[Anonymous]

[GoonerLondon]

My local airport seems to be having a service meltdown. What used to be a breeze – 10 minutes from curb to gate – is now perhaps the worse airport security to encounter. It routinely takes 45 minutes – minimum. Sometimes more.

They say this is due to the DLR bringing large groups all at one time with self printed boarding passes, which is having a knock on effect. This wont be resolved until the Autumn when new security capacity is added.

As I live so close, I dont really have an airport choice, as its still quicker than getting to LHR, Just.

It seems the best thing to do is continue to arrive late and rely on the ‘last call’ principle, when you can by-pass the queue completely. Not exactly public spirited, but I dont see how the airport management can have allowed the situation to deteriorate so badly.

BAA gets a lot of criticism, but I’ve never seen a shambles like this at LHR.

[gmartin]

Yes, LCY is a nightmare. Nearly two hours to clear security these days. Far longer than my other recent experiences at STN and LHR.

Not sure what the problem is… it has been getting increasingly worse since mid-November. I have my weekly flights booked from LCY until Easter. I am considering walking away from these and rebooking via LHR.

LCY has gone from being a great airport to the greatest nightmare – all in a few weeks.

[LuganoPirate]

It does depend on what time of day you fly. Early morning and evening are the worst, with the queue frequently stretching from security right along the upper level concourse and then back along the railing.

The thing that frustrates me the most though (and this is not unique to LCY) is despite waiting in line for ages, people arrive at the boarding pass / id check and then first have to go through their pockets/bag to locate their documents, wasting about 30secs.

Then they arrive at the conveyor belt and its empty pockets, belt off, watch off, coins out, computer out, mobile out, shoes off etc. This can take as much as a full minute – and still people buzz because they forgot the pen in their breast pocket!!!

With several hundred people you can see why the delays.
So here is the LuganoPirate solution to hassle free security: All documents in back pocket and whipped out as the person in front of me reaches the ID check. During the last 3 minutes in line I have transferred everything mentioned above to my blazer or the front pocket of my carry on bag (I no longer travel with a computer, just my iPhone). Then its bag and / or blazer onto conveyor, walk through, pick them up and transfer everything back to pockets etc.

Next, clothing. My flying attire for meetings are: Blazer, tailored chinos, shirt and tie. I wear Timberland shoes (no metal in those so I do not have to remove them) and instead of a belt I use braces which do not ring bells, and no-one asks me to remove them.

That’s it, I have not been stopped once by security in well over 50 flights and from reaching the mouth of the bag scanner to exiting the body scanner takes about 10 – 15 seconds and I’m on my way.

[LondonCityAirport]

We are sorry for the temporary disruption that you are currently experiencing at London City Airport. We want to explain the measures we are taking to resolve the situation as quickly as possible:

Security levels have significantly increased due to three main reasons:

-All London airports have had to intensify their processing at this period of heightened security.

-The increase of passenger volumes arriving by Docklands Light Railway.

-Increased use of online check-in.

These have resulted in volumes of passengers arriving at the same time, with a knock-on effect at passenger search.

We are responding to these new trends with the addition of two extra security lanes which will be in use by the end of February. This will increase capacity for security by 50%.

In addition and in order to accommodate an increase in passenger flow, we are expanding the departure lounge over the coming months, to provide more space and comfort which will enhance the customer experience at London City Airport.

In the meantime, please allow extra processing time for your journey. Staff are on hand to help and will assist passengers whose flights are on final call.

We apologise for the inconvenience these problems are causing our passengers, but please be assured that we are responding as quickly as possible.

London City Airport

[gmartin]

Dear LondonCityAirport,
Thank you for the reply. However I find your reply to be of little comfort given that I use LCY every week, pay a premium to do so (over LHR) and have had to deal with 1.5+ waiting in a chaotic Q system to clear security.

This is not a general UK airport problem as you suggest. I can assure you from experience this and last week that screening at LHR and STN is moving far faster than at LCY.

Given that the Q can now be in excess of an hour, will a 50 percent increase in capacity reduce processing time to just 30min? Is 30 min the new 2 minutes?

Also, can I say that the current two-track system is wrong: turn-up in good time and queue for over an hour, partly because people coming at the 15 min stage cut ahead of idiots like me who don’t want the stress of being pre security at ‘final-call.

Thank you.

[LuganoPirate]

I have to agree with you gmartin. Though not a user of LHR or STN the one time I used LHR last November I was through in 5 minutes. Having said that my flight was delayed 1 hour on the ground and I missed my connection home meaning a 3 hour train journey to Lugano. LHR – never again!

I appreciate the confimes in which LCY has to work, especially with regard to security.

However, LCY, you must have known more people would use the DLR, that’s why it was built and especially with the Woolwich extension it would automatically mean many more passengers arriving this way.

Then online check in. I think this is a lame excuse. This has been around for sometime now and the only difference is not having to stop at a desk.

I love LCY and will continue using it, especially as I can use “off peak” flights most of the time, but I think the real reason is you have become a victim of your own success and perhaps did not anticipate properly the effect the DLR would have on arriving passengers.

Why not have someone going down the line suggesting people have to hand their documents and pre-preparing for security as I mentioned in my previous post – this alone would speed things up.

Another proposal which could help, why not let people with no hand-baggage at all go straight to the metal detectors. They could grab a small container for their bits and pieces such as mobiles, coins, wallets and watches and out. On day trips I frequently travel like this to avoid long queues. And why not a dedicated lane for business and gold card holders? I hope these suggestions will be helpful?

[rupert_s]

@LondonCityAirport

After reading your response I have to say two of your answers are complete nonsense..

“The increase of passenger volumes arriving by Docklands Light Railway.”

What difference does it make how people arrive – if you had one A380 arrive once a day – sure I can see your problem – but a DLR arrives every 8 minutes, and I can assure that the queue doesn’t die down in 8 minutes

-“Increased use of online check-in.”

Honestly how can this impact going through a security scanner – This should be good news, less people need less check-in desks.

Real Problem?

Poor planning combined with greed and now we’re suffering. Too many flights without the security screening capacity to handle the passengers.

[StephenLondon]

What I think LCY needs to do is advertise more widely than a banner on their website that due to heightened security, check-in times will now close well ahead of departure. And, passengers arriving late will NOT be accommodated by being brought to the front of a security queue – it isn’t fair for those of us that plan, allow extra time and then have to wait whist “don’t you know I’m important” types are escorted thru quickly. It puts people off using LCY. Also, with greater security queues of late, I have not had any time to spend my hard-earned cash in the LCY shops, no doubt takings are down. Lastly, during peak hours, you may just have to cancel some flights, London City, as you are just not able to handle the volume. It is a shame as normally the airport has such a great reputation for speed and efficiency. To use the DLR and pre-printed boarding passes as an excuse is getting dangerously close to the old “wrong kind of snow” excuses on the railways…

[gmartin]

StephenLondon – well said. My feelings exactly. Too late for me – I was able to cancell all my flight ex LCY today. Agent said they were getting significant cancellations so maybe the invisible hand of the free market will work.

[VintageKrug]

It’s good to see LCY management posting on the BT Board, welcome.

LCY has very good management, especially when compared to BAA, and it is good to see the modest changes they are applying at Gatwick. Please keep up the impetus to improve there, as change is still needed!

It is good to hear that there will be a doubling of security capacity at LCY; airports need to plan now for increased traffic.

2009 was one of the worst reduced passenger volume years in recent history and this has given impression that capacity is adequate; a modest increase in business travellers in the New Year has exposed this.

I am disappointed by LCY’s reasoning for the delays.

It is quite clearly a failure to plan effectively; especially at LCY your frequent travellers see through poor excuses. A more straightforward “we goofed” would have been a better approach; a little honesty goes a long way!!

It’s easy for us as travellers to demand changes are made immediately, but airports are not regular environment, layout changes have to be approved for security and H&S reasons, screeners themselves must be security cleared and properly trained, in what is a high turnover role anyway.

The excellent points made about managing customers’ expectations properly is key to all this, and I would hope LCY would be in the vanguard of being honest with passengers, and helping them get the most out of this great little airport.

It is good to see LCY management acknowledge there is an issue, and are proactively taking steps to address them.

[Apollona]

Anyone who considers LHR or STN more efficient at security screening passengers or as having a faster check in service than LCY is misguided or lying.

LCY is the fastest airport in Greater London for checking in and just as important for disembarking. Where else can you clear customs and be in your train or car going home in less than 10 minutes? Look guys, LCY is being proactive because they are addressing the time required to clear security.

[gmartin]

“Anyone who considers LHR or STN more efficient at security screening passengers or as having a faster check in service than LCY is misguided or lying.”

Apollona, I am a little offended by this. My recent experience of security at LHR, STN AND LCY is that

STN is fastest – 7 min (with No 1 Lounge priority security line – can’t comment on regular line).

LHR Terminal 3 – 15 minutes (regular lanes)

LCY – 90 minutes.

LCY is no longer the fastest airport for going through security. Pure fact.

[VintageKrug]

Hopefully the additional two security lanes will return LCY back to its former reputation as the fast track businessperson’s airport.

[MarcusUK]

Indeed it is good to see an Airport management replying, something BAA rarely feels it needs to do.

LCY is a treasure of an Airport for London. It really holds a very different experience in all aspects of travel, & is rightly valued & appreciated. Even looking at the staff teams employed there in every service, the attitudes & atmosphere as well as quality, far outweighs LHR. It is a pleasure to travel through.

I tend to try to travel a little more in the off peak via LCY, so can’t say i have seen it so congested for security, but certainly the lounge & take off congestion has been a problem.
I am using it to start to Australia next week, & deliberately routed myself back via Amsterdam on the return, so i can land & have that 10 minute stress free exit from a long haul That only LCY seems to facilitate so well in London.

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