T5, Take a Bow!

[Capot]

Back from the Fatherland once again, yesterday evening, T5.

Flew BA/T5 as cheapest option against locos and others from various airports, professional and friendly cabin crew serving snacks and drinks free, landed 5 minutes ahead of schedule, short taxi, airbridge in place faster than ever before, fairly short walk to and no delay at Immigration, met bag as I arrived at the carousel, car park bus pulled in just as I got to the stop.

It isn't always like that, but when it is, it's almost enjoyable.

[L337]

Only threads that abuse BA, and trash T5 are allowed here.

Move along, nothing to see here.

[Capot]

L337 was right, of course,this thread died the death.

After all, who needs a "good news about BA/T5" story?

Well, just in case anyone cares, it happened again last night coming back from MUC.

Much more of this and I might think that they're getting it right.

[PAXboy]

Since I make my first departure through it next week - I hope to add to this terrible thread and put the really bad news that it so richly deserves ...

[Malone]

I am so sorry to go off-thread again and risk the wrath of everyone!!
I have travelled through T5 many times and it is the Dog's B****x.
The first queue I generally find is at WH Smiths in the the Departure Lounge.
As an aside, can anyone tell me why they need to see my boarding card when I am buying a paper and a bottle of water? I understand why that will be necessary for the Duty-Free etc, but in WH Smiths??? :confused:

[Final 3 Greens]

Only threads that abuse BA, and trash T5 are allowed here.

BA are quite capable of trashing themselves, without any help.

I'm pleased to hear that T5 is now working as a terminal with that amount of investment should.

[Capetonian]

My cynical side wonders if the monumental cock-up at opening was deliberate, so that when they finally got it working as it should, it would attract loads of publicity from people saying how wonderful it is.

On the other hand I don't think BA could do anything deliberately and get it right!

I have yet to have the pleasure of flying via T5 as the World's Favourite Airline is far from being mine, and I hope it's a long time before I have to use them again.

[ExXB]

Since Domestic and Int'l passengers are mixed in T5, I'm guessing it's because they don't pay VAT on purchases made by Int'l passengers for books and water, but they do for Domestic passengers. Seeing your boarding card allows them to press the correct button on their till.

Does this mean they are charging you the VAT but not paying it to HMT? Your guess is as good as mine.

BTW - Why are you buying water? Take an empty bottle with you and fill it up at a water fountain or in the loo.

[Malone]

Capetonian, there you go again.
If in doubt have another go at BA.
The whole point of this thread is about a building NOT AN AIRLINE!!!
I was just saying that T5 is a wonderful facility, IMHO.
Of course the BAA and BA between them managed to screw up the opening. However I do believe that Terminal openings do generally have their problems. I believe that people were actually killed in Paris when the roof collapsed, and I also believe that Denver was not without its problems either.
Can you not, just for once, give credit where it is half due and maybe say something positive for a change.
Oh well, that is off my chest now. Time to pop down the pub!!
:ok:

[pzu]

I'm guessing
Since Domestic and Int'l passengers are mixed in T5, I'm guessing it's because they don't pay VAT on purchases made by Int'l passengers for books and water, but they do for Domestic passengers. Seeing your boarding card allows them to press the correct button on their till.

Does this mean they are charging you the VAT but not paying it to HMT? Your guess is as good as mine.

BTW - Why are you buying water? Take an empty bottle with you and fill it up at a water fountain or in the loo.

Stand to be corrected, BUT AFAIK VAT is not currently chargeable on Books/Newspapers or plain Water in the UK

PZU - Out of Africa (Retired)

AS someone who has sworn never to transit Heathrow again - am considering a T5 transfer - am I being rash???:rolleyes:

[MrSoft]

Hi PZU - a T5 to T5 transit is as painless an experience as you can get anywhere. I see no difference whatsoever between LHR T5 and those lauded world airports such as SIN, HKG and so on. It is just the British mentality that we don't like to celebrate what we've got :)

Actually I would put T5 ahead of HKG (which had very poor transit security arrangements when I used it) and it is streets ahead of AMS.

I say this as a former LHR hater who came to loathe the T4 to T1 flight connections horror etc. So I empathise. I should give it a try, it is definitely a credible transit option once again.

[Capetonian]

Sorry, Malone, if you take exception to my criticism of BA or perhaps to it's being in a thread related to T5.

BA was the motive force behind the design and implementation of T5 and are its main user. They are primarily responsible for the way it works, or didn't, at the beginning, and blaming BAA is a poor excuse as BAA were in a sense a subcontractor to BA, who called the shots.

T5, nice building, but if it didn't do the job because of poor staffing and lack of planning, then it's as useless as an Aston Martin (substitute whatever car you like!) with a flat battery. Looks nice but doesn't do the job.

That's off my chest, time for tea and toast.

[CornishFlyer]

But it does do it's job. That's what the thread is about. And seeing as you have never been through it, how can you say it doesn't do it's job? As stated a lot of openings have problems, not just terminals but that is in the past now. Surely how it operates day to day is more important than the initial problems it had last year? A couple weeks of problems compared to a year of operation that has had hardly any problems. Stop the battering.

Yeah BA got it wrong at the beginning which they deserved criticism for but long term they obviously got it right so why can't you bring yourself to praise them when they get something right or even just say nothing if you can't bring yourself to that?

[Final 3 Greens]

As stated a lot of openings have problems

That is negative thinking, with all due respect.

The St Pancras International opening was excellently executed.

If the right planning is done, the right resources put in place and a good 'soft opening' carried out first, there is no reason why it should not always be so.

[Malone]

Unfortunately a lot of openings do have problems. I suspect that this is mostly due to unrealistic deadlines or incessant changes to specifications.
St Pancras is an example of how to do it right. If you watch that programme "Rock and Roll Hotel" on the BBC on Fridays you will see a pretty good example of how can go so wrong.
T5 now works, it is a shame about the opening fiasco, which I should imagine was mostly due to unrealistic deadlines, however I could of course be wrong!!
With regards to the boarding pass issue in WH Smiths, I am sure that it has nothing to do with VAT etc. I think we need to hear from someone from WH Smiths really.
:)

[Capetonian]

@ CornishFlyer

It didn't do its job properly and I've updated my posting to reflect that inaccuracy in my posting.

Now that it does do its job properly, why is everyone saying it's so marvellous just because it works as per specs? Do we write to customer services to say how wonderful it is that our flight got us from A to B without crashing, arrived on time, and the cabin crew were friendly and did their jobs very well?

I am being a bit facetious here. I have been to T5, both andside and airside, I haven't flown to or from it. Architecturally it's impressive but I understand from a friend of mine who commutes between LHR and JNB using T5 that it's not particularly efficient, and often overcrowded and understaffed. He admits that it's a huge improvement over any other terminal at LHR.

[jethrobee]

I for one love t5, I fly through there quite a bit, I think that the lounges are excellent, I do get a bit frustrated by the "fast track" not being as fast as the normal track on occasion, but it is in my opinion the best terminal I use on a regular basis.

[jetset lady]

Now that it does do its job properly, why is everyone saying it's so marvellous just because it works as per specs? Do we write to customer services to say how wonderful it is that our flight got us from A to B without crashing, arrived on time, and the cabin crew were friendly and did their jobs very well?



Why not? Would it really be that painful? After all, we're quick enough to put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard, when things go wrong. Or has praise become a dirty word now? :rolleyes:

Jsl

[Final 3 Greens]

JSl's contribution reminds me to say that the LGW North Terminal project was also executed well.

It used to have the only BA lounge with a kids section, because the lounge project manager made a point of understanding the demographics of the BA premium travellers and acted upon it - a first class piece of work :ok:

[Capetonian]

Not at all. When things go better than expected or personnel go beyond the call of duty, I'm very quick to praise, usually in writing. I don't see that anyone deserves praise for correctly doing the job for which they are paid.

I think we've had our say here. Let's move on.

[L337]

Now that it does do its job properly, why is everyone saying it's so marvellous just because it works as per specs?

Because T4 and all that went with that operation, was so utterly dreadful. Both for the passengers, and the staff.

T5 was an opening disaster. It has largely been fixed, and runs mostly like clockwork. But it is still at LHR. And LHR is a "just in time" airport. If anything, anywhere on the ground, or air gets out of sync, all hell breaks loose. And that is all to do with lack of capacity, and a historical lack of investment in the infrastructure by the BAA.

Since T5 settled down, I can say in all honesty, that I usually depart on time, and normally get to stand on time. And for LHR that is a big thing.

It is worth pointing out that BA has beaten BMI ex LHR on parallel domestic routes for 10 weeks running at departure punctuality, and the 4th consecutive week it has beaten BMI ex LHR on parallel international routes.

Overall on departures, BA was 50% on time, and 80% within 15 minutes of departure time. With "ready to go" figures higher than that. 81% of T5 arrivals were within 15 minutes of schedule.

The baggage system is still fragile, the signage is bad, and the trains at peak times, inadequate. Security lines are too long, and too slow.

The place is far from perfect, but overall, it works exceedingly well.

[IainB]

Did the NCL - LHR - NCL route the other day and have to say the overall experience of T5 was good.

Needless to say, the sticking point is security and the transit through it, mostly due to lack of bodies manning the scanners and a large family group of numpties not quite getting the gist of what was expected of them. Very friendly staff both in the shops and airport ground staff help the overall experience.

Flight wise, we were 25 mins late departing NCL due to some late paperwork, but landed on time and has a pretty short taxi to stand.

The return leg pushed back 5 mins ear;y and we landed back at NCL 20 mins early.

Big well done to the CC on both flights for getting the service done in a much reduced time with such good humour.

Couldn't help wondering how many fellow prooners are travelling with me each time we go somewhere.

[Al Fakhem]

About a fortnight ago travelled as SLF via T5 (connecting from a European flight to a long-haul flight) and vice-versa 6 days later. Can only say that T5 works. Security is a pain everywhere, but at T5 the queues are at least moving. All other facilities world class. Checked baggage transfer worked in both directions of travel:ok: