With security, long queues, hundreds of gates and hurried boarding dashes, airports can feel pretty tense – even more so if you’ve got a connecting flight to catch.
But things at London’s Heathrow Terminal 5 are about to get less stressful.
That’s because British Airways is increasing the minimum connection time (MCT) at Heathrow from an hour to 75 minutes, to reduce the risk – and commercial cost – of missed onward flights.
From today, the minimum connection time will be increased by 15 minutes in the hope that more people will make their flights – and, ultimately, to encourage a more relaxed passenger experience.
This means anyones with connections at London Heathrow will need 15 additional minutes (increased from 60 to 75 minutes) to catch their onward flight.
However, it’s slightly different for passengers who need to switch between Terminals 3 and 5, as they will still have a minimum connection time of 90 minutes – mainly because they need a bus to take them from one terminal to the other, which is around 10 minutes.
A spokesperson for British Airways said: ‘Following customer feedback, we’re increasing the minimum connection time for some of our flights through Heathrow T5.
‘This will give customers more time to make their next flight and reduce the risk of missing their onward service, which we know is incredibly frustrating.’
But while British Airways have made this move to create a less stressful experience, some are now wondering about how longer airport waits will go down with passengers.
Especially as this slower approach will increase passenger journey times.
The editor of frequent-flyer website Head for Points, Rob Burgess, told The Independent: ‘It would make more sense to tackle the root of the problem at Heathrow, however, rather than simply enforce longer connecting times.
‘When Zurich can guarantee a connection in 40 minutes and Frankfurt in 45 minutes, BA is simply making itself less attractive to transit passengers.’
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