[DisgustedofSwieqi]

“It’s not just slots at capacity; gates are also rammed right now as improvements are made to the T2 “Central Area”.

A technical clarification that gates are in the terminal and stands are where the aircraft are parked.

An aircraft occupies a stand for longer than pax use a gate, so with a bit of planning, one can actually work around gates restrictions (to some degree) by coaching (at a price) and using remote stands or even cargo stands.

Nonethless, the point VK is making is valid, stand availability is (and has been for at least 10 years) a major constraint on Heathrow.

BA management knew in 2001 that remote stands and coaching would be a feature of T5, even when fully completed.

[Surreyson]

Think this looks unlikely to be happening

[JohnPhelanAustralia]

Binman, why do you say the BA/QF partnership is not working for passengers in T3 ?

[Hippocampus]

Surreyson, Do you know why the move may not go ahead?

[ChrisBuda82]

I am not very happy that Budapest been moved from T5 to T3, T3 is dump even with the facelift. I dont get they saying the smooth transfer over 50% of the Budapest flight are going on to the states on BA good going BA piss off the people that use the flight becasue it is smooth.

[RichHI1]

The T3 experience on other carriers is very efficient with much less walking past shops and trains than T5. BA experience is not good though, thier loiunge is not as good as T5, they do not use gates in T3 and connections to other BA services require bussing to T5 and that takes a long time.

[Hippocampus]

Regarding Iberia, the move to T5 is on and it is expected to move to T5 from the summer season.

[ChrisBuda82]

Not used T3 for BA yet but other airlines, So they use buses there whats the put of paying more to go on BA than easyjet only to have to get a buses and walk up the stairs.

I am hoping when they open T5 b or c not sure of the naming they get moved back. BA got worst since they got in to bed with Iberia.

They will lose people on the Budapest flight due to this but then again they the only people flying from Heathrow to Budapest sucks.

[ChrisBuda82]

If they move to Iberia to T5 they have to build T5 extra hub.

[RichHI1]

ChrisBuda82, I have the misfortune to use BA to Lisbon about once a month and it is very obvious they are not that interested in these flights believing only tourists fly them. It seems one step above Gatwick in their mind set. Buses, tatty aircraft, poor timekeeping, no IFE on a 2 hour plus flight, and I still have not figured out what the green slime on the appetizer is. Plus side is that BA seem to be cycling crew and we have had some very good long haul crews on some flights complete with Ipad and an ability to remember your name.

[ChrisBuda82]

RichHI1 I fly every 2 weeks or 1 week to Budapest so it going to take more out of me if there going to be more stress. The crews are good they merged the Mid haul and Long haul they have the hats nows. They use to IFE on the Budapest flight some of the time.

I would not call the Budapest flight a tourist one, they fly there three times a day flights are always full I mean every seat. BA been using Budapest with there partner malev as hub for that area as Malev fly to places ba does not.

With BA buying BMI I would have thought they would want them at T5, Iberia is like easyjet or even worst make T5 look cheap.

I use to fly to Madrid every week and try to stay away from Iberia at lest 2 hours delays with them. They never used BA ground crew or BA use there ground crew at Madrid. The only way I see Iberia working at T5 if they use BA ground crew, not sure if they not been on a Iberia plane since after the linkup.

[RichHI1]

Chris, Iberia are a bit like Alitalia in that there short haul Business European flights are really not that pleasant whereas their long haul business flights to Latin America can be very good indeed, particularly as they operate daytime flights westbound so one can cut down on the red eyes.
Lisbon if normally full too and there are many Business passengers with some connecting to Brazil secondary destinations like Fortaleza, Belo Horizonte etc. But the BA view seems to be very much bucket and spade. What is MAlev like?

[Merlin1]

IT sytems integration must be an obstacle. T5 isn’t CUTE (common user). It’s wired for BA’s RTZ departure control system so IB’s Resiber DCS couldn’t easily be introduced without adding complexity for stand planning etc. Until both airlines use the same DCS there will always be IT trade-offs and an unattractive customer proposition.

[ChrisBuda82]

Rich Malev is very good, its just the drive to Gatwick that puts me off, there Business class is very good much better than BA on European flights. I was on a Alitalia flight couple years a go there had a good Business class has it gone to the pots now?

[ChrisBuda82]

I read on a other form about the Link up of T5 and T3 in to a one Hub for one world like with the one they are doing for Sky team. There was even talk of T5 D that is in the works with link up with T3 via a train.

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