Security, Immigration & Border Control

[DaveBham]

Karfa you are quite right. But for me, I was never interested in taking liquids above a litre out of the UK.

Regularly in both Portugal and Italy I am always frustrated that I cannot bring back litre bottles of either home-produced medronho or grappa through security.

There really is no comparison with the real local liquor and what is on offer in duty-free.

So, I am looking for restrictions to be lifted - but particularly in EU countries...

Why not just put your bag in the hold.I often bring back a few cases of Dorada a beer from the Canary Islands this way.

Total mayhem arriving back in the UK from Tenerife tonight, About 10 flights landed in quick succession and the queues at security took 45 minutes to get through passport control. Then, the baggage system wasn’t even running despite the delay. There were no electronic passport scanners in use - in fact it was a completely different hall with just 4 border control staff. Flights go on sale about a year in advance - you’d think the airport would know we were coming, and act accordingly.
Also mayhem with taxis - gridlock at the premium set down we rang the uber driver to avoid the premium set down and legged it up to the drop off by car park 5. Queues not so bad there.

 

[route66]

Why not just put your bag in the hold.I often bring back a few cases of Dorada a beer from the Canary Islands this way.

Total mayhem arriving back in the UK from Tenerife tonight, About 10 flights landed in quick succession and the queues at security took 45 minutes to get through passport control. Then, the baggage system wasn’t even running despite the delay. There were no electronic passport scanners in use - in fact it was a completely different hall with just 4 border control staff. Flights go on sale about a year in advance - you’d think the airport would know we were coming, and act accordingly.
Also mayhem with taxis - gridlock at the premium set down we rang the uber driver to avoid the premium set down and legged it up to the drop off by car park 5. Queues not so bad there.

Do electronic scanners have to be manned in case a user has an issue? If so, a shortage of staff could be an issue------again!

 

[richard winterbourn]

To DaveBham, I have a home in Portugal so I only ever travel light, the proverbial Ryanair 'small bag'.

When I travel to Brasil, yes, then I have hold luggage for my cachaca (again, the home-produced stuff).

 

[JF57]

Reports today on a social media site of long security queues outside the terminal. A bit chilly at this time of year. Good job it is not raining.
Surely the issues should be sorted by now?

 

[rollo]

Just passed through check in and security through in 40 minutes so all good only slight niggle is the amount of bags rejected estimated 25% rejection rate completely stops the que, otherwise happy days BGI here we come.

 

[KARFA]

i am not sure a time through security of 40 minutes can be described as all good tbh! that's pretty poor.

anyway, have a good holiday.

 

[rollo]

That 40 minincludes check in includes check in which has to be at the desk for a cruse flight.

By the way currently temperature 29c and piddling down which unfortunately means wify is in the the large duty free terminal with a credit card I'm in the ships pub watching the footy.

 

[KARFA]

That 40 minincludes check in includes check in which has to be at the desk for a cruse flight.

Ah ok, thanks for clarifying @rollo , that makes more sense

 

[IanFarquharson]

BHX has some very quiet days at the moment as do most UK airports a few weeks before Xmas
The real concern is S25 when BHX moves back into record passenger levels again, I hope the terminal can cope and we dont see a repeat of the queuing at time this Summer.
They have the Winter to sort it out !

 

[Ianbutty]

BHX has some very quiet days at the moment as do most UK airports a few weeks before Xmas
The real concern is S25 when BHX moves back into record passenger levels again, I hope the terminal can cope and we dont see a repeat of the queuing at time this Summer.
They have the Winter to sort it out !

Pretty sure they will. They have new investors to impress.

 

[rollo]

I do not like to aim criticism but last nights arrival from BGI was a dismal experience we landed bang on time at 03:43 and for context we were the only arrival between 23:31 and 05:36hrs.

Parked on the remotes had a 30min or so wait for steps/bus (not the first time) absolutely shot straight through passport control which turned out to be pointless as we waited in a desrerted baggage claim apart from our carousel finally exiting the terminal around 05:30 along with the TUI flight crew who were less than chuffed as was our waiting taxi driver.

Not good enough Mr Barton

 

[Hassaan]

All eyes on the security situation this summer. If it's been resolved and we're expecting things to flow much better then add as much capacity as possible. If not and we're looking at queues again then stick with what we have, which is fairly decent growth as it is.

I am admittedly in the dark on this, but what's up with the security situation?

(Don't come for me, it's just a question)

 

[Jon Dempsey]

I went through a couple of weeks ago and the building work continues.

There are still a number of "pinch-points" where queues could build up - Even in January.

 

[route66]

I went through a couple of weeks ago and the building work continues.

There are still a number of "pinch-points" where queues could build up - Even in January.

Was this work meant to be finished last year so that there would be no repeat of last summer's queues?

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

I’m currently leaving the jobs fair right now and tbh the terminal needs to be considered and constructed more then I’d be happy free
Just applied with jet2 passenger service Agent and spoke to a lovely chap callled James and he says that he wants to get planes out on time .
Looks fun it’s a more or less eyes on the ball job.

 

[Jon Dempsey]

Was this work meant to be finished last year so that there would be no repeat of last summer's queues?

A bit of smoke & mirrors I think. The announcent of completion, I think was just a PR excercise to try to cut down on the bad press.

When we travelled in Jan, the standard queue on the first floor was just about reaching the boarding card scanners so there was probably about a 10/15 minute wait. We bought the Express Lane option (via Ryanair), so there was a very short queue but I would comment that apart from one lady who knew how to get pax processed quickly, there were staff who were clueless about getting trays examined.

It seems to me that a training and motivation excercise needs to be offered to staff to be able to handle this summer.

I'm travelling next Sunday at a possible busy time and will let you know my opinion (as always )

 

[Nibbles]

Remember that the new scanners which were installed at great hassle and expense are not allowed to be used in the way they are designed because of CAA decisions (matching Europe) - so they are some way less efficient than they can be.

As for the works, they (specifically the works to enhance security) were completed last year, but further works are ongoing at the airport including on the duty free move. This is why there are various pinch points and strange locations for walls, which wont be permanent. Once that work is done, and the F&B area opens in the current duty free location, all will be much more improved. I dont know the timescales.

By the way, on the scanners, i cant help but feel it was a convenient decision under pressure from e.g. LHR who were way behind on their installation programme, so as not to be disadvantaged. Must be particularly galling for BHX and others who spent the money to get the programme delivered on time - with all the associated disruption - but then dont get the benefit of it in terms of it being a more attractive airport.

 

[KARFA]

By the way, on the scanners, i cant help but feel it was a convenient decision under pressure from e.g. LHR who were way behind on their installation programme, so as not to be disadvantaged. Must be particularly galling for BHX and others who spent the money to get the programme delivered on time - with all the associated disruption - but then dont get the benefit of it in terms of it being a more attractive airport.

sorry, the convenient decision being the reversal of the liquids relaxation? no it clearly has nothing to do with that - as you noted this is also a reversal which has taken place with CT scanners across Europe.

the current situation is there is some allowance to allow liquids to stay in bags for CT scanners - some airports like LCY and NCL allow this, and some parts of LHR - but the size limitations of 100ml/1l total remain.

 

[richard winterbourn]

Passed through Brum this morning on my way back to Faro.

Seamless through security? Well not quite, my bag was sided onto the check contents line.

And the culprit? Cadbury's drinking chocolate powder....

Cadbury's one of our greatest brand names, and in Brum's airport... How galling!

 

[Nibbles]

sorry, the convenient decision being the reversal of the liquids relaxation? no it clearly has nothing to do with that - as you noted this is also a reversal which has taken place with CT scanners across Europe.

the current situation is there is some allowance to allow liquids to stay in bags for CT scanners - some airports like LCY and NCL allow this, and some parts of LHR - but the size limitations of 100ml/1l total remain.

Yes - you are of course completely correct. But, and this is partly down the conspiracy theory angle, its convenient that the one airport struggling/unable to meet the CAA imposed deadline to have them installed was the UK's hub airport, whereas all those who did meet the deadline by hook or by crook - with all of the associated upheavel - effectively having wasted cashflow.

Or to put this another way, if BHX had known that the requirement to have the scanners in by a certain point of time would be relaxed, they might've chosen to spend the money on the security area on something else instead, perhaps the departure lounge extension (this example is conveniently forgetting construction logistics and whether it is practical or not to do such activity).

Note that the decision to delay the requirement to have them in place was made before the rules changed in Europe to retain the current liquids allowance.

I havent heard anything since on whether the allowance will increase - presumably its the subject of much testing and research...