Arrival experience at tourist airports 2022
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: On BA58/59
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Arrived LHR 26/7 from DXB. Was at my hire car venue in Virginia Water 1hr 15mins after landing
Departed LHR 13/8 to DXB. Really no fuss at all, with EK check-in busy but functional, security 15 minutes at most and gate boarding well staffed
All felt pretty "normal"
Departed LHR 13/8 to DXB. Really no fuss at all, with EK check-in busy but functional, security 15 minutes at most and gate boarding well staffed
All felt pretty "normal"
PPRuNe Handmaiden
Arrived at Biggin Hill. Offloaded the pax and their luggage. Colleague wanders over to the company Latitude to say hi. It's his swansong tour before retirement. He wanders back, tells me to get off our aircraft and get on the Latitude. It's going to Luton, my Gateway.
I load my bags onto the aircraft. Board the aircraft and off we go to Luton. Happily and unsurprisingly, my bags were there on arrival. The captain helped me get my bags and I waved good bye and walked to the car park.
From park brake set to my car's park brake set at home, maybe 30 minutes.
Yes, it's not the airline experience but oooh boy, it beat airlining or a taxi around the M25....
I load my bags onto the aircraft. Board the aircraft and off we go to Luton. Happily and unsurprisingly, my bags were there on arrival. The captain helped me get my bags and I waved good bye and walked to the car park.
From park brake set to my car's park brake set at home, maybe 30 minutes.Yes, it's not the airline experience but oooh boy, it beat airlining or a taxi around the M25....
Join Date: Mar 2000
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FWIW: flew to Reus last week as our usual Barcelona flight was cancelled (industrial action). On deplaning we were held on the tarmac to allow a couple of hundred people from another flight get past first. Passport control swift, and then on to the Covid queue where we told to get out QR codes ready. Then we walked past a handful of Guardia Civil who weren't doing anything at all, let alone checking QR codes, and that was that.
Then a taxi to the AVE station - no public transport from an international airport to a mainline railway station a few miles away!? (Camp de Tarragona is nuts - four platforms and four through lines? It's in the middle of nowhere).
Return to Stansted from Barcelona. No trolley service, just occasional forays to collect rubbish. I enquired if I could buy anything - "oh yes, just not alcohol". "Why?". "We're on strike". So not being able to have a glass of red to go with my "bocadillo" and "tortilla" was a shame but it saved me a few quid and it was *really* nice not having the crew hawking scratch cards and duty-free.
Stansted passport control amazingly quick and then a taxi home - no trains, because, again, a strike.
Then a taxi to the AVE station - no public transport from an international airport to a mainline railway station a few miles away!? (Camp de Tarragona is nuts - four platforms and four through lines? It's in the middle of nowhere).
Return to Stansted from Barcelona. No trolley service, just occasional forays to collect rubbish. I enquired if I could buy anything - "oh yes, just not alcohol". "Why?". "We're on strike". So not being able to have a glass of red to go with my "bocadillo" and "tortilla" was a shame but it saved me a few quid and it was *really* nice not having the crew hawking scratch cards and duty-free.
Stansted passport control amazingly quick and then a taxi home - no trains, because, again, a strike.
Join Date: Sep 2006
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Arrival at Calgary, Canada at the start of August was very straightforward.
No crowds, we collected our baggage almost immediately after getting to the reclaim area and the security staff were helpful and cheerful(!) Getting out of the airport and onto our transfer coach was a doddle.
No crowds, we collected our baggage almost immediately after getting to the reclaim area and the security staff were helpful and cheerful(!) Getting out of the airport and onto our transfer coach was a doddle.
Paxing All Over The World
British Airways axes 10,000 more flights to and from Heathrow
The Guardian
The carrier’s decision to shrink its short-haul timetable by 8% comes after the London airport extended the summer’s 100,000 daily cap on passenger numbers by another six weeks until the end of October and asked airlines to sell fewer flights.
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Marston Moretaine, UK
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I'm not sure if Sofia Bulgaria counts as a "tourist" airport but this was our experience (my OH and me).
Route was LHRT2-ZRH-SOF and SOF-MUC-LHRT2 Swiss/Lufthansa. Fortunately in business class.
8 Aug LHRT2 at about 0430 BST: long queues for economy check-in. Business check in an absolute breeze however. BUT fast track security had a sign saying closed until 0500. Someone in the queue waiting for it to open said he had been told it would open at 0445; that did not happen, though while we were waiting before we decided to give up, the previously long security queue had reduced by a lot so we just went there instead. It took no more than 15 minutes, but the staff were telling everyone to just leave everything in their bags including laptops etc.
ZRH was fairly busy but no problems at all. (Except that the terminal D lounge was closed, which we didn't know about, but that a #firstworldproblem).
SOF terminal 2 seemed no busier than normal for the summer. We got our bags within 15 minutes of leaving the plane. And for the first time ever the priority tags seemed to have an effect!
Return on 16 Aug:
SOF everything worked really well, which was again a first. There is no fast track security but it was mercifully short anyway. (Only one lounge is open at SOF due to "renovations," the Plaza Premium lounge, which isn't fantastic but is still better than hanging round the airport).
MUC: seemed busy but no issues. With a 5+ hour wait we were grateful for the lounge.
LHR T2: again busy but passport control moving people through quickly. Had to wait 35 minutes to get our bags. Other than than, no problems. I noted that there were quite a lot of bags hanging around the belts with no apparent owners.
Route was LHRT2-ZRH-SOF and SOF-MUC-LHRT2 Swiss/Lufthansa. Fortunately in business class.
8 Aug LHRT2 at about 0430 BST: long queues for economy check-in. Business check in an absolute breeze however. BUT fast track security had a sign saying closed until 0500. Someone in the queue waiting for it to open said he had been told it would open at 0445; that did not happen, though while we were waiting before we decided to give up, the previously long security queue had reduced by a lot so we just went there instead. It took no more than 15 minutes, but the staff were telling everyone to just leave everything in their bags including laptops etc.
ZRH was fairly busy but no problems at all. (Except that the terminal D lounge was closed, which we didn't know about, but that a #firstworldproblem).
SOF terminal 2 seemed no busier than normal for the summer. We got our bags within 15 minutes of leaving the plane. And for the first time ever the priority tags seemed to have an effect!
Return on 16 Aug:
SOF everything worked really well, which was again a first. There is no fast track security but it was mercifully short anyway. (Only one lounge is open at SOF due to "renovations," the Plaza Premium lounge, which isn't fantastic but is still better than hanging round the airport).
MUC: seemed busy but no issues. With a 5+ hour wait we were grateful for the lounge.
LHR T2: again busy but passport control moving people through quickly. Had to wait 35 minutes to get our bags. Other than than, no problems. I noted that there were quite a lot of bags hanging around the belts with no apparent owners.
8 Aug LHRT2 at about 0430 BST: long queues for economy check-in. Business check in an absolute breeze however. BUT fast track security had a sign saying closed until 0500. Someone in the queue waiting for it to open said he had been told it would open at 0445; that did not happen, though while we were waiting before we decided to give up, the previously long security queue had reduced by a lot so we just went there instead. It took no more than 15 minutes, but the staff were telling everyone to just leave everything in their bags including laptops etc.
I believe that at London City, where the terminal building is closed overnight and opens the front door at 04.45, significant queues for the first wave have sometimes formed there in the dark outside. Once let in, security and concessions still not open.
Thread Starter
PAXboy
I think given their cancellation of Manchester shuttles so frequantl neither I or anyone I know will fly BA again from the North of the UK unless done on points. Everyone I know in business either uses loco or KLM,LH,AF,SAS,FIN or the various mid east and far east carriers for East bound and Virgin / Air Lingus going West if none stop, otherwise into Europe and back over UK .
Cheers
Mr Mac
I think given their cancellation of Manchester shuttles so frequantl neither I or anyone I know will fly BA again from the North of the UK unless done on points. Everyone I know in business either uses loco or KLM,LH,AF,SAS,FIN or the various mid east and far east carriers for East bound and Virgin / Air Lingus going West if none stop, otherwise into Europe and back over UK .
Cheers
Mr Mac
Paxing All Over The World
At LHR T5 this morning to meet. Flight on time, baggage slow. Overall, terminal was quiet. Parked very close to one set of lifts - both out of order and had to walk further. Attendant told me that they had been out of order for a week.
Sister (resident in Australia) flew LBA to Belfast, 8 weeks ago.
Her baggage was lost (but not her Husband's), still no sign of it but more importantly absolutely no response to the various contacts she has initiated, nothing at all.
Her baggage was lost (but not her Husband's), still no sign of it but more importantly absolutely no response to the various contacts she has initiated, nothing at all.
Join Date: Oct 2001
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LGW
Wanted to use a trolley to transport baggage. All chained up.
Eventually got one loose ...but it needed a £1 coin.
Who travels from Asia with a £1 coin in their pocket?
How many foreigners have one on them???
Welcome to the UK (not)
Wanted to use a trolley to transport baggage. All chained up.
Eventually got one loose ...but it needed a £1 coin.
Who travels from Asia with a £1 coin in their pocket?
How many foreigners have one on them???
Welcome to the UK (not)
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Hongkong
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At a well known island holiday destination in the Eastern Med they charge €2 for an airside trolley. A UK 2p piece is the same diameter and thickness, or so I'm told...
Surely there is an equivalence in Far East/World currency that equates to a £1 coin so as to reduce the huge profits that Man Airport Inc hope to make from this swindle.
S
Surely there is an equivalence in Far East/World currency that equates to a £1 coin so as to reduce the huge profits that Man Airport Inc hope to make from this swindle.
S
A bit late to this thread for various reasons....
brother-in-law flew in from Madrid (where he lives) to Heathrow on 19 July with BA. Flight was a little late; 90 minutes from plane "docking" at T5 until the luggage appeared on the belt. He was supposed to be flying with hand luggage only but when he checked in at Madrid he was told his case would have to be checked in, not sure if that was because of its weight or that they thought the overhead lockers would be full. Whatever, it meant I wasted 90 minutes of my life I won't get back and had to pay an exorbitant amount for the car park.
I'm hoping to fly to Germany next month; Heathrow parking charges seem to have all-but-doubled compared to the last time I flew in Aug 2020, and that was booking some weeks ago too.
Rip-off Britain is back......
brother-in-law flew in from Madrid (where he lives) to Heathrow on 19 July with BA. Flight was a little late; 90 minutes from plane "docking" at T5 until the luggage appeared on the belt. He was supposed to be flying with hand luggage only but when he checked in at Madrid he was told his case would have to be checked in, not sure if that was because of its weight or that they thought the overhead lockers would be full. Whatever, it meant I wasted 90 minutes of my life I won't get back and had to pay an exorbitant amount for the car park.
I'm hoping to fly to Germany next month; Heathrow parking charges seem to have all-but-doubled compared to the last time I flew in Aug 2020, and that was booking some weeks ago too.
Rip-off Britain is back......
Cdg t2 thus morning 4 passport checks open out of12 for all nationalities incl nationals
plus 60minutes
0900 2 more agents appeared so starting to move.
baggage hall looks like dunkirk beach 1940
plus 60minutes
0900 2 more agents appeared so starting to move.
baggage hall looks like dunkirk beach 1940
Last edited by Asturias56; 15th Sep 2022 at 09:12.
Fun fact:
MLA to LGW 2:53 (well done SmartLynx 15 mins ahead of schedule, but please carry enough ice on your flights for the G&T) - 2430km
From aircraft exit to Farnborough 2:15, courtesy of 1/2 marathon walk to passport control, e-gate failure to read passport (successfully done many times previously) resulting in 30 min wait for ONE, yes ONE Borderfarce officer to check it and confess no reason for e-gate rejection, bus to long term carpark another 25 mins and finally Highways England sneakily rebuilding most of the Southern section of the M25 to really provide a good welcome home - 46km. Redhill looks nice by night though!
MLA to LGW 2:53 (well done SmartLynx 15 mins ahead of schedule, but please carry enough ice on your flights for the G&T) - 2430km
From aircraft exit to Farnborough 2:15, courtesy of 1/2 marathon walk to passport control, e-gate failure to read passport (successfully done many times previously) resulting in 30 min wait for ONE, yes ONE Borderfarce officer to check it and confess no reason for e-gate rejection, bus to long term carpark another 25 mins and finally Highways England sneakily rebuilding most of the Southern section of the M25 to really provide a good welcome home - 46km. Redhill looks nice by night though!
PPRuNe Handmaiden
Last Sunday at EHAM/AMS. Arrived about 2.2 hours to go before departure for a KLM flight to EGLL/LHR. (6pm-ish)
Already electronically checked in but needed to check the bag. Website says to be at the airport 4 hours before departure but that was tricky for me as I was in Northolt.
Any way, bag check took 1 hour 20 minutes.
When I arrived at the Terminal, the queue for security screening was out the building and just at the tents. Yes, there are a row of marques for shelter for the passengers waiting to be screened.
I don't know how long it was after checking the bag as I nipped over to the Crew Centre and was through screening in seconds. I dare say if I had to go through the normal screening I would have missed my flight home.
Already electronically checked in but needed to check the bag. Website says to be at the airport 4 hours before departure but that was tricky for me as I was in Northolt.
Any way, bag check took 1 hour 20 minutes.
When I arrived at the Terminal, the queue for security screening was out the building and just at the tents. Yes, there are a row of marques for shelter for the passengers waiting to be screened.
I don't know how long it was after checking the bag as I nipped over to the Crew Centre and was through screening in seconds. I dare say if I had to go through the normal screening I would have missed my flight home.
