 Poster: A snowHead
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They've removed the long benches at the security queues, where you used to have time to separate your liquids and electronics and pack the trays as you shuffled forward. Now, you have only a few seconds, just before you go through the scanner, to do all of that. It was chaos this morning as people hurriedly scrambled to separate their stuff and pack trays, holding up the queues.
Not a particularly efficient process.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Zero_G, great! I thought they'd got it all pretty optimised as well - idiots.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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It's been like that since at lease November. I pay 8chf and fast lane it if I don't automatically get it with my ticket. The queue was down to Pret A Manger on monday morning.
FYI if all the queueing lanes are full it still only take 15mins to get to a machine so don't panic too much.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Zero_G wrote: |
They've removed the long benches at the security queues, where you used to have time to separate your liquids and electronics and pack the trays as you shuffled forward. Now, you have only a few seconds, just before you go through the scanner, to do all of that. It was chaos this morning as people hurriedly scrambled to separate their stuff and pack trays, holding up the queues.
Not a particularly efficient process. |
Nah it's miles better than the old system which meant that it only went as fast as the slowest person...
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Strange though as we flew out of GVA before Christmas to New York and had to do all the separating stuff, to be honest I can't recall how we did that, probably in a scramble.... but when we flew back from Newark in January I went to get out my little plastic bag, laptop etc and was told to leave it all in the bag and it didn't need separating, no, I didn't need to take off my big boots and it was all so peaceful. We wondered if there had been new regulations brought in or if Newark had better scanning equipment...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Really don't understand why people are so slow to sort their stuff out. Normally by the time I get to the front of the que my coins/keys are in my jacket (which is in my hand), belt is off, watch is off etc so all you have to do is set the bag down, grab the liquids bag and laptop, and your done.
It amazes me how many people can stand waiting for 15 minutes, then be taken by surprise as they reach the front, ask whether or not they need to take off their shoes/take out their laptop/what about my liquids which aren't in a bag etc, and then inevitably when they finally are ready they set off the metal detector because they forgot that their phone is in heir pocket 
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Well said SkiG.
The new system is massively better. If you have never flown in the last 10 years, then you might have an excuse, otherwise you should be ready to be scanned when you get to the front of the queue.
Last year we got an idiot on security, who having watched phones, laptops, tablets, liquids go into the trays, then asked if we had any phones, laptops, tablets, liquids. I pointed out that he had just watched me put them in the tray, and his response was that it was his job to ask, and I had to answer. So apparently it was his job to ask, not to look.
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Depends on the airport. I know we had to take off jackets, shoes, belts and separate liquids and electronics in Newcastle, but neither Dubai nor Singapore asked us to even though we were prepared to have to do it. And yes, I probably do hold up the queue, as I can't physically carry everything I am meant to remove and also deal with my hand baggage. I also get very flustered having to put it all back on again, and sort out repacking the hand baggage with the liquids and electronics. Thank Feck I don't fly very often. Too much bloody hassle.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Hells Bells, I agree that I can't physically carry the carry on bag, handbag (if I am lucky enough not to be flying when only ONE bag allowed), laptop, plastic bag with liquids, coat, belt (and then my trousers sometimes start to fall down particularly if I am having one of those smooth down searches), boots till I get to the place with the trays and can then dump it, so it has to happen then. But I am prepared and don't stand there looking gormless when they ask about liquids etc. I think we have all been around long enough to know that it happens.
The most pleasant experience I have had in recent years was taking my grand-daughter to GVA from Gatwick last year, on my own, and we got shunted into the family area where they were all so nice and helpful and I thought why can't they be like this everywhere.
It is a space thing though, and we do need space to sort ourselves out afterwards and put everything away again. I am lucky that we only fly a few times a year nowadays.
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@Pamski, I made sure I had no liquids in my baggage last time, but did have tablet, phone and kindle there.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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My rule would be that anyone who goes through and buzzes because they forgot about something (i.e. not a random search) would be straight to the back of the que! Suspect that would significantly improve things! 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@SkiG, good idea.
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Not everyone is a frequent traveller, and the rules are airport-dependent. I find it best to allow plenty of time and chill (while being reasonably organised myself).
There's no doubt the bloody terrorists have won though. 
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You know it makes sense.
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So the new system makes things quicker, and that's a bad thing..why? We went through security at Geneva a couple of weeks ago and we all commented that it was the quickest and easiest we've ever had at Geneva. Good work, Geneva 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Will be testing this in a few weeks. Most of my stuff goes in a backpack and I never take liquids in hand luggage. I really object to having to take shoes and belt off
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Poster: A snowHead
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Ok, so if it's not new, then that's fine. It does seem optimised. I haven't flown since mid-Jan somImwas worried they'd sneaked in a change without me noticing.
Phew.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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The issue is not that people don't know what they need to do but that there is no longer a place for them to do it before reaching the scanner.
It's quite tricky separating all the necessary stuff and removing jacket, scarf, hat and shoes while holding all of this in your hands and moving with the queue, ready to dump it into several trays – with said trays now only available when you reach the front of the queue at the scanner.
I saw many people do all of the above only when they reached the scanner because that's the only place where the trays are now available. Understably, this slowd down progress for everyone.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I will confess that I've been in the priority queue last dozen or so flights... 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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under a new name, I have access to it but have never seen the sign for it. I must be frikkin' blind!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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It was already like that in November when I flew out last time. Extremely inconvenient and can be stressful if you are checking in late.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Zero_G, extreme left hand side as you face security
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Or extreme right.
Not always the best plan actually.
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I really think it's worth checking stuff into the hold to avoid all that nonsense.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| pam w wrote: |
| I really think it's worth checking stuff into the hold to avoid all that nonsense. |
That may work for you.
My hold luggage contains my ski boots, ski clothes, avi gear, skis, skins, ice axe, toiletries and a a singe change of non-ski clothes. Unless my suitcase magically turns into a mass-less Tardis, I have no option but to take a few things as carry-on as part of my remaining baggage allowance (even with the extra kilos business class provides).
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The only liquids I carry as hand luggage is a travel sized contact lens solution and spare lenses as the faff factor of losing them is higher than the need to check. Usually have those and kindle, tablet and phone, plus coat, wallet, boarding pass. Belt is quick, shoes is the major faff as usually wearing heaviest option to minimise weight.
Once got pinged in Romania for underwired bra!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Zero_G, that's a lot of stuff, for sure, especially if you can't pack clothes round your skis, as you used to be able to. I don't have to carry avi gear or skins and when I've flown it's only been for a week, so easy enough to manage. A rucksack with my "ordinary" ski stuff including boots, helmet and all clothes and toiletries for a week weighs around 15 kg. I can't comfortably carry more and I hate travelling with so much stuff I can't move around under my own steam. I travelled out to the Alps for walking in the summer with just a carry on backpack but all the security shenanigans were such a pain I decided to pay for a hold bag next time, and just carry my book. Can understand taking contact lens stuff though. I've done a huge amount of air travel (mainly for work) and only lost a bag one time, for 24 hours. Been lucky, I guess, and on some fairly dodgy airlines, too. I used to travel regularly with cabin baggage only, for weeks at a time sometimes, but that was in the good old days before security checks.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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It's not the terrorists who have won, it's the "security" industry . Take your time, don't get stressed.
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@shep, you mean, "security theatre" ... Playing for the masses ...
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You know it makes sense.
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15 min queue that's all people.....
I have a laptop, 2 phones, a coat, bag of make up and a bad attitude at 5am. If I can do it -so can you.
- Save yourselves hassle and sandwich bag your liquids
- put the stuff you need to take out at the top of your bag
Priority lanes are far left and far right of security areas.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I travel through Geneva at least once a month, usually busy Friday evenings, and I think the new system is actually a bit quicker than before, and even if the queue looks enormous it rarely takes as long as you think it might.
Under the old system you'd get one person filling four trays full of stuff and holding up the whole queue, sometimes creating a gap almost the length of the old long roller belt. Now they would have been filtered into one of half a dozen or so smaller belts.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| never summer wrote: |
| It was already like that in November when I flew out last time. Extremely inconvenient and can be stressful if you are checking in late. |
Here's an idea.....get yourself organised and don't check in late.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Zero_G, Why on earth do you want to wear hat and scarf in the airport? Surely you can find space to pack them?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I'd carefully sorted everything out into the trays, helped younger son with his things, walked through the scanner and woop woop woop. I set it off. Then the search and the extra scanner before I realised my phone was in my back pocket. Stupid, but the search didn't throw it up strangely. It was early 
On the way back, my husband's stuff set it off and after a thorough search they said it was ok to go. He asked what had set it off and they said he had a dodgy hard drive. All a bit odd as it had been ok at geneva. Spot checks I guess. all part of these days.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| foxtrotzulu wrote: |
| @Zero_G, Why on earth do you want to wear hat and scarf in the airport? Surely you can find space to pack them? |
You're giving me fashion advice now?
I was describing the scenes I saw at the airport, not my own actions. I'm super efficient and place my liquids into a baggie when packing, and put all of my electronics together into a single, easy-to-reach pocket of my hand luggage. I don't, personally, need to faff about at security.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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What @Zero_G, said just above.
Backpack in my hand as I queue and put keys, change, wallet, phone, belt into the front pocket on the backpack (which already holds any liquids in a plastic zip lock bag). When I get to the front of the queue unzip backpack pocket, take ziplock bag out and into tray, zip up pocket and put backpack on conveyor, put jacket in tray. Watch tray and backpack slide through scanner, take off shoes if requested, walk through scanner carrying only passport and boarding card (unless security insist it gets scanned), collect my stuff and look for shortest route through duty free.
Not really that difficult. Above describes business travel. Holiday travel is even simpler as I am likely to have zip up pockets on my jacket so everything goes in there rather than backpack.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Zero_G,
| Quote: |
It's quite tricky separating all the necessary stuff and removing jacket, scarf, hat and shoes while holding all of this in your hands and moving with the queue,
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From the way you wrote this you'll forgive me for assuming you were referring to yourself. I wasn't giving you fashion advice any more than suggesting someone wears goggles in a snowstorm is giving fashion advice. I'm afraid I'm sufficiently un-fashion conscious to believe that (in most cases) for a man to wear a hat and scarf indoors is just a slightly tw@ttish affectation. 
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@foxtrotzulu, a man! !! Ha ha ha
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I was punched in the face in the post security melee by some muppet who couldn`t put his coat on.
I am now no longer in favour of the Geneva method.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| holidayloverxx wrote: |
| @foxtrotzulu, a man! !! Ha ha ha |
Oh dear, is Zero-G female? Assumption is the mother of all c0ck ups
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