British Airways - Heathrow terminal changes 2008/9

With the opening of Terminal 5 a few weeks away, British Airways is about to embark on a series of terminal changes over the next 12 months. A press release was issued last week, detailing these changes:-

British Airways Terminal 5: The Move

 

Moving British Airways flights from London Heathrow's Terminals 1, 3 and 4 to Terminal 5 has been an unprecedented feat of planning, testing and logistics at the world's busiest airport.

 

The BAA submitted its initial planning application for Terminal 5 in 1993. It is now coming to fruition.

 

British Airways will be moving more than 90 per cent of its Heathrow operation into Terminal 5 and the remaining approximately eight per cent into Terminal 3.

 

Proving trials have been testing every aspect of the new terminal for six months between September 2007 and March 2008 to ensure that everything moves over as smoothly as possible.

 

British Airways staff have been undergoing courses and tours for months to ensure they are familiar with every aspect of Terminal 5 before they move.

 

The transition schedule:

 

On March 27, 2008, Terminal 5 will open. However, not all flights will arrive at or depart from the terminal straight away. There will be a second move taking place on April 30, 2008.

 

In addition to this a small number of flights will move from Terminals 1 and 4 to Terminal 3, which will become BA's hub for oneworld Australasian flights and some European services. Some flights will also move from Gatwick to Heathrow and vice versa.

 

The table below details the planned schedule for the complete transition of services.

[b]All UK domestic routes[/b]
Existing terminal  1
New terminal       5
When?              March 27, 2008

[b]All European flights (apart from Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon, Nice[/b]
[b]and Helsinki), Tripoli, Johannesburg, San Francisco, Los Angeles,[/b]
[b]Vancouver, Tokyo, Hong Kong[/b]
Existing terminal  1 or 4
New terminal       5
When?              March 27, 2008

[b]Miami[/b]
Existing terminal  3
New terminal       5
When?              March 27, 2008

[b]Warsaw[/b]
Existing terminal  London Heathrow
New terminal       London Gatwick
When?              March 27, 2008

[b]Algiers[/b]
Existing terminal  London Gatwick
New terminal       5
When?              March 30, 2008

[b]Houston, Dallas[/b]
Existing terminal  London Gatwick
New terminal       4
When?              March 30, 2008

[b]Houston, Dallas (second move)[/b]
Existing terminal  4
New terminal       5
When?              April 30, 2008

[b]All remaining intercontinental routes (except Singapore, Bangkok and Sydney)[/b]
Existing terminal  4
New terminal       5
When?              April 30, 2008

[b]* Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon, Nice and Helsinki[/b]
Existing terminal  1
New terminal       3
When?              September 17, 2008

[b]* Singapore, Bangkok and Sydney[/b]
Existing terminal  4
New terminal       3
When?              Early 2009

* In addition codeshare flights operated by Iberia and Finnair will also be moving to Terminal 3 in September 2008 and Qantas in early 2009.

 

British Airways is recommending that all customers check their travel documents thoroughly before departing for the airport to ensure they know which flight will depart from or arrive at.

 

February 2008

More details about Terminal 5 can be found in the two other press releases quoted in this post and this post.

With the opening of Terminal 5 a few weeks away, British Airways is about to embark on a series of terminal changes over the next 12 months. A press release was issued last week, detailing these changes:-More details about Terminal 5 can be found in the two other press releases quoted in this post and this post.

 

Thank you to Globaliser once again for posting VIP info regarding flight terminal date changes at LHR affecting BA pax!!!!!!

 

Could you advise please , having read with alarm the current statement on BA's website that check in luggage for specific type flights (long haul??) Terminal 4 will not be accepted and how long this arrangement is likely to last?

 

We won't be flying long haul specifically nor using terminal 4????? on April 29th '08 ( domestic EDI - LHR) or when we return from BCN-LHR-EDI on 11th May '08 , but it would be helpful if you could tell us what changes are planned for our flights terminal -wise if any , please , and if, when we reach check- in at BCN our hold baggage will definitely be accepted???

Obviously this current baggage handling problem within Terminal 4 specifically , will hopefully be resolved asap , but we don't want to get into the problem if we can avoid it by knowing / planning ahead of schedule what to do/expect.

We've heard nothing from the cruiseline as yet regarding any travel problems which hopefully is a good sign!

 

We always appreciate your very knowledgeable responses. ....Thanks.

Could you advise please , having read with alarm the current statement on BA's website that check in luggage for specific type flights (long haul??) Terminal 4 will not be accepted and how long this arrangement is likely to last?

That's past history now already. I think that the baggage system broke down on Tuesday, but everything was back to normal by yesterday evening.

We won't be flying long haul specifically nor using terminal 4????? on April 29th '08 ( domestic EDI - LHR) or when we return from BCN-LHR-EDI on 11th May '08 , but it would be helpful if you could tell us what changes are planned for our flights terminal -wise if any , please , and if, when we reach check- in at BCN our hold baggage will definitely be accepted???

As you can see from the table, domestic flights are moving to T5 on day 1 (ie 27 March 2008). Barcelona will still be at T1 on 11 May so there will be an inter-terminal connection. But the process should be little different from any other inter-terminal transfer.

 

The Heathrow Airport website now has a section devoted to information on Flight Connections, reached from the purple button on the home page. The Terminal 5 pages aren't yet live, but watch out for them when they go live.

That's past history now already. I think that the baggage system broke down on Tuesday, but everything was back to normal by yesterday evening.As you can see from the table, domestic flights are moving to T5 on day 1 (ie 27 March 2008). Barcelona will still be at T1 on 11 May so there will be an inter-terminal connection. But the process should be little different from any other inter-terminal transfer.

 

The Heathrow Airport website now has a section devoted to information on Flight Connections, reached from the purple button on the home page. The Terminal 5 pages aren't yet live, but watch out for them when they go live.

 

Thanks once again for invaluable help Globaliser...much appreciated.

Just a bit more for you, from having visited T5 today.

 

When you connect from T1 to T5, it looks like you will probably be taken by coach to T5 before security screening.

 

When you arrive at T5, you will go up to the combined arrivals/flight connections level (the areas are adjacent to each other). There you will collect your onward boarding pass (in the unlikely event that you don't already have it). You will then have that checked and scanned; as you are connecting to a domestic flight you will also be photographed and fingerprinted for security reasons (not immigration reasons). You then clear immigration.

 

You then go upstairs to security screening and are then released into the main airside departure area. There is no segregation of UK/Ireland departing passengers in T5, hence the need to ensure that when you board the domestic flight you are the same person who was cleared through immigration downstairs.

Just a reminder about the following terminal changes to take place this week.

 

27 March 2008

• All UK domestic routes move from T1 to T5.
  -
• BA-operated flights on the following European routes remain at T1:-
  • Barcelona
• Helsinki
• Lisbon
• Madrid
• Nice

-[*]All other European routes move from T1 and T4 to T5.

-[*]Tripoli moves from T1 to T5.

-[*]The following long-haul routes move from T1 to T5:-

• Hong Kong
• Johannesburg
• Los Angeles
• San Francisco
• Tokyo
• Vancouver

-[*]Miami moves from T3 to T5.

-[*]Warsaw moves from Heathrow to Gatwick North.

30 March 2008

• Algiers moves from Gatwick to Heathrow T5.
  -
• Dallas and Houston move from Gatwick to Heathrow T4.

The next wave of moves occurs on 30 April 2008.

Globaliser,

We are flying BA from DFW to LHR in October to visit relatives. We are taking the tube from LHR to Gloucester Rd station. Do you know if the Piccadilly Line runs through T5 or will have to take a bus to catch this line in another terminal at LHR?

Thanks in advance for your help.

We are taking the tube from LHR to Gloucester Rd station. Do you know if the Piccadilly Line runs through T5 or will have to take a bus to catch this line in another terminal at LHR?

The Piccadilly Line will take you directly from T5 to Gloucester Road station.

 

If you are going back to T5, make sure that you get on a train that goes to T5. Some trains will serve T4 and T123 in a loop arrangement, as currently. Others will serve T123 and T5, then come back into town via T123.

British Airways has announced today that the moves which were to have taken place on 30 April have now been postponed until some time in June. The earliest date on which these routes will move is 5 June, but the exact date has not yet been finalised.

 

Until then, all flights will remain at the terminals at which they currently are.

 

The moves that were to have taken place were that all remaining flights at T4 would move to T5, except Singapore, Bangkok and Sydney which are remaining at T4 until January 2009.

Thanks for the update.

British Airways has announced today that the moves which were to have taken place on 30 April have now been postponed until some time in June. The earliest date on which these routes will move is 5 June, but the exact date has not yet been finalised.

 

Until then, all flights will remain at the terminals at which they currently are.

 

The moves that were to have taken place were that all remaining flights at T4 would move to T5, except Singapore, Bangkok and Sydney which are remaining at T4 until January 2009.

 

Now I am confused. We will fly to LHR on May 14 from Vancouver, Canada. I am wondering if we will use Terminal 4 or 5. My guess is we will use Terminal 5 because it is not considered a long haul flight from YVR/LHR, am I right?

 

Ricky

We will fly to LHR on May 14 from Vancouver, Canada. I am wondering if we will use Terminal 4 or 5. My guess is we will use Terminal 5 because it is not considered a long haul flight from YVR/LHR, am I right?

Vancouver is long haul, but it has already moved to Terminal 5 so it will be staying there.

There's now a new page on the British Airways website about the postponement of the terminal move.

 

Easier to read than the AskBA pages!

Globaliser or other UK posters - any local fallout resulting from BA's possible plans to burn untraceable luggage resulting from the T5 move?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=558913&in_page_id=1770

... any local fallout resulting from BA's possible plans to burn untraceable luggage resulting from the T5 move?

Nothing noted here. You'll have seen this paragraph from the article:-

The luggage belongs to customers of British Airways, which has repeatedly denied the allegation.

The only circumstances in which I can imagine that this luggage would be untraceable is if the customer, having checked it in and not been able to collect it, has vanished without leaving accurate contact details and has done nothing since then to make contact to find out what's happened to the baggage; or if the bag tag has come off.

 

In the frist case, the customer clearly doesn't want much to do with their luggage any more.

 

And the second case unfortunately happens from time to time in the normal course of events, even though bag tags these days seem virtually indestructible. (Sometimes, I think I can get a cable tie off with my bare hands more easily than I can get the bag tag off!)

We are ticketed BA from YYZ -LHR -FCO and then on the return VCE-LGW (stay overnight)LHR-YYZ. Our eticket says Terminal 5 for all but VCE to LGW. Do I assume this will not change?

 

Thanks for all the information Globaliser!

 

Dot

We are ticketed BA from YYZ -LHR -FCO and then on the return VCE-LGW (stay overnight)LHR-YYZ. Our eticket says Terminal 5 for all but VCE to LGW. Do I assume this will not change?

Toronto is currently at T4. It was scheduled to move on 30 April but that move has now been delayed. The new dates have not yet been publicly announced, so you'll have to watch for that.

 

Rome is now at T5 and will stay there. This may mean that your Toronto-London-Rome connection will involve a terminal change from T5 to T4 that you weren't expecting. So also keep an eye open for whether your connection time is still sufficient, or whether you might need to move to a later Rome flight. BA will be looking out for this too.

 

Venice is at Gatwick, so there's no effect from the things that are happening (or not happening) at Heathrow.

Deep within a story about the first high-profile heads to roll is the news that the "phased" moves (which the eagle-eyed will already have spotted on the BA pages) may mean a series of moves lasting until October:-

One consequence of the delays at Terminal 5 has been that BA is not able to move its long-haul operations to the new building from Terminal 4 as scheduled on 30 April.

 

It has yet to set a fixed date for the move, saying that it will get underway some time in June.

 

But it is likely the transfer will be staggered over a number of months, possibly not finishing until October, said Mr Walsh on Monday.

I'm really looking forward to all the new flights coming into Heathrow instead of Gatwick . . . not. I already have to hold at Ockham for 10-15 minutes everytime I arrive at Heathrow because of the crush of air traffic. I'm just wondering how they're going to fit all these extra airplanes into the limited airspace. It's not as if they added another runway.

I'm really looking forward to all the new flights coming into Heathrow instead of Gatwick . . . not. ... I'm just wondering how they're going to fit all these extra airplanes into the limited airspace.

New flights, extra aircraft? We wish!

 

What I think we'll see is all the slot-sitting of recent years get wound down. My bet is fewer Jungle Jets, fewer marginal routes, and fewer destinations that make us all go: "They want to do what?"

Sorry, double post.

Toronto is currently at T4. It was scheduled to move on 30 April but that move has now been delayed. The new dates have not yet been publicly announced, so you'll have to watch for that.

 

Rome is now at T5 and will stay there. This may mean that your Toronto-London-Rome connection will involve a terminal change from T5 to T4 that you weren't expecting. So also keep an eye open for whether your connection time is still sufficient, or whether you might need to move to a later Rome flight. BA will be looking out for this too.

 

Venice is at Gatwick, so there's no effect from the things that are happening (or not happening) at Heathrow.

 

Well - we are spending a couple of days in London, so the arrival from Toronto/ flight to Rome is not a problem (except to notify dot2dot - altho they would probably already know that!)

 

As long as VCE is remaining at Gatwick, we'll just keep our cuurent arrangements and have the service take us to a LHR area airport before our flight back to Toronto the next day.

 

Thanks for all the info, Globaliser - I'll keep watching!!!!

 

Dot

we are spending a couple of days in London, so the arrival from Toronto/ flight to Rome is not a problem

That's a relief, considering I got the from/to the wrong way round! You'll just need to find out the date for Toronto's move, so you'll know where to go when you fly out. As you say, dot2dot will know which terminal it is when you arrive.

A reminder about 30 April 2008: No British Airways terminal changes are happening this week.

 

The terminal changes which were to have taken place on 30 April 2008 (namely most of the long-hauls that are still at Terminal 4) have been deferred until later.

British Airways has announced today that the moves which were to have taken place on 30 April have now been postponed until some time in June. The earliest date on which these routes will move is 5 June, but the exact date has not yet been finalised.

The first batch of further moves has now been announced. They will indeed take place on 5 June.

 

Routes moving from Terminal 4 to Terminal 5 on Thursday 5 June 2008 are:-

• New York (JFK only)
• Abuja
• Bangalore
• Beijing
• Cairo
• Cape Town
• Lagos
• Phoenix

Don't forget that there are already a number of long-haul routes at T5, namely:-

• Hong Kong
• Johannesburg
• Los Angeles
• Miami
• San Francisco
• Tokyo
• Vancouver

See this page on the BA website for more details.