LHR Bulldoze and start again- How would you do it?

As I was passing time at Incheon Aiport, marvelling at the efficiency of yet another new single terminal Asian airport, I started wondering if I had a clean slate at LHR what would I do.

So I put the question to V-Flyers:

Start from scratch at Heathrow, BUT within the exisiting footprint. How would you do it. One single massive terminal, or multiple smaller terminals?

Personally I'd go for multiple smaller terminals, T1 for Domestic, T2 for European / Short - Haul, T3 for International - with a seperate section dedicated to BA because that is our national carrier (unfortunately ) then T4 for Freight and Cargo.

Not sure if that's likely though, given the way airline alliances are developing - they will want their airlines to be together. bmi wouldn't be too happy either if they had to split their domestic/international flights over two terminals.

Personally, I'd go for T5 as it stands, but with T3 demolished and replaced with some extra T5 piers so that all the OneWorld airlines can fit into one terminal. Then Heathrow East for Star Alliance, replacing T1 and T2. This is where VS would most likely be given SQ connections. Finally, the smallest alliance would be SkyTeam, and they could easily fit into a refubished T4, although that might get more difficult if DL, CO and NW got LHR access.

The non-affiliated airlines could then fit in wherever seems most appropriate depending on codeshares etc.

ATL seem to have got it right, hence T5 being built to the same layout.

Fadge

Originally posted by mavml
although that might get more difficult if DL, CO and NW got LHR access.

Lol never gonna happen!!

I like the way the terminals are at the moment, all that needs improving is access and journey times between them

Originally posted by Lipstick

Originally posted by mavml
although that might get more difficult if DL, CO and NW got LHR access.

Lol never gonna happen!!

I like the way the terminals are at the moment, all that needs improving is access and journey times between them

I wouldn't laugh out loud just yet, if American or United go out of business or at least pull their LHR routes then one of those carriers will probably be the first to take them.

Originally posted by VS-EWR

Originally posted by Lipstick

Originally posted by mavml
although that might get more difficult if DL, CO and NW got LHR access.

Lol never gonna happen!!

I like the way the terminals are at the moment, all that needs improving is access and journey times between them

I wouldn't laugh out loud just yet, if American or United go out of business or at least pull their LHR routes then one of those carriers will probably be the first to take them.

I highly doubt you'll see AA or UA go out of business... at least not anytime soon. DL and NW would be more likley contenders for that.

[Scrooge]

Originally posted by VS-EWR

Originally posted by Lipstick

Originally posted by mavml
although that might get more difficult if DL, CO and NW got LHR access.

Lol never gonna happen!!

I like the way the terminals are at the moment, all that needs improving is access and journey times between them

I wouldn't laugh out loud just yet, if American or United go out of business or at least pull their LHR routes then one of those carriers will probably be the first to take them.

It doesn't quite work that way.Only two national carriers from the US and UK (AA, UA and BA,VS) have the flight priviliges.Now if one were to go bust as happened with Pan Am I dont know if another US carrier could just step in or if the two goverments would have to approve it and if they slots would go back in the pool or if they would get to keep them,it could turn into one heck of a mess,but as webdes says,I don't see either of these carriers going anywhere,but thats a whole different thread.

Anyways..LHR....umm..flatten the whole place except T5 and start again,I kind of liked DEN when I was passing thorugh,more than one terminal but all under one rough connected by a train system.

Close the central area and building a massive range of new terminals down the northern (?) side where the car parks and hire car rental places are (essentially the Bath rd side) with a new 10 lanes road providing access right along and looping down from the motorway at each end allowing a merge and demerge in a smooth fashion. The central area could then maybe become the rental car and long term car park area with the tunnels funtioning much better with the reduced traffic flow.. The terminals would be inconnected by a terminal specific quad tunnel tube shuttle.

I don't know; compared to JFK, Heathrow's great. JFK's a great reason NOT to go for small terminals.

That said, Heathrow outside the main terminals is an ungodly sprawl. I got to drive through quite a bit of it when I went to the ARC to get my cat (and there was a problem clearing her, so we had to go back!)

The entire long term parking system is an utter farce. I'd like to see a better controlled system in place. At JFK, the Port Authority controls it and the AirTrain takes you there. No dealing with the dozens of operators each with their own bus service. AND we can pay with our E-ZPass (automatic toll collection things).

I would emplode the whole bloody lot and just leave the Virgin Club house there as a holiday destination as it stands - Heathrow is such a poor airport in design etc - ok I know its grown dramatically but its an awful place to fly in / out off

I hope that its easier to take public transport to LHR T5 than is currently possibly to 1-4

If you look at LGW that layout really works! ie step off the train enter departures!!

LHR is a pain in that it takes about 10 mins of walking to get from the tube/train to departures and then the same again to get to some of the checkin zones (of course thats one advantage in flying VS as they are in zone A!)

So to summerise (and get back OT) closer public transport (like LGW)

You would want to see the public transport for Dublin - non existant exceot for a lously bus service - smelly taxis -or walk

You would want to see the public transport for Dublin - non existant exceot for a lously bus service - smelly taxis -or walk

I know i sampled it yesterday, not the greatest!

You know, I don't think LHR really is that bad, yes it's not pretty for the most part, the road network is a trial and all, but I am constantly amazed at how efficiently (relatively, and forgiving all individual horror stories) it works and how they manage to get such a vast quantity of people and machinery in and out each day.

I think the planners at LHR are showing a lot of good ideas too, T5 will be fantastic for BA, and Heathrow East when open sounds a really good rethink of how to organise all the airlines.

That said I am fortunate to live in central London and hop on the HEX and rarely have to transfer between terminals.

Originally posted by Jonathan
If you look at LGW that layout really works! ie step off the train enter departures!!

Unless you're flying with the darkside from the North terminal, which of course us V-flyers never would, would we? [:w]

The one time I flew from Gatwick we stayed at the Le Meridien next to the airport as our flight left so early (we live in North London). It did seem pretty easy; we got the train thingy from the North terminal to the south one.

Public transport to LHR isn't that bad--never done HEX but the tube is walkable from all 3 terminals. (We had to walk from T3 to one of the others, forget which but it was the farthest one, to get our car-parking bus last time. It was a pain and it took a while, but we managed.) It is better than JFK, where the AirTrain is great for getting around the airport (drops you right off at all the terminals, car hire, long term parking...) but terminates at subway/train stations.

The trouble with Heathrow is that it's a monster. I'm not really sure how to make it better. We can admire Changi and all the other shiny Asian airports, but none of them handle the traffic Heathrow does.

I don't think that one large sprawling terminal would work as lots of people can barely find their check-in as it is. At least if you have several terminals, it narrows things down a bit. Also, if something goes wrong, such as with baggage handling, then everything would be effected. In smaller airports, a single terminal system is much more efficient, but with LHR it just won't work.

If I were to design LHR, I'd have a terminal each for:

BA/Oneworld
Star Alliance
BMI, VS (not meant to show any connection)
European
Long Haul

As well as this, I'd have a a huge series of car parks underground and a separate HEX station for each terminal.

Cheers,
VS045