Purposeful slowdown at Frankfurt security line?
#166
Join Date: Aug 2005
Programs: UA*G(1K), PC Diamond Amb, Marriott Titanium, Accor Platinum
Posts: 4,664
About 2-3 weeks ago in Frankfurt the lines were not long, but about 3 out of 4 trays were pulled over for manual inspection to a point where even the fourth tray which should have been delivered, did not come out because it was blocked by all the trays requiring manual inspection. It seemed completely ridiculous and I've spent at least 10 minutes from placing my items onto the tray to retrieving my items from manual inspection.
HTB.
HTB.
#167
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,001
The BP in FRA is the master of the security desaster and the only one that FraSec (supposedly) listens to. They are also evasive, see this twitter thread:
#168
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Rhineland-Palatinate
Programs: *A Gold (A3), HHonor Diamond
Posts: 5,640
This is a clow-show where every actor is giving the hot potato to the others. Nobody wants to look at it seriously. The only for this to change is that it hurts LH P&L seriously and then they would push for improvements.
#169
Join Date: Feb 2005
Programs: M&M FTL (*Silver), KLM/AF blue
Posts: 341
I have been following this threat with a mixture of amusement and bewilderment for a couple of months now... It is just unbelievable that in a country like Germany it is not possible to get this right... and no one really seems to care...
#170
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,001
LH had a meeting with Fraport and the police pointing out the deficit in FRA in particular. It seems the extra lanes in T1 A are of no use since the nudescope scanners create so many false positives. Because of the latter the line backs up... in MUC the new lanes in the center have larger zones to unpack and repack handluggage, which compensate for the backup of the nudeoscope.
#171
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Rhineland-Palatinate
Programs: *A Gold (A3), HHonor Diamond
Posts: 5,640
In addition to the staff attitude and the lack of open lanes, it is clear the unpacking and preparation is an issue. There is never a queue at the nude-o-scope themselves, and usually a period of time (30 sec) with nobody inside one, as when one person is finished being scanned the next one is still unpacking.
#172
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Stoke on Trent, UK (MAN ), BUE, BKK, DBV
Programs: LH HON***,UA,BA.EK Gold,AV.
Posts: 11,433
Maybe all the problem solvers are over at BER
#173
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,967
And that is exactly the issue, and exactly what the German police warned about when they were testing machines years ago when the US forced them on other countries. Tissues in pocket, pleats in clothing, slight sweat - they all cause issues, and result in false positives and thus more hand checks.
As noted above, I cannot use these machines at all. But each time I decline, I still have to wait for a hand screening as the screeners are busy checking those who alerted the machines. (And there are generally fewer female screeners) My travel partner is pulled about 95% of the time for a hand check, with no obvious reason.
Unfortunately this is a case of the prediction coming true, and was the reason why the original machines were not installed.
MUC staff by the way was again good to me this week.
Article on the original machines in part stated that in about half the cases there was a false alarm: 15 percent had a real alarm, 5 percent unclear why they alarned, and only 31 percent of passengers had no alarm ie green light.
https://www.sueddeutsche.de/reise/si...-ein-1.1531359
As noted above, I cannot use these machines at all. But each time I decline, I still have to wait for a hand screening as the screeners are busy checking those who alerted the machines. (And there are generally fewer female screeners) My travel partner is pulled about 95% of the time for a hand check, with no obvious reason.
Unfortunately this is a case of the prediction coming true, and was the reason why the original machines were not installed.
MUC staff by the way was again good to me this week.
Article on the original machines in part stated that in about half the cases there was a false alarm: 15 percent had a real alarm, 5 percent unclear why they alarned, and only 31 percent of passengers had no alarm ie green light.
In knapp der Hlfte der Flle soll es zu Fehlalarmen gekommen sein, hie es 2011 aus Kreisen des Bundesinnenministeriums. Bei weiteren 15 Prozent habe es sich um echten Alarm gehandelt - bei fnf Prozent blieb die Ursache fr die Meldung unklar. Nur in 31 Prozent der Gesamtflle gab das Gert grnes Licht, weil es nichts Verdchtiges bei dem Passagier gefunden hatte.
#174
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 1,481
So it's more about the gap between high expectations and average reality.
#175
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,967
Absolutely. The crew and I were reassuring an American this week who was fussing about a 'short' 90 minute connection at MUC that was perfectly fine, and he was panicked about passport control. Even had he not been able to use the automated gates , I have never seen a queue anywhere like at American airports at passport control.
Even the longest FRA queues at security are what I would consider 'average' at most US airports I have used. It just is not our expectation in our country to have waits of an hour plus at security (or passport control) The reality is that there are a combination of factors driving FRA waits, but the current scanners and their false positives drive much of it.
Even the longest FRA queues at security are what I would consider 'average' at most US airports I have used. It just is not our expectation in our country to have waits of an hour plus at security (or passport control) The reality is that there are a combination of factors driving FRA waits, but the current scanners and their false positives drive much of it.
#176
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London, UK.
Programs: SQ LPPS, A3 *G, BA Silver aiming for Bronze
Posts: 1,506
Perhaps they're testing security at FRA for the new BER experience!
#177
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
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#179
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: A3*G
Posts: 114
Even the longest FRA queues at security are what I would consider 'average' at most US airports I have used. It just is not our expectation in our country to have waits of an hour plus at security (or passport control) The reality is that there are a combination of factors driving FRA waits, but the current scanners and their false positives drive much of it.
I don't disagree. Having said that, it's possible to do quite a lot better as the Scandinavian airports demonstrate. Due to SAS' bizarre policy I'm rarely able to use fast track at CPH yet waiting times in the regular queue are fairly consistently far shorter than at FRA priority.