Jun 4, 2019, 6:52 am
Last edit by: stut
ePassport gates, new countries, passport requirements, experience and wait times. Any volunteers?
ePassport Gates Master Thread [was: Opening up the e-Gates to new countries]
May 23, 2019, 4:54 pm
#167
Join Date: Feb 2005
Programs: EL AL Matmid, BA Executive Club GfL, GGL/CCR, Hilton Diamond, Avis President's Club
Posts: 2,085
MIne didn't work at first, when it was brand new (!) at T5. Now it does, although it did not work on my last trip to Germany. Less than one year old ...
May 23, 2019, 5:04 pm
#168
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Glasgow, UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 635
I suppose technically there’s nothing preventing you from reporting the passport as damaged, or lost, and applying for a new one (and paying for the pleasure!)
One health warning: a former boss was notorious for losing or damaging passports, leaving them in hotels, taxis, seat pockets or having them dry-cleaned. It got to the stage that they were only entitled to a restricted validity passport of 12 months, and have to reapply and pay the full fee each year. A one-off replacement shouldn’t raise any alarms, but worth bearing in mind that repeat requests for replacements can have consequences.
May 26, 2019, 7:55 am
#170
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 24
Has E-gate availability sped up border control Heathrow T3
We'll be arriving at LHR T3 on a Sunday in July on AA from Philadelphia. I wonder whether there are any early experiences as to whether e-gate availability has sped up passage through border control. I'm trying to estimate time for various options after we arrive.
I'll check again closer to our departure date, but I do want to make some tentative reservations soon.
Thanks!
I'll check again closer to our departure date, but I do want to make some tentative reservations soon.
Thanks!
May 28, 2019, 6:10 am
#172
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: SE1, London
Posts: 23,452
Better for the new countries, but a significant slow down for those previously eligible as I discovered last night at T2. All machines open (good), 15 deep queues for each one (bad) and a long snake queue too (bad). LHR Goon refusing to let people into the regular EU queue
May 31, 2019, 5:48 am
#173
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 1
E-passport gates and the photo
Hi
Twice in the last week I had a near-seek-assistance experience at the e-passport gates in MAN T3, both over my image stuck in the screen in front of me. I'm non-EU RT and in the past this had happened perhaps once in 2+ years. First near-seek-assistance experience led me to a Border Force dragon whom, even though I handed her my passport with my an RT sticker on the back facing her, proceeded to immediately ask me if there was "any reason" why I was "using the EU lanes". Second experience I shifted around, got my face closer to the screen etc, when I was about to give up the gate opened up. Both times I was standing in the foot marks, not wearing glasses headphones hats turbans etc.
So, any tips to ensure the photo thing works? I've read here that the matching is done by the gate (which would kind of make sense), I've also read it's just a human doing it. My appearance hasn't changed a lot but I am 5 years older than in my passport picture. Thoughts?
Twice in the last week I had a near-seek-assistance experience at the e-passport gates in MAN T3, both over my image stuck in the screen in front of me. I'm non-EU RT and in the past this had happened perhaps once in 2+ years. First near-seek-assistance experience led me to a Border Force dragon whom, even though I handed her my passport with my an RT sticker on the back facing her, proceeded to immediately ask me if there was "any reason" why I was "using the EU lanes". Second experience I shifted around, got my face closer to the screen etc, when I was about to give up the gate opened up. Both times I was standing in the foot marks, not wearing glasses headphones hats turbans etc.
So, any tips to ensure the photo thing works? I've read here that the matching is done by the gate (which would kind of make sense), I've also read it's just a human doing it. My appearance hasn't changed a lot but I am 5 years older than in my passport picture. Thoughts?
Jun 3, 2019, 2:52 pm
#174
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: London, UK
Posts: 5,105
Reports from e-gates post changes?
What are your experiences coming through T5 (or T3) post the changes allowing US, Canadian etc. citizens to use the e-gates? I met with a client this morning who flew into T2 and claimed that it was chaos, with the line snaking back through the barriers, which he thought was down to these changes. I landed at 530am at T5 shortly after the implementation (and on a bank holiday) and it was fine, but I guess the test is at more pressing times.
Jun 3, 2019, 3:31 pm
#177
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Flatland
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold 1MM, BA Gold, UA Peon
Posts: 6,112
How bad did the retry-retry-reject rate look?
By now a lot of e-gate users in the EU have had some practice, while other nationalities may be less used to them.
Also how many gates were open? If the UK Border Farce have moved a lot of people to a facility not able to process them any faster (because they haven't got enough gates open) then the results will be obvious.
By now a lot of e-gate users in the EU have had some practice, while other nationalities may be less used to them.
Also how many gates were open? If the UK Border Farce have moved a lot of people to a facility not able to process them any faster (because they haven't got enough gates open) then the results will be obvious.
Jun 3, 2019, 5:19 pm
#179
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL
Posts: 85
This was my experience last week at T3 for a Midday arrival and it took around 20 minutes to snake through the line instead of the usual 5 minutes max. There's definitely not enough machines currently and I hope they're going to reutilise some of the space where the desks are now to add more.