Heathrow voted world's least favorite airport

Heathrow voted world's least favourite airport.

Heathrow's reputation took a further knock yesterday when it was voted the world's least favourite airport. It came joint top with Chicago in a survey of 2,500 travellers by the travel organisation TripAdvisor.

The poll asked respondents to rate 36 airports in terms of how easy they were to navigate, cleanliness of their lavatories and the quality of their parking facilities

The survey also showed that 90 per cent of British respondents opposed plans which would allow passengers to use mobile phones during flights – a move also fiercely opposed by a Daily Telegraph campaign.

TripAdvisor's findings echoed the criticisms of Heathrow voiced by political and business leaders over the past year, who said the airport shamed London. News of the airport's poor placing emerged as American Airlines started a New York service from Stansted while British Airways continued its search for continental slots for transatlantic flights.

Passengers have frequently faced delays of up to an hour to negotiate security and check-in queues before reaching their planes.

Getting into the country has often been just as bad with new scanning equipment doubling the time needed to process passports.

Slots at Heathrow remain in demand and other airlines, such as Continental, plan on using the airport for transatlantic flights. However, at the same time, the open skies agreement between the European Union and the US will make it possible for airlines to operate from airports outside their home base.

British Airways has earmarked a number of continental airports for potential transatlantic flights, including Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels,
Frankfurt, Milan and Madrid.

A spokesman for BA said the move was not a vote of no confidence in Heathrow, but a desire to take advantage of the business opportunities offered by open skies, which comes into force next March.

Over the past 12 months, there has been a dramatic growth in the number of transatlantic flights operating away from Heathrow.

Stansted has been the main beneficiary with two niche business-class carriers, Eos and MaxJet, running services from London's "third" airport.

American Airlines' arrival is an indication that some mainstream carriers are looking to cash in on Heathrow's unpopularity by offering alternative services. Next April, American will double its frequency with two daily flights from Stansted to JFK.

The 20 worst performers

London, Heathrow Airport / Chicago, O'Hare International
New York, JFK
Atlanta, Hartsfield Int
Los Angeles Int
Miami Int
New York, La Guardia
Paris, Charles de Gaulle
Dallas Fort Worth
Neward Liberty Int
London Gatwick
Cancun Int
Toronto Pearson Int
Las Vegas, McCarran
Frankfurt Int
London Stansted
Orlando Int
Denver
San Franscisco Int
Amsterdam Schipol

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