Saltire74

Haven't seen this mentioned so apologies if it's somewhere and once again if suited elsewhere but as BA is one of the bigger domestic carriers at GLA, may be worth mentioning here.

Travelled from DME-LHR-GLA yesterday with luggage. As most GLA regulars who travel with luggage would probably know, if connecting at LHR (or LGW for that matter) outwith the EU, luggage is collected at carousel 3, at the very far end of the baggage reclaim hall through the sliding doors. There used to be a regular Customs presence there but the officer had been replaced with a red phone.

I don't know if this is now a permanent new development, but it appears that ALL luggage arriving on the flight is loaded onto the normal domestic belt. Myself, along with a few others were standing at belt 3 for quite some time yesterday with the screen displaying the next luggage arriving was from Dublin. No mention of the BA LHR flights and no movement of the carousel.

I had a look in the main baggage hall and the sign has also been removed from above the doors. When I turned around to look at the main belt, I noticed my suitcase going through airside again so obviously had done a round on the carousel whilst I was waiting, obliviously at belt 3. Another fellow traveller who had been waiting at belt 3 also noticed this recent change and was a bit anxious as BA had misplaced 2 suitcases on two separate occasions in the past few weeks when coming back to GLA.

If it's not already been mentioned, hope this is of some help to fellow FTers travelling to GLA.

Safe & Happy Travels

S

everGLAdes

Just to throw a spanner in the works here... . I had the opposite situation the other day, where all luggage from the flight came in on the international arrivals belt through the sliding doors. There was a customs officer in there when I walked through but he disappeared before anything came out.

Some domestic/EU passengers were waiting outside for a while till they realised.

Saltire74

Haven't seen a customs officer at that belt for a long long time now but what seems to be happening is that all bags go on the same belt now regardless of origin which is a shame because the majority of the time I found my bags came out quicker when coming off belt 3.

S

rossmacd

I don't think this is a change, to be honest. Over the last few years (about 5 years, if I was to put a number on it), it has been sometimes pot luck which belt the non-EU baggage randomly pops-out on. I would say, in my experience, it is probably 4 times out of 5 on belt 3.

I would not agree that the baggage on belt 3 comes out faster, the luggage from the flght almost always appears on be belt 2 quicker.

Saltire74

Going by my experience in the past 13 years that I have worked overseas (always out with EU origin), I have always collected my luggage from belt 3 arriving in GLA arriving on BA from LHR, that is until the other day. I have had a couple of occasions where I've waited a fair bit of time but majority of cases, I have had my baggage delivered quicker than the normal domestic belt. YMMV

S

rossmacd

YMMV indeed

Good to have consistency!

gw76

Agree, every longhaul connector for me has come through 3. Infact even last year that was the case wothout exception.The last time I was stopped by the Customs officer in 2014 was coming back from MIA. He must have thought id transferred from Columbia! (He even knew what conference I was likely to have been at!)
Sounds as if they are just being more flexible and make better use of all 3 belts
I was told all the customs intelligance is done off site behind the scenes way in advance and staff can be deployed as needed.

FliGuy

I had the same experience last week coming back from BOM via LHR. I was making my way to carousel 3 when I spotted my case going round number 2 as was my traveling partner's. First time it has happened in a few years. I just put it down to a loading mistake but it would be nice to know in advance to save waiting at the wrong belt.

Saltire74

They have taken the sign down that was above the sliding doors but of course I didn't notice that at first as just on autopilot as has been the way for the past 13 years

S

Saltire74

Four months on from my original post on this subject and arrived into GLA for the first time since.

The Menzies baggage handling office staff in the Domestic arrivals hall confirmed that all baggage arrives on the same carousel now rather than anything outwith the EU getting its own belt.

Going to to miss getting the stares from Customs (not!!!!)

S

TheChangingMan

I had the same confusion on my last return from YYC. So, no customs gates at GLA after transiting LHR from outside the EU.

Saltire74

The baggage agents exact words were "they don't scan them here anymore so they'll all come out on the same belt".

After a departure delay, we arrived just after 11 pm. Off quick and hot trotted to baggage reclaim and the monitors displayed 'baggage expected 23:45hrs'. This prompted my visit to the office to clarify if that meant the baggage would start being delivered then. The agent clarified and said that all of the baggage should have been delivered by then. This is also when I asked the question about belt 3 and got the above info.

S