[LaundryMan]

This link on the BBC web just sums it up

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-60778493

[AMcWhirter]

This from the BBC today.

Manchester aiport has apologised to passengers after huge queues led to some missing their flights. Some people waited 3 hours in security queues. The airport says it saw more passengers than expected, and up to 60% of bags were rejected because they contained restricted items. pic.twitter.com/88XuNwAzjV

— BBC North West (@BBCNWT) March 17, 2022

[DavidSmith2]

BBC now picked up on today’s chaos… https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-60778493

[SimonS1]

As many as 60% of bags rejected at security? Something is seriously wrong here….the Government should intervene.

I’m told Weds night Emirates flight left over 2 hours late due to some passengers queueing over 3 hours at security.

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/manchester-airport-staff-asked-volunteer-23435975

[Vistaro]

In my experience security at MAN is almost too strict (I realise that you can argue this both ways!) I’ve been pulled many times for what I consider to be trivial items in my hand luggage that have been through several airports with no problems, eg last month MAN spotted a small scent bottle in my laptop bag from an Etihad amenity pack, I hadn’t flown Etihad for 5 years and it must have gone through over a hundred airports in that time (probably including MAN) without issue, it had somehow found its way into to the lining and I was completely unaware (again I realise it’s my fault and it shouldn’t have been there), whilst it’s clearly good they can spot things I think you can also argue that they are perhaps too keen! I’ve also found that at MAN my cabin bag gets pulled significantly more often because there’s too many charger bits in it and they want to have a look, I’m all for security, I just feel it needs to reflect the risk. The bottom line is MAN is one of my worst airport experiences globally and I include most of the African airports in that comment, MAN is in many ways more third world world than first world – must have the most steps without escalators in the world!

[TominScotland]

How can an airport handle more passengers than expected unless lots of folks are rolling up at the airport and booking flights on arrival? Airlines know exactly who is going to fly so it is a simple matter of sharing information? Or am I being over simplistic…..

3 users thanked author for this post.

cwoodward, Jacob, Vistaro

[alistairNicoll]

Tom in Scotland. No you are not being simplistic and I have said the same elsewhere. This is about the quality of the airport management who are only interested in the bottom line and not customers.

Like Vistaro says I have never seen ALL the travellators from the station to the terminal working let alone all the ones in the terminal

If I want to catch a national express coach from I have to pay a fee on top of the ticket (so far the same is not true for the train)

often premium security (why is there none when I arrive) you will find that they merge before the scanners and you have no priority

I used to arrive on Etihad in the early morning and business class passengers would find as soon as they got off the plane they were help for 10 minutes or so because the plane on the next stand was boarding (fine if it had been a one off for operational reasons but it was a daily occurrence according to staff)

[miningguy]

My colleague has just this morning gone through security…..a full hour of queueing.

As I am NW based I travel through Manchester reguarly. I have become convinced that there is an issue with the effective staffing of their security. As an example (during peak pandemic) myself and literally dozens of passengers + the KLM crew queued for over an hour as the numerous security staff (slowly) searched what seemed like almost every bag. This has happened to me time and time again where there appears to be no shortage of staff but just a general poor attitude/slow approach to getting through a backlog – with dozens of bags including often mine being rejected for what appears to be no reason. The conspiracy theorist might think they get a bonus for bag searches? I’m sure thats far fetched but it certainly feel like it during the 59th minute of queueing.

I understand the need for security but I literally do not know another airport in a wealthy country where the security process seems so slow. I believe the issue is responsivenes (or motivation) of staff as well as numbers on certain occassions.

[alistairNicoll]

miningguy Unfair to blame the staff it is down to the management who have as I have said on numerous occasions no concept of customer service

Perhaps if they were forced to pay compensation to anyone queuing longer than 15 minutes off peak and 30 minutes peak they might just do something

[SimonS1]

I came back through Bratislava last weekend. It seems the technology there is sufficient that there was no need to take out laptops or liquids/gels from bags. I only took off my coat and belt. As you can imagine the whole process was fairly rapid.

[MartynSinclair]

[quote quote=1207133]I came back through Bratislava last weekend. It seems the technology there is sufficient that there was no need to take out laptops or liquids/gels from bags.[/quote]

I thought LHR was testing similar equipment OR is covid being blamed for the delay.

Two years of inactivity at most UK airports – it’s not as if they didn’t have the time!

[Montysaurus]

SimonS1 – ditto Amsterdam and the last time I departed there was 2019 so they have had the system for at least 4 years.

[AMcWhirter]

Manchester airport to reopen Terminal 3 on March 27

More issues at MAN. T3 was supposed to open next week as we have already reported.

But an alert posted on the airport’s website says “Terminal 3. All flights will be operating from T1 until further notice.”

On another travel site it’s reported that there are technical issues meaning that T3 will remain closed to travellers until at least end April.

Meanwhile the airport’s MD Karen Smart admitted to the BBC that “long queues will continue for several weeks due to staff shortages.”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-60859993

[K1ngston]

I have lived outside of the UK for 15 years or so and until COVID travelled back 2-3 times a year at least to see family and friends and have once since COVID. Every time I come back to the UK I am amazed at the archaic and outdated way the airport (mainly LHR and either Term 2, 3 or 5) operates, the queuing into a supposedly 1st world country and the fact as is with the stiff British upper lip people dont say anything

Some examples, back from TLV 2am queued up for 2 hours as all electronic gates closed…. WTF!
Arrive T4 with my husband who is a Singaporean, were informed he couldn’t use e gates which is incorrect he queued for 3 hours to go through Immigration and I was warned for questioning why it was taking so long!

Waiting for luggage in T5 is a joke even with Premium tags on the bags always more than 45 mins waiting for bags, even in some of the darker holes of airports in this part of the world the experience is far better!!

Security at T5 is dreadful and not much better at LGW where the rules differ, Gatwick leave your laptop in the bag LHR take it out, question and get a warning message for arguing with the officers..

Manchester is being highlighted but the whole process of arriving into the UK is flawed, and anyone arriving for the first time into he country must think what is this?

My point every UK airport is unfit for purpose why would we think a provincial airport like Manchester would be any better???

[K1ngston]

In my opinion no UK airport is fit for purpose, having lived outside the UK for 15 years now I have traveled back to the UK many times looking as a tourist more so than a resident and the airports are old, shoddy, very poorly managed and run and frankly embarrassing when queueing up to go through immigration when all the e gates are closed and having to wait for border guards to deal with the crus.

Add in the debacle which is security particularly in T5 and overall the experience is second rate and a very poor reflection on the UK as people try to get in and out!!

Some examples over the years:
1. Arrive into LGW at 2am from TLV on very delayed flight, all e gates closed and must have been 3K people queuing to go through 2 booths, and when I had the temerity to question why the e gates were closed I was told to shut up or get to the back of the queue …. charming!!
2. Arrived into T3 on QR with my husband who is a Singaporean, he was told (wrongly it transpired) that he couldn’t use the e gates with me so he would have to go with everyone else, I offered to go through and get the bags and wait… and wait I did for nearly 4 hours whilst everyone was processed. I have been to Dhaka (probably the worst airport ever) and been processed faster even having to pay for the privelage to enter! Apparently it was a shit show in the hall and there was no apology and again when I questioned the authorities as to what was happening I was effectively told to shut up or I could make it worse for my husband….
3. Security at T5 3 days after flying through LGW where I was told I didn’t have to take out my laptop and tablet and therefore assumed (I know never do that) it was the same so put my bags through with the laptop and tablet in there and I was vocally assaulted by somme jobsworth in a uniform and told that I would have to go back to the beginning of the queue. As I was in the wrong and had committed the worst crime of assuming uniformity I went back removed the offending items and then the same guy had me take everything out of my bags….. anyways after I refused and questioned him his boss came and defused the situation and agreed that he was being bloody minded.

There are many more examples but dont want to bore everyone, Manchester being a smaller regional airport is just part of a much larger problem which nobody seems to want to address IMHO

[Author]

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