Many frequent flyers are not the top execs who can dictate their schedules. I would actually think that most people here are Indians, not Chiefs. They have to heed their clients' and bosses' requirements. Do you seriously think they enjoy running to the tube station / from cab to platform / from HEX to security? No they don't, it can be incredibly stressful esp. in London. And the T -35 cutoff just adds to that. We all understand that if we're late, we're late, and most frequent flyers I know have missed flights because they were late for departure.

But the less the time spent at the airport, the better, at least when travelling on business. Time spent in a lounge is better than no lounge, but if I want to be comfortable and spend some quality time in nice relaxing surroundings, I'll do that at home thank you very much. Short check-in time, for me, is one of the big selling points of an airline and/or an airport. I have arrived at the Terminal door (w/ OLCI and PYOBP) and made the flight at T-25 (LH, FRA and LHR T2; OS, VIE; BA, DUS; SQ, SIN), T-30 (BA, LHR T1), T-20 (LG, LCY-no OLCI possible, so desk check-in), T-15 (BA LCY; VG LCY with checked luggage ^), and T-10 (LG, LUX, although that was a really close shave as the flight was actually on time). And I was, in each of these cases, happy to make the flight and grateful to the airport and airline staff who made that possible.

BTW is that really T-35 from scheduled departure? i.e. if I get to conformance at 0700 for a 0730 flight which is showing as delayed until 0800, am I offloaded or not? If yes, I'd say it's just a ploy to get people airside to while away the delay in the shops rather than airside. And it would be incredibly mean as well.

Tom