Word with the fuzz!
Sep 14, 2018, 5:36 am
#31
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Herts, UK
Programs: BAEC GGL, HH Diamond.
Posts: 3,177
My only issues are coming back into the UK! My passport NEVER works in the e-machines, despite working everywhere else in Europe, and I'm always questioned for longer than everyone else. They scrutinise my passport, ask where I've been and check my flight number before letting me through, and then always write something down as I leave the desk. It's very strange!
Sep 14, 2018, 7:30 am
#32
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Cheltenham
Programs: KLM Plat for Life , BA Gold, HH Silver, (Other half Diamond), IHG Gold
Posts: 2,398
My Passport has not worked at e gates in the UK since they were introduced. I always have to be manually checked. In the rest of Europe it works perfectly. Apparently it is because I am a Smith with similar credentials as some one who is wanted. What is frustrating is that the computer system is incapable of learning or being updated that I have been checked previously. Its Smith discrimination ; apparently Jones and Kumars are subject to the same issue regularly . Also frustrating is the fact that they always insist on me trying the e gates despite me telling them it never works. The only positive is that my better half usually gets to the luggage belt first.
Sep 14, 2018, 1:15 pm
#33
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Effectively grounded
Programs: BA GGL for a little while longer
Posts: 844
My Passport has not worked at e gates in the UK since they were introduced. I always have to be manually checked. In the rest of Europe it works perfectly. Apparently it is because I am a Smith with similar credentials as some one who is wanted. What is frustrating is that the computer system is incapable of learning or being updated that I have been checked previously. Its Smith discrimination ; apparently Jones and Kumars are subject to the same issue regularly . Also frustrating is the fact that they always insist on me trying the e gates despite me telling them it never works. The only positive is that my better half usually gets to the luggage belt first.
Sep 14, 2018, 2:45 pm
#34
Join Date: Jan 2015
Programs: BA silver
Posts: 63
I find its usually quicker to get rejected by the e-gates and see the Border Force officer than to queue for the manual check, particularly at Gatwick. I still miss Iris though as I never had a problem with that.
Sep 14, 2018, 4:40 pm
#35
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: BA Exec Club
Posts: 580
Last week I did a 3 night trip to Middle East. On returning to T4 due to passport issues I got the border force officer demanding to know why I had travelled and how long for. I politely told him that as a UK passport holder, I didnt understand why he needed to know, particularly as e-gates wouldnt ask.
He got very grumpy and slow timed giving me my passport back as a result, doing a page by page search.
As I had stayed calm and polite throughout, I asked him how to complain about his conduct. I made an immediate verbal complaint to duty manager and followed up with a written one. I am on BF side until they choose to be unprofessional in their conduct.
He got very grumpy and slow timed giving me my passport back as a result, doing a page by page search.
As I had stayed calm and polite throughout, I asked him how to complain about his conduct. I made an immediate verbal complaint to duty manager and followed up with a written one. I am on BF side until they choose to be unprofessional in their conduct.
Sep 15, 2018, 2:55 am
#36
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: BA GGL
Posts: 2,447
My experience hasn't been with police, but US Homeland Security: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club/1907401-homeland-security-interview-after-cai-lhr-before-allowing-lhr-jfk-3.html
Was effectively removed from flight manifest until the powers gave the ok for the airline to continue, from what I can tell. A strange experience, but I'm sort-of pleased that checks do take place for unusual travel behaviour.
It's caused no issue since in obtaining US Visa and TSA Pre/Global Entry.
Was effectively removed from flight manifest until the powers gave the ok for the airline to continue, from what I can tell. A strange experience, but I'm sort-of pleased that checks do take place for unusual travel behaviour.
It's caused no issue since in obtaining US Visa and TSA Pre/Global Entry.
Sep 16, 2018, 12:58 am
#37
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Around somewhere
Programs: Gold, Some red card and some hotel cards.
Posts: 708
I don't see the problem with going to HEL and staying overnight for 2 or 3 weekends.
From my reading the OP made his original flight, which was delayed, and he could have made his connecting flight but EK had offloaded him preemptively.
My wife's passport rarely works at the e-gate. On our last UK re-entry, the officer at the failed e-gate desk told her to look into a camera next to him, which matched her face to her passport photo using software, or so he claimed. He then said she needed to be more careful to place the passport flat on the reader (the machine in AMS?? which sucks your passport in created a small bend in her photo page 3 years ago).
My impression was that in the rest of Europe it is a manual process, but in the UK it is partially automated.
For a time I was flagged and my passport was instantly rejected by the e-gate as soon as I placed it on the reader, but the flag seems to have been lifted. I figured out why and will try not to trigger it again
I hope AMS-BKK is not actually an automatic trigger as I'm doing another one of those soon...
How does asking where one has travelled from ascertain one's citizenship?
From my reading the OP made his original flight, which was delayed, and he could have made his connecting flight but EK had offloaded him preemptively.
My wife's passport rarely works at the e-gate. On our last UK re-entry, the officer at the failed e-gate desk told her to look into a camera next to him, which matched her face to her passport photo using software, or so he claimed. He then said she needed to be more careful to place the passport flat on the reader (the machine in AMS?? which sucks your passport in created a small bend in her photo page 3 years ago).
My impression was that in the rest of Europe it is a manual process, but in the UK it is partially automated.
For a time I was flagged and my passport was instantly rejected by the e-gate as soon as I placed it on the reader, but the flag seems to have been lifted. I figured out why and will try not to trigger it again
I hope AMS-BKK is not actually an automatic trigger as I'm doing another one of those soon...How does asking where one has travelled from ascertain one's citizenship?
Sep 20, 2018, 9:37 am
#38
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: England
Programs: BA Bronze, EK Silver
Posts: 47
Latest update on this issue, flew into Stanstead on Emirates after a very difficult past week of disruptions in HKG due to the typhoon. I was stuck in BKK for 2 days before finally making it to HKG and was finally rebooked on to flights back to the UK. The routing involved flying from HKG to BKK then onwards to DXB before making the connection to STN.
Upon arrival and queuing in the priority lane at immigration my passport tripped something off as the girl at the desk asked me if I had any problems flying recently, specifically if I was stopped while aboard. I answered no as I hadn't been stopped once while out in BKK of HKG but then divulged that I had two officers approach me at BHX. She then tensed her face as she said she would have to stop me and send someone over to do some questioning.
I'm wondering if I hadn't said anything about BHX would she have let me through but the fact that she even had to ask me questions suggests not.
So a border force officer comes along and directs me to a small pen where I sit for a few minutes before 2 officers approach me and ask me about where I had come from, interestingly they only knew that I had flown in from DXB and had no idea about HKG BKK.
They asked me the usual questions only this time they asked to inspect my bags and went throughly through my belongings. I must admit at this point I was a bit worried as I had planned on buying an iPhone and macbook in HKG from my cousin who works for Apple over there so I had the cash to give him. But my plans were scuppered by the typhoon disruptions so I came back with over £2k but was told this was well within the 11k euro limit so nothing to worry about.
They noted my itinerary, and probably made a few other notes and told me that I was good to go. I asked about how I can stop these stops for next time as it could prove very troublesome if I'm ever on a tight schedule and the girl inspecting my belongings passed on a letter with details about how to complain to the relevant body.
I'm beginning to think that the root cause of this was my choice of destinations during the BA 16K promo, specifically Amsterdam 3 times in a month and a quick turnaround in Bordeaux which first brought the flag up according to the police officer at BHX. What compounds matter is that my next trips have involved flying into Dubai and Bangkok, no doubt vice hotspots.
Has anyone got any experience of writing a letter of complaint and what happened after as I really could do without this bother for the next travels.
Upon arrival and queuing in the priority lane at immigration my passport tripped something off as the girl at the desk asked me if I had any problems flying recently, specifically if I was stopped while aboard. I answered no as I hadn't been stopped once while out in BKK of HKG but then divulged that I had two officers approach me at BHX. She then tensed her face as she said she would have to stop me and send someone over to do some questioning.
I'm wondering if I hadn't said anything about BHX would she have let me through but the fact that she even had to ask me questions suggests not.
So a border force officer comes along and directs me to a small pen where I sit for a few minutes before 2 officers approach me and ask me about where I had come from, interestingly they only knew that I had flown in from DXB and had no idea about HKG BKK.
They asked me the usual questions only this time they asked to inspect my bags and went throughly through my belongings. I must admit at this point I was a bit worried as I had planned on buying an iPhone and macbook in HKG from my cousin who works for Apple over there so I had the cash to give him. But my plans were scuppered by the typhoon disruptions so I came back with over £2k but was told this was well within the 11k euro limit so nothing to worry about.
They noted my itinerary, and probably made a few other notes and told me that I was good to go. I asked about how I can stop these stops for next time as it could prove very troublesome if I'm ever on a tight schedule and the girl inspecting my belongings passed on a letter with details about how to complain to the relevant body.
I'm beginning to think that the root cause of this was my choice of destinations during the BA 16K promo, specifically Amsterdam 3 times in a month and a quick turnaround in Bordeaux which first brought the flag up according to the police officer at BHX. What compounds matter is that my next trips have involved flying into Dubai and Bangkok, no doubt vice hotspots.
Has anyone got any experience of writing a letter of complaint and what happened after as I really could do without this bother for the next travels.
Sep 20, 2018, 12:15 pm
#40
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: M4, T5, DME, DXB, CAI, SDF among many others
Programs: BAEC GfL/GGL/CCR, BA Amex, Quidco, IHG Spire, Hotels.com Reinstated Gold)
Posts: 272
My only issues are coming back into the UK! My passport NEVER works in the e-machines, despite working everywhere else in Europe, and I'm always questioned for longer than everyone else. They scrutinise my passport, ask where I've been and check my flight number before letting me through, and then always write something down as I leave the desk. It's very strange!
Sep 20, 2018, 12:51 pm
#41
Join Date: Dec 2013
Programs: NZ Airpoints GE, Qantas Platinum, Accor Diamond, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 962
Not a run-in with UK Border Force, but I had arrived at CDG and met a client. We walked through the RER as we were meeting officials from Air France at their HQ at CDG. Very shortly a guy showed his badge, made us lie on the floor and about four other plain clothes cops emerged from the crowd and surrounded us. Our luggage was opened and searched and I heard them say in French ‘it’s not them, we have the wrong guys’. A grudging ‘you can go’ - we picked ourselves up and were in shock. Amazing that we had been tailed and were oblivious to them.
another reason for me to avoid CDG.
another reason for me to avoid CDG.
Sep 20, 2018, 1:55 pm
#42
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London, UK
Posts: 5,655
Not a run-in with UK Border Force, but I had arrived at CDG and met a client. We walked through the RER as we were meeting officials from Air France at their HQ at CDG. Very shortly a guy showed his badge, made us lie on the floor and about four other plain clothes cops emerged from the crowd and surrounded us. Our luggage was opened and searched and I heard them say in French ‘it’s not them, we have the wrong guys’. A grudging ‘you can go’ - we picked ourselves up and were in shock. Amazing that we had been tailed and were oblivious to them.
another reason for me to avoid CDG.
another reason for me to avoid CDG.
Oct 1, 2018, 7:52 am
#43
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Glasgow / London
Programs: BA GGL
Posts: 3,457
Oct 3, 2018, 12:02 am
#45
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: BA GGL
Posts: 2,447
My Passport has not worked at e gates in the UK since they were introduced. I always have to be manually checked. In the rest of Europe it works perfectly. Apparently it is because I am a Smith with similar credentials as some one who is wanted. What is frustrating is that the computer system is incapable of learning or being updated that I have been checked previously. Its Smith discrimination ; apparently Jones and Kumars are subject to the same issue regularly . Also frustrating is the fact that they always insist on me trying the e gates despite me telling them it never works. The only positive is that my better half usually gets to the luggage belt first.