Why does T5 immigration have to be such a joke?
Aug 22, 2014, 12:06 pm
#32
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Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Tucson, AZ, USA. UA 1K, reluctant but * best in class * DL FO/MM. Former BA jumpseat rider and scourge of Dilbertian management and apologists. As LX might - and do - say: "....an experienced frequent flyer of international airlines"
Posts: 3,386
If we're talking Canada, I agree too. Immigration Canada/CBSA have acquired a deserved reputation for hostility and unpleasantness in recent years. It has been observed numerous times here on FT e.g.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/canad...migration.html
Horrible treatment by Canadian Customs/Immigration (CBSA) at YVR
Some people - including Canadians - believe they have moved into the lead for world's worst border control experience, overtaking the long-time, ten-peating gold medalists of the US INS/CBP several years ago. The weird thing about Canada's border agency people is how aggressively hostile their questioning often is, which is contrast to almost everything else in Canada.
As for LHR T5, in my last ten entries (all using my US passport, thus as undesirable furriner rather than undesirable resident) there were three occasions involving a 30+ minute wait. It seems to depend heavily on BA's irop schedule with a giant pulse of 744s slowing everything down for ages.
Also it's not true that it's always faster at UK Border for UK/EU citizens. At ABZ two years or so ago, arriving from FRA, three Russians and I were the only non-EU people on the full 733. We transited the border far faster than the others. We all remarked to one another how incredible it was.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/canad...migration.html
Horrible treatment by Canadian Customs/Immigration (CBSA) at YVR
Some people - including Canadians - believe they have moved into the lead for world's worst border control experience, overtaking the long-time, ten-peating gold medalists of the US INS/CBP several years ago. The weird thing about Canada's border agency people is how aggressively hostile their questioning often is, which is contrast to almost everything else in Canada.
As for LHR T5, in my last ten entries (all using my US passport, thus as undesirable furriner rather than undesirable resident) there were three occasions involving a 30+ minute wait. It seems to depend heavily on BA's irop schedule with a giant pulse of 744s slowing everything down for ages.
Also it's not true that it's always faster at UK Border for UK/EU citizens. At ABZ two years or so ago, arriving from FRA, three Russians and I were the only non-EU people on the full 733. We transited the border far faster than the others. We all remarked to one another how incredible it was.
Aug 22, 2014, 3:57 pm
#33
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Join Date: Dec 2012
Programs: A3, AA. Plasticy things! That give me, y'know, Stuff!
Posts: 6,293
My last trip through was ~45 minutes, but that's because I was transferring, completely asleep, and made the mistake of listening to the directions the airport staff gave me. Thus, I went in circles for ~25 of those minutes.
Aug 22, 2014, 4:25 pm
#34
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: Seniors Bus Pass
Posts: 5,529
When I saw this thread I thought the OP must have been in the queues at T5 yesterday at about 1800-1830. I arrived in from DUS and was on to domestic transfer, but looking across at the queues on the landing side were all back to the outer entrance, and even the e-gates were as far back as they could go to the back wall. Quite the worst I have ever seen.
Even at domestic transfers there were 16 in front of me for EU passports (and half a dozen behind me) and a few non-EU waiting too with only one desk manned dealing with both lines.
Even at domestic transfers there were 16 in front of me for EU passports (and half a dozen behind me) and a few non-EU waiting too with only one desk manned dealing with both lines.
I'm sure that on arriving in mainland Europe from the UK, one is required to clear immigration / border control before being permitted to proceed.
Aug 30, 2014, 2:04 pm
#36
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 288
If we're talking Canada, I agree too. Immigration Canada/CBSA have acquired a deserved reputation for hostility and unpleasantness in recent years. It has been observed numerous times here on FT e.g.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/canad...migration.html
Horrible treatment by Canadian Customs/Immigration (CBSA) at YVR
Some people - including Canadians - believe they have moved into the lead for world's worst border control experience, overtaking the long-time, ten-peating gold medalists of the US INS/CBP several years ago. The weird thing about Canada's border agency people is how aggressively hostile their questioning often is, which is contrast to almost everything else in Canada.
As for LHR T5, in my last ten entries (all using my US passport, thus as undesirable furriner rather than undesirable resident) there were three occasions involving a 30+ minute wait. It seems to depend heavily on BA's irop schedule with a giant pulse of 744s slowing everything down for ages.
Also it's not true that it's always faster at UK Border for UK/EU citizens. At ABZ two years or so ago, arriving from FRA, three Russians and I were the only non-EU people on the full 733. We transited the border far faster than the others. We all remarked to one another how incredible it was.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/canad...migration.html
Horrible treatment by Canadian Customs/Immigration (CBSA) at YVR
Some people - including Canadians - believe they have moved into the lead for world's worst border control experience, overtaking the long-time, ten-peating gold medalists of the US INS/CBP several years ago. The weird thing about Canada's border agency people is how aggressively hostile their questioning often is, which is contrast to almost everything else in Canada.
As for LHR T5, in my last ten entries (all using my US passport, thus as undesirable furriner rather than undesirable resident) there were three occasions involving a 30+ minute wait. It seems to depend heavily on BA's irop schedule with a giant pulse of 744s slowing everything down for ages.
Also it's not true that it's always faster at UK Border for UK/EU citizens. At ABZ two years or so ago, arriving from FRA, three Russians and I were the only non-EU people on the full 733. We transited the border far faster than the others. We all remarked to one another how incredible it was.