iwanm

So arrived at T5 around 6pm tonight, dropped my bags off, looked at North/South security 'queue' board, North showed 2 South 5. As I was at North, went to fast track and there was a HAL person checking boarding passes and telling people that if their flight was not in the next hour, to come back when it was. I just assumed security was really busy.

I pulled my DYKWIA and said as a Gold is it ok if I go through and he said 'OK then' Strangely enough it was incredibly quiet , one person in front of mea at the x-ray, but yet again a random beep and a pat down.... seems to happen a lot to me know.....

Anyway, sat drinking a beer and got a BA text survey asking me how my arrival had been, so just wrote what had happened.

Imagine my surprise 10 mins ago when i got a call from an unknown mobile number, which was from BA asking me to explain my response which I did. The lady said she'd never heard of HAL doing that before and would look into it.

So I'm impressed that BA are reading the surveys and apparently in near real time

r00ty

Some of the silly things I've written on those surveys, because I assumed they were all ignored....

BA must have a file on me!

Glad to hear they're taking an interest in that though. Frankly BA should be the least concerned (while still concerned), it's all the airside shopping establishments that will lose out most... There's not much at all landside.

bulkhead

But BA will have some pretty upset customers if those with lounge access find themselves stuck landside. After all BA spend a lot of money on those lounges, so they must recognise that customers value them immensely.

Swanhunter

HAL staff continue to amaze with their inexplicable made up rules and attitude.

McCoy

I've twice been refused into North security, for the reason that my flight "isn't departing in the next hour" and sent to South security instead. Wasn't sure if that was a rule, or just meant North was really busy, or completely made-up..

Blenz101

I had similar a couple of weeks ago, a text survey about catering. Made some comments by return text and 15 mins later a call went out in the lounge I was in asking me to come to contact guest services where someone from special services spent 10 minutes talking to me in detail about my comments.

Hoch

So rather than processing passengers to airside HAL would rather have queues form landslide. Brilliant!

H

shefgab

I once had a run in with a secueity person in MAN who didn't want me to go airside until an hour or so before boarding as "airside is a confined area" so having me wait there was a "health and safety issue". They were ok with my sitting outside though for the same amount of time....

Don't HAL get a portion of the airside profits, so would be in their interest to have as many people squeezed into the shopping mall, sorry, departure area, as possible?

Internaut

I've never had this happen at any airport. Quite frankly, airport staff must be talking bollards. The purpose of a Britisn Airport is to try and sell you stuff, airside, while you're waiting to board. The less time airside, the less time they have to sell you stuff.

paulwuk

Perhaps the land side shops are complaining?

r00ty

What, WH Smith and excess baggage company? :P

xxxxx

North is often closed (sometimes at BA's request) so that it can be cleared ready for a large number of transfer passengers on their way having all 16 lanes ready and waiting.

teevee

the 5 tuns are paying them off....

KARFA

Based on my experience I find this hard to believe. Are there many transfer passengers expected at 6pm when the OP arrived? Also if this really was a thing why isn't it closed in the morning when you have all the overnight longhauls coming in?

Roger

FWIW after a better than normal journey to LHR, we arrived at T5 almost 3 hours before our flight on Tuesday.[*] South security was less busy than North security. A body quickly checked our self-printed BPs and on we went to self-scan our BPs twice without further delay thence to the lounge.[*] WHSmugg and Boots were unbothered by us.

[*]Then there was the 100 minute delay in taking off - flight delay of 35 mins followed by a closed runway situation about 65 mins. Oh dear.