If you're flying to Heathrow in 2008 use British Airways

[elphin]

London Heathrow rightly has a nightmare reputation amongst travellers. It is overcrowded, lines at check in, security and passport control are horrendous and changing termini is a nightmare! Luggage also regularly gets lost or delayed and flights rarely land or take off on time! Despite this, landing slots rarely ever change hands and when they do it is for $millions! For some reason people want to fly to or through the zoo?????

 

Personally, whilst London Gatwick is no utopia I think it a far more civilised airport.

 

Anyway from March 2008 a new termini [5] opens at Heathrow. It will be for the exclusive use of British Airways passengers. It will for almost all flights eliminate changing termini. It will be a twenty-first century airport experience and will for at least a while shame other airports. It will overcome so many of the inherrent problems previously mentioned. No doubt there will be some initial operational problems but they should all have bedded down for the summer.

 

Now some people might think it'll make things better at the other termini because of no BA and their passengers, bad luck they are to be refurbished/redeveloped and that's sure to cause more problems than those relieved by the BA exodus!

 

See http://www.terminal5.ba.com/en/our-terminal-5-vision/

[Keith1010]

I agree that Heathrow is a rather chaotic airport and I also agree that Gatwick is not as chaotic. With that said, when we fly to London or transit through London I am not going to just select British Airways because of this situation because they too have their own set of problems in my opinion.

 

Keith

[Kindlychap]

Why not fly Maxjet or Silverjet and simply avoid these airports?

 

Matthew

[lord of the seas]

Why not fly Maxjet or Silverjet and simply avoid these airports?

 

Matthew

 

Or privately from Farnborough,Luton,Stansted,Biggin Hill or RAF Northolt.

Take as much luggage as you like.Once done you hope you never have to go back to commercial Airlines. ;)

[Len3]

Better yet - use FF miles and laugh all the way across the Atlantic. We're booked for next July on United into and out of Heathrow. We could care less what the reconstruction situation is - baby it's FREE!!!!!

[keltic]

Why not fly Maxjet or Silverjet and simply avoid these airports?

 

Matthew

 

 

And EOS. Well, they are usually quite expensive.

[handfordr]

Problem with the new Terminal 5 is that it will run at full capacity from day 1 just with BA flights with 40% of flights. Whereas all the other airlines will be spreading out over the other 4 terminals so there is a strong case to use the other terminals where there will now be much more room.

[Globaliser]

For some reason people want to fly to or through the zoo?????

Why not fly Maxjet or Silverjet and simply avoid these airports?

Connectivity. Heathrow is there for people who need to go places and get places. What other airports in the world have, say, 10 non-stop flights a day to Hong Kong, 25+ non-stop a day to JFK, 5 a day to Johannesburg, 4 a day to Cape Town, 5 a day to Bangkok, 7 a day to Singapore, etc etc?

Better yet - use FF miles and laugh all the way across the Atlantic. We're booked for next July on United into and out of Heathrow. We could care less what the reconstruction situation is - baby it's FREE!!!!!

Not sure I'd fly United again even if it was free, unless I had no choice! ;) That's what I always used to say is the number one problem with United's frequent flyer scheme. Partners, of course, do change the picture.

[roscoe39]

Connectivity. Heathrow is there for people who need to go places and get places. What other airports in the world have, say, 10 non-stop flights a day to Hong Kong, 25+ non-stop a day to JFK, 5 a day to Johannesburg, 4 a day to Cape Town, 5 a day to Bangkok, 7 a day to Singapore, etc etc?Not sure I'd fly United again even if it was free, unless I had no choice! ;) .

 

 

what about Dubai for connectivity.....thats the busiest but best maintained and best managed airport Ive ever seen considerring the number of flights in and out of there......

 

its not called the HUB for nothing.... If they could do it successfully Heathrow could have done it too....

[Globaliser]

One day, maybe. But it's nowhere near the connectivity of Heathrow at the moment.

 

And the current Dubai airport is starting to creak at the seams itself, for much the same reasons as Heathrow. But at least Dubai has (and is using) the option of building a huge new airport to take over from the current one.

[roscoe39]

One day, maybe. But it's nowhere near the connectivity of Heathrow at the moment.

 

And the current Dubai airport is starting to creak at the seams itself, for much the same reasons as Heathrow. But at least Dubai has (and is using) the option of building a huge new airport to take over from the current one.

 

well im really looking forward to seeing it again in April., Dubai is changing at such a fast pace and it will be interesting to see how the new airport is progressing and whether it is keeping up.... unbelievable to see what a real bunch of money can do....

[MuseCruiser]

Why not fly Maxjet or Silverjet and simply avoid these airports?

 

Matthew

 

Maxjet went bankrupt.

[Twickenham]

Gosh, am I the only one here who actually likes Heathrow?

Yeah, it's a behemoth, but considering its enormous size and capacity, I find it remarkably efficient, with excellent signage to boot. And, no joke, the best orange juice I've ever had in my life was purchased at Heathrow (and yes, I've been to Florida).

Toronto Pearson, on the other hand, is the abyss.

[Globaliser]

Gosh, am I the only one here who actually likes Heathrow?

No. I like Heathrow. Not for the things that do cause hassle, which people complain about vociferously - and often they have a point. But there are many things to like about the place that you really can't find anywhere else. If the airline universe has a centre, Heathrow can lay claim to that.

[pcur]

I like Heathrow, too. We've flown in/out several times, and I find it to be no worse than any other airport. I think JFK is worse.

 

I like the fact that Heathrow also has great connecting ground transportation. Washington, DC's airport (can't remember which one) and SFO both have rapid transit stations in the airport, and I think Heathrow's connections are even better.

 

I like the idea of them having a dedicated terminal, too. Oakland has that with Southwest Airlines, and it does make the zoo a little less zoo-ish.

[Kindlychap]

Maxjet went bankrupt.

 

Not when I posted......

 

But I am painfully aware, having had a booking with Maxjet!

 

Matthew

[Ricky Chan]

London Heathrow rightly has a nightmare reputation amongst travellers. It is overcrowded, lines at check in, security and passport control are horrendous and changing termini is a nightmare! Luggage also regularly gets lost or delayed and flights rarely land or take off on time! Despite this, landing slots rarely ever change hands and when they do it is for $millions! For some reason people want to fly to or through the zoo?????

 

Personally, whilst London Gatwick is no utopia I think it a far more civilised airport.

 

Anyway from March 2008 a new termini [5] opens at Heathrow. It will be for the exclusive use of British Airways passengers. It will for almost all flights eliminate changing termini. It will be a twenty-first century airport experience and will for at least a while shame other airports. It will overcome so many of the inherrent problems previously mentioned. No doubt there will be some initial operational problems but they should all have bedded down for the summer.

 

Now some people might think it'll make things better at the other termini because of no BA and their passengers, bad luck they are to be refurbished/redeveloped and that's sure to cause more problems than those relieved by the BA exodus!

 

See http://www.terminal5.ba.com/en/our-terminal-5-vision/

 

 

We will be flying with BA to London in May for our Baltic cruise. Will be interesting to compare new terminal to terminal 4 which isn't very good in my opinion.

 

Ricky

[JSR]

Matthew- Have you been able to rebook with EOS or someone. I hope you were not one of those let in a lurch over the holidays.

[CruiseKidz]

problem with flying BA is that the Heathrow baggage handlers target them when they strike in summer ( it's almost an annual pastime) I've lost luggage and it took 3 days to catch up with me. I'd avoid Heathrow at all costs

[7SeasLover]

I heard horror stories about CDG airport in Paris. Wasn't bad at all. I suppose it depends on personal experiences. I say if I get there, get home, and all my luggage is with me, then it's a good airport!

 

Air France sat on the tarmac for 45 min at JFK and thus caused us to miss our Jet Blue flight to LAX. The benches at JFK are not comfortable!

[belle907]

Another good reason for flying in/out of Heathrow this year is that they are now allowing 2 carry on's per person. Gatwick is still sticking with the 1 carry on per person. That was one of our concerns for flying into there this summer. I want to make sure we each have a change of clothes with us just in case our suitcases don't make it.

[Globaliser]

Another good reason for flying in/out of Heathrow this year is that they are now allowing 2 carry on's per person. Gatwick is still sticking with the 1 carry on per person.

Gatwick will very probably have changed to the same rule as Heathrow by the end of March 2008.

[Globaliser]

Anyway from March 2008 a new terminal [5] opens at Heathrow. It will be for the exclusive use of British Airways passengers.

Back to Terminal 5.

 

Amongst the art there will be a digital installation that evokes the old solari & c udine indicator boards that were so much a staple of 1970s and 1980s airport terminals. (I never thought I'd get nostalgic for those!)

Digital Sculpture at Heathrow Airport Demonstrates that Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining

 

Commissioned for the atrium of the brand spanking new Terminal 5 at Heathrow, Cloud is a digital sculpture conceived by art and design studio Troika. The five-meter structure is suspended above the escalators and consists of three layers. Find out what lies beneath the black and silver flick-dots, and see the sculpture in action ...

And see the sculpture in action on

.

 

And I get to see Terminal 5 in two weeks' time! Going there to be a trial "passenger".

[belle907]

Back to Terminal 5.

 

 

And I get to see Terminal 5 in two weeks' time! Going there to be a trial "passenger".

You will have to tell us how it is after your 'trial' run.

 

Looking forward to the shops and restaurants with the time we will have there.

[Globaliser]

You will have to tell us how it is after your 'trial' run.

 

Looking forward to the shops and restaurants with the time we will have there.

I will try to do that!

 

In the meantime, BA have put out three press releases this week, which give (in the expectedly glowing terms) some more details of what's in store.