Manoa Chris

The language thing really doesn't bother me. It is their country, after all

LTN Phobia

There is not a lot of effort involved in being courteous or at least being neutral. Public facing people do need to be a little considerate, especially in circumstances like that described by the OP, e.g. elderly persons who may well have had physical difficulties with the bag or hearing difficulties. A polite "Please move your bags so that other people can get on the bus" would have been sufficiently effective.

Due to having clients in different time zones, I often have to get up at bizarre time of the morning/night to work or sometimes stay up for 24 hours to work, and if I shouted rudely at someone because of it or whatever my personal circumstance, I would feel terribly ashamed that I allowed my circumstance to affect me that way.

I really do not think there is any excuse for the bus driver to be rude the way the OP has described.

BA-Flyer

Heathrow is well known outside the UK as being a terrible airport. In Australia, Virgin are advertising their new alliance with Etihad, and boasting about the fact you can now travel to Europe without going via Heathrow.

In December last year I arrived from SYD into LHR T3 - my first visit to this terminal. I was shocked - it was more like arriving into a 3rd world country rather than the host city of the Olympics.

The entire place was absolutely freezing. It wasn't until I got onto the coach that I finally got some warmth and took my coat off.

chipster

The last thing i want to see at half five in the morning is happy smiling faces. It's not normal. I like being grumpy, so go and be friendly with someone else and let me get on with it.

LTN Phobia

I agree, T3 is very poor and a bit of an embarrassment. T1 isn't much better either.

However, CDG T1 still wins in the "badness" stake in my view. I don't think I have been to a major airport in any western country that is quite so bad. It's almost bad enough for me to want to avoid flying to/from CDG on a carrier that uses T1 even if I like the carrier (e.g. LX).

I quite like T5 though. My first impression of T5 was not good. I had the misfortune of arriving a "long way away", what turned out to be the B gate because I recall I was reminded of STN (which I really hate) due to the train. The place also felt somewhat 'cold' and 'quiet' - now I see things differently, however. Once I departed from T5, I started to see the good points of T5 and it soon became my favourite terminal.

Betteronacamel

I agree but I would also add my own 'Welcome to sh*te Britain' experience; stepping off the HEX at Paddington overburdened with luggage and tired, you can only access a trolley if you have a one pound coin. Ask yourself - how many people, particularly if they are visitors, actually have a pound coin on them?

Also, different point, but has anyone ever bought (or seen anyone buy) anything at the absurd shops that greet you as you emerge from Customs at Arrivals? Always strikes me as one final, desperate attempt for BAA to extract a few pennies out of the feckless before they eventually escape. I am sort of surprised that they haven't set up racks at the immigration line-ups with all those tempting goodies that attract children (and drive parents mad) like at the Supermarket.

LTN Phobia

I had no idea because I've never used the trolleys there. However I would find it annoying as I find Australian domestic airports charging for trolleys highly annoying. AUD 3 per trolley too - coins only, and that's nearly �2.00 too.

Athlete95

When I arrived at LHR T3 in August I could not believe the state of the immigration area. There were wires hanging from the roof, the paint on the walls was peeling off badly and the carpet looked like something that you would see in a 1970's bungalow... lets hope BAA have this sorted out by the time the 2012 olympics begin, or lets hope that everyone flies over on BA so they get to see T5 which is a lot, lot nicer!

I agree with the comments about CDG T1- makes LHR T3 look fairly ok!

zippyboarder

Hang on a moment

Whilst I agree that BAA and other airport operators in the UK could do a lot more, do you really get any better service when you arrive elsewhere

I have met the most ghastly people in CAI, MIA, DEN, GIG, GRU and I am sure the list goes on, these people work in a service industry and are probably on nearly minimum wage.

What do you expect

Unless the airlines actualy start manning the arrival gates, security and immigration with their own staff then nothing will change.

HIDDY

Yes I find most large airports are much the same....smaller airports seem to have friendlier staff working in them though.

CAI was okay till we stepped outside and met the hordes of taxi touts....they were the worst I've come across and were to blame for putting me in a right grumpy mood for the rest of the holiday.

OPebble

T3 is currently undergoing a massive refurbishment. Even more wires hanging down and plastic sheets. Can only get better - one hopes!

Weean

Seriously, how many hotels are operated by the local government?

irishguy28

Sorry, but I don't see the analogy.

You're taking some temporary pain to achieve greater, longer-term gain.

The LHR bus driver is presumably not pursuing a similar "betterment" strategy.

Cap'n Benj

Indeed, you're working to ensure you don't have to drive a bus load of ungrateful travellers at 6AM

I suspect if having spent all your savings, you ended up having to drive a bus in circles for 8 hours a day, you'd be far from chipper.


To spin this round how many people thank the driver after getting dropped off?

Mand

Not sure where you fly to/from in France but in my experience, staff at CDG, LYS and NCE speak English as soon as they see a British/US/Canadian (etc) passport. Surely they can't be expected to speak English to anyone just in case it's that person's language?

Quite.

I always do, whether at the airport, taking the bus home where I live, or anywhere else for that matter. From what I have seen, most people thank the bus driver, don't they?