It's official, I HATE HEATHROW!
 

I had a 12 hour layover last month at Heathrow enroute from Houston to Cape Town. I arrived at 8am and decided to go into London for the day. I took the train which is a bit of a challenge to find and opted for the steerage compartment instead of first class which was fine. While in London I had lunch, did a little shopping and visited a favorite of mine, The National Portrait Gallery.

I took the tube from the NPS to Paddington to get the train. When I got to the airport I had to go to terminal 4 outside security to get my stored carryon luggage, then pass through security to get to the Holideck lounge so I could get on to the internet to do some business and hang out for awhile. Quite a walk to the end of the terminal with no moving sidewalks (not many and the ones there were being worked on). Then I went to terminal 3 where Virgin Atlantic was taking off from. This is no easy task and somehow I ended up on a bus that made the rounds of the airport. I had to go back through security and then to the check in desk. I had wanted to take a shower as I had now been on the road for a day and a half and the Heathrow website says there are pay showers in # 3. Seems that they are wrong and had to buy a one day membership to the AA club for $60 so I could shower and freshen up. As my flight time grew near I was directed to the terminal 3 holding area. Seems like gate assingments don't happen until just before boarding so everyone sits and watches the electronic signs until you see a gate posted for your flight. Then you walk like hell for another mile or 2 until you get there. And then you wait in a cold dreary gate area.

And they want to build another run way!

Branson doesn't seem to have a problem with it. :p

Sounds like Frankfurt. I hate the Frankfurt airport.

YES! the frankfurt airport sucked dead donkey ass when i went through there. my experience there was much like chris's at heathrow.

to be fair, I've flown into or out of Frankfurt on 3 occasions, and it was fine as an end point. It was the two times I had a connecting flight there that it SUCKED.

Yes, Heathrow feels like a mall when waiting for your flight. When I arrived in Heathrow from San Francisco, making my way towards my next flight, it felt like I was walking through a hospital ward. Then there's the shuttle to get you to other terminals, going around various points of the airport...very weird.