Not flown in a while... Security checks

Efour

Efour

Efour

Caporegime
Joined
8 Sep 2005
Posts
30,560
Location
Norrbotten, Sweden.
Not flown for 5 or so years but back then the Security was still incredibly anal.

Shoes off and scanned.. Belt off cos of the buckle... Countless Zippo's Stolen from me in the name of anti-terrorism :p (at least i dont smoke anymore)

How are they these days ? Especially Gatwick. I have a 6:30 am flight.. Should i allow 2h to get through even at that time ?

cheers


x
 
Same time through Gatwick last month was just pockets emptied and belt off for me.

That time should be one of the first flights out, if you've got hold baggage maybe leave a little more time but if you already have boarding passes I'd get there earliest of 5.
 
Whenever i have flown, going through security has been totally hassle free and taken a few minutes.
 
I just flew to Dubai from heathrow, pretty much the same, still require you to essentially get naked before you go through the scanners, all laptops and ipads out of bags, (including neoprene cases). Then they have the dodgy xray camera things that let them look at your breakfast if they aren't satisfied with how naked you were going through the metal detector. However I would rather them have tight security than none at all.

I'm not sure about gatwick but heathrow was quick getting us though, but better to be an hour early than miss your flight.
 
I got told off for not taking my belt off the other week....though it didn't set the scanner off so I didn't see the issue really.

On the way back I had to go through one of those full body scanners, stood there with hands above your head.
 
Never had any problems, only problems have been of my own doing, such as forgetting to take liquids out of the hand luggage, not taking my belt off, etc.
 
Gatwick is decent enough, they have a huge security area its like a factory, pretty quick.
 
Depending on where you're flying to you might find that security still requires you to take shoes off etc, America still does or at least it did when I was there about a year ago but that's only really something to worry about on the way back.

Gatwick wasn't too bad, you might get unlucky and hit it at a busy period but at the time in the morning you're flying I'd doubt it will be wall to wall queues.
 
[FnG]magnolia;24035597 said:
Sometimes I go to the airport just to check their security is working properly.
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Sometimes I go to the airport when I've run out of toilet paper.
 
Efour said:
Shoes off and scanned.. Belt off cos of the buckle... Countless Zippo's Stolen from me in the name of anti-terrorism :p (at least i dont smoke anymore)
Click to expand...

You mean they didn't want you carrying something that can produce a naked flame into a pressurised tube filled with flammable materials and fuel? Health and safety gone mad that is :P
 
Jono8 said:
Whenever i have flown, going through security has been totally hassle free and taken a few minutes.
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Same. I'm through and pockets filled up again in under a minute. It used to be fun watching morons getting a shakedown and holding up a line but now it's just annoying. Either these people haven't flown since 9/11 or they're just plain stupid. Either way, I'm make sure I'm in front of the line and away from the carnage that always ensue.
 
I recently flew on a very reputable airline in southeast asia with 4 razorblades in my carry-on luggage.
 
It's still the same. I fly out of T5 every week and its still all metal items off, laptops out of bags and liquids in little bags. Taking shoes off or not seems to be selected arbitrarily, but I'm sure there is a logic behind the selection. Occasionally I have a swab scanned for explosives.

I wish the x-ray basket system was standardised at airports, that would save time.
 
Jono8 said:
Whenever i have flown, going through security has been totally hassle free and taken a few minutes.
Click to expand...

This, I fly a lot, with my backpack as hand luggage. Keep fluids in a bag, and below the amount (200ml?), prepare to empty pockets and take belt off.

I find it very quick and easy, just queue, get scanned, move on. If you have nothing to hide, should be pain free.
 
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