T5 is open!

[TEX277]

Mr Calder reveals the incompetent testing policy that failed to detect T5's shortcomings.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7318540.stm

"They had six moths to test this to destruction. What have they been doing?"

[ian001]

So the total of missing bags is now 15,000 or possibly 20,000. Yet last night, BA said it had reduced a backlog of 5,000 to 2,000. 2,000 to 15,000+ lost bags in under 24 hours? I don't think so.

[cruisr]

Originally Posted by ian001

So the total of missing bags is now 15,000 or possibly 20,000. Yet last night, BA said it had reduced a backlog of 5,000 to 2,000. 2,000 to 15,000+ lost bags in under 24 hours? I don't think so.

Has anybody found all the bags that went missing at LHR last summer? Maybe they all migrated over to T5?

[The _Banking_Scot]

Originally Posted by BAg Lady

Just received a text message that my Monday transfer flight to MAN (BA 1398) has been canceled. On calling I was quickly rebooked onto the last flight out. At least now I will get 5 hours in transit so should have time to make ample use of the lounges .

Maybe a very dumb question... if I arrive in T5 from a European flight and depart from T5 on a Domestic, do I have to face the horrors of the FCC as described by bazzatel?
I truly hope not.

Hi BAg Lady,

Yes you will have to go through FCC when connecting from European to Domestic ( and from bazzatel's post waiting alomst 2hours is absolutely not acceptable)

It might be better to go through immigration, thorugh baggage reclaim and customs and then up to departures ( it cannot be any slower)

Regards

TBS

[pdx42]

Originally Posted by BOH

To which I would enquire what analogies can be drawn from a disastrous invasion and utter lack of planning for the aftermath of a 2003 military expedition to the middle east?. Oh sorry "mission accomplished" wasn't it

Or New Orleans August 2005. Great planning both before and after the hurricane.

Denver Airport anyone? This from the link given in post 661 "Perhaps the biggest problems were encountered at America's Denver International Airport, which not only opened a year late in 1995 because of technical faults with the baggage system, its first day was then marred by problems with bay allocation and luggage handling, which led to long queues and lost bags"

Jesus, what an ironic (and predicatable) comment

...are the last ones to be challenging anyone's military prowess. Talk about 'ironic'.

[BAg Lady]

Originally Posted by The _Banking_Scot

...It might be better to go through immigration, thorugh baggage reclaim and customs and then up to departures ( it cannot be any slower)

Thanks TBS - that is a very good idea and one that had not crossed my mind. I will probably do that.

As for the luggage issue - I have no idea whether to check it all the way through or to pick it up in T5 and check it on to MAN myself. It all sounds like a bit of a lottery.

[ScottC]

Friendly request to stay as much on topic as possible. Debates about politics or which country screwed up the most are not welcome here, take that to Omni.

[squeeler]

Originally Posted by The _Banking_Scot

Hi BAg Lady,

Yes you will have to go through FCC when connecting from European to Domestic ( and from bazzatel's post waiting alomst 2hours is absolutely not acceptable)

It might be better to go through immigration, thorugh baggage reclaim and customs and then up to departures ( it cannot be any slower)

Regards

TBS

How about a T4 arrival to T5 international departure. Presumably FCC is required, but if one goes landside, how would you get from T4 to T5?

[The _Banking_Scot]

Originally Posted by BAg Lady

Thanks TBS - that is a very good idea and one that had not crossed my mind. I will probably do that.

As for the luggage issue - I have no idea whether to check it all the way through or to pick it up in T5 and check it on to MAN myself. It all sounds like a bit of a lottery.

Hi BAg Lady,

How long is your connection in LHR? ( I think BA has been advertising a minimum connection time in T5 of 60mins which is a bit of a joke given some of the stories about connecting)

If you can survive without your bag for some days then I would probably get it checked through ( with essentials in your hand baggage- I read some where that on the 1st day of ops a passenger had his insulin in his checked luggage to Rome and the bag was missing and he was blaming BA) Anything that critical should be in your checked luugage.

All the best for transiting T5 - I fortunately did my flights to Muscat the week before opening and my next flight is to Vancouver at the end of April-time for it to be sorted I hope.

Regards

TBS

[hometown38]

No mention yet of the brawling & fist fighting between baggage staff on the first day, resulting in 10 or 12 of them being suspended.

Putting T1 & T4 baggage together in one place is akin to placing two rival groups of rowdy football supporters together in a confined space.

Anyone else heard more about the fun & games on the first day?

This is taken from another forum , just thought i'd throw this into the mix , this isn't the first i've heard of this but i have yet to have it confirmed. If true, what a sorry state of affairs.

[The _Banking_Scot]

Originally Posted by squeeler

How about a T4 arrival to T5 international departure. Presumably FCC is required, but if one goes landside, how would you get from T4 to T5?

Hi,

Good question
Landside- two options I think.

(1) Shuttle train from T4 ( Hex platform to T123 then HEX to T5)

(2) Walk from T4 departures to the LHR Hilton ( covered walkway) then get the complimentary shuttle to T5

Regards

TBS

PS just seen the Tube map;

(3) Take the Tube from T4 to T123- change tubes and get one going back to T5

Either way - it does not seem that easy or quick ( allow some extra time)

[Petrus]

Originally Posted by squeeler

How about a T4 arrival to T5 international departure. Presumably FCC is required, but if one goes landside, how would you get from T4 to T5?

I've asked this question too along with a few others. Waiting to hear from someone who has endured the experience.
It appears the method available is to HEX to T1/2/3 and then take Piccadilly to T5. There is no direct link.
Not ideal, nor very quick but definately quicker and more civil than FCC via T5 as things stand currently. Three hours from arrival at T4 to T5 departure should suffice.

Someone mentioned buses as an option?

[BahrainLad]

No HEX at T4, only Heathrow Connect.

T4->T5 best way (i.e. most frequent) would be Tube from T4 to T123, then change platform to T5. However, you'd have to pay.

[BAg Lady]

Originally Posted by The _Banking_Scot

Hi BAg Lady,

How long is your connection in LHR? ( I think BA has been advertising a minimum connection time in T5 of 60mins which is a bit of a joke given some of the stories about connecting)...

As helpful as ever TBS, I really appreciate it . My original connection time was 2 hours but after the cancellation and rebooking it will be 5 hours.

I will have time to pick up and recheck my luggage but am concerned that BA could again stop accepting checked bags at T5 and that would leave me with a big problem should it happen during my transit. I think I will take my chances and check my bags through.

[SpeedbirdLHR]

Originally Posted by bazzatel

Anyway something to share: my sis just had the pleasure of arriving at T5 from GLA (on time-ish, lots of good cheer on board) to connect to her flight to HKG. A 3 hour layover she had planned specifically to enjoy the new terminal and a glass of poo in the new Galleries (she is silver, but flying WT+). Well that was the plan until she encountered the FCC. She said it was probably the single-most dreadful airport experience she has ever had to endure. 1 hour 45 minute wait, people crying, screaming and sprawled on the floor, having lost the will to live. Poor staff (some volunteers) getting it in the neck from almost every passenger once they get to the desk - most of which are unmanned. She said people who were supposed to be working FCC had been taken upstairs to work on the main floor. Talk about a leaky bucket approach to crisis management!!

Did she arrive from GLA on BA?? If she did, then she wouldn't have been in the main connections area, as there is a seperate area for those arriving on domestics with connections. This area has only 4 BA desks, which if you already have a boarding pass, you don't need to stop at. The only other desk are 2 BAA desks where you show your boarding pass and then proceed directly into the departures lounge. If she did go to the main connections area, then she went the wrong way entirely.