Passport never works at eGates?
#616
Join Date: Feb 2021
Programs: BA Exec Club
Posts: 76
The proportion of UK passports being added into the queues in the EU is much less than the proportion of passengers that would be added to queues in the UK from removing eGates access to EU passports. Remove the US and other passports too and the situation would fast become intolerable.
There is no point making things worse out of spite here to make a point. As I said, UK passport holders would suffer as a result of this as well.
There is no point making things worse out of spite here to make a point. As I said, UK passport holders would suffer as a result of this as well.
Yes, queues at the desks for non-UK passport holders would be awful, but the queues at the UK e-gates for UK passport holders would be much reduced as only UK passport holders would be allowed to use them.
So, if you are a European passport holder, getting through the UK border without e-gate access would take an hour or more - just as long as it now takes a UK citizen to get through a European border.
In my view, the only countries that should be allowed to use the UK e-gates are UK passport holders and passport holders of countries that allow UK passport holders to use their e-gates (Australia and the UAE come to mind).
#617
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYZ
Programs: BA Gold/Marriott Gold/HH Diamond/IC Plat Amba
Posts: 5,992
It's far easier for a Canadian to enter the UK through the e-gates than return to their own country. Anyone who flies BA and has gone through the hellhole that is YYZ T3 immigration hall with it's idiotic 4 checks snaking forever through tensa barriers to get the hell out will know what I'm talking about. Canadian passport holders don't even have a separate line
#618
Join Date: Oct 2021
Location: London (née Melbourne)
Programs: Qantas Platinum (Oneworld Emerald)
Posts: 988
Many EU countries airports now allow us to use their eGates, and they all work flawlessly with my passport, unlike the UK’s consistent “seek assistance”. Although it does seem somewhat pointless as we then have to go to a desk to get a stamp.
#620
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold / Hilton Diamond / IHG Diamond Ambassador / Marriot Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 2,536
Use of U.K. E gates but multiple nationalities is welcoming and welcome but it should have been restricted to those countries that reciprocated. The USA being a case in point. It is testament to the both the subservient nature of the special relationship and inadequacy of the home office.
I saw last night that before I can apply for global entry I must first get clearance from the U.K. at a cost of £42 before I can ever apply. Is that correct?
indeed and it’s impossible to avoid unlike here where the signs telling some nationalities to get a stamp are at the baggage belts. Not sure I’d bother!
Not in the least surprised by this
I saw last night that before I can apply for global entry I must first get clearance from the U.K. at a cost of £42 before I can ever apply. Is that correct?
Not in the least surprised by this
#621
Join Date: Nov 2018
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 876
The only places I’ve managed to go through eGates is Mexico City (only a few gates - 3 or 4), Sydney (slightly more gates but a rather convoluted system though it worked well enough) and Singapore (big queues for about four gates). Places like Tokyo involved a 90 minute queue (and we were first off) and most EU places I’ve been to recently involve around a 15-30 minute queue.
I’m not saying the U.K. system is perfect however nowhere else in the world (that I’ve seen - I’m sure most people on here are far more travelled than me) has as many eGates AND accepts quite so many nationalities through them. For free!
For all the complaints by a tiny few who struggle to get through them, I’d say it’s up there as being one of the easiest and quickest immigration systems to get through for the largest number of people (a potential pool of around a billion people). Nowhere else in the world has this.
Of course if you’re S African or Thai or one of the other non eGate nationals then the picture is slightly less rosy. But no worse than going into South Africa for a U.K. citizen or BKK etc.
#622
Join Date: Nov 2018
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 876
If they don’t then it can apparently throw up problems with their work. A lot are musicians and models, actors etc and apparently their passports are checked to make sure they have the requisite stamp. So it’s in their interests to do it.
Others might be coming in for an extended work visa, study visa and again it’s in their interests to get a stamp else it might lead to overstaying problems down the line.
So whilst you might not bother, the people it’s directed to are generally law abiding and keen to avoid issues and probably will bother.
#623
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Kent, UK
Programs: M&S Elite+
Posts: 3,658
Last time I visited Italy used the e-gates and they worked quickly first time with no queue. They were trialling them in Ivory Coast last year and they worked well with my UK passport too. To be fair, it only took two tries at LGW last night to get through and my 11yo daughter managed to get through for the first time at T3 last month.
#624
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: BA, AA, Lufthansa
Posts: 27
I am going to unsubscribe from this thread, marking the issue as "solved" (HO systems upgrade) for most of us, and noting that the recent topic drift underlines that the original issue is solved. Thanks for the help.
#625
Join Date: Jan 2014
Programs: BAEC GfL, currently GGL
Posts: 234
and yes, October is going to be “interesting”.
#626
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: UK/Australia
Programs: BAEC Silver, UA2MM, QF Platinum, VA Platinum., Volare Executive Club
Posts: 2,512
However, I did use my newly minted replacement passport without any hitch entering at LHR T2 a few days ago, and have just used it to enter Albania at TIA via the automated gates without an issue.