Chaos at Terminal 5
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Whilst I can appreciate that there are numerous 'parallel' tracks between check-in and aircraft (and there will be 'return' routes for inbound baggage) highlighting the fact that there are eleven miles of conveyor seems to accentuate the fact (just maybe) the system is too complex.
According to the Sky video the bag took forty minutes to traverse the distance from desk to aircraft container. Of course there could be some delay inbuilt for early check-ins, but is this the reason why check-in closes so long before departure because baggage transit takes so long?
I've had myself accepted (long time ago) onto a flight which had already boarded, and really didn't expect my hold baggage to make it, but when I reached the aircraft steps my luggage was being removed from a truck and being stowed into the hold (it had probably travelled in a straighter line than me however).
Oh? and what function do the 'baggage handlers' have other than to unload the conveyors into aircraft containers (and vice versa)?
Doesn't the system automatically direct bags after reading the radio tags?
What we need is an Eagle (comic) exploded view and description of how the system works (or should work).
According to the Sky video the bag took forty minutes to traverse the distance from desk to aircraft container. Of course there could be some delay inbuilt for early check-ins, but is this the reason why check-in closes so long before departure because baggage transit takes so long?
I've had myself accepted (long time ago) onto a flight which had already boarded, and really didn't expect my hold baggage to make it, but when I reached the aircraft steps my luggage was being removed from a truck and being stowed into the hold (it had probably travelled in a straighter line than me however).
Oh? and what function do the 'baggage handlers' have other than to unload the conveyors into aircraft containers (and vice versa)?
Doesn't the system automatically direct bags after reading the radio tags?
What we need is an Eagle (comic) exploded view and description of how the system works (or should work).
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Maintenance, reliability, training and sefety reporting succeed in spite of the managers, not because of them. It is only in the area of human resource management that the workforce are unable to influence the management, which is why everything goes T.U. so regularly.
the lunatic fringe
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Stoat your post tells me more about you than it does about BA.
Total complete and utter rubbish.
So called mates of mine,having obtained their shiny 4 silver bars,used to say that apart from the "Checks",they never had a conversation with their F/O,nor even could remember his name!!!!I believe this still exists.
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Its an ASDA Superstore!
This on MSN News.
"The airport does look beautiful but it looks at bit like Asda when they are in the middle of restocking."
A spokeswoman for BAA said it was "looking into" the complaints about the phones and lifts but claimed: "Everything is running quite smoothly. Everything is going absolutely to plan."
A BA spokeswoman said earlier: "We are hoping things are going to steadily recover. We are looking at just small delays of around 30 or 40 minutes to a handful of flights. Things are going according to plan."
Good to see its all running smoothly and going to plan, both from BAA and BAs point of view.
So no worries there then!
it's a disgrace and beyond a joke; the rest of the world must be amazed at the sheer incompetence.
Bonus's all round for BAA, BA and senior contractors management I suppose?
"The airport does look beautiful but it looks at bit like Asda when they are in the middle of restocking."
A spokeswoman for BAA said it was "looking into" the complaints about the phones and lifts but claimed: "Everything is running quite smoothly. Everything is going absolutely to plan."
A BA spokeswoman said earlier: "We are hoping things are going to steadily recover. We are looking at just small delays of around 30 or 40 minutes to a handful of flights. Things are going according to plan."
Good to see its all running smoothly and going to plan, both from BAA and BAs point of view.
So no worries there then!
it's a disgrace and beyond a joke; the rest of the world must be amazed at the sheer incompetence.
Bonus's all round for BAA, BA and senior contractors management I suppose?
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Shiny new silver bars
My son got 4 "shiny new bars" with BA many years ago.
Amazingly he still speaks to me and his mum!
Aren't we the lucky ones Stoat?
Very well put L337.
Rubik101
It should be "Bonuses," not "Bonus's."
Well deserved, I'm sure you agree ?
Amazingly he still speaks to me and his mum!
Aren't we the lucky ones Stoat?
Very well put L337.
Rubik101
It should be "Bonuses," not "Bonus's."
Well deserved, I'm sure you agree ?
Last edited by Storminnorm; 29th Mar 2008 at 16:49.
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You must have short memories.Only a few years ago in the Dunadry Hotel,2 poor F/Os were bemoaning the fact that their Captain would not hold a conversation with them,but only with the Girls!!When the transport arrived,my crew offered me the seat the BA Captain usually had,much to the disgust of the BA Cabin Crew.Suffice it to say the BA Captain arrived at the enth minute,and complained bitterly that I had taken his seat.First come ,first served said my team.Much further back,you only have to remember" PI".Simon T was a mate of mine then,and like everybody else he died!!!!!!
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Is there a good technical reason why x% of flights couldn't have been transferred to T5 in week 1, followed by x% in week 2 etc? I admit I am not a ground ops person but if you have (made up figures) 30 tugs for 50 flights per hour why not move 10 of them, handle circa 16 flights (and just focus on certain routes) and move over a third of the staff ?
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Me thinks Fastoat is hitting the gin a little cos he seems to be mumbling some total and utter rubbish in my opinion because lets face it, no cabin crew would be seen dead being chatted up by a BA captain!! 
But in all seriousness, in my career with BA I have only come across a handful of miserable and unsociable people (either side of the flightdeck) and its all an individual thing. Most of the BA lot are total professionals both onboard and downroute and make very good companions when away from home.
Luoto, I am of the same thinking as you I think. I do not understand why they did not do it in a more stepped process. I feel they would have been better switching all 747 flights over initially as it is easier (or at least you have more time) to turn around a longhaul service and it is at a less hectic pace than shorthaul so it would have given a more seemless switch. Then when all the longhauls are over they should have started on the shorthauls. Just my opinion. But then BA and "sensible" rarely go together in the same sentence!
But in all seriousness, in my career with BA I have only come across a handful of miserable and unsociable people (either side of the flightdeck) and its all an individual thing. Most of the BA lot are total professionals both onboard and downroute and make very good companions when away from home.
Luoto, I am of the same thinking as you I think. I do not understand why they did not do it in a more stepped process. I feel they would have been better switching all 747 flights over initially as it is easier (or at least you have more time) to turn around a longhaul service and it is at a less hectic pace than shorthaul so it would have given a more seemless switch. Then when all the longhauls are over they should have started on the shorthauls. Just my opinion. But then BA and "sensible" rarely go together in the same sentence!
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BA? Incompetent...
On Thursday/Friday night/morning, I flew from Lagos on BA 74. The flight was some 5 hours late; the reason [sic], a BA "oil shortage". On boarding the aircraft, the skipper admitted the reason was due to a disturbance prior to take off, on board the outbound flight. Get your act together BA.
Any press reading, for a fee will tell all...
Any press reading, for a fee will tell all...
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I'm sure the press are just dying to hear your story, so I'll gazunder you by telling them they had to offload over a hundred disruptive passengers which caused the delay. So sorry, no T5 angle there either as LOS operates from T4.
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Sure, by all means blame Willy Walsh, but where was his "army" of managers ?
Very disapointing that all did not work harder to make the opening a success.
I note that the recent opening of T3 at Changi was flawless.
The Singaporeans make the UK look like an African country.
Where is the pride of a once great nation gone ?
Very disapointing that all did not work harder to make the opening a success.
I note that the recent opening of T3 at Changi was flawless.
The Singaporeans make the UK look like an African country.
Where is the pride of a once great nation gone ?
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In light of this latest fiasco the sooner " London Airways" gets its act together the better.
Quickly off the top of my head.
Gate gourmet fiasco
Check in staff and the cross
Selling off the regions to flybe
The multi coloured tailfins
Price fixing both passenger and freight
BA dirty tricks against Branson
For those of us "up North" theres proof that customers are thinking of any alternative of travelling other than BA.
Quickly off the top of my head.
Gate gourmet fiasco
Check in staff and the cross
Selling off the regions to flybe
The multi coloured tailfins
Price fixing both passenger and freight
BA dirty tricks against Branson
For those of us "up North" theres proof that customers are thinking of any alternative of travelling other than BA.
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BBC reporting Fifteen, possibly Twenty Thousand bags are stranded at Heathrow!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7320771.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7320771.stm
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BA.com FAQ message
As a result of the disruption to flights from Terminal 5, some customers' bags will unfortunately be delayed.
We are working hard to process delayed bags and reunite them with customers as quickly as possible.
If your bag has been delayed, you can register your details and track your luggage here.
The baggage tracing system on ba.com will be updated as we process bags and arrange delivery to you. If there is no new information available, it is because we are still processing your bag. We will provide the latest information as quickly as possible.
Due to the disruption to the baggage system in Terminal 5 on Thursday (March 27) it may take us several days to process luggage as we have to process each bag manually.
We understand how frustrating this is. We are very sorry for the inconvenience this has caused.
The move to Terminal 5 is one of the biggest and most complex airport moves ever undertaken. We are working hard, together with airport operator BAA, to resolve the issues as quickly as possible.
Yeah by a complete bunch of amateurs........ and who moved the airport? it was the opening if a new terminal, not an airport move.....
!
We are working hard to process delayed bags and reunite them with customers as quickly as possible.
If your bag has been delayed, you can register your details and track your luggage here.
The baggage tracing system on ba.com will be updated as we process bags and arrange delivery to you. If there is no new information available, it is because we are still processing your bag. We will provide the latest information as quickly as possible.
Due to the disruption to the baggage system in Terminal 5 on Thursday (March 27) it may take us several days to process luggage as we have to process each bag manually.
We understand how frustrating this is. We are very sorry for the inconvenience this has caused.
The move to Terminal 5 is one of the biggest and most complex airport moves ever undertaken. We are working hard, together with airport operator BAA, to resolve the issues as quickly as possible.
Yeah by a complete bunch of amateurs........ and who moved the airport? it was the opening if a new terminal, not an airport move.....
!
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press cameras banned from T5 and rumoured to be in excess of 20000 items of mishandled baggage stacking up in all LHR terminals,this crisis is lurching towards an utter disaster. if BA and BAA fail to get a grip within the next 24 hours,the whole LHR operation could be compromised.this is surely the most disastrous operational situation BA has ever faced and i do not believe that they are doing enough to prevent a total meltdown.operationally the options are severely limited due to all the excessive security measures in place involving passenger and baggage screening.trying to implement emergency backup procedures is virtually impossible.the only option may be to suspend all T5 operations and return to T1 until the operational integrity of the terminal can be guaranteed.there is obviously no chance of the T4 longhaul operations moving into T5 in 4 weeks time as the baggage volumes will dwarf the current levels which are proving impossible to handle.i expect some very tough and embarassing operational decisions will have to be made very shortly....what a dreadful,shambolic situation.
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Far be it from me to defend BA but:
Quickly off the top of my head.
Gate gourmet fiasco
Hardly BA's fault if a supplier goes on strike and then the TGWU organise an illegal walk out (for which the ringleaders were sacked)
Check in staff and the cross
Or more precisely one religious fundamentalist deliberately flouting the rules to make a point. The Industrial Tribunal came down on the side of BA once the hubris had died down.
Selling off the regions to flybe
They weren't making any money.
The multi coloured tailfins
Yep, that was an ostrich up
Price fixing both passenger and freight
You can't fix prices in isolation. Where's Virgins bad press?
BA dirty tricks against Branson
Errrrrr, how many years ago?
Quickly off the top of my head.
Gate gourmet fiasco
Hardly BA's fault if a supplier goes on strike and then the TGWU organise an illegal walk out (for which the ringleaders were sacked)
Check in staff and the cross
Or more precisely one religious fundamentalist deliberately flouting the rules to make a point. The Industrial Tribunal came down on the side of BA once the hubris had died down.
Selling off the regions to flybe
They weren't making any money.
The multi coloured tailfins
Yep, that was an ostrich up
Price fixing both passenger and freight
You can't fix prices in isolation. Where's Virgins bad press?
BA dirty tricks against Branson
Errrrrr, how many years ago?
Even more quickly, from the hole in my tail,
Gate gourmet fiasco
Customers get the suppliers they deserve..the whole Gate Gourmet affair was rooted in disastrous decisions made by BA bean-counters
Check in staff and the cross
That sort of incident does not happen in well managed companies, which see it coming...
Selling off the regions to flybe
They weren't making any money due to BA management.
The multi coloured tailfins
Yep, that was an ostrich up
Price fixing both passenger and freight
You can't fix prices in isolation. No you can't, but that doesn't make it good management to be one half of the crooked combo.
BA dirty tricks against Branson
Errrrrr, how many years ago? Not that many.
BA's history since 1975 is one of bad decisions and poor management. The above is only a sample.
Gate gourmet fiasco
Customers get the suppliers they deserve..the whole Gate Gourmet affair was rooted in disastrous decisions made by BA bean-counters
Check in staff and the cross
That sort of incident does not happen in well managed companies, which see it coming...
Selling off the regions to flybe
They weren't making any money due to BA management.
The multi coloured tailfins
Yep, that was an ostrich up
Price fixing both passenger and freight
You can't fix prices in isolation. No you can't, but that doesn't make it good management to be one half of the crooked combo.
BA dirty tricks against Branson
Errrrrr, how many years ago? Not that many.
BA's history since 1975 is one of bad decisions and poor management. The above is only a sample.