IT’S HeathROW Airport as Terminal 5 crashes and burns.
The debut is a “disaster” says the Sun on its front page.
The Mail takes it personally and leads with “TERMINAL DISGRACE – Luggage check-ins axed. Bags lost. Escalators paralysed. 34 flights cancelled… and it’s just Day One at the £4.3billion Terminal Five.” It’s a “national disgrace”.
Can Heathrow top that on Day 2?
And what coincidence that the turmoil occurs when French President Sarkozy is making his way home, or trying to? Is this all some dastardly plan to exact revenge on so many blockaded ferry ports, burning sheep and airport strikes that have done down the British traveller?
If it is, then passengers might be more forgiving, cheer, even.
Tony Pascoe, 35, from Witney, Oxfordshire, is talking to the Independent. Says he: “None of the desks were open and we were told to stand in a queue. After standing there for God knows how long they opened one and people who had just walked into the terminal began jumping in. It was chaotic. Everyone who had been queuing were annoyed and a lot of jostling and arguing started. Then the desk just crashed so everyone was stood there.”
In the Guardian, it was all to be expected, after all Terminal Five is the size of 50 football pitches, and, given that so many holidaymakers travel replica kits, crowd action was unavoidable.
“It was shambolic, but totally predictable,” says one BA “handler, a veteran of several previous Heathrow meltdowns, who insisted on anonymity for fear of dismissal.” He goes on: “Before the opening we were shown round on four ‘familiarisation’ days, which were more like guided tours of our wonderful new home, rather than actual, hands-on training days. We were ready to grit our teeth for a tough day but this was ridiculous.”
Congratulations to the Guardian’s reporter on locating a disgruntled employee, and to the Mail on bringing its readers the headline: “No one had the faintest idea of what the hell is was all going wrong.”
But not to worry the Blitz spirit will see us through. If the planes can get through, that is…
Posted: 28th, March 2008 | In: Broadsheets, Money, Tabloids Comments (10) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
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April 1st, 2008 at 5:43 am
my poor husband had the great disadvantage of having to go through terminal 5 on the first day (27 march). after having his flight cancelled, then the second flight delayed for three hours, he was told that his suitcase would not be put onto his flight to Munich. So far, he has gone five days without his suit, shoes and other essentials, with no contact whatsoever. He has given all his details to BA officials in Munich, but still hasn’t heard a thing. The latest thing, that just blew us away, is that in an apology from the CEO, it was said that BA was sending baggage to Milan in Italy to a reliable sorting agency. Reliable my foot, and why to Milan!? Now our latest problem is that the baggage tracking page is not recognising his baggage tracking number he was given, last thursday. What next????
March 28th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
did anyone else see the TV programme a few days ago about Terminal 5? they stated then that they had done a practice run on the baggage system with 12000 bags (the accepted limit) and everything had gone OK - what has happened from then until now?
M and A
Witnesses?
March 28th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
Actually Mic, being stranded a O’Hare is not too bad if you can jump in your car and go home as we did. Otherwise it would be a grim experience.
March 28th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Just had an escapee on my doorstep! delayed for 5 hours, but the terminal itself is beautiful
March 28th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Stranded at Chicago O’Hare? shudder… One of the most miserable airports around.
American Airlines did the same to me a few years ago at O’Hare.
I think that airlines generally have a crap attitude to customer care; they’ve had your money well in advance, hold all the cards and couldn’t give a toss.
March 28th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Luckily I decided never to fly British Airways again after they left me stranded in Chicago in 1996 so I wont be using them for my annual trip to see the relatives this year, or any other year.
We had the same trouble in the US when they opened the new airport in Denver, mass chaos and much general mayhem. They figured it out eventually.
The airline industries general attitude toward passangers reminds me of a weekend job I had in a garage while at University. One of my co-workers once said to me ” This would be a great job if it wasn’t for the customers.”
It seems BA has the same idea.
March 28th, 2008 at 11:29 am
Heathrow? Efficiency? Oh, an optimist!
Wait for the 2012 Olympics, probably hold them in 2013 with all the snarl ups
March 28th, 2008 at 11:24 am
It’s alright saying what the number of flights canceled is but whats wrong with putting the list on the web. The phone number is blocked aand 0800 numbers do not work from a lot of overseas numbers.
Put a list of the canceled flights on the web someone
M and A
Gods another raging optimist, the computers are down?
March 28th, 2008 at 11:21 am
How much did T5 cost? Oh, only £4.3 BILLION……..must expect a few glitches, couldn”t expect 100% efficiency ith that kind of budget.!!!!
March 28th, 2008 at 11:00 am
It may be even better today, and be 10 times worse…no air traffic control strikes, or baggage handler strikes? Really, where are they when they are needed to add to the chaos. Might get some fog- snow- ice though…