Worst Airport Experience? (operating as flight crew)
 

Let me start out. What do you think is the worst airport out there?
For me it must be London Heathrow. Last night we had to wait for more than 45 minutes for a stand. Recently I've had to wait for over 1 hour before a stand was available. On the return flight last night the Victors were closed for almost two hours due to a broken tug and there was no way around that area. Awfull for crew, awfull for the pax.

Last twice I've flown into T4 with BA have had to wait 40 mins or so for a stand. On both occasions waiting for a Sri Lankan to vacate the stand first.

Last time - in August - it was compounded by another 45 minute wait for the bags to make the carousel. ... which was after the 1/2 hour it took us to get there through immigration.

What made it even worse was this was after a 3 hr BA tech delay. ..... or perhaps the delays at LHR were as a result of that ???

Never experienced this myself, but I once heard Air France complaining to KJFK ground that they'd been on the ground for 1:45 after landing.:{

Hands down...........Delhi

Heathrow by several miles.

From delays on the ground to delays in the air, nightmare taxying round WIP, stand guidance, congestion, disruption due to minor issues that other airports would shrug off, de-icing on stand followed by one hour delay, having to wait till you're fully ready for your 20 minute start-up delay, ground transport, customs, security - SECURITY - Oh my sweet God Security, where do they get off?, hotels, taxi drivers, rip-off Britain


. . .and the weather


Best sight at Heathrow? Greens, reds, lights out, after take-off checklist.:{

Heathrow, followed by Manchester. Dreadful queues, dreadful attitudes, dreadful infrastructure. As a heavy metal driver, Manchester taxiways beggar belief.

JFK is pretty awful. Perversely, I find it a satisfying experience. Almost like 'I did that, and survived!'

ATC quality is really variable, with ground freq entertainingly unhelpful.
Ramp control just a less qualified version of ground, but with more attitude.
Certain handling agents that are simply the most obstructive unhelpful and individually lazy people I have ever come across.

The whole place is a complete contrast to Boston.

All I can say is the likes of Virgin and BA crews, plus the US flt crews of course, must have the patience of saints when operating in there at peak times on a regular basis.

Heathrow, I have only ever operated into at night, and it wasn't so bad, but then the corporate end of the place is quite quick to get through.

That's a bit sweeping:eek:....I don't see many A/C waiting long for stands at Birmingham. We have a pretty good record I think...
I flew into Heathrow from Canada and we waited 55 mins for a stand. The stand planning must be a nightmare there.

Would have to agree with Heathrow. Waiting for stands seems to be the norm now but is that an airport problem or and airline induced delay because they have cut back so much on ground staff I wonder. The treatment by security staff leaves a lot to be desired and as for the "secondary" shoe screening station-don't get me started!

We ran out of coffee once - IT WAS HORRIBLE

Talking of heathrow...

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/to...cle2846626.ece

Extracts..

CONTROVERSIAL plans to increase the number of flights at Heathrow by one-third are to be unveiled by the government.

If adopted, the proposals would see the number of flights increase from the current 480,000 to 720,000 by the end of the next decade.

While the new runway could not open until 2015 and probably much later more flights could be using Heathrow’s current runways within two years.

This will be done by changing the way Heathrow operates. Under an agreement between the airport and local councils, the runways work in “segregated mode”, with one used for takeoff and one for landing.

The consultation document will suggest a switch to “mixed mode” where aircraft take off and land on each runway, as they do at most British airports. This would increase Heathrow’s capacity from 480,000 flights a year to around 550,000.

Have we stopped using a base10 numerical system, or are there dodgy bean counters trying to fool us with the numbers?

Happiness is V1 at Lagos!

If you think the Ground frequency at JFK is the worst, being one of the peolpe that work that frequency, I would welcome the opportunity to bring you to the tower and show you what it's like from the other side of the radio.
Or of course being the experienced worldwide flyer that you are, I would welcome any and all constructive comments as to how you think the atc system at JFK could serve your needs better.:confused:

Lagos has gotta be a contender. At least at LHR they let you know if the rwy is closed, unlike Lagos, where anything goes, including inbound traffic jumping your level, clearance onto closed rwy and power failures on final in dicey wx.

Then you get on the ground and the fun really starts............

How about Amsterdam Schiphol because of poor lay-out and awfull ATC attitude?

I don't agree with you Virga. The place works because it is both consistent and flexible (if that make sense). It may well be a fair old drive to and/or from the active runway, but it does work and if you are not rude to them, they will not be rude to you (in fact if you are charming they will normally respond in kind). And how many airports of this size in Europe can you pitch up and fly a visual approach and arrival or come to that, buzz the tower?

The places I really detest: NWI, LHR, MME, MAN, BHX, GLA, NCL, TLL. Not one of these because of ATC but because of the Gestapo that calls itself Security and/or the pointless procedures put in place by numpties called management and/or the dreadful handling you receive.

PM

Philly, KPHL

Frieght Charter, no stand available, so offload on the taxiway then get pushed to a de-icing bay for parking (summer time), then ages in handling office persuading them that we had to go through immigration as we had come in from the UK and couldn't just walk out their office door as they wanted us to, got to immigration about 2 hours after arriving.....then we were held for 4 hours in immigration cos we weren't on the INS computer as arriving cos the handlers hadn't told them about us :ugh:

Then get to customs to be asked where our freight is....I have no idea, it went on a truck 6 hours ago! More grief from them about being responsible for the freight (yeah right)

Then find instead of the downtown hotel we asked for we have a budget holiday inn on a freeway junction next to the airport :\

Total time from brakes on to the hotel....7 hours. Then I got phoned up after 4 hours sleep by my company to bring the aircraft home urgent, when I told them to F.off they said, well youve had minimum rest :{

LHR. No doubt about that. Closely followed by LGW. Both compare nicely with thirld world airports like LOS or KRT. Good ones: ARN, OSL, FRA, AMS.

HM79
I was wondering why you don't apply SLOT times for departures instead of having delays on taxiways,I had a delay of two and a half hours once and I've always wondered why you let everyone taxi out knowing that there will be unreasonable or extensive delays . it is annoying to all involved(pilots , pax,ATC,airlines..etc).Thank you.