Thread: Get on the plane, get off the plane -- what's the problem?

LONDON: British Airways canceled 37 flights Sunday and has yet to clear a backlog of about 15,000 pieces of luggage after disruptions at London Heathrow Airport's new Terminal 5 spilled into a fourth day.

The carrier has so far abandoned only short-haul and domestic flights, to cities including Amsterdam and Glasgow, representing about 11 percent of all flights.
British Airways, based in London, has canceled more than 200 flights since the terminal opened March 27, after computer log-on failures for baggage handlers and delays at staff car parks sparked turmoil at the airport, Europe's busiest. The number of flights canceled Sunday fell by 30 from 67 yesterday.

About 6 percent of the baggage British Airways has handled in the past four days still has yet to reach its owners, the spokeswoman said. The carrier, Europe's third-biggest, is already Europe's worst airline for lost luggage and the second-worst for delayed bags, according to the Air Transport Users Council.

Terminal 5 took two decades to plan and build at a cost of 4.3 billion pounds, or $8.6 billion, as the UK government battled campaigners who said the building would only add to congestion at Europe's busiest airport. British Airways has said the terminal will ease journeys and help retain passengers disillusioned with Heathrow's overcrowding.

Before the opening of the new terminal, which will have capacity for 30 million passengers annually, Heathrow was handling 68 million people a year in buildings designed for 45 million. Willie Walsh, British Airways chief executive officer, has blamed overcrowding for dissuading travelers from using Heathrow and his airline, which is the biggest occupant at the airport and the sole user of Terminal 5.

Rival carriers including BMI, the second-biggest user of Heathrow after British Airways, and Virgin Atlantic Airways, the third-biggest, have said they have seen a surge in customer bookings because of the problems at Terminal 5.

British Airways' Terminal 5 problems at Heathrow spill over to 4th day - International Herald Tribune

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Took 'em 20 years to finish the building. Looks like nobody thought about handling passengers, luggage and airplanes until Friday.

Traveling commercial sucks so bad these days it's unbelievable...

i was wingeing like hell to my indian pal in bombay about how shit Indian Airlines and airports in India are. Then he told me about this fiasco and I shut up. At least my bags didnt get lost - last time that happened was flying out of Heathrow.......on a BA flight

Originally Posted by Texpat

Took 'em 20 years to finish the building

Sorry to piss on your boat here Tex. The Public Inquiry approval was in 2001 and actual construction started in July 2002.

Originally Posted by Boon Mee

Traveling commercial sucks so bad these days it's unbelievable...

Yeah, I've had enough, I'm getting a lear jet.

Terminal 5 took two decades to plan and build at a cost of 4.3 billion pounds

I'll send a complaint to the source.

Originally Posted by Texpat

I'll send a complaint to the source.

Let us know how you get on, good luck.

Its really an unbelievable story whats going on over there .
It will cost millions .