[Anonymous]

[VintageKrug]

An interesting article in last night’s Standard (hence must be taken with pinch of – sea – salt):

“Frustrating queues at Heathrow will be abolished in a radical shake-up of Britain’s biggest airport.

New Transport Secretary Philip Hammond used an exclusive interview in the Evening Standard to reveal plans to end “Heathrow hassle” such as security waits, lost luggage and endless queuing.

The Minister disclosed that a new system of cash incentives will reward investment by operator BAA in better facilities and staff. The overhaul is being prepared for a deadline of 2013, replacing old regulations that date back to the Seventies.”

more…

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23838992-new-transport-secretary-pledges-to-end-heathrow-chaos.do

2013 is hardly an ambitious timescale, though, especially as we will have the Olympics between now and then….

[binabdulaziz]

Maybe your country have money in 2013?

According to finance minister who just replaced, there is no money now.

[VintageKrug]

Indeed you are correct.

But we have some proper people in charge now, so things should start to turn a corner soon.

[Binman62]

2013 is the timescale for the completion of building works across the airport so there is nothing new here. Indeed better men than Mr Hammond have tried and failed and whilst I wish him luck, the BAA is owned by a private Spanish company. So not sure what influence an anti European government could possibly have with Jonny Foreigner.

As for “proper people”…I rather like improper people…they are more fun!!!

[MartynSinclair]

as there is nore profit in retail than aviation, the queues will only get longer as more shopping bags are distributed.

[ConstantFlyer1]

I’m pleased that someone has recognised the ‘elephant in the room’ that Heathrow is not actually a nice or convenient place to fly through. It may come as a nasty shock to airport professionals, but I am sure I am not alone as a frequent business traveller when I say “I actually prefer flying through small airports. They are often quicker and easier to use, more friendly, and provide a more personal service to passengers. There are fewer ground transportation difficulties, less needless waiting around and often just a shop for essentials, rather than a vast ocean of shopping centres selling things people don’t need”. I believe that providing a proper transport infrastructure network is a function of government, and that roads, railway lines and runways should be state-owned, but operated and maintained under franchise to private sector concerns. That way, the government could use profits from its best-used roads, railway lines and runways to support rural or island communities to have their own transport infrastructure that would otherwise run at a loss.

[BABenji]

The London BAA airports (past and present) are/were always dreadful places.

I haven’t travelled via LGW since it was sold, so can’t comment if it has improved or not since being under new management, however, for the work that has happened at Heathrow’s existing terminals which I have flown through (1, 3 and 5) it can be a painful experience (with the exception of 5 – where I have been fortunate to never have a problem).

The security set up in T3 is nothing short of an embarressment…especially the “fast-track.” As for the speed at which luggage is returned to the hall in T1…only DXB T1 is slower and makes SYD look rapid!

Stansted is an awful place to fly from. I sooner drive 60 miles to Heathrow than 20 to Stansted and fly from a “Tesco Value Airport.”

Personally, I’d like to see the aiport in the Thames estuary given greater consideration. It can be done and I hope that a vibrant new government, with a bit more about them can banish the typical “it’ll never work” attitude of the previous. Sometimes you just have to give it a go!

[VintageKrug]

I really don’t think it is fair to assess all of LHR by the soon to be changed T1 and T3’s abysmal security.

T5 is genuinely excellent (the people staffing security need serious customer service training, but I’ve seen worse in many other airports). We moan about the shops, but they are some of the best in the world in an airport, and subsidise what would otherwise be increadibly expensive landing and take off fees, making all our journeys less expensive.

T4 has been remodelled (unlike MarcusUK/MarkRoberts9 I will put my money where my mouth is and am actually dipping my toe into the world of AirFrance/klm at T4 in the next few weeks), T2 was closed and in the interim T1 is taking up the slack before it is totally remodeled. If you fly Virgin from T3 in Upper Class you would feel you were in a totally different terminal, as you are isolated from the main bruhahah throughout your transit through the building.

BAA has been appalling in the past, but I have been impressed by the modest improvements they have been making to improve T5 since it opened and they are investing massive amounts improving LHR and their other regional airports through which I fly from time to time.

I genuinely believe this is spurred on from competition from Gatwick and London City.

Gatwick was fully rebranded last month and the security set up there which I was using regularly earlier in the year has improved markedly since my experience prior to the sale, with further physical improvements to come. Of most note was the generally better “attitude” of the staff who changed from being dragon like minimum wage Dementors to human being with a professional and calm demeanor, and not afraid to demonstrate a sense of humour when appropriate. A much more “British” experience.

So, despite my general disdain for BAA in the past, I do think they are beginning to turn a corner, and the new management now in place will further that.

I agree LHR cannot be the right solution for London over the next 50-100 years, and am pleased to see that serious consideration is once again being given to a Thames Estuary solution.

[Author]

Posts