We all have different opinions, Heathrow just isn't one of my preferred airports - that's about it. Too bad I have an American passport and do not qualify to use the faster EU lanes. Can't choose where to born so I'm stucked in the longer line.

I have that Air Babylon book too, even the book didn't mention Heathrow - I knew the author was talking about Heathrow. ahhahaha

Yes, it is poorly maintained, overcrowded, and it is a miracle that it works at all.

Regarding insufficient seating airside and at the gates, one reason for this is that BAA wants you on your feet and in the shops. Airport retail is very profitable operation for BAA. I personally have never had any problems with immigration staff.

As for Terminal 5, yes it will be for the use of BA but some BA flights will also depart from Terminal 3. BA is by far the biggest single airline operator out of LHR and consolidating most of its operations in one terminal will make a huge difference, particularly for passengers who currently have to change terminals for connecting flights.

There are also plans for a new terminal "Heathrow East" which has been earmarked for use by the Star Alliance and Virgin Atlantic. As part of these plans, Terminal 2 will be demolished.

Time will tell how Terminals 1 and 4 are remodelled for their new occupants, but there will be the infrastructure in these terminals for some good facilities, particularly, the Zone R premium check-in at T1.

BA does pay a considerable amount of money for dedicated fast-track immigration facilities for BA's J/F pax who are non-EU nationals. It is a shame that this facility is not replicated at other airports, such as JFK.

Two words. Hoppa. Bus.
:mad:

Have to disagree - we fly through both LHR and MIA a lot, and MIA is a lot brighter and cleaner (and I don't like MIA a lot). However, I will agree about the shopping at LHR being better.

"Hate" is a very mild word for LHR

I have called it "The Heathrow Zoo" so many times that I don't even use words like LHR, or airport anymore. On my last trip to London, I was saying that I had to head over to "the zoo" & had to clarify "which" zoo I was referring to.

Yes, with the exception of that cafeteria that looks out onto the runways, it's too big, busy, you circle forever, it's very difficult to catch connecting flights, too far from London. But what's the alternative - CDG? No, thanks.

AMS is not bad.

Yep! One of the best in Europe (AMS, that is).

Despite all the improvements in physical plant, shopping, options, etc., I increasingly try to avoid LHR because originating and -- more so -- transiting LHR increasingly has become a pain for me.

LHR is my least favorite of the four London airports I have used (although I don't imagine I would like LTN very much if I tried it). The only nice thing when compared to LGW is that it is slightly cheaper to travel to LHR via tube than LGW via rail.

And of course, living in Cambridge, STN is just great :D

and why I hate heathrow...
 

Heathrow

• Cluttered and claustrophobic terminals (maybe not T4)
• Confusing layouts with a lack of clear signs
• Dirty and poorly maintained
• My aircraft gate is always about 1 mile from immigration
• Long long taxiing
• Long delays to take off
• Long delays to land
• A place the size of a city with nowhere decent to eat
• More unlicensed taxi touts than a third world airport
• A relatively new train service (Heathrow Express) that is awkward to get to
• People barking orders at you to take this or that bottle from your luggage
• Lack of clear instructions about what must or must not go through the X ray machines
• T3 departure lounge seems without any natural light, no windows, just a clutter of seats surrounded by staggeringly expensive shops
• A new one way system in T3 that means if you walk to the wrong gate you have to requeue through security to get to the correct gate.
• Rather than giving people space they given them shops
• Going up stairs only to walk for a minute and then go down stairs
• Long delays for your luggage around poorly laid out luggage carousels
• The roads to and from the airport when not subject to roadworks are subject to chaos on a far too regular basis
• Filthy toilets that don't flush properly and doors that don't lock

And out of this world pricing

• The Price of the Airport Hotels (£220 for the 3* Holiday Inn last week)
• The food at airport hotels (£19 for a carvery that featured 2 veg!)
• £8 to take the hotel shuttle buses to and from the airport
• The Heathrow express - £14.50 each way for a 15 mins trip to Paddington, which is very difficult to connect to other London railway terminals
• Duty Free prices that are hardly bargains
• The price of the short and long stay car parking
  

Wow that feels better, now I've got that off my chest

That's going to be a particularly nasty one again when spring break traffic hits. (A number of students accompanying their friends to the gate on another flight and the problems that means given they're likely to have checked luggage.)

Short answer: YES!

Kettering Northants QC - I totally agree with everything you've just said about Heathrow!