[Anonymous]

[VintageKrug]

Some nice pics and maps of the T5 Lounges, in BA’s brochure:

http://www.terminal5.ba.com/media/en/BA_T5_galleries.pdf

Very impressive.

[Tumiactually]

This morning. Asked if there was a fast track. Told to go through biometrics and would find it on the other side. Queue thru bio slowly walk fwd and as queue advances see fast track sign, but guess what ? Everyone was using it as there no signs and it leads straight on from bio desk. Then bunch of gold card holders trying to get into concorde room told no chance. All good at 615am!!!

This evening. Landed back after couple of laps outside reading at 11000ft landed and parked off stand to get bussed in to T5 – sweet

Approx one million people ahead trying to get through EU immigration. Iris line was 50people deep. My buddy went passport route I stuck Iris out on principle. Got through at same time. Non-EU passport queue was empty should have used my peruvian dual-ctizenship (bought on-line £50).

Don’t know what collective noun is for limo drivers but there was a murder (or crows) or is it a whoop (or gorillas?) Or thems – hundreds all bored tired and angry waiting in arrivals taking bored tired angry people home

I was in Switzerland and germany today, both clients unprompted poked fun at me for T5 – me! It is a disgrace which we will never live down

[GoonerLondon]

Not sure what all the fuss is about.

Twice last week breezed through check in and empty fast track security at T5. FLights on time.

Transfered this week from Moscow to Edinburgh, 5-30pm. Empty passport control, and joined the empty fast track security line.

I’d like to think I was blessed, but somehow doubt it. T5 really seems to work.

The Gold lounge is sensational, with some really nice seating options (perhaps the toilets need a rethink) great improvements in catering too.

Maybe its time to get off the ‘shambles’ bandwagon and give them a second chance…

[VintageKrug]

I agree.

Having properly bedded in, and with the opening of T5B, I think the lounges at T5 are superb.

[degreecy]

Having been at T5 on the first day, and delayed around 4 hours, I find that T5 has vastly improved, it is in my opinion one of the best terminals. On average you will get through security in less than 10 minutes even if a queue, only the odd occasion will it be longer.

OK, so you get bussed occasionally, but that will happen less once T5C opens. You get bussed at most major airports, I think Schipol is perhaps the only one you don’t – however, it takes you 20 minutes to walk to passport and exit!

The lounges are superb, even if you compare the Silver galleries lounge against the T1 Star Alliance Business lounge. The gold lounge is great, massive space, usually easy to find a quiet seat somewhere.

[NTarrant]

I agree, T5 is a great place to fly from and arrive. The lounges are super. The queues have improved.

If there is a grip IMHO is the lack of announcements and the transit needs more coaches, particularly when T5C is open.

[continentalclub]

Whilst I agree that the lounges are very good at T5, I continue to believe that it is non-status, non-premium passengers who see the greatest difference between it and other airport terminals.

It’s not perfect, but the sheer number of eating, drinking, shopping, seating, people and plane-watching opportunities, in a space that’s at once airy but not ‘glarey’ (look carefully at night – the place is not overlit in most of the seating areas) means that your average economy passenger will be enjoying a terminal experience that betters most others Worldwide, and without the interminable walkways of so many.

Just for the record, too, there is bussing at Schiphol, though not on longhaul.

[Flyboy18]

When T5C opens there will be no coaching stands.

[BusinessClass]

I have been in all the T5 lounges (apart from T5B) and they are superb. I agree about the toilets though, maybe a rethink is needed

[continentalclub]

Unfortunately, scott72, T5C will not in fact eliminate the need for all coaching; some will still be required.

Tentative plans for T5D would finally remove all but exceptional need, but this is so far off (it would include an extension of the current T5-T5B rapid transit not just to T5C and T5D but all the way to T3) that passenger and flight movement growth could still outstrip the supply of terminal-connected gates.

[VintageKrug]

Is there actually a firm date for T5C to be opened; there are conflicting dates littered around the interweb.

T5C will eliminate the majority of coaching gates.

It does seem prudent to eventually extend the Rapid Transit to T5D and onwards to T3, thus ensuring complete airside integration of oneworld for connections.

[VintageKrug]

Seems we have another year’s wait for T5C, BAA announced April 2011 as the planned opening date.

Still no firm news if BA will operate a Galleries lounge there, though I would hope that they would as it’s quite a hike back to T5 from there.

[MartynSinclair]

what concenrs me about T5 is the security issues i have raised with BAA and HM Customs and neither seem at all interested. Pax transfering from an arriving overseas flight in T4, transfering to a domestic BA flight inT5 via flight connections, do not clear customs when transiting T4 or entering T5 (at least up until 2 weeks ago).

[VintageKrug]

It is a very good point, MartynSinclair.

Certainly the sort of thing BT could consider investigating.

Until then, I am not certain that publishing this loophole (which is long standing) is in anyone’s (except the smugglers’) interests..?

[Author]

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