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The knock-on effect

Published: 17/03/2008 - Filed under: Archive » 2008 » April 2008 » Guide to T5 »

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Guide to T5: The knock-on effect

Musical chairs will last at Heathrow right up until next year. Prompted by BA’s move to T5, dozens of other carriers are switching terminals to take advantage of newer facilities and opportunities for linking with alliance partners.

BA is instigating the bulk of the changes. On March 27, BA is shifting 70 per cent of its flights from T1 and T4 (including its Miami service, which had been using T3) into T5. These include all BA’s short-haul flights from T4, most short-haul flights (including domestic services) from T1 and all long-haul flights which had been using T1. It also includes services to Houston and Dallas, which have been switched from Gatwick.

In the second stage of its move, BA is set to shift all remaining long-haul flights (except its jointly operated BA/Qantas services) now using T4, into T5 on April 30.

It would be simple were BA to operate all of its services out of T5, but that won’t be the case. Confusingly, a number of BA flights will be transferred from T1 and T4 into T3. These are the British Airways services to Barcelona, Madrid, Nice, Lisbon and Helsinki, which move to T3 on September 17, plus the BA/Qantas flights to Bangkok, Singapore, Sydney, which switch across from T4 early next year (on a date to be announced). Other Oneworld alliance members will either remain at T3 (Cathay Pacific) or switch from T1 to T3 (Finnair and Iberia).

Skyteam carriers have begun to establish themselves at T4 (the airport’s newest terminal before the opening of T5) with the first flights starting on March 30. But Air France will remain at T2 (Heathrow’s oldest and most cramped terminal) until early next year, and its new Los Angeles flight will also depart from T2. Continental, Northwest and Delta will operate their US flights (serving New York, Detroit, Minneapolis, Seattle, Atlanta and Houston) from T4. Some of these have been transferred from Gatwick. KLM will continue operating to Holland from T4 as at present.

Star Alliance still hasn’t finalised all its plans, but the intention is for most members to move into the seventies-era T1. However A380-operators like SIA (and Thai, should it ever bring its A380 to Heathrow) will remain at T3 because that terminal is the only one with designated airbridges and lounges for the superjumbo. (BA will have similar A380 facilities at T5.)

ANA and United will be the first of Star’s T3 carriers to move into T1 during next summer followed by other members currently in T2, which include Lufthansa, Austrian and Swiss. US Airways is expected to operate from T1 from this April, and so far as is known Bmi will also stay in that terminal. Other Star members are expected to move by 2012 with the completion of Heathrow East, which is due to replace T2.

The position regarding the non-aligned airlines (ie those carriers not belonging to an alliance) isn’t clear. Some may prefer to move; others are happy as they are. Raja Segran, vice-president for Jet Airways Europe and America, has told Business Traveller that the airline wishes to move from T3 to T4 to benefit from the latter’s better facilities. But other important carriers like Emirates and Qatar will remain at T3 because they plan to bring their A380s to London.

The developments are so vast that by 2012, according to Heathrow operator BAA, 70 per cent of passengers will be using terminals which haven’t yet opened.

Lounges are one of Heathrow’s strong points, and all carriers are striving to provide their passengers with the best. But it will be many months before the situation sorts itself out. In the meantime, premium passengers may have to make do with temporary facilties.

BA’s T5 lounges are covered elsewhere in this feature. But part of BA’s existing lounge complex within T4 will be taken up by Skyteam and turned into a facility for all members. Skyteam has yet to decide whether or not to operate an arrivals lounge within T4 but as Armin Venencie, UK sales director for Delta, told Business Traveller such a facility “is something we would like to have”.

At T3, BA will initially be using American Airlines’ lounge pending construction of a new facility; BA and Qantas will be offering premium passengers a T3 arrivals lounge in the future. Star is also planning a dedicated lounge for premium passengers in T1 and there will be a separate arrivals lounge for morning incoming flights with Bmi, South African Airways and United.

Click here for a detailed timetable of Heathrow's reorganisation.

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