Our fellow Hipmunk’er Joe G. and cohorts recently flew across the pond to visit our friends in London. Joe returned with stories of Boeings, navigating the Underground, and the excitement surrounding the Queen’s Jubilee!

Hipmunk went to London to visit partners and to meet some new ones. More airlines, more hotels, and more rail to come! We were lucky enough to ride on the upper deck of a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747, what an experience – even if it was a red-eye! Tip: I sat in an exit row, which meant I had a ton of leg room.

During our trip we used the London Underground [subway] quite a bit. Locally, it is known as “the Tube” and the amount of mileage it covers across London is impressive. We took the London Heathrow Express as well – America could learn a lot from London’s rail transport system, it’s the second largest in the world and considerably fast. Google Maps was immensely helpful for navigating the city.

London was busy busy busy with getting ready for both the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympics! The Diamond Jubilee this year marks the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty’s reign. The celebrations, which include a parade and an appearance by the royal family, is a warm-up to the more epic event of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London this year.

We flew home on an Airbus A340, big plane! The weather was gorgeous and Hipmunk will be back again soon!

Cheers love, mind the gap!

– Joe