Belfast International-2
Join Date: Aug 2016
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A tail of two airports. Traveled through the international on Friday and was completely embarrassed by airport staff in front of other passengers. We travel with one of the SA lanyards and when we dared to ask for help to ensure there was no awkward situations we got hounded and treated dirt. Contrast to Manchester for the return journey and it was seamless.
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Northern Ireland
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A tail of two airports. Traveled through the international on Friday and was completely embarrassed by airport staff in front of other passengers. We travel with one of the SA lanyards and when we dared to ask for help to ensure there was no awkward situations we got hounded and treated dirt. Contrast to Manchester for the return journey and it was seamless.
Join Date: Aug 2016
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that is understandable but that isnt really the airport, the handler is the party there thats embarrassing, the whole low cost avaition network is the reason for this, they batter airports and handling companies and everyone else involved down to the bare minimum so that people are just churned out onto the ramp/checkin with bare minimum traning now that it is now a safety hazard. I was talking to a dispatcher the other day and they didnt even know where to take passengers out of the lounges to the various assembly areas!!
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Edinburgh
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that is understandable but that isnt really the airport, the handler is the party there thats embarrassing, the whole low cost avaition network is the reason for this, they batter airports and handling companies and everyone else involved down to the bare minimum so that people are just churned out onto the ramp/checkin with bare minimum traning now that it is now a safety hazard. I was talking to a dispatcher the other day and they didnt even know where to take passengers out of the lounges to the various assembly areas!!
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Northern Ireland
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Another issue is that because wages are so low and workload so high, people who work for handling agents simply don't care. They see it as just another job. Very few with a real interest or knowledge of the aviation industry want to work on the ground due to the poor conditions, so you're left with folk who see it as no different to working in a supermarket. It's just a job to get money. This goes up quite far sadly. I have had duty managers in the past who didn't know the difference between, say, an A320 and a 737 or who didn't even know how to reissue a ticket, yet they had worked their way up simply because they stayed the longest.
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Ballymena
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I have just been reading another story about a disabled person who alledges that the tools he needed to repair his wheelchair were taken off him by security at the weekend. He subsequently missed his flight, the airport has apologised and are making a payment to a local charity in lieu of compensation at his request.
What strikes me about this story and the posting from another passenger very recently is that in both cases, the security personnel were not prepared to listen to explanations, to think for a minute that these passengers might be telling the truth. Just listen for a few minutes. They just went straight to authority mode. Herein lies a problem because due to pay, terms and conditions, the wrong type of people might be recruited for these posts, people who are not able to use discretion or common sense. Although lack of common sense is a major problem now.
Another point strikes me. It is the airport that ends up with the very bad publicity, not ICTS. I understand fully why the airport has contracted out this work, but like many airports are now finding out, it is causing more problems that it solves. At a time or near full employment, these types of working contracts will attract no loyalty from employees and why should it. So the airport will just have more and more bad press as this situation escalates. At some point the airport might have to take security in house again and offer a better employment contract to attract and keep the quality staff. This is a problem for all airports and this might be the start of the death throws of out sourcing. However, we are all to blame. We don't want to pay that £1 to drop off or pick someone up. We want to fly to Spain for £20-30. If we want a better airport experience, then we will have to accept higher charges. However, if we are paying higher charges, then airports have to deliver, not put the extra revenue in their pockets. Lots of issues, what are the answers?
What strikes me about this story and the posting from another passenger very recently is that in both cases, the security personnel were not prepared to listen to explanations, to think for a minute that these passengers might be telling the truth. Just listen for a few minutes. They just went straight to authority mode. Herein lies a problem because due to pay, terms and conditions, the wrong type of people might be recruited for these posts, people who are not able to use discretion or common sense. Although lack of common sense is a major problem now.
Another point strikes me. It is the airport that ends up with the very bad publicity, not ICTS. I understand fully why the airport has contracted out this work, but like many airports are now finding out, it is causing more problems that it solves. At a time or near full employment, these types of working contracts will attract no loyalty from employees and why should it. So the airport will just have more and more bad press as this situation escalates. At some point the airport might have to take security in house again and offer a better employment contract to attract and keep the quality staff. This is a problem for all airports and this might be the start of the death throws of out sourcing. However, we are all to blame. We don't want to pay that £1 to drop off or pick someone up. We want to fly to Spain for £20-30. If we want a better airport experience, then we will have to accept higher charges. However, if we are paying higher charges, then airports have to deliver, not put the extra revenue in their pockets. Lots of issues, what are the answers?
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Belfast
Age: 40
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Meanwhile at City airport where the majority of my business travel has moved to, a new security search area is open, staff are pleasent and right in the middle of peak morning rush you can clear security in 5 mins.
Also worth noting that some airlines seem to be using this security mess to their commerical advantage. Naming no names but a number of weeks ago I purchased priorty security via an airline for my flight to Girona for just over £2.50. Next week I fly to Gdansk with the same airline who are now charging £6 for the same service 🤔 The entire operation is amatuerish. Somebody needs to get a grip and fix it.
Also worth noting that some airlines seem to be using this security mess to their commerical advantage. Naming no names but a number of weeks ago I purchased priorty security via an airline for my flight to Girona for just over £2.50. Next week I fly to Gdansk with the same airline who are now charging £6 for the same service 🤔 The entire operation is amatuerish. Somebody needs to get a grip and fix it.
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
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I don't wish to try and explain away everything, it is quite clear the Security provision needs a wee shake up. Hopefully that will happen soon but please try and look a wee bit deeper than the surface of the matter.
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Belfast
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This is the link on the UK government website https://www.gov.uk/hand-luggage-restrictions/work-tools , spanners and wrenches not allowed in hand luggage.
Where this fell down is the customer service of perhaps helping the guy check-in his luggage. The security team had no choice, and they would be hammered
if they let it through as the CAA are continually monitoring airports with visits almost every week. Also believe that there is a full tender process underway for the
contract.
Where this fell down is the customer service of perhaps helping the guy check-in his luggage. The security team had no choice, and they would be hammered
if they let it through as the CAA are continually monitoring airports with visits almost every week. Also believe that there is a full tender process underway for the
contract.
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Join Date: Jul 2006
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It is how these issues are handled that are the problem. Too often, security person jumps straight into "you can't take that" rather than maybe passing the passenger onto some with more authority to help. So much depends on how these security teams are organised, do they work together etc. What is clear, it is not working well at the moment.
Join Date: Apr 2012
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Can we put aside the competitive crap in our analysis and think about the facts.
Join Date: Apr 2012
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It is how these issues are handled that are the problem. Too often, security person jumps straight into "you can't take that" rather than maybe passing the passenger onto some with more authority to help. So much depends on how these security teams are organised, do they work together etc. What is clear, it is not working well at the moment.
I agree with Watcher above, the new Contractor will hopefully reinvigorate things a bit.
Join Date: Apr 2008
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cannot be compared in realistic terms. If you are present at both, you should know this already. Different type of customer with different needs and states of preparedness (regular business folk compared with holiday once a yearers) and also a vast reduction in the amount of items screened at City as a result. Not to mention the different type of contents requiring fewer interventions from the searchers etc.
Can we put aside the competitive crap in our analysis and think about the facts.
Can we put aside the competitive crap in our analysis and think about the facts.
I would contend that it is a very valid comparision. As a business, your clientelle have to served. To do so you have to learn how they operate and adjust appropriately. I regularly in the last number of weeks have passed through City at morning peak in around 5 mins. At Aldergrove, at a peak time, with priority security it had become normal to spend 15 minutes in a queue. I would argue the people in Aldergroves priority queue are primarily business orientated travellers.
The sooner it is accepted that security at Aldergrove is not up to scratch, the sooner it can be address. Head’s in the sand, hoping it’ll go away will not solve the problem.
Join Date: Apr 2012
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No competive crap in my statement SecondDog. Simple fact. My username was created in jest a number of years ago when bashing the other airport was rife on this forum.
I would contend that it is a very valid comparision. As a business, your clientelle have to served. To do so you have to learn how they operate and adjust appropriately. I regularly in the last number of weeks have passed through City at morning peak in around 5 mins. At Aldergrove, at a peak time, with priority security it had become normal to spend 15 minutes in a queue. I would argue the people in Aldergroves priority queue are primarily business orientated travellers.
The sooner it is accepted that security at Aldergrove is not up to scratch, the sooner it can be address. Head’s in the sand, hoping it’ll go away will not solve the problem.
Your contention about the makeup of the queue is not correct. All the airlines flog it like a dead horse online and in some cases lump it in with other products that increase search time.
No head in the sand here, mine has been in the search area plenty this year. Perhaps I just have a different perspective.
Join Date: Apr 2008
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The security at BFS is already being addressed. It just isn't a wave a wand type scenario (Any of you who know GK know that if he could have changed it immediately, he would have.)
Your contention about the makeup of the queue is not correct. All the airlines flog it like a dead horse online and in some cases lump it in with other products that increase search time.
No head in the sand here, mine has been in the search area plenty this year. Perhaps I just have a different perspective.
Your contention about the makeup of the queue is not correct. All the airlines flog it like a dead horse online and in some cases lump it in with other products that increase search time.
No head in the sand here, mine has been in the search area plenty this year. Perhaps I just have a different perspective.
I’m not bashing the people on the ground. On the face of it, the entire security hall in its current form is unfit for purpose. It cannot satisfactorily handle the volume in a reasonable time, consistently.
Like the MD or not, this is a failure and he ultimately carries the can. A well prepared and planned operation wouldn’t need to be wishing they could ‘wave a wand’ to fix this. Its hardly unexpected that the airport has this many travellers going through.
Join Date: Mar 2018
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Not to labour the point because I guess we aren’t going to agree. However, at the times I travel through Aldergrove, I would estimate upwards of 80% of those in the priorty queue are suited or smart casual carrying laptops. It is safe to assume business travel for most of those.
I’m not bashing the people on the ground. On the face of it, the entire security hall in its current form is unfit for purpose. It cannot satisfactorily handle the volume in a reasonable time, consistently.
Like the MD or not, this is a failure and he ultimately carries the can. A well prepared and planned operation wouldn’t need to be wishing they could ‘wave a wand’ to fix this. Its hardly unexpected that the airport has this many travellers going through.
Join Date: Jun 2012
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Join Date: Apr 2012
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Not to labour the point because I guess we aren’t going to agree. However, at the times I travel through Aldergrove, I would estimate upwards of 80% of those in the priorty queue are suited or smart casual carrying laptops. It is safe to assume business travel for most of those.
I’m not bashing the people on the ground. On the face of it, the entire security hall in its current form is unfit for purpose. It cannot satisfactorily handle the volume in a reasonable time, consistently.
Like the MD or not, this is a failure and he ultimately carries the can. A well prepared and planned operation wouldn’t need to be wishing they could ‘wave a wand’ to fix this. Its hardly unexpected that the airport has this many travellers going through.
You say that the MD carries the can but that is really just a PR carrying of the can for those who want to wail at someone. He has actually done (instigated) a lot behind the scenes to improve performance.
I cannot really talk about the details (which is frustrating) but it could have been much worse than it has been if not for the efforts of many Airport and ICTS staff going the extra mile to assist.
I, like some of the others below/above believe that life should improve under the new contractor come October.