DanNCL
Established Member
I experienced the new BER airport for the first time a few days ago, for a new airport it is rather disappointing.Meanwhile an airport I have come to dislike in a short space of time is BER, the new Berlin Airport, if only because the lounge couldn't be further from security, and you need a drink after the long queues I've experienced there Hopefully a better experience next week.
One thing I can recommend at BER airport which makes it much easier is Runway security. It's free of charge, it's a dedicated security area with allocated time slots. You can go on to the BER airport website, enter your departure details and book a slot, then simply show up at the allocated time (up to 10 minutes either side) and you're straight through security without queuing.
Also it's worth buying food and drink before border control if you're catching a non-Schengen flight, as the facilities after border control are limited and overpriced.
Something I'll give BER airport credit for is how organised the ground handling is there, puts Heathrow to shame. The aircraft for my flight was delayed inbound, arriving basically when it should have been departing again. BER already had all the baggage, a pushback tug with a driver and the fuel truck all at the stand ready for the aircraft when it arrived, and it was turned around and out again within half an hour. I know that's common for airlines like Ryanair but for BA a 30 minute turnaround is virtually unheard of!
I'm not 100% sure but I think they were refitted, along with the G-MIDx batch of A320s, I think it's only the G-DBCx batch of A319s plus G-MEDK that weren't modified for containerised baggage and therefore were kept away from T5 where possible, first at Gatwick and now at T3. The batch of A321s that BA have had from new (G-EUXx regs) have mostly been replaced by A321neos and moved to Euroflyer at Gatwick, with the remaining examples at Heathrow due to move to Euroflyer in the next few months.You have to wonder, then, why BA are removing the G-MEDx series of A321s from their fleet and retaining the G-DBCx series of A319s...
Granted, the A321 is too big to directly replace the A319, but they could easily cascade the 321s onto current 320 services and move the 320s to replace the 319s... too late now, though - those 321s have already left the fleet.
...or did those specific 321s, being ex-BMA themselves, also have the same issue with the cargo holds?
The main reason for keeping the G-DBCx batch of A319s as far as I understand is because of the increasingly urgent need to get rid of the ageing G-EUOx and G-EUPx batches of A319s, which are really starting to show their age and are high on flying hours. I think the plan is eventually to replace them with more A320neos but that's some way off yet.
Absolutely. And whilst airport security in many countries is adequate, I think the UK is wise not to trust some of them! And as you've got arrivals from all countries mixed together, because you've got passengers from 'trusted' and 'not trusted' locations mixed, you then have to security screen all of them, so even if the UK did trust security in your origin country it wouldn't make any difference.This is a bit far fetched and extreme, nothing to do with the UK, which whilst no longer the best in the world, still has very good airports. Most people doing International > International and International > Domestic around the world will be subject to security screening when making a connection.