kkirksea

I had the exact same thought. So another alternative looks like via Amsterdam or IAD/JFK to JNB and over? There's also a way to get there via SIN?

GUWonder

Except where the UK is/was my destination, I've already booked around it and will continue to do so until the knee-jerk restrictions are further amended. I have no need to transit through LON when there are other options which result in far less inconvenience.

jef7

Sadly, same here. I just cancelled 2 reservations into and out of London. I was looking forward flying on UA's LHR-JFK before its elimination at the end of October, but the potential hassles into and out of LHR made me re-consider.

PresRDC

I booked a BA to BA (all T4) connection on an award ticket for next July after the 8/10 restricitons were announced. It is too far in the future to worry about (and it was my only option).

SMART51

For sure i will and did.

Athena53

My husabnd and I booked tickets to EDI a few months ago- after a particularly bad experience connecting in LHR I booked us through EWR, even though it was on an airline where we have no status. We love Edinburgh so we still plan to go.


I heard from a colleague who's in our office in ZRH this week- asked her about her flight there and she said it all went well. She'd been scheduled to go through LHR and changed it to a nonstop. So, yes, people are voting with their feet.

YVR Cockroach

If the new hassles of connecting through LHR continues and kills BA's connection business, I wonder if this will spell the end of any plans for large a/c in BA's long-haul fleet and the largest a/c in the future will be 777-300s equivalents (if even that big) for long-haul and 319s or even Embraer E170/190s for short-haul?

Michael

I'm waiting to see whether and in what way the new restrictions are relaxed - though for the time being, I'm certainly planning on avoiding LHR on a RTW planned for a couple of months from now.

- Michael

PhlyingRPh

I am thinking seriously about changing the routing of my next trip from DFW-LHR-DFW on UA to DFW-CDG then Euro-Star to London and back to Paris, then UA CDG-DFW.

UA_Eagle

I had planned to go through LHR 2 times on an award trip to Oz. By luck, I was able to find a flight from US to Oz without having to take the long way around. So that leave me with 1 trip through LHR (actually a stopover). The trip is planned for next May and hopefully by then, they won't be so tight-up about carryons. Would really suck not to take anything to read on the HKG-LHR and LHR-YVR flights...

basia

Had already decided to avoid LHR after bad experiences earlier this year, now I won't book even if it turns out much cheaper than alternative routes. March: took close to an hour to get through transfer security in Terminal 1 prior to transferring to 4 (backup into the main concourse). June: slightly less lines but baggage arriving 2 days after I did. Fortunately this was on my way back from the former Soviet Union, rather than flying there, so nothing was missing - NO guarantee the other way!
What struck me then already was the completely lack of cooperation between airport authorities and airlines. The main transfer security check does have an express line, however the secondary security lines at the gtransfer terminal do not - I saw somebody getting sent back to the end of the line, already way past his boarding time. If you absolutely have to go thru LHR, make sure you have several hours to transfer.
Sigh - used to love that airport for transatlantic flights ten years back - carpet floors and nice comfy couches to catch up on sleep. All that of course went out with the expansion of shopping.

number_6

The EU has started the process to formulate a common airport security policy. This means that the restrictions will be identical at all major EU airports ... probably closer to what LHR is now then not. So rerouting to AMS/CDG/FRA/MAD will mean nothing, you will get the same treatment as at LHR in the near future (less than a month, and maybe even 2 weeks from now).

While I agree with Spiff's sentiment, you'll have to start avoiding Europe and not just the UK, and maybe even all major airports, in the future. Flying has definitely changed, and maybe more than from the 9/11 impact.

PD

basia, welcome to FlyerTalk!

I too am waiting to see if the restrictions are eased. I love the morning flight from EWR to LHR and stopping over in London to or from wherever I'm going, but will have to weigh that against the inconvenience and hazards of checking nearly all baggage. If other countries continue to allow reasonable amounts carry-on luggage and the UK does not, I may will skip the UK.

GUWonder

I heard about this yesterday but didn't follow up on it. Is this the UK trying to make sure no one nearby (i.e., in the EU) gets a commercial leg up from them due to the security nonsense of the British authorities' own making? "Can't beat them, make them join me".

A race to the bottom.

ContinentalFan

I hope it doesn't come to harmonizing this nonsense across the Union. There is likely to be no escape--almost no escape, there's always Switzerland <fingers crossed>.