Chaos at Terminal 5
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The press association
I think i'd be right here to say that BA press department press release to the 'Press association'. Just like this mornings offering;
Calm descends on troubled airport
7 minutes ago
The atmosphere in Heathrow's Terminal 5 on Monday morning was calm as passengers saw an end to snaking check-in queues and delays at departures.
The building was starting to resemble the optimistic artists' impressions penned before its opening as travellers moved smoothly from check-in point to bag drop and on to security.
The Monday morning rush usually fills Heathrow's other busy terminal buildings to the seams but Terminal 5 looked almost empty. However, the calm comes at a price after British Airways was forced to cancel more flights again after a weekend of chaos.
The lack of passengers is probably because nobody trusts BA to fly them, they have voted with their wallets and gone elsewhere!!! Read between the lines...
Calm descends on troubled airport
7 minutes ago
The atmosphere in Heathrow's Terminal 5 on Monday morning was calm as passengers saw an end to snaking check-in queues and delays at departures.
The building was starting to resemble the optimistic artists' impressions penned before its opening as travellers moved smoothly from check-in point to bag drop and on to security.
The Monday morning rush usually fills Heathrow's other busy terminal buildings to the seams but Terminal 5 looked almost empty. However, the calm comes at a price after British Airways was forced to cancel more flights again after a weekend of chaos.
The lack of passengers is probably because nobody trusts BA to fly them, they have voted with their wallets and gone elsewhere!!! Read between the lines...
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He's Back !!
We all thought the former Iraqi Minister of Information Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaaf (remember him??) went to ground after escaping with his life.
What wasn't so well-known was his association with a camel that resulted in a half-human half-camel being born to the happy couple.
Now we know just who his b@$tard offspring is - BERKWOOD al BA-RUNNAH soon to be late of Wet Waterslide parish.
Berkwood RIP
What wasn't so well-known was his association with a camel that resulted in a half-human half-camel being born to the happy couple.
Now we know just who his b@$tard offspring is - BERKWOOD al BA-RUNNAH soon to be late of Wet Waterslide parish.
Berkwood RIP
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Mis-information
I am not qualified to comment on what has gone wrong at Terminal 5 - I just plan to avoid going there or flying BA, and I will continue to use BMI's new services to LAS and Silverjet to Newark for two currently planned trips to the USA and the excellent service via AMS from my local airport for other long haul flights. However, you would have thought that this far into the crisis of confidence BA would be getting the information on their web site right. They are saying today:
All longhaul flights from Terminal 5 will operate as planned.
Take a more detailed look at the list of cancellations from T5 and they include:
BA279 to LAX at 1005
BA169 to PVG at 1605
Since when have either of these been short-haul destinations?
They are also cancelling three US flights from T4 - presumably as a "knock-on" from the problems in T5 - and these are the premier routes where competition is going to become very intense with the new open skies agreement - another triumph for BA management?
JB
All longhaul flights from Terminal 5 will operate as planned.
Take a more detailed look at the list of cancellations from T5 and they include:
BA279 to LAX at 1005
BA169 to PVG at 1605
Since when have either of these been short-haul destinations?
They are also cancelling three US flights from T4 - presumably as a "knock-on" from the problems in T5 - and these are the premier routes where competition is going to become very intense with the new open skies agreement - another triumph for BA management?
JB
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Disappointing to see that BA has persuaded the BAA to remove all the cancellations from the Heathrow website.
With thanx to Open Skies, here's one departure which will make the little leprechaun's (& BA shareholders) toes curl....
17:00 AF060 LOS ANGELES SCHEDULED T2
With thanx to Open Skies, here's one departure which will make the little leprechaun's (& BA shareholders) toes curl....
17:00 AF060 LOS ANGELES SCHEDULED T2
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Youtube "censorship"
I know I'm a bit late with this but I'm quite a few time zones out of sync with most of you...
Anyway, several pages back a number of people complained about not being able to see certain videos on Youtube and assumed it was BA censorship.
For once, BA is innocent. It's the BBC who have forced Youtube to restrict access to their copyright material when posted on that site. (This may well apply to some other UK broadcasters as well but it's only BBC I know about for sure.) I'd love to see some of those videos too, but am used to seeing the "not available in your region" message whenever I try to get BBC stuff.
As for the debate about whether BA or BAA is responsible for this fiasco, it's a bit of a sterile argument. I bet you'll find that, contractually, they're both as guilty as each other. On a project like this there will be a massive service level agreement between the two companies and, on past experience, I'll wager neither of them thought much about the passengers or the potential problems when this was being drawn up.
Bob
Anyway, several pages back a number of people complained about not being able to see certain videos on Youtube and assumed it was BA censorship.
For once, BA is innocent. It's the BBC who have forced Youtube to restrict access to their copyright material when posted on that site. (This may well apply to some other UK broadcasters as well but it's only BBC I know about for sure.) I'd love to see some of those videos too, but am used to seeing the "not available in your region" message whenever I try to get BBC stuff.
As for the debate about whether BA or BAA is responsible for this fiasco, it's a bit of a sterile argument. I bet you'll find that, contractually, they're both as guilty as each other. On a project like this there will be a massive service level agreement between the two companies and, on past experience, I'll wager neither of them thought much about the passengers or the potential problems when this was being drawn up.
Bob
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It is definitely happening. A colleague here in Dubai (a Gold Exec Club Card holder) was due to fly Biz class tomorrow with BA to T5, but decided not to take the risk of bags not arriving in good time (!).
Just spend an age on a VERY busy Virgin Atlantic site to book Premium Economy with them instead. Strangely, this Gold Card holder is also vowing never to fly with BA again. I doubt whether that statement will hold true, but it is definitely true that (from Dubai at least) Emirates and Virgin are most definitely scoring big, thanks to BA's own goal.
Just spend an age on a VERY busy Virgin Atlantic site to book Premium Economy with them instead. Strangely, this Gold Card holder is also vowing never to fly with BA again. I doubt whether that statement will hold true, but it is definitely true that (from Dubai at least) Emirates and Virgin are most definitely scoring big, thanks to BA's own goal.
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Talking about the little Leprechaun.I gather he has been seen sitting on the ground with his head between his knees.A little Girl passenger comes up and asks if he is a Goblin with a MSc,or a real Leprechaun,with a MBA.Willy Wonka looks and cries"No I have an effing headache"!!!!!!!!!
All the personal and racist remarks towards Willie Walsh ...
You sure show yourselves up gentlemen.
No mention by name or nationality or stereotype junior school name calling... the head of BAA?
Also, the BBC can no longer report with ANY credibility any censorship issues in the media.
You sure show yourselves up gentlemen.
No mention by name or nationality or stereotype junior school name calling... the head of BAA?
Also, the BBC can no longer report with ANY credibility any censorship issues in the media.
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when they canx both SH and LH flights, the knockon, effects then more Sh flights as crew and aircraft are at the wrong places. the knockon is felt the same day on more and more SH flights. whereas the knockon effect on LH is not felt till the next day. And then we have more pax waiting to use SH services. BA do not canx more SH to protect LH. They cannot use SH crew or aircraft for LH services.
The whole of BA staff, at LHR at least, have received emails asking for volunteers.They cannot get airside passes for non-airside staff. My sister, (non-airside), has volunteered, and spent time answering phones from pax, helping to rebook. unpaid. Some staff may be extra, but on overtime, if that is already their normal workplace, but they are on days off. Some staff may be diverted to help in T5 from their normal workplace, eg waterside, but in their normal working hours. And also some will be volunteering for nothing in their own time. so although they may have 400 extra, they will not all be strictly volunteers or doing it for nothing. But some certainly are and well done to them.
Re skynews's "secret camera", it's amazing how the camera is always facing the correct direction!!.. And then at some point the suitcase stops, looks down, and films other luggage passing by underneath, amazing!!!
The whole of BA staff, at LHR at least, have received emails asking for volunteers.They cannot get airside passes for non-airside staff. My sister, (non-airside), has volunteered, and spent time answering phones from pax, helping to rebook. unpaid. Some staff may be extra, but on overtime, if that is already their normal workplace, but they are on days off. Some staff may be diverted to help in T5 from their normal workplace, eg waterside, but in their normal working hours. And also some will be volunteering for nothing in their own time. so although they may have 400 extra, they will not all be strictly volunteers or doing it for nothing. But some certainly are and well done to them.
Re skynews's "secret camera", it's amazing how the camera is always facing the correct direction!!.. And then at some point the suitcase stops, looks down, and films other luggage passing by underneath, amazing!!!
As an MBA and as a former airline management person, I'd like to add my cup of petrol to this little fire....
For a start, thanks to the British class system, "British Management" is an oxymoron.
Unless you are a product of Oxford or Cambridge, life is pretty much against you in a management role. It breeds the usual class divides where feedback from the plebs is not welcome. This has led, in manufacturing industry to the point where household names like Jaguar and Land-Rover are now trade names of an Indian company.
I mean really folks, you invented the "East West" engine layout and the Mini - and then left it alone for twenty years while the rest of the world caught up.
I still remember the "sales team" (my italics) who came to sell us the Bae 146. One clown patiently talked me through "the maintenance innovations" and I had to listen politely to his patter about things that Boeing had put into the B727 at least twenty years before.
To put t another way Chaps and Chapesses, don't blame MBA's. You can produce an equally wonderful mess without them.
And...on the bright note, if you are allowed to (by senior management), I'm sure you can muddle through and produce a respectable result. Remember the blitz.
P.S. Sorry, I'm letting my xenophobia show through. I was married to one of you and I think your disdain for Australian wines has actually worked in my favour (price wise).
But I really wish the British would listen to people North of Oxford.
For a start, thanks to the British class system, "British Management" is an oxymoron.
Unless you are a product of Oxford or Cambridge, life is pretty much against you in a management role. It breeds the usual class divides where feedback from the plebs is not welcome. This has led, in manufacturing industry to the point where household names like Jaguar and Land-Rover are now trade names of an Indian company.
I mean really folks, you invented the "East West" engine layout and the Mini - and then left it alone for twenty years while the rest of the world caught up.
I still remember the "sales team" (my italics) who came to sell us the Bae 146. One clown patiently talked me through "the maintenance innovations" and I had to listen politely to his patter about things that Boeing had put into the B727 at least twenty years before.
To put t another way Chaps and Chapesses, don't blame MBA's. You can produce an equally wonderful mess without them.
And...on the bright note, if you are allowed to (by senior management), I'm sure you can muddle through and produce a respectable result. Remember the blitz.
P.S. Sorry, I'm letting my xenophobia show through. I was married to one of you and I think your disdain for Australian wines has actually worked in my favour (price wise).
But I really wish the British would listen to people North of Oxford.
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t5 racist comments
Moderator - please remove those racist comments posts.
They have no place here.
The problems with T5 were the result of 'experts' of many nationalalities including those from England, Scotland and Wales not getting it right.
However It's not the first time a major project - in any part of the planet - had opening teething problems and it will not be the last.
BAA as the operators of T5 have to shoulder most of the responsibility for the problems; then BA must 'carry the can' for the remainder.
In a couple of weeks time everyone will move on to the next problem area with T5 working as it should.
Those of you who are unable to comment without getting personal and racist please move on and if you don't I hope the Moderator does it for you.
They have no place here.
The problems with T5 were the result of 'experts' of many nationalalities including those from England, Scotland and Wales not getting it right.
However It's not the first time a major project - in any part of the planet - had opening teething problems and it will not be the last.
BAA as the operators of T5 have to shoulder most of the responsibility for the problems; then BA must 'carry the can' for the remainder.
In a couple of weeks time everyone will move on to the next problem area with T5 working as it should.
Those of you who are unable to comment without getting personal and racist please move on and if you don't I hope the Moderator does it for you.
Hiedelberg, your post suggests unfamiliarity with the dynamics of project management. It is an exceedingly difficult environment that requires first class technical knowledge plus an enormous amount of tact. I know, I've tried it it, and I've got to a draw with a $40 million project.
Basically for a project of this magnitude to mess up requires major senior management dysfunction. The middle management project managers who were hired will no doubt have been the best available.
Basically for a project of this magnitude to mess up requires major senior management dysfunction. The middle management project managers who were hired will no doubt have been the best available.
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Don't know how interested folk here are about SLF experiences but I came across a frequent flyer's eloquent account of making it through T5 this weekend and thought I'd risk posting a link here.
His conclusion: "So, in the end i got my flight. Yet it was just a collossal disappointment that had nothing to do with a bunch of lost bags. It was as if we’d spent £4bn on a nice shiny car, but nobody had bothered to learn how to drive it."
His conclusion: "So, in the end i got my flight. Yet it was just a collossal disappointment that had nothing to do with a bunch of lost bags. It was as if we’d spent £4bn on a nice shiny car, but nobody had bothered to learn how to drive it."
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Videos available.IDEOS
Very early on in this sad saga I found several video clips on Youtube that could not be viewed.
I assumed censorship but now believe it is about BBC ownership rights.
I posted links to the BBC site where three videos were available.
1. W Walsh
2. Gareth
3. Max Clifford interview.
I cannot re post them cos I am in a hurry.
I have not found any video of Gareth doing a runner and the door shutting scene
This info is for all those viewers who do not have time to read all the postings.
I assumed censorship but now believe it is about BBC ownership rights.
I posted links to the BBC site where three videos were available.
1. W Walsh
2. Gareth
3. Max Clifford interview.
I cannot re post them cos I am in a hurry.
I have not found any video of Gareth doing a runner and the door shutting scene
This info is for all those viewers who do not have time to read all the postings.
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T5 returning to "Normal". Oh Dear!!!!
A news report this morning that T5 is returning to normal. I am sure we are all hoping for something way better than the normal we have seen so far. If you think T5 is bad wait until you see the 2012 Olympics!!
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BA shares fall on Goldman Sachs downgrade
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T 5 chaos
I'm just totally amazed at the responses to the T5 cock-up
on this site. 700 plus posts, and endless critism and carping
about WW and his pet Poodle.
What good is it all going to do?
This entire sorry mess has absolutely wrecked BA's image,
WORLDWIDE, and nothing that has been suggested about
what WW should do, either to himself or to others, has the
least influence on the situation.
WW's blind faith that " Everything will be O.K. on the day."
only goes to show what bad judgment he has of other
peoples performance, and I'm sure he MUST regret many
of the decisions he has made over the last few days.
He, obviously, HAS to go, But what is the next move?
Who will be willing to take the reins of the Company under
the present conditions? Branson? Sugar? Who would put
their neck on the block under the present circumstances?
The situation is totally desperate for BA, and I think that
this whole FIASCO should be looked into by many of the
regulating bodies because of the total lack of PROPER
foresight and judgment involving ALL the mangement(?)
involved.
Heads should roll over this situation; but Knighthoods
and Peerages will probably be handed out instead!
Vive la Republique. N'oubliez pas Madame Guillotine.
on this site. 700 plus posts, and endless critism and carping
about WW and his pet Poodle.
What good is it all going to do?
This entire sorry mess has absolutely wrecked BA's image,
WORLDWIDE, and nothing that has been suggested about
what WW should do, either to himself or to others, has the
least influence on the situation.
WW's blind faith that " Everything will be O.K. on the day."
only goes to show what bad judgment he has of other
peoples performance, and I'm sure he MUST regret many
of the decisions he has made over the last few days.
He, obviously, HAS to go, But what is the next move?
Who will be willing to take the reins of the Company under
the present conditions? Branson? Sugar? Who would put
their neck on the block under the present circumstances?
The situation is totally desperate for BA, and I think that
this whole FIASCO should be looked into by many of the
regulating bodies because of the total lack of PROPER
foresight and judgment involving ALL the mangement(?)
involved.
Heads should roll over this situation; but Knighthoods
and Peerages will probably be handed out instead!
Vive la Republique. N'oubliez pas Madame Guillotine.