kellytoronto

A classic example of irony if I've ever seen one.

Paul Banks

Maybe time for a T5D, only for US flights (and select others at quiet times), A380 compatible, new set of lounges etc.

That would free up some gates to reduce down on bus transfers which no one really likes.

ratechaser

FlyerTalker688786

I suspect some element of message is lost in this Chinese whispers. Intention of concentrating T5 US bound flights in T5B is very different from saying BA is moving all US bound flights to T5B.

T5B could not handle all US bound flights with BA considering the aircraft utilisation and the departure waves. It would be nearly impossible to move all AA flights in. I mean, AA alone has 20 departures a day with majority concentrated between 9am to 1pm. In the mean time BA serves over 20 US cities nonstop. I am sure BA could and will find a way to concentrate all US departures in T5B. But it will take a lot of time to work out aircraft utilisation and scheduling short comings. It will not be done in weeks and it will take a lot longer time to implement.

Plus, all T3 departures will have to have advance notice so passengers do not go to the wrong terminals.

T8191

Move all US-bound flights to T5A, get rid of some retail outlets to create space for pre-Clearance. Shift the Foreign, Domestic and s/h to T5B/C, thus relieving pressure on the T5A Lounges. Pour myself another Calvados. No charge for the suggestion.

HMPS

Where will the money come from ?

sxc

MTJ Bound

JFX1764

What has income tax got to do with a private company financing a new building?

There are long term plans to move more (if not all) BA/AA flights to T5, called T5 Plus. Well at least to see what capacity increases are feasible.

HMPS

You have great faith in these blokes who will know to spend money for the correct reason at the correct time & price !

gw76

HMPS

+1
Many threads around here grow appendages !

ISTFlyer

It would be a really great idea if there would be a possible pre-clearance area either at Terminal 5B or 5C; however; Virgin Atlantic, Delta, United would be against it unless they would be able to use the facility. I also don't imagine to see a T5D as the area between T5C and T3 is mainly used for operational stuff ( don't know exactly what ). Maybe they are planning to build Terminal 5D to another area where I can't think of, maybe near the future third runway but that means minimum another 5 years.

Ethiopian at DUB and Cathay Pacific at YVR is different. They are fifth-freedom carriers in the end and AFAIK, CX flies YVR-JFK midnight and the Pre-Clearance facility is closed at that time. In addition, late night USA flights ( after 20:30 ) from YVR also clear immigration at their point of arrival. Also it would be strange that CX would contract another lounge in the pre-clearance area even though they have a lounge in YVR. For ET in DUB; some of their flights land to DUB for fuel and crew change while no passenger could leave the aircraft ( ex: LAX route that closed recently ); on these flights ET does not carry ADD-DUB pax.

I have also heard that there are projects to improve T5 in an aviation website.

This idea seems nice but it would cost extra to build a new transit ( Air-Train ) for UK Ireland arrivals as they have a separate arrivals path and a separate baggage claim area. None of the MAN-LHR passengers would like to walk 15-20 minutes to the baggage claim area after a 30 minute flight.

Also as a Silver passenger I won't care but F class passengers flying to Canada, South America or Far East and other destinations that F is served would look for a Concorde Club and OWE pax would look for their First Lounge. There is no space to build a larger Galleries Club or a Galleries First Lounge and a Concorde Club in the satellites.

But, if the transit ( AirTrain ) and the walkway could be extended to Terminal 3 with an airside connection, your idea could make sense. Then domestic flights could be operated from Terminal 3 and transfer between domestic and international flights would be easier as it is at the moment.


******

And it's not true that all US flights have been started to operate from Terminal 5B; today's BA 269 to LAX has been departed from gate C55.
And, the reason why A gates ( including A10 and the gates that could handle wide-bodies ) are not used for USA flights are that there are no SSSS equipment at the gates at A gates. Also there is no area to put those devices at A gates. This January, in one of my trips I have noticed that a 787 had parked to one of the A gates but it was heading to one of the Middle East destinations.

BA6501

I've boarded a US flight from A10 a number of times, including recently.

corporate-wage-slave

This seems like classic galley FM amplified by repetition. All BA are trying to is to minimise their costs and time for the ancillary security processes, moving the teams and their equipment constantly between T5A to T5C. So they will as far as possible be using T5B, which is the usual departure gate for USA services anyway. This cannot be the 100% position, T5 just doesn't have a single spare gate at many times of the day, never mind the A380 situation. So T5A to T5C will continue to happen, just a shade less so than before. Unless you are doing a lot of USA departures, you probably would never notice this, if you work for G4S in T5 you just might. BKK - to take a random example - probably will still depart from T5B but may end up at T5C or T5A slightly more than before.