vla

Just watching on the breakfast news -- current market structure does not deliver best value for air travellers and there is evidence of poor quality and high charges, with a possibility of break-up as a result of referral to competition commission...

Really?? I hadn't noticed, what with all that great pre-departure shopping on offer and the way I always breeze right through security so as to maximise my time enjoying it!

virtualtroy

In the R4 report it said a survey found "low satisfaction among passengers using these airports"

PUCCI GALORE

Typical Radio 4 - always exaggerates everything out of propotion!

If they want any volunteers for their inquiry - I am sure that the stampede from this Forum alone would flatten all the Queen's Horses and all the Queen's men.

All I can say is that it is incompentence in corporate form.

Shall we start a sort of sticky - All the bits of equipment that were not working in T4 or T1 (BA terminals).

Je Start. Coming from a remote stand at T4 on Sunday not only could the aircraft not park (how often does this happen) beacuse of "equipment on the ramp" - but coming from the bus trip after visiting the bowels of T4 neither the moving pavement to passports nor the escalator down to the baggage hall worked.

VC10 Boy

I think the first enquiry should be into why they move people from slow track into the fast track, when slow gets backed up. I've paid a premium to be rushed through, not to have a bunch of World Chavs suddenly appear in front of me with their nasty cardigans and cheap luggage.

jamesmax

Coming through T4 Wednesday last week... 1.5 hours waiting on the tarmac for a gate to become available (1.5 hrs!!!!), eventually parked in a slot away from the terminal, then 1 bus for a full A321... had to wait 15 mins for another one, then no floor escalators working, slow walk from gate behind strolling numpties, then v. long queue at immigration and only 2 staff working the non-EU line (what happened to immigration fast track???), then 20 mins wait for baggage (what had they been doing all that time???), then couldn't find driver because of heaving throng waiting outside, then the car exit from ST parking at the bottom was closed - again - so we had to work our way up to the top again in queue of cars, then bumper to bumper traffic on M25 and M3. All in all, from landing (on time) to home (normally 1 hour) took 4 hours.

Possibly not all events were BAA's fault - even they can't be blamed for the state of the M25.... but I can't help thinking that the original lack of gate and delay led to me being in the wrong place at the wrong time (rush hour) and all subsequent delays.

I do think that it is crazy that BAA should enjoy this monopoly, it allows them to continue to treat both passengers and the airlines with contempt, as the Monday morning crush proves week in and week out. I hope that the OFT or some other body has the guts to threaten the sale of these airports to separate companies - I see no compelling reason why they need to be owned by one entity, and I'd like to see some carrot or stick introduced to incentivise them to treat their customers and the public with a lot more respect.

BAAZ

In terms of capacity, to be fair to BAA (never thought I'd ever say that), it's more the long-drawn-out UK planning process that means we get extra terminal capacity about 20 years after we actually need it.

But that isn't any excuse for things that are there but not working. Has anyone ever arrived at LHR T4 and managed to make it from the plane through immigration and out to the arrivals hall without encountering a broken escalator or moving walkway? It's pure cost cutting - like a car, if you don't service it, then sooner or later it will let you down.

G-BOAC

Many of us have said it before, I'll say it again: fine these useless b@st@rds a substantial amount per pax who is forced to carry only one bag (because they are too lazy and/or incompetent to open and staff all scanners) not the norm of one bag + 'personal item' (you know, like one can happily, easily and rapidly carry ex-EU or ex-US on the way to BAA operated airports if not in transit ) and fine them for every pax who takes longer than, say, 5 minutes through 'Fast' track and 15 minutes through 'normal' security (because they are too lazy and/or incompetent to open and staff all scanners properly). A tenner a pop should make them take notice. And stick on an extra fine of 100,000 a pop for every moving walkway broken more than 24hours. And fine them 50,000 every time there are 60 ‘security’ staff chatting at the end of a scanner doing sweet FA with a queue building up

BAA are now and have been for some time a total disgrace.

jhm

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The Saint

It's been a long time coming, but it couldn't happen to a nicer airport operator.

I heard the "low level of customer satisfaction" thing on Radio 4 and almost spat my weetie-bangs out.

"low level of customer satisfaction" is to BAA what "slight impact damage" was to the Titanic.

SLF

Such a shame...

PUCCI GALORE

Now Saint - Your Holiness I agree with you wholeheartedly - but I am much more interested in your weeite-bangs. Could you tell us a little more? Hot or Cold?

Jenbel

No longer necessary

The Saint

Hot milk in the winter, cold milk in the summer, for I am a creature of habit.

jhm

I've deleted my post and apologise for what I did. I honestly didn't have any malicious intent.

[...]

In any event, my explanation notwithstanding, it clearly was wrong and I apologise again.

Jenbel

fair enough, I've done likewise.