Transiting LHR? Watch your LAG's!

[get me outta here]

A bit OP, but just transited LHR and they were very strict on amount of 'liquids'. The officer did a valiant job of trying to arrange my potions into a very small plastic bag for scanning. The amount had almost doubled due to all the nice things I had acquired on my two F flights. The officer had to confiscate one small container. Luckily, I had already gifted both my bottles of Ferragamo perfume to the lovely SQ FA - hope she got to keep them.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

Re: Lounge Access LHR on Arrival

A bit OP, but just transited LHR and they were very strict on amount of 'liquids'. The officer did a valiant job of trying to arrange my potions into a very small plastic bag for scanning. The amount had almost doubled due to all the nice things I had acquired on my two F flights. The officer had to confiscate one small container. Luckily, I had already gifted both my bottles of Ferragamo perfume to the lovely SQ FA - hope she got to keep them.

They are anally retentive about this at LHR. They also insist everything fits into one of their zip lock bags, not your zip lock bag.
Theirs are much smaller than the 1 litre bag cited in the rules.

 

[pagingjoan]

Re: Lounge Access LHR on Arrival

They are anally retentive about this at LHR. They also insist everything fits into one of their zip lock bags, not your zip lock bag.
Theirs are much smaller than the 1 litre bag cited in the rules.

Agree. It is really annoying. The standard size zip lock bags that satisfy requirements all over the world, fall foul at LHR - but not always.
Which makes it even more irritating, really.

In my experience, T3 is more likely to pull this stunt than any of the other terminals.
Can anyone confirm or refute, from their experience?

I should keep notes, so that I can decide when it is better to accept the inconvenience of re-bagging in advance, depending on which terminal.

T5, in transit, is odds on to confiscate airline amenity kits that are in addition to the L&G bag.
Again, in my experience.

 

[get me outta here]

Re: Lounge Access LHR on Arrival

My experience was at T3.

Agree. It is really annoying. The standard size zip lock bags that satisfy requirements all over the world, fall foul at LHR - but not always.
Which makes it even more irritating, really.

In my experience, T3 is more likely to pull this stunt than any of the other terminals.
Can anyone confirm or refute, from their experience?

I should keep notes, so that I can decide when it is better to accept the inconvenience of re-bagging in advance, depending on which terminal.

T5, in transit, is odds on to confiscate airline amenity kits that are in addition to the L&G bag.
Again, in my experience.

 

[pagingjoan]

Re: Lounge Access LHR on Arrival

My experience was at T3.

Thank you.
Another data point.

Whoops!
Just realised that this is wandering way off topic.
Apologies.

 

[Danger]

Re: Lounge Access LHR on Arrival

I, too, have suffered the wrath of T5 LAG police. A year or so ago I arrived into LHR after flying with QR from Perth and Doha. I had about eight amenity kits and there was no way I was going to give up the tiny bottles of Acqua di Gio. I passed through again a few days ago and had no issue. Although I didn't have a small haul of kits this time I did have little tubes of toothpaste, moisturiser, lip balm etc. No one battered an eyelid this time.

(Incidentally, that was after I landed in LHR in transit. But BA was having a major system issue that day and connections were backed up. I gambled and decided to cross the border using Fast Track. The gamble didn't pay off as it was equally as long, if not longer. Fast Track was manned by only two border agents which, as an airport official pointed out to an irate passenger, is due to BA only paying for that many staff; it has nothing to with Customs itself.)

Thank you.
Another data point.

Whoops!
Just realised that this is wandering way off topic.
Apologies.

Well there's a specific thread on lounge access so the whole thread could be considered off-topic.

 

[juddles]

Re: Lounge Access LHR on Arrival

Great for the tips re LAG. "Hopefully" (if an upgrade comes in) I will be transitting LHR next month after an F QF flight - and I want to keep amenities kit for my +1. Will make sure I carry nothing of my own.

So fully justifiable as on-topic, I am assuming a QFF WP arriving on a J (or F) ticket from Australia, to connect to a Star Alliance flight, has zero on-arrival lounge access options? I am sure the answer is no, but want to be sure.

 

[boomy]

Transit at LHR... Probably the worst transit experience. Long queues, rude staff and ridiculous LAG policy. Just last week I've transferred with 4XF amenity kits all sealed (gifts for friends) and had to open them. The person who checked my bag couldn't care less and even said it's my fault as I should have thought about it earlier and check-in those items. A bit hard to do that when someone is connecting between terminals carrying only a backpack!

They don't always ask to open amenity kits at LHR. The above happened in T5 but earlier this year when connecting in T4 they didn't request to open them.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Transit at LHR... Probably the worst transit experience. Long queues, rude staff and ridiculous LAG policy. Just last week I've transferred with 4XF amenity kits all sealed (gifts for friends) and had to open them. The person who checked my bag couldn't care less and even said it's my fault as I should have thought about it earlier and check-in those items. A bit hard to do that when someone is connecting between terminals carrying only a backpack!

They don't always ask to open amenity kits at LHR. The above happened in T5 but earlier this year when connecting in T4 they didn't request to open them.

I've bee through T5 several times with amenity kits and not had to open them. Also been through and got the full secondary inspection so I guess you can get lucky.

 

[JohnPhelan]

Re: Lounge Access LHR on Arrival

(Incidentally, that was after I landed in LHR in transit. But BA was having a major system issue that day and connections were backed up. I gambled and decided to cross the border using Fast Track. The gamble didn't pay off as it was equally as long, if not longer. Fast Track was manned by only two border agents which, as an airport official pointed out to an irate passenger, is due to BA only paying for that many staff; it has nothing to with Customs itself.)

I've had two entries to the UK via T5 in the past six weeks. On both occasions, Fast Track was noticeably slower than the general non-EU line.

 

[boomy]

I've bee through T5 several times with amenity kits and not had to open them. Also been through and got the full secondary inspection so I guess you can get lucky.

Yes, I completely agree. From my experience T3 and T5 are inconsistent with the level of security checks.
Only consistent terminal so far is T4 but I've only connected there twice lately so could just been lucky.

 

[JohnK]

Doesn't sound like a pleasant experience.

If I had to surrender something like perfume then I wouldn't go through security at that point in time and empty the contents so these "nice" people don't have the temptation to profit from it.

So nice travelling around Asia. I don't usually have many liquids other than some medication and I have never taken them out of my bag or jacket pocket.

 

[serfty]

I often forget amenity kits; once I was pulled up but waived through after checking - this was not LHR however.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

I often forget amenity kits; once I was pulled up but waived through after checking - this was not LHR however.

I've forgotten eye drops, a ventolin inhaler, tiny tubes of toothpaste/shaving cream in dental/shaving kits from lounges, and a few other things. Never been pulled up for them.
But I have had a few items broken by clumsy seccuirty guards doing the special searches of hand luggage for flights to Australia from Asian airports which don't do LAGS screening for all flights.

 

[blackcat20]

I've bee through T5 several times with amenity kits and not had to open them. Also been through and got the full secondary inspection so I guess you can get lucky.

I've left my kits in my bag on our recent trip and just offered up my normal LAG bag and not had any issues either.

 

[boomy]

So nice travelling around Asia. I don't usually have many liquids other than some medication and I have never taken them out of my bag or jacket pocket.

Normally yes, Asia if fine but I did have a few unpleasant experiences with transits in BKK but nothing as bad as LHR.

The easiest security checks are in the ME. Sometimes I notice staff there talk to each other and don't even look at the screens while bags are scanned.