Originally Posted by
QueenOfCoach
A two-part response:
First, what LHR security did you encounter between the BA lounge and the T-3 departure gate? I have flown AA137 many times. I know where the AC lounge is and cannot recall any LHR security between that lounge and the departure gate. Is the BA lounge nearby or did you go to another terminal? What do I not understand about your scenario quoted above?
Second, I am not a lounge lizard for the simple reason I like to "be where I am supposed to be". I occasionally get one-day passes and if I have plenty of time, yes, I have visited the AC a few times. However, I always leave the AC so I have AMPLE time to get to the gate. (T-45, eg.) I don't mind waiting at the departure gate, not really. I like to hear of any changes, early boarding, etc.
I have concluded that running a chance of missing a flight due to early boarding, gate change, etc, is one of the few drawbacks of lounge lizard-ness. Based on your experience quoted above, what are your thoughts on this? Did you try to cut it too close that day in LHR?
Actually a three-part response
Part 1: It was the security staff who usually hang around the entrance to the gate area, picking out passengers to harass. Since the gate was deserted when I returned, they all focused on lucky me.
Part 2: As I said, I had arrived at the gate well before scheduled boarding (my habit is to arrive at the gate 60 minutes before departure time for an international flight, which usually boards at most T-45 minutes, and more typically T-30 for a late departure) but GA announced a mechanical delay with an "update" (not departure) in XX minutes. I returned to the gate prior to the XX, expecting to learn of further delay.
Part 3: One advantage to hanging out at an AA club (such as AC or FL in LHR) is that they will announce what is going on. In fact, the gate did page me in the AA lounges. A disadvantage to hanging out in the BA lounge in LHR (or the JL lounge in NRT, etc.) is that they don't make such announcements usually. That said, the screen displays tend to be pretty accurate.
Originally Posted by
dmsdfw
One would assume the infuriating ones that police the entrance to the gate waiting area. I sincerely believe they are both the most annoying and the most stupid of LHR security. Once they pulled me out for secondary only to walk off with my BP and then claim they didn't have it. They got annoyed when I made one of them go and get it reprinted. On another occasion they pulled out my GF to search her bags so while waiting for the search in front of me to complete she handed me all hers bags (in full view of them) so that when she got to the table there was nothing to search. They didn't say a thing.
I'm not sure which LHR security staff are the worst. You may be right, but the ones who confiscate toothpaste, saline, mouthwash, etc. must be very close.
Originally Posted by
austin_res
One thing I discovered: on your boarding pass the boarding time is key; not the departure time. I always make sure I'm at the gate by the boarding time.
There are other threads here about flights that board before the time printed on the BP.