I hate Sydney (airport security) international

[TomVexille]

I still think LHR T3 is the worst I have experienced. But SYD is definitely in the top few of worst experiences. The time Mrs Oatek and I decided to take a Christmas pudding to the family in London a few years back sticks in my mind. Obviously the guy on the scanner thought is was a dodgy organic lump, and the security guy appointed to search was a complete basxx_d. But the pud still tasted darn good on Christmas day in London.

Thanks for reminding me, LHR T3 and T5 were possible the two worst I've ever experienced.

 

[Guvner]

Being Melbourne based I rarely go the Sydney Intl. An experience I had at LHR T5 sticks out though

Was transiting LHR on a SIN>BIL trip a few years back. Had to go through the xrays etc.
The guy who inspected the bags was possibly the smarmiest, most inane and power crazed moron I have ever encountered.
He knew everyone in the queue were off the BA16 flight as it was the only one there at the time and were all heading to other EU flights. He deliberately slowed everyone down as much as possible, told anyone who dares speak to "Shutup and wait" and proceeded to unwrap and unfold and undo every single thing in everyone's bags. It was torturous. I swear I was no more than 30 seconds from jumping the table and belting him.

Fortunately one of the people who had been through walked up to a supervisor and pointed out the obvious, which was that 5 staff were standing around doing nothing while one checked the whole queue. I think she was shamed in to putting a few more on because we we were all staring at her.

After we got through the jerk said smugly, "enjoy your flight". Boy did I have to bite my tongue...

 

[AIRwin]

But the pud still tasted darn good on Christmas day in London.

Exploded with flavours...

 

[Daver6]

What makes you think they have any influence?

Common sense

 

[dajop]

MEL usually has quite pleasant staff. The two cities aren't that different, is just the extra passenger load that makes SYD worse in staff attitude?

My beef with MEL is the useless express lane. The way it is set up the explosives screen alongside the express lane and before xray screening, and as a result there is a tendency to take passengers for screening from the express lane. OK, it only takes 60 secs or so, but simultaneously they drag a dozen or so passengers across from the regular queue who jump in front of you, and so the explosives screen seems to add a good 5 mins or more to the process ... first world problem I know, but strange they don't have it after screening, like just about everywhere else.

 

[kookaburra75]

Thanks for reminding me, LHR T3 and T5 were possible the two worst I've ever experienced.

And there are a few other airports I can think of as well. As mentioned by others I 'just go with the flow', but what gets up my nose is that the security people who behave like, can't be focusing on what they are really supposed to be doing.

Although once when coming back from NZ with some gifts for my daughter, and my bag went through the xray machine they all stopped, stared, went a bit pale and stepped away from the monitors very quickly. I forgot how much scented glycerin soaps fluoresce on the xray screen. I don't know why that amused me, it just did

 

[Deleted member]

Where was the QF person in all this and why didn't they speak up on your behalf? What a coughpy experience though

He didn’t make a fuss, but he did say we should make a very strongly worded complaint. He felt the behaviour of the security people was “disgusting “. But he is subject to the same bullying as us.

 

[Deleted member]

I too like most of you “Go with the flow”. My beef is that Sydney seems to set out to be obstructive and rude.

 

[ALH]

Common sense

“Common Sense ain’t Common” - Will Rogers

 

[Ralphie]

I hate transiting through Sydney. It’s always a painful experience either going out or coming in.

We’ve started flying to Syd the night before rather than connect in one day when we head OS, so we can have longer to get through immigration/security, and will change trip arrangements to ensure we fly back through Melbourne.

 

[ALH]

I hate transiting through Sydney. It’s always a painful experience either going out or coming in.

We’ve started flying to Syd the night before rather than connect in one day when we head OS, so we can have longer to get through immigration/security, and will change trip arrangements to ensure we fly back through Melbourne.

Yes. We mostly fly to a Sydney the night before, so we can arrive refreshed and have a more relaxing experience in the FLounge. I’m leaning more towards flying out of Brisbane or Melbourne from now on.

 

[Austman]

Reminds me of a time at HNL where the TSA agent tried to make me go one way with my bag on a different X-ray belt. I politely reminded him that the TSA guidelines advise you should keep an eye on your belongings at all times. He relented.

This happened to me in SYD last year. I was not happy!

I was selected for a body scan and was made to remove my wallet and travel documents and place them in a x-ray tray and then return to the body scanner. The tray could not be seen from the scanner. You have to stand in the machine in a certain way which was, in my case, facing the opposite direction to the x-ray machine.

Once back in the scanner they needed to re-calibrate it. This caused several minutes delay. I became very concerned about my out-of-sight possessions.

By the time I was processed and rushed over to the x-ray belt, a passenger had taken my wallet out of the tray and was handing it to a person she thought owned it!

The whole process was very rudely handled with no care whatsoever for the passenger's concerns.

I did say something.

 

[mel-world]

I also actively plan to avoid SYD if I possibly can, despite the extra destinations not offered even from MEL and some superior lounges.
At least you were not at ICN yesterday after the Winter Olympic Games where everyone had winter boots to remove and put on after scanning, big coats to scan, the most hand luggage I have seen for a long time and 'extra' screening procedures due to the Olympics. I was in J and could join an accredited media line but the normal line was out past the 'expect to wait 2+ hours from this point'. Not something you would want to do everyday.
My main concern in MEL is the aircrew who suddenly appear in front of me in the only 'Express' security lane just as I am about to go thru. Once had three crews appear between me and the scanner. They are quick and well organised though.

 

[drron]

I dont mind SYD as I always get the body scanner there.Sometimes some passive aggression making me wait but usually straight forward.But Australian ports aren't great if a disability.Virtually all OS ports we transited when mrsdrron had her moonboot were much better with the exception of ABZ which was the worst.
But I agree with Oatek that T3 LHR is the worst.Strip searched for no reason when transiting LHR-we had to change terminals.

 

[Milboo]

Isn’t it funny how we all have very different experiences. 15 years of flying in and out of Sydney and I have never had a bad experience with security or border force (back in the days you had to go through people not gates). The service security gave me when I was in a wheelchair was great.

 

[kermatu]

MEL usually has quite pleasant staff. The two cities aren't that different, is just the extra passenger load that makes SYD worse in staff attitude?

My beef with MEL is the useless express lane. The way it is set up the explosives screen alongside the express lane and before xray screening, and as a result there is a tendency to take passengers for screening from the express lane. OK, it only takes 60 secs or so, but simultaneously they drag a dozen or so passengers across from the regular queue who jump in front of you, and so the explosives screen seems to add a good 5 mins or more to the process ... first world problem I know, but strange they don't have it after screening, like just about everywhere else.

Agree. Plus any aircrew, or airport staff also jump straight to the front of this line. Pretty useless as a priority lane.

 

[TomVexille]

This happened to me in SYD last year. I was not happy!

I was selected for a body scan and was made to remove my wallet and travel documents and place them in a x-ray tray and then return to the body scanner. The tray could not be seen from the scanner. You have to stand in the machine in a certain way which was, in my case, facing the opposite direction to the x-ray machine.

Once back in the scanner they needed to re-calibrate it. This caused several minutes delay. I became very concerned about my out-of-sight possessions.

By the time I was processed and rushed over to the x-ray belt, a passenger had taken my wallet out of the tray and was handing it to a person she thought owned it!

The whole process was very rudely handled with no care whatsoever for the passenger's concerns.

I did say something.

I would have been demanding a supervisor and have made complaints to airport management that their contractors are failing in their duty of care.

 

[RooFlyer]

Thanks for reminding me, LHR T3 and T5 were possible the two worst I've ever experienced.

T3 I knew about (and have suffered through) but T5? Arrrgh! I have several trips through there coming up.

made complaints to airport management

This can be done. After a particularly bad experience a few years back, I loaded both barrels of my word processor and sent complaints to several layers of the (SYD) airport management and the security contractor (was a bit tricky to find that).

I got what I think was a sincere and constructive reply from both of them.

 

[VPS]

I came through Wellington domestic a couple of days ago and they had a woman there who was super friendly and helpful advising people and helping through. A very pleasant way to go through

 

[daft009]

to be honest I think it really depends on the staff on the day.
though not sure why they don't have set procedures in place which can be repeated.
there aren't too many scenarios they need to remember.

In Oct 2017 we had our 8mo in a pram and we too used the wheelchair/special lane at SYD international and everyone was great!
Both my wife & myself went through with our bub, no mention of separating us etc.
I was highly impressed and thought to myself travelling with a bub is pretty good if its all smooth as this.

They did want to scan the empty pram separately as well, which was not an issue