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]
Jun 21, 2019, 3:48 pm
#211
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: Continental OnePass
Posts: 856
Quite.
The other countries which offer e-gate access beyond EEA / Schengen are Portugal and Italy.
Italy - at Rome (FCO and CIA), Naples and Venice - currently allows e-gate access to the following (in addition to EEA+Swiss): Australia, Canada, South Korea, Japan, Israel, Qatar, New Zealand, USA, Vatican City + Holy See (very technically neither EEA, EU or Schengen) and Taiwan (RoC).
The other countries which offer e-gate access beyond EEA / Schengen are Portugal and Italy.
Italy - at Rome (FCO and CIA), Naples and Venice - currently allows e-gate access to the following (in addition to EEA+Swiss): Australia, Canada, South Korea, Japan, Israel, Qatar, New Zealand, USA, Vatican City + Holy See (very technically neither EEA, EU or Schengen) and Taiwan (RoC).
Jun 22, 2019, 6:58 pm
#212
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
AMS and HEL are both slower for me to enter or exit Schengen on my US passports than they were ten years ago. CPH, without such things for US passport users, is way more of a mess after going with egates than before getting them. My last wait to exit was a bit more than 30 minutes and entry about 12 minutes. My US entries with MPC this year took less than a minute and were on average faster than my GE kiosk use this year.
Jun 23, 2019, 4:23 am
#213
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Tampere
Programs: BA EC Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,237
HEL allows these people to use the e-gates on departure only, and you still need to interact with the human being anyway -- so I've been wondering what the point of the extra step at the e-gate is.
Jun 23, 2019, 6:51 am
#214
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
It’s the desire to do more extensive checks against the databases that drove a need for expanded use of egates, or otherwise the mess at airport border crossings would have been even worse than it had become.
Jun 24, 2019, 12:58 pm
#216
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: MME (midway between NCL and LBA)
Programs: BA Gold, AF/KL Gold, Hilton Gold, Nordic Choice Gold
Posts: 743
Yes, this has been the situation since they installed the e-gates at AMS and also for transferring passengers (you can leave the Schengen area via e-gate but not enter it). As well as the US, the situation also applies to passport holders from Canada, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and New Zealand.
Aug 13, 2019, 7:50 am
#219
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: London & Sonoma CA
Programs: UA 1K, MM *G for life, BAEC Gold
Posts: 10,222
In theory HAL staff are not relevant as it's Border Force staff who operate in the area. However, I believe that the queue minders are HAL staff.
Aug 13, 2019, 8:59 am
#220
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Chicago
Posts: 244
Arrived LHR T2 at about 10am on a Sunday morning and was through border control in minutes (US passport) - amazing! I walked right up to my egate, no line at all. I'm not frequently at Heathrow, but usually 1 or 2 times a year and usually am stuck in that winding line under the UK border sign seemingly forever. Egates were great. I am kind of sad about not getting a stamp anymore though.
Aug 14, 2019, 7:02 am
#221
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: London & Sonoma CA
Programs: UA 1K, MM *G for life, BAEC Gold
Posts: 10,222
Arrived LHR T2 at about 10am on a Sunday morning and was through border control in minutes (US passport) - amazing! I walked right up to my egate, no line at all. I'm not frequently at Heathrow, but usually 1 or 2 times a year and usually am stuck in that winding line under the UK border sign seemingly forever. Egates were great. I am kind of sad about not getting a stamp anymore though.
Aug 14, 2019, 8:55 pm
#222
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: where lions are led by donkeys...
Programs: Lifetime Gold, Global Entry, Hertz PC, and my wallet
Posts: 20,340
Aug 15, 2019, 9:30 am
#223
Join Date: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,746
Aug 15, 2019, 9:32 am
#224
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: where lions are led by donkeys...
Programs: Lifetime Gold, Global Entry, Hertz PC, and my wallet
Posts: 20,340
Aug 15, 2019, 11:22 am
#225
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: London & Sonoma CA
Programs: UA 1K, MM *G for life, BAEC Gold
Posts: 10,222
And I will enjoy that tomorrow. What a way to start a holiday!