After using terminal 5 for the 2nd time today - I was surprised that I had to queue for 10 minutes at Fast Drop and for 35 mins at security. Smirnoff has covered the main reasons for this above in much detail.
With the media frenzy there is at the moment.
1 - Why was every Fast Drop station not manned. If I were BA I would be throwing staff at this to make it as smooth as possible.
2 - Why were less than half the security scanners being used? Again - BAA are getting hammered over this terminal opening - throwing staff at it would surely keep the queues moving. The queueing system sucks - with people regularly queue jumping - needs sorted.
Last edited by blawson; Mar 31, 08 at 3:13 am.
Reason: ref wrong post
- It would be twice as fast to get through security if (i) you could take the tray off the conveyor and (ii) there was space to start putting your things in the trays in advance of reaching the machine.
This issue drives me insane. It is an inherent problem at the majority of airports. Why make people queue for 15 to 30 minutes then stop them to unload their stuff into a tray.
Make conveyors longer and people can prepare themselves whilst in the queue. Add staff that patrol the queues and pro-actively explain to passengers what is required, encourage them to start emptying their pockets = problem greatly reduced.
This issue drives me insane. It is an inherent problem at the majority of airports. Why make people queue for 15 to 30 minutes then stop them to unload their stuff into a tray.
Make conveyors longer and people can prepare themselves whilst in the queue. Add staff that patrol the queues and pro-actively explain to passengers what is required, encourage them to start emptying their pockets = problem greatly reduced.
Madrid Barajas T4 has a system whereby you load trays on a table before joining the queues. This does speed things up but requires extra staff to rotate the trays.
The T5 system seems to have been trialled at GLA, where the auto-feedback trays have been in use for some time. It is slower than the extended conveyors used at e.g LGW, but allows the stations to be manned by 5 as opposed to 7 operators, so allowing more parallel channels given the same number of staff.
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Hmmm well after "enjoying" my T5 trip ... Very mixed feelings, and I escaped on the Thursday just before all the chaos started. Our return flight today was also delayed, and then a problem with the airbridge meant that in total we were 2.5 hours out late on Thurs and 1.5 hours back today.... not great...
I do feel for the BA crew, especially one pilot and CSD I was talking to who said they were "very disappointed" and felt very let down by the management.
What a shame... It is embarassing for Britain and for BA.
HOWEVER - on the Thursday when i left, i did indeed go from bag drop to lounge within 15 minutes - fantastic, and on return today the bags were waiting on the carousel and no queue at security. The lounges are great and the terminal is light and spacious.
Besides whatever the various problems are behind the scenes, there are two big very visible issues that need to be fixed:
1. Security is a chaotic, poorly designed and poorly managed mess
- Fast track is not policed, and it's a free-for-all once there is a queue from the BP check point
- Why are only half the scanners manned? Who is responsible for keeping half the machines closed, and the resulting long queues?
- Those silly machines need to be fixed. Only 1-2 people can load their things into the trays at a time, and there is no room to prepare for security, no extension to the conveyors to put your bags and stuff on. Ridiculous.
- The stupid tray system is directly responsible for delays, as 1 person messing about with their change/shoes/belts/keys results in the whole conveyor coming to a stop
- Prodding the empty trays to help them on their way results in the whole system jamming (as I discovered today)
- It would be twice as fast to get through security if (i) you could take the tray off the conveyor and (ii) there was space to start putting your things in the trays in advance of reaching the machine
2. So many BA staff don't seem adequately trained to do their job
- SSCI supervisors don't know how to assist with checking in
- CI staff don't know how to print eticket receipts
- Lounge staff don't know the lounge access rules ("can this NCL passenger come in on his Gold card, or does he have to travelling in Club Class" was a classic)
- Lounge staff don't know where to go to change a ticket
- Airside staff don't know (and it's still a big mystery) how to get back landside
- It doesn't inspire much confidence when you can't get the most basic things done, and simple questions answered
So besides fixing the lifts, the escalators, the baggage systems, the guidance systems and whatever else wasn't properly tested beforehand, it would help if the staff could be given basic training in customer services issues at T5. Telling the customer to "go find it yourself" is not what I would have expected to hear.
Iīll second that. Security is a total chaos. "Are you travelling FIRST class Sir?". "No, as itīs mentioned on the BA website BA Golds and Silvers are allowed to use Fast Track". "Oh, yes". (No proof of evidence of course!!) Fast Track was a laugh They even didnīt know how to use the belt to build up a line for the second scanner...
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Quote:
Originally Posted by honu
Not at LHR (not even close!), but I've been watching the 7 o'clock news for a couple of days now, with dismay but no surprise... Mr. honu found this cute little article on El Reg, and it looks like the link hasn't been posted yet, so here it is: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03...econstruction/
Besides whatever the various problems are behind the scenes, there are two big very visible issues that need to be fixed:
1. Security is a chaotic, poorly designed and poorly managed mess
- Fast track is not policed, and it's a free-for-all once there is a queue from the BP check point
- Why are only half the scanners manned? Who is responsible for keeping half the machines closed, and the resulting long queues?
- Those silly machines need to be fixed. Only 1-2 people can load their things into the trays at a time, and there is no room to prepare for security, no extension to the conveyors to put your bags and stuff on. Ridiculous.
- The stupid tray system is directly responsible for delays, as 1 person messing about with their change/shoes/belts/keys results in the whole conveyor coming to a stop
- Prodding the empty trays to help them on their way results in the whole system jamming (as I discovered today)
- It would be twice as fast to get through security if (i) you could take the tray off the conveyor and (ii) there was space to start putting your things in the trays in advance of reaching the machine
There are actually 3 points at the start of the security scanner (They're labeled ) I queued for around 5 minutes today and in that time managed to get my coat off and put all my bits and pieces in my carry on. When I got to the front of the queue, I noticed a man was not using one of the two available points and told him to move forward. I then promptly put everything into a tray (no more than 3 secs) and went straight through. Waited at the other end for less than 40 secs.
The biggest problem is getting people ready for security and I believe that there should be people queue combing telling people to prepare. It seems like you were one of the people not quite ready when you got to the front of the queue.
My flight to TXL is showing up as cancelled on BA.com, but in my booking it still says confirmed. Tried changing time on line and it comes up at Ģ326 per person to change to the earlier flight.
Have phoned three times now on the number given, which announces a divert to the USA. No answer each time and after prolonged holding (I could do something to those pearlfishers) I get cut off.
Clearly there needs to be better coordination between those that cancel the flights and BA.com.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DocH
Have phoned three times now on the number given, which announces a divert to the USA. No answer each time and after prolonged holding (I could do something to those pearlfishers) I get cut off.
...I'll phone again in the morning.
Err, I think you should try calling the Gold line, rather than the "number given".
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HIDDY
Very nice words from uk1 indeed but I am afraid the days of flag waving and feeling of pride for British Airways stopped well before T 5 was even thought about..
I disagree. Certainly uk1's words struck a major chord with me. Emotion plays a major part in consumer choice (otherwise branding consuiltants would be out of job). I consider myself, in most things, a reasonably unemotional consumer. But I know only too well that when I see that tailfin, the one that BA so idiotically wanted to ditch, in some corner of a foreign airport it does give me a slight kick in the throat and leap in the heart. The Flag is not any flag. BA is not just another airline. This Kingdom is not just any country. And when BA diminishes itself, we are, by some means difficult to enunciate, all diminished.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HIDDY
It's a tough business running an airline these days and there is little room for sentiment.Similarly, our attitude to our railways changed when the tax payer was freed from propping that up as well.
And on a rather less elevated note may I remind you that regardless of the romance of steam the railways have gobbled up more subsidy since privatisation than before it
just a reminder that the UK lines are open outside ordinary operational hours from 0500 - 22.00 on 0800 727 800
outside thes hours calls will divert to the USA
They even didnīt know how to use the belt to build up a line for the second scanner...
) I queued for around 5 minutes today and in that time managed to get my coat off and put all my bits and pieces in my carry on. When I got to the front of the queue, I noticed a man was not using one of the two available points and told him to move forward. I then promptly put everything into a tray (no more than 3 secs) and went straight through. Waited at the other end for less than 40 secs.
