RSS
Home
SkyTeam carriers come together under one roof at London Heathrow - less hassle, easier connections
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
New SkyTeam Lounge at London Heathrow's Terminal 4
There’s much, much more to airline alliances than being able to rack up more frequent flyer points. Carriers like them because it extends their reach, without having to extend their costs. Flyers like them because—in theory anyway—they offer so-called ‘seamless’ connectivity: one set of boarding passes, one common itinerary, the ability to check bags through to their final destination in one fell swoop.
Problem is the marketing sizzle sometimes doesn’t match the substance. Here’s an instance where it should. SkyTeam is opening a new passenger service area in London Heathrow’s (LHR) Terminal 4, an area that puts all the SkyTeam carriers flying into Heathrow under one roof, next to one another. This should mean easier connections, and less time spent shuttling ‘twixt terminals.
There’s an interesting set-up for premium passengers, and SkyTeam Elite frequent flyers. When it’s all up and running about the beginning of the second week of November, SkyTeam will be able lay claim to having the first permanent, common facility in one Heathrow terminal of any alliance.
Worldwide, however, it’s far from the first such initiative. Star Alliance has had a common terminal and check-in area for the past couple of years at Tokyo Narita (NRT). It works wondrously well.
Eight SkyTeam airlines serve London Heathrow. Three of them—Delta, KLM, and Kenya Airways are already ensconced in Terminal 4. By November 4 the other five will be under one roof. That’s when Aeroflot, Air France, Alitalia, Czech Airlines, and Korean Air move in. The immediate impact: easier connections for flyers headed via Heathrow to Atlanta, Milan, Moscow, Nairobi, New York City, Paris, Prague, Rome, and Seoul.
Related Articles:
Comments
