Arrival experience at tourist airports 2022
Just back from a short holiday in northern Italy. Flew NWI to Bergamo. We now have to report three hours before departing. The flight was an hour late departing - 'late arrival of the inbound aircraft'.
Arrival at Bergamo c 2100 local was not too bad. Whilst there were queues at Immigration, we non-EU-ers got through pretty quickly and no hassle from the security staff.
Where it fell apart was when we got into the arrivals hall and tried to find the tour rep. Eventually, we got on a coach and left at 2200, for a 2 1/2 trip to our hotel on Lake Garda.
Apart from this, everything else went pretty well, and the return flight home left on time. Looks as if things are starting to get back to normal,
Arrival at Bergamo c 2100 local was not too bad. Whilst there were queues at Immigration, we non-EU-ers got through pretty quickly and no hassle from the security staff.
Where it fell apart was when we got into the arrivals hall and tried to find the tour rep. Eventually, we got on a coach and left at 2200, for a 2 1/2 trip to our hotel on Lake Garda.
Apart from this, everything else went pretty well, and the return flight home left on time. Looks as if things are starting to get back to normal,
Paxing All Over The World
LTN outbound, Wed 19th 06:00 dpt. My first time through since Covid and not that impressed. Fairly crowded but it all worked. AGP was still working under capacity and that was OK.
AGP Monday 24th was fine, although internal signposting not as helpful as it could be. LTN on return showed that they have not improved. As overcrowded as it was for my last time through in August 2018. The baggage info screen said that the bags would arrive after a delay of 30 mins. We were just wondering whether to go and find a vending machine, when one of our group spotted that our cases had arrived within 5 mins, i.e. normal amount of time. He fought his way through the scrum to get them.
AGP Monday 24th was fine, although internal signposting not as helpful as it could be. LTN on return showed that they have not improved. As overcrowded as it was for my last time through in August 2018. The baggage info screen said that the bags would arrive after a delay of 30 mins. We were just wondering whether to go and find a vending machine, when one of our group spotted that our cases had arrived within 5 mins, i.e. normal amount of time. He fought his way through the scrum to get them.
Just returned from a short break in Marakech with TUI. LGW going out all very nice and easy, except for 45 min delay due to some idiot having his bag taken off, searched and something removed. He was then offloaded along with his very unhappy looking mrs! RAK on the other hand was a nightmare going in and out. Over an hour just at passport control both ways. 90 min delay at the gate with no information from the worlds most disinterested staff other than 'technical problem' and a shrug of the shoulders. Eventually got going, however very bad weather at LGW meant we tried one very bumpy approach before giving up and going to Birmingham instead, where we then had another 2+ hour wait for coaches back to LGW. I wrote it off as one of those things that happens and at the end of the day we're still alive but got an email from TUI yesterday apologising for the mess up and giving up a £200 per person voucher towards another holiday, fair play to them they didn't have to do that, particularly as I hadn't even complained, I will be thinking very long and hard whether to ever go back to Marrakech though.
PPRuNe Handmaiden
Good to see nothing's changed at Marrakech. It was like that a few years ago.
The following users liked this post:
Paxing All Over The World
Departing LHR T5 last Saturday, found much quieter than expected. I got into the terminal just after 18:00 and no crowds at all. Security was a doddle.
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Edinburgh
Age: 39
Posts: 642
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Just returned from a short break in Marakech with TUI. LGW going out all very nice and easy, except for 45 min delay due to some idiot having his bag taken off, searched and something removed. He was then offloaded along with his very unhappy looking mrs! RAK on the other hand was a nightmare going in and out. Over an hour just at passport control both ways. 90 min delay at the gate with no information from the worlds most disinterested staff other than 'technical problem' and a shrug of the shoulders. Eventually got going, however very bad weather at LGW meant we tried one very bumpy approach before giving up and going to Birmingham instead, where we then had another 2+ hour wait for coaches back to LGW. I wrote it off as one of those things that happens and at the end of the day we're still alive but got an email from TUI yesterday apologising for the mess up and giving up a £200 per person voucher towards another holiday, fair play to them they didn't have to do that, particularly as I hadn't even complained, I will be thinking very long and hard whether to ever go back to Marrakech though.
I have a US colleague who kept being pulled out and forced to sit in windowless rooms when travelling over several years
eventually he complained to someone when he was let out (again) and was told - "you do realise you have exactly the same name as a well known Italian American "entrepreneur" from New York don't you?" eventually said alter-ego went down for 20 years and my colleague stopped being stopped.
eventually he complained to someone when he was let out (again) and was told - "you do realise you have exactly the same name as a well known Italian American "entrepreneur" from New York don't you?" eventually said alter-ego went down for 20 years and my colleague stopped being stopped.
Paxing All Over The World
Someone I know posted this today:
If you are flying out of Heathrow Terminal 5, it’s a **** show. Heathrow, you should be ashamed. What a nice message you send to all our foreign guests.
Two hours and still not at bag check. Half a dozen machines unmanned. I bet they will blame the snow.
Two hours and still not at bag check. Half a dozen machines unmanned. I bet they will blame the snow.
Son of Slot
Super Senior Moderator
Super Senior Moderator
Friends were going out LHR + BA to Spain today. They were dropped off at T5, and their mum got back on the M25. At the check-in they discovered they had not looked closely enough and the flight was from T3....
She returned, so that was another £5 and then took them to T3 and that was another £5. = Ouch. They said everyone helpful (they have a one year old baby) and place not too crowded.
She returned, so that was another £5 and then took them to T3 and that was another £5. = Ouch. They said everyone helpful (they have a one year old baby) and place not too crowded.
Flew out of T4 at Lhr on 18th Dec on Kuwait Airways to Manila (should have been 15th Dec on Lh from Lcy to Fra etc but the first leg got cancelled so missed all the subsequent connections. Rebooked 3 days later on Kuwait Airways). The line for security was almost out the door and was painfully slow to get through. Arrival back to T2 (lh from Frankfurt) 7th Jan was much quicker, landed10.03, no queue at e-gates and made my 11am coach home.
The following users liked this post:
PPRuNe Handmaiden
Entering Miami was a breeze. However, I have Global Entry and didn't check my bag.
Leaving San Francisco was also a breeze. Global Entry gives you TSA Precheck. Best thing ever.
Arriving into LHR T3, again, very easy. Admittedly, I'd clocked the other inbound aircraft and wasted no time faffing around/dawdling. Having the priviledge of being in Virgin Upper class meant I was off before most of the passengers. The e-gates were working well and again, no checked bag meant I was out of the place in minutes.
Leaving San Francisco was also a breeze. Global Entry gives you TSA Precheck. Best thing ever.
Arriving into LHR T3, again, very easy. Admittedly, I'd clocked the other inbound aircraft and wasted no time faffing around/dawdling. Having the priviledge of being in Virgin Upper class meant I was off before most of the passengers. The e-gates were working well and again, no checked bag meant I was out of the place in minutes.
