To think there must be a special qualification in grumpiness for airport staff?

[poorchurchmouse]

My brother died last week. Had to fly north to be with my family as he managed to pick the weekend when there were no trains in or out of King’s Cross. Everyone in both airports has been so grumpy ( and they don’t even have the same rules- phone stayed in my bag on the way north, they want it in a tray at security on the way south. Shoes on heading north, off going south. Eye-rolling and huffing because I didn’t instantly know they want different things.)

I’m feeling extra fragile so it’s getting to me more than it normally would, but I don’t want to be here in the first place, I’ve spent the last few days supporting my DM and doing death admin, and it’s so bloody miserable when everyone clearly regards the passengers as a hateful inconvenience.

@Kazzyhoward

Nothing new and happened pre covid, so you can't blame it on stress etc due to covid.

Manchester airport has been a hellish nightmare for many years. Long queues as standard. Grumpy eye rolling arrogant security staff as standard. If they see something in your bag xray, they deliberately make you wait to punish you, even if the staff aren't doing a "search" your bag stays there in the "naughty" area until they think you've stood there long enough.

Last time we went, the queues for security went right back into the check in area. It took an hour to even get into the actual security area. There were around 6 conveyors/xrays but only 2 or 3 were in use. Lots of security staff stood around doing nothing. Lots of others being unnecessarily shouty/arrogant.

I've been through dozens of airports, Manchester is by far the worst.

Actually East Midlands (owned by MAG) is even worse. I used to fly to Dublin from there every Wednesday. I will spare everyone my rant but it's nasty mean-spirited shithole of an airport. It couldn't be more different from Dublin where people doing the exact same difficult jobs were unfailingly pleasant and decent - and far more consistent too.

I foolishly tried complaining to EMA - they ignored me, in fact they blocked me on Twitter and Facebook for stating the truth about my regular experiences.

If I never have to use EMA again it will be too soon.

I think it depends on the airport. Good ones include Southampton and Glasgow.

They are miserable gits at Hamburg airport.

And the rules are supposed to be the same everywhere, it shouldn't be different depending on where you go but it always is, even within the same airport.

EMA is rated consistently awful for the same things here -
www.airlinequality.com/airport-reviews/east-midlands-airport/
The management clearly don't care.

Airports are one of those weird limbic places that aren't really anywhere geographically or legally so what happens in them is up to those in charge. Some take the opportunity to make it into a pleasant environment. Some take the opportunity to fill it with power crazed shouty bastards and construct their own dystopia. I've found it completely varies from airport to airport even in countries that are pretty small like the UK. Eg Manchester and Leeds are not physically far apart but the experience is like the difference between night and day.

This is so true. The normal rules and laws of society don't apply inside airports; you're completely at the mercy of the whims of the staff. Where else would you tolerate being posed like a mannequin and fondled by some surly jobsworth?

The absolute worst are the American airports though. They shout orders at you as though they are Drill Sargents and you're a cocky young recruit whose spirit they're trying to break.

Before I entered Australia I was very worried. I'd watched too much 'Nothing to Declare' so was scared they'd find an errant seed in the treads of my shoe and deport me for killing their biodiversity, however they couldn't have been friendlier.

You sure it has nothing to do with past or current activities? I.e. no criminal record etc or prior history with immigration or customs

Not in my case. UK citizen, no criminal record. Nothing except an Arabic name and brown skin.

@Namechangeforthis88

Attitude at East Midlands airport put me off flying for years. Perhaps they are undercover climate change activists.

I refuse to spend hundreds of pounds to be treated like shit.

FWIW I used to be a prison officer, do I'm no stranger to unsociable working hours, working public holidays or security procedures with difficult customers. Being rude and unpleasant is neither helpful nor excusable.

Totally agree. They were awful when I went. Also the Ryan Air staff deserve a special mention for taking hand luggage off those at the front of the queue when most of us had arrived early to avoid this while letting the late stragglers keep their luggage and refusing to listen to reason

Agreed, OP. I know they have had a tough time but they are
always like that, I find. I normally fly quite regularly for work and it is different at every airport with shoes off, shoes on, belt off etc and signage isn't always clear. Yes, and Ryanair are particularly awful, I got really shouted at coming into the gate as I hadn't put my face straight for the photo or something (this was ages ago, pre-covid), and I just genuinely hadn't heard what the man said as it was so noisy. God help anyone hard of hearing or needing additional assistance. I know they must get some bloody awful customers but I'm pleasant and polite, don't treat me like cattle.

They get endless shit day in and day out and the stupid management rules are not their fault.
To be fair they didn't know about your brother. You can always tell a job is completely toxic if the staff have this attitude.

@Shehasadiamondinthesky

They get endless shit day in and day out and the stupid management rules are not their fault. To be fair they didn't know about your brother. You can always tell a job is completely toxic if the staff have this attitude.

In my 300+ weekly visits to EMA I never witnessed a single example of people being rude to the security staff, in spite of massive queues and the extremely (or sometimes just very) rude security staff.

I have no doubt it's a toxic job (although some of them do seem to take a perverse delight) but that isn't my fault - see the review site I posted earlier (which verifies some reviews by requiring a picture of your ticket or boarding pass). CLearly the toxic management doesn't care.

Liverpool, Leeds and Manchester have always been particularly nice when I've travelled.

I've never forgotten the knobhead at Luton who gave me a lecture for allowing my 5 year old to return from Dublin with a very obvious plastic sword and shield which his dgf had bought him.
I'm pretty sure the IRA weren't eyeing it up for their next attack!

The worst air stewards ive come across on several flights are British Airways - Rude, arrogant and up themselves.

I used to fly a lot for work - business so you'd expect them to be nicer but the female cabin crew were if anything even worse to female business passengers than they were in economy. Worst one though was checking in at Vienna and being told by the BA frau at the desk that I was mispronouncing my own surname - actually not DH's family came from Alsace and therefore it is has a French rather than a German pronuciation....

Sorry I think you’re being sensitive. I get you’ve
Had a rough time but not everyone will be in happy smiley moods all the time they might be having bad days themselves. I work at an airport and my airport In particular everyone is at risk of redundancy and we’ve lost and our losing so much money.

The current situation has probably made the general situation extra crappy but I’ve found airport staff up there with doctors receptionists for being moody and unfriendly way before covid

To give an example of the shit airport staff deal with - a flight is delayed by three hours, staff are informed by management that any customers whose covid test expires during the delay will have to pay for a new one or else they won't be allowed to board, they can claim it back from the airline if they get a receipt but it will take around a month.

And again, it's not an excuse but it demonstrates how stressful an environment it is right now.

@BlatantlyNameChanged

And again, it's not an excuse but it demonstrates how stressful an environment it is right now.

You're right, it's not an excuse. Passengers suffer stress in airports too, often due to arrogant/unhelpful staff.