BA cancels 25 flights

Why pick on BAA? Edinburgh, my local BAA airportm may be busy but
I've never seen it "shambolic". There have always been check-in staff
when they've been needed, in my experience. Isn't this more likely to
be a London, or a Heathrow, or a British Airways problem, than a
problem with BAA airports?

I fly through EDI about 25 times each year. Check in and security can be a
nightmare, believe me, but I agree that it's still a walk in the park
compared to LHR.

My worst experience at EDI was when I got caught up in the European MTV
awards last February on the morning after. It was most definitely
"shambolic"! Imagine all those divas having to line up to check in for their
flights at 6am - it was like they couldn't leave the place fast enough.

The usual scenario at the EDI security points pervades - plenty of x-ray
screening points, but only enough staff to man 2/3rds of them. Oh, and the
usual string of pax who don't seem to be able to put their cellphones in
their carry on, or wait until they get to the x-ray point before considering
emptying their pockets.

Kind Regards, Howard

Why pick on BAA? Edinburgh, my local BAA airportm may be busy but
I've never seen it "shambolic". There have always been check-in staff
when they've been needed, in my experience. Isn't this more likely to
be a London, or a Heathrow, or a British Airways problem, than a
problem with BAA airports?

I fly through EDI about 25 times each year. Check in and security can be a
nightmare, believe me, but I agree that it's still a walk in the park
compared to LHR.

My worst experience at EDI was when I got caught up in the European MTV
awards last February on the morning after. It was most definitely
"shambolic"! Imagine all those divas having to line up to check in for their
flights at 6am - it was like they couldn't leave the place fast enough.

The usual scenario at the EDI security points pervades - plenty of x-ray
screening points, but only enough staff to man 2/3rds of them. Oh, and the
usual string of pax who don't seem to be able to put their cellphones in
their carry on, or wait until they get to the x-ray point before considering
emptying their pockets.

Kind Regards, Howard

"AJC" wrote in message
...
As for EDI, it was my local
airport for 5 years, I used it a lot, and it was delightful. Easy to
use, light, airy, view of the planes from the cafe/bar, observation
deck upstairs. When I returned after an absence of a few years I was
appalled at what BAA have done to the place. The public areas are
entirely closed in, the observation deck has gone, from the disgusting
eating area you get a view of the car park, car rental has been moved
just far enough away so that you need to take a shuttle bus (even LGW
doesn't require that).

....nicely summed up, all issues that I'd noticed too at EDI. However, I
wouldn't say what was on offer at the eating area was ever particularly
inviting before. I was expecting deep fried Mars bars there...

To their credit, I would say that the airside areas are far more spacious
and inviting than before.

Cheers, Howard

"AJC" wrote in message
...
As for EDI, it was my local
airport for 5 years, I used it a lot, and it was delightful. Easy to
use, light, airy, view of the planes from the cafe/bar, observation
deck upstairs. When I returned after an absence of a few years I was
appalled at what BAA have done to the place. The public areas are
entirely closed in, the observation deck has gone, from the disgusting
eating area you get a view of the car park, car rental has been moved
just far enough away so that you need to take a shuttle bus (even LGW
doesn't require that).

....nicely summed up, all issues that I'd noticed too at EDI. However, I
wouldn't say what was on offer at the eating area was ever particularly
inviting before. I was expecting deep fried Mars bars there...

To their credit, I would say that the airside areas are far more spacious
and inviting than before.

Cheers, Howard

On Tue, 24 Aug 2004 12:32:28 +0000 (UTC), "Howard Long"
wrote:

"AJC" wrote in message
.. .
As for EDI, it was my local
airport for 5 years, I used it a lot, and it was delightful. Easy to
use, light, airy, view of the planes from the cafe/bar, observation
deck upstairs. When I returned after an absence of a few years I was
appalled at what BAA have done to the place. The public areas are
entirely closed in, the observation deck has gone, from the disgusting
eating area you get a view of the car park, car rental has been moved
just far enough away so that you need to take a shuttle bus (even LGW
doesn't require that).

...nicely summed up, all issues that I'd noticed too at EDI. However, I
wouldn't say what was on offer at the eating area was ever particularly
inviting before. I was expecting deep fried Mars bars there...

I'm sure they were there somewhe-) I guess it was just the ambiance
of the placed that made the whole experience seem more pleasant, the
new version just seems to resemble some nightmare 'foodcourt' in a
downmarket Arndale centre!



To their credit, I would say that the airside areas are far more spacious
and inviting than before.


I suppose that's true, but it all seemed so passenger-friendly before,
especially at the BD, and the BA Shuttle gates. In each case it was
through the door, check-in desk right in front of you, escalator right
there straight up to security and in to lounge, from there straight
down the airbridge on to the plane.



Cheers, Howard


--==++AJC++==--

On Tue, 24 Aug 2004 12:32:28 +0000 (UTC), "Howard Long"
wrote:

"AJC" wrote in message
.. .
As for EDI, it was my local
airport for 5 years, I used it a lot, and it was delightful. Easy to
use, light, airy, view of the planes from the cafe/bar, observation
deck upstairs. When I returned after an absence of a few years I was
appalled at what BAA have done to the place. The public areas are
entirely closed in, the observation deck has gone, from the disgusting
eating area you get a view of the car park, car rental has been moved
just far enough away so that you need to take a shuttle bus (even LGW
doesn't require that).

...nicely summed up, all issues that I'd noticed too at EDI. However, I
wouldn't say what was on offer at the eating area was ever particularly
inviting before. I was expecting deep fried Mars bars there...

I'm sure they were there somewhe-) I guess it was just the ambiance
of the placed that made the whole experience seem more pleasant, the
new version just seems to resemble some nightmare 'foodcourt' in a
downmarket Arndale centre!



To their credit, I would say that the airside areas are far more spacious
and inviting than before.


I suppose that's true, but it all seemed so passenger-friendly before,
especially at the BD, and the BA Shuttle gates. In each case it was
through the door, check-in desk right in front of you, escalator right
there straight up to security and in to lounge, from there straight
down the airbridge on to the plane.



Cheers, Howard


--==++AJC++==--

I love the fact that you can fly anywhere from London Heathrow, but
that doesn't change the fact that it is a poorly laid-out airport.
Having recently changed planes in Amsterdam Schiphol, I think I now
know which is my favourite European hub. (Paris-Charles de Gaulle,
for all of its modern architecture, is not necessarily much better
than Heathrow...boarding busses to change planes is soooooooo
unnecessary.)

I love the fact that you can fly anywhere from London Heathrow, but
that doesn't change the fact that it is a poorly laid-out airport.
Having recently changed planes in Amsterdam Schiphol, I think I now
know which is my favourite European hub. (Paris-Charles de Gaulle,
for all of its modern architecture, is not necessarily much better
than Heathrow...boarding busses to change planes is soooooooo
unnecessary.)

On Tue, 24 Aug 2004 09:40:28 +0100, "Miss L. Toe"
wrote:

Flights cancelled by BA shortage
BA passengers face a second day of delays after staff shortages and
technical problems forced the airline to cancel 25 flights at Heathrow.
Twenty-two short-haul flights were cancelled on Monday when BA failed to
open check-in desks due to a lack of staff. Ten were called off on Tuesday.

Hmm, the Early morning (well 9ish) BAXXX out of Schiphol to LHR was
cancelled too, did it really get that bad that early?

My 11:45 from AMS to LHR was delayed by about 30 minutes due to late
arrival (made worse of course because BA don't seem to have learnt how
to get a plane boarded quickly, when will other airlines realise the
low-costs do do somethings which aren't just money saving!)

No information, or even an apology for being late, in fact they seemed
to make out they were on time...

Jim.

On Tue, 24 Aug 2004 09:40:28 +0100, "Miss L. Toe"
wrote:

Flights cancelled by BA shortage
BA passengers face a second day of delays after staff shortages and
technical problems forced the airline to cancel 25 flights at Heathrow.
Twenty-two short-haul flights were cancelled on Monday when BA failed to
open check-in desks due to a lack of staff. Ten were called off on Tuesday.

Hmm, the Early morning (well 9ish) BAXXX out of Schiphol to LHR was
cancelled too, did it really get that bad that early?

My 11:45 from AMS to LHR was delayed by about 30 minutes due to late
arrival (made worse of course because BA don't seem to have learnt how
to get a plane boarded quickly, when will other airlines realise the
low-costs do do somethings which aren't just money saving!)

No information, or even an apology for being late, in fact they seemed
to make out they were on time...

Jim.