Heathrow Mess Will Ripple Well Into Weekend

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»

British Airways reeling as terminal chaos continues

(NEWSER) - The chaos is continuing at Heathrow's brand-new Terminal 5, with one British politician slamming the fiasco as a "national embarrassment," the Daily Telegraph reports. More than 50 flights were canceled yesterday and British Airways admitted that the mountain of stranded baggage contained as many as 28,000 bags, well above the earlier estimate of 15,000. More»

Hundreds of volunteer staffers work to sort out baggage crisis

(NEWSER) - Hundreds of volunteer British Airways staffers spent their day off yesterday helping to return some of the 15,000 pieces of luggage lost when the state-of-the-art baggage system failed at the airline's new terminal at London's Heathrow airport last week. Scores of tech specialists have also been deployed to fix the computer problems, the Guardian reports. 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

British Airways 777 buckles after hitting grass short of runway

(NEWSER) - A British Airways passenger jet slammed into the ground at London's Heathrow Airport today, causing eight injuries but no deaths, the AP reports. The crash landing damaged the plane's underbelly and wings. The cause is still unknown; the 6-year-old Boeing 777 had never previously crashed, and was flown by "one of our most experienced" pilots, said BA's CEO. More»