Just experienced an incredibly chaotic and unpleasant check in at Brussels. Arrived 17.06 as requested on my ticket for the 17.56 train. The place was absolutely rammed, with huge queues for check in, security and Belgian passport control.
It was highly stressful. I knew that they’d probably hold the train, but people around me didn’t, including my partner, and the stress and tension was palpable. Automated announcements saying that check in was now closed despite there probably being 100 or so people still to do so really didn’t help.
When we got to the platform with 3 minutes to spare, the whole process having taken 47 minutes, we see the train is advertised as +10. (Though my partner didn’t know what that meant so clearly it could be better communicated).
Why not simply tell people checking in that the train is being held, to avoid stress? There were no announcements, no reassurances from staff, nothing. There were also no announcements on the train as to why we were sitting there, eventually departing 12 mins late. Eventually at Lille there was an apology for the now 20 min delay due to ‘passenger congestion’ but no apology for the stressful experience.
But why does this even happen? Eurostar can vary the check in times recommended. They know how many people are on each train. They must know how long it takes to accomplish check in, security and passport control, After operating the terminal for 30 years surely they can better manage the flow of people better than this?!
I know I’m posting this at least partly just to get it off my chest but also I’m just staggered that very simple things like a few reassuring announcements don’t happen.
I’ll of course complain to Eurostar but I really don’t expect anything to change - the company seems entirely complacent while it has a monopoly.
It was highly stressful. I knew that they’d probably hold the train, but people around me didn’t, including my partner, and the stress and tension was palpable. Automated announcements saying that check in was now closed despite there probably being 100 or so people still to do so really didn’t help.
When we got to the platform with 3 minutes to spare, the whole process having taken 47 minutes, we see the train is advertised as +10. (Though my partner didn’t know what that meant so clearly it could be better communicated).
Why not simply tell people checking in that the train is being held, to avoid stress? There were no announcements, no reassurances from staff, nothing. There were also no announcements on the train as to why we were sitting there, eventually departing 12 mins late. Eventually at Lille there was an apology for the now 20 min delay due to ‘passenger congestion’ but no apology for the stressful experience.
But why does this even happen? Eurostar can vary the check in times recommended. They know how many people are on each train. They must know how long it takes to accomplish check in, security and passport control, After operating the terminal for 30 years surely they can better manage the flow of people better than this?!
I know I’m posting this at least partly just to get it off my chest but also I’m just staggered that very simple things like a few reassuring announcements don’t happen.
I’ll of course complain to Eurostar but I really don’t expect anything to change - the company seems entirely complacent while it has a monopoly.
