Anyone else have issues at the T5 passport E-Gates?
Aug 20, 2017, 5:19 pm
#17
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: London
Programs: BA LtG, Flying Blue Plat
Posts: 274
My old one failed all the time, then one day a border agent told me the chip was broken. Applied for a new passport, then it was investigated and found to be ok, so no refund for me. Many cut and paste responses later (obviously not happy), still no resolution. The new one doesn't always work either... I have reached the conclusion that I'm just so pale I'm the same colour as the page and the machine can't recognise any features!
Aug 20, 2017, 6:15 pm
#18
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Glasgow, UK
Programs: Seigneur des Tarifs Utils First Class Mucci with Honours :) - BA GGL / CCR
Posts: 1,551
Incidentally my brothers, wife's, parents passports all work fine and we all have the same surname although very common like you suggest
Looks like I'm not the only one with issues. On regards to technique I push the passport all yhe way in and hold it down evenly with my palm. Is that wrong lol?
Either way, it's very annoying!
Aug 20, 2017, 6:37 pm
#20
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 698
The T5 ones work for me more often than not - that said, I get a few rejects.
Never a positive result at the T3 ones though. Don't know why that is.
Are the machines 100% automatic or is there a bit of human input? Is it a human who matches the pictures?
Never a positive result at the T3 ones though. Don't know why that is.
Are the machines 100% automatic or is there a bit of human input? Is it a human who matches the pictures?
Aug 20, 2017, 6:41 pm
#21
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYZ
Programs: BA Gold/Marriott Gold/HH Diamond/IC Plat Amba
Posts: 5,989
Aug 20, 2017, 7:59 pm
#22
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Bristol
Programs: BA GGL, UA Plat, DL Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,380
My passport reads perfectly everywhere in the world (that I've tried !) with the exception of LGW and LHR 
Last week it was very quiet so I was able to chat to the BF guy for a couple of minutes. He agreed with me that the machines are shoddy, but cheerfully made the point that re jobs it was probably no bad thing they still need lots of human intervention
EDIT: He also said that my chip was working fine, the passport itself was undamaged and the picture was clearly me... so no clue why it doesn't work
Last week it was very quiet so I was able to chat to the BF guy for a couple of minutes. He agreed with me that the machines are shoddy, but cheerfully made the point that re jobs it was probably no bad thing they still need lots of human intervention
EDIT: He also said that my chip was working fine, the passport itself was undamaged and the picture was clearly me... so no clue why it doesn't work
Last edited by Fitch; Aug 21, 2017 at 11:41 pm Reason: Additional info
Aug 20, 2017, 11:51 pm
#23
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Singapore
Programs: BA Gold. KrisFlyer Gold
Posts: 732
Had exactly the same problem and one of the officers suggested I hold the passport down onto the glass as firmly as possible. That fixed it. Is your passport creased at all? Apart from not having enough pages (even the extended length versions), the British/European passport has never been as robust as its counterparts elsewhere IME.
Aug 21, 2017, 12:19 am
#24
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Piedmont, Italy; Cheshire, UK
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 389
Like the OP, after 3 seconds or so the machine instructs to 'seek assistance'.
Aug 21, 2017, 12:20 am
#25
Join Date: Jul 2014
Programs: Mucci de l'Arbitrage
Posts: 927
Aug 21, 2017, 1:22 am
#26
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: UK
Programs: Tufty Club (Gold), BAGA Gymnastics level 4, 440yds swimming certificate
Posts: 2,533
Mine never works. Even getting a new passport hasn't fixed it.
Theres some sort of alert on my passport as I apparently have the same name as someone else whos a bit dodgy. A picture of him flashes up when I go to a manned desk and its clearly not me.
But this has to be confirmed everytime, as there is no way of removing the incorrect information apparently.
Theres some sort of alert on my passport as I apparently have the same name as someone else whos a bit dodgy. A picture of him flashes up when I go to a manned desk and its clearly not me.
But this has to be confirmed everytime, as there is no way of removing the incorrect information apparently.
Aug 21, 2017, 1:40 am
#27
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Balham - Gateway to The South
Programs: BA Bronze
Posts: 2,020
Mine works- mostly. In my case I put it down to 'operator error' due to my normal brain fog after flying 
I try and run through the way I should insert my passport into the reader before I reach the e gate but sometimes even when I do it all perfectly the gate can throw a wobbly.
I have less luck on the e gates things at JFK (or any US airport that has them) as my fingerprints seem to 'stop working' - even the border agent can have problems taking them !
I try and run through the way I should insert my passport into the reader before I reach the e gate but sometimes even when I do it all perfectly the gate can throw a wobbly.
I have less luck on the e gates things at JFK (or any US airport that has them) as my fingerprints seem to 'stop working' - even the border agent can have problems taking them !
Aug 21, 2017, 2:44 am
#28
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: London
Programs: IHG Spire Amb, BA Gold, Hyatt
Posts: 131
Mine works at T5 100% of the time when I am not wearing my glasses. However, with my glasses it always fails but if I try it again after removing them it works. My husband has the same problem with his glasses as well. I don't know if it is something about the frameless glasses but it completely won't accept my passport as long as they are on my face.
Aug 21, 2017, 2:56 am
#29
Join Date: Jan 2015
Programs: BA GGL
Posts: 251
Mine fails every time at the T5 gates. Works fine in the rare instances I've scanned it abroad. I think the border agents make it up as they go along! I've had the following explanations for the problem:
- there's a problem with a certain print batch being too shiny for the machines
- there's a problem with the gates that should be fixed soon (heard this today)
- the chip on my passport is broken (this one seemed plausible because the agent took five attempts to scan it on her machine)
Can't say it's ever slowed me down materially, but maybe I've been lucky with the wait times at the manual desks.
- there's a problem with a certain print batch being too shiny for the machines
- there's a problem with the gates that should be fixed soon (heard this today)
- the chip on my passport is broken (this one seemed plausible because the agent took five attempts to scan it on her machine)
Can't say it's ever slowed me down materially, but maybe I've been lucky with the wait times at the manual desks.
Aug 21, 2017, 4:13 am
#30
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: LON, ACK, BOS..... (Not necessarily in that order)
Programs: **Mucci Diamond Hairbrush** - compared to that nothing else matters (+BA Bronze)
Posts: 15,127
I do normally have about 50% success with my passport and the gates. There used to be an app that some folks at the passport office (not an official app from memory) had developed that read your passport. It displayed the results on your phone (after you'd entered your DOB etc.) and you could check your chip that way. It was very handy and I had it on a previous phone but it appears not to be available anymore. This https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...land.chk&hl=en was the link to the app and if anyone knows Duncan Westland and can get the app put back on the play store I'd be very grateful. A review can be found here https://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/0...ssport_reader/
Last edited by Jimmie76; Aug 21, 2017 at 4:27 am