Quote:
Originally Posted by timberline742
Is this recent+? I had zero issues pre covid visiting a Wales and Scotland 5 - 8 years ago.
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Okay... got a minute?
I went through Heathrow twice last year March/May as a transit point to other destinations, 1 checked in bag. I'm an experienced air-traveler & willing to overlook occasional mishaps as part of a trip and don't express anger or impatience at airport employees who have to thanklessly deal with the public.
Leg #1: somebody at one of the several security/passport control checks apparently didn't take my face photo ( at least that is what I gleaned from eavesdropping on security personnel who weren't forthcoming on why my delay) so at the flight gate I was held up, as was the departing plane since my luggage had already beeen loaded on to it. I was standing outside the final security barrier for at least 25 minutes just being told "it will just be a few more minutes". Apparently they couldn't get in touch with someone who should've taken my pic for the security network - I had already gone through all the previous passport/security/customs stations that had taken more than 30 minutes iirc, without any problems. They were having problems getting hold of anyone in charge who could okay me & allow me, & the waiting plane, to depart.
Let me just add here that the security check points for carry-on items, wallets & belts etc, were absolutely mobbed & hundreds of passengers are herded into
very long lines leading to a dozen or so rather slow moving bottlenecks. And this was in March, the off-season.
Back near my departure gate... I seem to recall at some point they told me they had taken my bag off the plane in case I couldn't board, this is after 20 minutes of waiting right next to the plane, ready to board. Someone finally showed up, looked at my passport & the security computer terminal & after 10 seconds handed back my passport, pointed to the plane gangway and said "Okay".
Leg #2 May 2022: during this massively crowded transit stop, while putting all my carry-ons, belt, wallet, laptop, etc., in the tray on the conveyer belt & going into the x-ray "bubble" - hands above my head, nothing in my pockets... they had to do it again, and a third time & then asked me to wait on the side. I was confused & also concerned about all my belongings on the conveyer belt surrounded by lots of people. But I was calm & polite, they talked to someone who came over who was obviously a superior officer who then approached me and asked "Do you have a problem raising your hands?"
This confused me & I merely said I did it 3 times. She ignored this, asked if I would mind a physical examination and said follow these officers. I asked if I could get my belonging off the belt & she said don't worry someone would take care of them. I went with 2 young uniforms to the end of the massive checkpoint area, the door to our room was locked. What followed was about a 20 minute comedy routine of these guys trying to find out who had the key to the room & then trying to contact him only to find he was on a break.
I was in transit between flights to get back to the US, I had assumed that 90 minutes between flights on the same airline would be fine. By the time the fellow came off his tea break & handed over the keys, I got a quick twice-over from the guards, nice guys really, and was let go about 2 minutes after we got into the room. They disappeared immediately but I couldn't remember which of the dozen or so mobbed security lines had my belongings. The previous situ had focused all my attention at the time, not what line I was in.
So I'm walking around by myself... remember - the security guys just vanished after the exam, I'm checking out each of the dozen or so checkpoint belt areas when I see my carry-on bag & lap-top just sitting in cartons at the end of a crowded queue. My wallet, passport, etc had been jammed into my carry-on at the beginning of what I thought would be just a quick, routine annoyance. But they had been sitting out in the open in cartons for over 30 minutes while hundreds if not thousands of people walked by to travel far away without any more security checks (like for stolen bags!)
So at this point I'm getting angry but not trying to create a situation, plus I only have 15 minutes to make my flight. While gathering my stuff, putting away my laptop I see the original officer who pulled me out & I said "You told me someone would look after carry-ons but it's been sitting out in the open for over 30 minutes."
She lied and said they "just put it out" with a weary voice. I left it at that to catch my connection.
As it turned out my connection was in a different terminal that I had the take the train link to and at that terminal it was way at the far end, I ended up running my 70yo self as fast & as much as I could. I had gotten up in Madrid at 3:30am to grab this flight with an strikingly low first-class trans-atlantic fare that I got with FF points. I missed the flight by 15 minutes, they booked me on a flight 3 hours later, not in first-class but business was more than fine.
And I paid the extra British fees/taxes that they charge for this ineptitude.
Lesson is: Heathrow has
way too much transit/travel volume for the inadequate amount of security personnel employed & not enough carry-on/x-ray exam queues to handle the tens of thousands passing through their laborious process, even during off-season when the crush is less than summer.
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