Having just looked at the 206 posts to date, I believe the real problem is lack of staff at the new terminal. I had not realized that BA still has an operation (smaller I agree) at Terminal 1, 3 & 4. Clearly there will still be staff there, and as I am sure BA has not recruited any more people then they have to be shared with T5.
So surely the way ahead is to get all flights into T5 as quickly as possible so all staff can be concentrated at T5. I do realize some a/c, 757s I believe, are not suitable for T5 which is probably why these a/c are being given to Open Skies.
However the other problem is those flights which are not at T5. Does the general public know which they are? I admit I am not really sure despite having more info than SLFs. T5 has been marketed as a seamless centre for all BA flts, clearly it is not, and the sooner this anomaly is resolved the better. Walsh should resign on the spot.

The old and New BAA
 

So, as could have been predicted, the opening of T5 has been a disaster. The problem lies with the current ownership/management of BAA and a compliant BA. I remember when T1 was opened. Staff who where going to work there had no dry runs, we where just given a guided tour of the facilities a couple of days before hand and then we where expected to come in early on day one to get used to new facilities before the first passengers arrived. Problems with check-in equipment and baggage handling did occur but without long delays or cancellations. A call to BAA resulted in fairly quick response as they where interested in success as well.
There lies the difference between the old government owned BAA and today’s cash strapped, debt ridden Spanish owners of BAA who’s motto is ‘ We owe it to our shareholders so grab the cash and run’. The BA of today is also run by bean counters rather than aviation professionals who have been sidelined in the industry of today. Remember the story of the Honey wagon driver, cover in sh.. in the pub when asked if there was not a better job to be had, answered ‘What and leave aviation!’ Today he would say ’lead me to it!

Willy Walsh doesn't have the tact or intelligence to go and fall on his sword somewhere over this.

Half the problem, me thinks, is that BA & BAA set themselves up for a PR own goal from the outset. By putting out statements ranting about how seamless and efficient the place will be from day one etc etc, they are effectively writing PR cheques that were always highly likely to bounce.


"Promise low, deliver high" basic proj mgt stuff.

Considering they know practically all of the variables ... i.e how many a/c, how many pax, how many bags etc...it really is amazing it appears to have gone so wrong.

They should try rolling out IT systems in the foreign exchange markets! (err, actually no they shouldn't).

I'd venture that the next few days will see each of the service partners "spinning" that somehow the other was the major problem.

My experience of new launches (routes or terminals) is that at start up you should go in mob handed - you just know the unexpected will happen.

You don't want the launch to go wrong - everyone will assume you've made your best effort - if it goes wrong you've set the pattern and proven you're hopeless. It'll take months if not years (if ever) to recover that reputation.


As for it being the baggage system or the folks operating it ... I can give you personal experience.

Airport: it's the airline/handling agent who don't have sufficient staff/training/equipment......

Airline/Handling Agent: the baggage system is sending stuff all over the place. We can't load the bags into the correct uld/bag truck 'cause that's 1/2 mile away at the correct chute. Eventually the system grinds to a halt as the "wrong" bags at the "wrong" place eventually mean you can't get at the chute to empty it.....

Airport: See, we told you so. If you had more staff at the chute it wouldn't stop the system.

Airline/Handling Agent: We had adequate staff, the sytem went wrong. (Note the word adequate - it's deliberate and means just enough - you need to see extra/plenty/additional etc actually stated)

Oh .. and the experts that run the baggage system will point out that it's self measuring systems tell them which bags go to the wrong place and it's less than x% ..... yep, it will tell them about the ones where it couldn't read the label .... not the one's where it misread the label, thought it got it right but sent it to the wrong place!!



As for making changes etc.... surely they reach a point in the planning/execution where they say ... right that bit's OK ... no further changes are allowed now or we can't be assured of this portion...... for better or worse this bit now stays as it is. Question then is asked ... as it stands is this section go/no-go. If the reply is no-go - the whole show stops.


Perhaps we have here a partial explanation of the dysfunction between airport/aviation management groups and the workforce (flight crew/ground staff).

On the whole those involved at the sharp end balance the need to get the job done against safety considerations .... eg. everyone is usually concious of the dangers of "get-home-itis".

The only focus and objective of the current management culture is "get-home-itis" at all costs.

The result is IR in turmoil and projects which fall apart from the start .... the management culture just can't get their heads around the concepts...

Have not used Heathrow / BA for 9 months due to ongoing problems (late bags and or flights), very pleased to use Emirates, Lufthansa, Singapore through Manchester. BA please stop sending e-mails trying to get me to use T5 , you had your chance and you blew it with me some time ago, and now you have blown it very publicly on the world stage. What a complete fiasco.

yesterday, many of us felt like " removing uniform and mingle with crowd...." the suits blaming each other and the origininal screw up at startup, what annoys me is that neither BA or BAA has said ok we mucked up , and have left it to the PBI to sort it out , it appears that there was no contingency plan ( never thought the Titanic would sink either ) .
I am dreading going in today, maybe I'll follow the bag bouncers and have a sickie !
On the other hand we'll all turn up and get on sorting it out for our customers sake , our own pride.


Oh, finaly its a 24hour clock and z is GMT := bit late now though !

Does BA's Airline Operator's Licence not require it to maintain an acceptable standard of service? Maybe the time has come to question whether it is in fact doing so? I would have thought that running flights with hand baggage only in order to avoid paying compensation hardly qualifies as acceptable.

My reply on March 20th
 

FIASCO @ 5 STARTS ON THE NIGHT OF THE 26TH WITH THE RUNWAY BEING CLOSED AND TURNED INTO A ROAD FOR THE EQUIPMENT TO BE DRIVEN ACROSS FROM 4 BY THE MOST DIRECT ROUTE. mANY OF THE mON -fRI STAFF ARE VOLUNTEERING.

I like several other BA staff on this thread apologise to our passengers. sadly some of us new what was going to happen.

yep, a case of the management admiring the emporors new clothes whilst those on the ground knew better....

A319 + Uld
 

I was responsible for introducing the A319 for SWR in the Nordics in the late 1990s, based at GOT/ESGG. SWR had in the interests of commonality actively opted for the ULD version with the Dinky Toy AKH ULDs and the inevitable Machine From Hell - the Spanish (yes everything goes in very strange circles doesn't it?) designed "high"-loader which was expertly positioned by highly-trained Servisair plebs into the stbd wingbox on average once a week causing untold trouble by way of cancellations, investigations etc.

In the end the Spanish designer's tears were allayed (yes the Powers That Be actually summoned him to ESGG to witness first-hand the problems incurred) by the Investigator-In-Chief finding that were no intrinsic faults with the elements per se, but when brought together a different reality surfaced. A little more forethought, a little more training and a lot more common sense would have done wonders as prophylactic measures.

Remember your Total Quality Management courses? The 1-10-100 solution springs to mind.

Oh yes, and the Oslo experience was one for the books too. Years of planning for the overnight move from Fornebu to Gardemoen, and then the fog descended. Only problem was that not even Cat I was avbl as the ILS had not been certified as they normally didn't experience fog at that time of year (End of October on a valley flat in Norway - doh!), and no FBU to divert to. Fun & games oh yes. :(

Simple question:-

Why has there been no sign of a joint team involving BA, the architects, builders, IT & most importantly BAA as owners of T5, roving through the place firefighting the problems as they arose with enough people for them to call on as muscle for bigger problem?

It's worked on every commissioning job I've ever done myself and every one I've been involved with. It's just simply "walking the job". Get a team together and get into the habit of a regular walk-round as the job nears completion, ask the guys on the ground what the problems are & write them down as you find them- then if a problem takes more than two walk rounds to fix, kick some tail because it'll bite you badly if it gets left until start-up.

As the sole tenant of T5 tenant, BA should be raising hell with Ferrovial as BAA's parent, because at the end of the day, BAA [as the owners] of T5 should have project managed the move of whoever moved into T5, regardless of it being BA, Ryanair, Aeroflot or Cecil's Cessna Services that were moving.

They haven't appeared to carry out anything like the work needed for start-up and it's widely reckoned that a day's bad publicity take's a year's worth of advertising to allay. How long will it take & how much will it cost for BAA & BA to convince the travelling public that they can provide an "adequate" [See earlier post] level of service?

A final thought. I had the unfortunate experience of trying to fly EDI/LGW/IAH on March 10th, due to the London congestion because of the bad weather & BA's abysmal check-in & re-booking facilities in EDI a 13 hour journey took over 33 hours. How bad would T5 have been yesterday if there were more high winds, or other weather delays - and did anyone take this into consideration?

BBC Radio 4 'Today' programme at 08:00 - "Terminal 5 - BA won't talk, so we are talking to Ryanair"

In times gone by in certain countries of the world the people at the top who are responsible for this mess would have committed Hari Kari over this as they would have been very ashamed of themselves.

I wonder how this will pan out today and tomorrow. GMTV just presenting some 'unbiased' reports in their usual way.

I've been able to check in online for BA1385 and BA1404 for tomorrow, so fingers crossed, but I'll be keeping an eye on my mobile phone for any news.

Fingers crossed!

BBC wants your input !!
 

All you guys and girls working at T5 or using T5 please go to this link and add your comments about your experince yesterday. I am nothing to do with the BBC but the more accurate the information they get the better.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7317909.stm

It's very very sad, but I think we've reached the stage where the vast majority of the travelling public, given the choice, would prefer any other carrier to BA.

I'm sure if asked, most people would rather fly Ryanair and get their luggage at the other end, than fly BA, get a free cup of tea, but be stranded bagless at destination.

To push back knowing that not a single passenger's bag is on board is inexcusable.

The least you should do is make a PA before departing to allow those who do not wish to travel without luggage to disembark and get their money back.

BA............the bagless airline!:}

It is so typical of BA, BAA. I am literally working my last 3 days for BA after ten years service. I was BA thru & thru and I just can't take any more of it. There was a time when you could tell someone you worked for BA and get a very positive response; those days are long gone. The Management system employed at BA is truly shocking; that is to say they are neither accountable for their errors or apologetic. Absolute idiots of the highest order....

I am very surprised that Ryanair are not yet turning this mess to their advantage
could get some good mileage out of all this.

So, how much confidence do we have in a third runway or indeed a new international airport?