Heathrow is now notorious for leadership in airport customer service and amenities. You may experience travel delays, the occasional strike, or passenger congestion just as you might at any other airport; however, you will not be lacking opportunities to pass the time in this international airport. The opening of Heathrow Terminal 2 is expected to transcend your air travel experience throughout the globe.
Heathrow Terminal 2 – Coming in 2014
Heathrow Terminal 2 is expected open in 2014. Sorry Olympic participants and tourists, you will have to return to England in two years to experience this state-of-the-art facility. If you have been fortunate enough to have traveled through Heathrow’s new Terminal 5, you have experienced a fraction of the new level of expectations presented by this ground-breaking airport. After years of poor reviews by international and local travelers alike, Heathrow took it upon themselves to set their airport apart from the rest in a more positive manner. Terminal 2 is expected to revolutionize the airport experience.
Many of you might be wondering if you will fly in and out of Heathrow Terminal 2 once it is complete. This terminal will be exclusive to Star Alliance flights. One of the primary concepts is that people will no longer have to change terminals to catch flights to a secondary destination within the star Alliance family. It will also have a significant amount of services and amenities which will be comparable to other top airports worldwide such as Singapore and Hong Kong. Another inspiring concept of this redesign is to improve overall travel efficiency. This terminal will be filled with self-service machines allowing for easier check-in. It will also host a number of traditional check-in counters for those people who prefer the old-fashioned airport experience or people who encounter problems with the self-service machines. They will also have a number of bag drops to reduce the amount of time you must spend queuing. Security will be a breeze in comparison to the old security. They will host 15 security lines to ensure you are always moving forward rather than waiting, which is often the bane of any travel experience.
Planned Facilities at Heathrow Terminal 2
Once you clear security, you will have access to incredible offerings. The terminal is set to be home to a variety of top restaurants. Seeing as it is now recommended that you arrive 3 hours prior to an international flight’s departure time, you will not have to risk being bored. You will have access a host of shops such as duty free and luxury global brands. You will have access to many of the same services you have come to expect in other Heathrow terminals such as having access to a gym. You no longer have an excuse to skip the day’s workout with these convenient offerings. You will also have access to lounges with premium services such as massages, manicures, private bars, and even bedrooms. You will be provided with outlets to ensure your technology remains charged prior to boarding the plane, Wi-Fi to stay connected to work and home at all times, and even showers to ensure you remain fresh and comfortable. Whether you are coming or going through Terminal 2 at Heathrow, you will have access to premium offerings.
Not only will you have access to such amazing offerings, you will also be privy to innovative and environmentally-sound operating practices. This terminal will have significantly more windows, as well as solar panels on the rooftop to increase energy efficiency. It is also expected to reduce the amount of carbon emissions released by any other terminal in Heathrow. The heating and cooling system is also based on renewable energy. This will not only be more environmentally friendly, but it will also save money on operating expenses in the end. These savings will help reduce overhead expenses and provide more money to spend on maintenance and customer service, thus making the travel experience through Terminal 2 at Heathrow one of the most desirable airport destinations.