[SimonS1]

All very nostalgic but the days of 10 minute check in were before Heathrow started running at capacity, with the country on high alert etc.

I commuted to Milan for 18 months and thought nothing of pitching up at T1 45 mins before the flight. However I wouldn’t be doing it now, even before these changes.

[canucklad]

The Super Shuttle link is interesting and noteworthy , because here’s the thing about the 45 minutes rule, BAs short haul blue riband route is LHR-EDI yet they’ve managed to disadvantage themselves against their biggest competitor, Virgin East Coast.

I agree and disagree about managing time in this day and age.T5 is exclusively a BA terminal, and so I’d have though that on routes that compete with the railways, including eurostar a dedicated fast track process could be set up, specifically for HBO , fully flexible tickets.
BA management needs to start thinking less conservatively and more innovatively.

[WillieWelsh]

SimonS1 in the days of the short check ins at LHR the IRA was a very real threat to services. IIRC services to Belfast had gate check in for bags which had to go through security screening including often being opened and hand searched. Entering domestic departures there were special lanes for Belfast but everyone was subject to a much greater level of checking than is the case now. It all worked then and the security staff were polite.

[SimonS1]

@Canucklad – if you are talking HBO then you only need to get to T5 35 mins before departure (being the cut off for conformance).

Any savings beyond that are marginal, I couldn’t see BA investing millions in a fast track process to save someone 5 or 10 mins where they have cut it too fine.

Isn’t it also the case that BA punctuality has increased significantly since T5 opened.

@WillieWelsh – I take the point about IRA but we are in a different world now and I suspect security is tighter than ever before.

[LuganoPirate]

From memory WW, unlike today’s terrorists, I don’t think the IRA ever hijacked or blew up a plane did they? Not that I am, or ever did, sympathise with them but so different to today.

I think traveling from LHR means getting there, and I always build in plenty of extra time in case of delays so I’m usually 2 hours early. Consequently I’d never fly in the UK domestically, but would always take the train. I think door to door it’s much quicker.

[Author]

Posts