Immigration at T5
Jan 22, 2012, 11:25 am
#31
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Her Majesty's United Kingdom
Programs: BA Gold, BA Lounge Rats, BA Audit Survivors, CW Kitchen Defender, CX Noodle Connoisseurs Club
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Jan 22, 2012, 11:38 am
#32
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Dublin,Ireland and Nice France
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 2,059
I think they had funds though
Several posts in the Travel Safety/Security forum have led me to believe that the USCBP quite regularly ask excessive questions of citizens.
There is one, it's called Global Entry but it's only open to Dutch people and by invitation to Brits.
Jan 22, 2012, 12:19 pm
#33
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: From ORK, live LCY
Programs: BA Silver, EI Silver, HH Gold, BW Gold, ABP, Seigneur des Horaires des Mucci
Posts: 14,216
I hear Amex platinum cardmembers in the US have their fee refunded.
They can't refuse them entry of course, but they can put them in a room for two hours and laboriously search them and their bags, use all their high-tech machines, and generally make it unpleasant.
Jan 22, 2012, 12:40 pm
#34
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Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 487
Is that the way it is entering the u.s as a us passport holder if you go via an agent by the way or do you get asked questions before you exercise what I presume is your right to return to your own country?
I'm just curious.
Will they ever have an iris type system for frequent trusted foreigners entering the U.S.Because it's the one thing I hate and thats being at the random mercy of the humour of an official.
I'm just curious.
Will they ever have an iris type system for frequent trusted foreigners entering the U.S.Because it's the one thing I hate and thats being at the random mercy of the humour of an official.
They do have a system for trusted travelers called Global Entry which also works well.
Jan 22, 2012, 12:42 pm
#35
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Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 487
Jan 22, 2012, 1:55 pm
#36
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Her Majesty's United Kingdom
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^^^
Jan 28, 2012, 6:04 am
#37
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Cyprus / Worldwide
Programs: BA Gold / Turkish Silver
Posts: 14
IRIS to close down ?
a uk immi officer told me last week that very soon the IRIS stations will be replaced by the E-Passport reader. don't know if this will improve or even worsen the current chaotic situation... any ideas on that
Jan 28, 2012, 6:16 am
#38
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: From ORK, live LCY
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Jan 28, 2012, 10:53 am
#39
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: AA PLT 2MM
Posts: 473
ah, but you see, I have Global Entry, which means that I can bypass most of the hassles with US CBP.
My experiences, however, have been almost overwhelmingly positive with US customs - I once even found out that I was from the same tiny town as the screener.
My experience with UKBA has been more negative and questioning.
On my last interaction with the surly staff, the screener said: "I've been working here for 8 years and can send you right back where you came from, do you want to talk to the Chief border officer?"
Me: Yes, please.
I sat and checked my emails for 3 minutes, the Chief border officer came over, we had a pleasant chat, she stood by the surly clerk who handed my passport to me without a word. I said "have a good day", to which the surly clerk shot me a look that only Gordon Ramsay can give and entered the UK.
The Chief officer walked/chatted with me, apologized for the surly clerk's behaviour and said that she would speak with her about her actions.
For what it's worth, Hong Kong has the quickest international customs I've ever experienced.
My experiences, however, have been almost overwhelmingly positive with US customs - I once even found out that I was from the same tiny town as the screener.
My experience with UKBA has been more negative and questioning.
On my last interaction with the surly staff, the screener said: "I've been working here for 8 years and can send you right back where you came from, do you want to talk to the Chief border officer?"
Me: Yes, please.
I sat and checked my emails for 3 minutes, the Chief border officer came over, we had a pleasant chat, she stood by the surly clerk who handed my passport to me without a word. I said "have a good day", to which the surly clerk shot me a look that only Gordon Ramsay can give and entered the UK.
The Chief officer walked/chatted with me, apologized for the surly clerk's behaviour and said that she would speak with her about her actions.
For what it's worth, Hong Kong has the quickest international customs I've ever experienced.
Oh really.... please
The USCBP really sets the standard for obnoxious treatment of arriving passengers in the first world. They do seem to vary by location, which I find strange, but the majority of my fairly regular experiences at ORD, MIA and DFW have been poor. A significant number have been downright awful. Waits of 45 minutes for immigration at ORD and DFW are standard. As likely as not, you will then receive a surly and aggressive interrogation which to me serves no obvious purpose other than to cause discomfort and make it plain who it is that wields the stick. And then you get the same again from a customs official. This latter aspect has become markedly worse over the past year or so and waits for customs can now also be significant. Again, what they are trying to achieve by it completely defeats me. Interestingly, the one place that I have found to be OK is JFK but I rarely use it.
That laptop or phone that you were using to check your emails while you waited would have been confiscated in an instant had you been at a US airport. Also, you would not have been left in the general area but would have been frogmarched off to the "secondary inspection" room. I suspect that after this (and yes, I have been there) you would see UKBA in an altogether different light.
And to respond to another theme in this thread, I cannot accept that it should be possible to buy a better or faster level of service from a government organisation. It's my belief that they have a duty to provide equal treatment to all. That's not to say that they shouldn't improve, just that they should improve for everyone, not just for those who are able or who choose to pay for it.
Jan 28, 2012, 12:21 pm
#40
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: RBKC
Programs: AA EXP and Eurostar Carte Blanche
Posts: 3,851
And to respond to another theme in this thread, I cannot accept that it should be possible to buy a better or faster level of service from a government organisation. It's my belief that they have a duty to provide equal treatment to all. That's not to say that they shouldn't improve, just that they should improve for everyone, not just for those who are able or who choose to pay for it.
And I definitely agree about the poor attitude of US customs and immigration workers! Although the UKBA has been unnecessarily rude to me at times, the US is always more so.
Jan 30, 2012, 11:34 am
#41
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Salisbury UK
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 67
Just as bad at T3
E-gates closed at T3 this morning, but the confusing signage and tensa barriers meant people tried the IRIS gates instead. Passengers caught inside IRIS; UKBA official storming around telling people to go to join the ever-lengthening queue to be seen by a real person. Said official not understanding that people were trying to be helpful using the electronic systems to save time and let the human processors deal with visitors to the UK.