How would YOU improve T5 - radical ideas to reboot BA’s “home”
Jan 23, 2019, 4:06 am
#76
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: UK
Programs: AVIS presidents club, BA GGL, HH Diamond, Marriott Platinum Elite
Posts: 277
I was chatting at length to a very strong critic of T5 the other day
My starters
- find a way to run more than two shuttle trains on the existing lines
- expand the footprint of GC north and turn it in to a dedicated business / silver lounge with a spa and showers, with checkin desks for J and fast track all moved to zone A
- turn GC south in to a second level for GF, with dining, showers and a gold spa
- remove the existing kitchen and spa and extend the CCR into them, including the wasted terrace space
- build a bridge and air bridges to the four aircraft stands immediately opposite the GF terrace by the south runway
- install a lift down to car service pickup direct from the GF lounge
- create a First Wing arrrivals zone with dedicated passport control, meet point and connections desk / security point
My starters
- find a way to run more than two shuttle trains on the existing lines
- expand the footprint of GC north and turn it in to a dedicated business / silver lounge with a spa and showers, with checkin desks for J and fast track all moved to zone A
- turn GC south in to a second level for GF, with dining, showers and a gold spa
- remove the existing kitchen and spa and extend the CCR into them, including the wasted terrace space
- build a bridge and air bridges to the four aircraft stands immediately opposite the GF terrace by the south runway
- install a lift down to car service pickup direct from the GF lounge
- create a First Wing arrrivals zone with dedicated passport control, meet point and connections desk / security point
Jan 23, 2019, 5:09 am
#77
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Canary Wharf, London
Programs: MyWaitrose, IC Spire Ambassador, Hilton Diamond & BAEC Gold
Posts: 2,685
T5 seems to be the only airport terminal where a plane arriving early/ontime/late seems to be a surprise to the person driving the airbridge. More staff to operate the airbridges when a plane arrives would probably help.
Jan 23, 2019, 6:53 am
#78
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Mexico
Programs: BAEC Gold / Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,542
Install an auction room in the centre of the terminal where seats available for upgrade are auctioned off to the highest bidder while Tim Wonnacott provides live commentary and analysis.
Jan 23, 2019, 7:41 am
#79
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: OneWorld Emerald (BA GGL), *A Silver (Miles & Less), Skyteam Pleb (KLM FlyingBlue), Mucci Platinum
Posts: 901
Jan 23, 2019, 7:50 am
#80
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: LAX and LHR. UA lifetime Gold 1.9MM 1K , DL Gold Medallion, HHonors Gold, Marriott Gold, Avis President's Club
Posts: 3,592
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.
I say again, it's sheer laziness on the part of BA's schedulers. They simply can't be bothered to plan ahead. Much easier to do it on the fly, but much less convenient for the pax. It's the same thing at Gatwick.
Jan 23, 2019, 9:17 am
#81
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 54
A pack of wild dogs, strategically placed along the first wing, who will be summoned on command by the security personnel to tear to shreds the selfish, lazy and arrogant people who think they are too good to put their empty trays back on the stack..... Every time I go through, this seems to happen!
Jan 23, 2019, 10:20 am
#82
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,475
Stands show in the system at least 48 hours in advance!!!! They frequently change to BA’s requirements and as necessary due to delays of outbound and inbound flights.
Jan 23, 2019, 10:24 am
#83
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: London, United Kingdom
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold;BA GGL; hhonors lifetime diamond; Marriott lt Gold; IH Plat Amb; Amex Centurion
Posts: 4,738
Jan 23, 2019, 12:32 pm
#84
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 4,477
That's really no excuse. The US airports have exactly the same system. A new flight every 45-60 minutes. And you can see on the departures board what flights will be leaving from that gate 4 hours ahead. At the gate itself, you will often find "Next flight from this gate [i.e. after the one you're waiting there for] will be Flight XXX destination Xxxxxxxx." And yes, they do have to change gates for operational reasons from time to time, but in the course of a day the vast majority of the pre-programmed arrivals and departures will take place as scheduled.
I say again, it's sheer laziness on the part of BA's schedulers. They simply can't be bothered to plan ahead. Much easier to do it on the fly, but much less convenient for the pax. It's the same thing at Gatwick.
I say again, it's sheer laziness on the part of BA's schedulers. They simply can't be bothered to plan ahead. Much easier to do it on the fly, but much less convenient for the pax. It's the same thing at Gatwick.
When a BA flight approach LHR the captain already knew which gate he is going and what is the next flight from Dispatchers. So that is at least 30 minutes before landing, the said aircraft knows which gate to park and what is the next destination. The turn around time is between 50 mins to more (So let us call it 1 hour), so that is one and half hours in advance from a flight that Heathrow airport and BA knows exactly which gate it will be.
There is no excuse that BA can not display gate information much earlier.
Jan 23, 2019, 12:38 pm
#85
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 4,477
Plus, I often was told the gate information when checking into a lounge, at least 30-45 minutes before the information available on the screen, and never once that information was wrong although the lounge attendants always say that it is subject to change.
Jan 23, 2019, 12:54 pm
#86
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Falkirk, Scotland,VS Red, BA Gold, HH Diamond,UK Amex Plat
Programs: Master of the Privy Purse des Muccis
Posts: 17,899
Hi,
My suggestions;
Better walkway in the main T5A ( the walkway is too narrow for the number of passegers and it seems it is squeezed between shops)
More regular transits from T5A to B, C ( and extend it to T3)
Regards
TBS
My suggestions;
Better walkway in the main T5A ( the walkway is too narrow for the number of passegers and it seems it is squeezed between shops)
More regular transits from T5A to B, C ( and extend it to T3)
Regards
TBS
Jan 23, 2019, 2:32 pm
#88
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: The North
Posts: 1,844
Jan 23, 2019, 4:07 pm
#89
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: BA Silver, VS Silver
Posts: 774
Errr, but what about non-UK/Irish nationals who aren’t subject to free movement under the CTA. You don’t have to show a British passport at Irish immigration if you can prove otherwise that you are British, coming from CTA and subject to CTA freedom of movement e.g a driving license will do. FWIW domestic arrivals in Ireland also have to go through immigration.....
Jan 23, 2019, 4:44 pm
#90
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 1,674