Bits: BA adds Edinburgh twilight drop, easyJet Birmingham base, InterContinental Chantilly

News in brief:

British Airways adds Edinburgh twilight bag drop

British Airways has resumed its ‘twilight bag drop’ service at Edinburgh Airport.

Ryanair has also signed up, bringing the total number of airlines offering twilight check-in to four. The other two are easyJet and Jet2.

The service allows passengers to check in their luggage the evening before their flight, allowing them to head directly to security the following morning. One person can check in baggage for an entire group BUT must have passports and boarding passes for each passenger with them.

The operating hours are:

British Airways

• Available Monday to Friday, between 4pm and 7pm, for flights departing before noon the following day

Ryanair

• Available every day, between 5pm and 9pm, for flights departing before 8am the following day

easyJet

• Available every day, between 4pm and 9pm, for flights departing before noon the following day

Jet2

• Available every day, between 4.30pm and 9pm, for flights departing before noon the following day

Full details can be found on the Edinburgh Airport website here.

easyJet to open a base in Birmingham for 2024

You might have thought that it already had a base there, but easyJet has announced that it is moving into Birmingham Airport.

Three aircraft will be permanently based at the airport for 2024. It will create 100 jobs in the area for pilots and cabin crew as well as knock on employment for passenger services and maintenance staff.

easyJet already flies to Birmingham from a number of its overseas bases, including Amsterdam, Geneva and Milan, but those aircraft are not based in the UK. Having aircraft based in Birmingham will allow more early morning departures (because the airline doesn’t have to wait for an aircraft to arrive from an overseas base) as well as more late evening arrivals.

Whilst schedules are not yet available, analysts have suggested that up to 15 routes could be launched. The exact number will depend on the mix of short and medium haul and the average weekly frequency of each.

InterContinental comes to Chantilly

I’m not sure if it was a strategy or just a series of lucky coincidences, but IHG’s upmarket InterContinental brand runs a number of historic properties in France.

You are likely to have heard of InterContinental Paris Le Grand, which is my favourite place to stay in Paris. (Book via our partner Emyr Thomas and you get free club lounge access on all bookings here.)

There is also InterContinental Lyon Hotel Dieu, InterContinental Marseille and InterContinental Bordeaux Le Grand (reviewed here).

IHG has announced the addition of a new ‘chateau’ property – InterContinental Chantilly – Château Mont Royal.

This existing 107 room hotel will undergo a full renovation and re-open next year. It is currently run as an independent hotel, marketed via Small Luxury Hotels of the World. To quote:

Built in the early 20th century and showcasing Louis XVI style architecture, InterContinental Chantilly – Château Mont Royal will feature two restaurants, a bar and a summer terrace where guests may enjoy long, light nights and scenic views, as well as 11 meeting rooms, a gym, sauna, jacuzzi and treatment rooms alongside an indoor swimming pool and tennis court.

Situated just 40km from the French capital and 20 minutes from Charles de Gaulle Airport, the hotel’s location makes it the ideal destination for leisure guests or corporate groups seeking to combine city sightseeing with the many historic and picturesque sights of Chantilly and its surroundings. The town is renowned for its elegant royal heritage, intricately woven lace, and popular racecourse, which was founded in 1840 and is the venue of the annual “Prix de Diane” held each June.