Practical Travel Safety Issues - lhr (heathrow) transfer security issue

I flew from jfk-lhr-zrh, I had already cleared tsa at jfk, but transferring from T3 to T5 requires one to submit to security again. (1)For the inital security check they do random pat downs, (2)my bags had not changed contents, yet a 15 gram tube of ointment caused one bag to be singled out, but in lhr they do a complete check (removing every item from the bag) and swabbing anything that looked threating--even for one offending item. They have only one agent per lane for this operation, and the person before me had numerous cell phones (causing extra swabbing). From a quick glance, it seems that one in 3 bags were being singled out for this extra check.:td:

I flew from jfk-lhr-zrh, I had already cleared tsa at jfk, but transferring from T3 to T5 requires one to submit to security again. (1)For the inital security check they do random pat downs, (2)my bags had not changed contents, yet a 15 gram tube of ointment caused one bag to be singled out, but in lhr they do a complete check (removing every item from the bag) and swabbing anything that looked threating--even for one offending item. They have only one agent per lane for this operation, and the person before me had numerous cell phones (causing extra swabbing). From a quick glance, it seems that one in 3 bags were being singled out for this extra check.:td:

I have never flown out of T5 at LHR, but it is normal for most countries (the US too) that you have to rescreen when connecting.
It sounds to me like your ointment was out of the kippiebag, and the TSA missed it (or let it go, who knows), but the screener at LHR did not, and so your bag was singled out.
Not having enough staff online to smoothly run the level of checking needed is an issue, but I'm not sure having a bag pulled for not obeying known restrictions is an issue - except of course, the liquid restrictions are useless in the first place.

Danishflyer

I flew from jfk-lhr-zrh, I had already cleared tsa at jfk, but transferring from T3 to T5 requires one to submit to security again. (1)For the inital security check they do random pat downs, (2)my bags had not changed contents, yet a 15 gram tube of ointment caused one bag to be singled out, but in lhr they do a complete check (removing every item from the bag) and swabbing anything that looked threating--even for one offending item. They have only one agent per lane for this operation, and the person before me had numerous cell phones (causing extra swabbing). From a quick glance, it seems that one in 3 bags were being singled out for this extra check.:td:

THat's an overall UK airports issue, not a connection issue. I had a bag one time at LGW that had a hanging-hook attached. XRay operator couldn't identify it. Once it was flagged... EVERYTHING had to come out of all my bags & get swabbed and I had to have a complete pat down.

Very ugly circumstance - cost me 20 minutes.

I've seen similar things happen at LHR.

I have never flown out of T5 at LHR, but it is normal for most countries (the US too) that you have to rescreen when connecting.
It sounds to me like your ointment was out of the kippiebag, and the TSA missed it (or let it go, who knows), but the screener at LHR did not, and so your bag was singled out.
Not having enough staff online to smoothly run the level of checking needed is an issue, but I'm not sure having a bag pulled for not obeying known restrictions is an issue - except of course, the liquid restrictions are useless in the first place.

Danishflyer
In the US everyone arriving from "overseas" must first clear CBP, and so if you are connecting, you will have to pass through security again. [If you departed Montreal say (where they do all CBP operations there), and you were arriving at JFK (say) and connecting out of the same terminal, you would not have to go through TSA--since your flight would be treated as a domestic connection.

In the US everyone arriving from "overseas" must first clear CBP, and so if you are connecting, you will have to pass through security again. [If you departed Montreal say (where they do all CBP operations there), and you were arriving at JFK (say) and connecting out of the same terminal, you would not have to go through TSA--since your flight would be treated as a domestic connection.

But even if you connected at Montreal, you'd also have to do security there. I don't recall if the security screening by the US CBP are done by TSA, or if the people doing it were just behaving like TSA, it has been about 3 years since I went through Montreal. My point is, with a preclearance airport, it is not clear that wrt screening you are essentially arriving from "overseas".

DanishFlyer

But even if you connected at Montreal, you'd also have to do security there. I don't recall if the security screening by the US CBP are done by TSA, or if the people doing it were just behaving like TSA, it has been about 3 years since I went through Montreal. My point is, with a preclearance airport, it is not clear that wrt screening you are essentially arriving from "overseas".

DanishFlyer

Re my Montreal note: if you depart Montreal heading for jfk (say), you will do security and cpb there, so when you arrive in jfk, the flight is now a "domestic" arrival, and if you are connecting in the same terminal (at jfk), you would proceed directly (without passing tsa:)) to your gate.

Re my Montreal note: if you depart Montreal heading for jfk (say), you will do security and cpb there, so when you arrive in jfk, the flight is now a "domestic" arrival, and if you are connecting in the same terminal (at jfk), you would proceed directly (without passing tsa:)) to your gate.

Yes, like I thought - you have already done US security, thus your arrival can be a local one. If you arrive into LHR from the US, they don't "trust" US (or any other) security and so want to do their own. I think it is the same thing, no?

DanishFlyer

Yes, like I thought - you have already done US security, thus your arrival can be a local one. If you arrive into LHR from the US, they don't "trust" US (or any other) security and so want to do their own. I think it is the same thing, no?

DanishFlyer

From my recollection, the security in Montreal is Canadian security, only the passport and customs are US-CBP.

From my recollection, the security in Montreal is Canadian security, only the passport and customs are US-CBP.

Right, I don't remember about Montreal, but in Ireland the security screening for pre-screened US bound flights are done (supposedly) to TSA standards by TSA trained crew (although not TSA employed). And those flights are allowed to land af is domestic in the US. I'd think they have similar agreements with those airports in Canada about screening standards?

I guess, systemwide you need to feel pretty sure that someone else is screening to your standards (!) to allow for a "domestic-like" arrival. And the EU does not trust the US regs, just like the US does not trust the EU regs. And we all get more time waiting in line, getting yelled at, etc.

DanishFlyer

I flew from jfk-lhr-zrh, I had already cleared tsa at jfk, but transferring from T3 to T5 requires one to submit to security again. (1)For the inital security check they do random pat downs, (2)my bags had not changed contents, yet a 15 gram tube of ointment caused one bag to be singled out, but in lhr they do a complete check (removing every item from the bag) and swabbing anything that looked threating--even for one offending item. They have only one agent per lane for this operation, and the person before me had numerous cell phones (causing extra swabbing). From a quick glance, it seems that one in 3 bags were being singled out for this extra check.:td:

I have been singled out on several occasions at the security checkpoint after Flight Connections at LHR (T5A, T5B, T5C) -- other times, it's just a pass (no delays beyond the crowd time). Even with "the works" at LHR, it was faster, more efficient, and more professional than at any US airport where I've had the same.

I agree that the T3 - T5 connection can be more chaotic than a T5 - T5 connection . . . Still . . .

Single-most reason my bags have been "extra" checked: overstuffed carry-on with a lot of electronic gadgets and chargers. Solution: pack in modules, try to keep things to a single layer -- take modules out and place separately into the bin, otherwise. Also use more bins -- it makes things appear less dense.

The Brits complain about their security people, but really, they just don't travel over here enough to know . . .

I have been singled out on several occasions at the security checkpoint after Flight Connections at LHR (T5A, T5B, T5C) -- other times, it's just a pass (no delays beyond the crowd time). Even with "the works" at LHR, it was faster, more efficient, and more professional than at any US airport where I've had the same.

I agree that the T3 - T5 connection can be more chaotic than a T5 - T5 connection . . . Still . . .

Single-most reason my bags have been "extra" checked: overstuffed carry-on with a lot of electronic gadgets and chargers. Solution: pack in modules, try to keep things to a single layer -- take modules out and place separately into the bin, otherwise. Also use more bins -- it makes things appear less dense.

The Brits complain about their security people, but really, they just don't travel over here enough to know . . .
I find TSA is more forgiving than security people at LHR in two respects (which I have been personally involved in): (1)I forgot to remove a small change pouch at LHR, even though my second pass (pouch now on belt) through the metal detector set off no alarms--they still did a "full" pat down, (2)as mentioned in my OP in this thread, one 15 gram tube of ointment caused a complete search of my bag. I don't think TSA would have done the extra security stuff,
TSA now has a pre-check program, do they have this in LHR?

UK has a one-chance policy with regard to WTMD alarms and baggage anomalies. Any baggage anomaly results in the whole bag being searched and ETDd, and any WTMD alarm results in a pat-down (or NOS scan, if unlucky). I've learned to get it right first time.

UK also has a policy that all non-domestic arrivals wishing to proceed onwards by air must be rescreened.