London Heathrow Airport

Horrible experience while dropping our luggage in Terminal 2. The staff that handled our check-in could not understand that some countries around the world have handwritten and stamped resident/work permits. They were rude and didn't want to listen to what I was telling them. They spent 50 minutes asking questions (that they could have asked me) to their supervisor on phone. In the end, we almost missed our flight and lost our checked bags (We recovered them 4 days later). For Terminal 2 B gates, you will spend 15 minutes if you run they way we did before the gate closure.

We had done our online check in and we got to the airport well in advance, joined the online queue which took us over 2 hours to baggage drop. This was really frustrating as there was no difference between non online check-in and online checked in. It was very time consuming and unorganized.

Am a regular traveller via T5 to Edinburgh with BA. Had noticed in the past that when the lift arrives at departures, many (what appear to be business) travellers make a mad and crazy dash for security, mowing down anyone on the top concourse who might be in their way. But it was only this evening that I realised why. I found out that T5 runs a policy of barring you from boarding your flight if you are not through security within 35 mins of your flight departing. I was at security this evening 27 mins before my flight was due to leave and was barred from getting through. Only the seasoned traveller knows of this 35 mins rule - from experience, as BA doesn't tell you (I checked my pre-flight e-mail from BA and it definitely doesn't point this out). What happens then if you are not at security within this 35mins period? Well, you are directed straight to BA's massive sales desk, located between the two security entry (or better still 'non-entry') points. Yes, you have to book a new ticket and may have to wait days for the next available flight. Nice way of getting lots of money from you for nothing. My advice: Stay away from Terminal 5. Simple reason: it's the only airport terminal anywhere where BA controls security and therefore controls the amount of time that you are forced to spend in the shopping area beyond security (minimum time that you must spend in and around the shops is 35 minutes), a retail and catering offer which is, surprise-surprise, owned by BA.

Arrived at LHR Terminal 2 by United Airlines from LAX. There are restrooms available right after your disembark the aircraft. It is about a 5 minute walk to UK Border Control, and the signs are easy to follow. The immigration line moved slowly on Friday afternoon, but the immigration officer was very courteous. Baggage claim and currency exchange were fast. It wasn't very obvious to me how to reach ground transportation (Hoppa Bus to Hotels), but one of the airport personnel was kind enough to guide me in the right direction. After taking the elevators to the shuttle area, I had to wait a long time for the bus to my particular hotel. On my way back, check-in and security were very smooth. I couldn't believe how quickly I was able to get through all the processes and reach the boarding area. Overall, I found my departure experience at Heathrow's T2 to be passenger-friendly and efficient.

We arrived on BA883 from Kiev (Terminal 5) twenty minutes early and so were happy to be able to go home as we had had a long journey. As soon as we got to immigration, it was packed with teenagers who had come back from Los Angeles. They were loud and disrespectful to other passengers. It took us 45 minutes to clear immigration since only 3 booths were open. Baggage claim was extremely quick. We got out and went home promptly. Apart from the queuing, a smooth experience.

Airport security rude, unfriendly, unhelpful. They seem to forget that passengers travelling through this airport are paying customers. You are treated like some sort of criminal for no reason. This is no way for anyone to start a holiday. Being professional is one thing however there is no need for them to treat all passengers as cattle and criminals. I would hate to think about my relatives from America and Asia having to use this airport and the bad impression it gives of London and the UK. Also for long haul passengers like myself that also travel regularly this is a lot of money on an air ticket and would expect to be treated respectfully and kindly at the start of any holiday. On top of that the terminal is old and requires long walks to departure gates. Again not pleasant and all staff that work in this airport appear to be zombie like and incredibly unhelpful and unwelcoming. Awful training of staff and no positive management. Hate to be travelling through this terminal again.

I transited through Heathrow on my way to the U.S. The transport from one terminal to the other was pretty chaotic, there weren't enough buses, and the security was slow. When I got to the waiting area I was pretty happy because there was a nice view on the planes and the other terminals, and had free wi-fi. Plenty of choice for food because there were so many restaurants and shops.

For an airport of this size and relevance Heathrow is rather underwhelming. The layout of separate terminals means that you should add a lot of extra time if you have a transfer at this airport. Connection to the city is good, but only if you have enough cash to pay for the expensive Heathrow Express. Otherwise you will be using the regular tube line where you will try to find a spot for you and your bags among commuters. The airport is well organized but there are often big queues especially at immigration so you should take that into consideration when making your plans. For the airport of this size food and shopping is very poor (except for T5 which gives a bit more options). Many of the chains have only one restaurant at one of the terminals so you might not find what you were hoping for on yours. There are no really good food options and when it comes to shopping there are only a few luxury stores plus a few stationery stores and that's it. Staff are mostly rude and tired, which is not surprising, but it is an annoyance. I think you should try one of the other airports in the city before Heathrow.

After a smooth ride through security with a "happy face" rating (that is after we learned that kindles are also considered "computers"), we had to experience the approximate one mile long walk to gate 40 in terminal number 3 to get to our departing flight to Phoenix. I'm just thinking about my poor 80 year old mother who is actually in good shape, who will have to do this in December when she will be visiting with me in Arizona. And like her, many other old people connecting from Europe or Asia. The new change effective October 14th, 2015 certainly did not make me a happy traveler with BA. And the reclining lounges on the upper floor are not even accessible to people before a 9 plus hour flight.

This is a review of Terminal 5. I have been let down once, buy slow security checks, but apart from that, it is a lesson in what a good airport terminal should be. Lots of space and good facilities. Well laid out and a nice place to spend time, while you wait to fly.