LHR - Worst Airport?

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Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 4,213

Ive been at LHR now for 2 hours now with erm just over 1 hr to go before my LH flight.

I hate the place already!

I firstly went to Weaterspoons (better VFM than Belfast branch!!) and then headed into the Airside area of T2 where i got a free sample of Baileys (love the stuff me and its 2 for £15 so got 2 :D). Anyway I then headed to the main sort of high street type thing. Its wayyyy too clustraphobic here. Low Ceilings which mean you have to duck for the signs in places and the lack of windows. Its horrible and the seats are wooden - no padding!

Jeremy Clarkson and I (its his book not him) got fed up after 30mins and head off to Gates 1-10 pier to see what was up. Sitting there for 10 minutes then a grumpy security woman decided I am a naughty boy and tells me off for leaving "the lounge area" all the way back to the main High Street thing. Least i got her name from her badge and will report her.

Then to add insult to Injury i put £2 into one of the PCs for Inet access and it chews it up and the mouse doesnt even work! Then had to put my last £1 into this PC.

Ugh i hate the place......

Original post

Member for

20 years 10 months

Posts: 9,401

I'll soon know what LHR is like on the 29th, I havent heard good things though, will be easiest the busiest airport I have visited, next busiest is MAN.

Member for

20 years 8 months

Posts: 3,539

Don't worry Tom, for a spotter it's heaven (especially on your first time, you will be in awe at the fact that there are atleast 4 planes lined up on the ILS at any one time!). From a passenger perspective it isn't great, but then who could have expected it to be carrying so many passengers. The fact that 3 of the terminals are stuck between 2 runways leaves them with little options. I find it the most interesting airport in the World.

Member for

20 years 10 months

Posts: 9,401

Yeah, I absolutely cant wait to spot there, will be incredible!

Who cares about the actual airport after all, im there for the traffic!

Member for

20 years 5 months

Posts: 5,019

lol. Tom, its a shock to see all the different variety of traffic after getting used to a smaller, regional airport.

Member for

20 years 10 months

Posts: 9,401

Well I go to MAN semi regularly, so that gives a good variety, but of course, nothing like LHR, never seen alot of Asian carriers or the likes of Qantas.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 455

In terms of variety of traffic (airlines and equipment) it's quite spectacular. As a user friendly airport? No, it's very outdated.

BTW, does anyone know who is moving into T4 when BA heads over to T5?

Member for

18 years 11 months

Posts: 692

You were with Jeremy Clarkson? I thought he was famous. Didn't you/him get noticed?

Member for

19 years 11 months

Posts: 10,160

You'll have the time of your life, Tom.

Just wait until until you do Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt...... ;)

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 3,538

Dreadful place to operate out of too (although the ATC is superb). Gatwick is much better but still not as good as places like HKG.

Member for

20 years 1 month

Posts: 4,255

HKG pax wise is a pleasure, definetly the BEST airport i've been to.

Member for

20 years 8 months

Posts: 3,539

Dreadful place to operate out of too (although the ATC is superb). Gatwick is much better but still not as good as places like HKG.

Do the traffic queues actually bore/annoy the pilots, or is it just accepted as part of the job?

What is better about the ATC in HKG?

Member for

18 years 8 months

Posts: 188

Even when I land at Gatwick/Luton/Stansted, I take the shuttle to Heathrow to hire a car or take a train, I just love the place. When Terminal 5 is up and running there will be even more to love. Just kidding Heathrow is a mess and rather than trying to fix it they just keep adding to it. Have you ever been there when there was not some sort of construction project going on that you have to walk or drive around?

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 4,887

I agree that it is a dump.

Best case scenario is they open T5 and move all operations from T1/2/3 over there. Then level of those terminals and build a new terminal. Or do it in steps if the capacity is insufficient. Either way, the current layout of T1/2/3 is just crap.

Member for

20 years 1 month

Posts: 4,255

What is better about the ATC in HKG?


Dan, he said the ATC was better in LHR not HKG ;)

Member for

20 years 10 months

Posts: 9,401

You were with Jeremy Clarkson? I thought he was famous. Didn't you/him get noticed?

He says its his book...

Lance - I know mate, cant wait, got AMS booked for next year, looking to also do both CDG and FRA next year.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 6,503

HKG pax wise is a pleasure, definetly the BEST airport i've been to.

I totally agree, but let's hope Bangkok's new airport is going to be just as good. Hong Kong is great because just about every time you have to queue, you seem to get dealt within just a minute or two. Heathrow immigration last week was appalling. The Terminal 3 immigration hall was overloaded with passengers of many different nationalities. There was no real queuing system because the queue had flooded completely out of control. If there would have been a fire, there would have been no chance that the thousands of people in the hall at the time would have escaped with their lives.

Any airport puts Heathrow to shame. I've only used terminals 1 (international and domestic) and terminal 3. The only good thing is the views that can be had from the terminal 1 domestic departure lounge. The entire airport is old and tatty and in desperate need of being smashed down and started again. Its a total disgrace and does not give visitors to our country a good first impression.

Member for

19 years 8 months

Posts: 679

Its a bit of dump, but that said some terminals are better than others at LHR. Terminal 4 for instance is pretty nice. When I have been to LHR it has always been to connect to/from flights, so I am really looking forward to the 28th! Got the dates mixed up Tom!

What I'm looking forward to most is seeing the Kenya Airways B777! :D

Flex 35

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 854

Of all the airports I operate into, Heathrow is the worst by a country mile.

Member for

20 years 10 months

Posts: 9,401

Its a bit of dump, but that said some terminals are better than others at LHR. Terminal 4 for instance is pretty nice. When I have been to LHR it has always been to connect to/from flights, so I am really looking forward to the 28th! Got the dates mixed up Tom!

What I'm looking forward to most is seeing the Kenya Airways B777! :D

Flex 35

Ah, thats a shame, never mind!