London Heathrow Airport

Travelling with a disabled person. Regret to report that compared to all other airports we used Heathrow came a long way last. Wheelchair users - don't let them take your wheelchair away until you get to the plane. We did and my wife was taken by LHR wheelchair to a holding area where she was put on a seat and the wheelchair taken away - and left there for over an hour. She was then taken by buggy to a lift and had to "walk" to the departure gate where she was transferred to transport to the plane. On our return to LHR we held onto the wheelchair which was brought to the plane but it took over 45 minutes to arrange transport to the baggage reclaim.

Terminal 5 : I cannot echo enough the review of Michelle Straus. From the time I put my first bag on the belt to the time I got my bags back after a pointless swabbing exercise was 35 mins. Queuing time to get to the belt was only 7 mins. The whole process needs review - rejecting bags randomly and then swabbing them 20 times while mountains of luggage build up on the belts and people are in a frenzy to catch their flights. Don't use the excuse "but we are just keeping you safe Sir" - other airports keep us equally safe in a much more pleasant and stress free fashion. I don't think its a staff issue, and maybe their sullenness is simply a defence against the barrage of abuse they suffer for being at the front end of stupid processes.

I echo everything that Alan Gebhart put in his review - the insistence on swabbing each offending item unnecessarily, whilst massive queues build up. We had exactly the same problem and missed our flight as a result. Some security staff are a combination of incompetence whilst having contempt for passengers. It's a most unpleasant experience using this airport.

Our first time through Heathrow, there was a guide to tell people which way to go when they disembarked from their connecting flight. On the way back, we had to find someone to help us. We only had an hour layover coming back to the USA. Security is very slow at this airport. We would not have made our connecting flight if I had not asked one of the security personnel to help us get through so as not to miss the flight. He was nice and helped us get through the line. It is better to have about a two hour layover to make a connecting flight here.

Having limited mobility, and only able to walk very slowly, and painfully, with the aid of two crutches, we arrived at Terminal 5, (Mid morning - Thursday 18th June) and pressed the outside button for those who require assistance. We were told that somebody would be with us in 5 minutes. Half an hour later, and despite a further 3/4 presses on the bell, still nothing. Eventually, as time was passing by quickly, and we needed to catch the flight, I slowly hobbled to the desk where this lack of service was 'co-ordinated'. The only explanation given by the sole person at the desk for this lack of service was that neither he, nor the woman pushing the wheelchair, knew where the various numbered locations were around the airport! Eventually I was taken in a chair, to the relevant Gate for the flight, but had to painfully and slowly walk the remaining distance to board the aircraft. Although allowed to set off before other passengers, in order that I could get to the seat before fellow passengers, this wasn’t possible, as I was soon overtaken by others on the way. Arrival back at Terminal 5 wasn't much better, again with some delay, finally being 'dumped' at baggage reclaim, although we had none to collect, and that was it! From there to the area where the taxi could pick us up, was a further long walk.

I am a very frequent flyer for leisure only, I flew out of terminal 2 and back through terminal 4. The walk from the Heathrow express station seemed never ending then after check-in it was time to face the security check, why do they always treat people as though you've never flown before, my iPad was in my hand and my liquids in a bag, this being my 11th trip of the year, they seem to forget I am an airport customer not just a flight ticket. If they were ever polite I would think there was something wrong. I found the process of going through check in and security very faceless and impersonal, then when I got through the to the airside part of the terminal I found terminal two very cramped, the food available very lacking and overpriced, in fact the meal deal in WH Smiths was the best choice. Overall my thoughts of Heathrow is that they want my money but forget what the passenger actually wants or how we wish to be treated.

Terminal 3. No major problems with arrival (6.30am) though lots of walking. The automated passport machines seem pointless as they aren't much faster than human beings. Getting to the underground is easy enough. For departure (12.25pm), check-in was quick and security took about 15 minutes. The departure area is spacious, there are plenty of places to eat and shop, and the free Wi-Fi works very well.

We were First Class passengers flying through LHR on our way to Athens from IAD. I have transited or arrived in LHR more times than I can count, always on British Airways. This was the worst experience ever. My traveling companion had forgotten to remove two small liquid containers from his luggage to be scanned separately in a plastic bag. Although we were in the FastTrack line, we were shunted off to a secondary screening line where the hand baggage of individual passengers who did not somehow pass the screening were sent. The gentleman at the head of the line said he had been there for over an hour and had already missed his flight. There were a number of other people in line. The secondary screeners were rude and unprofessional, and the process was vastly over-complicated. Security is a necessity, but efficiency is also important. It appeared that each individual compartment in any hand luggage that had some sort of violation had to be swabbed, and the swabs read. There was a single person doing this, and the line kept getting longer and longer. A supervisor came over several times but left after a few minutes, doing nothing to remedy the hold-ups. We finally were cleared after almost 90 minutes in this line. The offending liquids could have been removed, put into a separate tray, and the offending liquids and bags could have been resent through the screening machines. This process is often used in other airports when there is a problem with hand baggage. This was the worst and most unprofessional screening I have ever seen.

London Heathrow airport is one of the best airports. Very friendly Staff. Excellent range of facilities, lots to do while your waiting for your flight and very clean. It is absolutely huge and may confuse tourists but it is easy to get around.

LHR can be a daunting airport, and Terminal 5 can be very busy. However, I fly through frequently, annually or so for business in the UK, more often for an Onward Journey into Europe. With reference to the Onward Journey, a couple of notes: (1) You don't go through Immigration in the UK, but you do go through Security. (2) Security can be very time-consuming, especially and oddly on weekend mornings. Allow plenty of time. (3) While the UK is (still) in the EU, it is not a Schengen country. This means you will have to go through Immigration in the country of your end destination. Give yourself plenty of time in Terminal 5, and enjoy it. Wonderful shopping, great restaurants and superior lounges. It can be a really pleasant place to beb