Phuket Thailand - Can Heathrow ever reach the same standard as the new Bangkok airport ?

gregor200 · #1 07-01-2007, 20:06

CNN just discovered that two weeks after the luggage belt break-down & weather related slow-down debacles when 8000 and 10,000 pieces of luggage went missing at Heathrow, there were still "only 4,500" (quoting British Airways) pieces not yet reunited with their owners.

British Airways declined to comment on the situation other than to say they were working 24 hours a day to correct the problem and to ask, umm, could CNN tell them exactly where all the luggage might be located.

CNN showed the pile-up of lost luggage with one lone baggage handler sitting nearby staring off into space.

Can't you just imagine how Heathrow would go about tightening airport security.

palaceboy · #2 07-01-2007, 22:38

Sorry to say that I'm not impressed with Bangkok new airport, ok we didn't loose any baggage, but check in takes forever, and the signs telling you where to go next are poor.
We finally found our departure gate, but guess what, a Thai 747 with a full
load of passengers, we had to be taken by bus to the aircraft out in the middle of the field, and they had only one bus for the job, to load 500 passengers by one bus takes a lot of time, the flight arrived Copenhagen 2 1/2 hours late with close to 100 passengers missing their connecting flights.

Pad Mc · #3 07-01-2007, 23:21

LHR. I dread having to go near the place, especially of the way back from anywhere!

cybernator_uk · #4 08-01-2007, 01:23

It sounds like i am one of the few on here that has never had a problem with London Heathrow. In all the times i have used it i have had one delay of 20 mins on a flight to Barcelona with Iberia. Other than that no problems....... No lost luggage nothing. I personally find it efficent enough... Easy enough to navigate, staff are helpful at all the check in counters i have been to etc etc. I cant see why people slag it off.

I prefer LHR over Frankfurt Am Main anyday of the week.

palaceboy · #5 08-01-2007, 01:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by cybernator_uk

It sounds like i am one of the few on here that has never had a problem with London Heathrow. In all the times i have used it i have had one delay of 20 mins on a flight to Barcelona with Iberia. Other than that no problems....... No lost luggage nothing. I personally find it efficent enough... Easy enough to navigate, staff are helpful at all the check in counters i have been to etc etc. I cant see why people slag it off.

I prefer LHR over Frankfurt Am Main anyday of the week.

I have had no problems with LHR, my posting was about Bangkok new airport.

cybernator_uk · #6 08-01-2007, 01:43

My posting was a generalised statement rather than refering to anyone in particular... On this board Heathrow gets a slating and my statement was relevant to that rather than any individual poster hence why i said at the beggining of my statement "ONE OF THE FEW".

stevem · #7 08-01-2007, 02:22

In my mind for what it does, Heathrow is pretty efficient.

Icebox · #8 08-01-2007, 02:28

IMO theres nothing wrong with heathrow its well organised and one of the busiest airports in the world , of course theres gonna be glitches . but overall its a very highly regarded airport ......

probably one of the best in the world ,, ok it doesnt look fancy but it more than gets the job done and is the gateway and hub to europe .

dawsey · #9 08-01-2007, 02:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevem

In my mind for what it does, Heathrow is pretty efficient.

You are right Steve. It has to be remembered that when Heathrow was first built, nobody could envisage the sheer amount of air and human traffic that would use it.
Terminals 1 & 2 are due to be rebuilt and modernised once T5 is up and running. T3 has been revamped with new car parking and its more efficient altogether. T4 still has problems with not enough gateways to serve the number of flights leaving there, and quite often BA flights will bus passengers from T4 to T3 where the plane is waiting. T5 should solve this problem.

With regard to those suitcases, they never even left Heathrow, and its a pretty big task repatriating all that luggage with the owners.

My biggest gripe about Heathrow is the outrageous car parking charge of £2 60 per 30mins. I mean, BAA who own the car parks know that people only go there to drop off or pick up passengers. They have no choice but to pay those inflated prices. God forbid a flight you are waiting for is badly delayed

It could cost you dearly.

stevem · #10 08-01-2007, 02:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by dawsey

My biggest gripe about Heathrow is the outrageous car parking charge of £2 60 per 30mins.

If you think that is bad, Sydney cost me AUD$20 for 40 minutes the other week.

falanger · #11 08-01-2007, 02:38

Ive only been in heathrow once but found it pretty old in places and reminded me of a rabbit warren for some reason...
I like amsterdam schipol for ease of use the best..

dawsey · #12 08-01-2007, 02:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevem

If you think that is bad, Sydney cost me AUD$20 for 40 minutes the other week.

Gulp.......... thats excessive to say the least

Strange how a lot of airports I have visited are totally free for parking. The way it should be too in my thinking.

cybernator_uk · #13 08-01-2007, 02:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by dawsey

Gulp.......... thats excessive to say the least

Strange how a lot of airports I have visited are totally free for parking. The way it should be too in my thinking.

I agree with you....... Its greed in my opinion.. Always try getting money out of you for everything they can... Mind you thats coporate buisness these days.

stevem · #14 08-01-2007, 03:09

Just back to the topic of this thread Can Heathrow ever reach the same standard as the new Bangkok airport , why in the hell would you want Heathrow to downgrade itself?? OK, so some of the buildings maybe old, but they are functional.

Bangkok is new, but the buildings are falling apart already. Infrastructure is shit, lack of toilets, seating. Taxiways and aprons are cracking, the list goes on.

cybernator_uk · #15 08-01-2007, 03:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevem

Just back to the topic of this thread Can Heathrow ever reach the same standard as the new Bangkok airport , why in the hell would you want Heathrow to downgrade itself?? OK, so some of the buildings maybe old, but they are functional.

Bangkok is new, but the buildings are falling apart already. Infrastructure is shit, lack of toilets, seating. Taxiways and aprons are cracking, the list goes on.

Is it really that bad? I knew there were some problems but didnt think it was that bad... Mind you should i be suprised... i personally didnt see much of a problem with Don Muang Airport... I know its old but it did the job ok.

stevem · #16 08-01-2007, 03:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by cybernator_uk

Is it really that bad? I knew there were some problems but didnt think it was that bad... Mind you should i be suprised... i personally didnt see much of a problem with Don Muang Airport... I know its old but it did the job ok.

Don Muang did a good job, only real problems where

1) no room to expand
2) traffic crossing parallel active runway.