[Anonymous]

[Binman62]

On the evidence available this morning we should all be deeply concerned at how Heathrow is going to cope with the Olympics. Queues everywhere and the TUBE was simply awful. The ticket machines do not work, there are no staff anywhere near and trollies in the zoo that is T3 like gold dust.

BA operation holding up well in the face of the busiest day of the year but the airport itself is not a happy place to be.

[watersz]

surely you jest

poster after poster has stated how wonderful the underground is compared to the rest of the world’s metros 🙂

[navnov11]

Everybody was criticizing Sydney’s public transportation readiness for the 2000 Olympics.. In the end, everything went and ran smoothly and we had great games… Hoping that the same would be with London!

[RichHI1]

I remember the UK press laughing at Athens, it will be a disaster, Greeks ho ho ho. Wait for the UK spin, not our fault, X% satisfaction, y% within 3 hours late… I don’t know why the UK press always makes fun of foreigners when Sydney, Athens, Beijing all did superb jobs.

By the way if your running shoes have only 50% tread left then rush out and buy anew pair today ( and maybe a back up pair in the garage). There may be a rush in the Olympics…

[Tom Otley]

The sunshine is about to run out as well. Make sure you get plenty of Vitamin D before the weekend.

[Binman62]

It what may be another sign of the chaos that may be about to envelop LHR in July and August I have just seen BAA advert in the today’s Skyport newspaper, a publication for the staff at LHR. ( I found a copy at LHR today whilst dropping off colleagues in the litter strewn terminal that is T3. My god it is ghastly!!)

There is on page 7 is a half page advert offering various bribes and inducements to airport staff to give up their car park passes for 2 months over the summer!
£200 of fuel, a £200 cycle hub voucher, a 2 month bus pass and a 2 month oyster card are some of the offers. No sign of their largesse extending to the Heathrow Express I noted!!

There will no doubt be some who can and will take up these offers but for travelling Joe public it send out a message of unpreparedness and desperation just 3 months from the start of the greatest show on earth.

Perhaps BT could ask them for the rational for this. Could be good for a laugh!!!

[HonestCrew]

Heathrow Underground station ‘Terminals 1,2 & 3’ is a disgrace. Scruffy, very few ticket machines, no staff on hand for ad-hoc questions by visitors and long queues for the few cashiers.
A really bad first impression for tourists.

[NTarrant]

That may well be the case today HonestCrew, but from information I have is that places like T123 Tube station will be awash with people to assist people going to the games.

When the Commonwealth games were held in Manchester there were two or three people travelling on trains to and from the airport to Piccadilly giving advise and information.

Would agree that the station it self is a bit dire.

[HonestCrew]

I hope so NT, but it is a shame the standards can’t be better for Underground users now.

Hey-ho, put it on the list of grumbles.

[TheMidasGold]

Just passed through T5 and it was pretty quiet. First check in had queues so checked in at Club instead.

The check in agent was the rudest I have ever encountered.

[KeaneJohn]

You have obviously not checked in at the BA Club desk in Manchester then.. rude is an understatement.. I was clearly interupting her sending a text and she made it well known.

[MartynSinclair]

I presume that nothing is going to be done to negate the need to walk through “Cancer Alley” to enter T3.

IT STINKS!

EDITED 31 March 2012 – I wish BAA would solve Cancer Alley by creating a smokers hut 50 feet from the touch down point on the active runway. At least it will be of use to pilots with a wind reference point!

[CXDiamond]

As LHR is never a good advert for the UK, especially for travellers arriving from overseas, it’s difficult to imagine that it will be any better during the Olympics.

While on the one hand adding additional staff may seem like a good idea it is not without problems, adding bodies to some of the already confined spaces at LHR is only going to increase the problems and delays. It seems to me to be an ideal opportunity to avoid any business travel and make other plans. I intend to take an extended break over the summer which is something I’ve meant to do for years and this has given me the perfect excuse.

[VintageKrug]

As ever, my first hand experience of LHR yesterday differed somewhat from that of others.

No lines at F check in, straight through security in under four minutes (though the non-fast track was VERY busy indeed, but kept moving from my brief sight of it).

Good news that the Flight Connections FCC will be extended to South Security soon, which should spread the burden somewhat. Sad that this has had to be redesigned so soon after being constructed.

Offered three options for Elemis Spa appointment times, so plumped for one nearer my flight time while I enjoyed breakfast in the lounge, which didn’t seem especially busy. Excellent hand massage, which helps when you’ve been lugging bags around. A new palm oil inhalation which I hadn’t had previously was especially relaxing.

I do wish you could pay for extended treatments; seems everyone would be a winner then, but perhaps there are insurance/liability issues if it becomes a paid-for service?

Main terminal was noticeably busier than usual, but only saw one significant delay on the boards, and that apparently due to a late running inbound.

Flight was packed, but landed early. Terrific (legacy) crew who couldn’t do enough to help and very impressed with the Height Cuisine influenced umami flavours now coming to the fore on the menu; they work really well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYq1GitM4xg

I risked the steak, which I normally avoid, but wasn’t especially hungry so could always have sent it back; it was well cooked, but not overdone and the quality of the beef was good so no heavy chewing required!

All in all, an excellent journey, and yes I did get the tube in. Worked perfectly.

[Author]

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