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Heathrow@$#&!
Heathrow asks airlines to halt ticket sales
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/heathrow-flight-capping-faq/index.html
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Heathrow asks airlines to halt ticket sales
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/heathrow-flight-capping-faq/index.html
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I will jump through a lot of hoops to avoid Heathrow and British Airways. It seems the place is populated by people who have no power in their lives except in their jobs at Heathrow … and they exercise that power to the last molecule. I flew through there often as aircrew, and if anything they treat the aircrew worse than the passengers. During the time that all of British Airways shut down a few years ago, they put armed guards on the elevators to prevent passengers from going to try to book new flights at ticketing. We were in a BA airplane on a taxiway when the shutdown occurred and BA provided no assistance or information … or luggage. We ultimately got to Stockholm on SAS three days later to join our Tauck trip to Russia, which we did with nothing but our carry-on. Our luggage went to Frankfurt on vacation, and then went home. To add insult to injury BA then canceled our return trip because we ‘missed’ our BA trip to Stockholm.
Heathrow is a crapshoot when it is at its best.
Good luck to all travelers having to transit through Heathrow this Summer (especially if you have to change terminals).
We were changing planes there last month and it was an absolute nightmare. People are sleeping all over the place and lines and lines of people queuing as planes were cancelled or delayed. We had to fight our way through and it wasn't a good experience at all. Our flight to DFW was delayed but at least not cancelled. We will try and avoid Heathrow in future. Smiling Sam is correct in stating that it is a crapshoot.
Even before this latest clusterf**k, I've always tried to avoid Heathrow.
It used to becalled Thiefrow
Heathrow has always been a crazy airport. It literally is it’s own city with it's own police force. Unfortunately since the Pandemic began, alternative airports are even harder to find. We often flew to Manchester from Philadelphia as it is the next biggest airport, but that route has ended and we have heard unlikely to be re-instated, plus right now it is almost as chaotic as Heathrow.
I know Heathrow is a mess, but too late to change, so will cope. Questions about returning thru Heathrow to the US...Connecting on flight from Glasgow...what is the security thru Heathrow connecting to the US?..Thanks
Did anyone see the article about how Delta was coping with the "lost" luggage situation? They flew a plane home from Heathrow with no passengers but only luggage. They had 1,000 bags on the flight which were then delivered to the owners throughout the US. They couldn't add passengers because of the limitations imposed by Heathrow.
Emirates and Heathrow are really going at each other!
MEHtraveler if you have to change terminals, you will go security at the departing one. It’s just like TSA in the States but no pre-check line. If the flights arrive and depart from the same terminal, perhaps someone else can answer the security question for you.
You can check which terminal you will arrive at and depart from by googling LHR terminals. Be sure you have a minimum of 2+ hours if changing. We went from 5 to 3 with a 1 hour, 50 minute connection last month and had to run, were the last 2 to board.
Terminal five at Heathrow may be the worst place on the planet. If you must go through Heathrow, try to fly on airlines that use terminal two. It is a little slice of heaven surrounded by the depths of hell.
You can find which airlines use which terminal at Heathrow at the following link:
https://heathrow-airport-guide.co.uk/terminals.html
We flew SAS out of terminal two when BA shutdown completely a few years ago. It was a good experience. The SAS manager we talked to was highly annoyed with BA at the time, because he said the entire BA management team had just become invisible. They just abandoned ship, pulled a Captain Schettino, and left their passengers to fend for themselves.
A recent post by someone flying via Dublin or on Aer Lingus reminded me that while they may not have changed the livery of their aircraft, Aer Lingus was purchased by International Airlines Group (IAG), owner of British Airways, Iberia and Vueling, in 2015. I have no idea if AL has been infected with BA disease or not.
I'm probably in the minority here, but I like LHR. Harrods, Fortnum and Mason, the Cathay lounge in T3, Plane Food if you need breakfast, and the attached Sofitel to T5 if you need to stay over. I flew back from Heathrow a few weeks ago, and didn't have a problem. However, it's now a crapshoot for sure. And I wouldn't want to depend on the BAA or BA these days to make travel smooth! I'm not scheduled to go back through LHR until next August. I hope it's all settled down by then.
After my Scotland in a Week tour in June 2022 I flew to Athens, Greece. I had a return one way ticket to the US on British Air using American Air award miles, Athens to Heathrow to Boston. British Air canceled my flight from Athens to Heathrow, but not the Heathrow to Boston leg. I felt this was going to happen so I booked a nonstop Athens to Boston instead on Delta. I'd avoid Heathrow if you can. They lose luggage, cancel flights and are overcrowded.
About a week ago, I transited through Heathrow. Took three hours to pick up baggage, clear customs, get to the next terminal and check self and baggage in.
NAHNever Again Heathrow
To put this in perspective, Mike mentioned in his blog that his sister-in-law connected through Paris. Her luggage didn't get transferred. It took a week for it to catch up with them. I don't think that any airport is doing well with luggage transfers.