London Heathrow Airport

In the past 9 months I have used terminals 1 3 and 5. T5 is by far the best and despite its size it feels quite relaxed and human. I had no problem with queues except at immigration and even those were not too bad. The only downside appears to be that it can be a very long time between leaving the gate and taking off I think it was about 20 minutes for a 45 minute flight to Brussels. T1 is not too bad though it feels like a crowded shopping mall but there are quieter places to sit the waiting areas at the departure gates are rather depressing. Queues for security and immigration were both fairly lengthy. T3 for check-in and arrivals last week was quite good but once in the departure area it is an unpleasant environment: crowded with insufficient seating and no view. Security was efficient and with a chipped passport I got through immigration quickly. As a whole Heathrow feels what it is a mish-mash of parts that have been added over 50 years with no overall plan or identity and some parts very tired.

Used terminal 5 on a domestic flight to Glasgow. Check-in was pain free quick and efficient more than likely due to us using the fast track lane. Getting through security was a slow process due to the fact BA use the one security zone for both domestic and international flights which meant long lines of passengers and more stringent checks. Once past security terminal 5 has a lot to offer plenty of places to eat and drink and lots of shops. The only thing is how expensive everything is a lot of shops sell luxury goods and the sandwich shops are extortionate. I know BA is a more upmarket choice but a few cheaper options would be nice.

Arrived into LHR T1 on United Airlines from LAX. Flight arrived early very long walk from United gates to immigration. Immigration was very slow arrived around 1pm with only two immigration officers serving the EU passports which took nearly 40 minutes to clear. International passports not a lot better lots of empty desks that should be manned when passenger numbers get busy - there seemed to be more people grooming the lines as opposed to manning the desks. Baggage was ready to pick up once boarder control had been cleared.

I arrived at Terminal 4 on KLM things have improved dramatically. Arrival gate levels nicely lit and all the travelators work. Immigration has automated line management system and easy to understand voice announcement. Bag on the belt in 4 minutes. Refurbished arrivals hall clean toilets refreshed lighting improved taxi stand signage - I was off the airport 20 minutes after flight.

Flew to and from Terminal 1 in October. A much-improved terminal though still busy and some queuing at various points. On return a short but slow-moving passport and immigration queue and then a long wait for luggage even though we were nearly the last off the plane and had seen the luggage coming off whilst we were still in our seats!

T4 a good terminal with plenty of shops cafes some with runway views. Lots of signs telling you where to go. Security was good polite staff. On return baggage reclaim was slow nearly 1/2 hr wait. Good connections to underground etc.

T4 is okay facilities are limited and the design means a lot of walking. T1 was another matter - coming in from KUL I got through to the T1 Flight Connections Centre well enough but then got in the wrong queue for border control wasting several minutes because the signage did not indicate that it was only for journeys terminating at London - there was a separate queue for border control for connecting trips. This is also about yet another change of procedure by the Borders Agency. OTOH the security checks were quick.

Terminal 5 on a Sunday afternoon. It seemed really busy but bag drop time was a couple of minutes about 5 mins to get through Security then the underground train to B satellite. Plenty of shops and drink/food outlets. Boarded 30 mins ahead and left on time. We returned 2 weeks later around midday on the Sunday 10 min hold which appears to be the minimum likely. Used the auto immigration desk we scanned our own passports and were through in about 3 mins staff on hand should we have had a problem. Suitcases were on the carousel waiting for us. Getting the underground train from B satellite to the main terminal was a problem in that they automatic doors kept trying to close but people were forcing their way on the trains causing the doors to keep opening. However we were heading out of Heathrow on the Heathrow express to Paddington 20 mins after we arrived at the gate not bad for a fully loaded 747 from Seattle. So all in all a good experience of Terminal 5 at Heathrow.

First transit through Terminal 5 and it is a great building. If you get the chance then the BA Galleries Lounge is lovely. As with many airport terminals security is the weakest link the transit security area queues here were woeful and I thought it was a quiet time early afternoon on a Saturday. In T5 everything has to go in large trays to go through x-ray and unlike most other places that includes carry on bags. Many people do not travel often and so some patience should be offered to them when this is all new to them. I just saw rude and arrogant security staff barking at people time after time as we waited and watched.

T3 Departure/Arrival Sept 2011 - JAL to Tokyo. Drop off is generally chaotic and overcrowded check-in areas are dark and dingy although JAL Business Class check-in never has queues. Security "fast-track" is anything but although it has improved recently. Airside you come through security into the duty free shop. Not into a shopping area but into the shop itself you have to fight your way through people stopping to look at goods in an area crowded with display stands. All the retail outlets/restaurants have long queues gate areas are small and crowded. Arriving back is no better - on two occasions this year I've arrived back to find the queue for passports going outside the immigration hall and back up the ramp towards the planes. Many people here have complained about the lines for non-EU passport holders but I can assure you it is not much better for EU passport holders - took me 40 minutes to get through on Sunday. Only good thing is that our bags had arrived by the time we got through but had all been piled into the open area next to the belt by staff to prevent the belt being overloaded so finding your bag was something of a challenge. On leaving the baggage hall the arrivals area is absolute chaos you can barely get through and the lifts cannot cope with the volume of passengers. This terminal simply cannot cope with the volume of passengers.