The situation at LHR - Sunday 13 Aug

Hi all...

Thought I'd give you a brief update on the situation at LHR T3 today from the point of view of an Office Based Staffer who'd volunteered to work on his weekend.

I worked from lunch time to 11pm, and on arrival was assigned to Floor Walking in Check-in/Land side... while other volunteers from The Office/ Engineering/ Cabin Crew and all areas of VS were posted throughout the terminal.

From my point of view in departures the situation was MUCH worse than I imagined.

Problem 1. General advice is to turn up very early... but this means WAY more people than usual are arriving so the terminal is too crowed. BAA are blocking all doors and only letting people in with departure times of the next 2 hours. Obviously those who arrive 6/7/8/9 hours early, as they are advised to by the media, are not too happy.

For those arriving early there are horrendous Qs outside although there is a marquee with free tea coffee and water.

My main job at this time was finding out which flights we needed called and going along the Qs getting people past the BAA blockade.

We try to manage things so that we don't overcrowd the terminal. One minute we're calling DEL, the next minute the Qs too long so we stop, but people that hear DEL passengers already went in start to get anxious and try to get through.

We're trying to do this while AA, CX, SQ, Jet, Eva, ... all other airlines are also having the same problem.

For the most part though it felt like we were making a difference and we're able to select passengers in need to be taken through or give upper passengers at least some priority.

Flights that have a posted delay don't get called. We're as honnest as we can be, but information is very scarse... we know which flights are delayed but we don't know till when... all we can do is keep holding those passengers back as we need to get the flights that do have a departure time checked in first.

As we get into late evening the knock on effects of whats happening now leads to some cancellations. From what I can tell, aircraft already loaded are delayed due to TSA (American Homeland Security) and various crews go out of hours. Some crews are switched and inveitably flights get cancelled... on this ocassion DXB and BOM.

Standing outside T3 and having to tell many BOM and DXB passengers that despite asking them to wait in the cold outside for many hours we were now cancelling their flight was not the easiest job i' ve ever done. But almost everyone reacted with calm resignation... no one shouted... we tried to answer their questions, but there really was very little information to hand.

Someone tells me the riot police have been called to T4... doubt its true, but this rumour for some reason makes me smile. Our police are entirely pleasant and helpfull!

Finally very late on the BOS flight gets cancelled. Passengers who had spent hours checking in early this morning, an entire day waiting in departures were then sent back to check-in to get sent home, or for the few how we could, sent to hotels.

Its been a hell of a day.
I've worked delayed flights before in my airline career, but never a major situation like this.
For one delayed flight you can get and release information pretty quickly, but everyone was working to such limits no one really had time to be able to find anything other than the most urgent information/instructions.

For the vast majority of the passengers I dealt with I was AMAZED at their calm, pleasant and caring behaviour. It really did have the feel of 'Dunkirk Spirit' to it. Many passengers thanked the staff and I even got a hug.

Watching the BOS passengers return to check-in was pretty heart breaking though. Understandably some of these passengers did want to shout... no matter what excuses you could give regarding the current security situation these really aren't going to wash for people delayed approx 12 hours before cancellation.

At the end of the day I felt the Office based volunteers really did make a difference. Though some of us did at times feel fairly useless.

I'll be back volunteering tomorrow.

If any of you are travelling several bits of personal advice:

1. Take some water and something like a chocolate bar to help you if you have a long wait.
2. REALLY think about your luggage. Keep it to a minimum. and make sure everything is in it, not in your handbaggage!
3. Ask staff where you should wait. So many passengers stood infront of the doors trying to get in, when we told them they wouldn't get in for several hours. If they've moved back from the doors they'd have been much more comfortable.
4. Take a big does of good humour and a few deep breaths before travelling.

Safe travelling folks!









Edit to title by mod, date added......Nick

Thanks for the detailed insight Ben[y]. Sounds like most passengers are handling the situation well, lets hope we see some steady improvements over the coming days.

I guess VS was one of the lucky ones at T3 because of it's large Check in section? In my mind it would be easier for passengers to crowd around a larger area for a single airline.

Thanks for the first hand update V-ben. Would you advise pax to be early or just to arrive 2-3 hours before. I understand this is difficult, and that certainly you could not be held responsible for your advice, but your opinion would be useful.

On a separate, but related, point I see Willy Walsh seems to be mouthing off that this is all BAA's fault[:?]. Story here, and here

Thaks for volunteering Ben- any idea if T4 was as chaotic as it sounded in T3(as only dealing with about six airlines rather than dozens that T3 does)Hope today is less frantic for you and anyone hoping to travel today.

Thanks for the update V-ben. [y] [y]

[Decker]

The insight is really appreciated Ben. Good luck today.

Hi,

Thanks for the report Ben.

good luck to you and all VS staff today.

Regards

Gregory

[mitchja]

Thanks for the update Ben [y]

As others have already mentioned, good luck to you and all the VS staff today.

Regards

[preiffer]

Indeed - good luck. I don't envy the job at LHR right now, that's for sure...

Thanks for that Ben - we don't often get to hear that other side of things, and how staff struggle to manage.

One thing that occurred to me this morning. I was watching the news and all the latest about how percantages of flights are being cancelled. There were comments made about how this can't continue and that airports will go into meltdown (paraphrasing slightly). My thought was that the terrorists may have been thwarted, to a lesser or greater degree - but in one respect, as least, they've achieved their aim - to cause chaos.

From what i've heard T4 was worse.
The problems are worse for airlines with more flights at LHR.
Those with one or two are generally getting away.

I actually think we're (and BA) doing the right thing by cancelling some flights today to give some slack in the system.

Anyway, back to the front line! LOL

[Bazz]

Hope today is a better day for you and your co-workers Ben and of course all the pax.

I think WW has a point, I had assumed there was a logistically tested (at least computer modelled) plan for the "Critical" level but it seems like lessons are to be learned the hard way.

I see BAA are now saying that they cannot sustain the current alert level and we should expect some 30% of flights to be cancelled on an ongoing basis! Not good news.

Was at T3 earlier today - arrivals was OK but outside departures was completely chaotic - cars and people everywhere as well as very long queues.[:?]

VS.

Originally posted by sailor99
On a separate, but related, point I see Willy Walsh seems to be mouthing off that this is all BAA's fault[:?]. Story here, and here

If you ask me, that's just the beginning of the industry and big business backlash to pressurise the Government into sorting out a workable security policy.

You're effectively going to have twice as many checked items per passenger, as most people travel with some sort of hand luggage, and the story is that the baggage handling and screening systems simply cannot cope with the extra load - hence the request by BAA to cancel or divert some flights.

At least the Home Secretary has confirmed that the current situation is "time limited", and the limits are being reviewed right now.

Fingers crossed for some sensible exclusions and a return to otherwise acceptable carry-on baggage.

Thanks for the story from your side Ben. It seems the problem is some differing information - such as the useless media saying "arrive early", which overcrowds the terminal.

Cheers,
Mike

Nice one Ben. Sounds like it's all hands to the deck.

T1 is a nightmare, if it's any consolation.

Don't forget to say hi if you see me in T3. I'll be the one detained by police even though I'm wearing my airside pass & high-visibility jacket!

[Neil]

Thanks for the info Ben[y][y] Really good to get an inside view of what happening, can't be easy for you guys but keep up the good work[^]

Just to add my thanks Ben for the insiders view and also a little bit of information on how VS is coping.

Most of the media interest seems to be on how BA is coping and is based at T4 so good to hear about T3 even if the news is not great. Best wishes to you and all your collegues who I Know are doing the absolute best to help everyone out.

Phil FM

Originally posted by sailor99
Thanks for the first hand update V-ben. Would you advise pax to be early or just to arrive 2-3 hours before. I understand this is difficult, and that certainly you could not be held responsible for your advice, but your opinion would be useful.

On a separate, but related, point I see Willy Walsh seems to be mouthing off that this is all BAA's fault[:?]. Story here, and here

In my opinion and experience, Walsh is 100% correct. The hold ups I found were BAA's problem. Insufficent attention and funding have been made available to security resources over a number of years, as I mentioned in another thread where, for example, only five out of the nine security stations were open at LGW North on Friday. There may also be baggage handling issues, but that did not delay either mine or my other half's flights. Even on a 'good' day, at the BAA airports I frequently use there are always delays at LHR, LGW and EDI security and they _never_ have all the security stations open. Only GLA seems to be relatively immune.

I must make it clear that both BAA and airline staff dealt with the situation in an exemplary fashion. The fault is at the BAA executive level, you know, the people you'll never see on the concourse wearing a yellow jacket.

It is clear that by having to ask airlines to cancel flights because they can't cope, BAA has unequivocably failed. It was perfectly clear to me that the other pieces of the industry jigsaw could deal with the situation.

Looks like all the BA flights from GVA to LHR today are cancelled so I'm expecting another fun time over the next few hours

Cheers, Howard

I cannot understand why, three days after the "critical" level was set and the new arrangements came into place that flights should need to be cancelled at all.

We all accept the new security arrangements and understand that the process of going through security check points and boarding aircraft to the US will take longer.

So bearing this in mind surely is we arrive early enough here is time for these extra checks to take place and then boarding the aircraft can still be done in order to meet the take off time.

Im sure that this will require more staff and perhaps the terminals do not have enough physical space to facilitate more passengers being there at the same time - I have good money that these will be the excuses from BAA as it seems at the moment that all the airlines are quite willing to fly to schedule!!

There do not seem to be flights being cancelled in such large numbers at other UK airports if at all!!

[buns]

Ben

Thank you for providing an honest and balanced insider view of what is going on down at LHR[y][y]

I can fully apreciate the frustrations of airline staff like yourself who have given up thier own time to help out with the situation and support their respective companies to than see that BAA appear not to have equally risen to the challenge[V][V].

Thanks for what you and your colleagues are doing to hlep out[^][^][^]

buns

Originally posted by buns4vs
Ben

Thank you for providing an honest and balanced insider view of what is going on down at LHR[y][y]

I can fully apreciate the frustrations of airline staff like yourself who have given up thier own time to help out with the situation and support their respective companies to than see that BAA appear not to have equally risen to the challenge[V][V].

Thanks for what you and your colleagues are doing to hlep out[^][^][^]

buns

In support and understanding I agree with all of the above. Interestingly, in times of lower alert status many TRs have commented on the wait times at security and how several scanning machines and security channel were closed ... BAA has a case to answer.

I said last night at a dinner party that I thought we should ask the Army to come in and help and our contingency planning perhaps should include this.

BAA are not coping .....simple as that. Not the airlines fault. I'm with MOL and WW.
Simply not good enough.

Iain

Originally posted by slinky09
I said last night at a dinner party that I thought we should ask the Army to come in and help and our contingency planning perhaps should include this.

You'll be lucky to come up with any 'Army' to come in slinky. I think you'll find that all of the UK Armed Forces are pretty stretched at the moment in Iraq, Arghanistan. Kosovo, the Falkland Islands etc etc. We just do not have the spare capacity any more.

[preiffer]

I've just passed not only the tents and armed guards with megaphones, but also a line of people outside of T3 with the "marathon bacofoil" blankets on.

Seems the thunderstorms (and people turning up in holiday clothing) is giving them something else to worry about now, too. [ii]