[Anonymous]

[AMcWhirter]

I sympathise but it might have been a technical issue with the airbridge.

Non-availability of the airbridge has happened to me a number of times both at LHR and other airports in mainland Europe.

[Flagflier]

All BA’s shorthaul operation ex T3 are remote stands/buses. Most of which are situated between T1&3.
Most airports have a mix of jetty stands and remote stands. BA doesn’t specifically target any particular flights to be remotely parked. It’s just the way the airport is designed. T5 isn’t big enough to hold all of BA’s operation on 1 terminal and 2 satellites with jetties.

[Flagflier]

There was an airbridge because it was a T1 stand.

[NTarrant]

It sounds as though you wern’t given an explaination Chris, you could have asked the cabin crew why.

Arriving into LGW last week, the airbridge was defective, it broke whilst being manuvered. Because of the location the stand has no room for buses or a walk way to the stairs up from the ground. We had to wait 50 minutes for the aircraft alongside to push back and then stairs and buses could be brought alongside.

[Binman62]

All European services to from T3 are coached. If you arrive on any other terminal, even with a stand you will be coached. BA has dedicated service for CE on arrival but not on departure.

T5 is plenty big enough for the entire BA operation but a decision was taken to keep a strategic foothold in T3 and the JSA with QF was used a leverage. That is legitimate in my view but the idea that T5 is full is fanciful.

[VintageKrug]

T5 is not big enough for the whole BA operation, otherwise all BA flights would depart from there.

[Flagflier]

Exactly VK!
There was no strategy with keeping certain services at T3. There is simply not enough space at T5 for the whole operation.

[Binman62]

I beg to differ… BA wanted and got exclusive use of T5 however due to the delayed opening of T5c and the continued presence of 757 aircraft it was felt, rightly in my vew, that a presence should be maintained in t3.
T5 cannot handle loose loaded aircraft and the costs of conversion to containerised was seen as excessive. Accordingly the 757 fleeet was dedicated to t3 ops as was JSA.
This gave oneworld a separate hub at lhr while maintaing exclusivity of 5.
If 5 were full the options to move JL and IB would not have been considered. They are being considered because there is space.
T3 remains a strategically important asset and will be used accordingly by BA.

[Bucksnet]

Someone who knows please correct me if I’m wrong, but as far as I know all gates at T3 are suitable for widebodies. You will therefore have a situation everyday where narrowbody planes on euro routes are bussed at T3 while there are available narrowbody only gates at T5.

BA should move flights which AA also fly, like JFK, to T3 so there is no terminal confusion on codeshares.

There are more gates at LHR today than before T5 was built, so if flights are better allocated to terminals bussing can be eliminated.

[Senator]

Bucksnet,

I am not sure about this. SK uses gates 1, 3, 5, and 7 normally and I am not sure all of them are suitable for Wide-body aircraft but I could be wrong. Maybe 1 and 3 are ok as they are furthest out on the pier.

[Author]

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