Why are BA using buses at T5?
 

Arrived on a flight from Amsterdam earlier today.

Flight was on time. We go to a remote stand, then wait for a bus and stairs. Then after about 1/2 the pax have disembarked, it is discovered that the stairs are misaligned. So we wait 20 minutes while a driver is found for the stairs. Then another wait for a bus!

Finally get into the terminal about 40 min after landing. About as long as the flight was.

One assumes air bridges will be available for all flights at T5 considering BA are not flying their full schedule.

With aircraft in the ground longer than usual thats probably why all the on pier gates are taken or they are being saved for the really late arrivals like LGW flights. They may as well make best use of their bus drivers too.

Crikey warm day to be cocking around on buses & stairs outside

Maybe get them to drive the passengers from Amsterdam instead.

I think someone has mentioned before that BA is using buses for AMS due to financial reasons.

For arrivals at AMS? BA don't use buses and never have in my experience.

If you are referring to the OP's complaint it is about using buses at LHR and I can't see there being a cost benefit for using buses vs a jetbridge on T5?

My last arrival at DOH from LHR on QR, a month ago, was bussed too. It's annoying, but I suspect that the current situation throws up new challenges. That said QR do buses, at least for J, very well.

Exactly. It was getting pretty steamy on the plane and on the bus

They're using air bridges at AMS

Considering it took just about 5 hours door to door to get to Central London from Central Amsterdam........

The taxi at Schiphol takes you half the distance anyway, particularly if you're going to LCY :D

My bad i misread the thread. I thought was LHR to AMS. I do not remember who mentioned it but i will have a look later on. It might be another destination.

As far as i remember buses are a bit cheaper than jetbridges?

I think it was FRA (I remember reading about it too). I'd rather fly through there than through MAN, but only marginally...

There are no fees for arriving passengers at Heathrow. For departures there is indeed a rebate for remote stands, but obviously this has to be offset against the cost of operating and staffing the buses themselves.

There are many elongated turnarounds at T5 at the moment, for obvious reasons, so buses will be a fact of life. It doesn’t help that (unlike T2 and to some extent T4) there aren’t any handy tow-off stands that can easily be used, so it’s a case of leave it on or tow it over to Eastbase.

One assumes incorrectly.

I am firmly in the camp of people who are incredulous that BA can't avoid bussing passengers even with their current reduced schedule, and additionally am not impressed whatsoever that they would cram their passengers onto a badly ventilated bus instead of allowing them to transfer directly from the well-ventilated aircraft to the well-ventilated terminal.

Buses don't have aircraft-grade ventilation systems and we don't need any more occasions of being packed together to cough viruses on each other than necessary.

i fully agree and if neither BA nor Heathrow airport can operate safely then they must be stopped from operating. My flight last week bussed - passing 5 empty stands in T5A including 503.

football matches in Scotland have been stopped for players breaking rules yet thousands are allowed to queue in penned areas for Check-in and immigration or crammed 50-70 in badly ventilated busses just after being told to remain 2 m apart in the aisle of the aircraft!! It’s a joke

The sign on check in desks that BA take safety seriously is risible.