My Impressions of T5 security - it may just be me!
Dec 20, 2017, 10:49 am
#106
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: All over the place often South Wales and Lake District
Programs: BA Gold for Life Accor Platinum
Posts: 4,552
Not just you at all... I have been thinking the exact same thing!
I transited twice in a weekend in Oct and that resulted in two complaints! Not that I received a response to the second, more serious one.
The first was a secondary screening with a security person who had absolutely no urgency whatsoever and I got short shrift from a colleague of theirs when I exasperatedly pointed out nothing was moving.
The second was more serious in my view. A Spanish elderly gent in front of me at the metal detector had his passport in hand (quite normal in some countries) and was being spoken at louder and louder by the troll to put it in the tray. I translated and then snapped at said troll that perhaps speaking louder in English is not helpful to a non English speaker. He looked a bit embarrassed but I was quite annoyed. Then, and this really pissed me off, I overhead a colleague say in a sarcastic tone “oh it looks like the Spanish plane landed” to which I loudly said “excuse me, what did you say?!” but he skulked off. Absolutely shocking. I complained to the lady at the podium who in fairness took it seriously and promised to take action but I was so angry it was shaking - I mean, this is the first thing people visiting our country see, this is the face of the UK and it is completely lacking professional integrity!
Frankly, I’m glad I left for windier shores.. at least in Holland they say all the bad things directly to your face and tell you exactly what they want you to do 😂
Please do complain though... that’s the only way it will change!
The first was a secondary screening with a security person who had absolutely no urgency whatsoever and I got short shrift from a colleague of theirs when I exasperatedly pointed out nothing was moving.
The second was more serious in my view. A Spanish elderly gent in front of me at the metal detector had his passport in hand (quite normal in some countries) and was being spoken at louder and louder by the troll to put it in the tray. I translated and then snapped at said troll that perhaps speaking louder in English is not helpful to a non English speaker. He looked a bit embarrassed but I was quite annoyed. Then, and this really pissed me off, I overhead a colleague say in a sarcastic tone “oh it looks like the Spanish plane landed” to which I loudly said “excuse me, what did you say?!” but he skulked off. Absolutely shocking. I complained to the lady at the podium who in fairness took it seriously and promised to take action but I was so angry it was shaking - I mean, this is the first thing people visiting our country see, this is the face of the UK and it is completely lacking professional integrity!
Frankly, I’m glad I left for windier shores.. at least in Holland they say all the bad things directly to your face and tell you exactly what they want you to do 😂
Please do complain though... that’s the only way it will change!
Using terms like troll or goon isn't helpful in my view.
Dec 20, 2017, 11:45 am
#107
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: SFO, LON
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, Bonvoy Tit, Hilton Dia etc etc
Posts: 2,354
Connections remains, inexplicably, a mess at T5. Every so often I just try it out, for kicks, Really poor. TFW is fast, I get the point about attitudes though I did have a nice experience yesterday. Curt but helpful staff, kindly picked something up for me when I asked and I gave them a dark green. The lady behind the search counter saw it, came out and thanked me, smiling profusely. Seems they are human after all 
Dec 20, 2017, 12:57 pm
#108
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 795
I went through on Sunday, the gentleman on the belt asked where I was going in a making conversation kind of way. I said Edinburgh and he then proceeded to tell me all about Hogmanay. I wouldn't say it was new news, but he was happy to chat and so was I.
That was in the first wing though, I think the daylight there must make it a much less unpleasant place to work. But I've also managed some good chats in the normal security previously. If I'm honest, it's a bit of a sport for me
That was in the first wing though, I think the daylight there must make it a much less unpleasant place to work. But I've also managed some good chats in the normal security previously. If I'm honest, it's a bit of a sport for me
Dec 20, 2017, 9:46 pm
#110
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: OSL/IAH/ZRH (time, not preference)
Programs: UA1K, LH GM, AA EXP->GM
Posts: 38,259
I find the security staff to be slow and patronizing ... but the entire installation is very predictable. There's no 45 minute wait in Fast Track as the "service" offered in FRA,
I can live with their silly remarks and complaints about my TSA approve liquid bag being a quart rather than a liter (took a colleague to confirm that "smaller is ok"). I am willing to ignore them for the overall streamlined process.
But I do hate the senseless commutes back and forth to the satellites ... that's just a waste when you are transferring.
I can live with their silly remarks and complaints about my TSA approve liquid bag being a quart rather than a liter (took a colleague to confirm that "smaller is ok"). I am willing to ignore them for the overall streamlined process.
But I do hate the senseless commutes back and forth to the satellites ... that's just a waste when you are transferring.
Dec 21, 2017, 2:49 am
#111
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: UK
Programs: Baec
Posts: 191
This morning about 08:45 T5 South fast track was just at a standstill. Decided to walk up to North only to find it closed and told to go to South. When I returned fast track was still jammed so went through the normal one in five minutes?
Dec 21, 2017, 6:31 am
#112
Fontaine d'honneur du Flyertalk
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Morbihan, France
Programs: Reine des Muccis de Pucci; Foreign Elitist (according to others)
Posts: 19,167
Dec 21, 2017, 7:38 am
#113
Join Date: Mar 2011
Programs: BA exec, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 555
Just done yet another MAN T1 last Wednesday using Fast (or slower) Track as it’s fast become with all the up selling, lack of process, next to no space and totally random policy/procedures of staff. this time my roller which has just done a RTW including T5/3 inbound and out at LHR without a hitch gets to sit on the belt at the scanner whilst they clear the 9 bags in front of it that have been rejected. When it starts up again mine too gets pulled. Thus 20 mins after walking through the body scanner I am informed by the staffer “ the computer says your bag ‘timed out’ on the belt” No s**t Shylock! So back it goes and another 5 mins to sail through.
A couple of weeks before that at MAN T3 BA check in agent tells me BA have complained (again) to MAG about its lack of ‘Premium ‘ security service which I seem to remember was mentioned on the forum some time back?
All in all I havent had any issues to concern me at LHR T5/3. Maybe my ‘bar’ is set low due the constant nonsense I have to endure at MAN.
Dec 22, 2017, 9:21 am
#114
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: SYD
Programs: BAEC GGL, HH D, QFF, EB
Posts: 404
T5 Fast Track before TFW used to be a nightmare, had a delayed inbound leaving a very short connection before the only flight of the day to my next connection and the answer when I was pulled for secondary for no reason (confirmed it was random by the staff) when there was a 10 bag backlog was "don't care there is always another flight and not our issue".
T5 TFW is consistently good even have a chat and a joke with the staff, same as T3 Fast Track.
Problem airports have been CDG, I've left my belt on top of my jacket and she had seen me take it off, "where is your belt? You cannot wear a belt"
SYD, argument about a 100ml shampoo bottle same size as my 100ml shower gel, because the shampoo also said 110g they stated it was not compliant. Ended up being funny as he tagged me for secondary and the officer doing the search asked "have you been around explosives" when I said yes due to both my job and also working with the TA it turned out we knew a lot of the same people, the look on the original persons face was priceless.
FLL, connecting through there from international to domestic on AA, my DSLR got pulled for secondary. The stupid person decided to pick up my camera bag by the seam and drop it, thought I might get arrested on that one when I told her how stupid she was.
DUR, my camera equipment went missing in time it took me to walk through the x-ray. The stupid thing was I could see my back under his chair. Soon got it back when I said I was calling the police.
T5 TFW is consistently good even have a chat and a joke with the staff, same as T3 Fast Track.
Problem airports have been CDG, I've left my belt on top of my jacket and she had seen me take it off, "where is your belt? You cannot wear a belt"
SYD, argument about a 100ml shampoo bottle same size as my 100ml shower gel, because the shampoo also said 110g they stated it was not compliant. Ended up being funny as he tagged me for secondary and the officer doing the search asked "have you been around explosives" when I said yes due to both my job and also working with the TA it turned out we knew a lot of the same people, the look on the original persons face was priceless.
FLL, connecting through there from international to domestic on AA, my DSLR got pulled for secondary. The stupid person decided to pick up my camera bag by the seam and drop it, thought I might get arrested on that one when I told her how stupid she was.
DUR, my camera equipment went missing in time it took me to walk through the x-ray. The stupid thing was I could see my back under his chair. Soon got it back when I said I was calling the police.