Can Heathrow Airport Get Any Worse?

I'm one of those people who has never found Heathrow that difficult. Enormous, but not difficult. It seems you went to the wrong terminal initially ... am I right? And, by the way, your aunt was mistaken in advising you that two hours lead time was enough. No matter which airport from Europe to N. America, 3 hours is what is advised, unless you really enjoy stress.

Newark?

Manila ????

I came in that way a week or so ago and it took me twenty minutes from the jetway to the car rental shuttle -- including joking around with the immigration gal and snagging a coffee.

Two hours has always been fat getting out.

Maybe they like some rednecks and not others?

I'm sure they're very thankful for the extra charges assessed to fly to the U.S. from Heathrow.

I try to avoid that airport whenever possible too.

Which terminal and which airline? I've used Heathrow a lot over the years and have always found it to be well-signed. Where was there a signage issue?

Yes, which terminal? I am having trouble picturing one where you could go back outside and walk around to a different terminal, but then we have never been to T1 or T2 ( which is brand new).

Crash, which terminal was that?

You pay the same APD no matter which British airport you depart from, it's computed on distance to the first stop, and it's included in the listed price of the ticket.

Heathrow is nothing special.

Rednecks fly Delta since, when we die and go to hell, we have to change planes in Atlanta -- T4?

Terminal 3 is an odd place. You can be in 2007, turn a corner and suddenly it is 1968.

I can see that nothing changed. I hoped that it would be better after they opened Terminal 5 but apparently not. I try to avoid Heathrow like devil cross. Orientation is not the problem. Disorganization is. Another bad airport where I can fly directly from Seattle is De Gaulle. Schiphol in Amsterdam is the best. Frankfurt about average.

We flew from LHR on the 17th. Perhaps we are lucky because Air Canada now flies out of the new Term 2 - the Queen's Terminal. We checked in beforehand online, but had to print out luggage tags and our boarding passes at the machines at the front...easy peasy. Because my mom had a large bag and I decided to check my smaller one (going home I'm not so worried about it - and one less thing to drag around the airport and thru security)...we were in line maybe 15 min or so to drop the bags. There were some lovely people from (I think) Singapore Airlines directing people to check in first before getting in the baggage drop-off line.

We got thru security in maybe 10 min or so (my poor mom kept having her carry-ons checked - the first with Brit Air at Gatwick she forgot that her large toothpaste and something else - lotion? - she should have checked...they just took them out, put them back thru the scanner and didn't toss em! But - they missed her full sized face cream in her purse - apparently she always carries one there and has never had anyone catch it. At LHR, they checked her carry on with one of those swipe things). Our flight was for 12:30pm, so we were there mid-morning. No issues at all. We still had a little less than an hour to wander around the shops before we had to be at the gate for the 11:50 boarding.

agree, Heathrow is the worst and will do anything to avoid it. Traveled through there this summer and there aren't enough words to describe our awful treatment.

I have traveled through Heathrow several times (and as recently as several months ago) and found no problems at all. I managed to get myself to the National Express desk for my transfer bus, to the public bus area, to the tube, change terminals..... all without a problem. I couldn't have done that without signage. What was your "awful treatment", fabris?

I'm sorry to see that Crash has not returned with more specifics. That is unusual for them.

I don't doubt that Crash had a bad day there but I'm not sure that the comments could be generalized.

I flew into Heathrow recently and then also connected between two European cities using Heathrow on the same trip. The transit portion used Terminal 1. Yes it was crowded and looked a little worn....T1 is still waiting for its facelift like many of the other terminals at Heathrow. With all of the above said, I love going through Heathrow....warts and all. There is an energy and pulse amidst some of the chaos. I had no trouble/no delays on this trip...everything seemed to work fine.

Terminal 1 is in the twilight of its existence. It will only have a handful of flights by the end of October. The whole domestic / Republic of Ireland pier is closed at that time. The baggage system will live on as it is used by T2 as well.

Ed has scored one of the oldest jokes in the travel business, changing planes in Atlanta en route to either heaven or hell. It may, in fact, be the only joke in that trade, so I'm glad it lives on.

Yes, Heathrow could be worse. They could move it to Paris.

why would moving it to Paris make it any worse?

I just returned from London through heathrow and had no problems at all. My flight coming and going went through terminal 4. The signs were easy to follow, I didn't need to ask for help so I can't comment on the airport staff. I think it was just bad timing for you. I would travel to Heathrow any day over CDG in Paris which I have been and found confusing and dirty.

Personally, I must say I find flying in and out of Heathrow a relatively pleasant experience. But also must qualify that by saying I've only ever been in and out of Term. 5. Maybe a different experience with the others? I have found it easy to find my way around and the staff helpful and pleasant.

Haven't flown through LHR in years, but I'll put up JFK on the worst airports list any day.

Arrivals into JFK from abroad is just a nightmare.

"Arrivals into JFK from abroad is a nightmare." Yes, and especially if you are not American.

Hey, sorry about your situation. I mostly disagree. I have devoted myself to avoiding the Heathrow/Gatwick ordeal, as I had only heard about how hard it was. This week I had a family emergency in Italy, so Heathrow was no longer to be avoided.
I found Heathrow okay. I had to check my bag, although it was within weight and size. Heathrow was my first touchdown. I agree that the staff could be rude. Only if you call turning your back on a customer when approached with a question. My bag was not on the carrousel, and when I asked, I was told that it would be in Naples. Okay, true, but two days later.
The airport cleverly congregates everyone to a lobby/shopping mall until twenty minutes before departure. Not too bad.

I highly recommend "Eats" for actual real food. Clean, good.

By the time I get to Europe I'm always in a lot of pain, but this airport is much better than so, so many.

The Queen's Terminal was a bit large for changing planes, just had a friend miss her connecting flight due to landing n one area and having a longer walk to the next flight. but.... the food in T2 is fresh & enough to choose from ( wagamama has a good breakfast for US- LON), but landing there, finding the correct way to the tube and going into the city was a little more confusing this year than last; could have been the jetlag was worse. Schiphol is still my favorite.

I avoid JFK and LHR airports when possible. As mentioned above, the arrivals "system" at JFK is awful, whether you are a Canadian or US citizen (equal opportunity for all).

2014 flying JFK - Frankfurt on Lufthansa in a A380 out of terminal one, OMG. Boarding all the way at the end of the terminal on the left they are trying to load an A380's worth of passengers into this small space that was designed many decades ago and they have no clue how to get folks to queue up - how long have they been doing this for? It was just a crush of passengers. Of course it does not help that everyone wants to board before the next person, but still.

Heathrow has been under construction from 1945. It may be completed by 2030.

We flew from LHR on the 17th. Perhaps we are lucky because Air Canada now flies out of the new Term 2 - the Queen's Terminal. We checked in beforehand online, but had to print out luggage tags and our boarding passes at the machines at the front...easy peasy. Because my mom had a large bag and I decided to check my smaller one (going home I'm not so worried about it - and one less thing to drag around the airport and thru security)...we were in line maybe 15 min or so to drop the bags. There were some lovely people from (I think) Singapore Airlines directing people to check in first before getting in the baggage drop-off line.

We flew from LHR on the 17th. Perhaps we are lucky because Air Canada now flies out of the new Term 2 - the Queen's Terminal. We checked in beforehand online, but had to print out luggage tags and our boarding passes at the machines at the front...easy peasy. Because my mom had a large bag and I decided to check my smaller one (going home I'm not so worried about it - and one less thing to drag around the airport and thru security)...we were in line maybe 15 min or so to drop the bags. There were some lovely people from (I think) Singapore Airlines directing people to check in first before getting in the baggage drop-off line.

It happens:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-30454240

Passengers are facing widespread flight disruption after a computer
failure at the UK's air traffic control centre.

Nats said it would take time for flight schedules to return to normal
after an earlier technical fault was resolved.

The flight data system at its centre in Swanwick had now been restored
to "full operational capacity", the air traffic control company said.

The government said the disruption was "unacceptable" and demanded a
"full explanation" of what had gone wrong.