I used London Heathrow's Terminal 5 for the first time as a passenger earlier this week and I feel compelled to report that despite the terrible headlines surrounding its chaotic opening earlier this year, I found it to be a pleasant and stress-free experience.
My only experience of T5 up until now had been a tour of the facility as it was under construction, which I blogged about here, and the cover interview I did with British Airways chief executive Willie Walsh, which took place in one of the T5 lounges a couple of months before it opened to the public.
With a little trepidation and carrying hand baggage only (I didn't want to take any chances!) I arrived at T5 on Monday to check in for a flight to Geneva. I didn't have to queue at all to collect my boarding pass from one of the many self-service kiosks, and the line at security was minimal.
Once I got through to the other side, I kept having to remind myself that I was at Heathrow. It felt light, airy and modern, and there was not a vile green flecked carpet anywhere in sight.
My flight left on time with no hitches, and my flight back the following day actually landed ahead of schedule, which the pilot felt compelled to keep pointing out.
The disasterous opening of T5 in March damaged BA's reputation and it was clear from the pilot's repeated reminders that we had landed ahead of schedule that the carrier and its staff are under strict instructions to win back passenger trust and salvage BA's reputation.
Next time, maybe I'll risk checking in some baggage and see if I get it back!
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