Check-in suspended at £4.3bn T5

TheOtherOption · 27 Mar 2008 at 18:27

From the BBC site ... "All luggage check-in has been suspended at Heathrow's new £4.3bn Terminal 5, after cancelled flights and baggage delays blighted its opening day."

You would think that the big passenger tests they were carrying out over the last year would have found the kind of problems that have occurred

The computer cannot cope with the number of bags going through

The above just seems stupid ... when you consider they were so confident of making the whole check-in/departure and arrival process so easy and painless!

My mate starts work there on the 7th - not as a baggage handler however.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7317352.stm

TheOtherOption · 27 Mar 2008 at 18:33

Found the article I was on about - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7285674.stm was them going through all the steps ... yet on the day it officially opens they've had to suspend some of the operations.

Unbelievable!

I wouldn't say Bulldoze it - but maybe just leave it at this - no 3rd runway / terminal 6 - that would be a disaster!

TheOtherOption · 27 Mar 2008 at 18:37

I can think of worse places to get stuck to be fair - the other FAR older terminals would be much less fun.

But yea one does have to laugh at them for this having happened when it did

TheOtherOption · 27 Mar 2008 at 19:15

I've no doubt it is an amazing piece of technology, it's just that when they've had a year to have carried out these kinds of tests it just seems odd that they didn't run into the same problems then.

I'm sure once it's up and running it'll be perfect day in and day out - as said though it won't be instant. I suppose it's the same with any pc - you won't have it setup and doing things the way you want from day 1 (more often than not)

TheOtherOption · 27 Mar 2008 at 19:22

It seems though that most people who were asked about their thoughts on T5 did like it, even if the flight they were on was an hour and they waited an hour and a half for their baggage!

I will look forward to going there and having a walk about myself one day!

*Actually I might be able to this august as I'm flying to Portugal - can't recall If we're flying with BA though.

TheOtherOption · 28 Mar 2008 at 00:11

Furton said:
I was at Madrid last year ... one of the best airports I've been too!

Wasn't it in fact designed by a British architect ? I seem to recall seeing a show regarding various grand designs and this came up I'm sure of it!

TheOtherOption · 28 Mar 2008 at 12:50

I'm hoping that's the case because I'll be flying out to Portugal in August so a few months is all they've got - problem is that I'll be going with 100 odd other kids aged 12-18 so getting them through T5 could be a nightmare !

TheOtherOption · 28 Mar 2008 at 15:21

They should have made sure that there weren't monkeys running the baggage handling system behind scenes for starters - or at least made sure that there were enough present to at least unload bags from the conveyor and stop it grinding to a halt like it evidently did!

TheOtherOption · 28 Mar 2008 at 17:35

It seems it was on Channel 5 - or at least they did have a documentary about T5 recently - can't find out what it was called and their website isn't being very helpfull!