e-gates in LHR and LGW down [Tue 7 May - now restored]
May 7, 2024, 3:04 pm
#16
Join Date: Apr 2022
Posts: 4
Just spent about an hour getting through at LGW. Once in the passport hall spoke to a member of staff to say someone needs to go back there as its a health and safety nightmare. He claimed to have gone back there himself twice in the last 20 minutes, which was not factual as I had eyes on him for at least 15 and he hadn't moved.
May 7, 2024, 3:05 pm
#17
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BAEC electrum
Posts: 2,017
There is currrently no extra information here above the reports already in this thread, however the BBC typically update this page as information comes in
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68972065
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68972065
But no bread...
May 7, 2024, 3:06 pm
#18
Join Date: Jul 2009
Programs: BAEC Silver, IHG Diamond
Posts: 7,828
Same a couple of weeks ago when I was last at LHR.
I would put odds on it that someone has been hacking again rather than a "We updated our systems and there was a glitch" sort of thing.
At MAN tomorrow, so lets see what that brings.
I would put odds on it that someone has been hacking again rather than a "We updated our systems and there was a glitch" sort of thing.
At MAN tomorrow, so lets see what that brings.
May 7, 2024, 3:07 pm
#19
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: LHR, LGW
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 3,477
Reports that suspect the Chinese hacked the Military payroll this week! Perhaps they went for the double whammy!
MoD data breach: State involvement cannot be ruled out in armed forces hack, says Grant Shapps https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-68967805
MoD data breach: State involvement cannot be ruled out in armed forces hack, says Grant Shapps https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-68967805
May 7, 2024, 3:08 pm
#20
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: The Hague/London
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, BA LTG, Hilton Diamond, FB Platinum, EK Gold
Posts: 371
So, it took me about 2 hours to get through, everyone needed to be checked manually by Border Force. I arrived about 15 minutes after the systems went down, so others arriving later might have had to wait longer. They handed out water, families with children were prioritised.All in all not a pleasant experience. I am still not clear what the exact issue actually is.
May 7, 2024, 3:08 pm
#21
Join Date: Oct 2023
Posts: 49
Just spent about an hour getting through at LGW. Once in the passport hall spoke to a member of staff to say someone needs to go back there as its a health and safety nightmare. He claimed to have gone back there himself twice in the last 20 minutes, which was not factual as I had eyes on him for at least 15 and he hadn't moved.
Agree staff were unhelpful and uncaring. No water handed out here but maybe there is now that its worse. I think I arrived towards the start of the outage so it might be better managed now
May 7, 2024, 3:10 pm
#22
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: London. Edinburgh, Cornwall
Programs: BA GGL, British Midland Lifetime* Loser
Posts: 7,977
If anyone disrupted is willing to spare the time to brief my colleague to update his piece below I'd be most grateful ... alexander dot [email protected] 
https://www.independent.co.uk/travel...-b2541162.html
https://www.independent.co.uk/travel...-b2541162.html
May 7, 2024, 3:22 pm
#23
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: London
Programs: Sir Ratechaser Seigneur de la Patience d'un Saint (Mucci), BA Silver, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 2,638
May 7, 2024, 3:36 pm
#24
Join Date: May 2006
Location: 5 miles from EMA
Programs: BD, BAEC Pleb, VS Pleb, Accor Pleb, HHonors Gold, Big White Season Pass
Posts: 5,927
The Fails story has updated to say that the eGates are back up. Then it goes on to say that the cause was the secure Wi-Fi going down, then the Border Crossing system had collapsed as well. So who knows.
May 7, 2024, 3:36 pm
#25
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: The Hague/London
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, BA LTG, Hilton Diamond, FB Platinum, EK Gold
Posts: 371
Just to be clear as I see reports that it is an e-gates issue; not the case, it is/was an issue with all border force systems, therefore all passengers needed to be checked manually, meaning passport number, date of birth etc needed to be entered manually to clear arriving passengers, an that is why it all took so long
May 7, 2024, 3:40 pm
#26
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Cheshire
Programs: BA, Accor, Hilton, ITA
Posts: 384
in situations like this is the Domestic Transfer route still able to cope with your connection. When I went thru last week the small number of e gates there were all closed anyhow with 3 border force desks handling the very small queue of half a dozen people. I wonder if the issue might be actually getting to the transfer area in this circumstance!
May 7, 2024, 3:47 pm
#27
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 43,315
in situations like this is the Domestic Transfer route still able to cope with your connection. When I went thru last week the small number of e gates there were all closed anyhow with 3 border force desks handling the very small queue of half a dozen people. I wonder if the issue might be actually getting to the transfer area in this circumstance!
May 7, 2024, 3:52 pm
#29
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: BA Gold, Avis President
Posts: 442
Under these circumstances and assuming you're in no hurry, would not the best strategy be to wind your way back to the F lounge or one of the other lounges...?? Wait a few hours and hopefully they resolve it...??
How would you do that in practice...?? Would you be allowed entrance (assume you have status), but are on an arriving flight as opposed to being properly in transit...??
Say you arrive, take the train and get to immigration...and its a bun fight like today. Do you take the lifts and head down to the passage ways and walk back to the B gate lounge...?? Head up to the departures area and try to get into the F lounge...??
Is this even technically possible...??
Chris
How would you do that in practice...?? Would you be allowed entrance (assume you have status), but are on an arriving flight as opposed to being properly in transit...??
Say you arrive, take the train and get to immigration...and its a bun fight like today. Do you take the lifts and head down to the passage ways and walk back to the B gate lounge...?? Head up to the departures area and try to get into the F lounge...??
Is this even technically possible...??
Chris
Last edited by Chris_G; May 7, 2024 at 3:53 pm Reason: added info
May 7, 2024, 3:57 pm
#30
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 8,842
Under these circumstances and assuming you're in no hurry, would not the best strategy be to wind your way back to the F lounge or one of the other lounges...?? Wait a few hours and hopefully they resolve it...??
How would you do that in practice...?? Would you be allowed entrance (assume you have status), but are on an arriving flight as opposed to being properly in transit...??
Say you arrive, take the train and get to immigration...and its a bun fight like today. Do you take the lifts and head down to the passage ways and walk back to the B gate lounge...?? Head up to the departures area and try to get into the F lounge...??
Is this even technically possible...??
Chris
How would you do that in practice...?? Would you be allowed entrance (assume you have status), but are on an arriving flight as opposed to being properly in transit...??
Say you arrive, take the train and get to immigration...and its a bun fight like today. Do you take the lifts and head down to the passage ways and walk back to the B gate lounge...?? Head up to the departures area and try to get into the F lounge...??
Is this even technically possible...??
Chris