kop84

For those of us looking forward to more flights to LHR in 9 years, then today is your lucky day!

http://news.delta.com/third-runway-l...-gets-go-ahead

N639DL

Sure, the 3rd runway at LHR will be great. 9 years from now the impact from "Brexit" will be there and who knows what the global economy will be like then.

flyerCO

Belgrade will be the main connecting point, overtaking LHR. Air Serbia will buy out the remains,of British Airways. The third runway comes online in time to allow multiple ERJ/CRJ to server the many destinations previously served by 777/767/widebodies.

GUWonder

There has been some form of government approval for a 3rd runway for LHR since back around the mid-1940s when LHR was tent city, and yet look where we are 70 years later.

The whole 3rd runway announcement from the current UK government is but a desperate marketing ploy to try to foster confidence in the UK still being a great place for business post-Brexit and possibly an attempt to provide an economic stimulus package of sort to try to offset Brexit-related damage.

The UK's "open for business"? Tell that to those waiting 45-100 minutes to clear UK passport control at LHR.

Can't say I'm surprised by DL and other airlines cheerleading for this "3rd runway" -- and it won't just be a runway that leads to runaway costs.

davetravels

9 years??? Darn! I'm planning a trip there in 8 and a half years. . . . . . .







Actually, flying OUT of LHR on AF to CDG in Dec.

DLdweeb

I will bet anyone an e-Biscoff that this runway will not be completed before 15 years, if at all.

lucycan

Sounds like CVG!!

kop84

See I thought that it may be shortsighted by US and EU carriers to champion the 3rd runway. The lack of slots available prevents the ME3 from even more expansion at LHR and possibly launching 5th freedom routes.

LHR- JFK/LAX/ORD etc.

ND76

I flew to LHR twice this year; once on VS in PE; and once on DL in C+ (I actually sat in regular coach in an empty window row of 2 when DL thoughtfully plopped an NRSA in the middle seat of my C+ row).

I was able to get a fast-track card for the UK border checkpoint in T3 from the VS flight attendant, with a smile, as only 4 J pax were on board. On the DL trip which was in early June, I asked an FA for a fast-track card, and she got one for me effortlessly, but then told me that DL was changing its policy and in the future only J pax would get these cards; DM and PM sitting in the back would not be given these cards.

How much does it cost Delta for each of these cards? I give a lot of business and loyalty to the Big D. They have endeavored to give people like me preferred access to other checkpoints in the system and to the retrieval of luggage. Why are they so cheap with fast-track cards at LHR, when they know that the immigration lines at LHR are awful, regardless of what time of day you arrive at T3 (I've done the flight that arrives at LHR in the 8 pm hour, as well as various redeyes that arrive variously between 6 am and noon.

pbarnette

I suspect the bigger issue is that the benefits would be negated if they provided it to too many people.

But I'm not sure what the complaints about the lines have to do with the price of tea in China. If nobody wanted to go to London, there would be no lines. Could they throw resources at the problem? Sure. But can anyone with a straight face say it would increase the number of people trying to enter the country? London is London and masses of people aren't going to suddenly decamp to Warsaw because they had to wait in a line.

Honestly, the complaining about UK immigration comes across as a bit of "nobody goes there anymore, it is too crowded".

As to the subject of the OP... This is good for DL and good for travelers, assuming (of course) that it actually comes to fruition.

GUWonder

I saw the costs the airlines paid at LHR this year, but I'll first have to find it to get the numbers exactly right. IIRC, DL pays less than 10GBP/fast track passenger at LHR but i don't recall how much less than that it is; and meanwhile BA pays a fixed fee based on governmental staff it wants for fast track at LHR T5; at the same time BA's payment arrangement for fast track is different at T3 and BA pays akin to what DL pays per user at LHR.

It's a cost issue for airlines. DL could choose to provide it to DL SkyTeam ElitePlus customers too and it wouldn't necessarily do anything to erode the value of the benefit for customers since -- unlike with LHR T5 -- the UK government at the rest of LHR (including at the terminal used by DL) would rather get more money from Fast Track than less for it. And the UK gets more money for Fast Track per user of Fast Track, except at LHR T5.

The UK is -- or at least some airports are -- considering opening up Fast Track to everyone who wants to directly pay a fee to use it. In other words, DL will be able to tell more of its customers like you that you have an option to pay for it directly if you want to use it. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...cash-cows.html That article says they are looking to allow for it for 17.50 GBP. Should give you an idea of how little this can cost per passenger.

UKtravelbear

The current rate for each fast track passenger charged by UKBA is £3.60 at LHR (other than T5)

This is a different fee to that charged by HAL as the 'passenger service charge' or anything included in the landing charges.

However, the more people that use it when they shouldn't simply means the service becomes less fast!

GUWonder

That's the rate the UK charges airlines at LHR at terminals other than T5. Amusingly, the UK and Heathrow want to charge many times the above amount for the service when the airline ends up not being the one paying for it. 17.50 GBP as a considered price for the service while charging airlines less than a third of that? Sounds like the UK (government) and Heathrow are just about treating arriving passengers as walking wallets/purses to be charged more than airlines.

When the airline is paying for fast track on a per-passenger basis for the passenger using the service, more such passengers using the service doesn't necessarily mean the service becomes less fast.

Some airlines are just too cheap to pay for their FFP elites to use fast track at LHR, and DL's amongst those; at least DL reliably provides it to DL customers in the premium cabin.

davetravels

How LITTLE?!?!?

Are the immigration lines at LHR THAT BAD that people would pay more than TWENTY DOLLARS to wait in one line vs another?!?!?

GUWonder

Compare the mentioned 17.50 GBP price for ordinary passengers vs the 3.60 GBP cost for the airlines.

Given how bad the lines at LHR can be (sometimes even for EU citizens), paying 17.50 GBP or even more for Fast Track may be well worth it.