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The Dublin Airport experience

circular flexing

I’m based overseas but home for the holidays. Decided to take a couple of days away in Germany and here is my experience of Dublin airport as a departing passenger.

Check in was fine and security queue was short. However after my bag was scanned, one of the ASU agents came over and quite aggressively stated that I had an aerosol in my bag. Now I haven’t used aerosols in a long time but I do have an electric toothbrush which could be mistaken for aerosol. I asked this but she was insistent that it was an aerosol. Without a) asking for permission or b) asking if I had anything sharp or dangerous in my bag she started taking stuff out of my bag. Once she had everything out and saw there was no aerosol, she put everything back in (not in the order I had packed it) and said the bag needed to be scanned again. Finally after this second scan she accepted I didn’t have an aerosol. (Incidentally the person after me was aggressively accused of having jam but actually had candles). I understand that ASU have a job to do but the attitude and rudeness of the agent was not a great experience.

Anyway on to the gate, I went through T2 security but gate was 303. The area just after T1 security was a mess with people trying to get to 3xx/1xx gates and people just after coming through security trying to get their stuff together or stopping to check screens. It would make sense for DAA to direct all traffic for 3xx/1xx gates to T1 security and stop this cross traffic airside. Land side has more space.

Get to 303 and it’s like a zoo. Turns out the Qatar Airways flight to Doha is leaving from 304, so a 787 plane load of passengers are waiting to board. No seats to sit and wait and multiple queues and people sitting on the floor. Not sure how anyone thinks boarding that flight from that area makes sense.

Overall one of the worst airport experiences I’ve had in a while or maybe ever, even next to places like LAX.

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Kewreeuss

well, mayhem at terminal 1 this afternoon!
Over an hour to get through security to fly out.

silver2020

I hope the OP never has to travel through Birmingham - singularly the worst and most ignorant "security" people in the world and phenomenally slow.
And its not from just one experience - I travel there several times a year and yet to have one positive experience at their security check.

Spanish Eyes

Airports all over are an endurance test for us all. Some airports flow better than others, but there is no escaping the Q for security anywhere. 2 hours pre departure is the minimum necessary nowadays to avoid cardiac arrests and even then that can be tight.

Get the DA app. Shows the gates far quicker than the overhead screens. They want to keep us corralled in the food courts/shops.

goingnowhere

No business passengers today, lots of once off travelers and kids. Chaos.

Nigel Fairservice

I find Dublin ok for the most part. I've never had a run in with an ASU officer but I have seen them be very rude to other people on a few occasions. The last time was just before Christmas and the officer in charge treated a girl in front of me like she she was some kind of idiot because she couldn't follow her instructions. The girl in the queue didn't have the greatest English. The woman dealing with her was excessive.

The worst I've seen was in JFK years ago when the search officers told everyone to take off their shoes and when everyone did they held their noses and started spraying air fresheners all over the place while collectively telling everyone in the line how badly their feet stank.

robertpatterson

I like Dublin airport I've never had a bad experience there, OP should go to Budapest airport for an experience of security officers. Two hours trying to get through and people missing their flights and connecting flights while they just had one line open

elperello

In Dublin as in any airport I hit the reset button and enter a state of mind approaching Zen.
I let the calm wash over me
I accept things will happen that I can't control.
Delays are factored in.
I expect to be lied to.
I know people will be unreasonable.

Works every time, don't knock it till you try it.

Tenzor07

I'm through Dublin airport multiple times a year and find the security check staff to be efficient and polite, and I've not experienced any examples of less than Professional behavior anytime I go through, be it at the Fasttrack or the normal security line...

Follow some basic rules, have all the usual items out and on the tray, smile, be polite, if you're asked something then reply with a respectful tone in your voice, if you do all of this you will NEVER have an issue, be it in Dublin or anywhere else.

Try backchat to a security check in agent at certain other airports and you'll find yourself being led off to a more "thorough" search...!

Spanish Eyes

Tenzor07 wrote: »

I'm through Dublin airport multiple times a year and find the security check staff to be efficient and polite, and I've not experienced any examples of less than Professional behavior anytime I go through, be it at the Fasttrack or the normal security line...

Follow some basic rules, have all the usual items out and on the tray, smile, be polite, if you're asked something then reply with a respectful tone in your voice, if you do all of this you will NEVER have an issue, be it in Dublin or anywhere else.

Try backchat to a security check in agent at certain other airports and you'll find yourself being led off to a more "thorough" search...!

Correct, the SNAP of the blue gloves will sort any idiot out

lawred2

Strumms wrote: »

Must just have been a bad day. All of of the ASUs in Dublin are great, professional and efficient guys and gals. Better than any of the airports I’ve travelled out of in fact especially in terms of friendliness and efficiency... could just have been under pressure time of the year and everything.

My recent experience going though security at Dublin airport wouldn't back that up I'm afraid.

However I've never actually given airport security a second thought before on my many trips before so I concluded that we were just unlucky to have gotten a particular rude and obnoxious woman and that it was largely a once off.

Hate for it to become a thing.

lawred2

Strumms wrote: »

Amsterdam is a pain, Heathrow isn’t great but Stanstead has to be the worst... Gatwick is brilliant by miles the best London airport, security do their job but are courteous and professional.

Couldn't get over how friendly the security staff were in Gatwick last time we went through there.

trellheim

To the person complaining about Birmingham you've not gone through Stansted recently I presume , they take the prize against some pretty stiff competition for the worst security experience in the UK and its a consistently ( I mean every time) atrocious place to be.

Gatwick shines out (south terminal) as what every other airport should aspire to, even at peak hours there is essentially no queueing , they made a conscious effort a few years back to pick up their socks and it really really shows.

What bugs me is it means more time airside spending money but only Gatwick seems to have realised this, if you get the punters through the turnstiles quickly they will have more time and feel better about spending more. They also have the latest MRI scanners so much better for security throughput

Dublin is no stranger to this argument

T2 still using old style trays and rollers cos daa dont want to shell out for modern faster belts , admittedly T2 screening hall needs to be expanded but they have tons of room to do so backwards towards the escalators

Both T1 and T2 screening still suffers from the same oul problem - cant be bothered to put on enough staff to run all the belts . Next time you go through at peak check out all the idle belts eg T1 never put on more than 10 out of 14 even at busiest summer because they can not be arsed to do so. ( and every punter pays in their airfare for individual screening so the more people through, the more money DAA makes )

Spanish Eyes

Bottom line is that most airports are sh!t anyway and it doesn't make airport operators care either. As Trellheim above said, Gatwick South got their act together though. Fair dues to them.

In fairness DA is not the worst. But could be improved a lot I think. The experience is just queuing for everything and even the food places are rammed all the time. But I always think of the destination not the departure airport!

Wesser

at least you only had your aerosol checked.
in an airport in the u s recently a female security member just grabbed both my boobs ( through my jumper) without asking as my under wire bra set off the alarm.

Credit Checker Moose

I can tell you one thing that fast track is worth every cent. Use it every time I have to use the airport.

Strumms

Ready4Boarding wrote: »

Deleted post snipped.

I’ve been security screened at Dublin airport both as an airport employee and a regular traveler..I’d guesstimate that I’ve presented myself for screening around 500 times per year for the last 10 years plus. My colleagues are ALL of the same opinion as I am.

So the only outrageous element of what’s being discussed here is being typed by your fingers..

The fact to that you can’t even engage in the discussion without resorting to abusing posters says everything anyone needs to know about the validity or lack of, of your ‘contributions.

Stovepipe

I work there and some of the security screeners are on a power trip. Just a few days ago, one of my colleagues was given the third degree over alleged nails in his rucksack. Turned out to be his lunch fork. Cue outrage and a lecture in "you shudda...". Soem of the screeners are clearly unaware, to say the least.

Padre_Pio

Stovepipe wrote: »

I work there and some of the security screeners are on a power trip. Just a few days ago, one of my colleagues was given the third degree over alleged nails in his rucksack. Turned out to be his lunch fork. Cue outrage and a lecture in "you shudda...". Soem of the screeners are clearly unaware, to say the least.

On the flip side I brought a steel gun looking device in my carry on. Got pulled on it as expected and once I explained what it was I was on my way, no bother.

Just be kind and respectful and you'll get through easy enough.

Strumms

Airports where I’ve traveled out of and found the screeners less than ‘efficient’ and less than friendly...

Stansted - gruff and rude and slow and lazy beyond belief. Will have you stand there waiting to be called through the scanner while they finish whatever conversation they have started...basically the worst airport I’ve been to.

Paris - CDG.. much more efficient but less than friendly...

BlackandGreen

Tenzor07 wrote: »

I'm through Dublin airport multiple times a year and find the security check staff to be efficient and polite, and I've not experienced any examples of less than Professional behavior anytime I go through, be it at the Fasttrack or the normal security line...

Follow some basic rules, have all the usual items out and on the tray, smile, be polite, if you're asked something then reply with a respectful tone in your voice, if you do all of this you will NEVER have an issue, be it in Dublin or anywhere else.

Try backchat to a security check in agent at certain other airports and you'll find yourself being led off to a more "thorough" search...!

Such condescending bollocks.

jayzee

My experience in Dublin airport is that the toilets stink and are rarely clean - such a basic bought in service and the first experience of many who arrive here.
Having said that it prepares them well for what they will encounter in the rest of the country

Boxcar_Willie

What I struggle to understand is why will they confiscate a nail scissors then after security you can get a metal knife & fork at any of the food outlets ?

Spanish Eyes

jayzee wrote: »

My experience in Dublin airport is that the toilets stink and are rarely clean - such a basic bought in service and the first experience of many who arrive here.
Having said that it prepares them well for what they will encounter in the rest of the country

Ah but like most airports Arrivals do not spend money in the shops/cafes etc. So not much thought put into their comfort I reckon.

The Departures in Dub is not great in either T1 or T2, but true to my cynical self I only ever have a coffee or a juice, and grab an Honesty Water and am on my way.

goingnowhere

The male jacks in T2 baggage hall was a disgrace until recently.

That said the toilets in Terminal C at TXL are the worst I've seen in Europe

mikemac2

I´d like to add to the deserved praise for Gatwick that's already on the thread

Security staff are so friendly and I've only had excellent experiences in that airport

Stansted on the other hand....

Kev11491

Found the staff excellent this evening, was a tad busy, but they were efficient and friendly. The good stories should also be posted I reckon!

circular flexing

Boxcar_Willie wrote: »

What I struggle to understand is why will they confiscate a nail scissors then after security you can get a metal knife & fork at any of the food outlets ?

Usually knives/forks airside are blunt.

Davidth88

Dublin seems ok to me , T1 is a little bit of a rabbit warren, the arrivals is a bit ' shoehorned ' in and a bit of a mess.

The only thing that struck me recently was the prices of a sandwich ... 6 25 , and it was the same in every outlet ( that I found ) .

That's a crazy price , in contrast in T5 at LHR i got a very nice sandwich at Pret for about half that price even taking in currency differences.

Paris CDG was always my least favourite airport , T1 is utterly horrible in every sense of the word there the prices are really high even by airport prices.

My abiding memory of CDG T2 is arriving and having 1 hr to make a connection I had to rush rush rush with the buses seeming to go around in circles until they disappeared up their own .... , then I arrived at the next aircraft hot and sweaty just as the gate closed and it was all of 50 m from the aircraft I arrived on !

At least as I looked out of the window I watched the baggage handlers take my bag off the other aircraft and walk over and put it on my aircraft so I knew my bag had a nice relaxing connection.

One last question about airports and Dublin in particular ( although you see the same at LGW ) is why do people have to have a pint at 05:30 , it actually makes me feel a bit queasy :-)

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

Your post makes you seem very entitled OP. Why would the agent pack your stuff the way you packed it? The fact that they packed it at all is fantastic, you won't get that anywhere else, especially at xmas. Does she need your permission to check your bag? Why would she ask if there was anything sharp or dangerous in your bag? She's not the NYPD. Wasn't the bag already scanned? Wouldn't it worry you more that this question was asked after a scan? It seems that you are looking for something to be annoyed with and taking out your frustrations on the ASU employee.

I doubt she was "aggressive". I imagine you just got out of the wrong side of the bed. ASU are fantastic to work with. Always polite and friendly and very helpful. After many many flights in and out of Dublin, I have never once had an issue with ASU. Far superior to German airports anyway.

Tenger

I can agree with the OP regarding the tone of the ASU individual. However this tone is not a DUB issue. Airport security worldwide have this tone. I'm guessing dealing with the public can erode your cheer and goodwill.
I've also witness really good security staff in various airports (DUB included)

The issue about seating at their fare is a bit entitled. How dare those Qatar B787 passengers take the seats belonging to "my" flight!!