London Heathrow Move Imminent?
 

It has been rumoured ever since CO joined Star Alliance that they are moving from Terminal 4 to Terminal 1. The imminent move apparently explains why BF passengers can still use the Sky Team Lounge - because they know it's only a temporary arrangement.

The latest rumour is that CO will change terminal somewhere around Easter 2010, although one guy at Heathrow who is, allegedly, "in the know" was adamant that March 25th will be the date.

I can't see anything on CO's web-site and if I look at my employer's Departure Control System for flights next summer, all of CO's departures show Terminal 4.

Are there any Continental insiders out there who know what is happening please?

Makes eminent sense as CO is now the fish out of water @ T4 / Skyteam central.

There are two theories on the potential for the move. One is that it is imminent. The other is that it will happen several years down the line after the reconstruction of T2. There hasn't been anything "official" stated either way.

I wouldn't read too much into the use of the ST lounge. It is quite common for carriers to contract for lounge services when in the same terminal, just like they can contract for other ground handling functions. CO pays for the passengers who use the lounge so SkyTeam probably doesn't mind all that much.

Except it isn't just SkyTeam Central. T4 also houses many of the non-aligned airlines. I think the plan is for it to house something like 45 airlines.

One thing to bear in mind is that the *A carriers are already scattered across two terminals, so moving CO to T1 or T3 will only help for some *A connections. Connecting between T1 and T3 still involves a bus connection, just like T4 to T1/T3, though the MCT rises from 75 minutes to 90.

From a terminal perspective, I'm not sure moving to T3 would be much of a step up. I probably prefer T4, the renovations have spruced things up a bit, and the ST lounge is very nice. But T3 is decent too, the SK lounge is nice (lesser food and drink than the ST lounge, though), and it has better transit connections. Maybe a toss-up, tough to say.

I'm not sure that any move is coming soon, but I wouldn't be shocked if it did.

True, but connecting from T4 to T1/T3 is still a more major undertaking and general pain in the neck, what with the active runway between. And on mornings when you land on 9L/27R and have to fight your way across to T4, waiting to cross the other active can add an hour of ground time... literally. T1/T3 more central and accessible obviously.

I would love for them to go to the T1,2,3 combo areas. T4 is almost as bad as going to T5. I hate schlepping between 4 and 1 and always worry my checked bags will not make it.

Too bad they can't just all move to Gatwick, a much better airport. Heathrow has been rated by one travel guidebook series as the worst airport in Europe.

I think you mean 'four years down the line'... Seven years down the line is the replacement Terminal 1. New Terminal 2 is actually two buildings where the old 'East Terminal' is and a part of where old Terminal 2 was, and first phase is supposed to be finished in 2014. This will be the new 'Star Alliance' terminal, as Terminal 1 will be demolished immediately after Terminal 2a opens, and a new Terminal 1 will be built on the area cleared there and part of the area of old Terminal 2.

To sum up... All of Star Alliance will be moving to a new Terminal 2 in 2014. So it's debatable if Continental want to spend money on a move to a terminal planed for demolition in four years.

Maybe after the new Terminal 2 opens, allowing them to demolish Terminal 1, Heathrow will be a lot less awful.

I agree that Gatwick is simply a better designed airport than Heathrow... But Heathrow was built long before we had solid ideas about how an international airport should work. Terminal 1 and 2 being pretty obvious examples of what didn't work well.

And part of why Gatwick is easier to get through than Heathrow is that it has a lot less traffic than Heathrow.

Nope...I meant "several" just like I typed it. I don't have a ton of faith in their ability to get the construction completed on time. ;)

Oops, misread as seven... But you're actually being optimistic then, since they don't plan to be ready with the new Terminal 2 till at least 2014.

Burn that book. Malpensa is worse than Heathrow by every possible measure.

Heathrow gets a bad rap because it's one the global international hub airports... And it's not kept pace with the others since the eighties. Until very recently, BAA was just constantly refurbishing the terminals rather than attempting rebuilds. Between 1982 ("M4 Airport Spur") and 2002 ("Terminal 5") there was no attempt to build bigger infrastructures, just trying to expand space in the current ones by renovations.

Replacing Terminal 1 and 2 will go a long way towards correcting that.

Actually, T4 opened in 1986, the first infrastructure outside the central T1-2-3 connected complex.

I may be confused a bit, but LHR is not going to become a major focus city for CO. I know its important, but its not a *A hub. nothing's going to happen their unless they create a *A hub terminal situation like Skyteam did. and with that, i mean a nice terminal with a nice lounge for premium pax.

they're going to keep the Skyteam lounge for BF pax and that's it.

as a *G you're welcome to use any of the numerous other lounges regardless of their locations. once CO relocates, they will reallocate a new lounge for BF pax (possibly soley for BF pax) and then directed the rest of the *G's to other *G lounges.