LHR and British Airways Experience (rant)

wsuffa said:
On the news today: TSA is to become 'more aggressive' in this pat downs, and flight crews will be subject to them, too.

Not sure what that means, but I hope it doesn't mean legalized rape.
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Yeah their become more of a pain. Their solution on failing inspections is to increase pat downs.. :rolleyes: My ex-girlfriend got past TSA with her Petzl climbing knife and rope cutter still strapped to the OUTSIDE of her backpack. We didn't notice until we got to the hotel and I saw the knife. I just rolled my eyes and laughed.

I had one guy wanting to fully inspect my flight case because the paper is considered an organic weapon potential. I looked at him and told him he can if he wants to spend 10 minutes putting the crap back into the case. He choose correctly and passed on the enhanced inspection.
 
ARFlyer said:
Apparently you can't be a working student.
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I had this problem in quite a few places in the past. Doesn't matter which VISA I held, I was always breaking the rules. You'd think that people would figure out...at least some of those enrolled for higher degrees just may not be from rich families, and working their way through. Hence, "working student". It used to frustrate the hell out of me. I think Russia was probably the worst with this one.
 
TheTraveler said:
Here are the patches the awesome TSA/CBP guy gave me.
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The badge is a controlled piece and he could get in trouble for releasing it. Patches are not big deal. Surprised they gave it to you.
 
TheTraveler said:
Travel rant for anyone who is interested.
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Next time fly back with BA. BA doesn't have the additional security questioning, it's just the US based airlines. Do they still give you participation stickers? :)
Only questioning with BA is for people with SSSS boarding passes, and they are assigned by LHR and your friendly CBP people.
 
So, to summarise:

"American is treated like the US treats every foreigner who comes anywhere near their country, and is outraged".
 
Sorry you had a bad experience in the UK; I'm British and haven't flown with BA for over 30 years. I got fed up of being treated like they were doing me a favour by taking my money off me and letting on board their airplanes.
I also try and avoid using Heathrow or Gatwick when travelling...I'm lucky to be based in the North of England so have Manchester Airport just 45 minutes away, and it's pretty good for direct flights to wherever I need to go.

I travel to the US to visit my vacation home in Florida 4 times per year and I've endured some pretty harsh exchanges with TSA immigration officers over the years, but to be honest they are a lot less intimating these days than they used to be. In fact some have been downright friendly...what’s going on ? ...ha ha
 
Depends who it is - if you get a TSA guy asking for this stuff, I have always told them to kiss off. You can verify the name on my boarding pass matches the name on my id - here is my global entry card for ID.

If its' CBP then they have a right to ask - I answer their questions without chit chat - that also usually angers them because they are trained to use chit chat as part of the screening. I've been asked once why I refused to engage in conversation, that gets them by Bar card - they look at it - I tell them I'm happy to answer their direct questions but where I'm going and what I'm doing is not part of what a US citizen is required to answer. Which gets the scowl - but once they know I'm a lawyer the attempted intimidation stops. And I generally get another look at my documents and then they're shoved back at me and he moves on to the next person.

If its an airline employee then I definitely push back because you know what - its none of their business. They have no legal right to ask.

I was 'selected' for supplemental screening last summer in CDG - and my goods were all in vacuum sealed bags - the guy looking through my bag said 'you need to open these.' I said they are clear plastic - you can see whats inside. You open them and I'm going to insist that you reseal them - as is my right on non-governmental screening. He scowled again and told me to leave -

I've never had a problem in the UK - which means my time is coming up.
 
BA is going to reduce seat pitch in economy. At least for Europe flights. Will be less seat pitch than Ryanair....
 
I hate Heathrow. ABSOFREAKINGLUTELY! Unless the destination is Heathrow, my shadow will never darken their doorways ever again. To get to Scotland, fly through Amsterdam. In fact, if it isn't Heathrow, it's probably better.
Heathrow experiece #1. Arrival then onto their in airport bus to the terminal, which in essence took us throughout the airport proper for several 100 miles or so it seemed, to a terminal that dumped us at... a security screening. Pass into the terminal to our departure gate (domestic flight) and another security screening. Experience #2 (or how I got OUT of England): VIRGIN Atlantic which is at the 33rd gate, or about a 4 mile walk from anywhere (Heathrow is owned and operated by British Air, thank you) and at least two security gates since you're domestic to international. As we were about to board, they set up a gate only spot security screening which unloads my travel partner's carryon. After a quite public screening, the agent tells her to move along "you're holding things up." To which my not so shy companion tells this woman that since she (said agent) completely unloaded her carryon and purse, she'll just have to wait until everything gets into its place.
Never again. If I was really a terrorist, after the whole tour of the airport proper on the commuter bus from the plane, under jet, skyways, and waiting areas, one must agree, I was the dummest ass in the world for waiting for yet another security screening. How completely stupid and an absolute waste of time. The f'ing terrorists have won since we, the sheep, just bow down to all this security theater, and the terrorists think of new **** to get past the screeners. TSA: the guys who confiscate nail clippers and baby powder and miss guns, knives, grenades, and (GASP) liquid.
 
silver-eagle said:
I hate Heathrow. ABSOFREAKINGLUTELY! Unless the destination is Heathrow, my shadow will never darken their doorways ever again. To get to Scotland, fly through Amsterdam. In fact, if it isn't Heathrow, it's probably better.
Heathrow experiece #1. Arrival then onto their in airport bus to the terminal, which in essence took us throughout the airport proper for several 100 miles or so it seemed, to a terminal that dumped us at... a security screening. Pass into the terminal to our departure gate (domestic flight) and another security screening. Experience #2 (or how I got OUT of England): VIRGIN Atlantic which is at the 33rd gate, or about a 4 mile walk from anywhere (Heathrow is owned and operated by British Air, thank you) and at least two security gates since you're domestic to international. As we were about to board, they set up a gate only spot security screening which unloads my travel partner's carryon. After a quite public screening, the agent tells her to move along "you're holding things up." To which my not so shy companion tells this woman that since she (said agent) completely unloaded her carryon and purse, she'll just have to wait until everything gets into its place.
Never again. If I was really a terrorist, after the whole tour of the airport proper on the commuter bus from the plane, under jet, skyways, and waiting areas, one must agree, I was the dummest ass in the world for waiting for yet another security screening. How completely stupid and an absolute waste of time. The f'ing terrorists have won since we, the sheep, just bow down to all this security theater, and the terrorists think of new **** to get past the screeners. TSA: the guys who confiscate nail clippers and baby powder and miss guns, knives, grenades, and (GASP) liquid.
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Quite a story, too bad it's not true or at least highly highly colored. :)

Heathrow is not "owned and operated by British Air", not at all. Heathrow is owned by BAA Limited (nothing to do with BA, mind you), who also own and run 6 other UK airports. It is led by a Spanish consortium, Ferrovial Group. Domestic to International only requires one security screening if you do a T2->T3 or T5->T3 transfer, because T3 does not handle domestic traffic. BA T5->T5 domestic-intl has no additional security screening.
Virgin pays to use that "wing" of T3, which sucks. It is great though if you fly in their Upper Class and use the Clubhouse with dedicated entrance. That way you don't have to walk through the shopping areas.

There is no gate security at Heathrow, only the additional document check for domestic flights in T5.
LHR isn't perfect, but it sure beats other major European hubs. AMS is awful, I hate gate security (even at best of times it's an unorganized mess), the walking distances are ridiculous especially for Non-Schengen/Schengen connections, their lounges are crap and so on.
 
mtuomi said:
Quite a story, too bad it's not true or at least highly highly colored. :)

Heathrow is not "owned and operated by British Air", not at all. Heathrow is owned by BAA Limited (nothing to do with BA, mind you), who also own and run 6 other UK airports. It is led by a Spanish consortium, Ferrovial Group. Domestic to International only requires one security screening if you do a T2->T3 or T5->T3 transfer, because T3 does not handle domestic traffic. BA T5->T5 domestic-intl has no additional security screening.
Virgin pays to use that "wing" of T3, which sucks. It is great though if you fly in their Upper Class and use the Clubhouse with dedicated entrance. That way you don't have to walk through the shopping areas.

There is no gate security at Heathrow, only the additional document check for domestic flights in T5.
LHR isn't perfect, but it sure beats other major European hubs. AMS is awful, I hate gate security (even at best of times it's an unorganized mess), the walking distances are ridiculous especially for Non-Schengen/Schengen connections, their lounges are crap and so on.
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+1

Over my years living abroad I've transited LHR well over 100 times. Mostly BA to BA, first thru Term 4, later Term 5. The latter beats anything else for interconnecting flights, including Schiphol and Frankfurt.

The Italians had the Red Brigades, the Germans had the Baader-Meinhof Group and the Greeks have had various violent entities, but in Europe only the Brits had to deal with a sustained, long- duration terrorism threat. And they are better at it than anyone else. Gropefests have become the habitual experience at US airports. They could learn a few things from the Brits.
 
GRG55 said:
+1

Over my years living abroad I've transited LHR well over 100 times. Mostly BA to BA, first thru Term 4, later Term 5. The latter beats anything else for interconnecting flights, including Schiphol and Frankfurt.

The Italians had the Red Brigades, the Germans had the Baader-Meinhof Group and the Greeks have had various violent entities, but in Europe only the Brits had to deal with a sustained, long- duration terrorism threat. And they are better at it than anyone else. Gropefests have become the habitual experience at US airports. They could learn a few things from the Brits.
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Word.

I've done hundreds of transits in all major European hubs. LHR is a very acceptable transit point for a "newbie" in economy, and an excellent transit point for a premium customer. Schithole is hit or miss, I don't like the layout, their passport control is horrible, and their idea of gate security is awful (only place where this really works is Changi). Frankfurt. Well. Either it's the best airport in the world, or one of the worst.
It's best when you fly LH F. Their First Class Terminal is simply amazing. Can't beat a private limo ride to/from your flight.
And it's the worst, when you have a 45min MCT connection, you arrive to A42 and your flight departs from E9. I've had this happen twice. I'll never use FRA again. Unless I'm in F.
 
Been through FRA many, many times. Transit through Europe means long haul for me, either North America to/from MENA or Central Asia. At my advanced age I only do long haul in biz. At FRA the distance and requirement to go through another security check is tolerable only because of that no-nonsense German efficiency in processing anything with precision and the biz-class que jumping. I can make it work, but why bother if I can go through Term 5 at LHR instead?
 
mtuomi said:
Quite a story, too bad it's not true or at least highly highly colored. :)

Heathrow is not "owned and operated by British Air", not at all. Heathrow is owned by BAA Limited (nothing to do with BA, mind you), who also own and run 6 other UK airports. It is led by a Spanish consortium, Ferrovial Group. Domestic to International only requires one security screening if you do a T2->T3 or T5->T3 transfer, because T3 does not handle domestic traffic. BA T5->T5 domestic-intl has no additional security screening.
Virgin pays to use that "wing" of T3, which sucks. It is great though if you fly in their Upper Class and use the Clubhouse with dedicated entrance. That way you don't have to walk through the shopping areas.

There is no gate security at Heathrow, only the additional document check for domestic flights in T5.
LHR isn't perfect, but it sure beats other major European hubs. AMS is awful, I hate gate security (even at best of times it's an unorganized mess), the walking distances are ridiculous especially for Non-Schengen/Schengen connections, their lounges are crap and so on.
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Doubt all you want. When every Scot I know says AMS is the way to go, and 10 times through there without a single bad experience compared to my Heathrow or Manchester transfers, I'm still never going through Heathrow OR Manchester. And I would not hold the Britt up as poster children on how to do security. They're as bad or worse than TSA.
Heathrow is British Airway's HUB. Virgin is poor stepchild. It doesn't really matter to me who now owns/operates it, unless London is the destination, never ever again.
 
To each their own. I've been through LHR 3 times in the past 9 months. This last one was the worst, but the other two experiences weren't exactly peachy. I do strongly prefer FRA, but what works for me may not work for others. Even removing the security, transfers, and all that jazz that some have better experiences than others, FRA has always worked for me very well.

Not sure what the summarization and furious comment was. I don't agree with that at all.
 
I like Amsterdam much better than Heathrow, for connecting. My experiences at Heathrow consist of riding a lot of buses, which deliver me to the great cattle yards of screening.

It seemed that Heathrow had turned in to a shopping mall. The efficient transportation of people had been forgotten, as a goal.
 
jordane93 said:
In my 8 or so times going to LHR I don't remember anything too bad.
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LHR had the most appalling food choices last year, when we were stuck there for a 4 hour layover. I mean, it was inedible.

Of course, it didn't help that we had flown in from Vienna, which had the most amazing croissants. The contrast was striking.
 
silver-eagle said:
...And I would not hold the Britt up as poster children on how to do security. They're as bad or worse than TSA...
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The latter statement led to the best laugh I had today...:rofl:
 
NoHeat said:
I like Amsterdam much better than Heathrow, for connecting. My experiences at Heathrow consist of riding a lot of buses, which deliver me to the great cattle yards of screening.

It seemed that Heathrow had turned in to a shopping mall. The efficient transportation of people had been forgotten, as a goal.
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Try CDG sometime. Buses and buses....

LHR is a shopping mall with airplane gates attached. Sales at the mall are the goal, not transportation. I saw something the other day that basically admitted that.
 
wsuffa said:
LHR is a shopping mall with airplane gates attached. Sales at the mall are the goal, not transportation. I saw something the other day that basically admitted that.
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There is not one store in Terminal 5 that interests me. I probably walked by all of them at least a few times during my 8 hour layover. But I am not much of a shopper, especially not for upscale, designer stuff.
 
Everskyward said:
There is not one store in Terminal 5 that interests me. I probably walked by all of them at least a few times during my 8 hour layover. But I am not much of a shopper, especially not for upscale, designer stuff.
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I think that is why there's a "Boots" at every corner!
 
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