Heathrow - a world class airport?

[AtW]

In SOME CASES idiot Paddy - it is so typical for you to miss the big picture and make wrong conclusion on basis of exceptional cases.

Yes most likely those companies that refused simply follow very tight insurance model with as few params as possible so they'd refuse ANYTHING non-standard. Just don't ensure with those idiots and that's all.

[Brussels Slumdog]

Maybe BMI knows something BA doesn't

As Heathrow's most punctual airline, bmi has used the Met Office's aircraft de-icing forecasting service to successfully reduce delays and costs.
"bmi appreciates that punctuality is essential for our customers, and with the Met Office's aircraft de-icing service we have proven that winter icing delays can be reduced by 84%. Every airline knows that by reducing delays you reduce costs, keep customer satisfaction, and reduce human-factor elements associated to stress and pressure."

Steve Crawley, bmi De-icing and fuel co-ordinator

[AtW]

When runways are closed you can deice all you want until you run out of fluids..

[scooterscot]

Is this were in Scotland the transport minister would have been hanged as well as sacked.

You lot are too soft on your MP's.

[Cliphead]

Is this were in Scotland the transport minister would have been hanged as well as sacked.

You lot are too soft on your MP's.

We hanged the transport minister for Scotland?

[scooterscot]

We hanged the transport minister for Scotland?

From the highest flagpole for not using his weather controlling abilities.

[Cliphead]

From the highest flagpole for not using his weather controlling abilities.

Wish I'd seen that

What part of the message 'don't travel unless it's absolutely essential' did most of the arseholes on the roads here fail to understand?

If you're going to drive in snow at least learn how to do it, oh, and by the way a 4x4 isn't a get out of jail free card. If you're a crap driver in normal conditions you'll still be a crap driver in snow.

[configman]

I actually flew out of Heathrow on Sunday evening, long haul to Hong Kong. Yes I'm lucky my flight actually left albeit 2 hours late but I witnessed total incompetence and laziness by both BA and BAA staff. I wasn't really sure if my flight was taking off or not - one BA web page listed flights that would take off and mine wasn't on it, and another BA Web page said my flight was still scheduled.

I got into the departures lounge to be welcomed by darkness - nearly all the traders had gone home despite several thousand people still scheduled to fly - and hundreds still trapped. Taking the airports advice of getting to the airport early and allowing for the snow this left me with 3 hours without any refreshment. Only one Starbucks was open in all terminal 5 and they wanted to charge me £4.55 for a coffee so I went without.

There were more BA and BAA ground staff in departures than passengers, they were not clearing snow but using passenger facilities to skive. If it was just a break that would be OK but they were still there when I boarded 3 hours later. I'm not talking just a few workers but several groups of ten + dotted around. Looking out the windows you could see no action whatsoever - there was no-one outside clearing snow. It looked as if only a token effort had been made in clearing just 4 inches of snow.

There were lots of snow coverred planes everywhere. What was 4 inches of snow on the wings had now become 4 inches of ice because it had been left for 1 1/2 days. Logic says that whilst it is still powder it could have been swept/blown off making the job much easier later.

We boarded the plane on time but then remained at the stand for 2 1/2 hours. The de-icing team arrived when we should have taken off, they came with their fancy new de-icing trucks and equipment. There were four de-icing trucks + operatives around the plane who just sat there for a further hour before starting to de-ice. They occasionally burst into life when someone in different coloured overalls (boss?) appeared. When they got to work 5 men and one broom began work on engine 1. 4 stood there and provided instructions on using the broom to the first. This was predicted snow - why weren't the engines covered to stop snow getting in? All engines were cleared now for the wings - you would think that there being four de-icing machines they could use them at the same time on both wings but only one wing at a time was being cleared by just 2 trucks. This was where it became really inefficient - the 4 inches of ice were blasted off with massive massive amounts of water and de-icer from something with a nozel no bigger than a garden hosepipe. It took an hour to blast the ice off both wings. Had the snow been brushed off first it would have been much easier, and less water/de-icer needed - and probably no delay. There were huge puddles of de-icer on the tarmac.

So much de-icer had been used that when we landed at Hong Kong the authorites there would not let us get off the plane - because after 6,000 miles the de-icer was still dripping off the plane making it to slippery to walk and it was causing problems to the ground crew who were having de-icer drop on them. The de-icer had to be cleaned away first.

Edited to include - Lets not forget BA and other airlines added a premium to Christmas flights - normal return flights to Hong Kong are approximately 600 to £700 but this time of year are 2,3,4 times as much depending which day you fly. Those who should have flown on the Saturday will have paid one of the highest prices.

[SueEllen]

I got into the departures lounge to be welcomed by darkness - nearly all the traders had gone home despite several thousand people still scheduled to fly - and hundreds still trapped. Taking the airports advice of getting to the airport early and allowing for the snow this left me with 3 hours without any refreshment. Only one Starbucks was open in all terminal 5 and they wanted to charge me £4.55 for a coffee so I went without.

The "traders" as you call them are high street chains. Their staff are paid little more than minimum wage so they have no incentive to stay open.

Now if the store was independent and run by a British Indian from an ex-British Colony it would be open.

People who own businesses act differently from mere staff.

[darmstadt]

BBC News - Insurance companies 'charging more for winter tyres'

That is unbelievable, over here if you don't have winter tyres then you're at fault. Obviously UK insurance companies are utter pants along with the UK transport minister who said that winter tyres would damage the road surface. Naturally he has not got a clue as he thinks that winter tyres have studs, dickhead. You will also notice that German roads don't have catseyes, you know why? This is because the snowploughs would rip them up.