Originally Posted by
SpeedbirdLHR
Walkway times - the times are generally exaggerated across the terminal so that customers always allow adequate time to reach their gate with stops if required and without the need to rush. So you are correct in that while the signage says 20 mins to T5C, it can easily be done in around 10, depending on the individual. By stating 20 minutes, customers can plan accordingly.
Well no, they can't. How can they plan appropriately given inaccurate information?
For instance a customer might see such a sign and try to run the whole way (possibly even injuring themselves or others) when they actually have plenty of time. Or worse, they might turn back and go back to the ticket counter since the signage clearly indicated they wouldn't make it in time. This isn't "planning accordingly"
Just the other day I saw a customer begging to cut the queue at security because she had only 30min to make her flight. Almost certainly the airline was lying about the gate closing and in any case 30 minutes should be plenty of time to get to any gate (though LHR security being as dysfunctionally slow as it has been she may have been right to worry). But the inaccurate information led her to panic unnecessarily and caused other passengers inconvenience.
It's also risky in another way. Not every airport will exaggerate timings and customers accustomed to correcting the timing information for Heathrow may be misled into trying to adjust it similarly elsewhere. If other airports give more accurate timings then Heathrow's practice of inaccurate signage will actually cause passengers to miss flights. Even just at Heathrow, passengers will get in the habit of halving or ignoring these signs which puts them at risk.