Yet more rules at Gatwick...

Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse the jobsworth nazis have brought in yet another new rule...

Handbaggage only on Gatwick's Escalators...

See this link for some interesting observations...

Still dont believe its all about control...?

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On my last visit to Gatwick I felt intimidated by the security and the non stop announcements saying it would destroy any baggage left unattended. I realise that suspect baggage should be treated with utmost caution but the continuous announcements are pure overkill. British airports have become non friendly places where jobsworths thrive and take delight in making the travel experience as threatening as possible.

quality one from gatwick;

a couple of weeks ago we were off skiing from gatwick we took of shoes etc when going through scanners etc however my son had bought a new rucksack from tjmax (no swords on it!) when tested it showed 3 types of chemical used in explosives!

nice chap on security told iusit was quite common with certain bags from primart? which are sprayed with a coating, anyway special branch called as well as airport manager.......result 45 mins later plane waiting for just us (yes they did call through to hold it for us) it was of course at the furthest possible place however i suppose it is better to be safe than sorry as the week prior i returned from an annual boys goldf trip to tenerife when 2 of the lads came home with each others passports and showed them at tenerife airport and were not stopped!

one was ginger the other bald!

Another thing at security at Gatwick recently - we were all queueing up to have our shoes checked, but as there was such a tail back they told a lot of us to go through without having our shoes checked.  Seems a bit pointless only checking some and not others.

they don't actually check all of them anyway I went through in march and asked at the xray machine about mine and they said no they are ok

Thus proving yet again, its not about Security, its all about control; about applying as much of a bu**eration factor as they possibly can.

Holding up flights means lost slot times leading to more bu**eration when the flight reaches it's destination late when the flight crew have to face more irate passengers...

Just where does it stop?

Total Fascism on a worldwide scale? God knows the UK is fast going down that route; and its no good thinking that Cameron's going to change anything when he wins the next election (which he most assuredly will,) not with his circle of friends in high places...

Thats akin to thinking Obama's going to undo all of the evil that the Bush regime set in place...

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss...

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How's this for security my wife & I flew from Leeds & Bradford Airport to Murcia on Boxing Day. We went through usual routine checked in luggage showed passports received boarding cards, from there on to departures, showed boarding cards passports on entry to security, told to remove laptops from hand luggage, take of belts jackets & trainers. Collected belongings went for few drinks whilst waiting for gate to open. When gate opens shows passports boarding cards goes board to board plane at the top of the stairs their was another couple who the stewardess had requested they could bring on their full size suitcase on as handluggage (this being full monty size on board, she then requested to their boarding cards which they did not have. They where then told that they must go back to check-in (collect boarding cards, pay for hold luggage etc.

Question

1) How is possible to go through so many check-points with no boarding cards and with luggage, without being challenged.

2) How did luggage that size go through x- machine.

3) Why am I paying security tax?

Needless to they did make it back in time for flight. 

I had a similar expereince last year flying to Murcia from Leeds Bradford..........

Boarded plane and was sat in my seat waiting for everybody else to load up and sit down most people were seated when nice lady stewardess came on the tannoy as they do 'Welcome to this Jet2 flight to Murcia......' a couple in the seat in front of me jumped up like two jack in the boxes.......hey the bloke shouted 'We're going to Prague' !!!!!!!!!!

With that they rushed off the plane how they got as far as sitting on a seat in the plane I will never know !!!!!

Security an absolute farce !!!!!!!!

Last time I flew to Alicante about a month ago got off the plane and walked straight into Spain NOBODY AT ALL checking passports..........when I got back to Leeds about a week later about 800 people in a huge queue waiting for.....................................??? yes people you have guessed right to have their passports checked WHAT A Farce

They don't do passport checks at Alicante because all the passengers details will have been provided to the Spanish authorities before takeoff.  Advance Passenger Information, I think they call it.  Most airlines send the info when you either book in at the airport or online as you have to give your passport details then.  Ryanair make you provide it either when you book your flight or prior to arriving at the airport.

The UK doesn't request this information therefore you have to queue at the "UK Border" when you get back.  I believe several countries have already signed up to this API and all EU countries will demand this information by (don't quote me) 2012.  

Mind you, our glorious leaders have decided that you will, in future, have to register all your travel details, including credit cards you are going to use plus an itinerary of your travel plans, BEFORE you leave the country.  IMO they should be demanding the information from the airlines for those entering the country, not leaving it.  I believe these plans are already in place and air, train and ferry passengers will have to provide this information before the end of 2010.  Yachtsmen and cross channel swimmers will have until 2014.

With this governments record on protecting data, how long before the man in the stripey vest and carrying a bag labelled Swag will be able to access both your credit card details and the time your house will be empty?  A quick, last minute dash over to France on the ferry will be out of the question as you will need to provide this information at least 48 hours before travel.

1984?  Big Brother? Orwell (whose real name was Blair) just got the year wrong.

But they do check passports on arrival at Murcia and API has been provided (if you fly Ryanair, just starting with Jet2).So why the difference between Murcia and Alicante?

Mark

Maybe the carrier pigeon taking the information to Murcia hits a headwind the one going to Alicante doesn't.  Good old Percy Pigeon gets to Murcia after the plane has landed but Pedro Pigeon gets to Alicante just before it.  Ergo, no passport check at ALC but required at MUR.  (It's Spain, for goodness sake, who the heck knows what goes on).

HTH

Passports are checked on arrival at Barcelona and Reus. All countries I travel to in Europe have passport controls for travellers from UK because the UK didn't sign the Shengen Agreement.

Regards, Poppyseed

The pigeons flying into Murcia are carrier pigeons.

Strapped to their skinny little legs is the signed copy of the Shengen Agreement.

They have to circle over the sea and turn inland to hit the runway for landing.

The backdraft of the neonautical sub waves, creates a subvental system.

This results in underflow to the primordial oil feathers and results in a contraflow.

Thus causing a primordial contraflow.

In other words, they can never land, as they are caught in a neonautical primeordial contraflow.

These poor little birds have been trying to deliver the agreemant to Murcia Airport for ages now...........

Not exactly Gatwick.....and not even Ryanair.....but Luton airport (were you wafted there from Paradise?).....

Not only do they charge £1 (non-refundable like some airports) to use a luggage trolley, they are now going to introduce a £1 "drop-off" charge for people dropping people off at the departures area.  To get around this, passengers will have to be dropped off at the short stay carpark and then get a bus to the departures.  They also charge £1 for the little plastic bags you have to put liquids in to go through security.  Oh, and if you don't fancy queuing up at security, you  can pay £3 to "fast track" your way around it.  The £1 drop off fee will also apply to taxis.

However, loved this quote from an EasyJet spokesman

"Whatever next? We have seen charges for trolleys, fast track security and even the plastic bags. Now they want one pound for dropping somebody off.

"The danger is that people will choose other airports instead, rather than be forced to pay these escalating charges."

Pots and ketttles, methinks.

Anyone remember when the flight was an exciting part of the holiday that you all used to look forward to?  No, me neither.

Although living 12 miles from heathrow and 24 from Luton airport we favour Luton as it is a far shorter drive timewise, it is still very easy to drop someone off without entering the "drop off" area and not bad to collect them as well.

So it now appears for any "cheap" flights we can

a) double the cost for taxes etc

then  add around a further 40% for

b) plastic bags, toilets, use of airport air?

Bristol charge £1 (or  1€ ) coin to release a trolley  but there's usually loads left lying about  as passengers who use them will not return them to the lock up points as the coin is non refundable. Bristol obviously then have to send staff to locate the trolleys & return them to their bases. Daft idea, wasn't it ? .

Liverpool airport now have stand alone scales so you can check your baggage weight (maybe even your own in the future!). I had arrived back but saw them and thought I'd give my hand baggage a go and see if I'd got away with it as well as me being overweight, yep they wanted £1 to use the scales. I had flown from Sweden where they had similar scales to use free of charge. They become ever more inventive with ways to rip you off.

Regards, Poppyseed.

At Murcia airport there are always passengers with suitcases & hand luggage they quite obviously are worried may be over the limit for their carrier & as all the scales at check in are usually working, we see many ( whilst we're waiting in our queue for check in to begin) lug their cases onto the scales. Ooops, too HEAVYYYY...

Then they often have a right old conflab with family & all open their cases & start splitting contents then there's the reweighing & more concerned faces as they find, for Ryanair for example, the case still weighs 18kg !!  So... more removing & putting it in hand baggage IF they have the chance. More reweighing & then the huge sigh towards us, who have been watching all these antics for 20 minutes, when they see the scales show 14.9kg.  

Watched a woman at Murcia airport last night flying to Bournemouth. Her hand luggage was too big to start with and wouldn't fit in the Ryanair doo flop they use for measuring them. She had however gone through check in and was boarding when stopped at the gate. She tried to take her handbag out and fill it, to be told half way through only one hand luggage. Then she started dressing herself in all the clothes for her case. Then she turned on the water works because even empty the case wouldn't fit. Then she had a paddy, then she paid for hold luggage. All this took almost 30 minutes and she was the last passenger before this facade happened. I don't feel sorry for her at all, but why was she allowed past check in with something obviously so large?

The doo flops clearly state that if your hand luggage doesn't fit, you pay for the hold or you leave it behing. This flight was delayed for one stupid person . Luckily it wasn't our flight which left 1/2 hour early!!

Mark

If you check in on line and print a boarding card you do not have to go to the check in desk but go straight through to security, that is probably why there are so many people arriving at the gate with baggage obviously too big or too heavy. They used to get away with it but  maybe that is changing and rightly so.

As for people resorting their bags at the gate, once at Reus the most obnoxious family were told their bags were overweight and they were very abusive to the check in girl who remained very calm throughout this torrent of abuse. (and they had young children with them) She told them to move to one side so she could carry on checking in other passengers. After this hoo-ha, they repacked and tried to go back to the front of the queue, she wouldn't let them and told them to go to the back, more foul language and abuse followed and a supervisor was called, who politely but firmly told these passengers from hell to go to the back of the queue much to rest of the queue's delight.

Regards, Poppyseed