Guaranteed Gate "Security screening" @ LHR?
 

Just got off LHR-ORD flight
Flight departs at 0800...beloved & I got to the gate at about 0725...I think the status board said gate/flight closed...don't remember the exact verbiage..Upon entering the boarding area it appeared that the boarding process was probably 90% done
However the beloved & I as well as EVERYONE who entered the boarding area after us and a few already in line before us....I'd estimate about 20-30 people all got the equivalent of SSSS....no exceptions that I saw...is that supposed to be some kind of punishment or something?? Is that a common occurrence @ LHR T3?
BTW flight pushed back on time but not early.

Yikes, yeah, definitely weird choice of words! :)

Proper term would be 'molestation in the name of national security'. Rape is too harsh of a term.

I'd agree the original term is probably a bit over the top, given its actual meaning. I would agree every time I've had to get out of LHR, it's been a pretty miserable experience. Of the 4 times I've been there in the past year, connecting or originating from LHR, 3 got me sent to the "left" side of the boarding area where there was a queue for all the hand luggage. The only time I didn't get it was due to a question that I had which required another UA agent to address on the "right" side of the boarding area and voided me the grilling I normally receive.

Quite a few stations offer this 'service' regularly.
Always happened in HKG, GRU, GIG so far.

SYD also implements it quite regularly :rolleyes: - if everyone is mistreated it's a ritual or 'tradition', I'd say .. not a crime against an individual.

Personally I feel the title is very inappropriate -- a classical case of headline writing to attach attention. The situation was a minor inconvenience to the OP and use of such verbiage would seem to be a volition of TOS. I will never be accused of being PC, but I do believe in being civil and not being sensational.

I would request OP replace the title.

:td:

Don't apologize, just edit it.

Yes, every United flight ex-LHR has additional security screening at the gate.

Why apologize for the "weird" title when it was deliberately written in that fashion? :confused:

Yes, you were being punished.

As for the original question, did you use the elite entry to the gate area? I know some gates have a secondary door for elites and F & C to use, and it seems at that gate it is only about 1 in 5 who get the added screening. Only once in several trips over the last year or so have I got the extra.

Is an elite entrance to the gate area something new? I have not been through LHR in over a year (March 2006). They used to only have one entrance into the gate area and then two lines going through the gate agents. Then separate boarding doors for F/C & Y.

I think thread titles are editable only for a very short period after the original posting.

...or by a moderator, thereafter. ;)

Yes we did...however we were intercepted by a minion immediately after we showed our boarding passes & passports at the entrance to the boarding area...guess he needed to something to do

It is available at some gates at LHR. Just past where you would enter the gate area is another single door they sometimes use for elites. I don't think it is at every gate, and not always used.