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Long queues at T5 border control

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Old Apr 30, 2012, 1:31 am
  #376  
 
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Originally Posted by squeeler
I am not looking forward to arriving at T5 on Friday evening.
I think a lot now depends at which time you arrive. Last Friday I breezed through at 7 p.m., but there are those that were there before and after that time that suffered the long delays. It seems like the Border Farce just don't have enough will or people to cope with the peak times although, as I said earlier, I do wonder whether this is being used as a political football to try and strongarm the government into not implementing the cuts or even to endeavour to increase the size of this department. Of course, yet again it's the travelling public that suffers.
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Old Apr 30, 2012, 1:47 am
  #377  
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Originally Posted by WHBM
increasingly coming across like Nazi SS officers.


I thought the Nazis took great pride in their ruthless efficiency. One wouldn't want the UK Border Agency to copy their admission policies and procedures.

Johan
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Old Apr 30, 2012, 2:30 am
  #378  
 
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Question (may be obvious, but not to me): do these crazy queues only affect people arriving at T5 and exiting the airport or transferring to domestic? Not people transferring to international (BRU in this case)?
Arriving on BA from JFK two weeks ago, and transferring to BRU I was through in a breeze (silver card holder). Just lucky? I'm going through T5 again to the US in a few weeks, and considering booking a ticket to South Africa (BRU-LHR-CPT-LHR-BRU). This one will be during the Olympics... This talk about long delays at T5 is making me consider booking another airline, but I prefer BA for WT+ (and hope of an opup), and needed TP... Crazy?
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Old Apr 30, 2012, 2:34 am
  #379  
 
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The FT is reporting priority immigration lanes this summer for Olympic officials and athletes!
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Old Apr 30, 2012, 3:51 am
  #380  
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Originally Posted by dujardin
Question (may be obvious, but not to me): do these crazy queues only affect people arriving at T5 and exiting the airport or transferring to domestic? Not people transferring to international (BRU in this case)?
Arriving on BA from JFK two weeks ago, and transferring to BRU I was through in a breeze (silver card holder). Just lucky? I'm going through T5 again to the US in a few weeks, and considering booking a ticket to South Africa (BRU-LHR-CPT-LHR-BRU). This one will be during the Olympics... This talk about long delays at T5 is making me consider booking another airline, but I prefer BA for WT+ (and hope of an opup), and needed TP... Crazy?
International transfers do not pass through the UK Border (though some here disagree), so you won't directly get affected by this. However last week some BAA staff incorrectly allocated transfer people to the wrong queue - I think that was just a one off. Domestic transfers are not badly impacted since the physical layout requires at least one member of staff on duty in that area and that's enough for a reasonable transfer time, provided there isn't (e.g.) a large school group going through.

So on Thursday, when I could see problems with UK arrivals being queued all over the place, I went through domestic transfer quite quickly, under 10 minutes, and international transfers was nearly empty.
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Old Apr 30, 2012, 4:03 am
  #381  
 
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At 09.30 this morning in T5 there were hardly any queues at all. About six people in the EU queue as I arrived and nothing more at the others either. Fast track for non-EU also clear.
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Old Apr 30, 2012, 4:17 am
  #382  
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… it's clearly consistently inconsistent

Undoubtedly much hinges on the time you hit the Border [well done for noting your time] and whether/how well Border Force have geared their manning to match the expected volume of pax at any given time of day.

I guess being amongst the first to disembark helps as well …
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Old Apr 30, 2012, 6:04 am
  #383  
 
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Originally Posted by T8191
I guess being amongst the first to disembark helps as well …
Only compared to the other pax on your flight One good thing that BAA could do is have a sign that they put at the top of the jetty on arrival that indicates, in times of high volumes, which direction that pax should go. I suspect that some of the disruption and stress is caused by the different queues not being clearly identified and people wandering around finding the right place to stand in line.
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Old Apr 30, 2012, 6:40 am
  #384  
 
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If all else fails, blame the weather.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...ng-Street.html
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Old Apr 30, 2012, 6:54 am
  #385  
 
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Originally Posted by ardboe
If all else fails, blame the weather.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...ng-Street.html
Anyone know if it is only rain that causes problems at immigration?
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Old Apr 30, 2012, 7:18 am
  #386  
 
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Originally Posted by geosat
Anyone know if it is only rain that causes problems at immigration?
It'll be the wrong sort of passengers, next...
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Old Apr 30, 2012, 7:19 am
  #387  
 
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I worry about the fact that I agree with and sympathise with BAA. I feel dirty.

BAH
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Old Apr 30, 2012, 7:36 am
  #388  
 
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Originally Posted by BAHumbug
I worry about the fact that I agree with and sympathise with BAA. I feel dirty.

BAH
BAA/BAH - very similar if you squint!
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Old Apr 30, 2012, 7:42 am
  #389  
 
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Originally Posted by WHBM
Now the Home Office officials have threatened BAA for makng apologes about the stuation and telling them who s responsible

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...emos-warn.html
That is outrageous. Looking at the article:

However, Marc Owen, the director of UK Border Agency operations at Heathrow, told BAA the leaflet was “inappropriate”.

The first word that springs to mind is tit! I hope BAA continue to hand out these leaflets.

He threatened to “escalate” the matter with ministers who were likely to take a “very dim view”.

Well I suppose there's always a bigger tit.
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Old Apr 30, 2012, 7:54 am
  #390  
 
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Originally Posted by Internaut
He threatened to “escalate” the matter with ministers who were likely to take a “very dim view”.
As if BAA wouldn't want the matter escalated to ministers!

If that is the UKBA response to leafleting I imagine BA might start handing them out before arrival too!
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