[MartynSinclair]

Having just completed a 2 week trip to Asia, once again going through 6 international airports & been dealt with by very polite and efficient security agents, back to the UK and again, Heathrow airport shines with having the most inefficient and ineffective security agents.

My flight landed at 4.35 am. Connection to AMS going from B gates so the sensible thing was to go there rather than the main terminal. I got to the security check point at 4.45am to find it with security staff but no BA staff. BA staff turned up at 5 am, but security would not allow screening to start as they only had a compliment of 5 staff and were one person down. At 5.20am a manager came along and authorised the screening to start, but which time there was a very long q.

I had so far waited close on to 40 minutes. My bags went through and both went down the secondary screening side. The agent, who, I will not say was rude, then emptied the contents of both bags, including my dirty washing and very smelly running gear and spent the next 15 minutes going through virtually every item. At one point I did get annoyed, when he took a tray, which included my travel wallet (credit cards etc) out of my line of sight to a machine on the other side of the security check lines.

My crime that caused this treatment – the free toothbrushes which had the small (very small) tubes of toothpaste were buried within the bag and not in a plastic bag. The delays at this check point this morning must have been significant, because the first 10 passengers through all had their bags secondary screened which meant there was an automatic back log of bags which did not allow any other passengers to have their bags screened.

My bags had exactly the same contents (apart from my smelly running gear) when I left London using BA F wing, where the machines clearly were not interested in my bags. For the next 5 airports, only my computer needed to be taken out of the bag.

I accept security is needed, but why is London so far behind most of the rest of the world in adapting to the changes in screening. The inconsistencies at the same airport and also sometimes within the same terminal are unacceptable. I am not asking for special treatment, just to be treated fairly.

I have not even started on the subject why passengers are being held for up to 40 minutes due to lack of security staff.. This is meant to be a leading international destination.

So rant is now over, I will go and enjoy my few days of no work…

Happy Christmas…

[GivingupBA]

Heathrow – not my favourite airport in the world – sometimes I have struggled to maintain my Zen-like calm and inner peace [ha-ha] there. It really does get potentially annoying at times, though it’s also sometimes OK.

Merry Christmas to you too Martyn.

[K1ngston]

I am sorry you had to put up with that archaic nonsense Martyn, I have said to anyone who listens ( and to you on more than one occasion) Heathrow T5 and T4 are one of the worst destinations in or out in the world, with outdated process’s stupid and idiotic jobsworths and the treatment in Immigration is ridiculous to the extreme..

Heathrow doesn’t deserve to be mentioned in the same breath these days with airports such as Indira Ghandi in Delhi, which recently has got its act together and has made using it a pleasant albeit busy experience. You know you are going to get a less than favourable experience in Dhaka Bangladesh but to get it in “First World” Britain is totally unacceptable but is typical I am afraid.

You are a “quite shy and retiring” sort of chap, I would have said something loudly, vociferously and angrily Im afraid I dont allow the monkeys to get away with nonsense like that ..

Hopefully you are home, relaxed and starring clear of the alcohol ( Merry Xmas)

[Flightlevel]

LHR has never been a sensible airport,it doesn’t even operate the hours its open and is totally unaware of the early and late arrivals and late departures,many facilities open too late and close early to save the owner costs.
This is unlikely to change – all their activity is PR to get taxpayers to pay for an additional runway. If you knew how long it took to repair facilities you would not be surprised many don’t operate during opening hours.

[Author]

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