[FDOS_UK]

Tom

You chose to take a convoluted route through an airport that isn’t known for smooth connections and is known for being overcrowded, when you could have flown direct (or even via Dublin to NYC and precleared there) and saved the hassle.

You suffered two transient operational delays that could have happened anywhere.

[icenspice]

@FDOS

What on earth is convoluted about flying from Dublin via LCY?

TominScotland has stated clearly twice that he has always wanted to fly BA001.

[FDOS_UK]

[quote quote=704983]@FDOS

What on earth is convoluted about flying from Dublin via LCY?

TominScotland has stated clearly twice that he has always wanted to fly BA001.

[/quote]

Flight 1 – EDI or GLA to DUB

Flight 2 – DUB to LCY

Flight 3 – LCY to SNN

Flight 4 – SNN to JFK

Four flights, 3,980 miles in total

Three flights more and 22% miles more than a direct flight – I call that convoluted, compared to EDI-JFK – one flight 3,255 miles in total or even EDI-DUB-JFK – two flights 3,389 miles in total – you may have a different opinion.

Added: Good for Tom, if he wanted to fly on BA001, but I can’t see the point of complaining about two transient operational problems that could have occured anywhere – by taking four flights, there is more exposure to potential problems than by taking one or two.

Added: One of the joys of returing to the UK, from Malta, is the sharp reduction in the number of connections I need to take. It reduces the total time/distance flown significantly and reduces the amount of time spent queueing. Long may it continue.

[PatJordan]

I have used LCY twice in recent times. I found the arrivals experience pretty good by and large.

However, the crowded, overheated departure area was so unpleasant that it negated any benefits that LCY offered from location, transport links, etc.

Until reading the experiences of other posters, I thought it was just my bad luck to be there on two bad days. It seems that poor experiences are becoming commonplace, which is a sad reflection on LCY management.

[TominScotland]

FDOS

[FDOS_UK]

Tom, is that the best you can do to argue your case?

You lose whne you resort to ad hominens.

[TominScotland]

FDOS, in the circumstances, I am absolutely thrilled to be the loser!! As ‘winner’ you can enjoy the triumph of your total incomprehension – that will make you feel good!!

[LuganoPirate]

I’ve also wanted to fly BA001 but never had the chance – yet.
It’s a shame the way LCY has gone downhill. It used to be my local airport but despite the hassle I prefer, like Martyn, to leave via LHR, but arrive into City.

[MartynSinclair]

Can the London City problem be identified to slow security lanes or not enough security lane staff or is it caused by something else?

Unusually, I have no choice but to use LCY on Friday lunchtime so from reading this thread I intend getting to the airport a lot earlier…

[MartynSinclair]

Maybe I was lucky, but Friday midday, it took all of 5 minutes to get through security.

I see there are 4 security lanes…but only 2 were open.

[MartynSinclair]

I may have got through security quickly, but what an absolutely horrible place LCY is…

If this was a night club it would be closed down.. far too many people is a far to small place. The shops are using trolleys to restock and there is simply not enough room for the service trolleys to move around without impacting the passengers.

This is mass transit at its worst…

[FDOS_UK]

[quote quote=715175]I may have got through security quickly, but what an absolutely horrible place LCY is…

If this was a night club it would be closed down.. far too many people is a far to small place. The shops are using trolleys to restock and there is simply not enough room for the service trolleys to move around without impacting the passengers.

This is mass transit at its worst…

[/quote]

Totally agree Martyn, I used it a lot in the early-mid 2000s and loved it (although the gloss was coming off by 2005), these days I wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole, it is simply a victim of mission creep/stretch to a ludicrous degree.

That Tom from Scotland thought it was a good idea to connect via there beggars belief, which is why I had little sympathy for his self inflicted troubles.

I’d put that on a par with booking a 1 hour connection at CDG 🙂

[LuganoPirate]

I’ve never known more than two lanes open, though they do divide so I guess it’s really four.

LCY has really become a victim of its own success and local opposition prevents it expanding further. Already flights are banned from midday Saturday to midday Sunday.

[LuganoPirate]

Just read elsewhere they can now expand. Good news, which may help alleviate some of the problems.

[Daytripper]

I use City a few times a month and echo people’s sentiments about the wholly unacceptable congestion in the main terminal entirely. Furthermore, I cannot see how the expansion of space currently under construction above each of the gate areas at gates 1-10 is going to help. Gate numbers are called only at boarding time at LCY, therefore one wouldn’t know which of the newly expanded “above gate” areas to occupy in order to escape the hell that is the main terminal building.

Don’t even get me started about delays at LCY either. My recent experiences have made even LHR seem like a haven of punctuality.

The only (significant) plus point is BA’s Embraers, once one actually leaves the grief of the terminal experience, of course. Two abreast seating with very decent legroom is a significantly more pleasant flying experience than three abreast SH Boeings and Airbuses.

[Author]

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