N1003U

I have also had good experiences with the security checkpoints in ZRH. Organized and quick.

I rarely am able to make it through the magnetometers in FRA without being selected for secondary screening. The last time, the only piece of metal the inspector was able to find was the small clip that fastens my pants at the front.

I can't imagine it is practical to use a magnetometer that is set with such high sensitivity. Sometimes the wait for a secondary hand search takes longer than the wait for the x-ray machines.

Perhaps it is all part of the charm and character that makes FRA one of the world's great airports...

TRAVELSIG

My cufflinks (small) set off the magnetometers at FRA last week.

Every single customer going through set off the machine.

The answer was to scan every customers shoes.

Very impressive- something I have only seen elsewhere in very southern smaller airports in India.

YuropFlyer

Just go to China, no matter what, they'll do the hand scan on every single passenger.. obviously no one removes belts or anything there, as it's done anyway..

PVDtoDEL

Same is done in India. I prefer it that way - more efficient, and no getting radiated by x-ray machines like in the US.

GUWonder

Scanning every passengers' shoes as a result of WTMD going off is not something that has ever hit me on any of my many flights when in India or China and not dealing with US carriers.

PVDtoDEL

No, I was talking about hand scanning (w/ HHMD) each passengers.

iainbhx

The only decent security at FRA is at the FCT.

On my recent travels I would rate security as follows (1 good, 10 bad)

BHX 2, FRA Z xfer 10, SIN 5*, MEL 3, BNE 1, SYD 4, FRA FCT 1

*weero has a point, doing security at the gate in SIN is a pain in the butt. I disagree with him about most other things at that airport.

bankops

You can pretty much be sure of getting a beep when going through the business line in FRA Terminal 2 Schengen. I swear no more than 2 people ever can make it through in a row. I wear the same thing every time and only have about a 50% success rate. I think they have the random % cranked on that line so that they can maintain a good overall average.

N1003U

Manual searches have always struck me as a more practical solution than the (mostly feeble) attempts at automating the process. The existing technologies are just not up to the task.

BTW, I have been in the US for the past couple of weeks and I don't know if it got any press coverage in the EU, but the TSA is quietly getting rid of its full body scanners (both x-ray, and radar-based). I guess they decided the extra cost for very little (if any) gain and a slower process was not justified...@:-) Not to mention the large numbers of "opt out" passengers (in the US, you are allowed to request a manual search in lieu of the body scanner) who not only defeat the process, but are automatically subjected to a thorough secondary screening, slowing the process even further.

weero

This is why I used past tense - ZRH improved a whole lot when they moved to a central security system and have their agents in bright public view.

Before that, the E gate security was a constant nuisance. Several times I had to wait for a supervisor because the agents believed that I insulted them.

RTW1

I wonder why....

weero

I have never been patted down in China. Not once.

The groping is a ZRH/FRA thingie.
While I of course love you for the partial concession: how can you disagree with me that the *G lounges do not have showers and offer bald halal food?

That is a factoid, not an opinion.

YuropFlyer

Regarding the patt down in China, this is REALLY interesting. I've been going from several Chinese airports, both domestic and international in the last 12 months, and ALWAYS got a pat down, and I did NOT spot a single person before or after me not getting the same exact treatment. It wasn't bad, the lines were moving acceptable, but as I said, EVERYONE had to stand on the little podium and get checked.

I had this at Hangzhou (2x), Shanghai PVG (2x) and SHA, Xi'an, Nanjing (2x), Beijing (3x) and Sanya.

Every single time. And not just me, everyone I saw in sight at the security checkpoints. And that includes "VIP" lines.

About the SIN *G lounges (I know you didn't asked me about it, but I feel free enough to answer as well ), I too was disappointed that they don't have showers. Freshing up in the washroom definitely is not a good option after a hot day in Singapore.

But the food didn't strike me to be particularly bad. Generally I've no issues eating Halal food at all, and it didn't really tasted bland to me. Sure, the SilverKris lounge has more food options, and some of them might be better, but the *G offer (besides no showers) were quite good, if I compare it with other *G lounges around the world, it even ranks relatively high up.

oliver2002

Took a look at the 'new and improved' seatguru today... if LH seatmaps are a reference, this site has gone downhill big time...

Circumknowitall

Yes some of the information is a bit odd

Apparently LH has

First class in the A320 but only Business in the A321