My Top 10 mostly randomly-ranked reasons (so far) for why LHR isn't such hell ...

[Lobster]

I'm with MANFLYER on this one it is a complete dump. I really hope they go ahead with plans for Terminal East. The whole airport really does need to be torn down.

Admitedly the main problem is BAA I think a proper operator could do much better. Spend more on making the bits where the planes are better and less on where the shops are.

However in the spirit of the thread here is what I think is good about LHR:

It is the closest airport to my home
The range of desinations served
The VS CH
IRIS (but only because immigration is such a shambles now)

[Lobster]

SHOCK NEWS - LHR as efficient as SIN

Arriving this morning on OS we arrived a bit early and there was no queing for a gate. Then by using IRIS I was straight through immigration (admitedly without IRIS it would have been a long wait). Went through to the baggage hall and my bag was already on the carousel. 5 minutes after pulling up to the gate I was heading into London.

[jhm]

Use of the fabulous VS Clubhouse for us down there is the only good thing I can think of.

Use of the VS CH for the moment...

[SQflyergirl]

Arriving this morning on OS we arrived a bit early and there was no queing for a gate. Then by using IRIS I was straight through immigration (admitedly without IRIS it would have been a long wait). Went through to the baggage hall and my bag was already on the carousel. 5 minutes after pulling up to the gate I was heading into London.

Speaking of IRIS - just how many times a year would you need to visit the UK to qualify as a "frequent" visitor?

[AJLondon]

The true color has been revealed. Too bad to find this indirectly. I am not special enough for AJ.

You're one to talk! You know how much I hate being on a standby list. And not even at the top of the waitlist, but well below number 3, IIRC!

[jjpb3]

Speaking of IRIS - just how many times a year would you need to visit the UK to qualify as a "frequent" visitor?

I don't think there's a formal requirement, but I might be wrong. When you apply, they'll ask you how many times you travel to LHR. They didn't seem to care about the answer.

You can always say that you'll be visiting more frequently because you're anticipating more business meetings from a new project.

[SQflyergirl]

You can always say that you'll be visiting more frequently because you're anticipating more business meetings from a new project.

As opposed to just dropping by ever so often to have good food in good company? Not sure THAT'll fly with immigration officials!

[jhm]

As opposed to just dropping by ever so often to have good food in good company? Not sure THAT'll fly with immigration officials!

As Kiwi Flyer found out to his cost at the YVR SIN Do...

[Singapore_Air]

LHR is a disgusting airport. Just wants to make you want to get to SIN that much faster, or the MEGATOP at the gate!

[Rejuvenated]

The one thing that disgust me about LHR the most is how often my SQ flights would depart from those T3 distant gates: 32, 34, 36, 40, 42, 1, 21, 22, 15. Seems like SQ319 gets victimized the most in that department (at least in my experience). It also is quite annoying when arriving early on SQ322 that one has to be locked inside the aircraft for additional timings because BAA can't convince immigration folks to work early morning shifts.

On the other hand I do love the VS CH and the SKL inside T3. By far the only two positive aspects I can find of the airport and terminal.

[Jenbel]

Admitedly the main problem is BAA I think a proper operator could do much better.

Sorry guys, I've argued this elsewhere - but as someone who worked in the airport industry for quite a few years, BAA are one of the best airport operators out there. Yes, they can and do still manage an utter shambles, but basically, most airports in the world want to be like BAA...

It's pretty easy to run an airport smoothly which is under capacity. It gets very, very hard when they are over continually operating at way over capacity.

Anyway - my number one reason why LHR is not an utter hellhole (and FCC ) is that I know that the operations boys and girls work very hard to ensure a safe operating environment for the a/c - and ultimately, I want to know that any airport I am flying out of is very concerned about safety. Unfortunately, one cannot say that about all airports

[jjpb3]

The safety angle is comforting to know, Jenbel. I'm happy to take your advice on that. I just wish BAA could make the customer-facing aspects a bit less onerous, in spite of the strains from the capacity issues at LHR. Having the captain (in that calm BA voice) say, "Ladies and gentlemen, I have been informed that we will be [insert action] for [x] minutes, which means we will unfortunately [y] minutes delayed" is just getting tiresome.

But I guess I should be thankful I'm not transiting.

Now to more juicy bits: are you free to divulge which airports aren't as safety-minded as LHR?

[Jenbel]

Now to more juicy bits: are you free to divulge which airports aren't as safety-minded as LHR?

Definitely not, since some SQtalkers have already decided it's appropriate to export posts wholesale from here onto the other board

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showp...86&postcount=8

I'm not happy about this at all.

[jhm]

Posted on the other board:

I've deleted my post and apologise for what I did. I honestly didn't have any malicious intent.

I merely thought I was only pointing out amongst the complaints about BAA what you have said on this board here in FT in the past, i.e. despite everyone's complaints, BAA is in fact performing very well its essential function within the constaints which have been imposed on it. This is your professional opinion which I respect - I don't disagree with you (e.g. in the thread on the other board, I didn't slam BAA) but just wanted to remind people here about it and took what I thought was the lazy way of doing it rather than searching for the old BAA thread on here.

In any event, my explanation notwithstanding, it clearly was wrong and I apologise again.

[Jenbel]

ok fair enough

Just think next time please? If I haven't chimed in with this viewpoint (which it's pretty obvious I hold!), I probably have my own reasons for not doing so!