Rant: why is T5 so badly connected?
Jan 6, 2019, 11:22 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: London, UK
Posts: 5,105
Rant: why is T5 so badly connected?
Living in the City I try to avoid LHR for short-haul flights, preferring LCY, LGW and even STN, but sometimes needs must. Never mind we though, Piccadilly to Hammersmith and change to District, it should take just over an hour. Wrong. I’d never thought about it before but T5 is an afterthought on both the tube and HEX lines. Even T4 looks like it would get more service! How did BA build a flagship terminal at its hone base and not insist that it would be the ground transportation hub? And will Crossrail (if it ever happens) be any better?
Rant over. :-)
Rant over. :-)
Jan 6, 2019, 11:25 am
#2
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: GLA
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 2,964
T5 gets much better service that T4.
As for T5 being the ground transport hub... maybe they should have built it a bit further east, sorta where terminals 2/3 are?
But yes, T5 is literally an after-thought in terms of the tube!
As for T5 being the ground transport hub... maybe they should have built it a bit further east, sorta where terminals 2/3 are?
But yes, T5 is literally an after-thought in terms of the tube!
Jan 6, 2019, 11:28 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: London, UK
Posts: 5,105
Exactly! And on one site instead of with a ridiculous transit system? Today reaffirmed my view that T5 is only worthwhile if you are going long-haul. Otherwise you spend more time getting to and through the airport (oh and queuing or
stacking) than you do flying to your destination.
stacking) than you do flying to your destination.
Jan 6, 2019, 11:29 am
#6
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Bridport, Dorset
Programs: Mucci, BA Bronze, Hilton Gold
Posts: 2,130
Living in the City I try to avoid LHR for short-haul flights, preferring LCY, LGW and even STN, but sometimes needs must. Never mind we though, Piccadilly to Hammersmith and change to District, it should take just over an hour. Wrong. I’d never thought about it before but T5 is an afterthought on both the tube and HEX lines. Even T4 looks like it would get more service! How did BA build a flagship terminal at its hone base and not insist that it would be the ground transportation hub? And will Crossrail (if it ever happens) be any better?
Rant over. :-)
Rant over. :-)
Jan 6, 2019, 11:30 am
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: London, UK and Southern France
Posts: 18,367
I don't understand this rant. T5 is served by underground trains every 10 minutes and by the Hex every 15 minutes. That strikes me as eminently reasonable. Admittedly, Piccadilly line service could start earlier from central London for early morning departures but, apart from that, service seems to me fairly appropriate.
Jan 6, 2019, 11:37 am
#8
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,857
Crossrail will be your friend (though perhaps not your taxation friend) in due course. Farringdon to Heathrow T5 in 38 minutes. But you live 20 miles from the airport, you have to cross one of the busiest and most congested cities on the planet to do so, and it takes a bit over an hour? I don't think that's too bad.
Jan 6, 2019, 11:40 am
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: London, UK
Posts: 5,105
We exited T5 at 535pm and the first tube left the station at just before 6pm. 10 minutes does not apply on sunday evening! I get why we ended up here, of course I do, but it is sadly ironic that BA ended up with the worst connectivity at its own hub.
Jan 6, 2019, 11:44 am
#11
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Surrey, UK
Posts: 495
Tube is still a scheduled 10 minute service at that time on a Sunday. That may not happen in reality due to the un-reliable nature of the Piccadilly Line (and future improvements put on hold too)
Jan 6, 2019, 11:47 am
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: London, UK
Posts: 5,105
Jan 6, 2019, 12:00 pm
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Brighton. UK
Programs: BA Gold / VS /IHG Diamond & Ambassador
Posts: 14,204
Yet somehow thousands of people a day manage to get into central London with little or no difficulty despite T5 apparently being so badly connected.
It's not badly connected at all.
It's not badly connected at all.
Jan 6, 2019, 12:05 pm
#14
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Cumbria
Programs: BAEC GGL/CCR, Hilton Diamond, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 4,510
Living in the City I try to avoid LHR for short-haul flights, preferring LCY, LGW and even STN, but sometimes needs must. Never mind we though, Piccadilly to Hammersmith and change to District, it should take just over an hour. Wrong. I’d never thought about it before but T5 is an afterthought on both the tube and HEX lines. Even T4 looks like it would get more service! How did BA build a flagship terminal at its hone base and not insist that it would be the ground transportation hub? And will Crossrail (if it ever happens) be any better?
Rant over. :-)
Rant over. :-)
Quit your moaning. You don’t know how easy you have it!
Jan 6, 2019, 12:15 pm
#15
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 8,774
T2/3 are better connected than T5 and T4 for sure, since they have double the Tube frequency plus both HEX *and* TFL Rail.
However for me the issue isn’t so much about the difference between the terminals, but the poor journey options between Heathrow generally and where I live in fairly central London (Angel). I for one can’t wait for Crossrail. Until then, Luton and Gatwick will remain my preferred airports for shorthaul.
However for me the issue isn’t so much about the difference between the terminals, but the poor journey options between Heathrow generally and where I live in fairly central London (Angel). I for one can’t wait for Crossrail. Until then, Luton and Gatwick will remain my preferred airports for shorthaul.