The situation at LHR - Sunday 13 Aug

Originally posted by Howard Long
It is clear that by having to ask airlines to cancel flights because they can't cope, BAA has unequivocably failed. It was perfectly clear to me that the other pieces of the industry jigsaw could deal with the situation.

Oh, and while I'm at it, the only industry websites that died in the whole debacle were.... BAA's. They seem OK now, but since Thursday they've been failing to work at varying levels certainly up until this afternoon.

Cheers, Howard

Thanks to VBen for a good update on the situation at the front of T3. Behind the scenes where I work it has been an 'interesting' few days.

For another Board I wrote a long write-up about how my day went on Thursday, but it's very 'off topic' for here (and full of me mouthing off about various people!).

Let's just say that Thursday was a shambles - it started-off badly , went downhill rapidly, and the less said about the ending the better!

Friday, I was off. I was asked if I wanted to work overtime but I decided that I'd rather stay well clear.

Saturday, worked a morning shift. 5am start. Noticed that a lot of the baggage bins were now 'very full', and now there are many, many more small cases and bags (which now cannot be taken in the cabin). This all now clogs-up the baggage belts, so we're slower to load all the bags on the belts. Not a good situation.
On the other side of the job, departing flights are still messy. With the extra delays at BAA security many passengers (not just V, but all airlines) are not getting to the gate on-time, or at all. So their bags have to be unloaded, which takes time. On one flight on Thursday we had to unload 30 bags; by the time we got the list, it was down to 10, and by the time we'd got them all they had arrived and we had to put them back! Good game, good game!

Fortunately (for me) I only worked on Saturday morning, but those working on Saturday afternoon/evening had a bad time. I think that the last flight went well after midnight (ie, Sunday morning).

Today, Sunday, another morning shift. The rain did NOT help!
I heard that some flights diverted to Gatwick, although this may have been 'planned' rather than a last minute decision. This afternoon I was told that VS251 went to Luton! (still waiting for confirmation on this, so treat info as suspect).

I'm back in tomorrow, but working all day. If you're flying tomorrow - good luck!

Update for Sunday.
Glad to report things were MUCH better and it seems the policy of cancelling a few flights (1 JFK, MIA, LOS and DEL) gave enough slack for the rest of the system to work... though obviously this is a terrible compromise for some of our passengers, on the whole most pax had a more comfortable day.

Far fewer crowds outside the terminal (though MUCH worse weather) and we were able to call some flights in early. Coffee in the Marquee was pretty good today as well!

1 LAX and SFO diverted to LGW. But as far as I know got handled there.

VS really seemed to cope today, it was other airlines that really lost it (SAS Q seemed to take over almost ALL of T3 at one point!)

The thing I was NOT looking forward to was meeting the passengers from yesterdays flights... but recognising people from SAT we were able to help a bit more, help them find a faster Q, or even carry their bags to make their second day at the airport less stressful. And its amazing the levels of appreciation of these pax had for staff, despite everything!

Telling LOS and DEL passengers to go home, especially with LHR Hotels full to bursting, wasn't too nice, but again, amazed at their resiliance.

BAA are still not letting any pax into the building until 3 hours before flights. But VS are opening check-in at 4 hours before Scheduled departure time.

My personal advice to passengers for tomorrow:
1. Turn up at 3 hours before your scheduled departure.... even if it has been delayed, check-in will close at 60 minutes before.
2. Have a rain coat! But pack it in your bags before check-in.
3. Pack as light as possible.
4. Avoid driving. Qs from the Tube and Train were better than those from the car park.

I'm back to the day job tomorrow.
But thanks to the passengers, airport and non-airport staff that kept a very difficult situation nontheless quite rewarding.

As for what I think of the governments policy after this experience. Well for the first time in my life I find myself agreeing with Michael O'Dreary.. hell even Willie Walsh! The government HAVE to do something to stop one of our most important industries descending into utter chaos.

As the Mail is saying today...

GET BRITAIN FLYING AGAIN!!!!

[honey lamb]

Thanks for the updates V-Ben and Biggles. They really have been most enlightening as to what is happening behind the scenes.

One question - what is the situation with passengers arriving from other airports on connecting flights? Are they expected to then join the throngs outside the terminals or can they go straight through to check-in given that the instruction has been that they must collect their bags, go through immigration and customs and then re-check in?

Originally posted by honey lamb

One question - what is the situation with passengers arriving from other airports on connecting flights?

Yep, they have to clear customs (so no airline can accept anyone for transit without the relevant Visa) and come to the new airline.

Lots of miss connected passengers.

Also passengers were flying in with handbaggage allowed by the country they arrive from, but then we can't let them take handbaggage... so people having to post their mobiles to themselves as we can't really check in a mobile.

I am very pleased that the majority of the travelling public were positive with airport staff despite the problems, and didn't decend into abuse and anger. I think you deserve a stiff drink v-ben, but seeing as I am posting this early morning, am probably a little late with that advice!

Originally posted by sailor99
I am very pleased that the majority of the travelling public were positive with airport staff despite the problems, and didn't decend into abuse and anger. I think you deserve a stiff drink v-ben, but seeing as I am posting this early morning, am probably a little late with that advice!

Based on the hours that VS staff have been working you are probably not as late with your advice as you think Jeremy!

Yes - well done V-Ben and all the VS team!

Oh, just to make people's day today - as well as BAA delaying the introduction of the "Severe" carry-on policy (as opposed to the critical one), BBC are still telling people "Get to the airport extra early".

Mike

Yesterday, HEX from T1,2,3 to T4 wasn't operational - what is the situation now?

VS.

Originally posted by VS045
Yesterday, HEX from T1,2,3 to T4 wasn't operational - what is the situation now?

VS.

Apparently operating a normal schedule from their website.

Thanks, V-Ben. Yesterday you had to take a bus to Hatton Cross and then another from there to T4[:(]

VS.

I think you'll find that all of the UK Armed Forces are pretty stretched at the moment in Iraq, Arghanistan. Kosovo, the Falkland Islands etc etc. We just do not have the spare capacity any more.

Well maybe we should start thinking about ourselves for a while...[:(!]