Heathrow Fiasco a 'National Embarrassment'

Reeling new Terminal 5 far short of capacity, but full of irate travelers

(NEWSER) - Logistical disasters continued today at Heathrow airport's new Terminal 5—and flight cancellations, delays and luggage losses will likely continue all weekend, the Times of London reports. British Airways, the facility's sole airline, said it hoped to run 80% of planned flights today, the terminal's second. "I am a frequent traveler," one passenger said, "and this is the worst experience ever." More»

Tiffany's, 42 restaurants, and a booze-friendly cinema

(NEWSER) - Heathrow’s new terminal has hit such turbulence with its opening that it may seem an odd time to sing its praises. But once the delays and lost luggage are solved, this massive addition, designed to eradicate the “Heathrow hassle,” will lure fliers with plenty of perks, reports Forbes.

1. From caviar to Krispy Kreme, 42 restaurants fill the terminal
2. Two spas serve up complimentary massages and facials
3. Hyper-fast check-in

New terminal opens with baggage meltdown, dozens of cancellations

(NEWSER) - The gleaming new Terminal 5 at Heathrow airport had a disastrous opening yesterday as its state-of-the-art baggage handling facility crashed and 34 flights were canceled. British Airways, the only airline flying out of the new terminal, suspended baggage check-in by the afternoon, and arriving passengers were forced to wait up to four hours for their luggage. "This is real British organization for you," one stranded German traveler told the Times of London. More»

Airline blames 'network connectivity'

(AP) - United Airlines said Saturday that a computer glitch that grounded flights nationwide and left some passengers stranded overnight had been fixed. The airline blamed the problem on "a network connectivity issue" and said it was in the process of resuming normal operations. But the airline also indicated passengers may experience some delays for the rest of the weekend. More»

After test flights, carriers push for reevaluation; UK hold extended

(NEWSER) - Some airlines have conducted their own test flights and want the ban on most flights over Europe ended, but UK airspace will remain closed until tomorrow evening at the earliest. Air Berlin, Air France/KLM, and Lufthansa have sent aircraft through the cloud of volcanic ash that's crippled air travel for 4 days, and the head of KLM tells the BBC he wants to "get permission as soon as possible to partially restart our operations." More»