GATWICK SECURITY €RRÓR

I last flew from Gatwick on Sunday 17th March ’02 and before this was 8th August ’01. With my most recent visit, security was much harsher and much more concentrated throughout the airport after September 11th.

Those of you who have flown from Gatwick’s South Terminal (the one which deals with all charter airlines except Air 2000) will know that once you have checked in, you go through a quick boarding card check and into security. This used to be the only security check carried out in the terminal.

Now, however, there are extra checks at the entrance to a number of gates where passengers are metal-detected and bags scanned.

We were advised by our tour operator to carry washbags in our hand luggage as there have been a delay in our luggage getting to us as we did not pick it up at the other end. My mother and sister were each carrying a manicure set in their bags (scissors, sharp nail files etc.) and these were not noticed at the first check. When it came to the second, only one was noticed and the contents were confiscated and we could not collect them on our return journey. We were not impressed but understandebly, these are not permitted, but our distress was mainly down to the fact that they were not noticed earlier so we could have done something about it. The Staff at the second check did not seemed concerned as to how we managed to get beyond check number one, they reacted as if this was a regular occurance and simply took it off of us leaving us with an empty case and our belongings sprawled across a table.

If anyone else has experienced something similar, I would love to know about it.