[Anonymous]

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

Merry Christmas everyone, just a quick update for anyone using T5 today, it is very busy and you may wish to allow some extra time for security – make sure to take your e-book reader out and place it with your laptop for scanning.

Just done a flight connections at T5 (around noon), there were significant queues – 15 mins to get to the scanner in the fast track channel.

They’ve also changed the rules, but aren’t making it public.

Take out e-book readers or you will have every item removed from your bag and rescanned, which happened to me.

Total time through security was 45 minutes, as it took an age to process all the bags pulled with the new rule.

[ConstantFlyer1]

Moral of this story? As always, if at all possible, avoid changing planes at Heathrow.

[first_class_please]

Ebook readers have a hard dive so should always be considered as a laptop, at least that was what I was told the first time I left it in my bag.

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

first_class_please

Whoever told you that is a cretin, as most ereaders do not have hard drives (not sure what that has to do with it, anyway), but they do now have to be scanned separately.

[DanDare1975]

All of the common e-book readers that I am aware of use flash RAM storage rather than a hard disk drive. I am not sure I understand the logic of why e-book readers and iPads have to be scanned separately and smartphones don’t. Can anyone else shed any light on this?

[MartynSinclair]

Moral of the story is for passengers to take less hand baggage!

[Binman62]

Moral of the story is that BAA continue not to have a clue…..I went through t5 last Thursday…..it was a breeze but I had iPad in hand baggage as a gift and the recipient travelling with me….Advised them and it was allowed to remain in bag.
It is the inconsistent nature of using LHR that causes the most grief and the rules change depending on who is on duty.

[LuganoPirate]

I know the inconsistency seems irrational, but on reflection, perhaps that’s the whole point. The inconsistency actually makes the whole security process less draconian since the baddies cannot assume that iPads etc will always go through unchecked.

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

Lugano

I can’t agree.

Surely there is a reasonable balance to be struck and it is failing at the moment.

The 45 minutes I lost yesterday could have made me miss a tight connection (60 minutes is the minimum time intra T5) and this is simply unacceptable.

When I took it up in the lounge, there was a fatalistic acceptance and no duty manager was available to talk to me.

So I used BA’s wifi to book 3 x J class returns with other airlines, transiting outside the UK.

Enough is enough.

[JordanD]

Odd this: only because I’ve been through T5 twice this week.

First time was on Saturday, at 11am (so morning peak on the busy weekend before Christmas). Went through Security North (only because I didn’t want to walk to the south end of the terminal). Yes there was a wait, but including queuing and a delay whilst the passenger in front of me took of her high heeled boots, I was through in under 12 minutes.

Second time was Wednesday night around 7pm. An Op Up to CW meant I went through Security South Fast Track – although as it was quiet the BAA man directed me to a quieter non-fast track scanner, and I was through in less than 3 minutes, with no queue needed. Only length of time was to take out my laptop and iPad (which I hadn’t kept handy as I normally take them out in the queue).

I don’t doubt you had a tough time DoS, but I struggle to see it bad if both my experiences this week were so good.

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

JordanD

Binman sums it up “It is the inconsistent nature of using LHR that causes the most grief and the rules change depending on who is on duty.”

You went through twice in 17 minutes, my one transit took nearly three times as long, inconsistency personified.

[SimonS1]

Doesn’t Binman’s post say it all. We all have to pull our iPads etc out, unless it’s a gift when hey ho it can remain in bag. Shows what a farce the whole thing is.

[VintageKrug]

Through in two minutes last week; supposedly the busiest travelling day of the year.

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

“Doesn’t Binman’s post say it all. We all have to pull our iPads etc out, unless it’s a gift when hey ho it can remain in bag. Shows what a farce the whole thing is.”

I went through the day after Binman and left my e-reader in my bag, with no problem, so I guess the rules had not changed then.

If they want to change the rules, I have no problem with that, but what I have a big problem with is being delayed because they don’t make it clear.

This is the current info on the BAA site

Bag screening

All cabin baggage will be X-ray screened.
Place laptops and large electrical items separately in a tray.
Put coins, keys, mobile phones and other small items in your coat or hand baggage.
Place your hand baggage and coat into a tray.
Place any liquid items (important: see Liquids above), correctly bagged, into the tray.
Pushchairs and walking aids will be X-ray screened.
Wheelchairs will be thoroughly searched.

So it appears that e-readers are now classified as large electrical devices, whereas they were not treated that way before.

As a frequent, professional, traveller, I find this behaviour by the authorities to be reprehensible, as they threaten people’s flight connections by failing to give them sufficient information and that could cost people a serious amount of money in booking new flights, to say nothing of the consequential losses caused to business people.

Utterly crap and typical of the UK.

[Author]

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