Disclaimer: This log shares my personal experience and thoughts, and is in no way or shape a commentary on the legal processes put into place at the airport.
Flew from London’s Heathrow airport to Munich with British Airways aboard their A321neo
Airbus A321neo Specs:
Range: 3,995 nautical miles (7,399 km)
Maximum take-off weight: 97 tons (97,000 kg)
Engine thrust: 24,500–35,000 lbf (109–156 kN)
Length: 44.51 meters
Fuselage Width: 3.95 meters
Wingspan: 35.80 meters
Height: 11.76 meters
Max. cruising speed: 840 km/h
Max. cruising altitude: 12,100 meters
Engines: 2 x Pratt & Whitney PW1133G
Arrived at Terminal 5 at 12:15 PM. Check-in desk opened at 12:35 PM. Since I had already checked in online and had no check-in baggage I proceeded to passport and visa verification. The verification was a quick process and allowed me to get through the entire journey with just a digital copy of my boarding pass, whereas my friend with whom I was travelling, was handed a physical boarding pass.
The security took the longest. The lines were long and slow moving. There were only 2 entrances into security which resulted in overcrowding at the entrance and slow moving lines. I noticed further delays as most passengers were taking time to sort their liquids into clear bags whilst waiting in line. Due to the restriction of one bag per passenger, I ended up having to discard 4 items. A restriction I had not previously researched about, and had thus, unfortunately, ended up overpacking above allowed limits. I was also faced with a full body scan an extensive pat down which is something I have not experienced before in my travels.
As a traveller who has only travelled to/from Singapore’s Changi Airport for the past 10 years, I found this style of security check very surprising. I am afraid that I have become used to the ease of Singaporean clearance, which consists of digital passport check, and security at the boarding gate that allows for faster clearance and shorter lines, that I was not prepared for the lengthy process I experienced at Heathrow.
Cleared security by 2:05PM and made my way to the boarding gate. I found the boarding method to be inefficient too. Most flights I have been on permit families with young children to board early, however that was not the case here.
The flight takeoff was also delayed. The reason shared with passengers was the it was due to delays from its previous journey and due to some minor issues with the cargo hold loading. This resulted in a 21 min late takeoff. Was given water and gingerbread cookies as In-flight snacks.
Reached destination 25 mins late.
Munich Airport Arrival:
