[pixelmeister]

I recall many moons ago flying from LGW with a small backpack that was the right size to count as carry on baggage. However, the checkin staff didn’t see it that way and I had to decant a percentage of the contents into a carrier bag and have the backpack put in the hold. The crazy part of the story is that the carrier bag I had to use was larger than the backpack.

I’ve also been struck by the somewhat ludicrous situation that can arise, whereby you can purchase goods in the lounges that you can then carry on as hand baggage. Now I’ve not seen anyone attempt to get a cabin trunk in an overhead locker, but I have witnessed some substantial collections of duty free goods gumming up the available space. The snag for the airlines is that their opportunity to remove said items from you only kicks in at boarding time. By then they are in a race to get everyone on board, in order to make the slot. Last thing they really want to do is have to delay takeoff and incur the wrath of the majority of passengers. So almost inevitably a lot of stuff that would have been rejected at checkin gets carted on board.

And it that isn’t bad enough, it’s getting worse with online check in, particularly on shorthaul routes.

[NTarrant]

Yes Chris those things you mention work well in private hands but inefficent and costly under public ownership. It is highly unlikely that the land belongs to BAA, more like it is leased from the government.

Not sure where you get your information about costs cut on T5A and B as they were delivered on time and on budget. In fact the cost was agreed by the construction company so it had to build it to the spec required and cost no more (or less) than quoted.

[ChrisBuda82]

NTarrant I did not say that it was not on budget, But if you look of the spec of T5A is much better built than that T5B and T5C cost where cut on T5B and this can be seen more at T5C and T5D axed to keep it on Budget. But T5A will last much longer than T5B and T5C. If you as any one that been in T5C they will tell you how bad it is and I been to T5C to, there was even cuts on the little train link to link to T5C on to T3.

So it was on Budget and on time due to cuts!!!

If you read the reports online there open to the public BA has rased the prob of not having T5D and the link to T3.

Due to the rule out of a new runway at LHR a other airport will be built that may over take LHR as the top uk airport.

[NTarrant]

Chris, I don’t want to labour the point as this is a little off thread, but the construction company priced the job and gave the price for the spec required. T5 was unusual in that the construction company culd not come back and say “oh we forgot to quote for the toilets, that will be XX pounds extra”, but if they priced up toilet seats at £10.00 each but got then at £5.00 happy days for the construction company. Certainly T5A&B were one job so what you say about C&D could be quite correct.

“Due to the rule out of a new runway at LHR a other airport will be built that may over take LHR as the top uk airport.” this has been debated on other threads, but it is unlikely to happen.

[Binman62]

Hand baggage cannot be taken at the gate in T5, all part of the cuts made by Ferovial when having bought into what they saw as a cash cow and had paid dearly for it, turned out to be a albatross around their rather greedy necks.

Every aspect of the ownership of LHR has been farcical from the design and costs cutting on T5 (Access to Concorde Room being just one issue.), the shambles of T3 and their inability to get airlines to move to T4. Then of course there was the disastrous opening of T5 which was in large part down to BAA and their baggage systems and lack of preparedness of staff car parks!!

They are a retail group and not a very good one even at that. I can count the number of times I have spent money in LHR on the fingers of one hand since 2007. Alcohol is invariably cheaper in you local supermarket and the returns policy convoluted. There is no saving on most goods if you are a UK resident that you cannot beat online and if you are a tourist then it is better to reclaim VAT from a major retailer.

BA hand baggage policy is driven by the limitations of the building and the need to allow those transferring from Long haul to short haul, and who generally have more hand baggage, to get it all on the smaller aircraft.

Their policy that the bag can weigh 23kgs and be no bigger than 56cm x 45cm x 25cm (22in x 18in x 10in), is perfectly sensible. If you cannot lift you hand bag unassisted into the overhead locker then it should not be in the cabin.

My only gripe with BA is the crew use of passenger overhead space and especially in the front rows. If you are in row 1 club and the overhead locker is filled with crew bags that can be very frustrating.

[famouschicken]

In my younger student days I once flew QR economy and the 7 kg carrry on limit was being strictly enforced and they would not let my 10kg pass.
I had no check-in bags so off I trotted to the gents and proceeded to put on 3 or 4 t-shirts and an extra jumper under my jacket, and 2 pairs of shorts under my trousers. Stuffed my pockets with socks and underwear and then waddled back to the desk with my 6.5kg bag! The staff could see what I had done but there was nothing they could do even if they wanted to, (which they didn’t really – I had complied with the rules and that was all that mattered. Common sense had long since left the building.) Once I had the bag tag on I reversed the procedure and went on my way.
Absurd? yes of course, but my opinion has always been that they should weigh the passenger and bag combined, rather than just the bag…. I suffered NZ to AKL once in premium economy with a gent who clearly wanted 50% of my seat space if I had let him raise the arm rest.
Happy Holidays to all.

[Author]

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