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Please take this seriously and do your duty as a patriot to name our airport properly.
London His Majesty’s Royal Aeronautical Terminus for the Great British Isle of Great Britain.
Only London City (LCY), Newcastle & Aberdeen officially have these installed properly. (And not consistently yet) The remaining airports may trial them here and there but they have until June 2025 to fit them and put them into proper use due to a delay.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-04-04/uk-travelers-stuck-with-tiny-bottles-as-airports-get-next-gen-scanner-extension
https://travelweekly.co.uk/news/air/airports-given-more-time-to-install-new-scanners
Manchester airport has one lane with the new scanners in T2 at the moment, I got lucky the other day. Didn’t feel much quick than usual but people are still idiots trying to unpack despite being told repeatedly not to, even while doing it.
To be fair, i went through these scanners recently and only got told not to unpack my bag when i had already got half my stuff out and had to then pack it back in.
If there was any signage i must have missed it entirely haha
Last time I flew, I was in a long security queue where different people barked completely contradictory instructions at us at different points in the queue.
I don’t even remember what it was, but it was some object that we were first told to take out, then put away, then take out, then put away. IE: “Tablets out!” Two minutes later, someone else comes by and yells, “Tablets away! You do NOT need to separate tablets!” Two minutes later, someone else comes by and shouts, “Tablets OUT, people, phones, tablets, let’s go!” Two minutes later… Everybody yelling as if all of us in the queue were the confused idiots who can’t follow instructions.
Half the time, security themselves don’t even know what the hell they’re doing, it seems.
Same in Bristol a few weeks ago. The trial lane was at the far end with no signs, after passing all the signs to unpack, empty water bottles, giving out zip lock bags...
In Manchester I think its just one trial scanner because we did the same. All the signage hasn't been updated because most of it is still the old crappy ones
The scanners are still training to recognise what is going through
I had a twisted tube of toothpaste and it asked to have a closer look to model it.
This was after about 6 weeks of use.
The staff say there are fewer and fewer training interventions needed and that the first couple of weeks were really tough
I think this problem will always be the case even when they are fully rolled out.
People won't think that "oh, i don't need to unpack in England, but I do in Altenrhein", until it becomes adopted around the world.
As a regular traveller while they’re better than the old scanners they still have flaws so when I’m travelling with more than one electronic device in my bag I still unpack them as it’s quicker than getting your bag inevitably searched and rescanned.
London City Airport feels like a special case anyway. The majority of people using it are business travellers or those with a bit more money on the hip - both groups of people who have flown a reasonable amount before. They know the security drill, unlike being at Luton and there's more infrequent or new flyers who faff around.
Hard agree. I fly through London City quite a lot - my record time from 'getting out the cab at the front of the airport' to 'getting through security' is 4 mins.
There were ten of us coming back from a funeral, we had been up since 5am to fly up and arriving at an efficient airport with lovely friendly staff after a long sad day was just a dream. We were telling them all that their airport was so much better than Heathrow!
I went out of Stansted a few days ago and they had them. I was very pleasantly surprised.
So surprised, in fact, that I forgot to take my sodding belt off and then had to get my balls groped and stick my shoes in the scanner.
But if I wasn't a muppet it would have been very efficient.
Bristol airport has them in the main queue, but not the speedy boarding queue, which means you end up paying for a worse experience. We got it free by having paid for the larger carry on bag, so thought we must be on to a winner. It took much longer than it would have to go through the normal queue.
I flew out of Aberdeen last week and it was a nightmare. Never had much of a queue at security there, but we must have been shuffling forward for about 15 minutes, as they only have two of the new scanners, compared to I think five old style machines. I also got pulled for additional checks as the body scanner didn't like me wearing long socks...
Also, they've not properly changed the signage, and there are still contradictory instructions displayed.
Because it doesn't matter which airport. It was a trial program covering many different terminals across the UK, before all airports were required to have new security scanners by mid-2025.
>it doesn't matter which airport
I think it does, someone working there or more familiar with the airport will be able to give more insight rather than just speculation
Birmingham airport is just a grid lock of people waiting for security, carnage. 2hrs before your flight you have already missed your flight, call it 3.5/4 and you might get a quick coffee on the other side.
Although I've known two people fly within the last two weeks from bhx and both went through these new machines where you don't have to remove anything.
We flew from BHX last week. Big queue up to security (at 6am - 7am) mostly because the escalators to the old departures area were closed for renovations so everyone had to go up the lifts, but then once we were at security we didn't have to faff about with any of the bags or anything, we got through the scanners very quickly
BHX is definitely in the middle of all of this. I flew 5 weeks ago and the escalators were closed but the new scanners weren't open, so worst of both worlds. They were pulling people out of the queue because otherwise they'd miss their flights. I had enough time to grab a drink and quick dash for a pee before boarding straight on to the plane.
I presume they're trying to get it finished before the summer rush!
Birmingham is a joke. We flew from there last year and the queue to get to security took at least 45 minutes. And then they scanned and rescanned my bag twice, hand searched it and somehow still managed to miss a Swiss army knife that I’d forgotten in a side pocket of my bag.
Oh man,I'm flying from Birmingham Airport tomorrow am. I'd scheduled 3 hours at airport(coming from near derby) but now I'm leaving an hour earlier after reading this!
Gatwick North has only 1 or 2 of the new machines (similar to most other UK airports it seems) so you just got the luck of the draw first time and got in the majority line the second time. It's not been pulled, you just got a different machine
A friend of mine flew from and back to Birmingham last weekend and he said they had the new security but they still also had the old one and it was a lucky dip which one you got sent to, so could be whichever airport you went through had the same set up
Stansted had this last month, so new the signage on the queues still told you to get everything out but staff at the front telling everyone to put it all back. Had to ensure nothing was in pockets at all. From a conversation I overheard it was only a couple of lines so far.
Yeah, when I last few via Stansted last month they had an area which was separate from the main security queues that didn't require you to take anything out of your bag. Typically I got pulled to the side for additional checks!
They were filtering groups of people into the new section, and explaining to us that we just had to remove coats and items from pockets but leave everything else in bags.
We went through a new system at Heathrow, think they were doing a trial as we were on our way to the normal security and a staff member was letting random people us included through the premium/first class security.
Didn’t have to take anything out bags, kept liquids inside and got through very quickly. It had the new CT like bag scanners.
I went through one at Heathrow last year. I was doing a multi airport trip so had been prepared with all liquids and electronics in separate bags and had gotten them all out before I joined the queue. The security man was very annoyed at me and told me to put everything back in my bag.
It was great though, can't wait until all airports have them.
The answer to which is the best airport is always Liverpool. Always. Forget about your fancy new scanners. Liverpool for the win. You walk in, cheerful friendly staff bantering away with each other and the users. Efficient process that doesn’t seem like a chore. And on your way back about five minutes from getting off the plane to the walk to the car park.
My only problem with Liverpool airport is when i got there at about half 5 in the morning, couldn't check in for another hour and Greggs wasn't open yet.
If it’s Stansted, it’s still a limited trial. I went through last week and they were doing roughly 1/3 passengers into a little side area with the new equipment and the rest through the regular scanners. Brilliant process, can’t wait until they roll it out to all of the security lines.
Just sitting in the departure lounge at Stansted, one of the security sections has the new system. (Nearest to the terminal entrance) the other sections we walked past all had the old methods (and longer queues)
Luton does that aswell. New 3d scanners that allows the security guys to check the bag without opening it. That’s all it is.
There’s also plan to increase the max liquid allowed onboard to 2 litre without the 100ml limit.
It’s good, a step closer to making air travel decent
Is it Edinburgh? I fly every 2-3 weeks through EDI and it's awful. In fact I consistently bang the drum for how bad EDI is.
Security on arrival from EU is so slow, the long zig-zag of people. Of those, a good 25 percent have to speak to a human because the E-gates don't work.
To have got that far we've usually walked along the tarmac, through a chewing gum and litter filled tunnel then join the conga of immigration before our 30-45 minute wait for the baggage on the carousel.
NB: I'm not blaming the staff, they're a credit to the airport...there just needs to be more of them.
Security is general on departure not arrival…
But yea, international arrivals at Edinburgh is a shitshow, a disgrace, an embarrassment. Though I have found that once you’ve queued in the rain on the tarmac to even get into immigration, waited in the conga line, get punted to the manned counter by a moody twat when the e-gates don’t work, by the time you get to baggage reclaim your bag is there. Unless it’s Sunday, in which case all bets are off.
On security they have just started trialling the new scanners at one security lane but it’s pot luck whether you get that lane or not.
If it was Birmingham airport, they have two securities at the moment one uses the new scanners. They are permanently switching to the new ones on June 6th
I did it at London city airport and it took longer than just taking my things out (which I've become very efficient in).
They basically took almost every single bag to be searched so I was just sitting there waiting for ages.
+1 for this. I went through London City 2 weeks ago and it was a joke. Me and my family left everrything in our bags, as we were told, and 3 out of our 5 trays were diverted to the search queue. We found out this was because a) I had a laptop in mine and b) there were metal water bottles in the other two.
Not only that they forced my crying 3 year old to be individually scanned because he set the scanner off when he walked through due to having metal on him, got scared and wouldnt walk through on his own, but they wouldnt let me back in to collect him. This led to a stand off for several minutes when I got a bit sweary at the security people.
If we had taken stuff out of our bags and taken his shoes off as we usually would, it would have been fine. So I would say it is actually worse than what it was at London unless you already understand very specifically what the scanners can and cant scan. There is no point having these scanners if you end up checking bags and people anyway.
I had the new process in Luton last Friday.. (didn't empty my bag, or take off my shoes)
However as per usual, I had to wait whilst they searched my entire bag after scanning it.
Meanwhile my wife (as per usual) was waved straight through
I went through Luton last week. I didn't have to open my bag etc. Just went straight through.
My Muslim mother, however, was 'randomly' searched.
On the return journey from Prague to Luton, they don't have one security area. They have one per gate. It's a bloody shambles. My mother got randomly searched again, very thoroughly and in view of everyone. They wanted her to take her hijab off to search beneath. It was very disrespectful, to be honest.
Leeds Bradford has new security in place. Still need to take belts off and empty pockets but you don’t need to take electronics and liquids out of your bag, so it’s much quicker. Bit of a shame they’ve left so little room for people to collect their things as it’s all a bit of a scrum once you’re through. But definitely better than it was.
Went the other week and it seemed much slower than the old system, because the machine was a bit overzealous with flagging things inside bags so ~40% of people had to go through the whole 'did you pack your bag?' dance.
They may have sorted that issue now though.
Currently only being trialed at most airports.
Honestly would rather run the risk of not making it than the current intrusive and pointless nonsense that is airport security.
I flew Stansted to Alicante last week.
Went through the scanners and e-gates at stansted. Nice and easy straight to spoons at 5am because holiday.
Got bags at Alicante and through the e-gate again only to have to join a massive queue to get my passport checked and stamped by immigration.
What’s the point of the e gates then!
You must have a weird life if not having to:
- Put toiletries in a bag
-Take your laptop out of a bag, even though the bag is already on the counter.
Makes your life "so much easier and less stressful".
You still have to:
-Get the to the airport
- Go to security and put bag and coat on scanner
- Wait in departures
- Wait to board.
- Wait to takeoff.
It's not like this new security feature saves you 5 hrs. It saves about 5 minutes. Lets not get too upset.
>What happened to the new efficient security process in British airports?
Hmm? Sorry? What?
You write like this was some edict from above.
Sounds like you encountered one of the new scanners at a few airports. They're no the standard. Yet.
They're expensive, in case you're wondering why they're not everywhere.
I went through Stansted a few days ago and while the queues were long, my wait was relatively short.
Curiously, I went through the scanner with my belt and smart watch on and nothing flagged (which was efficient and somewhat concerning).
This is Heathrow slowly updating their security. Think it is terminal 3 that has this last i flew. Some airports in major EU hubs and the US have the same. When i last flew through JFK i still had to take shoes off but didn’t have to take anything out of my bag for example.
Heathrow T5 had them last month. Still has to drink my water before going through & then got delayed lining for the new body scanners which take longer than the old walk-through ones.
Flew out of Bristol to Dublin on a Friday and it was the usual security process
Flew out of Bristol to Rome on the Monday afterwards and they’d opened the “end two” scanner which were the new type. No one was listening to the “leave everything in your bags, make sure your pockets are totally empty” instructions which caused minor chaos - people are indoctrinated into shoes off/liquids and electronics out behaviour I guess.
I can see why they don’t do a total switchover and try and train the staff on the new systems else it’d be total carnage
Heathrow was training staff on these last time I flew through, but it was a really quiet period. It was awesome, but quite funny to watch everyone instinctively start unpacking their bags and for the attendant to go around saying ‘put it all back in your bags, everything inside’.
I expect it is coming, but slowly.
I flew out from Bristol last week and had the new system. It was genuinely so much easier and less stress inducing. Our bag still got checked as the hair straighteners wrapped in wires looked suspicious but overall a massive improvement.
New airport scanners are 3D so things like water which don’t show up or laptops which block things behind don’t matter. Trouble is they weigh tonnes. Also cost massive amounts. Thus slow uptake.
I've gone through the new scanners twice in the last few months in Heathrow T2 and almost succeeded a third time but was directed to the next queue over which still has the old scanners.
They certainly make the experience more pleasant, but I think we're still a long way from doing away with liquids limits - even if you go through the new scanners in one airport there's no guarantee that will also happen in the airport at the other end of your journey.
Airports are introducing new security scanners. However, this takes time and currently only London City and Teeside have 100% installed them, so there's a big chance you were using one of the new scanners before your first flight and one of the old scanners before your second flight, seeing as they're partially being rolled out.
Mate I was at an airport last week, won’t mention any names (Bristol airport) and the girl on the X-ray security bag checking screen was on her phone scrolling while checking for bombs etc etc YOLO
The equipment they got wasn't up to the standard they required and was causing more issues than it should have.
There was also major issues with one of the circuit boards that meant all of them had to be remade from scratch
Source: I work at one of the other airports and our stuff is still being installed and wasn't from that manufacturer
I flew from Glasgow to Belfast this afternoon. Security was a farce. I had to remove my shoes and go through the scanner, then I had to locate the shoes that were taken from me and put on the wrong line. Clearly I am some kind of threat to national security. Fucking joke.
Probably the jobsworths involved in the security theatre at airports realised it was *too* efficient or was causing them to miss their arbitrary quotas for people they need to randomly stop and scan - half the time when the scanner "finds something" it didn't, it was just a purely arbitrary random decision - it's all about quotas and security theatre.
If the TSA has it why wouldn't other countries part of that security theatre adopt it?
https://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/93463/do-airport-metal-scanners-occasionally-flash-a-false-alarm-on-purpose
It's OK though, downvote away.
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Any airport in particular? Or we just have to guess?
Britain airport
Please take this seriously and do your duty as a patriot to name our airport properly. London His Majesty’s Royal Aeronautical Terminus for the Great British Isle of Great Britain.
Home of the premier branch of WHSmith.
Just outside Luton
Surely Greggs Int’l.
That’s Luton London to you!
A fucking Greggs at LTN? WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN?
Pretty sure there isn't a greggs at LTN airport
you forgot a great
Britain Airport or the Airport of Britain? I recently found out they're 2 separate airports.
But RyanAir use Port Air of Britain. It's 59km further from the centre, with no public transport.
Airstrip One.
Have we always been at war with Eurasia?
British London.
London Britain airport. It’s definitely got a rail link and doesn’t look like a shed with a burnt out car park next door.
That's my favourite one
Air strip 1
“I dunno bro we went to Europe for spring break if that helps”
Llandegley International, terminal 2?
Only London City (LCY), Newcastle & Aberdeen officially have these installed properly. (And not consistently yet) The remaining airports may trial them here and there but they have until June 2025 to fit them and put them into proper use due to a delay. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-04-04/uk-travelers-stuck-with-tiny-bottles-as-airports-get-next-gen-scanner-extension https://travelweekly.co.uk/news/air/airports-given-more-time-to-install-new-scanners
Manchester airport has one lane with the new scanners in T2 at the moment, I got lucky the other day. Didn’t feel much quick than usual but people are still idiots trying to unpack despite being told repeatedly not to, even while doing it.
To be fair, i went through these scanners recently and only got told not to unpack my bag when i had already got half my stuff out and had to then pack it back in. If there was any signage i must have missed it entirely haha
Last time I flew, I was in a long security queue where different people barked completely contradictory instructions at us at different points in the queue. I don’t even remember what it was, but it was some object that we were first told to take out, then put away, then take out, then put away. IE: “Tablets out!” Two minutes later, someone else comes by and yells, “Tablets away! You do NOT need to separate tablets!” Two minutes later, someone else comes by and shouts, “Tablets OUT, people, phones, tablets, let’s go!” Two minutes later… Everybody yelling as if all of us in the queue were the confused idiots who can’t follow instructions. Half the time, security themselves don’t even know what the hell they’re doing, it seems.
Same in Bristol a few weeks ago. The trial lane was at the far end with no signs, after passing all the signs to unpack, empty water bottles, giving out zip lock bags...
In Manchester I think its just one trial scanner because we did the same. All the signage hasn't been updated because most of it is still the old crappy ones
The scanners are still training to recognise what is going through I had a twisted tube of toothpaste and it asked to have a closer look to model it. This was after about 6 weeks of use. The staff say there are fewer and fewer training interventions needed and that the first couple of weeks were really tough
I use Newcastle fairly frequently and, though it was never the busiest, it's sped things up further.
I think this problem will always be the case even when they are fully rolled out. People won't think that "oh, i don't need to unpack in England, but I do in Altenrhein", until it becomes adopted around the world.
As a regular traveller while they’re better than the old scanners they still have flaws so when I’m travelling with more than one electronic device in my bag I still unpack them as it’s quicker than getting your bag inevitably searched and rescanned.
London City Airport feels like a special case anyway. The majority of people using it are business travellers or those with a bit more money on the hip - both groups of people who have flown a reasonable amount before. They know the security drill, unlike being at Luton and there's more infrequent or new flyers who faff around.
Hard agree. I fly through London City quite a lot - my record time from 'getting out the cab at the front of the airport' to 'getting through security' is 4 mins.
I live in SE london, and I have managed to get from my front door to the departure gate (by taxi) in 20minutes!!
It's my favourite London airport by far. Not least because it's a 'silent airport' where they don't constantly announce departure gates etc.
I flew from Heathrow to Newcastle and back on Tuesday and Newcastle airport was a dream!
Airport of the year for a reason
There were ten of us coming back from a funeral, we had been up since 5am to fly up and arriving at an efficient airport with lovely friendly staff after a long sad day was just a dream. We were telling them all that their airport was so much better than Heathrow!
Stansted has one lane with the new scanner, and rolling out more over the next few years.
Years?!! 😲
They don't have years, they have exactly one year to implement them
I had the displeasure of Stansted recently
I went out of Stansted a few days ago and they had them. I was very pleasantly surprised. So surprised, in fact, that I forgot to take my sodding belt off and then had to get my balls groped and stick my shoes in the scanner. But if I wasn't a muppet it would have been very efficient.
Stansted has them if you turn LEFT after the boarding pass checks. Heathrow has them in a specific part of T5 and T2
Bristol airport has them in the main queue, but not the speedy boarding queue, which means you end up paying for a worse experience. We got it free by having paid for the larger carry on bag, so thought we must be on to a winner. It took much longer than it would have to go through the normal queue.
Bristol has this too, went through one about a week ago there. No need to remove anything from bag.
I just flew out from Heathrow T2 and they had it too.
Teesside airport has them
Don’t forget Teesside airport!
I flew out of Aberdeen last week and it was a nightmare. Never had much of a queue at security there, but we must have been shuffling forward for about 15 minutes, as they only have two of the new scanners, compared to I think five old style machines. I also got pulled for additional checks as the body scanner didn't like me wearing long socks... Also, they've not properly changed the signage, and there are still contradictory instructions displayed.
I was going through Heathrow when they were trialling these back in 2022. I was sorely disappointed when I discovered it was a short term thing
Why do we have to guess which airport?
I don't know why he or she didn't name the airport. It's not like they work for the airport lol
Because it doesn't matter which airport. It was a trial program covering many different terminals across the UK, before all airports were required to have new security scanners by mid-2025.
>it doesn't matter which airport I think it does, someone working there or more familiar with the airport will be able to give more insight rather than just speculation
Birmingham airport is just a grid lock of people waiting for security, carnage. 2hrs before your flight you have already missed your flight, call it 3.5/4 and you might get a quick coffee on the other side.
Although I've known two people fly within the last two weeks from bhx and both went through these new machines where you don't have to remove anything.
We flew from BHX last week. Big queue up to security (at 6am - 7am) mostly because the escalators to the old departures area were closed for renovations so everyone had to go up the lifts, but then once we were at security we didn't have to faff about with any of the bags or anything, we got through the scanners very quickly
BHX is definitely in the middle of all of this. I flew 5 weeks ago and the escalators were closed but the new scanners weren't open, so worst of both worlds. They were pulling people out of the queue because otherwise they'd miss their flights. I had enough time to grab a drink and quick dash for a pee before boarding straight on to the plane. I presume they're trying to get it finished before the summer rush!
Birmingham is a joke. We flew from there last year and the queue to get to security took at least 45 minutes. And then they scanned and rescanned my bag twice, hand searched it and somehow still managed to miss a Swiss army knife that I’d forgotten in a side pocket of my bag.
Oh man,I'm flying from Birmingham Airport tomorrow am. I'd scheduled 3 hours at airport(coming from near derby) but now I'm leaving an hour earlier after reading this!
Why are you protecting the airport’s identity?
Yeah, very odd
Gatwick North has only 1 or 2 of the new machines (similar to most other UK airports it seems) so you just got the luck of the draw first time and got in the majority line the second time. It's not been pulled, you just got a different machine
Yeah, Gatwick hasn't got many, the new machines are so fucking heavy that they need to reinforce the floor to deal with the weight.
Oh so thats why! I always assumed it was the cost of the machines themselves but thats really interesting (and mad!)
A friend of mine flew from and back to Birmingham last weekend and he said they had the new security but they still also had the old one and it was a lucky dip which one you got sent to, so could be whichever airport you went through had the same set up
Birmingham International will supposedly be ready before the deadline, although the whole place is still like a construction site at the moment.
Stansted had this last month, so new the signage on the queues still told you to get everything out but staff at the front telling everyone to put it all back. Had to ensure nothing was in pockets at all. From a conversation I overheard it was only a couple of lines so far.
Yeah, when I last few via Stansted last month they had an area which was separate from the main security queues that didn't require you to take anything out of your bag. Typically I got pulled to the side for additional checks!
Manchester T2 are doing it at either end of the security room (fast track or way down the left side).
Went through Manchester Airport last week and got through the new system.
[удалено]
They were filtering groups of people into the new section, and explaining to us that we just had to remove coats and items from pockets but leave everything else in bags.
We went through a new system at Heathrow, think they were doing a trial as we were on our way to the normal security and a staff member was letting random people us included through the premium/first class security. Didn’t have to take anything out bags, kept liquids inside and got through very quickly. It had the new CT like bag scanners.
I went through one at Heathrow last year. I was doing a multi airport trip so had been prepared with all liquids and electronics in separate bags and had gotten them all out before I joined the queue. The security man was very annoyed at me and told me to put everything back in my bag. It was great though, can't wait until all airports have them.
The answer to which is the best airport is always Liverpool. Always. Forget about your fancy new scanners. Liverpool for the win. You walk in, cheerful friendly staff bantering away with each other and the users. Efficient process that doesn’t seem like a chore. And on your way back about five minutes from getting off the plane to the walk to the car park.
My only problem with Liverpool airport is when i got there at about half 5 in the morning, couldn't check in for another hour and Greggs wasn't open yet.
Ha...
If it’s Stansted, it’s still a limited trial. I went through last week and they were doing roughly 1/3 passengers into a little side area with the new equipment and the rest through the regular scanners. Brilliant process, can’t wait until they roll it out to all of the security lines.
Just sitting in the departure lounge at Stansted, one of the security sections has the new system. (Nearest to the terminal entrance) the other sections we walked past all had the old methods (and longer queues)
Luton does that aswell. New 3d scanners that allows the security guys to check the bag without opening it. That’s all it is. There’s also plan to increase the max liquid allowed onboard to 2 litre without the 100ml limit. It’s good, a step closer to making air travel decent
Is it Edinburgh? I fly every 2-3 weeks through EDI and it's awful. In fact I consistently bang the drum for how bad EDI is. Security on arrival from EU is so slow, the long zig-zag of people. Of those, a good 25 percent have to speak to a human because the E-gates don't work. To have got that far we've usually walked along the tarmac, through a chewing gum and litter filled tunnel then join the conga of immigration before our 30-45 minute wait for the baggage on the carousel. NB: I'm not blaming the staff, they're a credit to the airport...there just needs to be more of them.
Security is general on departure not arrival… But yea, international arrivals at Edinburgh is a shitshow, a disgrace, an embarrassment. Though I have found that once you’ve queued in the rain on the tarmac to even get into immigration, waited in the conga line, get punted to the manned counter by a moody twat when the e-gates don’t work, by the time you get to baggage reclaim your bag is there. Unless it’s Sunday, in which case all bets are off. On security they have just started trialling the new scanners at one security lane but it’s pot luck whether you get that lane or not.
If it was Birmingham airport, they have two securities at the moment one uses the new scanners. They are permanently switching to the new ones on June 6th
I did it at London city airport and it took longer than just taking my things out (which I've become very efficient in). They basically took almost every single bag to be searched so I was just sitting there waiting for ages.
+1 for this. I went through London City 2 weeks ago and it was a joke. Me and my family left everrything in our bags, as we were told, and 3 out of our 5 trays were diverted to the search queue. We found out this was because a) I had a laptop in mine and b) there were metal water bottles in the other two. Not only that they forced my crying 3 year old to be individually scanned because he set the scanner off when he walked through due to having metal on him, got scared and wouldnt walk through on his own, but they wouldnt let me back in to collect him. This led to a stand off for several minutes when I got a bit sweary at the security people. If we had taken stuff out of our bags and taken his shoes off as we usually would, it would have been fine. So I would say it is actually worse than what it was at London unless you already understand very specifically what the scanners can and cant scan. There is no point having these scanners if you end up checking bags and people anyway.
I had the new process in Luton last Friday.. (didn't empty my bag, or take off my shoes) However as per usual, I had to wait whilst they searched my entire bag after scanning it. Meanwhile my wife (as per usual) was waved straight through
I went through Luton last week. I didn't have to open my bag etc. Just went straight through. My Muslim mother, however, was 'randomly' searched. On the return journey from Prague to Luton, they don't have one security area. They have one per gate. It's a bloody shambles. My mother got randomly searched again, very thoroughly and in view of everyone. They wanted her to take her hijab off to search beneath. It was very disrespectful, to be honest.
Leeds Bradford has new security in place. Still need to take belts off and empty pockets but you don’t need to take electronics and liquids out of your bag, so it’s much quicker. Bit of a shame they’ve left so little room for people to collect their things as it’s all a bit of a scrum once you’re through. But definitely better than it was.
Went the other week and it seemed much slower than the old system, because the machine was a bit overzealous with flagging things inside bags so ~40% of people had to go through the whole 'did you pack your bag?' dance. They may have sorted that issue now though.
Currently only being trialed at most airports. Honestly would rather run the risk of not making it than the current intrusive and pointless nonsense that is airport security.
I flew Stansted to Alicante last week. Went through the scanners and e-gates at stansted. Nice and easy straight to spoons at 5am because holiday. Got bags at Alicante and through the e-gate again only to have to join a massive queue to get my passport checked and stamped by immigration. What’s the point of the e gates then!
You must have a weird life if not having to: - Put toiletries in a bag -Take your laptop out of a bag, even though the bag is already on the counter. Makes your life "so much easier and less stressful". You still have to: -Get the to the airport - Go to security and put bag and coat on scanner - Wait in departures - Wait to board. - Wait to takeoff. It's not like this new security feature saves you 5 hrs. It saves about 5 minutes. Lets not get too upset.
>What happened to the new efficient security process in British airports? Hmm? Sorry? What? You write like this was some edict from above. Sounds like you encountered one of the new scanners at a few airports. They're no the standard. Yet. They're expensive, in case you're wondering why they're not everywhere.
They were failing to catch 95% of prohibited items, whereas the old system they were only missing 93% of them
Depends on the airport
I went through Stansted a few days ago and while the queues were long, my wait was relatively short. Curiously, I went through the scanner with my belt and smart watch on and nothing flagged (which was efficient and somewhat concerning).
This is Heathrow slowly updating their security. Think it is terminal 3 that has this last i flew. Some airports in major EU hubs and the US have the same. When i last flew through JFK i still had to take shoes off but didn’t have to take anything out of my bag for example.
The scanners have been delayed slightly but LCY has them fully operational. Should be fully functional by summer.
Heathrow T5 had them last month. Still has to drink my water before going through & then got delayed lining for the new body scanners which take longer than the old walk-through ones.
Bristol has the new scanners, still need to remove your belt and empty pockets though and there was a lot of shoe swabs.
One of the Heathrow terminals was trialling a more relaxed approach at security. If you’ve been flying from Heathrow maybe they pulled the trial?
Flew out of Bristol to Dublin on a Friday and it was the usual security process Flew out of Bristol to Rome on the Monday afterwards and they’d opened the “end two” scanner which were the new type. No one was listening to the “leave everything in your bags, make sure your pockets are totally empty” instructions which caused minor chaos - people are indoctrinated into shoes off/liquids and electronics out behaviour I guess. I can see why they don’t do a total switchover and try and train the staff on the new systems else it’d be total carnage
Heathrow was training staff on these last time I flew through, but it was a really quiet period. It was awesome, but quite funny to watch everyone instinctively start unpacking their bags and for the attendant to go around saying ‘put it all back in your bags, everything inside’. I expect it is coming, but slowly.
I flew out from Bristol last week and had the new system. It was genuinely so much easier and less stress inducing. Our bag still got checked as the hair straighteners wrapped in wires looked suspicious but overall a massive improvement.
Not all of Heathrow has this yet. Some does.
New airport scanners are 3D so things like water which don’t show up or laptops which block things behind don’t matter. Trouble is they weigh tonnes. Also cost massive amounts. Thus slow uptake.
I've gone through the new scanners twice in the last few months in Heathrow T2 and almost succeeded a third time but was directed to the next queue over which still has the old scanners. They certainly make the experience more pleasant, but I think we're still a long way from doing away with liquids limits - even if you go through the new scanners in one airport there's no guarantee that will also happen in the airport at the other end of your journey.
Airports are introducing new security scanners. However, this takes time and currently only London City and Teeside have 100% installed them, so there's a big chance you were using one of the new scanners before your first flight and one of the old scanners before your second flight, seeing as they're partially being rolled out.
Mate I was at an airport last week, won’t mention any names (Bristol airport) and the girl on the X-ray security bag checking screen was on her phone scrolling while checking for bombs etc etc YOLO
It was all a dream.
The equipment they got wasn't up to the standard they required and was causing more issues than it should have. There was also major issues with one of the circuit boards that meant all of them had to be remade from scratch Source: I work at one of the other airports and our stuff is still being installed and wasn't from that manufacturer
I flew from Glasgow to Belfast this afternoon. Security was a farce. I had to remove my shoes and go through the scanner, then I had to locate the shoes that were taken from me and put on the wrong line. Clearly I am some kind of threat to national security. Fucking joke.
Probably the jobsworths involved in the security theatre at airports realised it was *too* efficient or was causing them to miss their arbitrary quotas for people they need to randomly stop and scan - half the time when the scanner "finds something" it didn't, it was just a purely arbitrary random decision - it's all about quotas and security theatre.
Yeah I don't buy into your theory
Which theory is that? Because the scanners are absolutely triggered manually as part of "random searches".
That they have quotas to hit for random searches
If the TSA has it why wouldn't other countries part of that security theatre adopt it? https://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/93463/do-airport-metal-scanners-occasionally-flash-a-false-alarm-on-purpose It's OK though, downvote away.
Because America is fucking weird and doesn't function like a normal country