Heathrow Terminal Change Shenanigans and British Airways Galleries North
A Celebratory Trip to Chicago
Contents:
Contents:
- So, Chicago eh. That’s really different.
- Take the National Express, Manchester Airport, British Airways Terraces Lounge
- BA1385 Manchester Airport to London Heathrow
- T5 – Pick a lounge. Any Lounge – British Airways Galleries South, Galleries T5B
- BA295 London Heathrow T5 to Chicago O’Hare International
- The joy of O’Hare and Crowne Plaza O’Hare
- Experiments with a Canon 40mm lens
- Hyatt Regency O’Hare
- Using Amazon out of your home country in a pinch
- Back to O’Hare, The New AA Flagship Lounge
- AA86 Chicago O’Hare to London Heathrow T3
- Terminal change shenanigans, British Airways Galleries North
- BA1386 London Heathrow to Manchester Airport
- Luggage delivery incompetence, last-minute changes, and CrossCountry Trains home
- Why celebrate?
With me off the plane it was time to head into the bright lights of Heathrow.
Thanks American Airlines 787!
As I wandered into the arrivals funnelling hall, I checked out the waiting planes. However, I was on a deadline – so I kept on moving.
Hello Finnair!
I followed the signs to the Flight Connections Centre, as I had an onward segment onto Manchester. I tell you, it feels weird connecting in your own country for a flight…
To the Flight connections centre!
To the connections… and a smoking area???? Guess it is one of the few places to smoke in an airport in the UK…
Everything is a journey these days. Very X-Factor.
Eventually I made to the Terminal 5 queuing area. To be met with the queue from heck.
I’m honestly not sure how many flights landed… but this was busy.
As such, it took around 10 minutes to clear this mess. Soon I was out in the open on a crisp Heathrow morning.
Hello planes. (Finnair A319, AA 787, and a BA 747 in the background).
Once aboard the bus (and as usual for Heathrow standards – full-on sardines), it was time for a drive from the Central Terminal Area to T5. With a 12 minute ride, we were soon disgorged into the terminal.
And once again, we’re in the land of circles in the ceiling.
As I was landing in the UK at this point (even though I had an onward connection), I had to immigration at Heathrow. Thankfully, the UK Border Agency has installed e-Passport gates – allowing for a quick entry into the country.
With that done, it was upstairs to security, where fast track security lived up to its normal self – in other words, slow as treacle pouring.
With the security hurdle cleared, I was at North Security at T5.
North. Also Gate 10. How I hate thee. I might have written about thee more than once
With my next flight due to go from the domestic end of T5 (Gates A1-A8), it made sense not to go to the South Lounge, but the north lounge – however awful it is.
Just what level of awful is Galleries North. It depends where you sit…
British Airways Galleries North
I was blipped into the lounge – and the first thing I had to do was to locate a seat. In the end – I found a spot in the mezzanine area. Not the best (as there was no power), but at least there were seats.
As I arrived at breakfast time, the breakfast service was in full swing. In case you’ve never seen it before, here’s what’s here…
Fruits
Cheese Omelette rolls
Toast, Bacon rolls
Bacon Rolls
The lounge itself had some space around it.
However, if you wanted to go to the small room for a comfort break, there was more than a wait for a cubical to be free.
I wasn’t the only one that was annoyed to wait…
In terms of drinks, the usual selection is around and present.
And yes… this orange juice was fortified.
Like the nerd I was, I caught up with life in the office (because the last thing I wanted was a mailbox the size of an unwanted teenage pimple that just wouldn’t go down).
I also spent a bit of time with FlightRadar 24 and the camera
British Airways Airbus A320 with Sharklets
British Airways Airbus A319 – Olympic Dove
British Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
Swiss Bombardier C Series CS300
Virgin Atlantic Airbus A340-600
The American Airlines Boeing 787 I was on, heading back to Chicago.
Iberia Airbus A320.
Emirates Airbus A380.
The lounge itself never went quiet to be honest – it just kept at a constant level of busy. And that’s good for the airline – but it does mean for those who want to go to the small room or have a shower… there’s lots of waiting around.
And at your flagship hub – this isn’t ideal at all.
With time ticking on, I packed up my trash for the final time this trip, and headed out of the lounge, and into the main terminal area.
Down we go.
With the plane going from A5, it was a short walk to the gate area. Boarding was about to start – so good timing as usual.
PRIORITY!!!
Waiting outside was a British Airways Boeing 767….
and my chariot… an Airbus A320
With my boarding pass blipped, it was time to head downstairs and for the final flight this segment to Manchester.
Next: BA1386 London Heathrow to Manchester… Oh. Hello Old Friend…
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