TonyBurr From United States, joined Mar 2001, 929 posts, RR: 0 Posted (2 months 3 days 19 hours ago) and read 6103 times:
Now that some time has past since the opening of T5, does anyone know how it is going there? Is the baggage system sorted out, have they moved all the flights there, any substantial cancellations? What did they finally do with all the luggage? Have they paid out to the pax according to EU laws?
SK736 From United Kingdom, joined Aug 2006, 301 posts, RR: 0 Reply 1, posted (2 months 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 6090 times:
I flew from T5 last week. Took less than five minutes through security and flight departed on time. Couldn't see any significant delays and no flights were cancelled.
AlanUK From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2004, 557 posts, RR: 16 Reply 2, posted (2 months 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 6068 times:
T5 is going very well indeed, hence why the media have finally packed their cameras and sent their reporters on more juicy stories! I distribute GPMs (Global Performance Monitors - posh acronym for airline survey) onboard flights and on my recent trips, Terminal 5 has often been mentioned as the best part of the journey from a customer's perspective!
Eurofleet crew are also moving into the building today in the new Crew Report Centre. I would say that of the last 10 flights I've done out of T5, 90% of them have been on time (or within 15 minutes) and that passengers seemed pleased with the experience.
Trekster From United Kingdom (England), joined Dec 2003, 4724 posts, RR: 55 Reply 3, posted (2 months 3 days 17 hours ago) and read 5892 times:
I work in it, and the only trouble's of the past few days have been from normal operational problems, IE weather, tech, a runway closing etc.
People come up to me and wonder where the Q's are they have been hearing about in the news. Its a very light building, and I like the fact I can see planes coming in no matter where I sit which makes it a nice place to work compared to T1 and T4
TonyBurr From United States, joined Mar 2001, 929 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (2 months 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 5816 times:
It is a beautiful building. I was there the day after it opened. It was not the madhouse the media made it seem. I was very impressed that in spite of the size the soundproofing was excellent. It was so quiet.
Babybus From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2003, 1217 posts, RR: 2 Reply 5, posted (2 months 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 5771 times:
I flew from it last week and was a little disappointed that the passenger flow lines they reckon they have, do not exist. The signage is terrible and when you go thru security you get stranded on an upper floor when the gates are all downstairs.
The lack of signage is no doubt a way to prolong passengers to look at the upper shopping centre. If the signage was any good you wouldn't need all those people standing around telling you where to go next.
Arrivals was good (4 weeks ago) as there were no pax due to the baggage fiasco. If BA and BAA hadn't told us it was so good I wouldn't have thought it myself. They should have modelled it on a European airport. They need to think again about their flow lines.
Rivet42 From United Kingdom, joined Aug 2005, 686 posts, RR: 1 Reply 6, posted (2 months 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 5626 times:
Local news here in London last night showed some of the baggage turning up at auction - initially a bit odd, but they explained that once the passenger(s) have put in an insurance claim, the bags are not considered worth returning, and are thus 'disposed' of as per normal procedures.
TristarSteve From Sweden, joined Nov 2005, 2040 posts, RR: 10 Reply 7, posted (2 months 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 5591 times:
I meet BA shorthaul most evenings at work. They are definitely more punctual now than they used to be out of T1. I get home on time much more often than before. Slight hiccup last night with the thunderstorms but normally OK.
Our lost baggage area is empty again.
There is a meeting on May 6 between BA and BAA to decide timings of the next moves.
BALHRWWCC From United Kingdom (England), joined Dec 2007, 279 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (1 month 4 weeks 1 day 14 hours ago) and read 5180 times:
BA's punctuality has improved hugely since the move to T5. In a large part this has been down to the zero tolerance policy with pax reporting to security after the cut off time being automatically denied access to the departure lounge and being offloaded from the flight. It was thought that this new policy would be un popular with business pax however they seem to be embracing it. To them time is money and if there flight leaves on time the happier they are.
The number of bags missing flights has come down alot aswell.
Vasu From United Kingdom, joined Apr 2005, 2397 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (1 month 4 weeks 1 day 14 hours ago) and read 5159 times:
Quoting BALHRWWCC (Reply 8): In a large part this has been down to the zero tolerance policy with pax reporting to security after the cut off time being automatically denied access to the departure lounge and being offloaded from the flight
I had no idea about this... a good idea in my opinion!
Rivet42 From United Kingdom, joined Aug 2005, 686 posts, RR: 1 Reply 10, posted (1 month 4 weeks 1 day 13 hours ago) and read 5078 times:
Quoting Vasu (Reply 9): I had no idea about this... a good idea in my opinion!
Yes, it will give the airline more time to offload the baggage (which can cause quite a delay if done at the last minute), but it doesn't deal with the more normal issue of passengers simply not realising how long it'll take them to get to the gate from the bar/restaurant/shop, the more of which you have, the more the opportunities for such incidents. Presumably the dispatchers have been enforcing the 'Gate Closed' conditions very strictly, although as implied above, denying a checked-in passenger boarding at such a late stage can result in a bigger delay than actually letting them on a few minutes late. Difficult call to make, probably making sure at least everyone is through security is about as much as can be done.
1peter From Netherlands, joined Jul 2005, 50 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (1 month 4 weeks 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 4992 times:
I have used T5 a number of times over the last few weeks and like many think it's a great building, very light and airy. A most pleasant environment to enjoy your transit through LHR if that's what your doing, great shops and eating establishments.
The one thing that does slightly concern me is the forth coming move of the remaining longhaul services from T4. The days I've either arrived or departed from T5 from what I could see the majority of stands on T5A and T5B looked to be occupied, now that's not to say that the aircraft parked on all these stands were not just resting! But are we going to be back to coaching everyone in from remote stands around T5C once the move (planned for a few days ago) completes?
Airlines flown; AA, AC, AY, BA, BD, BY, CX, IB, KL, LH, LA, LP, MA, MH & Dan Air
Petera380 From United States, joined Feb 2005, 129 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (1 month 4 weeks 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 4972 times:
I read somewhere that T5 is now Britain's largest shopping Mall! Gatwick and Heathrow are so packed full of shops now that theres almost know where to watch the action outside. Haven't been to T5 yet so I don't know what the views are like.
Rivet42 From United Kingdom, joined Aug 2005, 686 posts, RR: 1 Reply 13, posted (1 month 4 weeks 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 4936 times:
Quoting 1peter (Reply 11): The one thing that does slightly concern me is the forth coming move of the remaining longhaul services from T4. The days I've either arrived or departed from T5 from what I could see the majority of stands on T5A and T5B looked to be occupied, now that's not to say that the aircraft parked on all these stands were not just resting! But are we going to be back to coaching everyone in from remote stands around T5C once the move (planned for a few days ago) completes?
I'm afraid to say it is the case that once all of the planned moves to T5 are complete, whenever that may now be, there will not be enough air-bridge stands, and a certain amount of parking on remote stands with the use of buses will be inevitable. This has been known by BA for quite some time, but there's isn't a great deal they can do about it - there's no space for a T5D satellite, that's for sure!
APYu From United Kingdom, joined Sep 2007, 231 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (1 month 4 weeks 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 4880 times:
Yes even with T5C more flights will require bussing to and from stands than was the case with the separate T1 and T4 operation - Hence Virgins campaign suggesting BA should stand for 'Bussing Around'
We'd like to welcome in particular our Executive Club members and those joining us from our Oneworld alliance partners.
That is most certainly the case, if you are an oldy I could see you getting very confused. Last week I followed the signs to my gate and was sent round in circles, well that's not completely true.........but straight into a shop!!
Airlines flown; AA, AC, AY, BA, BD, BY, CX, IB, KL, LH, LA, LP, MA, MH & Dan Air
Rivet42 From United Kingdom, joined Aug 2005, 686 posts, RR: 1 Reply 17, posted (1 month 4 weeks 13 hours ago) and read 4261 times:
Quoting 1peter (Reply 16): followed the signs to my gate and was sent round in circles, well that's not completely true.........but straight into a shop!!
... so it works, then?!!
The lifts to/from the rail levels drive me crazy (along with many of the passengers that I've seen using them). It's all very well having a sign saying there are no call buttons because the lifts operate automatically, but there is also no indicator as to which one will arrive next. Then they only stop in one direction, which further baffles the incidental traveller (I hate building designers when they have these 'great' ideas but fail completely to understand how things will work in practice). If you want to take the lift from departure level to arrivals, you have first to go all the way down to the rail station, then back up again.
Inovation is great in a building such as BA's headquarters (Waterside) where most of the users are residents and will learn how things work, but in a public facility such as an airport terminal where a significant number of the users on any given day will be completely new to the building, it's necessary to make processes as easy and as familiar as possible.
I see many changes ahead...
I have also noticed no rubbish bins in the entire check-in area (and I couldn't find one when I was wandering through the arrivals level either, but I didn't look everywhere).
I have also noticed no rubbish bins in the entire check-in area (and I couldn't find one when I was wandering through the arrivals level either, but I didn't look everywhere).
I very much hope there are changes ahead..........as from what I've seen and read it's needs it! It'll be interesting to see what I spot that's not quite right in the morning when I'm back!!
Airlines flown; AA, AC, AY, BA, BD, BY, CX, IB, KL, LH, LA, LP, MA, MH & Dan Air
Albird87 From Cayman Islands, joined Jul 2006, 751 posts, RR: 0 Reply 19, posted (1 month 4 weeks 12 hours ago) and read 4162 times:
Quoting 1peter (Reply 18): I very much hope there are changes ahead..........as from what I've seen and read it's needs it! It'll be interesting to see what I spot that's not quite right in the morning when I'm back!!
You will find that most stations and airports in the UK will not have many if at all any bins due to the threat of bombs being placed in them.
Its annoying when you have rubbish but then again you can see why they would do it.
Once your past security tho it should be alright!
Speedbird2155 From United Kingdom (England), joined Feb 2005, 643 posts, RR: 4 Reply 20, posted (1 month 4 weeks 12 hours ago) and read 4152 times:
Quoting Rivet42 (Reply 17):
I have also noticed no rubbish bins in the entire check-in area (and I couldn't find one when I was wandering through the arrivals level either, but I didn't look everywhere).
For security reasons, bins were removed from landside areas many years ago in the other terminals. T5 is no different, so there will be no bins landside.
Rivet42 From United Kingdom, joined Aug 2005, 686 posts, RR: 1 Reply 21, posted (1 month 4 weeks 11 hours ago) and read 4139 times:
Quoting Speedbird2155 (Reply 20): For security reasons, bins were removed from landside areas many years ago in the other terminals. T5 is no different, so there will be no bins land
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which makes it a nice place to work compared to T1 and T4
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