Got this announcement from our travel advisors:


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British Airways will move to the new London Heathrow Terminal 5 on 27 March 2008. Departures and arrivals of the vast majority of BA flights will be using this British Airways dedicated terminal.

The high-tech building has 96 check-in kiosks designed to eliminate queuing at departure. At Terminal 5, a number of Iris Scanners are installed allowing Border Control and Immigration Agency to process travel documents quick and easy on arrival. Simply register once before departure, arrival passengers will be able to skip the queue at Border Control every time.

Passengers will experience the most advanced baggage system through using the long conveyer belts and intelligent baggage cars running on rails and reaching the Baggage Reclaim in just 15 minutes.

Public transportation such as bus, coach, train, Heathrow Express and London Underground are available for easy access between central London and Terminal 5.
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- Iris scanning? when did that start for the UK?
- Eliminate queueing at departure? are you kidding me?
- Reclaim luggage in 15mins (just keep your fingers crossed its yours).

Anyone been there yet?

Not surprised its started, after all we do just blindly follow the US on various things. It seems that this is whats gonna happen anyway everywhere so it comes as no surprise that BA are doing it at Heathrow

This gives an incredible incentive to fly BA, because the regular Heathrow terminals make you feel more like you have arrived in Calcutta than London.

I never wanna fly BA again, I think they are absolute gash!! Don't give a monkey's about the cattle packed into economy class

I will be flying into terminal 5 on the 2nd of april, but i have not been told about iris scanning and that so i guess i will see all the new technology AND the horrific queing that im used to.

I shall let 'ya'll' know what its like on my return. (we all want to be like americans really)

having all these extra check-in desks and fancy baggage systems don't mean jack when they get the inevitable UK summer airport staff strike.

haha, your right spook, or the French controllers that hold everyone up!!

the same people will be manning it. So, Calcutta it is.

You now have to put your hand on some scanner and get your hand recorded as well as getting an eye photo. Nice.

But that is 'how London is', isn't it?

The Queen is opening Terminal 5 tomorrow.

Hurrah! Hurray!

Sometime between October and February I believe.

Iris scanning has been around for a long time, it's just they haven't really advertised it to anyone.. And as that snippet says, you have to register for it on departure. Seems like a good plan tho - no-one is using it yet so you can waltz through immigration in no time. I've forgotten to register the past three times in a row. Doh.

So, it's a 'choice'?

It opens on the 21st. I miss it by two days. I fly out on the 19th.

Where are you going Weegeoff?
I suppose you'll be flying back there then.

Looks like it's terminal 5 for me. I Hope they sell pies there.

yes, they sell curry pies

Yes I will be in hakuba on the 20th
looking forward to meeting a few of you on the 22nd for the odd drink or two.
Thuseday. You were half right.They start using T.5 on the 21st.and will be fully operationally by the 27th. Or so they say.
Markie about 7pm in the Pub sounds fine to me. See you there.

You must be very excited about that Weegeoff.

The Queen opened it the other day, so it must be great.