BA is moving most flights from LHR Terminal 3 to T5
Jun 29, 2022, 9:44 am
#106
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 847
I just recently flew an AY for BA flight and must say that that meal was the same that can be found on the short haul catering thread. The crew was more relaxed than most Ba or AY crews, maybe because they work together for four days. There were no menus distributed and coffee and tea were served in disposable BA cups. And judging from a previous post some of AY for BA flights actually move to T5. A very good flight I think and most of the passengers seemed to have been equally pleased and not bothered that the English accent was Finnish. But I’m biased being a Finn.
There will certainly be some Finnair for BA flights operating from T5 - I have a number of emails for my flights to Split which will move across.
Jun 29, 2022, 1:58 pm
#107
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T5 has an overall capacity of 35m passengers, right now, and it was approaching capacity back in 2019 - now, I doubt it's the case. It's worth pointing out that the pinch points - i.e. what constraints passenger numbers - aren't actually that visible to the customer. They are, from memory and in no particular order
1. Transfer Baggage capacity at input points (in other words, at peak times you have a queue of baggage trains trying to offload their loads)
2. Stands. Even by putting off-pier/on remote stands any aircraft that sits for more than 6 hours on the ground, LHR is >90% busy (well, was before Covid)
3. Security checkpoints
Over the years there have been improvements to baggage (larger bag store) and security, with the dual lanes going up from "ready to fly", but a big issue is stands. You just can't build more of them and a T5D might help, but only slightly (you might be able to squeeze about 5 more stands, I guess, by rearranging the layout there). And it'd be a massive b*tch to build, for it'd require:
1. Moving the fuel farm
2. Moving the fire department station, which is there for a reason
3. Giving up some important off-pier stands during the building phase.
1. Transfer Baggage capacity at input points (in other words, at peak times you have a queue of baggage trains trying to offload their loads)
2. Stands. Even by putting off-pier/on remote stands any aircraft that sits for more than 6 hours on the ground, LHR is >90% busy (well, was before Covid)
3. Security checkpoints
Over the years there have been improvements to baggage (larger bag store) and security, with the dual lanes going up from "ready to fly", but a big issue is stands. You just can't build more of them and a T5D might help, but only slightly (you might be able to squeeze about 5 more stands, I guess, by rearranging the layout there). And it'd be a massive b*tch to build, for it'd require:
1. Moving the fuel farm
2. Moving the fire department station, which is there for a reason
3. Giving up some important off-pier stands during the building phase.
Jun 29, 2022, 2:50 pm
#108
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Lincoln, UK
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There are also politics as well. UK politicians have been debating endlessly about LHR expansion for years. BoJo even said something about building from scratch a new airport in the Thames to avoid the while noise and political issues but went nowhere. Then there are the tree huggers to deal with. I guess due to the pandemic, any talk of LHR expansion is now on the backburner.
Jun 29, 2022, 2:53 pm
#109
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 63
Sorry if covered up thread, according to Head for Points, Iberia will be moving most flights out of T5 and back to T3, has anyone else seen that confirmed? The article below doesn't give that much information, but seems tk suggest it will happen on 12th July.
https://www.headforpoints.com/2022/0...in-terminal-5/
https://www.headforpoints.com/2022/0...in-terminal-5/
Jun 29, 2022, 3:28 pm
#110
Join Date: Jul 2010
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Sorry if covered up thread, according to Head for Points, Iberia will be moving most flights out of T5 and back to T3, has anyone else seen that confirmed? The article below doesn't give that much information, but seems tk suggest it will happen on 12th July.
https://www.headforpoints.com/2022/0...in-terminal-5/
https://www.headforpoints.com/2022/0...in-terminal-5/
Jun 29, 2022, 4:05 pm
#113
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
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BA codeshares on Iberia go to T3, notably Iberia's services from LHR to MAD. BA services operated by Iberia / Iberia Express, which have a BA prime flight number, stay at T5.
Jun 29, 2022, 4:07 pm
#114
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See above
Jun 29, 2022, 11:26 pm
#116
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 7,233
There are also politics as well. UK politicians have been debating endlessly about LHR expansion for years. BoJo even said something about building from scratch a new airport in the Thames to avoid the while noise and political issues but went nowhere. Then there are the tree huggers to deal with. I guess due to the pandemic, any talk of LHR expansion is now on the backburner.
This, instead, would be a development within LHR campus, so subject only to HAL's ability to deliver a project on time. Itself not the greatest thing but...
Jun 30, 2022, 12:53 am
#117
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Or move to as the case may be!? I think that the "BA Prime" were mostly on flights that were T3 based? Certainly all those I have had this month were. So I guess that now they will move to T5 with the rest of the BA bunch!
Jul 1, 2022, 10:15 am
#118
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Executive Club (GGL, GFL)
Posts: 226
What do people think will be impact (if any) of these terminal switches on how busy the CCR will be? Will the AA etc flights moving to T3 result in a greater reduction of people using the CCR than the addition caused by the BA T3 flights moving back to T5? Or much of a muchness?
Jul 1, 2022, 1:53 pm
#119
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 3,059
What do people think will be impact (if any) of these terminal switches on how busy the CCR will be? Will the AA etc flights moving to T3 result in a greater reduction of people using the CCR than the addition caused by the BA T3 flights moving back to T5? Or much of a muchness?
Jul 2, 2022, 4:48 am
#120
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 115
Interesting that BA codeshare flights operated by AA metal (eg DFW or JFK) are still shown as T5 throughout the rest of the summer schedule.
The exact same flights booked on AA prime correctly show the move to T3.
This will potentially cause misconnects and rebooking on previously T5-T5 itineraries with a connection time less than 1:30.
The exact same flights booked on AA prime correctly show the move to T3.
This will potentially cause misconnects and rebooking on previously T5-T5 itineraries with a connection time less than 1:30.