BA & Dubai
Jan 6, 2021, 2:26 am
#436
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 118
A poster on the Points Guy UK Facebook group stated that UK border force were working at check in and called him to verify his colleagues' trip to the UAE was legitimate. They also offloaded some passengers who did not a valid reason to travel. He did not confirm if this was BA/EK/EY. It would be interesting if anyone else experienced this.
Jan 6, 2021, 2:35 am
#437
Suspended
Join Date: May 2017
Programs: SQ PPS
Posts: 46
A poster on the Points Guy UK Facebook group stated that UK border force were working at check in and called him to verify his colleagues' trip to the UAE was legitimate. They also offloaded some passengers who did not a valid reason to travel. He did not confirm if this was BA/EK/EY. It would be interesting if anyone else experienced this.
Why?
Couldn’t he hear them from behind the counter?
Jan 6, 2021, 2:47 am
#439
Suspended
Join Date: May 2017
Programs: SQ PPS
Posts: 46
No, I understood that they called his colleague.
I just fail to understand what right they have to ask anyone other than the person travelling questions.
This is coming from someone who has their silk. So better to not begin on the legal aspect.
I just fail to understand what right they have to ask anyone other than the person travelling questions.
This is coming from someone who has their silk. So better to not begin on the legal aspect.
Jan 6, 2021, 2:47 am
#440
Join Date: Apr 2016
Programs: Bonvoy Titanium, Hilton Diamond, BA Silver, IHG Spire, AMEX Plat
Posts: 608
A poster on the Points Guy UK Facebook group stated that UK border force were working at check in and called him to verify his colleagues' trip to the UAE was legitimate. They also offloaded some passengers who did not a valid reason to travel. He did not confirm if this was BA/EK/EY. It would be interesting if anyone else experienced this.
Anyway isn’t this thread about BA & Dubai not the legality of people allowed to travel or not for their job (perfectly legal) weather you value their work or not.
Jan 6, 2021, 2:59 am
#441
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Gold, Marriott LT Platinum
Posts: 2,339
I’ll be amazed, they can’t put enough people to check incoming passengers but they have time for this. Border force doesn’t have any enforcement powers on essential travel within the UK either, it’s a police matter. Under what law were they offloading people onboard a plane since there is nothing in the SI actually outlawing travel abroad in England.
Anyway isn’t this thread about BA & Dubai not the legality of people allowed to travel or not for their job (perfectly legal) weather you value their work or not.
Anyway isn’t this thread about BA & Dubai not the legality of people allowed to travel or not for their job (perfectly legal) weather you value their work or not.
Jan 6, 2021, 3:02 am
#442
Ambassador: Emirates Airlines
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 18,618
Jan 6, 2021, 3:07 am
#443
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Lincoln, UK
Programs: BAEC Gold, IHG Spire Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 1,267
Just to bring this back to the law
(5) Exception 2 is that it is reasonably necessary for P to leave or be outside P’s home—
(a)for the purposes of work or to provide voluntary or charitable services, where it is not reasonably possible for P to work, or to provide those services, from home”. (my emphasis)
So it’s not the case that all ‘work’ is automatically ok. To have a reasonable excuse for leaving or being away from home, it must be reasonably necessary to leave / be away and it not be reasonably possible to do that work from home.
(5) Exception 2 is that it is reasonably necessary for P to leave or be outside P’s home—
(a)for the purposes of work or to provide voluntary or charitable services, where it is not reasonably possible for P to work, or to provide those services, from home”. (my emphasis)
So it’s not the case that all ‘work’ is automatically ok. To have a reasonable excuse for leaving or being away from home, it must be reasonably necessary to leave / be away and it not be reasonably possible to do that work from home.
The problem with the legislation is the same as the problem with most legislation. Until a court defines what the word reasonable actually means in this context and that can become case law, then people have to decide for themselves.
As this thread demonstrates, people all have different interpretations as to what is reasonable. Usually it revolves around what I want to do being reasonable and what others want to do being unreasonable, even if that is what I want to do.
Jan 6, 2021, 3:17 am
#444
Join Date: Apr 2016
Programs: Bonvoy Titanium, Hilton Diamond, BA Silver, IHG Spire, AMEX Plat
Posts: 608
much more likely to be mis information or perhaps outside England as I’m not clear on what restrictions are actually in place in Scottish or Welsh law.
Jan 6, 2021, 3:26 am
#445
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Gold, Marriott LT Platinum
Posts: 2,339
Well, given the limited visibility of border force at Heathrow in general I can't imagine that they now deploy border officers who individually interview anyone and even have the time to call employers, and obviously they have now the skill to identify who's going to Dubai once someone enters the terminal and ask especially this person. Given that, I think it's a prank post of someone in reaction to yesterday's BBC News article. It would be more credible to me if someone of the valued members of this forum gets checked in person.
Jan 6, 2021, 4:06 am
#446
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 98
imagine the scene....
Border Force: Excuse me sir, i need to ring the number of your employer to verify your reason for travel...
Self-employed passenger: Sure thing, the number is 07.......
BF: *rings number
SEP: excuse me, i've got a phone call
BF: hello, i'm with Joe Blogs, could you please verify that he is travelling for work
SEP (Joe Blogs): yup, he is
BF: thank you sir, sorry for bothering you
SEP: no problem, have a nice day... and get some rest, you look tired
i mean seriously..... what really can they do?
Border Force: Excuse me sir, i need to ring the number of your employer to verify your reason for travel...
Self-employed passenger: Sure thing, the number is 07.......
BF: *rings number
SEP: excuse me, i've got a phone call
BF: hello, i'm with Joe Blogs, could you please verify that he is travelling for work
SEP (Joe Blogs): yup, he is
BF: thank you sir, sorry for bothering you
SEP: no problem, have a nice day... and get some rest, you look tired
i mean seriously..... what really can they do?
Jan 6, 2021, 4:12 am
#448
Join Date: Jun 2020
Posts: 125
imagine the scene....
Border Force: Excuse me sir, i need to ring the number of your employer to verify your reason for travel...
Self-employed passenger: Sure thing, the number is 07.......
BF: *rings number
SEP: excuse me, i've got a phone call
BF: hello, i'm with Joe Blogs, could you please verify that he is travelling for work
SEP (Joe Blogs): yup, he is
BF: thank you sir, sorry for bothering you
SEP: no problem, have a nice day... and get some rest, you look tired
i mean seriously..... what really can they do?
Border Force: Excuse me sir, i need to ring the number of your employer to verify your reason for travel...
Self-employed passenger: Sure thing, the number is 07.......
BF: *rings number
SEP: excuse me, i've got a phone call
BF: hello, i'm with Joe Blogs, could you please verify that he is travelling for work
SEP (Joe Blogs): yup, he is
BF: thank you sir, sorry for bothering you
SEP: no problem, have a nice day... and get some rest, you look tired
i mean seriously..... what really can they do?
I would be beyond amazed if a direction came from on high that there is now a new requirement - to phone passengers' employers (based on a number given by the passengers at the desk) to confirm travel is OK, and all Border Force staff said "Sure, that's fine. We'll add it to our tasks without further ado."
Come on...
Jan 6, 2021, 4:17 am
#449
Ambassador: Emirates Airlines
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 18,618
Well, given the limited visibility of border force at Heathrow in general I can't imagine that they now deploy border officers who individually interview anyone and even have the time to call employers, and obviously they have now the skill to identify who's going to Dubai once someone enters the terminal and ask especially this person. Given that, I think it's a prank post of someone in reaction to yesterday's BBC News article. It would be more credible to me if someone of the valued members of this forum gets checked in person.
Jan 6, 2021, 4:21 am
#450
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 7,237
You clearly weren't there when BA LHR Passenger Ops were giving cupcakes away for some reason. There were baggage handlers, engineers, HAL, Border Force, the paramedics on their bicycles, even the Met armed officers came by.