We have now travelled successfully through London Heathrow Terminal 5 on more occasions than I care to remember and yet still come across people who say, "pah, we wouldn't travel through Heathrow for love nor money!"
In many ways I can understand this but only on the basis that people have very long memories, in this case back to the disastrous opening of the terminal performed by Queen Elizabeth II in March 2008. Seven years is a long time in aviation but time doesn't appear to heal the memories.
To remind you of what happened, over a period of just 10 days, 42,000 bags failed to travel with their owners and it was weeks before they were reunited.
But time is a healer and despite very rare occurrences of disruption, this is now a model for new airport terminals around the world. So good is it now that for four consecutive years, it has won the Best Airport Terminal in the World awarded by the Skytrax World Airport Awards. This is one of the most prestigious surveys of any carried out worldwide.
We love it and today are spending just over three hours awaiting for our flight to Houston. Time passes quickly in a building that never feels over busy and yet measures 396 metres long by 176 metres wide. Mind you it would pass even more quickly if we could access the BA Lounges but regrettably and understandably so, they are not available to staff and their nominees and we watch with envy as a regular flow of full fare paying passengers make there way into comfortable environment of the Galleries Lounge.
We are not grumbling mind you as for our 10 hour flight to Houston, we have already been checked into the Club World cabin and the comfort and space provided by a seat that at the press of a button converts into a flat bed. Add to that the wonderful service we have always received from the BA crew and it is a licence for travelling nirvana.
One hour to boarding and my smile is increasing by the minute.
Next post from across the pond.
In many ways I can understand this but only on the basis that people have very long memories, in this case back to the disastrous opening of the terminal performed by Queen Elizabeth II in March 2008. Seven years is a long time in aviation but time doesn't appear to heal the memories.
To remind you of what happened, over a period of just 10 days, 42,000 bags failed to travel with their owners and it was weeks before they were reunited.
But time is a healer and despite very rare occurrences of disruption, this is now a model for new airport terminals around the world. So good is it now that for four consecutive years, it has won the Best Airport Terminal in the World awarded by the Skytrax World Airport Awards. This is one of the most prestigious surveys of any carried out worldwide.
We love it and today are spending just over three hours awaiting for our flight to Houston. Time passes quickly in a building that never feels over busy and yet measures 396 metres long by 176 metres wide. Mind you it would pass even more quickly if we could access the BA Lounges but regrettably and understandably so, they are not available to staff and their nominees and we watch with envy as a regular flow of full fare paying passengers make there way into comfortable environment of the Galleries Lounge.
We are not grumbling mind you as for our 10 hour flight to Houston, we have already been checked into the Club World cabin and the comfort and space provided by a seat that at the press of a button converts into a flat bed. Add to that the wonderful service we have always received from the BA crew and it is a licence for travelling nirvana.
One hour to boarding and my smile is increasing by the minute.
Next post from across the pond.
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