Glasgow Airport Air Jetties!

[nivsy]

There must be gremlins at work at GLA (International).

Having arrived at GLA Dec 23rd we waited for 10 minutes before someone was capable of moving airbridge out to aircraft and securing our exit. This was at international arrivals (I forget the stand) - and we were the only arrival!

28th Dec from Stand 23 - Air Berlin. The AB 320 arrives and has to wait some 15 to 20 mins short of stand while air bridge operators look confused in moving (what looks like an old jetty) to the aircraft. Before we departed down to Stansted a rather frustrated captain of Air Berlin apoligised for the delay - stating that "airport eventually saw we had arrived" - ok I know that is down to the Air Berlin handling agent. Other bods in departure area however also commented on how slow GLA is in actually meeting aircraft.

Anyone else feel this?

[the_fish@blueyonder.]

I've epxerienced the same thing at GLA and EDI.

Last July on an FCA flight from Bourgas, we arrived at about 2:30am, and were the only flight in at that time. We had to wait about 15/20 minutes for the airbridge to come meet us. We also had a to wait a long time for luggage.

The same thing happened at EDI a few weeks ago (23rd December). I arrived from LTN on EZY and we waited for about 10 minutes for the Airbridge, but then another 30 minutes+ for luggage!

[nicodemus31]

[I arrived from LTN on EZY and we waited for about 10 minutes for the Airbridge, but then another 30 minutes+ for luggage!]

So am I right in thinking that having to wait 40 minutes from the aircraft coming to a standstill & you collecting your luggage consitututes an unacceptably long time? May I respectfully submit that your expectations are too high?

That said, most frequent flyers into GLA that I have spoken to invariably comment on the length of time it seems to take the ground staff to open the doors, compared to other UK airports.

Given this apparent anomaly, it would be good to hear from any GLA ground crew ppruners. There must be a good reason as to why it takes longer to get the airbridge/steps out to arriving aircraft than it seems to elsewhere. It's not as if they sit there and say "let's see how long we can keep those pax waiting, just for the 'fun' of it"- I'm sure they want to get the job done as quickly & effectively as possible too.:)

[nivsy]

Initial reaction is that they do sit around - or extremely under staffed. It seems that on arrival at GLA there is no difference wheteher the airport is busy or not - delays just about always occur - and flight deck announcements just about always back this up -
"they know we are here we just dont know where they are" is a fairly common announcement!

[fyrefli]

So am I right in thinking that having to wait 40 minutes from the aircraft coming to a standstill & you collecting your luggage consitututes an unacceptably long time? May I respectfully submit that your expectations are too high?

Well, I wouldn't ever expect to wait that long either. I don't think it's ever taken over 30 mins in AMS or 20 in BRS, for example.

[WHBM]

At a more general level there seems an increasing attitude on the ground at many UK airports that if the incoming aircraft arrives one minute or more ahead of schedule there is no need to get up from your seat and do anything to handle it until STA.

And to say a complaining that 40 minutes from chocks under to baggage on belt at a smaller airport like Glasgow is having "too high expectations" only reinforces the point.

My hunch is that as costs are squeezed out of the system the supervisory/shift management layer is eliminated and the lads are left to get on with it on their own. Results as described by all here.

[nicodemus31]

Ok. Point taken (off people with 2000 posts between them!). Wasn't expecting to make a first post and get off with it so lightly.

But my point remains. Since when did the accepted 'industry norm' become less than 40 minutes from disembarkation(?) to jumping in a taxi having retrieved your bags from the conveyor belt?

Think I'm speaking to hardened commuters here whose notions of poor customer service are more sensitive than my own....

I was agreeing with the initial post in a roundabout sort of way- YES it is slower than some other airports in GLA, but maybe it is quicker in airports where a much lower standard of care is taken with your bags.... (OK clutching at straws now).

When push comes to shove, what is three quarters of an hour? If this doesn't suit, get an earlier flight! Let's hear it for the baggage handlers & airbridge operators all over the world and not get so hung up on our odd 10 minutes here or there:uhoh:

[Gertcha]

I've not flown into GLA internationally, but my domestic experience is that the baggage is generally off very quickly, my only exception to that point was just after Christmas last year, but then it was busy. Stansted is another matter, even slower than LHR most of the time...

[fyrefli]

But my point remains. Since when did the accepted 'industry norm' become less than 40 minutes from disembarkation(?) to jumping in a taxi having retrieved your bags from the conveyor belt?

I'm not really suggesting it is - but it is quite a long time compared to what I'm used to. I'm not the most travelled person in the world, making a couple of round trips per month on average. Set against my (hand baggage only, admittedly) personal record for:

House (Bristol) - Motorbike - BRS - EZY - AMS (Polderbaan!) - Train to Amersfoort - Bus to Soesterberg - Walk to House (Soesterberg)

of 3 hrs 45 mins (I've done it in five mins longer in the opposite direction but from Delft), 40 mins just to get off the 'plane and retrieve my bags just seems a bit excessive ;)

[KeMac]

Today I came down on British Midland from Edinburgh to Heathrow. It was well over half an hour for the bags to arrive. And yes it may not be that long a wait but I think something is wrong when the wait for bags is a significant proportion of the actual flying time. Also for this and the last BMI flight on the same route we had taxied up to an air bridge at terminal one only to be diverted down stairs onto buses which gave us the delightful pleasure of standing in falling sleet while we waited for the buses to arrive. I don't understand why we could not have just carried on to the airbridge and walked along to baggage reclaim which was only a short walk away.

[KiloMIke]

Kemac - Possibly the airbridge was broken or you were a domestic flight that arrived at an international gate or vice versa.

[yachtno1]

Just one small point. Don't the chocks have to be in position before the bridge goes on? Perhaps the loaders were late putting them in !

[KeMac]

Yes I think you may be right - it was the extension out from Terminal 1 for the Irish Republic flights. Still frustrating though. :ugh: