bmi Head Says BAA Security Measures A Ruse To Increase Passenger Shopping Times

The May 3 issue of the Times online has an interesting article in which Sir Michael Bishop, the head of U.K.-based airline bmi accuses airports operator BAA of using the increased security threat as a way to increase its retail profits. Bishop says that BAA urges passengers to get to its airports -- including London Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted -- four hours before an international flight and three hours before a European flight to clear security.  In turn, that leaves passengers inside terminals for longer than usual, giving them more time to shop.

And one has to wonder if there's not something there.  A random review of airline Web sites found the following recommended check-in times:

• Air France - Domestic, 20-60 minutes.  International, 60 minutes.
• Delta Air Lines - Domestic, 30-60 minutes.  International, 2-3 hours.
• Singapore Airlines - Without baggage, 1.5 hours.  With baggage, 2.5 hours.
• United Airlines - Domestic, 60 minutes without luggage/90 minutes with luggage.  International, 2 hours.

And Bishop is not alone in his accusation.  The article notes that Ryanair has logged on its Web site  the number of security checkpoints open at London Stanstead and apologized to passengers for delays caused by BAA last summer.  CEO Michael O'Leary has not been shy about voicing his anger over BAA's handling of security at Stansted, as my colleague Lori Ranson wrote in the Nov. 16 issue (subscribers only) of Aviation Daily. A Virgin Atlantic spokesman said Heathrow was more of a shopping mall than an airport, adding that it should be the reverse.

Bishop also accused the airports operator of not investing enough in security equipment that would allow for shorter lines.  In November 2006, I wrote a story (subscribers only) in Aviation Daily where BAA said it would spend $43 million to hire more staff and buy more screening equipment at the seven airports after complaints about long security lines. 

And in March, I wrote another story (subscribers only) that the airports operator pledged to spend another £40 million (US$78.6 million) in its effort to reduce lines at security checkpoints in the seven U.K. airports it operates from under its "Putting Passengers First" plan.  Under the plan, BAA said it will hire another 1,400 security guards and open 22 new security lanes at Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Southampton airports. Once the hires are completed, the company has pledged to keep security line wait times to five minutes or less for 95% of the day.

With the busy summer travel season coming up, airlines and passengers can only hope that BAA's planned increases in security will allow more time at top holiday spots -- like the Tower of London -- and less time shopping in airports.  Watch this space!

Comments

[Scott]

That's not all -- BAA also waits until the last possible second to post the gate numbers of departing flights to maximize the time travelers stay in the shopping areas. Unlike in the USA, where gates are posted well in advance of departure and travelers are encouraged to be in the gate hold room 15-20 min prior to boarding, BAA prefers passengers stay in the shops and then run down the concourse to their gate just as begins. That practice certainly adds strain to the travel experience... especially for foreigners who are already unsettled by BAA's large, complicated airports.