Good article, but a number of minor errors have been spotted, including:

1) TGWU represents the vast majority of check-in staff and not the GMB. There are actually few, if any GMB members in T4, for example.

2) There isn't actually 'two zones. One side of the airport will be for short-haul services and will have faster food, cheaper shops and simpler executive lounges. ' There is one departures lounge for everyone, including domestics. The only thing is that the gates on the north end of T5A (about 5/6 gates), will be dedicated to domestic flights, unlike T1 where domestics is seperate. Special procedures are being put in place to handle this, and because of how domestics are handled, they will be kept together. All other gates can be used for any other service, long or shorthaul.

3) The Queen and Prime Minister don't walk through the terminal and won't be using the general BA lounges and therefore the 'innocuous white door on the right just after the long-haul security check' isn't designed for their exclusive use, but for those paid First class passengers.

Interestingly, the BAA already seem to be trying to blame BA and the unions for any possible issues with T5, in that it says that BA gave in to the unions over the layout and design of the desks. AFAIK, the desks are still very close to the original design and are not any bigger than originally planned. Modifications have been made based on H&S, but the desks all still have a relatively open design to them, allowing greater interaction between staff and customers. Also, staff have always been told that the plane was for the check-in process to be in 'waves'. Wave 1 being the kiosks, wave 2 being the bag drops/flexible desks and wave 3 being ticketing/customer services desks. This article is the first mention I have heard of there being a change in plan. All plans I've seen have also included this layout. Further, I have never heard in any union briefings this issue raised. Staff have raised concerns about angry customers, but it had to do with the fact that we will have more of a presence among customers by having more hosts and therefore, the 'barrier' ie desk is no longer there.