How would YOU improve T5 - radical ideas to reboot BA’s “home”
Jan 22, 2019, 12:44 pm
#63
Join Date: Feb 2018
Programs: Mucci, BAEC Silver, IHG Platinum Elite
Posts: 1,037
I understand that the gates being displayed late are largely down to keeping people in the "shopping centre", after all I would guess that the rents for those units are massive and HAL justifies this by keeping the captives near by. However I don't see why on entering the lounges you couldn't be advised that another lounge is closer and/or have the gates displayed early in the lounge themselves. After all once you are in the lounge your unlikely to go out and spend money on food or "stuff".
Jan 22, 2019, 1:03 pm
#64
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 7,218
I understand that the gates being displayed late are largely down to keeping people in the "shopping centre", after all I would guess that the rents for those units are massive and HAL justifies this by keeping the captives near by. However I don't see why on entering the lounges you couldn't be advised that another lounge is closer and/or have the gates displayed early in the lounge themselves. After all once you are in the lounge your unlikely to go out and spend money on food or "stuff".
HAL does not do gate allocation in T5, it's done by BA. BA doesn't get a Ł from the shops, so it's not in BA's interest to keep passengers in T5A's shops.
The reasons why gates aren't allocated earlier are quite simple: On average a gate is engaged by a new plane every 45-60 minutes, and for long haul gates the number goes up to 120 or so, but it's still a relatively short time. When you have such high turnover on a gate, then it's frequent to have gate changes, because the gate you had might now be still occupied by a late departing aircraft, or sometimes you had a gate but now it must be used for a domestic departure, and your plane's next leg isn't... I've got no data but my own experience and I've personally seen the gate for an inbound flight from TLS changing 4 times in the time it took for the plane to do its last half hour of flying. When you have such a high turnaround it gets hard to pinpoint gates without a risk of having multiple changes.
In addition to this, it's also worth remember that T5 was designed with this concept of "flowing forward", from security into T5A into B into C. Another concept is, to quote from the Ghostbusters, a separation of fluxes. You do T5A-B-C when you depart, C-B-A when you arrive, and the two fluxes shall never cross. There's the walkway, granted, but an aircraft change B-A or C-B is a pain in the proverbial.
This doesn't mean it shouldn't improve and I don't want to minimise the discomfort of having to go from satellite to satellite in a short time, but I just wanted to dispel the 'shops' myth.
All the above is my opinion and experience and does not reflect BA's position.
Last edited by 13901; Jan 22, 2019 at 10:10 pm
Jan 22, 2019, 1:09 pm
#65
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold but PlatPro thanks to LPs
Posts: 4,438
Jan 22, 2019, 1:16 pm
#66
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: BA Silver, VS Silver
Posts: 774
Agreed, I'm a frequent user of T2 as my parents live in Cork, needs a Pret at least. So many times I've left work, arrived at T2 starving but felt meh by the food options (I don't have EI status).
Thankfully EI always use the A gates to I'm spared the walk - the Irish media has always said EI was given a good spot in the new T2 to make up for the many years of the long walk needed to reach the Irish gates in the old T1.
Thankfully EI always use the A gates to I'm spared the walk - the Irish media has always said EI was given a good spot in the new T2 to make up for the many years of the long walk needed to reach the Irish gates in the old T1.
They would never manage this in a satellite - and in the old Green Mile connections had to be bussed to the FCC to avoid having to reflect security twice on changing terminals. Once this was sorted, they could be given one of the lounge spots directly above the gates.
Jan 22, 2019, 1:22 pm
#67
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Flatland
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold 1MM, BA Gold, UA Peon
Posts: 6,105
It's a big building with a lot of windows so in summer it will always be difficult to keep cool. It is still too hot in the middle of winter at night when snow is falling outside. Clearly this is not just caused by insolation.
(that last word is not a typo)
(that last word is not a typo)
Jan 22, 2019, 1:23 pm
#68
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: UK
Programs: Mucci, Diamond Status & on the Supreme Council des Conseillers, BA Ag, Bonvoy GFL/Plat, xVS Au
Posts: 832
Jan 22, 2019, 1:26 pm
#69
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: London
Programs: BA Executive Club, UA Mileage Plus, bmi Diamond Club
Posts: 480
- Cooler
- More seats in Wetherspoons (Mr Martin's politics aside, at least you can get a proper pint there, but it's always rammed)
- Outside viewing terrace
- Somewhere with less garish lighting - the idea of a chill out area is great
Jan 22, 2019, 1:41 pm
#70
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: LON
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 3,911
Fix (reboot) the Trokia Cloud, and maintain it.
Troika Cloud Sculpture T5 Lounges
It's not operationally important, but a nice bit of wow factor for the terminal.
Troika Cloud Sculpture T5 Lounges
It's not operationally important, but a nice bit of wow factor for the terminal.
Last edited by plunet; Jan 22, 2019 at 2:04 pm
Jan 22, 2019, 2:38 pm
#71
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: UK
Programs: IC Hotels Spire, BA Gold
Posts: 8,667
Put urinals in the gents toilets in the lounges. Queuing problem is doubled because of the integral washbasins too and made further worse again in the mornings if someone wants a shave too. Most blokes just want to take a leak FFS 
Jan 22, 2019, 4:43 pm
#72
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 1,674
I would improve the environmental controls so that the interior of the entire terminal is at a comfortable temperature, instead of always too hot.
Part of that would be to replace all the lounge chillers with refrigeration equipment that dumps the heat outside instead of into the room.
Part of that would be to replace all the lounge chillers with refrigeration equipment that dumps the heat outside instead of into the room.
They are way too quiet over there ... it would be so much better if there was something else to do other than sit in these two satellites as it would reduce the scrum in the main concourse
Or alternatively study how Changi does it? Or even hire Changi to come in over and show them how it's done?
Jan 23, 2019, 12:13 am
#73
Join Date: Feb 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL
Posts: 843
Jan 23, 2019, 3:39 am
#74
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: OSL
Programs: BA Gold | SK Gold | A3 Gold
Posts: 4,553
1. The need to do transit security when transferring from the Schengen
2. Having to walk against a tide of people to the CCR entrance after said security
3. The fact there is never anywhere to sit in the CCR because of the type of furniture used (huge sofas, grouped together)
4. CCR toilets look like they are at a gas station somewhere
5. The horrible transfer experience to/from T3, even when Gold/in F
2. Having to walk against a tide of people to the CCR entrance after said security
3. The fact there is never anywhere to sit in the CCR because of the type of furniture used (huge sofas, grouped together)
4. CCR toilets look like they are at a gas station somewhere
5. The horrible transfer experience to/from T3, even when Gold/in F
Jan 23, 2019, 4:04 am
#75
Join Date: May 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 5,380
As an occasional user, I rather like T5. I love the soaring ceiling and curve of the roof, both landside and airside, I like the F check in and wing, love the car park pods (but yet to use), the Sofitel, and I am glad of the walkways. It feels spacious, clean, fresh and quite exciting - although that's no doubt influenced by being an occasional leisure flyer in F and J. I guess in terms of improvements I would agree with others the CCR loos and furniture arrangement to allow for more couples and singles seating. Last time I was there two entire terrace cabanas were empty but reserved with someone's bag. If the transit were more frequent I might be tempted from the walkway for C gates. Finally, build D gates!