Oaxaca

It is pretty bad this morning. Same huge queues at regular checkin and Club checkin. First Wing queue stretches round the outside, though if HBO you can go straight into TFW security, which is empty. Regular security (south, didn’t see north) has a queue for the conformance gates, looks like regular fast track not open, but not sure, maybe just no queue.

Maybe a lot of check in staff still furloughed? Didn’t look at how occupied the desks were.

KeaneJohn

Does it make any difference? It’s going to be BA, IB, AA or QR.

Yesterday Morning waits of 100 minutes to check in. Queue for First Wing snaked round the terminal and then out over one of the walkways to the drop off zone. I appreciate check in transaction taking longer whilst paperwork, API and temperature checks are done but these passenger numbers shouldn’t be a surprise to BA.

Experiences like thIs will deter passengers from flying again (with BA) pre vaccine.

kaizenflying

As many have said before, why are people expecting a pleasant airport experience at the moment? And do people really need to queue for a free tea and bacon roll in a BA lounge?

binman

all ba. AA are occupying most of Zone C.

there is no fast track ( doubtless a cost saving) but credit where it’s due no queues at security.

lost_in_translation

Best thing you can do right now appears to be avoid flying on a weekend morning - leave a day or two earlier if possible. There are hardly any business travel flights during the week so the weekend mornings are when almost all weekly flights are concentrated.

I have flown out on a Friday and a Thursday over the last couple of weeks. The Friday there was a short queue at F Wing but through in about 10 minutes, Thursday this week there was one other person checking in when I turned up. Subsequently, both weekends crazy photos like this have been posted on FT on the Saturday / Sunday.

Oaxaca

I’m afraid there is not much chance of deflecting this away from BA. The queues are like that right across the terminal (landside, no real issues airside), and the great majority of flights departing T5 this morning are operated by BA.

Outside of checkin (and maybe regular security, didn’t see that), the T5 experience is ok today. The issue appears to be insufficient staffing at check in. I didn’t see anyone making any mention of queues for lounges today, so not sure what point you are trying to make there.

flyertalker28120

I think it's not about the free tea and bacon roll.

Exposure risk increases the more time you spend in a closed room with many people (aerosols). Especially considering many people are poor with social distancing when waiting in a queue.

Flying today is different from the 20th century or even from the first decade of the 21st century. BA has REAL-TIME data on the number of people flying short-haul/long-haul out of LHR T5 for any given day. Statistics on pax' nationality, amount of checked luggage, destinations, etc. are quite good as well. I don't have any insider info on BA specifically, but I have that insight on another airline and I simply cannot imagine BA being much behind technologically.

Sure, they still can run into idiosyncracies. If, by chance, you simultaneously have people with bad documents or something on three different counters, that can have repercussions such that many more people experience a delay.

This happens more often than one might think. Delays where you cannot even pinpoint the cause.

Be that as it may, it seems unlikely to see people waiting in line for 100 minutes due to idiosyncracies. Instead, I think BA is trying to save some money and is simply too aggressive in cutting down staff.

And, again, given the risk of an infection is related to the duration of an exposure, I think understaffing check-in counters is to been seen critically.

binman

In the end I spent as much time in the queue as my my flight will take ( over an hour) The frustrating thing is pulling passengers who are late, who don’t follow the rules, to the front of queues which have been created by BA not manning every second check in desk.

the poster on the Check-in desk saying safety remains a number one priority is risible given the sardine conditions.

if I were the a queue comber I would have serious concerns for health in this conditions and it must be some sort of H&S breach to place them in such conditions

Barnaby100

No queues this morning to get in through 1st lounge (at all- walked straight up and in) Every 1st wing check in desk looked open. Small queues at other check ins (tiny queues). Both 1st scanning lanes open.

At the door in to the terminal from the car park lift was initially turned away as they said that were not admitting anyone with more than 2 hours until they flew.

Chris9642

I had the same issue last week I was turned away as not within 2 hours and told to wait outside for an hour. I quickly did a flight status search to find a flight leaving within 2 hours - went to a different door and told them I was on that flight and I was let in straight away - and then queued for over an hour to check in

Barnaby100

You are clearly a deeper thinker than I am.
I just walked to another door which was unmanned and straight through. The 1st lounge is pretty quiet- more so than 2 weeks ago.

CharlotteC

it took five minutes to get through yesterday evening border control staff asking people to remove masks to get through. All staff I came across were efficient and helpful and there were quite a few people coming through

BOH

Flew from T5 last Tuesday, was really very quick and efficient. These queues seem to be a weekend thing

Shuttle_Endeavour

I flew from T5 yesterday. On the whole, the process was quick and easy. Took about 10 mins to get through security, but that was because the scanners decided to select everyone for second search.

There weren’t any massively long queues, and our Madrid flight was the only flight boarding from the C gates.

I noted from the information screens that T5 had failed in July ( I think) to meet their security screening performance targets, which is a little strange noting the process does not appear to be any different from pre-COVID times.

sl1ppy

Took around 15 minutes for Business check-in and the same for security (fast track not open) at 10am this morning.
There appear to be some intermittent issues with the baggage belts.