Don't You Just Hate Heathrow Airport!!!!

[pumpdoc 2]

I don't hate flying, I love it, I just have a hatred towards Heathrow. It's just a dump!

In Dubai now though so much happier. Fell asleep on the guy next to me on the plane though and dribbled a little LOL! Sat here about to go to bed watching Girls Aloud's LIVE performances of their new song which is amazing and shocking that they are singing live all the time now, but it's all good since they sound great wooo!

Ben you crack me up, dribbled a little

[c21 0]

Heathrow and Gatwick are total Sh#tholes!

They are in great need of renovation, damp patches in the walls, ceilings and carpets, cables hanging from the ceilings!

When I fly back home to see the family, I always think "ugh, welcome home" It also not so great to land, get off the plane and see big posters warning about assaults on staff members.

Is it really that bad back there now?

Birmingham was not so bad though.

[Kay 0]

Heathrow and Gatwick are total Sh#tholes!

They are in great need of renovation, damp patches in the walls, ceilings and carpets, cables hanging from the ceilings!

When I fly back home to see the family, I always think "ugh, welcome home" It also not so great to land, get off the plane and see big posters warning about assaults on staff members.

Is it really that bad back there now?

Birmingham was not so bad though.

That's because Birmingham have rubbish security. There was a whole programme about it a little while back and they had to have a total rethink! I was there a few weeks ago and it was damn hot!

[c21 0]

That's because Birmingham have rubbish security. There was a whole programme about it a little while back and they had to have a total rethink! I was there a few weeks ago and it was damn hot!

I was there a month ago and the security was quite good.

You should see Istanbul airport. Machine-guns everywhere, you get a metal detector as you walk into the terminal and also when you get to the gate!! thats security for you!

But when I said birmingham was quite good, I meant the condition of the airport itself, nice and clean and not falling apart.

[Kay 0]

I was there a month ago and the security was quite good.

You should see Istanbul airport. Machine-guns everywhere, you get a metal detector as you walk into the terminal and also when you get to the gate!! thats security for you!

But when I said birmingham was quite good, I meant the condition of the airport itself, nice and clean and not falling apart.

If you search around there are many reports on how bad it was after an undercover investigation. Linky

The first time I went to America I was amazed by the difference in security and airports, but it seems pretty similar now and in most parts of Europe. I almost always get picked for the random search.

[mikathegreat2 2]

Heathrow and Gatwick are total Sh#tholes!

They are in great need of renovation, damp patches in the walls, ceilings and carpets, cables hanging from the ceilings!

When I fly back home to see the family, I always think "ugh, welcome home" It also not so great to land, get off the plane and see big posters warning about assaults on staff members.

Is it really that bad back there now?

Birmingham was not so bad though.

You forgot abput the birds roaming around inside the building which is pretty funny & cool !

[c21 0]

If you search around there are many reports on how bad it was after an undercover investigation. Linky

The first time I went to America I was amazed by the difference in security and airports, but it seems pretty similar now and in most parts of Europe. I almost always get picked for the random search.

Sounds dodgy!

I would imagine if we knew the half of what is overlooked, we wouldn't fly again!

I remember last year I was at Gatwick airport. There was the usual tannoy message about unattended baggage being immediately destroyed. Five minutes later there was another message saying someone had left their bag in a pizza restaraunt.

This struck me as strange because I would have thought the bag would have been cordoned off, removed and destroyed.

I was thinking that if there were a remotely operated bomb inside, that the announcement would have alerted the bomber that his bag had been spotted and that now would be a good time to blow it up!

[Kati 0]

Do like Brazil. As 60% of the flights don't actually exist, and 3% of the planes are most likely to fall, going by bus is the best option hehe

[c21 0]

Do like Brazil. As 60% of the flights don't actually exist, and 3% of the planes are most likely to fall, going by bus is the best option hehe

Thanks Katy!

[Kati 0]

*lol*

[Jenson_Rules 0]

Urgh! I am heading to that wonderful place Heathrow again on Monday and what makes it worse is my flight is at fecking 9pm and I have to be there 2 hours before and judging by the fact the traffic at rush hour is bloody awful around Heathrow I will have to leave St Albans at about 4pm to try miss it which will then mean waiting around for ages since Heathrow takes 40 mins to get to on average!

Also just out of curiosity has anyone here flown with Virgin Atlantic on an Airbus A340-600? That's what I will be going on and I just wondered what a. the service was like on Virgin planes, b. leg room in economy etc, c. how nice the food is?! Everytime I've been to Dubai so far this year I had to fly with Royal Brunei and lets just say they are not the most modern or luxurious airline haha!

[dribbler 6]

Also just out of curiosity has anyone here flown with Virgin Atlantic on an Airbus A340-600? That's what I will be going on and I just wondered what a. the service was like on Virgin planes, b. leg room in economy etc, c. how nice the food is?! Everytime I've been to Dubai so far this year I had to fly with Royal Brunei and lets just say they are not the most modern or luxurious airline haha!

I came back from Florida on an A340. Nice bird but not as nice as a 747. The aisle lights above me kept going on and off (dodgy electrics i guess, nothing to worry about ). The toothbrush you get with Virgin is better than BA and their blankets are softer. Other than that, there's not much to choose between the two.

It was a slightly blurry experience. I had 40mg of vallium, a mini bottle of red and a Stella Artois flowing through my veins. I needed them because i was not sure of the safety stat's on an A340. On a Boeing, apparently if you flew on one 24 hours a day for 7 days a week, you would have to be in the air for 18,000 years before having an accident.

[Jenson_Rules 0]

Oooo I like a nice soft blanket, that will please me, as will the fact I can get drunk on the plane which will send me off to sleep, especially if I have red wine! Mmmmm...

[Jean Todt 4]

Do like Brazil. As 60% of the flights don't actually exist, and 3% of the planes are most likely to fall, going by bus is the best option hehe

yeah. I did read a report on some of Brazil's runways! So you say, if I want to come to Brazil, I should come by ship or land nearby and cross the border? so you agree to pick me?

[rumblestrip 0]

I don't hate any particular airport, but I do have a bit of a disdain for Air Canada. Since my wife is Canadian and I'm American, I've had to use them many times, and have mostly resorted to either taking another airline to Buffalo, then renting a car for the rest of the trip, or just driving the whole 9.5 hour thing from here. Anything but AC.

My worst airport experience:

My first time flying to Toronto to meet my wife (who was yet to be my wife at that time), I booked an AC flight from Baltimore. When booking the flight online, I asked what form of ID I would need. I was told, a photo ID, and either a passport or a copy of my birth certificate. I said, "A COPY, not the original?" and she said, "Yes, that will do".

So I arrive at the airport, and - you guessed it - they would not let me board with a "copy". So I phoned Air Canada over the phone to complain, and of course they said, "No one here would have ever told you that!" So I asked if they could put me on the next flight the following morning...

"Sure, there are ten seats open" the agent said.

"Good" I said. "I'll take one." I said.

"Ok, you're booked. And that'll go on the same credit card?"

"Ummmm, yeah. Out of curiosity, how much extra is it?" I asked. Keep in mind, this was a $200 flight each way. After some *clickety click* on his keyboard, he finally responded.

"Twelve hundred and fifty dollars"

"Ummmm, WHAT? $1250 dollars?!?!?! But it's a $200 flight!!"

"Sorry, short notice"

So I explain to him, "Look, you have ten empty seats. It's 9pm. You aren't going to sell ten seats for $1250 a pop by tomorrow morning. If you charge me, say, $50 extra, I'll probably take it, and you'll fill a seat. If not, I'm just going to take a credit for the seat and you're not going to make any extra money at all"

"Sorry, no can do"

Needless to say, I refused. So I walked over to the Southwest desk, and put myself on standby for the next flight to Buffalo, where I planned to rent a car and drive to Toronto.

"The flight is booked, but there's always a chance" the agent said. So I took it. When I got to the gate, the attendant told me that they were missing 8 people, so I had a good chance of making it, because there was apparently a huge jam on the highway, and they didn't plan on holding the plane.

Then, just as we were about to board, there was a security alert, and they evacuated the entire A, B, and C concourse of the airport and made us go back through security again. This took another 45 minutes, so that allowed some people to make it, and thus I missed the flight by ONE seat.

So I went back to the Southwest gate to get my bag, and... I couldn't. Apparently if you go standby, they send your bag off whether you board the plane or not (HUGE security hole there). Since my bag contained my car keys (I've lost keys on planes and in terminals before), I was stuck at BWI, so had to sleep there til my flight the next morning - right under a loudspeaker that made an announcement about parking and taxis every 60 seconds.

So I got around 2 hrs of sleep, then had to fly to Buffalo, drive to Toronto, and be up til 3am the next morning at a music show. Boy was I BEAT!

That was my worse airport experience ever.

[pabloh20 1]

I don't hate any particular airport, but I do have a bit of a disdain for Air Canada. Since my wife is Canadian and I'm American, I've had to use them many times, and have mostly resorted to either taking another airline to Buffalo, then renting a car for the rest of the trip, or just driving the whole 9.5 hour thing from here. Anything but AC.

My worst airport experience:

My first time flying to Toronto to meet my wife (who was yet to be my wife at that time), I booked an AC flight from Baltimore. When booking the flight online, I asked what form of ID I would need. I was told, a photo ID, and either a passport or a copy of my birth certificate. I said, "A COPY, not the original?" and she said, "Yes, that will do".

So I arrive at the airport, and - you guessed it - they would not let me board with a "copy". So I phoned Air Canada over the phone to complain, and of course they said, "No one here would have ever told you that!" So I asked if they could put me on the next flight the following morning...

"Sure, there are ten seats open" the agent said.

"Good" I said. "I'll take one." I said.

"Ok, you're booked. And that'll go on the same credit card?"

"Ummmm, yeah. Out of curiosity, how much extra is it?" I asked. Keep in mind, this was a $200 flight each way. After some *clickety click* on his keyboard, he finally responded.

"Twelve hundred and fifty dollars"

"Ummmm, WHAT? $1250 dollars?!?!?! But it's a $200 flight!!"

"Sorry, short notice"

So I explain to him, "Look, you have ten empty seats. It's 9pm. You aren't going to sell ten seats for $1250 a pop by tomorrow morning. If you charge me, say, $50 extra, I'll probably take it, and you'll fill a seat. If not, I'm just going to take a credit for the seat and you're not going to make any extra money at all"

"Sorry, no can do"

Needless to say, I refused. So I walked over to the Southwest desk, and put myself on standby for the next flight to Buffalo, where I planned to rent a car and drive to Toronto.

"The flight is booked, but there's always a chance" the agent said. So I took it. When I got to the gate, the attendant told me that they were missing 8 people, so I had a good chance of making it, because there was apparently a huge jam on the highway, and they didn't plan on holding the plane.

Then, just as we were about to board, there was a security alert, and they evacuated the entire A, B, and C concourse of the airport and made us go back through security again. This took another 45 minutes, so that allowed some people to make it, and thus I missed the flight by ONE seat.

So I went back to the Southwest gate to get my bag, and... I couldn't. Apparently if you go standby, they send your bag off whether you board the plane or not (HUGE security hole there). Since my bag contained my car keys (I've lost keys on planes and in terminals before), I was stuck at BWI, so had to sleep there til my flight the next morning - right under a loudspeaker that made an announcement about parking and taxis every 60 seconds.

So I got around 2 hrs of sleep, then had to fly to Buffalo, drive to Toronto, and be up til 3am the next morning at a music show. Boy was I BEAT!

That was my worse airport experience ever.

Geez, the things some people will do for sex!

Well, just console yourself with the thought that she was worth it! Marrying, I mean, not the sex bit

[Max Mosley 2]

Wow what a story Rumble. I'd be mighty p**sed off with them. I've had similar issues with trains, but never on that scale.

[Grabthaw the Hammerslayer 4]

I came back from Florida on an A340. Nice bird but not as nice as a 747. The aisle lights above me kept going on and off (dodgy electrics i guess, nothing to worry about ). The toothbrush you get with Virgin is better than BA and their blankets are softer. Other than that, there's not much to choose between the two.

It was a slightly blurry experience. I had 40mg of vallium, a mini bottle of red and a Stella Artois flowing through my veins. I needed them because i was not sure of the safety stat's on an A340. On a Boeing, apparently if you flew on one 24 hours a day for 7 days a week, you would have to be in the air for 18,000 years before having an accident.

A340's are alright it was their baby brothers - the A320 which had a habit of falling out the sky. Software bug where, when a pilot tried to do something beyond what the computer thought the plane was capable of it would go "nope, ain't gonna do that, I know best!". Only it didn't and a few went splat. Anyways, all modern planes are fly-by-wire these days so they have had a chance to fix the bugs.

[Grabthaw the Hammerslayer 4]

Do like Brazil. As 60% of the flights don't actually exist, and 3% of the planes are most likely to fall, going by bus is the best option hehe

I have flown Varig and survived (actually that would make an excellent T-shirt logo ), but I have to say it was one of the worst flying experiences, apart from maybe Air France where I had to write a complaint letter after a really crappy flight to Mumbai.

[goferrarigo 0]

That was my worse airport experience ever.

That is pretty bad, i will remember that. I hate British Airways with a passion.

I have allready documented my case as a forum topic,so if you want me to repeat it, i could in repeat the stroy in about 10 hours, after my exam

I have flown Varig and survived (actually that would make an excellent T-shirt logo ), but I have to say it was one of the worst flying experiences, apart from maybe Air France where I had to write a complaint letter after a really crappy flight to Mumbai.

Air France is known to have crappy airlines and serivce, in Bombay newspapers there was a case against them for cancelling the flight from France and not giving the passengers any notice of the cancelation and those guys had to wait for a coupld of hours at the airport...

[mikathegreat2 2]

@ Ben

Please in future, do not use Irish slang in a post! It's a bit awkward but to be on the safe side, it's feicing not fecking!

[Jenson_Rules 0]

how the hell does saying feicing make it awkward? I tend to say a few irish things nowadays anyway as one of my best mates is Irish! haha!

Flying never bothers me if it's with a decent airline but if I was on some s##tty old plane that looked incapable of flying (i.e a russian/pakistani/indian airline!) I would be very worried!

[Jenson_Rules 0]

Urgh, once again I am stuck in the dreaded Heathrow airport but sat in the pub so all is not too bad! Got a 6 hour and then a 2 hour flight before I can have a fag now though, bloody gasping already!

[Schumikonen 2]

Airports and airplanes all suck

Try coach holidays, much better, although lengthy travel times (especially to Dubai!).

I went with siestaholidays this year, thought it was an excellent option if you don't like flights

I can't believe you said that airplanes are even better than women how do you dare to say it, this must be a joke, isn't it?

[Eric 0]

I'm still a little kid. I'm still fascinated by air travel. No matter how many times I do it, I still think it's just so cool.

And Eduardo's pictures really make me love flying. He's got some awesome shots.

However, I will say that being in the back row next to a morbidly obese person with severe B.O. who spills some Mexican food drenched in sauce on you and then eats it off your shirt, which then gives him severe farting issues.

But I'm sure private air travel is a lot of fun.