Heathrow arrival - stand not ready
A while ago I started to keep records of my BA arrivals at Heathrow where we had to hold just off stand waiting for the stand guidance to be switched on, and other preparations for our actual arrival. My most recent arrival made it the fourth time IN A ROW when this happened. Of course, I only started these records because it had happened umpteen times previously. This is a phenomena unique to Heathrow and has never occurred to me at any BA outstation.
Equally extraordinary are PA announcements from the flight deck at these times as if such an event has never been known before.
The most common excuses given are either "well, we are a bit early", or "well we are a bit late", as if it is only possible for the Heathrow (uniquely) gate staff to be on duty in time for a precisely punctual arrival. But the last time I had one of these, we had to hold then as well.
Possibly if the BA airside manager were to invest in a little PC and get onto the Flightstats website, which is I believe run by enthusiasts off various open-access ATC feeds, they might be able to see a good indication of expected arrivals.
Through the window one is well able to distinguish between waiting for another aircraft to leave the stand, or manoeuvre ahead, and the stand personnel just not being there on your nicely vacant stand when you arrive.
I wonder if anyone at BA T5 has ever though to go over to London City, where incoming aircraft require two marshallers to be in place to guide them in and turn them tightly, who have never, in all the years I have used LCY, not been in position as we arrive.