On March 27, London Heathrow airport opened its terminal five, or T5, a project that had been in the works for more than five years. Despite the high expectations for what is to be the airport’s flagship facility, it wasn’t long before things began going awry. Issues with checking in or receiving baggage came up high on the list of failures, and dozens of flights, both inbound and outbound, were canceled.

The British press had plenty to say about the lackluster launch:

The Guardian “T5 launch marred by delays and cancellations”

The Sun “T5 spirals into travel chaos”

If you have a flight planned in or out of Heathrow in the near future, should you be worried? Well, if you are flying on an airline other than British Airways, you have much less reason for concern, as T5 is for that airline’s exclusive use. The second day of operations over at T5 is thus far proving rocky as well, but will problems diminish as time marches on?

The Heathrow Airport Web site advises travelers to consult the Web site of the airline on which they will be flying. The U.K. version of the British Airways Web site has posted an update for travelers as of March 28, which advises all BA customers to check the status of their flight before they head out to the airport. International customers are advised to contact their local British Airways office.

The wording of the update suggests that BA is anticipating problems to continue over the next few days, as guidance is provided for flights that are canceled through March 30, 2008.

Let’s hope despite the calamitous start, things over at Heathrow get better soon. Delayed and canceled flights and lost baggage are enough to turn even the most good-natured traveler among us into a snarling tiger.