LCY Rant
Apr 16, 2024, 1:39 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: London
Programs: BAEC blue dust
Posts: 271
LCY Rant
I've been flying from there for the last 20 years, and it's usually OK. Some days are worse than others but this morning was an utter .sh*t show. So many bags sent through to secondary and only 3 people to check them. It took 25 minutes for someone to finally get to mine, all that to check my bottle of hair conditioner. Made it to the gate just as boarding was closing, only to be herded onto a bus to a remote stand. Boarding via front steps only....
Apr 16, 2024, 1:49 am
#2
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: Some
Posts: 5,265
Yep. I’ve moaned about the screening issues before also. If you go through at quiet times then the new scanners are great, at peak times, though, all it takes is a small surge of people and the number of trays being sent to secondary now (must be 25%+ at least) completely jams up the scanner as there is no more space for the waiting trays. They need to get this sorted before the peak season starts in June or LCY isn’t going to have a great departure experience this summer. It took three scans of the tray before they worked out the issue was the banana in my bag last time.
Apr 16, 2024, 2:34 am
#3
Join Date: Sep 2008
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 100
I've been flying from there for the last 20 years, and it's usually OK. Some days are worse than others but this morning was an utter .sh*t show. So many bags sent through to secondary and only 3 people to check them. It took 25 minutes for someone to finally get to mine, all that to check my bottle of hair conditioner. Made it to the gate just as boarding was closing, only to be herded onto a bus to a remote stand. Boarding via front steps only....
Last edited by the-doctor; Apr 16, 2024 at 3:54 am
Apr 16, 2024, 3:17 am
#6
Join Date: Nov 2023
Location: North East London
Programs: BA Exec Gold
Posts: 258
I've been flying from there for the last 20 years, and it's usually OK. Some days are worse than others but this morning was an utter .sh*t show. So many bags sent through to secondary and only 3 people to check them. It took 25 minutes for someone to finally get to mine, all that to check my bottle of hair conditioner. Made it to the gate just as boarding was closing, only to be herded onto a bus to a remote stand. Boarding via front steps only....
Apr 16, 2024, 3:26 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: London
Programs: BAEC blue dust
Posts: 271
Apr 16, 2024, 3:41 am
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: London
Programs: BAEC blue dust
Posts: 271
What really annoys me is the inconsistency of it all. I flew from LCY 2 months ago with the same conditioner in the same bottle and my bag didn't go to secondary. Secondary wouldn't be an issue if they had more staff. I think I will pen an email to LCY. I'm sure they're aware and I'm sure they don't care...
Apr 16, 2024, 3:46 am
#10
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: 09/27
Programs: BA, TK, EK
Posts: 767
The CT machines at all UK airports seem to give a less consistent experience. With the same bag my secondary rate has gone from less than 10% to well over 20%.
Whether this is staff unfamiliarity or somehow inherent in the process time will tell.
Whether this is staff unfamiliarity or somehow inherent in the process time will tell.
Apr 16, 2024, 4:20 am
#11
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 1,403
I've said this in other threads, but at AUS they use the new scanners and you get barked at to keep everything in your bag and every-single-time my laptop bag ends up getting a secondary check. They tell me the same thing: too many things in the bag too close together and the new scanners can't cope. All they then do is take the items out to check manually.
Apr 16, 2024, 4:39 am
#13
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: London UK
Programs: BAEC Silver,, Oman Air Gold
Posts: 747
My experience today (flying with LH) was actually quite good.
At 07:45 we joined the queue which doubled snaked back to the start of the chicane, just after the entry gate where you scan your boarding pass.
The queue moved steadily throughout and after I went through the security arch my tray was waiting for me.
There were about five trays selected for secondary.
This was my first time going through the new style scanner and it was slightly better than usual.
It took maybe eight minutes.
At 07:45 we joined the queue which doubled snaked back to the start of the chicane, just after the entry gate where you scan your boarding pass.
The queue moved steadily throughout and after I went through the security arch my tray was waiting for me.
There were about five trays selected for secondary.
This was my first time going through the new style scanner and it was slightly better than usual.
It took maybe eight minutes.
Apr 16, 2024, 4:46 am
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: London
Programs: BAEC blue dust
Posts: 271
Apr 16, 2024, 4:51 am
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: London
Programs: BAEC blue dust
Posts: 271
My experience today (flying with LH) was actually quite good.
At 07:45 we joined the queue which doubled snaked back to the start of the chicane, just after the entry gate where you scan your boarding pass.
The queue moved steadily throughout and after I went through the security arch my tray was waiting for me.
There were about five trays selected for secondary.
This was my first time going through the new style scanner and it was slightly better than usual.
It took maybe eight minutes.
At 07:45 we joined the queue which doubled snaked back to the start of the chicane, just after the entry gate where you scan your boarding pass.
The queue moved steadily throughout and after I went through the security arch my tray was waiting for me.
There were about five trays selected for secondary.
This was my first time going through the new style scanner and it was slightly better than usual.
It took maybe eight minutes.