Security, Immigration & Border Control

[MB1]

Long Birmingham Airport queues ahead of bank holiday weekend

There's reports of people taking 90 minutes to get through security as building work continues.

www.bbc.co.uk

More acorn from the BBC. Do you think the BBC news editor had a bad experience was and is hell bent on revenge?

Or maybe they're just reporting on something that clearly is public interest? It seems plenty of people had got in touch with the BBC about it. And even the most enthusiastic fan of BHX must admit that the recent images of crowds queueing outside the terminal is pretty dire.

Back to the BBC article, seems pretty balanced with even BBC staff quoted as saying there were plenty of staff and they were prioritising flights, as well as giving the BHX response and plugging the new security.

Could even argue it's public service journalism, advising anyone with travel plans from BHX in the near future that they need to be there significantly earlier than normal!

Oh well, only a week until everything will be running like clockwork!

 

[Nethercote2019]

A friend flew to PMI today & from car park drop off to check & thru security in around an hour - they thought this was fine
BUT the 2 hours clearing immigration in Palma wasn’t !

 

[richard winterbourn]

If one hour to get through is the new norm now that the new security system is in place I hope passengers will accept this as being reasonable - and they can take a litre of cider with them.....kkkk

 

[big vern]

If one hour to get through is the new norm now that the new security system is in place I hope passengers will accept this as being reasonable - and they can take a litre of cider with them.....kkkk

Who said 1 hour is the new normal and why should pax think this is reasonable especially when BHX design and build a relatively small security area. Considering that the new system is being used (except for amount of liquid allowed that requires regulatory approval) and is supposedly quicker, the queues still go outside during peak times that can be in excess of 1-2 hr. Its a shambles that you cannot freely walk internally between north and south terminal check in areas during these peak times without being stopped to let the departures queue that snakes its way to the lifts and frequently crosses and blocks the walkway move along. The jet2 passengers will joining the same queue when they close the south terminal security, so that's going to make things more interesting. Also getting stopped by the BHX gestapo asking where you are going because they think you are queue jumping is a bit tedious and I work at the airport.

 

[TM3]

Having read some of the posts and articles surrounding the issue it appears to me that it is now possible to to have your bags scanned without taking out laptop / liquids.

I understand the airport wants to allow pax to carry higher volumes of liquids through security from 1 June.

Why are no time savings being made from the existing (new) machines?

Trying not to phrase it in a contraversial way but it seems clear to me that passengers carrying higher liquid volumes through security, in itself, is not something that it going to help speed up the process.

 

[JF57]

I see issues still being reported with delays through security. Will a magic switch be flicked on 1st June or ever?
Neighbours are flying out early on 7th June. They are crossing their fingers and everything else.
All this bad media coverage must be putting people off flying from BHX. Memories linger. Even if the problems are fixed soon the cost to the airport's reputation and bookings could be significant. Who is carrying the can?

 

[HPsauce]

I see issues still being reported with delays through security. Will a magic switch be flicked on 1st June or ever?
Neighbours are flying out early on 7th June. They are crossing their fingers and everything else.
All this bad media coverage must be putting people off flying from BHX. Memories linger. Even if the problems are fixed soon the cost to the airport's reputation and bookings could be significant. Who is carrying the can?

My neighbours flew back on TUI from Izmir today and were quite happy with the experience at BHX. I think the media go searching for controversy, and while there were undoubtedly teething problems as the changeover occurred, it's not as bad overall.

 

[TM3]

My neighbours flew back on TUI from Izmir today and were quite happy with the experience at BHX. I think the media go searching for controversy, and while there were undoubtedly teething problems as the changeover occurred, it's not as bad overall.

Whilst I totally get that once the media get their teeth into a story they keep going back to it I don't entirely subscribe to the "fake news" narrative here. I believe people were actually queueng for 3 hrs, outside the terminal etc as described.

I also feel the airport PRs are going to say these kinds of things, and some of the info they have put out is also a bit disingenous as I see it.

I flew through LTN last week and had no real problems with queues at security, I assume it is as busy this time as year for them as BHX.

The inbound was not so good though, there was a big queue in a crampt area where 2 queues had to filter in and it probably took the best part of an hour to get through the e-gates.

IMO BHX passport control for inbound flights is a lot quicker in general. There is of course no outbound passport control at UK airports.

 

[IanFarquharson]

As I said on the other thread BHX had its busiest day of 2024 yesterday (over 47,000 pax) and most flights full and departed on time

 

[TM3]

As I said on the other thread BHX had its busiest day of 2024 yesterday (over 47,000 pax) and most flights full and departed on time

So none of this stuff happened?

Travel chaos at major UK airport as passengers forced to queue for hours

Birmingham airport is reportedly struggling to cope with the half-term rush

metro.co.uk

As you know planes are going to leave on time whenever they can as they have no obligations to wait for passengers to get through the queueing system.

 

[IanFarquharson]

So none of this stuff happened?

Travel chaos at major UK airport as passengers forced to queue for hours

Birmingham airport is reportedly struggling to cope with the half-term rush

metro.co.uk

As you know planes are going to leave on time whenever they can as they have no obligations to wait for passengers to get through the queueing system.

If the flights are going out more or less full how are the airlines leaving pax behind at the moment ?

A few weeks ago when the system broke for the day, yes some pax missed their flights but this isnt the norm.

Yes people are queuing outside at times rather than inside but as I said flights are full and very few late departures.

 

[TM3]

So you are saying all of that is fake news and I can expect to get through security in a reasonable amount of time?

Maybe passengers are just aware of the problems and arriving really early now.

 

[IanFarquharson]

So you are saying all of that is fake news and I can expect to get through security in a reasonable amount of time?

Maybe passengers are just aware of the problems and arriving really early now.

I am not saying it is fake news, the pictures speak for themselves.
At times people have been queuing outside rather than inside.
But BHX want people through security as quickly as possible so they can spend money of which BHX take a percentage of all spend.
But as I say there have been no major delays and flights rammed.

 

[TM3]

I have to fly in the next few weeks and I was considering going through EMA instead but I'll give it a go.

 

[IanFarquharson]

I have to fly in the next few weeks and I was considering going through EMA instead but I'll give it a go.

Please let the forum know what your BHX experience was like.

 

[TM3]

I am curious to see what it is like but my flight is less than 1 hr so the idea of queuing 3 hours outside the airport is not appealing. I'l probably buy the fast track ticket as a precaution.

 

[Karl C]

Well joined the security queue at 3 50am and was out of the security hall at 4.10am. All security lanes open and working like a well oiled machine...seamless. Excellent work BHX

 

[big vern]

Well joined the security queue at 3 50am and was out of the security hall at 4.10am. All security lanes open and working like a well oiled machine...seamless. Excellent work BHX

Maybe try 6am to 7am that's when I frequently pass the queues.
It will be interesting when the Jet2 passengers start to use the north terminal security area because the queues of late do not include them.
A well oiled machine still has a maximum capacity and when that is reached at busy times we see the results. I wonder if BHX could have maybe bit the bullet and increased the security area size to add capacity, especially going forward as the passenger numbers will inevitably increase in the future and the new security area doesn't seem to have anywhere to expand (maybe someone with BHX management contacts can get that answer)

 

[TM3]

I don;t usually book flights that require arrival at the airport before 4am as you are basically talking about losing a night's sleep here, plus there are difficulties with getting there on public transport which puts the price up.

I've used the Ibis Budget opposite the terminal before when I saw no option but at the end of the day it that seems to defeat the object of going to my local airport as I can fly from a lot of other airports when I accept I'll pay that and travel the night before. The drive to Heathrow or Luton is easy if you do it late at night.

Honestly I thought the upgrade was going to include an increase in size for the security area as it has always seemed really cramped.

 

[Karl C]

Maybe try 6am to 7am that's when I frequently pass the queues.
It will be interesting when the Jet2 passengers start to use the north terminal security area because the queues of late do not include them.
A well oiled machine still has a maximum capacity and when that is reached at busy times we see the results. I wonder if BHX could have maybe bit the bullet and increased the security area size to add capacity, especially going forward as the passenger numbers will inevitably increase in the future and the new security area doesn't seem to have anywhere to expand (maybe someone with BHX management contacts can get that answer)

I was with Jet2 this morning and when I passed the old security area it was not in use.