After a rocky first few days back in late March and early April, British Airways (BA) Terminal 5 at London Heathrow (LHR) has hit stride. That BA has solved the problems which plagued the place (long lines, lost bags) upon its opening was apparent as this Cheapflights reporter toured the spacious, sun-suffused structure on the second-busiest day since it opened.
T5 is important to United States travelers because Heathrow is the prime airportal to the United Kingdom, and a critical connecting point to Europe (indeed, LHR is the planet’s busiest airport when it comes to purely international traffic).
Bigger than any than any edifice in Great Britain, T5 is a £4.3 billion ($8.5 billion) construct, capable of connecting 30 million customers a year to London or the wider world.
When Cheapflights Flight News inspected T5 in mid-July, for the second time, what was immediately obvious is that the promises of the place – speed and convenience – were being realized. From the time a passenger enters the terminal, to the time they clear security, it should take no more than ten minutes. That’s faster than BA’s previous Heathrow facility, T4. Most passengers were making it through just that fast, at the beginning of a busy holiday period.
If passengers are getting through T5 faster, airplanes access Heathrow’s runways quicker too. That’s because there are no cul de sacs at the terminal to hinder pushbacks, as there sometimes are at other LHR terminals.
BA is intent on getting its airplanes off on time. The goal is 90 percent punctuality. They aren’t kidding when they say get to the airport early. It’s important to clear security no later than 35 minutes prior to your scheduled departure. Show up 34 minutes before and you’ll be turned away, and have to re-book.
Once you’ve cleared security, if you’re flying within the UK or to Europe, stay in T5A. If you’re heading out on BA’s long-haul flights, perhaps a transatlantic run to New York, take the underground train over to T5B. The trip takes 45 seconds, and trains run every 90 seconds.
Trains are the quickest way to get to Heathrow itself from central London. Take the Heathrow Express from Paddington Station. It will take you right to T5.
If speed rules at T5, comfort is a close companion, and one of the most comfortable things about the facility is how quiet it is. It doesn’t sound like an airport. The arching ceilings have a lot to do with that. Nothing echoes off bare walls at T5, and few things clatter. I had to look around to make sure there were people in the place. There were. Lots of them.
If you want to get in and out of T5 fast, you can, but we bet you’ll want to linger. The shops and eateries are extraordinary. Harrods is here, as is Prada. A first for airports worldwide, Tiffany & Company has set up shop here. You won’t be bored while waiting for your airplane. Nor will you starve. Among others, Gordon Ramsay has an eatery at T5, and while the restaurant is called Plane Food, there’s nothing plain about it.
T5 has six lounges: Concorde Room (the plane is gone, but the ambience lingers), the First Class Lounge, a trio of Club lounges, and an arrivals lounge.
Collectively, they’re called Galleries, and they’re a template for the way the carrier wants to construct airport clubs throughout its route system. Not only does the ambience of these enclaves set them apart, there’s lots more room. The T5 lounges offer a quarter more capacity than BA’s previous set ups in Terminals 1 and 4. You’ll find a 100 percent increase in the number of showers and bathrooms, a 60 percent boost in washrooms, and a 24 percent increase in the number of customer service desks.
British Airways has already moved a number of flights from Terminal 4, and the carrier has just announced the final phase of its long-haul flight relocation. It’s set for October 22, in time for the holiday season. This will comprise the last move in the massive transfer from T4 to T5. While New York flights already operate from T5B, flyers bound to – or through – London Heathrow from all cities in the Americas will use the facility come October 22. That means flights from Denver (DEN), Boston (BOS), Montreal (YUL), Calgary (YYC), and Seattle/Tacoma (SEA) will be moving then.
For the latest information about what’s up at T5, visit BA’s terminal Web site (www.ba.com/london-terminals).
© Cheapflights Ltd Jerry Chandler
