Originally Posted by
salut0
At LHR T3, AA used to use the gates at the end of the T-shaped pier (gates 13-22-ish). They recently seem to have moved to new gates in the 30s and 40s instead, a much further walk away.
Why was this done? Who at BAA makes these decisions and for what reasons?
I know that in US airports gates are often "owned" by airlines, but that's not the case in the UK (except at LHR T5 where BA "owns" everything).
So who gets what, and on what basis?
Do those airlines who have more flights have closer gates to the main departures area, and hence AA's service cuts have led them to move?
Or is it to do with how much they pay for the gates, and hence perhaps a money saving issue?
I know many people here gripe about BA using buses from T3. I've never flown BA from T3 so I wouldn't know. Did they pay less for their gates and get stuck with the undesirable buses instead?
Yes, there is a discount for bussing. for example, at MAN... the fees table says:
"Where passengers are transported by bus to an Aircraft parked on a stand that is identified as a Remote Stand (because the passengers are unable to walk to the Aircraft from the terminal) a reduction of £0.75 per departing passenger will be applied to the applicable PFC."