With the opening of London Heathrow Airport's new
terminal (T5), British Airways has moved the bulk (over 70%) of its flights into
the new digs.
 That has opened up space, not just for the additional
flights planned at Heathrow, but to allow current airlines to move around and
consolidate their operations. The end result will, hopefully, be easier,
more streamlined connections for the majority of passengers. But in the
meantime...
About 50, of the more than 90 different airlines that
now operate at Heathrow will change terminals over the next year. So if
you're flying to, from, or through, Heathrow you'll want to stay up to date
about where your flight will actually be arriving or departing. And not
only will the current tenants be moving around, some of British Airways' and all
of American Airlines' flights will move from Gatwick to Heathrow, adding further
to the confusion.
The terminals will be organized based, to some degree,
on airline alliances... eventually. Many of the airlines operating at Heathrow
belong to one of the three major global alliances: Star Alliance, oneworld, and
SkyTeam. This should allow alliance members to offer smoother connections for
customers while reducing costs by sharing facilities.
Star Alliance airlines include: bmi, Lufthansa,
Singapore, United Airlines and US Airways. They'll move to Terminal 1
(T1). Oneworld members: American Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, along with
non-members: Aer Lingus, Virgin Atlantic, and British Airways flights that
haven't yet moved to T5, will operate from Terminal 3 (T3). Terminal 4 (T4) will
serve SkyTeam members including: Air France, KLM, Continental Airlines, Delta
Airlines, and Northwest Airlines, along with a variety of non-alliance carriers.
But when over the next 10 to 12 months will it all
happen? Well the plan will be ongoing, and expectedly, quite complex. So
we are once again advising that you double-check your departure and arrival
terminals very carefully before travel. You might even want to check while
you're away, there's no assurance that the terminal you left from is the one
you'll be returning to.
And it won't end after just one year. Terminal 2 (T2)
will be completely torn down later this year. It will be replaced with a new
terminal (Heathrow East) that will then house the Star Alliance (moving from
T1). Heathrow East is supposed to be ready in time for the 2012 London
Olympics. But then, Terminal 1 (T1) will be demolished to make room for
additional expansion.
Terminal 3 (T3) is currently undergoing a $2 billion
improvement program to bring it up to the standards of T5, and T4's
check-in facilities and departure areas are being upgraded with completion
scheduled for some time in 2009.
So, be prepared for some dust and dirt, and the sounds
of construction. Stay connected, stay informed, and pay closer attention
to the flight attendants when they are making those arrival announcements.
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