T1 at LHR to Star?
 

Here's the UK's Independent Article,

"BAA reaches agreement with Star Alliance on Heathrow"

The airports operator BAA is close to settling its long-running dispute with the Star Alliance group of airlines over facilities at London's Heathrow airport.

BAA disclosed yesterday that it expects to sign a memorandum of understanding in the next few weeks with the 14 airlines which make up Star under which they will agree to move into Terminal One when British Airways and its partners in the Oneworld alliance relocate to the new Terminal 5 in 2008.

http://news.independent.co.uk/busine...p?story=578868

wow, but skyteam doesn't have alot of flights at LHR do they? Especially with all their Trans-Atlantic London Traffic is at LGW.

(My bolding.)

The newspaper quote refers to Star Alliance and your question to Skyteam.

It looks as though *A will go to T1 and ST to T4.

Of course, ST have a huge number of flights from LHR, the world's busiest international airport. While flights to the US use LGW (presumably the reason for mentioning LGW?), ST has high density routes from LHR to mainland Europe and elsewhere. Check AF, AZ, KL, OK for starters.

Forgot about the other ST members. But isn't T1 at LHR small and can't handle a 777?

The whole of LHR is being rennovated and terminal assignments realigned when T5 opens. By that time T1 will be plenty large enough to handle STAR. BA has a huge wing for its European flights and a very large hall from which the boarding gates operate. This is apart from where other carriers operate and BA operates its domestic routes. Just odd this is being planned as BA completes a major expansion of its own ExecClub facilities at T1.

At the risk of being somewhat off-topic, clearly OW and *A have their London operations concentrated at LHR. However, ST could perhaps concentrate operations at LGW eventually pulling completely out of LHR. Perhaps there would be a sufficient network effect for that to be a competitive advantage for ST?

Not sure when you last visited LHR but BA have up to 4 x 744 at a time at T1 as they have recently moved a number of long-haul flights over from T4.

... not forgetting SAA's widebodies. Five aircraft from South Africa alone (2 BA, 3 SA) disgorging baggage on to the carousels when I arrived at T1 on Saturday.

Although I agree that LGW is generally less of a pain to navigate around, it still takes a minimum of 30 minutes to reach LGW (by Gatwick Express) vs. LHR's 15 minutes (via Heathrow Express). Also, though this is by no means a scientific observation, LGW is more associated with holidaymakers on charter flights than "real scheduled flights" (with the exception of EK and some US carriers). Moreover, in terms of Skyteam, it makes more sense for them to establish a "megahub" at CDG where AF can provide European connections rather than LHR where none of the carriers have a particularly strong position.

I don't think it makes much sense for Skyteam (well, KE and AF) to abandon LHR, simply because most of the other scheduled airlines will stay at LHR. If it was BA, for example, they might have more of an argument of shifting all their operations to LGW because they don't rely heavily on feeder traffic from other airlines.

What do you think will happen with lounges in T1 then? Could we end up with a copy of Zurich, and a Star Alliance lounge?

The London Lounge in T3 is nearly a *A lounge. It is mainly AC and SK but also the designated TG lounge.

It makes sense that UA is not renovating their lounge if they are moving in 2 years. Although SQ is in the process of adding direct gate access from their lounge, which is a nice feature.

Airports operator settles Heathrow dispute with Star
 

This from the Financial Times

will relocation take place from LGW?
 

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According to the above quoted article, SQ and TG will apparently wait until 2010-2011 to move to Terminal 1. So no wonder SQ did not hesitate much in renovating their lounge - they've got a good 5-6 years' usage left!

Redevelopment of T1 ought to be a pretty interesting proposition. My question is how does the BAA plan to enlarge the Departure level flyover without taking a chunk out of the car park structure?? Its busy enough up there as it is!

In any event, I predict the uniquely British experience that is Heathrow Airport will become impassable for a couple of years!!

DF

Isn't SQ also building the new jetway for the A380 near the Silver Kris Lounge at T-3?