T5 losing its exclusive feel?
Jan 20, 2013, 8:34 am
#1
Original Poster
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T5 losing its exclusive feel?
Folks,
Now that Iberia are fullly at home at T5, and, i read somewhere on here JAL are thinking about T5, is it me, or is T5 losing the exclusiveness of British Airways, and the eliteness of flying from it. Will more airlines join? Will it continue to feel special and elite, or just another busy terminal in which a few airlines use it.
Also, surely if BA haven't got the stands (often needing remote), what about MORE services needing T5 facilities?
Just some thoughts, no flaming please...
Now that Iberia are fullly at home at T5, and, i read somewhere on here JAL are thinking about T5, is it me, or is T5 losing the exclusiveness of British Airways, and the eliteness of flying from it. Will more airlines join? Will it continue to feel special and elite, or just another busy terminal in which a few airlines use it.
Also, surely if BA haven't got the stands (often needing remote), what about MORE services needing T5 facilities?
Just some thoughts, no flaming please...
Jan 20, 2013, 8:42 am
#3
Join Date: Mar 2009
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If my experience of T3 a week ago is anything to go by the arrival of JAL will at least mean some staff in lounges. The T3 lounge had 3 times as many JAL staff in attendance at 1800 than BA lounge dragons. 4 uniformed staff in Galleries club, 4 in First and 4 male staff in the entrance. Overkill perhaps but their passengers seemed to appreciate it and were not being told by tem to go and talk to someone else!
Jan 20, 2013, 8:46 am
#4
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Jan 20, 2013, 10:54 am
#7
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Concur with most posts above. It's just an airport Terminal, not The Cathedral of British Airways. Perhaps other operators using it might actually start kicking butt and make some of the HAL aspects work better?
Jan 20, 2013, 11:03 am
#9
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I value the long walk from the Sofitel to the far end of T5, for CW bag-drop, thus minimising the risk of DVT. I am also fascinated by the numbers of foreign people who fly BA, readily identifiable by their bizarre luggage which often consists of large cardboard boxes tied up with string. These are some of my favourite things.
Jan 20, 2013, 11:10 am
#10
Join Date: Nov 2009
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Agree, T5 did initially feel unique as there are globally few airport terminals that only 'belong' to one airline. EK and QR I think have a similar arrangement though.
I fear that, like the automotive industry, many airlines will become all owned by each other and emulate the same goals to the point of brand-bland and no-one in 20 years will have any idea who they are flying with.
Hope not though. I liked the environment of T5 being British Airways.
I fear that, like the automotive industry, many airlines will become all owned by each other and emulate the same goals to the point of brand-bland and no-one in 20 years will have any idea who they are flying with.
Hope not though. I liked the environment of T5 being British Airways.
Jan 20, 2013, 12:37 pm
#11
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Yes it just looks like any other shopping mall accross the UK, however, how many shopping malls can you get to riding in a Pod? Makes my day. 
Last edited by thundercat; Jan 21, 2013 at 11:45 am
Jan 20, 2013, 12:58 pm
#12
Join Date: Sep 2010
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T5, with all of its flaws, still beats T1 any day IMHO... I think it also beats T4's new-agey (well, it was back then when they built it) look.
Don't you think T5 is the only terminal at LHR that somewhat resembles a 'modern' airport terminal? Take MUC T2, AMS, ZRH and the new bit of FRA - don't you think that they have a more airy and roomy feel?
Don't you think T5 is the only terminal at LHR that somewhat resembles a 'modern' airport terminal? Take MUC T2, AMS, ZRH and the new bit of FRA - don't you think that they have a more airy and roomy feel?
Jan 20, 2013, 12:58 pm
#13
Join Date: Apr 2012
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I value the long walk from the Sofitel to the far end of T5, for CW bag-drop, thus minimising the risk of DVT. I am also fascinated by the numbers of foreign people who fly BA, readily identifiable by their bizarre luggage which often consists of large cardboard boxes tied up with string. These are some of my favourite things.
Jan 20, 2013, 1:20 pm
#15
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Still more exclusive than what used to be known as the British Airways terminal at MAN (T3), we'd have part of the lounge partitioned off for use by Flybe, another part of the lounge closed off and empty, paid for trolleys and plastic bags for security, signs all over the place saying how much shopping you can take on a Ryanair flight, etc.
I wonder what T5 would have been like now if BA had collapsed when they were going through a bad patch a few years ago?
Anyway, I think Iberia need to go back to T3, only time they should be in T5 is if they build another satellite and BA can move all their ops out of T1/3.
Having all the alliances in their own terminals, which is the aim when T2 is complete (unless the lack of bmi has changed this somewhat) was a good idea. You'd then know that all oneworld except BA was in T3.
I wonder what T5 would have been like now if BA had collapsed when they were going through a bad patch a few years ago?
Anyway, I think Iberia need to go back to T3, only time they should be in T5 is if they build another satellite and BA can move all their ops out of T1/3.
Having all the alliances in their own terminals, which is the aim when T2 is complete (unless the lack of bmi has changed this somewhat) was a good idea. You'd then know that all oneworld except BA was in T3.