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T5 gets off the ground after two weeks' delay
Sri Carmichael, Evening Standard08.04.08
Heathrow's Terminal 5 was finally operating a full flight schedule today - nearly two weeks after opening.
Yesterday, the Evening Standard reported how the £4.3billion building was transformed into a cardboard city after flight cancellations forced hundreds of people to sleep by the check-in desks.
Today is the first let-up in passenger misery after 12 days of lost baggage, computer glitches and weather disruption leading to some 700 flights being scrapped.
All travellers caught up in yesterday's disruption - when 42 flights were cancelled - have been found new flights, a BA spokeswoman said, adding: "We're expecting to operate a full service today."
Passengers told how they arrived early for flights today and carried as many possessions in their hand luggage as possible because they did not trust that they would arrive at their destination without problems.
Helen Passingham-Hughes, 44, a market researcher flying to Geneva today, said: "I'm taking all my clothes I need for my two-day conference in my hand luggage so I can't lose them."
Thomas Walsh, 41, who was taking his wife Heidi, 37,and their two young sons to Florida, said: "So far it seems to be working smoothly but we're reserving our judgment until we see our bags at the other end on time."
The catalogue of disasters has cost BA at least £16 million. Chief executive Willie Walsh has refused to resign.
Reader views (3)
Goodbye BA. After thirty years of loyalty and holder of a gold card the time has come to say goodbye. I was caught up in the last disaster at T4 and was simply abandoned by BA to find my self a seat elsewhere only to find myself caught up in yet another display of incompetence at T5, same rules apply BA don't care about loyalty or the gold card, get on and sort out an alternative flight yourself. The problem for BA that travelling on Emirates and Etihad gave me the opportunity to experience far superior service to BA and at a much less cost, so keep the Air Miles BA, you never have availability anyhow. Although seats are available for money, and BA is now my airline of last choice, actually emergency use only
- Mark Devries, Bangkok Thailand
Opete,
The flak should be fired qithe unerring aim at BAA rather than BA.
BA certainly responsible for some of the problems, but BAA are the firm that run T5, not BA. However the higher-ups have been all too keen to hide while the heads of BA have taken the flak.
So stay away from BAA....and that leaves you Biggin Hill to fly out from.
- Opete, London
BA has taken too many short cuts. Too many wrong decisions were made and the wrong staff was hired. I will stay away from them, there is just too much competition out there that have become faster, safer, friendlier and cheaper. BA is not service friendly any more and that is wrong. Most other airlines are better and that needs saying!
- Peteo, Islington, London
