Originally Posted by vanillabean

This past Tuesday morning, my wife and I checked out at the Premier Inn at T4 and took the train to T3 for our connecting flight, a promising beginning for the day. It was when we assumed our place at the end of the line for the Virgin Atlantic check-in counter that we realized just how massively crowded Healthrow was that day (in part due to reduced staff).

While the situation looked orderly and just busy, the whole thing was precarious when dipping into the details. To begin with, I found it hard to believe that nowhere was there any estimate for the wait in major lines, including to enter security. I asked various staff, and no one knew why. Anyone with a reservation could have been told ahead of time, something, anything.

The wait for the Virgin Atlantic line was more than two hours. I skipped line at some point, but only because I eventually was able to sort out contradictory answers from staff. As I already had a boarding pass, two said I could go straight to security if I brought my suitcase as a carry-on, another said I couldn’t because my boarding pass didn’t say docs ok.

The wait in the security line was nearly two hours. When I asked a staff member directing security line traffic about the fast track line, he said it was just as bad, not realizing he was looking at T3’s other regular security line. Once we exited security and I looked at a departure screen, it said the gate for our flight (or any maybe) wouldn’t be posted until an hour before departure!

Given how densely populated the area was, I’m surprised the airport didn’t put in place a mask requirement, because after all it matters that people who are infectious wear one (more than the rest of us). I never contracted Covid during the two and a half years, but that day I did. Of course I could also have gotten it from the person I was sitting next to for twelve hours on the LHR-SFO flight. I may never know.