Think about the path you take home every day from work, especially if you take public transport or walk. Can you reliably describe what it looks like to someone else? Can you remember the buildings and features on the way? When you pass through something all the time, you stop paying attention to it.
That’s true for airports too. Despite being one of the busiest airports on the planet, London’s Heathrow Airport has quite a few secrets hidden in its vast complex, from the convenience of rentals to its old look. Some are fun, some are sad, and some are truly weird. Here are a few.
How It Used to Look
We can all assume that Heathrow started out much smaller than it presently is. It didn’t just open as one of the world’s nexus points of travel. What you likely haven’t pictured is a long row of old military marquees flanking a handful of runways, all on former farmland. In other words, Heathrow started out as a collection of large, sturdy tents in a muddy field.
As crude as that sounds, it wasn’t barebones either. The marquees included comfortable seating and tasteful décor for passengers while they awaited their flights. There were also wooden walkways to keep their shoes clean as they walked towards their planes to board their flights. It wasn’t until five whole years after opening that officials even started planning permanent buildings.
Be thankful for the Heathrow you have now! The old one had no heating, after all.
How Convenient It Really Is
While Heathrow started out small, it’s since grown into a crossroads of the world. Because of that, it’s been designed for convenience for decades now. It might not feel that way; after all, every airport feels like it’s trying to stress you out sometimes. However, Heathrow Airport is designed to assist you both during air travel and after it.
You see, because Heathrow has become the largest point of entry in the entire United Kingdom, officials have made sure it’s well-connected. Heathrow is designed to be thoroughly accessible to and from and the rest of London and surrounding areas.
For that reason, Heathrow boasts eight different car rental companies within its walls. Fairview van hire in Heathrow is easier than almost anywhere else. Thanks to that abundance of car rental companies, it’s all simple. Your landing in Heathrow and your arrival at downtown London is all one seamless journey.
What Happened to Terminal 1?
It’s easy to miss if you’ve only passed through Heathrow once or twice, but the airport doesn’t have a Terminal 1. The terminals number from 2 to 5, and they have for quite a few years now. Why is that? Was there some sort of accident? Is it to honour something?
The truth is much less tragic or thrilling: Terminal 1 simply got old and was retired in favour of expanding Terminal 2. The odd part is that the old building is still standing to this day, abandoned. The inside is likely very eerie!