Originally Posted by
GUWonder
You should check out LHR T2 security landside-to-airsed checkpoint in the early morning. Between 5 to 6 a.m. I routinely see how bad LHR can be, for it's amongst the worst lines witnessable at LHR right there. (And Terminal 2 needs a demolition-renovation IMO.)
T2 is the old European terminal (and as you rightly state due for demolition in 2008 once T5 opens, to be re-built as the Heathrow east Terminal, in time for the Olympics in 2012!, and thus all the European carriers have many departures early on - in T3 is SK and TK for the earlybirds so not too terrible. Mid-morning peaks with US/Canadian traffic, then again in the evening with the Far East/Middle East traffic -in theory. Practice shows that one minute it's all peaceful, then the next queues are a mile long.
Transfer security in T3 has always been notoriously bad AM due to all the long haul arrivals - but now it's anything under 20 minutes queueing and count yourself lucky.