New e-gates in T5 LHR
Jan 3, 2017, 1:55 pm
#106
Moderator: Qatar Airways
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Just to update this for T5 arrivals. The keen eyed will have noticed some building work around the e-gates recently. Well the covers are nearly off, and an additional 9 e-gates are being added to the collection, to bring the total up to 25 e-gates in all. I would guess the new gates will come on stream in the next few days.
Having plenty of e-Gates, and having plenty of open e-Gates, are two very different options.
M
Jan 3, 2017, 2:02 pm
#107
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 331
I'm assuming this conclusively makes (or will make) T4 the worst port of entry in LHR? My last few arrivals into the southernmost terminal have been filled less with nostalgia and more with annoyance at waiting in a queue snaking down the corridor toward 6 (or fewer!) eGates.
Jan 3, 2017, 2:41 pm
#108
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
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Jan 3, 2017, 2:51 pm
#109
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: London
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T3 had some interesting problems the other day. A large number of the gates were accepting passengers, scanning the passports and making initial moves to align the camera, but very promptly failing to 'seek assistance'. I personally tried multiple gates with the same result. UK and European passports alike were being rejected.
Interestingly, about 15% of passengers on these gates successfully advanced to the face-matching procedure.
For reference, my passport is relatively new, has worked in these gates many times before, and caused no raised eyebrows when inspected by the old-fashioned method, including a scan in the computer.
Interestingly, about 15% of passengers on these gates successfully advanced to the face-matching procedure.
For reference, my passport is relatively new, has worked in these gates many times before, and caused no raised eyebrows when inspected by the old-fashioned method, including a scan in the computer.
Jan 3, 2017, 3:05 pm
#110
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: London
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Just to update this for T5 arrivals. The keen eyed will have noticed some building work around the e-gates recently. Well the covers are nearly off, and an additional 9 e-gates are being added to the collection, to bring the total up to 25 e-gates in all. I would guess the new gates will come on stream in the next few days.
Apr 24, 2017, 1:12 pm
#112
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Flatland
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Apr 24, 2017, 1:21 pm
#113
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Flatland
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold 1MM, BA Gold, UA Peon
Posts: 6,111
The non-EU line can be very slow, unfortunately, and at least one member of staff marshalling the queue is astonishingly rude (I have not seen him for some time so perhaps he has been fired, good riddance if so).
But if you are e-gate-capable, it's usually ok these days,
Apr 24, 2017, 1:44 pm
#114
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 114
I do wish they'd open more, assuming they are 100% automatic (which I assume they are?) why not leave all of them open all of the time? Another of lifes great mysteries I guess.
Do we know if they are the same make/model as the ones already installed? The light always reflects off my glasses and after an agonising 60 seconds it rejects me (I try and take my glasses off but sometimes forget until it's too late). The ones in Italy seem perfectly OK with my glasses, taking on average 5 seconds to recognise me and let me through.
Do we know if they are the same make/model as the ones already installed? The light always reflects off my glasses and after an agonising 60 seconds it rejects me (I try and take my glasses off but sometimes forget until it's too late). The ones in Italy seem perfectly OK with my glasses, taking on average 5 seconds to recognise me and let me through.
Apr 24, 2017, 1:50 pm
#115
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
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I do wish they'd open more, assuming they are 100% automatic (which I assume they are?) why not leave all of them open all of the time? Another of lifes great mysteries I guess.
Do we know if they are the same make/model as the ones already installed? The light always reflects off my glasses and after an agonising 60 seconds it rejects me (I try and take my glasses off but sometimes forget until it's too late). The ones in Italy seem perfectly OK with my glasses, taking on average 5 seconds to recognise me and let me through.
Do we know if they are the same make/model as the ones already installed? The light always reflects off my glasses and after an agonising 60 seconds it rejects me (I try and take my glasses off but sometimes forget until it's too late). The ones in Italy seem perfectly OK with my glasses, taking on average 5 seconds to recognise me and let me through.
For spectacles, since part of this is about measurement data, you are best to take your spectacles off for both scans, to avoid light refraction off the lenses causing the algorithm not to work.
Apr 24, 2017, 3:28 pm
#116
Join Date: Jan 2015
Programs: BA GGL
Posts: 251
Do the e-gates struggle with new style passports?
I got a new passport in December 2016. The photo page is much flimsier than my previous passport issued in 2006. I'd guess it fails about 70% of the time at the e-gates. Sometimes it works at second attempt, and sometimes it fails a couple of times and tells me to seek assistance.
Last time I needed to seek assistance I asked the officer if this was a big issue. He said "98%" of new passports fail due to the photo pages being too reflective. My impression was that he was referring to a dodgy batch of passports. I assume an exaggeration! But am I just unlucky?
Apologies if already covered.
Edit to add: the 98% comment was in LHR T3, but most of my issues (flights) are T5.
I got a new passport in December 2016. The photo page is much flimsier than my previous passport issued in 2006. I'd guess it fails about 70% of the time at the e-gates. Sometimes it works at second attempt, and sometimes it fails a couple of times and tells me to seek assistance.
Last time I needed to seek assistance I asked the officer if this was a big issue. He said "98%" of new passports fail due to the photo pages being too reflective. My impression was that he was referring to a dodgy batch of passports. I assume an exaggeration! But am I just unlucky?
Apologies if already covered.
Edit to add: the 98% comment was in LHR T3, but most of my issues (flights) are T5.
Last edited by woglet86; Apr 24, 2017 at 3:34 pm
Apr 24, 2017, 4:10 pm
#117
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: London
Programs: BAEC-GGL, GFL, *A Gold, Hilton Diamond , IHG Diamond/Ambassador
Posts: 244
They work by showing the photo on the chip on the passport and the users face to an immigration officer.
The officer has 8 triple images to look at And has to press a button to let the person through or not.
So 1 officer per 8 gstes. That's why they open in batvbrd of 8.
JustJust aa waywayto streamline a human process.
The officer has 8 triple images to look at And has to press a button to let the person through or not.
So 1 officer per 8 gstes. That's why they open in batvbrd of 8.
JustJust aa waywayto streamline a human process.
Apr 24, 2017, 5:08 pm
#118
Join Date: May 2006
Programs: Marriott Platinum, BA GGL
Posts: 237
Do the e-gates struggle with new style passports?
I got a new passport in December 2016. The photo page is much flimsier than my previous passport issued in 2006. I'd guess it fails about 70% of the time at the e-gates. Sometimes it works at second attempt, and sometimes it fails a couple of times and tells me to seek assistance.
Last time I needed to seek assistance I asked the officer if this was a big issue. He said "98%" of new passports fail due to the photo pages being too reflective. My impression was that he was referring to a dodgy batch of passports. I assume an exaggeration! But am I just unlucky?
Apologies if already covered.
Edit to add: the 98% comment was in LHR T3, but most of my issues (flights) are T5.
I got a new passport in December 2016. The photo page is much flimsier than my previous passport issued in 2006. I'd guess it fails about 70% of the time at the e-gates. Sometimes it works at second attempt, and sometimes it fails a couple of times and tells me to seek assistance.
Last time I needed to seek assistance I asked the officer if this was a big issue. He said "98%" of new passports fail due to the photo pages being too reflective. My impression was that he was referring to a dodgy batch of passports. I assume an exaggeration! But am I just unlucky?
Apologies if already covered.
Edit to add: the 98% comment was in LHR T3, but most of my issues (flights) are T5.
Apr 24, 2017, 11:48 pm
#119
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: SYD
Programs: BAEC GGL, HH D, QFF, EB
Posts: 404
Do the e-gates struggle with new style passports?
I got a new passport in December 2016. The photo page is much flimsier than my previous passport issued in 2006. I'd guess it fails about 70% of the time at the e-gates. Sometimes it works at second attempt, and sometimes it fails a couple of times and tells me to seek assistance.
Last time I needed to seek assistance I asked the officer if this was a big issue. He said "98%" of new passports fail due to the photo pages being too reflective. My impression was that he was referring to a dodgy batch of passports. I assume an exaggeration! But am I just unlucky?
Apologies if already covered.
Edit to add: the 98% comment was in LHR T3, but most of my issues (flights) are T5.
I got a new passport in December 2016. The photo page is much flimsier than my previous passport issued in 2006. I'd guess it fails about 70% of the time at the e-gates. Sometimes it works at second attempt, and sometimes it fails a couple of times and tells me to seek assistance.
Last time I needed to seek assistance I asked the officer if this was a big issue. He said "98%" of new passports fail due to the photo pages being too reflective. My impression was that he was referring to a dodgy batch of passports. I assume an exaggeration! But am I just unlucky?
Apologies if already covered.
Edit to add: the 98% comment was in LHR T3, but most of my issues (flights) are T5.
Either they try multiple times or on the 2nd try they manually input the details.
Apr 25, 2017, 7:14 am
#120
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: London
Programs: BA GfL & GGL, LH Sen, EK & VS Gold, Amex Cent
Posts: 1,719
I don't understand why they just can't all be on at all times.
The other day I landed behind an AY A350 flight - the machines were rejecting every Finnish passport and even the lady said "sometimes we have problems with Finnish passports". The queue for a manual check snaked out.
At the same time the flimsy British passports don't always work either. Why can't there be a standard machine in the world, that is fast, efficient and high quality?? The back end can be proprietary for each country....
The other day I landed behind an AY A350 flight - the machines were rejecting every Finnish passport and even the lady said "sometimes we have problems with Finnish passports". The queue for a manual check snaked out.
At the same time the flimsy British passports don't always work either. Why can't there be a standard machine in the world, that is fast, efficient and high quality?? The back end can be proprietary for each country....