The T5 Pods are back :)
#62
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: EDDH
Programs: BAEC Silver, A3 Blue
Posts: 116
Wow talk about timing. I used the pods yesterday morning at 07am, they seemed to be working fine. A couple more reports and we'll have near-realtime POD reporting. Also thanks to the heroes that continue leaving the Thistle gate open
#63
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: BHX
Programs: BA GGL CCR GfL, SQ Gold, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond, Marriott Plat, Cafe Nero Loyalty Card (7 Stamps)
Posts: 7,311
Sounds like POD will need to be quite a lot cheaper to offset the risk if you're booking any time soon, over just booking short stay.
#64
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: South East, UK
Programs: BA Gold / GfL, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,431
I'm giving up on parking at Heathrow now. The prices are ridiculous. It's becoming cheaper to take a taxi for anything more than a two day trip.
#65
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 1,349
I have pod parking booked next week and wanted to change it to short term as I don't want another 'down for maintenance' again at 10.30pm, but short term was almost 300 🤦🏽♂️
#68
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 1,349
They always work in the day. I've not had an issue getting on them flying out, it's flying back at night. They seem to close early. Twice now they've been closed after 10pm. Problem is, first you know is when you go to floor 2 and you see the 'bus replacement' warning. So frustrating.
#71
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: 63,476
#72
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 96
They always work in the day. I've not had an issue getting on them flying out, it's flying back at night. They seem to close early. Twice now they've been closed after 10pm. Problem is, first you know is when you go to floor 2 and you see the 'bus replacement' warning. So frustrating.
#73
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 1,349
Pods were down Monday morning and 30 minute wait for a mini bus which was only big enough for half the que. Pods were back up and running Wednesday night. Agree they should stick something in the terminal when pods are out so you can walk straight to bus rather than go up, down then realise you just missed the replacement bus and thats another 20 mins
#74
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: South East England
Programs: BAEC: Bronze, HHonors: Silver, Virgin Flying Club: Red, Miles & More
Posts: 331
I recently had the experience of parking up only to find the PODs were inactive, and as others have experienced, I had to wait ages for a bus which was not big enough to take everyone queueing, and so missed the first one. Luckily on my return the PODs were working otherwise I would have faced the note sending me down to the bus stop, so I appreciate it could have been worse.
The whole thing actually made me quite angry, not because the PODs weren't working (these things happen after all) but rather the substandard backup bus service, and that HAL effectively charged me for something they didn't provide. I expect all of this is covered somewhere in their small print, but it did prompt me to complain to HAL on the basis of poor service, which I rarely do. I filled in the complaint form and got a response within an hour with an offer of a partial refund. I felt it was fair based on the degraded service. In reality it was only a token amount which set me inline with the regular long stay parking charge on that date instead, but that's all I actually asked for. It was the principle of the whole thing that prompted me to complain. I hope others have had, or may have similar success.
The disappointment I still have though is that I probably won't book the PODs for the time being as I really don't want that feeling of "will they be working, or won't they". At least with the regular long stay it is consistent.
The whole thing actually made me quite angry, not because the PODs weren't working (these things happen after all) but rather the substandard backup bus service, and that HAL effectively charged me for something they didn't provide. I expect all of this is covered somewhere in their small print, but it did prompt me to complain to HAL on the basis of poor service, which I rarely do. I filled in the complaint form and got a response within an hour with an offer of a partial refund. I felt it was fair based on the degraded service. In reality it was only a token amount which set me inline with the regular long stay parking charge on that date instead, but that's all I actually asked for. It was the principle of the whole thing that prompted me to complain. I hope others have had, or may have similar success.
The disappointment I still have though is that I probably won't book the PODs for the time being as I really don't want that feeling of "will they be working, or won't they". At least with the regular long stay it is consistent.
#75
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 1,349
And that's overlooking I left my briefcase on the POD replacement bus (bearing in mind it would have been around 11.45pm!) as it's black and the bus was so dark, which caused more delay and, as you say, the bus is tiny and can only take around 12 people, meaning you have to wait for it to do an entire loop before you get picked up.
I just pay extra and use short term parking. Sure it's a little more expensive, but you always get a space and it's the closest.