Strict airport security - give yourself some extra time

[mitchja]

Not sure if this is anything to do with what happened yesterday or the increased threat level from last week, but having just gone through airport security at MAN T3, I suggest you give yourself extra time as security and screening does seem much more strict than usual.

Virtually every bag going through the line I was in was getting secondary/manual searches. I also carry one of those solid deodorant sticks and have never had an issue what that being in my carry on before. My ciggy lighter was also picked up as well. Again never had any issues with that before either. Neither where taken off me though, it was just that they should have gone through separately.

Give yourself some extra time going through airport security to avoid any unnecessary stress. Also don't give the staff any grief (as they where getting this morning from some people here at MAN ) as at the end of the day they are only doing their job and making flying safe for everyone.

Thanks for the heads up , I am off to Dublin next Tuesday , hopefully 2 hours is enough ,luckily no hold luggage

Thank you. Funnily enough I'm also travelling to Dublin next Tuesday (albeit from LHR) so will keep this in mind.

Thanks for the heads up James.
Like you say at the end of the day the staff at security are just doing their job and we should give them the respect that is due.
I had a lot of devices on my person last time and so rightfully so was thoroughly searched. All my devices were fully charged anyway as I intended to use them on the flight.
Probably only going to take my camera, phone and DS next time though.

[mitchja]

There was nothing extra regarding checking devices where charged, even at the gate at MAN.

VS have just asked me at T3 check-in for my flight to SFO but no actual checks so far (I only checked my bags to LHR at MAN so I can stay landside for a nicotine top-up before I go through security at LHR )

My sis works for security at a large UK airport.

It is interesting to talk to her about the guidance/instruction they receive on screening pax, and context for rules.
In general, it's as gf said above, they are 'doing their job'. They get very little information on the background to rules or rule changes, just very strict instruction on how to proceed.
Now, whilst some of the subtleties of the procedures are not known to pax, deliberately so.. much of the context and background is better known by frequent fliers, forums, etc.
My sis is often surprised at what I have learned through reading forums, and often asks me for information.

I had a similar experience at MAN last week. Security at T3 was very quiet, my bag was "swabbed" and whilst re assembling myself I noticed a number of others being subjected to the same attention. At the time I thought it was because the area was quiet however there was a similar experience at LHR the following day before my Trans Atlantic trip.
It is important to remember that the security staff are doing a difficult job, although they can sometimes be a bit officious , it's not their fault we have to be subjected to these measures!

To me it's the hallmark of a infrequently flyer when they question the actions of the staff manning the security checkpoints.

Any extra time they take to ensure that I get to my final destination is fine by me.

I do think that some staff (particularly at LHR) need to bear in mind that the passengers are customers and being polite, friendly and communicating their actions could help. Pointing with wands and just using one word like 'shoes' to communicate they wish to screen your shoes would be nice!

I do think that some staff (particularly at LHR) need to bear in mind that the passengers are customers and being polite, friendly and communicating their actions could help. Pointing with wands and just using one word like 'shoes' to communicate they wish to screen your shoes would be nice!

I completely agree. Was going through security at T1 on Weds and the security lady must've been the rudest person I've ever met.

I helped myself to a tray (and the pax behind me was doing the same thing), as you do, which was welcomed by "I'm here for a reason, you know!". I politely said "pardon" to see if she would change her tone, and she responded "You can't just help yourselves to the tray", whilst rolling her eyes.

Then the pax behind me took his phone out of his bag, and put it into his tray. "Put it back into your bag", he was immediately told. "Put it back?" "Yes, Put it in your bag." "I've already taken it out, why do I have to put it back?"

I was shocked by the level of "service", as she lacked the very basic level of manners. Funnily enough then a male agent came round to chat to her, and she started smiling, giggling and flirting!

It was actually outrageous to watch. I felt so irritated that I almost asked for her employee number to make a complaint, and it's very rare I feel that way about anyone at all, let alone someone who is supposedly "helping me".

[mitchja]

Indeed, the people that where kicking off where the ones who's flights where closing...you have to ask yourself why on earth didn't they go through security earlier?

On the other hand though, there where only 4 members of staff running the priority lane 1 security line. 1 loading bags, 1 watching upto 2 screens and the other 2 doing the manual checks. Lane 1 / the priority line is also the only lane for families with buggies / strollers etc (they go through a separate x-ray machine) because entry to the other 12 lanes+ is restricted due to MAN using those silly time consuming automatic entry gates which are not wide enough for strollers etc. As the manual checks and swabs where causing a backlog, the member of staff watching the screens was also having to keep getting up and helping with the manual checks. This in turn was then causing a backlog at the front of the line. The same person was then also having to screen the buggies / strollers on the other machine as well.

Security in T3 at MAN has always been a disorganised mess IMHO. It just never seems to flow evenly like it does at LHR and other airports. The old security lanes they used to have between the check-in desks where much quicker.

There are only two flights a day from T3 direct to the US so I would expect that between 7am and 10.30 am when passengers from theses flight are using security that it will be busier as they cannot be segregated , so everyone is subject to the increased security. After these flights have left the security should return to the previous levels. I would hope that MAN will designate one or two gates where extra pre flight screening can be installed for the US flights so that security can return to normal.

Thanks for the heads up James. Off to Germany on Sunday (from Luton) - hopefully a couple of hours should be enough!

To be honest the people who work in airport security have a very thankless job to be fair to them. My OH and I were flying out of Dublin recently and my OH could not get her boarding pass to scan at the automatic gates I went though just ahead of her. So I tried to help her when this very nasty airport security lady tried to tell me where to go. I got a bit upset as it was my wife who was having trouble but the lady was downright nasty. I mad a comment about the woman being rude and some other security guy turned to me and said "what did you say" I had to just say nothing as Im sure he would have made something out of it if I complained.

Thanks for the heads up, just about to leave for LHR T1 to ABZ, so will pull my finger out and get a move on!

This is good to know. I figured there might be some delays but it's useful to hear it's definitely the case. I was very stressed as next week we are travelling to San Diego via JFK, and the two hour layover sounded impossibly tight to me. However, a couple of weeks ago we were changed to a later flight out of JFK, giving us a much more reasonable 4 hour layover, which I can only assume was altered due to the implementation of stricter security rules. I never thought I'd be so relieved to be spending longer in JFK

I'll make sure I'm extra personable when heading through security at both points; I like it to be as painless as possible and the only variable I can really do anything about is me (i.e. being organised, early and polite!)

By the way, as a good security story, when flying out of SFO in May on my birthday, a security guard noticed the date of birth on my passport, pulled me out of line (I'll admit, I was initially worried) and told my husband and me to head into the priority line and completely bypassed the queue! So not all bad. We've had one or two awkward moments with security staff, but mercifully no horror stories to report... thus far!

By the way, as a good security story, when flying out of SFO in May on my birthday, a security guard noticed the date of birth on my passport, pulled me out of line (I'll admit, I was initially worried) and told my husband and I to head into the priority line and completely bypassed the queue! So not all bad.

Nice touch, and goes to show that some are actually thinking when doing the job.

I always try to be polite, not least as if it's early / late for me they've been up earlier / will be staying later and will not be going off on holiday as part of their day.

(Nothing so good as your line experience but I did once get escorted to my seat at a concert in Las Vegas, bypassing all the lines, by two guys in suits with the full earpiece / muttering into lapel microphone thing going on. case of mistaken identity, but it was fun while it lasted....)

Indeed, the people that where kicking off where the ones who's flights where closing...you have to ask yourself why on earth didn't they go through security earlier?

On the other hand though, there where only 4 members of staff running the priority lane 1 security line. 1 loading bags, 1 watching upto 2 screens and the other 2 doing the manual checks. Lane 1 / the priority line is also the only lane for families with buggies / strollers etc (they go through a separate x-ray machine) because entry to the other 12 lanes+ is restricted due to MAN using those silly time consuming automatic entry gates which are not wide enough for strollers etc. As the manual checks and swabs where causing a backlog, the member of staff watching the screens was also having to keep getting up and helping with the manual checks. This in turn was then causing a backlog at the front of the line. The same person was then also having to screen the buggies / strollers on the other machine as well.

Security in T3 at MAN has always been a disorganised mess IMHO. It just never seems to flow evenly like it does at LHR and other airports. The old security lanes they used to have between the check-in desks where much quicker.

I quite agree about T3 at MAN been a disorganised mess. After providing feedback on the failure of the "fastlane" for months because of staff pushing in ahead and families also using this priority lane, and it been anything but fast......I finally got to air my views and discuss the situation with the Head of T3 who met me a couple of Sunday's ago as I was passing through. He has clear plans and recognises the difficulties and appreciates the feedback.

In his own words, change is coming but won't happen overnight.......

That said passed through T3 twice in the last week and didn't notice anything out of the ordinary, other than around charged devices.

Jon

Thanks for the heads up James, my next trip isn't until October but I anticipate these measures will still be in force then, and we're always early anyway, and I'm always polite and friendly because be the opposite is likely to get me singled out for the hell of it I think.

Interesting comments from others too. I always find there are people who object to the rigorous searches, and even the occasional DYKWIA who really complains, so the security staff do take some stick. That said, it has always been my experience, and please don't anyone take this offensively, but the rudest security staff I've always found have been women. Sometimes they bark at people and treat them like something they've trodden in, far more than I've seen male employees do. That's my experience.

Then there is the inconsistency I find at security - take your shoes off, don't take them off, help yourself to a tray, don't touch the trays until I say you can, take electronic devices out, don't take them out, some say yes to iPads, some say no. It's inconsistent and pax get confused and snapped at.

I make sure things like my wallet, mobile and loose change are placed in a pocket on my backpack before it goes into the tray, and if they want my iPad out I make sure it is underneath if I can so it can be scanned but not stolen.

Why would I be worried about that you might ask? This is my airport horror story. Several years ago going through security at LHR, my OH was robbed. The security staff are trying to make everyone safe etc, paying attention to what the scanners show but not paying any attention to what belongs to whom unless they want to inspect it. Whilst going through security my OH who had no hand luggage placed his wallet, belt and shoes in the tray and the tray went through, but as usual, there was a hold up walking through the body scanner, and someone got frisked meaning no one else goes through. By the time he got through his wallet was gone and none of the security staff paid any attention, nor were they in any way sympathetic. The attitude was just "tough, there's nothing we can do".

We reported it obviously, got a crime number, phoned and cancelled his credit cards etc and then the wallet was found about half an hour later, minus the couple of hundred in cash but his cards now useless to him. Thankfully he wasn't travelling alone so he didn't have to worry about access to money, and we were only flying into Germany so didn't have to worry about him being questioned about entering the country with no money.

[mitchja]

The whole of MAN T3 is a mess IMHO. One Friday, one of the escalators upto check-in was closed as was one of the lifts. The one working lift would only take about 4 people with luggage at any one time as well as the over-weight alarm kept going off

MAN is going downhill as far as I'm concerned.

[honey lamb]

I'm in LAS right now waiting for my flight home. As part of my trip I did a side trip to San Diego so here's a summary of my experiences.

July 10 (the day after the extra security announcement about phones etc.)

ORK - LHR as normal

LAS - LHR as normal through main security but warned there may be extra security re electronics at the gate. Tables had been set up at the gate area and people were being pulled randomly to turn on devices but those in First weren't.

July 15

LAS - SAN nothing special

July 19 ( the day after the MH disaster)

SAN- LAS hands swabbed while going through security but again random

LAS - LHR the only airport I had to take my shoes off (and I was a tad worried as I have orthotic devices but they didn't pose a problem). The shoes off scenario seemed to be part of the normal experience as the lady at check-in when giving directions to the gate/lounge said "when you put your shoes back on....." as If it were part of her normal patter.

I really haven't found anything different about my experiences through security in spite of all that has happened

Thanks for the heads up James. Off to Germany on Sunday (from Luton) - hopefully a couple of hours should be enough!

It shouldn't really effect Luton as I don't believe they have any direct flights to the US so the new measures aren't necessary. Having said that I find Luton airport and especially the security operation appalling so much so I fly to Gatwick even though my daughter lives in Dunstable

Thanks for the heads up James. Off to Germany on Sunday (from Luton) - hopefully a couple of hours should be enough!

It shouldn't really effect Luton as I don't believe they have any direct flights to the US so the new measures aren't necessary. Having said that I find Luton airport and especially the security operation appalling so much so I fly to Gatwick even though my daughter lives in Dunstable

Crikey you must really hate luton !

[mitchja]

My LHR>SFO leg was pretty much normal as well with no apparent extra checks for devices being charged up etc at LHR.

I'll see what my VX SFO>LAS leg is like later today

I don't mind strict security at airports what really gets me is inconsistency, I'm not talking about shoes/belts on or off, that is to keep the terrorists not knowing where they stand with items. What winds me up is when something has been through the scanner upwards of two times a week for the last few years then all of a sudden it's not allowed and apparently has never been allowed, despite being hand searched and checked numerous times.

Thanks for the heads up James. Off to Germany on Sunday (from Luton) - hopefully a couple of hours should be enough!

It shouldn't really effect Luton as I don't believe they have any direct flights to the US so the new measures aren't necessary. Having said that I find Luton airport and especially the security operation appalling so much so I fly to Gatwick even though my daughter lives in Dunstable

Crikey you must really hate luton !

ISTBC but, I seem to recall that the enhanced security measures were being implemented on a random basis on flights departing UK, regardless of the destination.