Heathrow

[alidor]

Just flew in today and after hearing all the terrible news about Heathrow, didn’t know what to expect.  Got through passport control And got our bags and were out the door in 20 minutes!  I don’t know why I pay all that attention to the news..l

 

[6rugrats]

I'm glad you had a good experience, but people should pay attention to the news because LHR has restricted passengers to 100,000 departing per day, causing cancelation of many, many flights.  They have halted sales on short-haul domestic flights.  Luggage is still a problem.  We are not allowed pass travel through/to LHR right now because it's so bad.  I would avoid if possible.

Edited August 3, 2022 by 6rugrats

[Zach1213]

Because there have been a lot of issues this summer. I have been through Heathrow several times this year already, and it's not great. I rarely check a bag to begin with, let alone this year, so that hasn't been an issue...but security has definitely taken longer, and passport control is slightly extended versus normal in my experience (though I don't pass through the UK Border as frequently as I connect at LHR, so I encounter security more than I do immigration). 

[styme123]

53 minutes ago, 6rugrats said:

I'm glad you had a good experience, but people should pay attention to the news because LHR has restricted passengers to 100,000 departing per day, causing cancelation of many, many flights.  They have halted sales on short-haul domestic flights.  Luggage is still a problem.  We are not allowed pass travel through/to LHR right now because it's so bad.  I would avoid if possible.

Do these types of union disagreements typically take long to resolve? We fly home at end of Aug from LHR so just curious if it will still be an issue then. 

[wowzz]

10 hours ago, styme123 said:

Do these types of union disagreements typically take long to resolve? We fly home at end of Aug from LHR so just curious if it will still be an issue then. 

Nothing to do with unions. Just insufficient staff. 

During covid, airports throughout the world laid off staff.  Suddenly the world opened up, and it became impossible to re-hire sufficient staff at short notice. So the issues will still be around for the rest of the summer.

[6rugrats]

18 hours ago, styme123 said:

Do these types of union disagreements typically take long to resolve? We fly home at end of Aug from LHR so just curious if it will still be an issue then. 

As stated, this has nothing to do with unions.

[styme123]

9 hours ago, wowzz said:

Nothing to do with unions. Just insufficient staff. 

During covid, airports throughout the world laid off staff.  Suddenly the world opened up, and it became impossible to re-hire sufficient staff at short notice. So the issues will still be around for the rest of the summer.

Oh Okay, I guess I might have lumped it all together in my head with the train strikes I was hearing about,lol.

[vjmatty]

21 hours ago, 6rugrats said:

I'm glad you had a good experience, but people should pay attention to the news because LHR has restricted passengers to 100,000 departing per day, causing cancelation of many, many flights.  They have halted sales on short-haul domestic flights.  Luggage is still a problem.  We are not allowed pass travel through/to LHR right now because it's so bad.  I would avoid if possible.

 

Is it worth changing an ATH-LHR flight on Aegean to an ATH-AMS-SOU flight on KLM?  This would be for a cruise departing Southampton the following day, in mid-October. From what I hear Schiphol isn't much better.

[6rugrats]

I have no crystal ball, but summer travel will be over by October, and logically crowds and problems will be less.  I wouldn't change anything.

[FlyerTalker]

1 hour ago, vjmatty said:

Is it worth changing an ATH-LHR flight on Aegean to an ATH-AMS-SOU flight on KLM?  This would be for a cruise departing Southampton the following day, in mid-October. From what I hear Schiphol isn't much better.

 

IMO, the only significant advantages would be:

 

1) If you have alliance benefits for SkyTeam rather than for Star.

2) You are closer to the cruise terminal, and don't have to make the journey from LHR to Southampton.

 

Without specifics, I would suspect flight cost would be higher into SOU, but have no firm knowledge.  Crunch the details and see if it's worth it - to you.

 

 

[vjmatty]

3 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

IMO, the only significant advantages would be:

 

1) If you have alliance benefits for SkyTeam rather than for Star.

2) You are closer to the cruise terminal, and don't have to make the journey from LHR to Southampton.

 

Without specifics, I would suspect flight cost would be higher into SOU, but have no firm knowledge.  Crunch the details and see if it's worth it - to you.

 

 

Haven’t even checked prices….by “worth it” I meant worth the gamble in getting there on time. This may sound nuts but I don’t mind paying more to increase the odds of not missing the ship. These are my choices…cruise leaves afternoon of 10/17. 

 

The SOU flight:

Departing flight

Sun, Oct 16

5:20 PM

Athens International Airport (ATH)

Travel time: 3 hr 35 min

7:55 PM

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS)

KLM KL 1576

Economy

Boeing 737

Often delayed by 30+ min

• Average legroom (30 in)
• In-seat USB outlet
• Carbon emissions estimate: 148 kg

  16 hr 10 min layoverAmsterdam (AMS)

  Overnight layover
   

  12:05 PM+1

  Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS)

  Travel time: 1 hr 10 min

  12:15 PM+1

  Southampton Airport (SOU)

  KLM KL 919

  Economy

  Embraer 190

  Plane and crew by KLM Cityhopper

  Often delayed by 30+ min

 

 

The current flight:

Sun, Oct 16

7:15 PM

Athens International Airport (ATH)

Travel time: 3 hr 55 min

9:10 PM

Heathrow Airport (LHR)

Aegean A3 608

Economy

Airbus A321neo

 

[FlyerTalker]

Seeing this, I definitely would not change.

 

You would be moving from a non-stop that arrives the same day in SOU, versus a connection in AMS  that requires an overnight stay (at your own expense) and not arriving until after noon on the following day.  You have some overnights before boarding the ship, but I wouldn't put another one in the middle.

[fbgd]

4 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

Seeing this, I definitely would not change.

 

You would be moving from a non-stop that arrives the same day in SOU, versus a connection in AMS  that requires an overnight stay (at your own expense) and not arriving until after noon on the following day.  You have some overnights before boarding the ship, but I wouldn't put another one in the middle.

 

Indeed, additionally AMS has been experiencing some "ground"  issues similar to LHR. 

[Zach1213]

14 hours ago, vjmatty said:

Haven’t even checked prices….by “worth it” I meant worth the gamble in getting there on time. This may sound nuts but I don’t mind paying more to increase the odds of not missing the ship. These are my choices…cruise leaves afternoon of 10/17. 

 

 

Definitely stick with the LHR flight. Grab a hotel at LHR for the night, something near Terminal 2 (such as the Hilton Garden Inn) and continue the short ground trip in the morning. 

[vjmatty]

Thanks all.... my concern was with LHR capping the number of flights per day and my flight is rather late at night, being at the end of the list.  And thanks Zach for the Hilton Garden Inn,  I am both Hilton Honors and IHG member so I was trying to decide between staying at LHR or the Holiday Inn Express by the pier.

[FlyerTalker]

1 hour ago, vjmatty said:

Thanks all.... my concern was with LHR capping the number of flights per day and my flight is rather late at night, being at the end of the list.

 

The cap isn't like...."well, that's all we will take for today, the rest of you tonight can't come here".  It's an overall reduction done in advance, not day of travel.

 

1 hour ago, vjmatty said:

And thanks Zach for the Hilton Garden Inn,  I am both Hilton Honors and IHG member so I was trying to decide between staying at LHR or the Holiday Inn Express by the pier.

 

Be aware that there are two HGIs at Heathrow.  One is marketed as "Hilton Garden Inn London Heathrow Airport" and the other is "Hilton Garden Inn London Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3".  The latter is a part of T2, while the former is off-airport and would require either a taxi or the Hoppa.  Of course, the T2 property is significantly more expensive because you are paying for the convenience.  Just so you know what you are getting.

[vjmatty]

2 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

The cap isn't like...."well, that's all we will take for today, the rest of you tonight can't come here".  It's an overall reduction done in advance, not day of travel.

 

 

🙂 Got it.... when you put it that way I see how simplistic my thinking was lol

[Zach1213]

2 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

The cap isn't like...."well, that's all we will take for today, the rest of you tonight can't come here".  It's an overall reduction done in advance, not day of travel.

 

 

I picture two planes racing to Heathrow, one from Budapest and one from Prague, at the end of the night. Last one there gets turned away and has to be relegated to Luton. 

[pinotlover]

I need a bit of crystal balling. Looking at BA flight , for next June, through LHR.

 

Specifically BNA-LHR-IST. The advertised flight has a 2 hour 15 minute layover at LHR. If current conditions continue, will that be sufficient layover time?

[FlyerTalker]

27 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

I need a bit of crystal balling. Looking at BA flight , for next June, through LHR.

 

Specifically BNA-LHR-IST. The advertised flight has a 2 hour 15 minute layover at LHR. If current conditions continue, will that be sufficient layover time?

 

 

[Zach1213]

1 hour ago, pinotlover said:

I need a bit of crystal balling. Looking at BA flight , for next June, through LHR.

 

Specifically BNA-LHR-IST. The advertised flight has a 2 hour 15 minute layover at LHR. If current conditions continue, will that be sufficient layover time?

 

Beyond the inability to predict as stated above, what I can predict is a likelihood your flight times will change in the next 10+ months. Could mean your layover becomes four hours, could mean it becomes 80 minutes. Just keep an eye on it. 

[pinotlover]

33 minutes ago, Zach1213 said:

 

Beyond the inability to predict as stated above, what I can predict is a likelihood your flight times will change in the next 10+ months. Could mean your layover becomes four hours, could mean it becomes 80 minutes. Just keep an eye on it. 

Fully aware of that, thanks. If I go AA/BA, this is the only one stop available out of BNA. Everything else is a two stop still requiring LHR.

 

Turkish Airlines is the only other 1 stop, but oh so pricey or with undoable connections.

[FlyerTalker]

15 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

Turkish Airlines is the only other 1 stop, but oh so pricey or with undoable connections.

 

Not sure what you are talking about, but for random dates in June, there are a number of flights with TK, from BNA through either ORD, IAH, or IAD.  All for sub-$2k round-trip, and with very reasonable connections.

 

Though without specific dates, it's impossible to give more detailed advice.

Edited August 11, 2022 by FlyerTalker

[pinotlover]

30 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

Not sure what you are talking about, but for random dates in June, there are a number of flights with TK, from BNA through either ORD, IAH, or IAD.  All for sub-$2k round-trip, and with very reasonable connections.

 

Though without specific dates, it's impossible to give more detailed advice.

We are looking for Bizz Class. May consider dropping down to PE. Their BC tickets are currently a bit steep. Might wait and watch.

[FlyerTalker]

25 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

We are looking for Bizz Class. May consider dropping down to PE. Their BC tickets are currently a bit steep. Might wait and watch.

 

Thanks for the dates - not.  Guess you don't want more info.