T8191

My sympathy for having a job that denies you the opportunity to actually go proper shopping.

And my amazement that anyone [apart from Yahillwe] would spend that much on a handbag!!

hsmall

Lukew has kindly enlightened us - see above.

HilFly

Priorities in life.

Handbags
Shoes
Air
Chocolate
Water
Food

daftboy

I used to have the same view as many on this forum and thought those complaining about the convoluted walk to Galleries South were getting a bit worked up over not very much at all.

However, having now had the chance to use the concorde door (or whatever we’re calling it) I was very surprised to find just how much of a difference it made to the travelling experience, to the extent that I was taken aback by the crowds when leaving the lounge and passing through the terminal to go to the gate (late, after a few too many glasses of DP Grand Siecle!).

FWIW, it surely can’t come as a surprise to anyone that part of BAA’s sales pitch to Paul Smith, Prada, Dior et al was presumably that the typically more affluent customers who have access to lounges (whether for work or pleasure) will have to at least walk past their stores. It’s not a question of “customer choice” or “convenience” or "respect" – BAA is simply seeking to run its operations as profitably as possible, and I’m sure retail revenues are a key part of that profitability. No-one is being forced to shop (I usually don't), but they are at least put in the path of temptation...

I agree that the schlep is badly designed though, with stupid pinch points at escalators etc

angatol

.....

NoTiersForMe

Given the lounge obsessed nature of this forum I think it's easier to overlook another area of BAA passenger patronisation [tm]. It's been touched on just briefly in this thread about LHR being overpriced and underwhelming: the shop at the end of the rainbow, aka the last chance saloon that EVERY passenger has to go through after clearing immigration and customs, unless perhaps you're being ferried through a VIP suite.

OK, I can blindly walk by and not buy anything, and yes some will say the even moderate sales here are still helping bring down those airport fees for others. But I really just think it's downright tacky. Finish a long haul flight, do your required government business in very controlled zones and then, naively, expect to go through a door and "arrive" in your destination country but, no, you pop into a shop which just says -- to me -- "welcome to Britain, we like to sell things". I'm a glass half full kind of guy but it just lowers my mood every time I have to pass by the crassness of it all. And it is every time.

I know it's just a little, tiny, shop. But I guess I'm a bit old skool and just think it shouldn't be in that particular part of the airport. Other areas ok but not in this "official", more controlled area. But as we know, the airport is a retail park, so why not.

If only it could be removed, a little more space given over to comfort for arriving passengers [of all classes] and maybe BAA could just get away with it without losing face by saying they were doing it for -- that old chestnut -- increased demands of security. One can dream.

Just my opinion. But in someways this is miles more annoying that having to walk a bit further to a lounge you actually don't have to go to anyway.

Yahillwe

And don't forget, bring you own food.

Hey, keep me out of this argument...
Mine are:

Shoes
Chocolate (yes they come after shoes)
Handbags
Kids
Water
And
Food.

shorthauldad

This sums it up very well. When I travel I'm prefer to be in my own "personal bubble". I would prefer to interact with as few people as possible (God, I sound really antisocial, don't I?!). BAA intrudes into my space thanks to the design and operation of their airport. Other airports do this much less - my personal favourite is MUC. The whole of T2 in MUC feels to me a bit like a business lounge. It's quiet. There's space. You don't bump into people trying to get up or down escalators. There's no music from shops blaring out. You do actually have plenty of choice of shops and restaurants, but they're so much less in your face than at LHR T5.

But then again, BA flights depart from T1 at MUC and it's a different kettle of fish there, since I defected from *A I don't see much of T2 as I would like!

nh1980

Having not had the privilege of lounge access (by default) up until fairly recently I still remember the days when I had to kill time in the airport and I found the shops and restaurants/bars a welcome distraction/necessity!
I can see why the more frequent/business traveller would find it a chore though when all they want to do is relax with a drink or do some work but it is just a 5 minute walk

HIDDY

Yes I always enjoy taking a seat in a departures cafe while the wife goes off to browse the shops. Sitting there people watching is a great way to pass the time....and a far more diverse group of people to watch than those who inhabit airport lounges I have to say.

shorthauldad

...but you can design an airport so that those who want to visit shops and restaurants/bars can, but those who don't want them, don't have to endure the walk and/or the noise.

In essence - you want shops? Great... have them... but don't make me walk past them/through them all every time I'm travelling when I never (and I mean never) shop in any of them.

In fact, you can even design an airport so that NON-STATUS pax who want a quiet place to sit can find one. MUC T2 for instance. There are even power sockets at the airside seating areas.

Are there any quiet places to sit at LHR T5 if you're flying in Y and don't have status? Not many, that's for sure... and with power sockets? Hah!

LTN Phobia

I am far more annoyed with the immigration queues than the forced shopping expedition.
Queues bring no benefits to me other than to make me learn tolerance. At least forced shopping expedition makes me take exercise!

Indeed. Some check-in agents think it's sort of funny that I'm checking in at the ET/WT desk but I say "Sorry, but I'm too lazy to walk to the other end of the terminal".

Sorry ET/WT traveller, I am lengthening your queues. But being able to use ANY queue is the privilege of being an OWE, including the ET/WT queues.

I wish they split the CE/CW check-in into two sections, at either ends, so that we never have to walk too far. But then, most frequent travellers probably could do with more exercise even if it's for the travel-related DVT prevention

HIDDY

I've been in airports which are designed just how you say.

Still took much longer than a 5 minute walk to get to the lounge though.

shorthauldad

If it's a long walk because of the geography (lounge at the end of long corridor), fair enough. How many other airports do you know that take you round in a circle? As someone said earlier, at T5 it's not even to get from A to B, but from A to A.

Also - a long walk down a quiet, almost empty corridor = a long walk, don't mind about that.

A long walk through T5 when it's busy = horrendous. The fact that it's a walk in a big circle is just taking the ****.

OT: where are all the fire exits in T5? I don't recall seeing any (but I was probably too busy weaving in and out of the shoppers, sorry, passengers). If the terminal caught fire when it was packed, where would everyone go? Line up neatly in a queue for the narrow escalators?(!)

BizFlyin

You seem to be missing the issue. Maybe on purpose. The length of the walk is not the concern.