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March 28, 2008

What Does 4.3 Billion Pounds Get You These Days?

Not a whole helluva lot, evidently

British Airways admitted that the Terminal 5 chaos is set to last into the weekend as the airline put its hands up to a string of blunders.

The carrier is facing a wave of anger from holiday and business passengers who claim the shambolic launch of the £4.3billion facility is 'a national humiliation'.

It sounds like the "Keystone Bobbies"

Baggage handlers arriving at the airport for work in the morning found there was only limited parking.

Many were still driving around desperately looking for a space as the first passengers began checking in their luggage.

Arriving late for security screening, handlers then discovered a programming 'human error' meant they were unable to log on to the sophisticated computer-operated system.

One insider said bags were only able to be taken from the first incoming flight from Hong Kong because managers mucked in and helped drag them from the plane.

Inadequate training also meant handlers did not know where they were going to take suitcases off the conveyer belts and into the gates.

But at least BA took care of their customers

Leigh Wallace, 25, was flying to Johannesburg, South Africa, where she is meant to be getting married today.

She was forced to stuff her wedding dress into her hand luggage and beg a taxi driver to take the remainder of her belongings back to her flat in Kingston before boarding her flight.

She said: 'It was terrible, we had no help and no one seemed to know what was going on. Everyone was left to their own devices, things were really chaotic.

'I had to beg a driver to take my things back to Kingston. I don't know if there was anyone there to take them, perhaps they were dumped on my doorstep, who knows?'

Robert and Priscilla Greene, both 75, from New Mexico, spent the night sleeping in the arrivals lounge after their bags were lost on a flight from Edinburgh.

Mr Greene said: 'Other elderly couples slept here too. There is nobody to help us and nobody seems to know what is going on.

'We spent six hours waiting for our bags until 1.30am. We still haven't found them but it was too late to go to a hotel because we had to be back at the airport for 5am.

It's a quagmire at Heathrow!

Posted by Mr. Bingley at March 28, 2008 01:38 PM

Comments

Posted by: NJ Sue at March 29, 2008 04:48 PM