Terminal 5 security – December 1, 2014

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Viewing 15 posts - 31 through 45 (of 86 total)

  • seasonedtraveller
    Participant

    Thankfully this week, I am flying direct from MAN to PHI.

    I absolutely hate LHR Terminal 5 security – it has become a real bugbear for me and of late, it has become the worst aspect of any journey back to the UK from North America. A recent LAX / ORD / LHR / LBA with BA was excellent UNTIL the arrival at LHR and subsequent cattle like stampede, awful crowded train from ‘C’ to ‘A’ and then……bloody hell, no…..the so called ‘fast track’ security…. where the queue was stuck at the head of the escalator causing absolute chaos on the escalator itself – bordering on dangerous in my opinion


    seasonedtraveller
    Participant

    Quote from – esselle

    Overhead one security guy say to his colleague “dem birds were amazin innit”.

    Aah, the delicacy of Shakesperian English language in all it’s glory 😉


    K1ngston
    Participant

    seasoned traveller or of course the “triggers” employed by HAL from OFAH fame …… Could be worse these “people” could be the face of Great Britain only in England!!!!


    MartynSinclair
    Participant

    On a positive note, the security operatives manning the machines, were very professional this evening (7th Dec 14) and managed to keep the flow going.

    However, the transit area, up the escalator is a pure farce. Fast Track was really Slow Track and I was told to go to the Family Line … uhhhh!

    The Q’s are getting longer, but people are being moved quicker……

    I noticed the singular body scanner. Is that for show or is it intended to work.? How many are intended for T5?


    GreenScot
    Participant

    My main issue with T5 security is their system seems very sensitive. I have had my bag pulled across for an extra check evey time in my 6 visits to T5 in 3 months. And only once was there a problem where I had missed some lipbalm at the bottom of the bag.

    Until Friday 5th Dec time I have then had to wait at least 20 mins due to the queue for further bag inspections and each time there have been staff standing around doing nothing in other lanes which has frustrated me immensely.

    So on Friday 5th at 4pm and I groaned and the tray with my bad moved across to the line of trays awaiting further check someone young and clearly caring about her customers was taking said trays to lanes where the staff weren’t doing anything. I was impressed with her bolshiness as she basically was telling her colleagues to help (she was wearing the same uniform so I assume not any more senior) and they seemed to respond. So clearly they have had customer service and common sense drummed into them in the past 4 weeks. I hope they keep it up well, except the pulling of my bag over for inspection, this time the scanner didn’t like my clear box of business cards…


    cbroo79
    Participant

    T5 is just bad when it comes to security, but guys when u start from T5 it is not the worse, try connecting… First u stand forever in line of the boarding pass checkpoint, then in line to get on the escalator and then in front of one of only two machines for screening. They call that fasttrack! Ha!? Must be some British humor I do not get. Btw, only when you are right in front they ask u to scan your boarding pass to check on how muchtime it takes to get through security… At that point Inhave normally already waited for 20-30 min! T5 is truly not working as a connecting hub.


    JordanD
    Participant

    Data point: South Security Fast track, 0540hrs this morning (08 Dec). Time from joining queue to overcoat on and bags packed and leaving the search area was 6mins 22 seconds.

    I’ve been through faster, but I’ve been through a lot slower.


    fatbear
    Participant

    50 minutes to get through security at Lyon Airport Terminal 1 yesterday. Its the non-Schengen terminal.

    The evening BA flight leaves at roughly at the same time as 5 other flights. So about 800-1000 passengers to get through only one body scanner and two conveyer belts.

    Add in the elderly passengers in wheelchairs, and young families with babies and strollers, and just about everyone was setting over the scanner and having to take their shoes off…….


    KarlMarx
    Participant

    Just gone through T2 security fast track (0645),


    canucklad
    Participant

    NATs to that, and I bet you that will be high on their excuse list,even though 40 flights and their passengers aren’t in the normal mix.


    JordanD
    Participant

    Further data point – the work at South Security appears to have created two extra Fast Track security lanes, both of which appear to be equipped with the Full Body Scanners. These are in addition to the 3 Fast Track lanes at South Security.

    Today (0540hrs) was through in a shade over 5 mins, most of that caused by a full pat down. Which was bizarre as I was wearing the same suit, cufflinks and shoes as last Monday … when it didn’t go off.


    seasonedtraveller
    Participant

    Happy to say that, on my last 2 UK inbound flights, I’ve avoided LHR ‘slowtrack’ completely, by flying directly into Manchester terminal 3.

    Off the aircraft quickly & through security in 5 mins – from door open to luggage carousel, 10 mins flat – perfect…..

    Then I had to wait 35 minutes for my checked bag!!


    cbroo79
    Participant

    Today in the morning transit from Int arrival in T5B gates to T5A gates. 45 min through fastrack (plus transfer from B to A)!! Almost missed my plane. The claimed to have 3 Fastrack lanes open upstairs, but there was nothing fast about them. In normal lane the lines were outside of the main area back to the escalator where you come from transgfer train – that must be more than an hour to just see the first check point.
    That terminal is a mess when transferring!


    MartynSinclair
    Participant

    Went through BKK and HKG last night… what a breeze and the staff all professional and thorough as well as polite.

    Welcome back to T5!.. Fast Track, 1 lady at the top of the stairs, with her back to the escalators, having no care in ensuring the lanes were being properly managed. We chose to come out of the Fast Track lane and go towards to far end.

    Saw new lane being opened.. so a few of us just dived under the ‘barrier’ and we’re all met with a barrage of abuse from a jobsworth, who insisted “or else you will not be going anywhere” that we leave the Q.. and enter the security lane in the correct fashion…. oh….. there was nobody ahead of us…..!!!!

    Always assured a warm and lovely welcome home in T5….


    KennyK14
    Participant

    Connecting to domestic flights in T5 is the worst.

    They removed Fast Track earlier this year, so you have to queue sometimes up to 15 minutes to see the 1st BA person (at this point, I occasionally find that “the system” has moved to a later flight, even though it is at least 50 mins before my scheduled next departure.

    Then the passport queue can easily take 20 mins to ½ hour, especially as non-EU/EEA passport holders seem to join the wrong queue all the time.

    Then, of course, there is the time it takes to go through security, where anyone who says they have a short connection is directed to the (already) long Fast Track queue.

    Only twice have I experienced a smooth transfer at T5…

Viewing 15 posts - 31 through 45 (of 86 total)
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