LHR reputation undeserved?

[SeenItAll]

Well, after a gap of over 20 years, I finally have revisted LHR -- and I am a bit surprised by the bashing it has received. While I am sure that my one visit is not adequate to state anything with certainty, I found the airport to operate efficiently and the staff to be highly professional.

Now with the full disclosure. I flew out of T-1 in the late morning on the 16th, a Saturday. I do not know whether this is considered to be an off-peak time. But check-in was accomplished within minutes, directions through security were clear, and even though the central waiting area is crowded with shops, they didn't seem to impede anyone's progress. The Star Gold lounge was clean and with good choices for food and drink. I also found everyone I spoke with throughout the entire process to be pleasant and professional.

I would contrast this with the shambles that is IAD T-C/D. Crowded, cramped temporary spaces, few places to get a bit to eat, endless walks to the mobile lounge to clear immigration and customs, inaccurate signage at baggage claim, etc.

So you LHR regulars, don't be so hard on the old girl, I don't think it is that bad.

[manintheback]

It's a lot better than many an international airport which shows how bad many international airports are.

[geeohgeegeeoh]

grey. grey walls. grey, sombre moods. nasty, mouldy smells in the passages. shrieking yellow signs. interminable, underlit, un-windowed corridors. views (when you get them) of dank, miserable brutalist concrete with shabbyness.

grey-toned officialdom. people wearing hi-viz vests telling you not to cross tape-lines which make you snake 4x the distance to a short queue.

grey-eyed officials who cannot be bothered doing "more than their jobsworth" and so make you wait, or misdirect.

TSA equivalents who are so bored on the job, holding you up 5 extra minutes so they can fiddle with your kindle and then accuse you of not obeying the rules (which you did: the sign says laptops) and then strip your bags and complain about the epi-pen (which is legal) and on and on.

Its not that LHR is evil: its just the outer-waiting room of the country next door to Mordor, with slightly less tax, and hi-viz vests.

T5? getting better. T3 to T5? not so bad.

Charles-De-Gaulle is pretty bad too: Thunderbirds-are-go launchpad it may LOOK but its as disorganized as hell. Mind you, Gallic charm makes up for a lot. Heathrow just has an ineffable nasal whine about it.

[PS dual AU/GB passport holder, do LHR 2+ times/year, 10+ intl flights a year worldwide... so I've seen the competition]

[easyflyer83]

Agreed.... LHR is far from perfect but I don't believe it to be noticably worse as some other airports.

[geeohgeegeeoh]

compared to say AMS or FRA? or SIN? or HKG? or even, PEK or NRT?

sure. gatwick isn't up to much. Nor is Edinburgh. But if you exclude the insanity of CDG, and avoid the US (they just don't have international transit like anywhere else) LHR compares to hubs. not spokes.

I don't rate SYD or BNE (my home port) on this scale. Neither handle the PAX numbers.

My main beef with AMS and FRA is the length of corridor walk. The corridors themselves are in both cases bright, clean, and happy. LHR is huge, and I will concede its functional. you cannot describe it as overwhelmingly happy.

[PAXboy]

geeohgeegeeoh
... you cannot describe it as overwhelmingly happy.That is one of the FUNNIEST things I have EVER heard said about LHR. Cheered me up enormously. :ok:

No, at dear old EGLL, one is happy when you start the pushback and happy as you leave the tunnel heading for home!

BUT, as it has been my 'home base' port across 38 years, I do know the place and know how to get around it (for the most part) and I do have an affection for the old heap. It is a truly fine example of British Fudge n Mudge. A place that has had central planning for years but can never implement all it's central planning. A place that every govt has dabbled with (or with the carriers using it) and the place just keeps on keeping on.

There is a certain sense of triumph when completing a trip through it and emerging with your bags and body unscathed! Long may she reign over us. :}

[Skipness One Echo]

sure. gatwick isn't up to much
There have one or several dozen changes of late....all for the better.

[AdamFrisch]

Heathrow is improving. T5 is already something to aspire to, and T1-T3 are getting better, but still suffer from windowless corridors with a ceiling height of about 6" and panels from the late 70's.