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security check caused me to lose my flight
This is a complained I have just sent to Heathrow, and since I still have an hour of sitting around missing work waiting for the next available flight, I thought the least I could do was tell others what to expect in Heathrow airport.
Today I missed my flight to Glasgow and was late for work, due to the airport security, who not only conducted unnecessary search of me and inappropriate search of my luggage but also had no regard to my constant reminders that my flight will be boarding soon.
Once the scanner beeped and the female officer searched me, she decided I was wearing a corset and had to be put through a personal search. . I said I wasn't wearing a corset ( I didn't know such things exist anymore!) and was told I have to go through a personal search.NOT the full body scan, no, only a PERSONAL search would determine the truth of the matter.
I was then taken to a room with two female officers, WITHOUT ANY OF MY BELONGINGS. I was told to leave my handbag with my passport and boarding pass behind, while it was still going though the security scanner. So I was taken away from any form of identification I own and walked into a room leaving it all behind, which left me without a passport or phone inside an airport and my bags unattended and out of my reach.
Inside the room she discovered at last that I wasn't wearing a corset. What she had mistaken for it was a simple wired bra. Instead of giving me the papers I needed to sign, she then decided to LECTURE ME ON WHAT TO WEAR FOR FLYING. When I said that I need to sign and leave because my flight was about to start boarding in a few minutes, she became irate and lost all semblance of professionalism, raised her voice and begun repeating herself in accounting a long list of appropriate and not appropriate airport wear. Many precious minutes later I continued to ask for the paper I was supposed to sign while, the lecture was being repeated in even higher volumes, with the added pleasantness of 'you are making yourself late for your flight if you are not listening to me' and 'you are very rude, you probably don't have many friends do you?' Apparently reminding an airport employee that my flight is probably already boarding is ground for a criticism of my social life?
The other officer at this point, probably realizing I was being held in the room much longer than required, since the 'search' (AKA the lifting up of my dress to show that I was not wearing a corset, that's all that happened search -wise) had finished a good ten minutes ago, finally begun handing me the papers where my signature (and other irrelevant infromation like my ethnic origin and skin colour) were needed.
I had to read the papers to the best of my ability WHILE SHE WAS STILL SHOUTING OVER MY HEAD about not wearing wired bras if I don't want to be late for my flight, which meant I have no idea what I was signing on that paper. I haven't yet learned to read official documents under duress but maybe that's a new skill I need to acquire to fly from Heathrow form now on. Because she never gave me time to read and sign, she just kept repeating the lecture a tenth time round for good measure.
With the papers signed she could no longer keep me in the room so she had to stop shouting and let the other officer take me out. Please note that the 'search' part of this procedure took 5 seconds (lift up dress, 'Oh look, no corset!' and pull down dress) while the aggravating shouting/ signature delaying part took more than 15 minutes. Because by the time I was out, my flight was not already boarding, it was on final call.
And of course I could not go to the flight, BECAUSE MY UNATTENDED HANDBAG WAS NOT THERE. I was left without a passport or phone or money or any kind of id in the middle of the airport, looking for my partner who I was hoping had picked up my bag for me.
When I eventually found him, (after we had both missed our flight which closed in the next 15 minutes, because he was looking for me at the full body scanner assuming that's where I had been taken, without imagining I had been whisked off to some top secret corset apprehending security room) I learned that MY BAG HAD ALSO BEEN SEARCHED WITHOUT ME PRESENT.
Specifically, after I had been taken away, while my handbag was still being scanned, he had been asked if this is his bag. He said no, it's my partner's. Then he was asked if it has anything sharp in it. He said I do not know, it's not my bag, should you be asking me this? Then the bag was opened, and searched, to discover the sharp item was my pump heals- AND HANDED TO HIM. Obviously the security officer decided that a man lingering around a woman's handbag means he can take it, just by saying he is dating the girl it belongs to. EVEN THOUGH THE ACTUAL OWNER IS NO WHERE TO BE SEEN.
I am logging this complaint because I have not only been late in the office this morning, but my partner had to cancel 3 hours worth of meetings as well, which were actually the reason we were flying to Glasgow.
I want to know exactly what will happen to ensure these two airport employees will never again cause someone else to miss their flight. I also want to know what my compensation will be for this ordeal. Therefore, I very much DO require a response, thank you.
And to anyone genuinely looking for information on other appalling encounters with Heathrow security staff, in case you came out of that hell pit feeling emotionally violated and having missed a flight or having come very close to it, here's some other instances--
B A Security Officers Heathrow T5 — suffering the wrath of 2 security officers
To any potential time wasters who pass their time reading complaint boards just for the hell of it (and not because something actually happened to them and they googled the complaints procedure for their personal incident), feel free to keep writing to my post and to every other post that entertained your boredom; I'm out of here, done what I came here to do, and won't be reading you any more.
Please refrain from giving flying time advice to someone who boards a plane 3 times a month. You don't know what time I arrived so you can't comment. I can tell you that I arrived the same time as always for my 7am flight, I wasnt late. I do the airport security procedure like clockwork for years now, since my work requires frequent travel within europe and without. The only other time I have ever missed a flight is once when I was a student and that was 10 years ago. If the security check hadn't taken 20 minutes I would have enough time to sit and read an entire newspaper with my morning coffee outside the gate as I always do. So shut up when you don't know what you are talking about.
For the nothing and nothing answer, yes they did. They should have waited for me to pick up my bag after it was scanned. That is the correct procedure and they didn't follow it. I have been taken for a full body scan a million times before and the SO will ask you to please take your belongings for the scanner before you follow him wherever he needs to take you next. The fact that I was left stranded without a passport in an airport during a security check is a grave mistake.
Also the fact that they removed me from my bag, thus making my bag an item of unattended luggage.
And most importantly, the mistake is the attitude. It is not her job to spend 15 minutes in a room berating someone for wearing a wired bra. Her problem was that she thought the wired bra was a corset and she was proved wrong, so she felt she had to justify herself by shouting. For a long long time. This is where the need for this complaint comes in. Security officers are there to protect airoplane passengers from a real threat, not harass those who clearly pose no danger.
bad signalisation
Last week when going from the Heathrow Express to The Terminal 3 of the airport for having my plane to Bilbao, I saw a signal indicating the Chapel. As I had time and I felt like going there. Several signal took me out a long way to a place where it was not possible to continue to any place because of some works. I wonder if they could indicate that from the first one.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
suffering the wrath of 2 security officers
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN;
Description of incident; Wednesday 24th March 2011 roughly 17.30 hrs passing through Airport Security to board the Heathrow to Edinburgh flight (18.20 hrs)
On arriving at the Airport Security belt, I placed my liquids into a re-sealable bag and placed the bag in a tray with my newly removed jacket, shoes, belt, handbag, gold bracelet & work security badge. I also placed my laptop in a seperate tray with the laptop bag alongside. This was all to make sure absolutely nothing could be mis interperated by the security system.
I passed through the electronic arch without a problem and waited for my property to come through the x-ray curtain.
All but my handbag appeared.
No-one made me aware of it but my handbag had been passed down another chute to a waiting Security Officer (SO) who looked at my bag but took no action and just left it sitting there while she stared around at her colleagues. Bearing in mind my travelling companion's handbag was also in this particular security Officer's watch list, she was also left standing too. I began to get concerned that we might miss the boarding call for our flight.
When I questioned why our handbags were just sitting there, I was told there was a can of hairspray in my handbag and a plastic bottle with a little liquid in it in my companion's bag which was too large to pass through and so it was deemed necesssary to search both bags.
The can of hairspray in my bag was almost empty and I didn't see it as a can holding more than 100 ml of liquid...more fool me. While a short, blonde, bobbed hair styled Security Officer in her fifties stood doing nothing, her older male colleague was busy going through another unfortunate female passenger's hold all producing very intimate pieces of clothing onto the table in front of me and fellow passengers. This passenger looked totally humiliated and I felt embarassed for her. ( I would like to add that the male SO performing this search couldn't have been any slower if he'd tried in my opinion and it is only a personal opinion).
When I was eventually beckoned forward by the female SO, I commented that I had read the article from BA's Chairman regarding unneccessary security checks and with that I was subjected to a barrage of her Company's Security Policies. When I asked her not to go any further and handed the almost empty can of hairspray back to her, she would not take it. I kept saying "take it - I don't need it", but she just started shouting that she had worked at Heathrow Airport for 10 years and did not appreciate me patronising her and asked me if I believed Company Security Policies should be changed to which I replied "Yes". She then asked me how I would feel if she walked into my work place and started questioning my job. When I told her, I didn't have a choice at being subjected to security checks which include SOs laying there hands on and around my private parts and that recently I had been subjected to a full body scan due to a non detachable brooch on my dress, she walked back to the x-ray machine and started shouting across the floor at me.
When I put my hand to my ear and 'mimed' that I could not hear her, she still continued to shout across the area.
When she started to walk back towards me she told me I was the rudest passenger she had ever had to deal with to which I replied "I am allowed to express an opinion", put my hand up with my palm facing her and told her I didn't want to talk to her anymore as the situation was becoming heated.
Thinking this was the end of the incident, I started to walk away but the male SO shouted "Madam" at me and when I turned around and realised he was looking at me quite aggressively, I thought it best to keep walking with my travelling companion but he kept running toward me shouting "Madam".
When I turned round he told me I had a really bad attitude. He had been listening to the conversation I had with his Colleague and that he could easily prevent me from getting on the flight.
When I tried to explain that I didn't have attitude with his colleague but that, infact, she raised her voice to me and that's when I stood up for myself, he just kept telling me my attitude was disgusting and that he could arrange that my aircraft boarding pass be refused.
By this time, I felt totally bewildered by the rudeness, agressivness and disrespect I had been shown.
All I had done was stand up for myself against these two SOs.
I was left feeling embarassed & shaken, on the verge of tears and had to sit down as I was in total shock!...
In light of how serious I feel this incident was, I would like a full investigation into both these SOs passenger handling techniques, a full explanation of their behaviour alongside a request that if BA as a company finds their behaviour unacceptable, they should both be put through formal disciplinary procedures.
I am disgusted, angry, confused, shocked and disappointed that these Sos are so badly behaved when it comes to respect for their passengers.
I look forward to your response as a matter of urgency as I am a frequent flyer with your airline and don't wish to be subjected to this ever again.
Yours sincerely
Elaine Hogg
harassment by airport security
Can anybody advise how to register a formal complaint against a particular member of staff at the Security checkpoint, for undue harassment on 25th November from Terminal 4 at approx 6:15 AM.
While we can all appreciate the need for vigilance and thoroughness at airport security, this Security Agent’s sole aim appears to have been passenger harassment. While saying she was searching for liquids, she seemed to be more interested in checking every piece of paperwork and other quite obviously non-liquid contents of my hand baggage. Surely some common sense needs to be exercised by security.
I was quite stunned to discover later that due to her excess zeal in examining the paperwork for liquids she had complete missed a new bottle of scalp medication which had been forgotten in the wash bag. I think she missed the actual purpose of a security check, choosing to harass rather than secure.
It must be noted that the same bag was rechecked at CDG airport in Paris, probably for the same reason that the bag was flagged at LHR. However the totally different attitude of security there, who chose to ask a straight question, and received an immediate verification meant that the bag was opened and cleared in under a minute compared to more than 15 minutes at LHR. Apparently a small plastic bag full of loose change was the article of interest, and had come up on the monitor as a black mass.
Clearly the French exercise more commonsense and courtesy!
Can anybody advise how to register a formal complaint against a particular member of staff at the Security checkpoint, for undue harassment on 25th November from Terminal 4 at approx 6:15 am.
While we can all appreciate the need for vigilance and thoroughness at airport security, this Security Agent's sole aim appears to have been passenger harassment. While saying she was searching for liquids, she seemed to be more interested in checking every piece of paperwork and other quite obviously non-liquid contents of my handbaggage! Surely some commonsense needs to be exercised by security?
I was quite stunned to discover later that due to her excess zeal in examining the paperwork for liquids she had complete missed a new bottle of scalp medication which had been forgotten in the washbag! I think she missed the actual purpose of a security check, choosing to harass rather than 'secure'.
It must be noted that the same bag was rechecked at CDG airport in Paris, probably for the same reason that the bag was flagged at LHR. However the totally different attitude of security there, who chose to ask a straight question, and received an immediate verification meant that the bag was opened and cleared in under a minute compared to more than 15 minutes at LHR. Apparently a small plastic bag full of loose change was the article of interest, and had come up on the monitor as a black mass.
Clearly the French exercise more commonsense and courtesy!
terrible service
On 2／sep, my parents and me were about to leave london to BeiJing. Before departing, we planed do the "tax-free" through the travlex in heathrow 3 . The terrible thing is the staff there is really rude. When she checked my tax free receipt, my father happened cough a little bit loudly. I cannot believe that they use the word "disgusting" . It is really humiliated. During the whole process, the staff is really arrogant, rude, and non-professional at all.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
noise
Thursday 20th August, 2009 - Chiswick, London
93 flights before 7am. Thats more than one a minute as of 4h42 when i was woken up yet again. This is not right to disturb millions of habitants like this. The loss of productivity every day and the stress endured because of this far outweights the benefits of having a plane from Hong Kong land at 4h42 or 4h26 like last Thrusday instead of a more reasonable time like 6h45 or 7am. You should be ashamed of yourselves and so should the politicians for agreing to letting "a few" flights land before 7am, now the flight activity between 4h30 and 7am is just like daytime. Its even more frustrating to know that nothing will be done, that my landlord will not put double glazing or windows for us, there is no grants for this, so we will have to move as I cant sleep anymore, eventhough the European Courts have ruled agaisnt this noise disturbance. SHAME ON YOU BAA - SHAME ON YOU Secretary.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
I was traveling to Bulgaria from terminal 5 at Heathrow. Whilst looking around the Duty Free I decided to purchase some toiletries. I approached the Creme De La Mere stand and the girl who was supposed to be there was "on a break" according to the lady at the next stand. I returned 15 mins later knowing my plane was taking off only 30 minutes later. The assistant was pleasant and suggested 3 products - which I did purchase! These were taken by the assistant to a till for me. While I was at the till, I chatted to the same assistnant and another assistant did the transaction on the till. As I was getting late for the plane I just entered my pin without double-checking anything, I ran like mad to the plane. When I arrived at my destination, I unpacked and then looked at the receipt for the products. SHOCK! I had been charged twice for the eye cream. I immediatley telephoned customer sevice - they were closed so I left a message. The next day I received a phone call from customer service and they said it wasn't a problem, they would sort it when I returned to England. BUT when I sent my receipt I received a letter from Frances Jenkins - more or less stating that I was stupid and tough! there was no hope. She stated in her letter that '' would be very difficult to rectify this at a later stage'', but i called customer service same day. I called customer service back, but basicaly they told me that i have no hope.
rude staff, cleanliness, lack of informatio
Hi,
I felt I had to comment on my unpleasant experience of Heathrow airport yesterday morning- especially as I had somehow anticipated that it would be so- based on my last experience of heathrow airport 4 years ago!
I flew from Brisbane airport via Singapore and on to Heathrow en route to Dublin, arriving in Heathrow at 5.45am on Thur 16th April. I had a three hour stop-over in Heathrow before my flight to Dublin. I made my way uneventfully from Terminal 3 to Terminal 1 and through to the departures area. I was quite shocked at the poor rest room facilities, having had the pleasure of use of the excellent facilities at Singapore Changi airport. There wasn't even cold water to brush my teeth, only hot. I washed my face with water and found there weren't even paper towels available and decided against using the toilet roll! Cleaners were on duty at the time, and whilst it may have been clean, it had a shabby appearance overall.
I passed some time in the various shops and a cafe and checked the departure information screen regularly for information on the gate I had to go to for boarding- but the gate was not announced until 8.20am which was the time people were supposed to commence boarding. I was directed to go to gates 77-86 and headed in that direction, passing signs telling me it could take 15 mins to get there, so I walked quickly, in fear that boarding would be closing by the time I got there.
I passed by the passport and biometric testing area and on to baggage screening. Where I was greeted not with "hello" or "good morning" but by a small middle aged man who gruffly asked where I was flying to. I answered Dublin. He looked me up and down and said " take off your belt...and your top", not your shoes. No- please madam, or thank you. I can't quite explain how in such a brief interaction I got such a strong negative impression from this man but I can honestly say, having flown nearly 12, oookm, he was the most ignorant unpleasant person I encountered in a service position. Surely given the current rates of unemployment we can find someone more suited to the job- just a thought.
I got to gate number 78 just before gate 77 and found the passage blocked by new security doors to prevent disembarking passengers from exiting to the departures area. A sign indicated that there would be a brief delay due to these new security measures. Nearly 15 mins later the doors opened enabling me to make my way towards where gate 77 was indicated. Except that the double doors leading to 77 were locked. I went back to the nearly airlingus desk but found it was unstaffed. So I proceeded to the nearest staffed desk and asked the BMI staff member (having rudely interrupted two staff in private conversation) why the doors were locked explaining that I needed to get to 77 for my flight. I was unhelpfully informed that if I was meant to be down there the doors would be opened. She suggested I go back down the corridor to the departure screen and recheck the boarding gates. I declined to do so, fearing I would be locked in down the corridor again and decided to wait and see if the doors would be opened. Eventually at five to 9 ( flight was to depart at 9.05) I decided to go back to check the departure screen only to find the gate had been changed to 84. So I quickly made my way to 84 anticipating the boarding gates being closed, however, boarding had not even commenced without explanation. I approached the airlingus staff at the desk to confirm it was the correct flight and again felt like I was rudely interrupting a private discussion between staff. Fortunately the flight was yet to board. Given Heathrow's poor reputation for baggage losses I asked the staff if they could confirm that my bags were on board ( having directed them to go from Brisbane to Dublin), to which one of the girls replied " I'm sure they are", as if it was an unrealistic enquiry. I replied that I would rather have it confirmed, which she then reluctantly did in about 30 seconds.
I eventually boarded the plane which took off 40 minutes late. While I sat on the plane waiting for take off, I could rest easy in the knowledge that, at least after the ordeal of two long haul flights, jet lag and the experience that is Heathrow, I could look forward to a warm Irish welcome in Dublin Airport.
A.D
17th April 2009
Swiss flight from Terminal 2 to Geneva on 25 June 2017 leaving 17:15
A colleague and I were travelling on business. I had a hand carry luggage and my colleague had a bag to check in. At the Swiss check in desks, a large sign read 'cancelled flights'. We enquired and an attendant told us that our flight was cancelled. We started to queue. There were about 50 people in the queue. We made a few calls to other airlines as our first meeting in Geneva was on the next day at 9.30am. After 30 minutes of waiting In the queue which was not moving. I went to one of desks to enquire if Swiss had another flight that evening. There I was told that only the flight to Zurich was cancelled, not the flight to Geneva. I still do not understand why the sign read 'cancelled flights' if only once flight was cancelled.
Had we waited in line to register my colleague's bag, we would have missed our fight. She attempted to register at the business class desk. There was a queue there too. When the passenger immediately before her got to the front of the queue, the person at the desk got up and left. By then, the flight's departure was about 60 minutes away. She asked a member of staff if she could help. The situation around us was chaotic, passengers did not understand what was happening and my colleague was starting to lose her temper. We had been at the airport for nearly one hour and she had still not been able to check in her bag. Eventually a member of a staff took her to a different counter and registered her bag. The entire process was bewildering, to say the least, and unacceptably disorganised. No information was provided on the alleged cancelled flights and members of staff appeared utterly uninformed.
Things were about to get much worse. We made our way to baggage checks. When my turn came up, I opened my small suitcase to remove my iPad and toiletries. The female officer manning the belt instructed me to hurry, in a manner that came across as insolent, not to say rude. I can assure you that I was in a hurry, concerned that I might delay the flight. When I made a sign that I needed another minute, she told me to move back, again quite rudely, and invited other passengers to come to the front of the line. I was unhappy about this and told her so. She accused me of being aggressive. I was shocked. She said that she would call her manager and pushed my suitcase to the side, ordering me to wait. I could not believe it. She then turned to passengers behind me and said: 'don't worry about him, he is not going anywhere'. I felt humiliated. After about 5 minutes waiting for the manager, feeling increasingly distressed, I decided to move to a different belt. Two officers almost ran after me in front of everyone ordering that I return to the belt I came from. I felt like I was a criminal. It was truly horrible. I had no choice but to wait until the manager appeared. When she finally did, I explained what had happened. She naturally sided with her staff, and asked me to apologise for being 'aggressive'. There was no point in arguing, I wanted to remove myself from this threatening situation and I was concerned about missing my flight, so I apologised. I was allowed to proceed. I did not miss my flight, thankfully.
The experience was truly awful and left me in a state of shock. I am a seasoned traveler and cannot recall such a shocking experience at an airport, ever. I have never had any reason to complain about bagage check. On this occasion, I am taking the time to write this detailed report because the behaviour was inexcusable, I am still in shock 5 days after the event, I am dreading going through an airport again and I am concerned that other passengers will endure the same experience.
Please acknowledge this complaint and respond within 14 days
While quieuing at Heathrow terminal 3, we were approached by some unidentified persons who without any reasons kept on asking us questions of various personal nature. One of them even made fun of us when my partner said we were a gay couple. Then, I was constantly intimidated when they kept on asking the same questions on and on. If we refused, or asked any questions of who they were, they simply said they can denied us from boarding the plane. I requested theirs names which they refused and I threatned to call the Police if they dont stop this mascarade. They gave theirs names as 'AJ' and 'Michael'. I requested their full names which they refused and even said they cannot call their managers as they were unavailable. They still hold our passport with them. They kept on threatning us they can prevent us from boarding the plane if they want to. all smilling and laughing. I changed the tone of my voice and branded my phone and insisted if they dont stop, I will call the Police.
After these discriminatory and humiliations, we went to the gate. But just before boarding the plane, we were asked to be searched again. We went through the airport unfriendly security, still they wanted us to go into another security from delta airlines. If delta airlines thinks the airport security is not good enough, then we got a problem. Using the 9/11 as an excuse, after all these humiliations, they kept on denying and passing the blame to the other company who acted on behalf of delta.
These guys even asked to have my passport checked against another form of ID. R-I-D-I-C-O-U-L-O-U-S
Our plane got collided in NY airport and guess what... NO ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THANK YOU DELTA.
On our return, we were told that our flight left 2 hours earlier and guess what... NOBODY BOTHERED TO inform US ABOUT THIS IMPORTANT CHANGE.
GREAT DELTA. USELESS
I totally agree with you. Yesterday my daughter and I flew in from Auckland via Singapore where both the airports and staff were excellent. Apart from the very nice lady on the aer lingus check in the security man was rude beyond measure. His colleague at the part of security where they photograph you told us to go on through as we were domestic and this rude angry man told me to step back. When I asked him did this apply to domestic he shouted at me 'we dont do this for fun' Obviously not. Its a case of guilty unless proved otherwise. If anyone one knows where I could complain to Id appreciate it. I wouldnt normally but after flying for over 27 hours I feel entitled.
I have never been a fan of Heathrow either - whenever travelling from London I try and use Gatwick although sometimes there isn't an option.
Worst experience for me at Heathrow was when a waitress in the cafe bar screamed at me for not saying please! All I wanted was a waffle and juice..it was very early and I was half asleep - not once she'd ripped my eardrums out though!
lack of information
I have just got back from my holidays I departed Bangkok on the 10th of August flight departed roughly on time and although we were due to land at 7.15pm at Heathrow we were actually flying around Heathrow area at 6.40pm. (flight no BS0067). After flying around for some time we were told there was a problem at Heathrow, so were flown to Stanstead which obviously would cause some problem to some passengers more than others, I myself had my son in law waiting for myself and husband at Heathrow.
we were held on the runway for three hours which is really bad considering we had already been on the plane for twelve hours.
Eventually landing back at Heathrow three and half hours later than expected. There was no explanation, nothing on the website to explain why this had happened or what had happened to prevent us landing when we ere obviously there above Heathrow at our alloted time. I went onto Heathrows website to complain and it would not accept my complaint (this is something I have experienced before if you make it difficult for people then they will give up). I have traveled quite a lot and do appreciate that things can and do happen but what I am annoyed with was the fact that there obviously was not a problem the airport just had too many planes to land and could not cope with amount of traffic coming in.
what a terrible way to treat passengers, and a terrible end to a lovely holiday. People can accept things but need the information given to them at an appropriate time in order to accept it.
I would like to know what the problem was if there was one.
Thanks.
airport is a mess!
I will NEVER fly British Airways again! I arrived in Barcelona on 15 July 2007 and my suitcase was not on the plane with me (a connecting flight) I spent NINE days calling and calling, BA in Spain, BA in London, BA in the USA they all told me that it was 'impossible' to talk to the people who handle luggage in London because they are too busy.
They kept telling me that they were sending a 'telex' to Heathrow to request they put my bag on a flight. I was told that it was on three different flights.
(a telex !?! give me a break, this is the information age)
Long story short, I had to buy new clothes, new toiletries and a new cell phone. (I have a cell phone for Barcelona, but the charger was in my suitcase and I could not find a replacement, I could not even call anyone) The first ten days of my trip were completely ruined. Will I get reimbursed for these expenses? How?
The baggage tracking website is completely worthless, they NEVER update it. I had my bag for 5 days already and the website still said "locating bag" Don't bother.
I just heard a bit on the BBC that British Airways was just recognized as the WORST AIRLINE. They certainly have MY vote.
BEWARE, if you are not going to London, do not get a connecting flight through Heathrow, that airport is a MESS. Fly into France or Germany for your connecting flight, if you value your belongings.
Roderick Donahue
Los Angeles
I came from pr720 April 5 flight and was surprised how long the line was. The line was too long after getting off a 14 hr flgiht... there were only 6 officers at that time... I was told that the reason for this is the government didn't allocate enough budget to get more staff to increase the booths.. is this information correct?
Our flight has been cancelled because of plane malfunction. There is an entire plane full of albanian people without guidance on what to do next, except queue. Please help urgently. Austrian airline desk.
I recently travelled through Heathrow Airport which I agree is a very unfriendly place. I travelled Korean Air to and from Australia which is a fabulous airline. I am a 65 year old female ex Brit having lived in Australia for over 40 years (thank goodness!).
I have a hip replacement and have a letter from my surgeon and a card to confirm this. However, every time I went through the scanning devices in any airport I set off the the alarm. Incheon Airport in Korea was very understanding and the airport staff were polite although thorough. Before going through the alarm I always made sure I told the airport staff that I had the hip replacement. However at Heathrow they completely ignored this and made me feel like a criminal. A dark skinned female person eyed me with a frosty stare and proceeded to "go over" me with her wand several times. I told her that I had a hip replacement and she said "I cannot see that madam!". I said I could show her the letter from the surgeon but she wasn't interested. I have to say that I found a lot of the "dark skinned" people very rude. I have never been a racist but I think they are. Racism works both ways of course but that, I feel, is never considered by the dark skinned people.
The rest of the story is that one of my bags was snatched and put to one side, then I was told that I would be taken to a room and searched. I had no idea what this entailed and was getting quite upset being an elderly woman and never having to put up with rude and intrusive treatment in the country that I was born . Another dark skinned person a very tall imposing man this time came and the woman said I was to follow him. He didn't speak to me and because he was so tall and walked so quickly I had to "scurry" along to keep up with him. He had my bag with him and I was still carrying my other bags. We stopped outside of a locked room and I asked him what kind of search was going to be done and he said "a scan". He knocked on the door and another "dark skinned" man opened it, I felt as if I was in a third world country not England. I was then told to stand in front of a scanner and was x-rayed. The two men in this room didn't really communicate with me as a person, they just said things like "stand there, put your arms up". Then when they had checked whatever it is they have to check I was told it was okay to go. I then followed one of the men back to where the bags were first brought through, I went behind him and passed through some sort of place where I wasn't supposed to go and was told to get back outside of the counter. Then the bag that they had decided might be offending was searched by this time a Caucasian man for a change. The only thing that was there that they confiscated was a jar of face cream which was half empty anyway. I must admit that after this I was very upset. I had a long flight ahead of me to Australia and I had a three hour wait in Korea for my connecting flight. I was very stressed.
As I walked out of the customs area very nice man (also dark skinned) smiled and said hello and was going to check my bag again. I said "I've already been checked" and I think he could tell I was upset. I told him I would never be coming back to England again if it was like this and he said "Its all a bit political". I didn't know quite what he meant but he was pleasant and polite I wished him a nice day.
I found the whole experience at Heathrow very upsetting and unncessary, especially to an older person like myself. I was so glad to get back to Australia where everyone smiled at me and was p0lite and happy. I enjoyed Incheon Airport in Korea too where everyone was much more polite than Heathrow. Lift your game Heathrow.
Can anybody advise how to register a formal complaint against a particular member of staff at the Security checkpoint, for undue harassment on 25th November from Terminal 4 at approx 6:15 am.
While we can all appreciate the need for vigilance and thoroughness at airport security, this Security Agent's sole aim appears to have been passenger harassment. While saying she was searching for liquids, she seemed to be more interested in checking every piece of paperwork and other quite obviously non-liquid contents of my handbaggage! Surely some commonsense needs to be exercised by security?
I was quite stunned to discover later that due to her excess zeal in examining the paperwork for liquids she had complete missed a new bottle of scalp medication which had been forgotten in the washbag! I think she missed the actual purpose of a security check, choosing to harass rather than 'secure'.
It must be noted that the same bag was rechecked at CDG airport in Paris, probably for the same reason that the bag was flagged at LHR. However the totally different attitude of security there, who chose to ask a straight question, and received an immediate verification meant that the bag was opened and cleared in under a minute compared to more than 15 minutes at LHR. Apparently a small plastic bag full of loose change was the article of interest, and had come up on the monitor as a black mass.
Clearly the French exercise more commonsense and courtesy!
i went to hearthrow airport 2day 2 meeet my boyfriend off the plane but heartow sent him bk 2 us cos the man said he cudnt b bothered 2 stamp his passport for a vist so they picked on him. there was this otha guy in same boat as my bf but was comin 4 12mths as mine was comin 4 6mths same probs but they let him in but wudnt mine my boyfrend ad no reason not 2 b allowed in the uk but cos this guy wudnt stamp his book they didnt let him in he came on a very long flight 2 b sent home again, they treated him a terriost n cuffed him and everything. im so heart broken they sed to him if he was 2 come bk nxt week they wud let him in they jst pick on so many people. im so heart broken. he needs 2 get bk 2 ohio dayton airport but they jst sending him 2 anywhere in the us n he as 2 make his own way bk 2 the state he lives in. they treated him bad 4 no reason im so hurt and up set. il never use heathrow airport again they way they treat u. they sed 2 me ur bf is the otha side of the wall but guess wot they sed 2 me u cnt c him and i was hearing him scream out 2 me he is not a terroist he came 2 b wit me n the kids, the kids r gonna b so heart broken there dadddy cnt come and c them cos of hearthrow airport being the way they was 2 my boyfriend. im so anrgy n hurt by this i feeel like we ave done something rong bout i kno we avnt. i jst wanted 2 say bye 2 him they wudnt let me on by fone the eccorted him on the plane 4 men did like he was a terriost in handcuffs treated him so badly. i jst wanted them let him stay or 2 say bye face to face. but he was fine to be in the uk they jst treated him so rong its so unfair they way they did it. i disagree wit all this wot they did 2 him they was out of bloody order now i ave 2 wait 4 him 2 come in few mths wen he shud b here wit me n his kids
Terminal five at London Heathrow is a particular mess.
Never mind that the bus ride from whatever Terminal you arrived to Terminal 5 takes over 20 minutes, that's just the start of the less than civilized process you endure when flying any airline through London Heathrow.
The security check point(s) are the real marvel and testiment to poor airport design and transit authority inefficiency. From the gaggle que on the first floor upon arrival at Terminal 5 to the Nazi style screaming of the transit authority personnel manning the Terminal while you painfully wait in the security line, this place will make you feel less like a holiday travel and more like a helpless lemming about to be rendered the final solution.
The first "secuirty check point" is a passport check followed by pressing verbal reminders about liquids peppered with harassment from the transit authority personnel who don't know their own procedures and appear to have no clue on how to rope off a "S" line or direct people into the correct location for processing. After you clear this "security check point" you get to stand at the bottom of the elevator until the huge security check point que on the second floor is cleared enough to be sent up the escaltors to your next point of harassment.
Once you have been cleared to go up the escalators to the second security check point you have to frantically locate the start of a line which will take you to an x-ray lane which is near impossible as this security check point was clearly an ad hoc after thought after the Terminal was designed and built. However this is made even more difficult by the fact that transit authorities are screaming so loud about telling you to take your shoes off, put your liquids in plastic bags, take you coats off, take out your lap tops and all electronic items..etc..etc...and get ready to step into the gas chamber...er uh...xray point. Ummmm...taped looped TV set video tape anyone? Its far less caustic that a transit authority person screaming instructions at you every 10 minutes.
It took almost 2 hours to get from Terminal 3 to Terminal 5 and through "security". The best part was I forgot the 3 oz bottle of perfume I had in my carry on, which despite all the harassment, screaming, hollering and "security" screening, still made it through to the gate undetected.
I will never fly through Heathrow again. I dont hate myself enough.
JC
Los Angeles
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Tho review was posted in 2012. There have been no up or down votes. I can only conclude that this site is not effective.
I had the same problem but worse on the 5th of April this month i got news that my brother in law had been in a fatal bike accident in the uk, i live in sweden so I packed my bags asap to get next flight home, my sister had called me sounding very upset and has two kids by the way that are very young, i got to airport terminal 5 and need to get the shuttle bus to 3, after not sleeping snd traveling sll night to get home I finally got on thf shuttle bus, i was standing in the front of a over loaded shuttle when i saw a cargo carrier coming towards us on other side of the road, as it was about to pass us a load fell off, causing it to hit the bus and us to go flying, I witnessed the whole thing after hearing sich hard news the day b4, the driver pulled over and was in such shock, the airport manager came and was very rude, saying we need to stay there etc honestly i was so upset as i just wanted to get home and see my family, after fighting with him abit the whole bus full of passengers was getting angry at this point as we were going to miss our flights, he then asked if anyone was hurt and i put my gand up as I suffer from, pain in my neck as a result of a broken arm i had a few uears back, im a chef by the way so that my earnings i will lose, he thrn repeatedly was very ride amd said because i have been hurt i will cost all these people to miss there flights, i then stated that i had been hurt and i was upset as i had just witnessed an accident after hearing about my brother in law of 22years the day b4, I finally got my details taken and his name etc and i got in touch with a lawyer and waiting to hear back as its really still hunts me to this day, i csnt sleep and im struggling at work. Hope you grt what you deserve in compensation