Does anyone know whether the Express Arrival Cards entering Australia have been eliminated. I’m currently on NZ123 flying to Melbourne and didn’t get given one so asked a flight attendant. Was told they are now a thing of the past and “to save trees” the red sticker “Express Lane” which I believed was only to exit AKL also applies to entering AU. I doubted this was correct and asked the FSM who told me this had been the case for a year - funny I have had express arrival cards on the same flight number several times within that period including just 2 months ago. While these are often unnecessary I have found them extremely good on several occasions when there is a long queue after collecting baggage.

When I asked the FSM myself he said he’d give me a couple - when I returned to my seat he had given me two ‘Express Departure’ cards which were definitely done away with years ago - he didn’t seem to know what he was talking about since when I disembarked he said he had asked “and everyone goes in the same line” - yet on exiting after collecting baggage there was an “Expess Psth” logo/sign by Disabled and Air Crew lines.

Yes when they are needed they can save much time and frustration. I was in J and am also GE so asked when wasn’t given one. In fact I didn’t see any given out. When I asked the FSM he said that there would have been 80 passengers on the flight - J passengers + Elites (20 in Economy) who would have previously got one but he only had 8 - it turned out that the passes he had were the old Express Departure ones and not Express Arrival. I hope that Air NZ hasn’t decided to do away with them as they can be very advantageous. It was very surprising that the FSM didn’t appreciate why they were useful and how they were used.

Where was that? They have been useful for me in MEL in the past where there is a long line to clear the last stage before leaving the secure area (passport not looked at there as already cleared immigration so unclear how epassport helps) - there was still an express pass sign up at MEL Tuesday just gone. It is beside the disabled and air crew lines for exit and bypasses what is frequently a long line of passengers.