LGW Security queues

[jabird]

Am flying from LGW to ANU on Monday, and was wondering how long the security lines are these days?

Am I right in thinking that:

1) There is (still) no fast track queue? No mention of it on LGW site, or Gatwick Express - iirc, there used to be a free "jump" option on 1st class Gat Ex tix? Am flying with Excel in their so-called business class.

2) Taking a monopod through security would be an absolute no-no - again, it is not specifically on the banned list, but items such as cricket bats, snooker cues etc are.

[jack_essex]

Hi,

I flew from LGW North last week with BA. Our flight was at 07.20, we went though securty at around 04.45 (early I know). There were only around 10 pax at this time also going through so took no more than 10 mins. A security man said that if we came an hour later then it would take around an hour.

Jack

[manx crab]

Two experiences this week at LGW North Terminal.

Monday 08.15 International Connections one out of two scanners in use not allowing people through who were going to miss connections no info, took over an hour. Seemed to be working to rule

Friday 17.00 North Terminal about 25 minutes two (yes two ) out of nine stations working took about 25 minutes.

BAA's customer service is a joke I bet they would not queue in a supermarket that long.

I mean how long to it take to train people to be miserable and petty.

[Final 3 Greens]

Quite disgraceful "service", I agree.

The week before last, I had two badly trained temps challenge me to put my laptop back in my case before entering the security queue.

I told them not to be so stupid, continued and then reported the incident to a BAA supervisor airside, who promised to speak with them and tell them not to behave in such a way, as they were incorrect in their assertion.

No fast track either, even though I was travelling on a First class ticket, so you get lumped in with the economy pax (not that there is anything bad about economy pax per se, but F normally buys an expedited service.)

[jabird]

"No fast track either, even though I was travelling on a First class ticket, so you get lumped in with the economy pax (not that there is anything bad about economy pax per se, but F normally buys an expedited service.)"

Exactly, and there's really no reason to stop doing something like this "in the name of security", which seems to be an excuse these days to stop doing anything a company couldn't be bothered with.

If an airport like DUB can offer fastrack for domestic pax (very useful by the way), who aren't paying any more for their flights, then I don't see why BAA can't re-instate it at their airports, but I'm sure someone with more knowledge of such facilities could give a better explanation?

[PAXboy]

jabird I don't think that there is an explanation. I suspect that it's a cse of, "That's the way we have always done it and so that's the way we do it." Now, 'always' may be only five years but the way mgmt change these days that could be how long it has been.

Bear in mind that, despite a change of high level ownership, all the company regulars based in this country have not changed therefore nothing will change. I have seen BAA airports become steadily worse over the past 20 years, despite new taxes being raised to pay for well ... their profits. I see no end to this.

[Woofrey]

I think you'll find that Fast Track security was dropped from Gatwick some years ago. I believe it was originally introduced in the early nineties as a marketing tool when the airport was trying to become the alternative business airport to Heathrow. Originally BAA funded this, however when this was reviewed with the airlines, there was little support for it, and certainly no money from the airlines. You pay an increased fare for First Class to the airline, ( and the govt ) - the airline pay the same departure fee per pax to BAA regardless of "class" of pax - the only differentiation in the fee to BAA is Dom, ROI or Int.
Regarding the BAA management, there has been a lot of change over the last few years and quite a bit since the Ferrovial takeover. Specifically at Gatwick, it's hard to find anyone with more than a couple of years service in their top team - perhaps a contribution to the way things are run now ? They appear to have grossly under estimated the pax throughputs and time taken to recruit the required security staff, a point the CAA have picked up on in the review of the service quality.

[Final 3 Greens]

Well an Emirates check in agent told me that Fast Track is offered in the morning, but not the afternoons.

Still, very poor service when travelling on a ticket that costs GBP1300 one way.

As you can imagine, DXB has fast track, in fact the whole premium cabin check in area is separate and feeds through into airside through a dedicated channel.

BAA is just rubbish - I have booked my next middle eastern trip in April via FRA, where interestingly enough they don't have fast track, but you don't need it as everyone gets an excellent service, as SXB has said on other threads.

[manx crab]

The signs for fast track are still there but that is about all.

BAA is pathetic, airports all over Europe have had to implement new security but do not seem to have had the problems BAA have. Just to put it in perspective, Krakow, which is not the worlds largest airport had the same number of security stations open on the day I went through as LGW North Terminal, I wonder which one is busier.

I have written to complain but expect the usual brush off.

If I had a choice I would avoid all BAA airports

[jabird]

I asked at check-in, and was given a Fasttrack sticker to add to my boarding card. The queue was nothing like as long as last November anyway - I would guess about 25 minutes. The Fasttrack still took about 15, but it is at least there (7-2?), and it does save some time.

Would still rather use our local airports, but this is often easier said than done.

[pacer142]

The Fasttrack still took about 15, but it is at least there (7-2?), and it does save some time.


That's still about 10 minutes more than it should take, and than it does in any good international airport.

BAA really don't have a clue, do they?

[manintheback]

If you think BAA are bad (which they are) , try De Gaulle - any terminal, any time - quite spectacular.

[Final 3 Greens]

MIB

Although I dislike CDG as an experience, as a frequent user of it and the BAA sites, I find the latter consistently worse.

Obviously I am sampling all of them only about 30-35 times per year, but that's my experience.

[RevMan2]

Final 3 Greens

I have booked my next middle eastern trip in April via FRA, where interestingly enough they don't have fast track, but you don't need it as everyone gets an excellent service, as SXB has said on other threads.

Not true.

FRA has dedicated lanes for First/Business in Concourse A T1, where LH appears to have applied pressure.

[Final 3 Greens]

RevMan

That's interesting.

I've seen different coloured signs over the scanning machines (Red, Blue and Green), but not dedicated use - everyone mixes regardless of the ticket class. But as said before, the queues move very quickly and it is a non event normally.

Not sure what concourse though, so I'll look out for A when I travel.

The main objection I have at the BAA airports is that they generally don't have enough channels open and seem to think it is okay for people to have to wait for a long time.

[Woofrey]

Final,

On the contrary, they don't think it's OK to wait for ages in a security queue, they'd much rather you zoomed through central search and spent some time waiting in the departure lounge where you could part with some cash in the shops etc. if you chose to.

Their current predicament is that they ballsed up the planning and recruitment for more staff as a result of the change in rules.

[GrahamB73]

Well Sunday evening just gone looked interesting. The queue for security was 5 or 6 deep ALL the way through the checkin halls back to the EasyJet sales desk & toilets at the opposite end of the building. God only knows how long it would have taken - an hour at the very least, easily.

It was one of the factors that influenced my decision to dash across town to Euston to get the sleeper train home after missing my connecting EDI flight rather than try and get an alternate flight.

[A and C]

The BAA knows what makes money it is the shops ! any thing else is just a cost that bleeds the profit from the shops away.

So forget anything but a very grudging second class service from the BAA unless you want to rent shop space from them.

[kkbuk]

A passenger who has bought a first class ticket has a contract with the airline and not the B.A.A. so why should he or she think that his purchase entitles him to special treatment outside the aircraft? I see no reason why someone who has more disposable income than me should be able to 'jump' the security queue, it is just another example of the lack of manners so often seen in Britain these days. If it wasn't for the existence of the 'cattle class' passengers then the premium fare passenger would be paying a lot more to travel in smaller, less luxurious aircraft which would not be flying non-stop to the Far East. Concorde-level fares would be the order of the day as there are not enough premium fare passengers to fill a 747 size aircraft on the present schedules. Perhaps one 747 per week to Singapore?

[manintheback]

KKBUK, your economics are to a great extent the wrong way round. Economy is 'subsidised' by the premium paying pax. And it works that way right through the aviation system - hence airports (and BAA) desperate to attract the higher fare frequent flier.

[kkbuk]

Manintheback
So you maintain that there are enough premium fare passengers to fill the number of large jets presently in service and maintain the present levels of scheduled services? Why do airlines carry cattle class passengers? Are we to believe that they do this as a service to the public and are content to cross-subsidise? I think not! Why has no airline gone down the route of premium fares only? Big jets would not exist if it were not for the plebs in the back and the new AIRBUS (note BUS) would be irrelevant.

[manintheback]

The economics re premium pax payers accounting for majority of multi-service level airlines profits are a fact, not made up. Economy adds some icing.

As to airlines offering premium only, there are now a number doing just that, EOS, Silver something or other, Maxjet, Lufthansa on a selected route, and no doubt others I'm not aware of.