Queue chaos at Airports
Discussion
DeejRC said:
Because if you haven’t realised already - modern flying is miserable. Why make it more miserable by cheapening down?
If you chase the downward cost spiral, don’t bloody complain when the end effect is cheap miserableness. We are on a thread that has pretty much discussed the entire end game from this.
British Airways just cancelled our flights to Malta. Should have gone RyanAir.If you chase the downward cost spiral, don’t bloody complain when the end effect is cheap miserableness. We are on a thread that has pretty much discussed the entire end game from this.
craigjm said:
Yes but as I said it’s a tiny minority and you don’t do it on every flight. I will use it long haul if I’m not paying. I am currently on the way to Amsterdam and in that context you would be stupid to pay the upgrade to business.
The vast majority of people flying anywhere on holiday do it economy you can’t argue that point. Due to that there is no real difference between charter, low cost, of flag carriers for the vast majority of passengers
+1The vast majority of people flying anywhere on holiday do it economy you can’t argue that point. Due to that there is no real difference between charter, low cost, of flag carriers for the vast majority of passengers
Short and medium haul flights, we do fast track security, speedy boarding, up front seating, and we'll do the airport lounge. When i was travelling weekly i'd a Priority Pass lounge pass which was an absolute bargain for me, and when going on hols i got the Mrs in at a discount.
But i certainly dont see any point in booking a "premium" airline for a 2 or 3 hour hop.
Ryanair out of Dublin for our next trip. Statistically the best chance of flying and an 06:00 flight. Fingers crossed...
I went through Gatwick - north terminal - on Friday - it was as good / quick as I've ever seen it - and I used to fly every week.
I arrived about 7:30am and there were 2 people in front of me at the e-gates, so a couple of minutes & through those.
On the return I arrived about 4pm (for a 7pm flight) and went through regular (not fast track) security and was straight through, other than weaving through lines, I was straight to the trays & through security. I've never done the regular queue before and was apprehensive, but pleasantly surprised.
Never in my life have I arrived 3 hours before a flight - so typically the only things that were busy were everything after security - the lounge was full so I was refused access and every single food outlet had a big queue. As I had a few hours to spare, not a huge problem, but I could have done my usual and arrived 45 mins before take off (hand luggage only).
I arrived about 7:30am and there were 2 people in front of me at the e-gates, so a couple of minutes & through those.
On the return I arrived about 4pm (for a 7pm flight) and went through regular (not fast track) security and was straight through, other than weaving through lines, I was straight to the trays & through security. I've never done the regular queue before and was apprehensive, but pleasantly surprised.
Never in my life have I arrived 3 hours before a flight - so typically the only things that were busy were everything after security - the lounge was full so I was refused access and every single food outlet had a big queue. As I had a few hours to spare, not a huge problem, but I could have done my usual and arrived 45 mins before take off (hand luggage only).
But nobody(ok, some are, but not anybody doing it regularly or properly) is flying TUI for business.
AND, yes, if you are flying biz regularly, you *do* upgrade or book biz even on European short haul of 2hrs or so...because it just makes the experience "nicer". And when so much of your life is spent on the damn tin can or in the airport, that becomes a massively important part of your life.
As I stated in my first post on this...I am hugely glad it is no longer a large part of my life. European short haul sucks, biz class merely makes it suck a bit less.
Obviously Im not Rob and the others who get the glamour of long haul biz travel poncing about flying east on the posh Arab airlines :P
AND, yes, if you are flying biz regularly, you *do* upgrade or book biz even on European short haul of 2hrs or so...because it just makes the experience "nicer". And when so much of your life is spent on the damn tin can or in the airport, that becomes a massively important part of your life.
As I stated in my first post on this...I am hugely glad it is no longer a large part of my life. European short haul sucks, biz class merely makes it suck a bit less.
Obviously Im not Rob and the others who get the glamour of long haul biz travel poncing about flying east on the posh Arab airlines :P
DeejRC said:
But nobody(ok, some are, but not anybody doing it regularly or properly) is flying TUI for business.
AND, yes, if you are flying biz regularly, you *do* upgrade or book biz even on European short haul of 2hrs or so...because it just makes the experience "nicer". And when so much of your life is spent on the damn tin can or in the airport, that becomes a massively important part of your life.
As I stated in my first post on this...I am hugely glad it is no longer a large part of my life. European short haul sucks, biz class merely makes it suck a bit less.
Obviously Im not Rob and the others who get the glamour of long haul biz travel poncing about flying east on the posh Arab airlines :P
Agree, TUI is a charter/holiday airline.AND, yes, if you are flying biz regularly, you *do* upgrade or book biz even on European short haul of 2hrs or so...because it just makes the experience "nicer". And when so much of your life is spent on the damn tin can or in the airport, that becomes a massively important part of your life.
As I stated in my first post on this...I am hugely glad it is no longer a large part of my life. European short haul sucks, biz class merely makes it suck a bit less.
Obviously Im not Rob and the others who get the glamour of long haul biz travel poncing about flying east on the posh Arab airlines :P
My preferred airline was EasyJet - so no business class, but EasyJet Plus and Flight Club are both excellent. I also had Priority Pass for the lounges. If you do it regularly, then just knowing where you are going is as valuable as anything.
Long haul is worthwhile having a decent cabin.
Carbon Sasquatch said:
Agree, TUI is a charter/holiday airline.
My preferred airline was EasyJet - so no business class, but EasyJet Plus and Flight Club are both excellent. I also had Priority Pass for the lounges. If you do it regularly, then just knowing where you are going is as valuable as anything.
Long haul is worthwhile having a decent cabin.
+1 for Easyjet. But are we supposed to talk about Flight Club? My preferred airline was EasyJet - so no business class, but EasyJet Plus and Flight Club are both excellent. I also had Priority Pass for the lounges. If you do it regularly, then just knowing where you are going is as valuable as anything.
Long haul is worthwhile having a decent cabin.
Always had both of those and the Priority Pass. Made the journies much more palatable.
Seems like such an alien concept now to be flying every week. The Covid lockdowns and WFH has changed all that for me.
Piginapoke said:
DeejRC said:
Because if you haven’t realised already - modern flying is miserable. Why make it more miserable by cheapening down?
If you chase the downward cost spiral, don’t bloody complain when the end effect is cheap miserableness. We are on a thread that has pretty much discussed the entire end game from this.
British Airways just cancelled our flights to Malta. Should have gone RyanAir.If you chase the downward cost spiral, don’t bloody complain when the end effect is cheap miserableness. We are on a thread that has pretty much discussed the entire end game from this.
0a said:
Indeed. I will always avoid BA unless it's a Heathrow flight. I'm fine with Ryanair. Cheap and for me the biggest 'luxury' is the flight actually running, and the second is running on time. Ryanair are excellent in this regard in relation to others.
That’s all that really matters to me too. Everything else is just fluff Deep Thought said:
+1 for Easyjet. But are we supposed to talk about Flight Club?
Always had both of those and the Priority Pass. Made the journies much more palatable.
Seems like such an alien concept now to be flying every week. The Covid lockdowns and WFH has changed all that for me.
Me too - my flight on fFriday was to return my laptop (and have a leaving lunch) - I've decided that I'm just not up for travelling anymore. I'm going to give early retirement a go Always had both of those and the Priority Pass. Made the journies much more palatable.
Seems like such an alien concept now to be flying every week. The Covid lockdowns and WFH has changed all that for me.
First flight in over 2 years and I won't miss it at all.
Carbon Sasquatch said:
I've decided that I'm just not up for travelling anymore. I'm going to give early retirement a go
First flight in over 2 years and I won't miss it at all.
Not even for holidays? First flight in over 2 years and I won't miss it at all.
I’m in St Lucia at the moment (not everyone’s cup of tea I know) and yes you could come here by boat but it would takes ages.
I absolutely love travelling and have done so whenever possible during the pandemic.
Sure there’s some disruption at the moment in some airports but I’d hate to live in a world where we couldn’t travel abroad.
Huge delays at passport control at Heathrow T2 arrivais today. Only one border force agent checking passports for Uk + Eu arrivals who couldn't use the electronic gates e.g. families with kids. 30+ posts and only 3 manned (one doing "other" passports and one doing e-gates). How does this happen?
I asked the Heathrow "service" rep for help and she just shrugged and said she wasn't allowed to talk to the border force staff.
I asked the Heathrow "service" rep for help and she just shrugged and said she wasn't allowed to talk to the border force staff.
3 and a half hour delay on a 2 and a half hour flight. Pretty much no updates from tui staff and no 
there looked like they had a fking clue what they were up to. Wall to wall blank expressions and people in hi viz standing about looking at unloaded bags looking gormless. The baggage handlers and immigration staff in ibiza were a well oiled machine and the hotel is brilliant so not a total loss but a dissapointing start someone needs their balls booted, there is no excuse, there should be no unemployment benefits while there are unfilled jobs.
there looked like they had a fking clue what they were up to. Wall to wall blank expressions and people in hi viz standing about looking at unloaded bags looking gormless. The baggage handlers and immigration staff in ibiza were a well oiled machine and the hotel is brilliant so not a total loss but a dissapointing start someone needs their balls booted, there is no excuse, there should be no unemployment benefits while there are unfilled jobs. OldGermanHeaps said:
3 and a half hour delay on a 2 and a half hour flight. Pretty much no updates from tui staff and no there looked like they had a fking clue what they were up to. Wall to wall blank expressions and people in hi viz standing about looking at unloaded bags looking gormless. The baggage handlers and immigration staff in ibiza were a well oiled machine and the hotel is brilliant so not a total loss but a dissapointing start someone needs their balls booted, there is no excuse, there should be no unemployment benefits while there are unfilled jobs.
If it’s any consolation, for a 3+hour delay think of the compo. there looked like they had a fking clue what they were up to. Wall to wall blank expressions and people in hi viz standing about looking at unloaded bags looking gormless. The baggage handlers and immigration staff in ibiza were a well oiled machine and the hotel is brilliant so not a total loss but a dissapointing start someone needs their balls booted, there is no excuse, there should be no unemployment benefits while there are unfilled jobs. Matt p said:
Going to brave Standsted tomorrow. Received an email from Ryanair to be at the airport three hours prior to the flight as security checks are taking some time. Feel for the poor buggers working the security desks.
Orrrrrr could just be a ploy to buy fast track security
Ryanair don’t care if you buy fast track security or not Orrrrrr could just be a ploy to buy fast track security
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