heading to England to mourn Queen Elizabeth II
Surging demand for flights and hotels means visitors should expect high prices, long lines, delays and closures
Getting to London this year already been has a challenge, and with hundreds of thousands of mourners expected from around the world to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II, travellers should brace for it to get even harder.
From the time the queen’s coffin lies in state at Westminster Hall on Wednesday until the funeral on Monday, travellers in town for work, holiday or specifically for the queen’s mourning period are being warned to expect more traffic, security, closures and congestion.
Flying to and from Britain has already been marked by delays and cancellations. Amid surging demand and staffing shortages, London Heathrow Airport said last month that it would enforce a cap on departures and the number of passengers moving through its terminals. The cap remains in effect through October 29.
The mourning period following the queen’s death will affect airport operations. A representative for Heathrow said some flights on Wednesday afternoon, local time, would be disrupted to ensure there is silence in central London during the ceremonial procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall. Passengers on affected flights will be notified by their airlines of changes. The representative added that further changes to the airport’s operations are likely to occur on Monday during the queen’s funeral.
Those who make the journey have been advised that waiting in the line to pay respects could take hours, or even last overnight. The government has said mourners will face crowded trains and other modes of transport as well as airport-like security.
Even visitors not in town for the funeral will feel a ripple effect. While the city’s metro system will run normally, travellers should prepare for temporary closures on short notice during commemorative and ceremonial events, according to London’s transportation authority.
The public will be able to file past the coffin 24 hours a day from 5pm on Wednesday (1am AEST) until 6.30am on Monday. Some royal watchers had already set up tents along the Mall, which leads to Buckingham Palace, on Monday.
Since the funeral details were announced, search traffic for flights to London has surged. For those who haven’t yet booked, flights and hotels may be hard to come by.
Demand for flights to Europe shot up following news of the queen’s death and again when Buckingham Palace confirmed the date of her funeral, says Hayley Berg, lead economist at Hopper, a travel app. Bookings on the Hopper app for trips to London increased by 38 per cent in the week of the queen’s death compared with the prior week.
Additionally, flight searches from around the world to London increased by 40 per cent over the previous day after the queen’s passing was announced, according to Hopper. In the US, searches for flights to London jumped nearly 50 per cent.
These increases in demand haven’t been sustained, so the full impact on prices and availability isn’t yet known, Ms Berg says. Before the announcement of the queen’s death, the average cost of round-trip airfare to Britain from the US was roughly $US710 ($1040), she says.
Flying to Britain in time for the queen’s funeral will be more expensive. Average round-trip airfare from the US to London for flights departing on Thursday is $US1120, according to Hopper.
Instead of booking direct flights, mourners might have an easier time booking flights to European hubs such as Paris or Amsterdam, then taking another flight to Britain or travelling by rail, Ms Berg says.
If getting a flight to London for the events doesn’t prove to be challenge, securing a hotel probably will. “I expect that hotels will be sold out across London,” Ms Berg says, noting that hotels were sold out for other recent events involving the royal family, including the weddings of Prince William and Prince Harry.
After the queen’s death was announced, the average nightly rate for a hotel in London rose from $US244 per night to $US384 per night, Hopper found. Search demand for hotels in London increased 92 per cent in the day following the announcement compared with the previous week, with searches primarily focused on stays from Friday to Sunday.
Kensington Tours, which operates private tours, says demand for Britain already was high for this northern autumn. There are nearly triple the number of tours booked this month compared with September 2019, says Chantal Gouveia, the company’s destination specialist for Britain and Ireland.
The company is helping travellers reroute their trips. Rather than go to Windsor Castle, they suggest Blenheim Palace, where Winston Churchill was born. The palace’s website notes that it will be closed on the day of the queen’s funeral, but is otherwise open.
Because of limited availability, the number of closures and the difficulty of getting around, Ms Gouveia suggests that travellers eager to witness a moment of royal history should wait for the king’s coronation.
Details regarding King Charles III’s coronation have yet to be announced. If Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation serves as a guide, it could be months away. Elizabeth’s coronation took place in June 1953, nearly 16 months after she acceded the throne following the death of her father, King George VI.
The longer lead time before the coronation will give fans of the royal family more time to plan their travels to Britain – and a greater opportunity to save. “Having more time to plan almost always enables you to find a better deal,” Ms Berg says.
Some have pre-planned trips that will coincide with the events. Danny DeLiberato, 33, and his mother, Sally DeLiberato, can’t believe the timing of their London holiday. Mrs DeLiberato has travelled annually to Britain since 1976 – except during the pandemic and when her children were born. The pair are set to depart on Wednesday from Newark, New Jersey.
As a special treat for his mother’s 71st birthday, Mr DeLiberato booked a stay at The Goring, a hotel near Buckingham Palace where members of the royal family have stayed. He isn’t sure whether they will get to keep their reservation with the number of dignitaries flying in.
The Goring didn’t respond to requests for comment.
The pair plan to take part in as much of the proceedings as they can. Mr DeLiberato says they are prepared to wait up to 18 hours in line to pay their respects.
“It’s such an unfortunate event, but my mother being such a historian of the royal family, I’m very excited that she gets to witness this history, ” he says.
The Wall Street Journal
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