Article: How to Improve Airport Security Queues

[Quickstatus]

Reduce the amount of carry on luggage

 

[BudgetFly]

Yes to clear signs!! When I approach security anywhere I look for signs and watch what others in front of me are doing.
If there are no signs or people to copy I have to guess. Laptops usually out, ipads & other tablets often stay in, belts off,
shoes on, quickly finish hip flask, keep passports or boarding passes etc. etc. Without signs you'll always get something
wrong. Maybe I should start an airport security company called Signs & Smiles...

 

[drron]

I love the body scanners. With the old detectors I would always set the thing off. not good in smaller airports where that would mean i held the whole line up. So for me much quicker with the body scanners. I have had a fair bit of experience with them and one thing i have noticed that a high percentage of hot spots are where I have been sweating.
On one occasion I dis say to the operator yes always shows up my sweaty spots and he agreed with my supposition.

 

[Jester38]

How to Improve Airport Security Queues is an article written by AFF editorial staff:

How to Improve Airport Security Queues

Earlier this year, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce infamously blamed inexperienced and "not match fit" customers for lengthy delays at airport security checkpoints.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

You can leave a comment or discuss this topic below.

Yes. Absolutely yes. The bane of any regular traveller - expected to be a mind reader at every different airport re their requirements. Love the idea of standardized signage that can be amended for any airport - at least you know before getting a spray from the handlers for doing the wrong thing. But doubt it will ever happen…..sadly.

 

[p--and--t]

Matt, a brilliant idea, and well worth Alan Joyce looking into providing these everywhere in all airports in Australia. People react quicker to pictures these days, and this is desperately needed.

Not sure Alan Joyce would have any say in the matter whatsoever. Doesn't operate airports, doesn't set the screening rules, doesn't control AFP, etc etc

 

[eastwest101]

A really good idea worth pursuing with the relevant airport authorities and their security contractors. One set of signs and rules for all of Australia seems achievable (at least domestically) to me given airport security is a federal matter and would have the added benefit of stopping different contractors at different terminals from going off on their own frolics/doing their own peculiar non-standard thing. The more graphical and less text the better.

Should have been another thing that was standardized/improved while the industry was almost shut down in 2020 and 2021.

At my home port (TSV) they have recently gone from traditional metal detectors to whole body scanners, I haven't seen any improvement in efficiency from what was there previously.

 

[clara w]

I agree with the signs idea, I have a vague recollection of seeing overseas somewhere, made life much easier. But also, more table room before the scan, so you don't have to queue waiting for people to get laptops out, belts off, put stuff
in trays etc. And the same again on the other side, with more chairs so people can put their shoes on again. My husband has had a knee replacement and is not too flexible, so being scanned and then having to juggle belts and watch and shoes while re-dressing( and trying to keep an eye on the camera case at the same time) is a real pain.

 

[Gary T]

I recently travelled from FCO/JFK via LHR. Went thru security at FCO where there was a sign telling you what need to be taken out of your carry on. 3hrs later in LHR I had to go thru UK securit, apparently they don’t trust any other airport security. I had a small bottle of hand sanitizer in bag the Security woman started to rim me out in a very loud voice. I had to remind her that I was a 74yr old and didn’t need to be spoken to like a naughty two yr old.

JFK was very good with signs telling what needed to be done, It ain’t HARD would help the flow and help the security staff.

GET ON IT FOLKS

 

[JessicaTam]

Agree Matt… better signs are needed. I’m not liking the new ‘auto’ scanners much… your bag gets shunted off to the side and it’s hard to know why it’s breached the rules

You have to wait ages for an officer to get to your bag, and recently in Amsterdam I asked ‘what are you looking for?’, she replied ‘I don’t have to tell you that’. I said ‘I’d be interested to know so I don’t leave that in my bag for next time’, she repeated ‘we don’t have to answer that’.

The search revealed nothing and I was good to go

I think it was at LHR a few weeks ago that my bag triggered something. The security person was very willing to show me the screen for what he was looking for. He was quite good natured* as he did the search. Turns out it was a false positive and I was on my way.

*Maybe he is new.

 

[Mark1966]

Yeah, the full body scanners have definitely slowed things down. I go off every time in random places for false positives.

I did a test keeping my watch on after taking it off. Made no difference to the hot spots picked up - nothing at the wrist.

 

[Hvr]

Not sure Alan Joyce would have any say in the matter whatsoever. Doesn't operate airports, doesn't set the screening rules, doesn't control AFP, etc etc

Has anybody told him?

 

[Mattg]

By the way, what are the requirements in Tullamarine Melbourne? and will changes happen again in 6 months when I leave?

I can't speak for the other terminals as I haven't been through them recently, but in T1 as of last week, the requirements are as per the sample sign in the article:

 

[MJHoops]

Speedy response from MEL airport to my email linking them to your article @Mattg !

 

[clifford]

Yeah, the full body scanners have definitely slowed things down. I go off every time in random places for false positives.

Yes indeed. I went though security at OOL around 11 am yesterday and it was a complete zoo, with huge queues (it was fine at the same time a few weeks earlier). Without fast track, I would have probably missed my 12:20 flight.

They were using their new(ish) body scanners, and just about everyone failed the scan, needing to redo it several times or be patted down. In my case it showed false positives around my knees, and the guy doing the pat down said it happened quite often when you took your belt off (which was required) as your trousers would drop slightly??? That was his explanation...

It stuck me that the very slow processing was probably a combination of poorly calibrated scanners and operator inexperience. Well, at least my carry-ons were not rejected.

 

[BCons]

Signs are great but there is ‘supposed’ to be some element of assymetry to checking, so that travellers and security don’t get blasé about the process.

fair enough, can appreciate that, but then I go thru security at Syd T2 last week, there’s an repeating PA message to the effect of ‘laptops out’ and then, at the point of sending my bag with iPad down the rollers, the rentacop asks ‘no laptop or tablet?’ So I hv to retrieve my bag, unzip and and pull out ipad, reach back past the next pax in line to get another tray, and ask him him ‘why don’t just say so in the recorded announcement.’. No response of course, and I know from experience that’s not the time to chase down the supervisor. grrrrr…

 

[Mattg]

I went through security at SYD T1 this morning. There was a PA announcement saying that you needed to remove laptop computers from bags, but when I got to the front of the queue the staff member instructed me to leave everything inside my bag.

When the airport signs/announcements aren’t even correct, what hope do passengers have?

 

[BCons]

Had the reverse recently - wait until I asked to then be told ipad had to come out. let us know and we can be ready FFS!

 

[pauly7]

I went through security at SYD T1 this morning. There was a PA announcement saying that you needed to remove laptop computers from bags, but when I got to the front of the queue the staff member instructed me to leave everything inside my bag.

When the airport signs/announcements aren’t even correct, what hope do passengers have?

Happens in so many airports. SFO is the same, Waiting in the queue I saw 3 different signs saying completely contradictory things, by the time I got to the agent I just said ‘tell me what you want me to do please’

 

[AIRwin]

Happens in so many airports. SFO is the same, Waiting in the queue I saw 3 different signs saying completely contradictory things, by the time I got to the agent I just said ‘tell me what you want me to do please’

At least not SSSS

 

[SYD]

At least not SSSS

I just said ‘tell me what you want me to do please’

as the sound of rubber gloves were snapping…