Heathrow Blues

[turtlemichael]

We who have to deal with queues for security in Australian airports don't know how lucky we are. I've just transferred from T1 to T4 at LHR. The line to go through security took 75 minutes. The total transfer time was 100 minutes. I was in the Fast Track line as well. This is to go from one secure area to another. And the inspection was even more cursory than it is in Australia apart from the ferocious dragons tackling unfortunate punters with more than one carry on item .

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Agreed, my T3->T1 experience the previous week was the same. A fellow pax who coincidentally connecting to the same flight but had some luggage to check in made it through 40 minutes faster than me by going landside, even allowing for wait for bags! More on my blog Musings of The Global Traveller

 

[Dave Noble]

We who have to deal with queues for security in Australian airports don't know how lucky we are. I've just transferred from T1 to T4 at LHR. The line to go through security took 75 minutes. The total transfer time was 100 minutes. I was in the Fast Track line as well. This is to go from one secure area to another. And the inspection was even more cursory than it is in Australia apart from the ferocious dragons tackling unfortunate punters with more than one carry on item .

You were not going from a secure area to another. Since you had arrived from overseas, you were classed as not having cleared security, hence the security check

If people have more than 1 carry on, then they are doing their job well in stopping them

Dave

 

[NM]

You were not going from a secure area to another. Since you had arrived from overseas, you were classed as not having cleared security, hence the security check

It would be nice if airports trusted the security screening of other airports. The only way to get to places like LHR T4 arrivals is to have cleared another airport's security process. They just can't trust each other because each airport's security agency have to convince their local authorities that they are the best at doing the task.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

They do trust other airports' security arrangements, but only if that other airport is in the same country

T1 dom -> T3 at London Heathrow was a breeze because they trusted the security of the airport departed from.

 

[Alan in CBR]

While on the other hand, the Sydney International terminal doesn't even trust other domestic airports, since you have to pass through security after the bus transfer.

Of course to avoid this, they would have to redesign T1's landside to airside transfer such that security was first and immigration was second. Then the bus could deposit pax after security and before immigration. Can't see that happening just so a few transferring pax are spared one security check, but it would be nice.

 

[Keith009]

I read on FT that it can be better to clear immigration and HEX or walk over to the other terminal landside. I mean to try it next time if I can see that I'm going to be slaughtered by queues for the bus. For people connecting to T1 and traveling in J and above there's Zone R in T1 which ensures you avoid the general security lines.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

I read on FT that it can be better to clear immigration and HEX or walk over to the other terminal landside. I mean to try it next time if I can see that I'm going to be slaughtered by queues for the bus. For people connecting to T1 and traveling in J and above there's Zone R in T1 which ensures you avoid the general security lines.

Not always available. Remember BA isn't the only airline flying out of T1.

 

[Dave Noble]

It would be nice if airports trusted the security screening of other airports. The only way to get to places like LHR T4 arrivals is to have cleared another airport's security process. They just can't trust each other because each airport's security agency have to convince their local authorities that they are the best at doing the task.

There are a lot of countries and the screening process may not be as tight at some of them. Those arriving at the domestic area are trusted , those from elsewhere are retested. Seems pretty reasonable to me and hardly atypical.

Also stops people from turning up on a connecting flight with a kitchen sink or 2 as hand luggage

Dave

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Also stops people from turning up on a connecting flight with a kitchen sink or 2 as hand luggage

You'd think so, but it doesn't. Amazing how much carry on some folk at the FCC pre-queue had (before they were turned away).

 

[parsonstrish]

Agreed, my T3->T1 experience the previous week was the same. A fellow pax who coincidentally connecting to the same flight but had some luggage to check in made it through 40 minutes faster than me by going landside, even allowing for wait for bags! More on my blog Musings of The Global Traveller

Kiwi Flyer, you mentioned in your previous trip report FCC. Where is this centre? My limited experience of LHR is arrive and dep. ter. 4, but if I ever need to do interconnectiong terminals, would appreciate this info.
cheers, trish

 

[Keith009]

Not always available. Remember BA isn't the only airline flying out of T1.

Very true. I associate airports too readily with the biggest hub airline.

But for the forseeable future, all my departures from LHR T1 are on BA.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Kiwi Flyer, you mentioned in your previous trip report FCC. Where is this centre? My limited experience of LHR is arrive and dep. ter. 4, but if I ever need to do interconnectiong terminals, would appreciate this info.
cheers, trish

Flight connection centre is kinda in between terminals 1, 2 and 3. It is quite well signposted. In any terminal, if you've reached immigration then you have gone too far.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Very true. I associate airports too readily with the biggest hub airline.

I'm guilty of that too.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

FCC is connected by passages to T1 & T2, and by bus ride to T3 & T4 (and T5 when it opens).

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

I found this map, which may help (although not to scale). The maps on BAA website are hopeless - focus is on where all the shops are

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

I think this map of Heathrow is better. FCC is the wide bit on T2 that bends towards T1.

 

[turtlemichael]

You were not going from a secure area to another. Since you had arrived from overseas, you were classed as not having cleared security, hence the security check

Maybe, but I think you knew what I meant :-|

If people have more than 1 carry on, then they are doing their job well in stopping them Dave

And they'd be doing their job even better if it was more widely publicised that what you can carry through a UK checkpoint is different from most others. I also don't understand that you can't carry a separate purse but you can carry a separate computer.

My main comments are that
1. there were a totally inadequate number of X ray machines for the number of people trying to get through mid-afternoon
2. that the place was in utter chaos in that there were sort of barriers outside to make people form queues but the volume of people caused this system be trampled
3. despite the hoo-hah over liquids no one looked at my 100ml packs, or indeed anybody else's that I saw,
4 that the guy in front of me was still able to walk through with his water bottle in his hand
5 The BA fast track line is a joke
6.that by the apparent total lack of interest by BAA staff in actually enforcing security by thorough checking and considerablly more interest in enforcing petty rules ("stand in that line", "keep moving", "you can't carry your wallet in your hand!"), I reckon I am right that we are lucky in OZ

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

1. there were a totally inadequate number of X ray machines for the number of people trying to get through mid-afternoon
2. that the place was in utter chaos in that there were sort of barriers outside to make people form queues but the volume of people caused this system be trampled
3. despite the hoo-hah over liquids no one looked at my 100ml packs, or indeed anybody else's that I saw,
4 that the guy in front of me was still able to walk through with his water bottle in his hand
5 The BA fast track line is a joke
6.that by the apparent total lack of interest by BAA staff in actually enforcing security by thorough checking and considerablly more interest in enforcing petty rules ("stand in that line", "keep moving", "you can't carry your wallet in your hand!"), I reckon I am right that we are lucky in OZ

FCC has enough screening stations (I think), but always seems to have just the 2 open whenever I pass through (at busy time of day).

On my latest visit we had pre-queues to join the pre-queue! If they'd taken some staff who just stood there yelling at people, and put them on screening stations, the queues would be shorter.

 

[Dave Noble]

Maybe, but I think you knew what I meant :-|

I was pointing out that as far as the UK Security is concerned, that you were not going from one secure area to another but from an insecure area to a secure area and so the security check is quite valid and reasonable. Australia has the same situation; if you connect international-international at Sydney, you are required to pass through security in exactly the same maner

And they'd be doing their job even better if it was more widely publicised that what you can carry through a UK checkpoint is different from most others. I also don't understand that you can't carry a separate purse but you can carry a separate computer.

My main comments are that
1. there were a totally inadequate number of X ray machines for the number of people trying to get through mid-afternoon
2. that the place was in utter chaos in that there were sort of barriers outside to make people form queues but the volume of people caused this system be trampled
3. despite the hoo-hah over liquids no one looked at my 100ml packs, or indeed anybody else's that I saw,
4 that the guy in front of me was still able to walk through with his water bottle in his hand
5 The BA fast track line is a joke
6.that by the apparent total lack of interest by BAA staff in actually enforcing security by thorough checking and considerablly more interest in enforcing petty rules ("stand in that line", "keep moving", "you can't carry your wallet in your hand!"), I reckon I am right that we are lucky in OZ

I think that the UK rules have been pretty well publicised tbh; also on the CX flight I was on on friday to LHR, they warned about the issue

The reported problems of queues at LHR is an issue which needs to be addressed. Having security is all fine but they do need to get it running at a reasonable speed; it sounds like it is as bad as some US airports that I have seen ( I have yet to do a connection at LHR , my trips are nearly always O/D in UK)

The only reason that you can take a laptop as a separate item is that it has to be removed from the hand luggage to go through the X-Ray machine ( as per Australia )

Dave