Heathrow Passport controls

[hansol1966]

At the moment Heathrow is suffering significant delays at peak times on entry due to more rigourous passport controls. Some delays up to two hours. Just a thought on tight time connections to a Southampton Cunard cruise.

Im sure with the Olympics 3 mths away things will/might/hope improve...anyway just whats happening at the moment.

[pepperrn]

Im sure with the Olympics 3 mths away things will/might/hope improve...

 

I amire your confidence.

Personally I think this is only a hint of the chaos to come this summer with the Jubilee and Olympics.

A very good example why many here say "fly in a day early" when sailing from a foreign port.

The ship will not wait for you, while you wait at the carousel.

[SamuelBronkowitz]

Gatwick rules!

 

That's all :p

[room010]

Gatwick is likely to be just as chaotic with customs/immigration/baggage delays. I hope your flight arrives at least several hours prior to the ships departure. The day before would be even better ;)

[SamuelBronkowitz]

Gatwick is likely to be just as chaotic with customs/immigration/baggage delays. I hope your flight arrives at least several hours prior to the ships departure. The day before would be even better ;)

 

Nah, I won't be anywhere near the airport (well except for living next to it for the next couple years), getting picked up by car in Southampton and staying put permanently in The U.K. I meant overall I've always found Gatwick much MUCH more pleasant than Heathrow no matter the circumstances.

[room010]

Gatwick is generally a little less chaotic but in Olympics/Jubilee season all bets are off......

[SamuelBronkowitz]

A LITTLE? :p

 

I've never experienced anything remotely chaotic at Gatwick and I've flown in/out of it 8 times.

 

Understandably it'll be busier come a month from now, but nowhere the nightmare Heathrow is. That's just my experience though.

[Aussieflyer]

Murphy's law - if it can go wrong it will; ergo if I fly in for a cruise arrive a day early to let Murphy run its course! I am obviously in the minority but I prefer Heathrow than Gatwick. Not visiting UK this year sadly.

[bazzaw]

We have a "private car" organised to pick us up at Heathrow and take us into London hotel - before taking us to Southampton next morning. Have never had a car to pick us up at Heathrow - but have seen drivers in the past holding up signs -- Smith, Jones, etc . So am a little concerned about the procedure -- especially as our paperwork from the cruise TA (but actually organised by a wholesaler TA) says that our pickup is only 10 minutes after our expected arrival time , and there is a fine print note at the bottom of the doc that the driver will only wait for 1 hour.

 

Have rung the TA - and her advice is "don't worry! :)" - so what is others experience in these matters?? Think I will call the contact number in the UK before we fly out.

 

Barry

[room010]

Your driver will only wait one hour after landing? Very risky IMO.

[bazzaw]

Your driver will only wait one hour after landing? Very risky IMO.

 

Yes - that is what I think. In 2008, it took us 2 hours to get through Immigration (we Aussies having to go through the "other Aliens" queue :rolleyes: )

 

Barry

[Keuka Lake Sailor]

I went thru Heathrow Friday morning after a flight from JFK and it was a very long, slow line. Only two desks were open for all those passengers. When they finished with the UK passengers, some came over and processed us which finally made the line move. Some controversy going on about it, saw a report on the BBC - complaints from travelers, airlines, etc. Slow check in also for the QM2. Once on the ship, however, it has been smooth sailing and I am having a grand time.

[capnpugwash]

I think that you will find that the 1hour period commences when you are expected to be in the arrivals hall rather than Immigration. Get the phone number of the car service and give them a call

[Salacia]

I went thru Heathrow Friday morning after a flight from JFK and it was a very long, slow line. Only two desks were open for all those passengers. When they finished with the UK passengers, some came over and processed us which finally made the line move. Some controversy going on about it, saw a report on the BBC - complaints from travelers, airlines, etc. Slow check in also for the QM2. Once on the ship, however, it has been smooth sailing and I am having a grand time.

 

Keuka Lake Sailor, happy that you are enjoying your voyage. Sorry about the delay you experienced, but glad to read that security is tight. Happy voyage! -S

[southwestie]

Yes - that is what I think. In 2008, it took us 2 hours to get through Immigration (we Aussies having to go through the "other Aliens" queue :rolleyes: )

 

Barry

 

 

You will that almost all the cars monitor the flights, and they they head out to the airport once they confirm your flight is near, that way they keep the wait time down, some of the local ones wont even leave for the airport until your plane has landed.

 

call them to double check this

[southwestie]

At the moment Heathrow is suffering significant delays at peak times on entry due to more rigourous passport controls. Some delays up to two hours. Just a thought on tight time connections to a Southampton Cunard cruise.

Im sure with the Olympics 3 mths away things will/might/hope improve...anyway just whats happening at the moment.

 

 

They are bringing a lot of extra staff during the Olympics so I wouldn't worry , doubt they will keep them on afterwards though

[Aussieflyer]

We usually have private transfers and have not had any problem with them not waiting - but then again I can't recall being stuck in immigration for long periods of time. We have always booked our own transfers onine. It can be a bit of a challenge finding your name on the board in a busy airport sometimes. I would confirm with the company their conditions and explain that it can take 2 hours to get through immigration. I know that they do allow time after the plane lands and usually do not go to the airport until it is virtually on the ground. Lucky you Bazzaw - apart from the long flight, all that cruising coming up. I'm green with envy.

[hansol1966]

The tighter controls at immigration now resulting in longer waiting times are due slacker scrutiny in previous months with many passprts not being checked properly. This then caused a furore in the press about terrorism, therfore tighter controls. This is as reported in the press at peak times.

I also champion Gatwick never a problem.

As a UK national we have to queue in the EEC aisles which are always packed ....why in the UK cant we have our own queues apart from the EEC.

[Sauer-kraut]

This is why I wouldn't travel through LHR on my way to Vienna this summer. I figured there would be too many things going wroing; strikes, long lines, immigration/passport control problems. Even though the fare from ORD to VIE via LHR were about $100 cheaper, I opted for the (hopefully) less stressful route via Zurich. We shall see.....

 

 

At least coming home I change in Dulles......:rolleyes:

[SamuelBronkowitz]

The earlier you can arrive in any airport, the better. And if you're subject to immigration controls, make sure to get seats as close to the front of the plane as possible. That can mean at least 1/2 hour of savings of waiting on line to go through the queue.

 

(speaking as a North American who flies red-eye & goes through Immigration at Gatwick often--never has taken longer than 10 minutes)

[lucywestie]

I flew into Heathrow 4 weeks ago. Landed on a Saturday morning at 7am. I was travelling on my Canadian passport this trip and thus had to go via the "non UK/Euro" immigration/passport control desks. It was, to say the least, BRUTAL, yes in capitals.

There must have been approximately 500 people ahead of me. From what I could tell there were only 2 border control officers on duty on the International travellers desks. Im just glad I had my ereader as it took me 2.5 hours to get through the line.

The UK/European desks were full of border control officers and for most of that 2.5 hr wait they all sat at their desks doing nothing, processing the occasional load of passengers but they were certainly not run off their feet.

It was an absolute disgrace that they would treat visitors to the country like this. I was born and raised in the UK and you certainly felt like a second class citizen once I arrived at Terminal 5.

I would love to know who schedules the manpower for border control because they need a serious kick in the behind. Im not sure how they expect the elderly to survive when they are shuffling along for hours at a time.

This trip only reinforced my view that the UK is slowly going to hell in a handbasket. How they are going to cope with the influx of tourists for the Olympics and Jubilee celebrations is beyond me.

[Jim Avery]

Last year, the lines were as described but Delta gave us tickets for an "Express Line". Part of the Business Class fare I guess. For the entire hall, 4 gates being worked. 3 of the 4 agents were wearing turbans and acting as if we were all some lower life form. Extremely slow and rude. My Mother is English and I spent much of my younger years with the relatives in the UK. It is very sad to see the decline of Britain and the apparent loss of "Britishness", if that makes any sense. :eek:

[ToadOfToadHall]

It is very sad to see the decline of Britain and the apparent loss of "Britishness"

 

Try landing at a US airport and not being a US citizen then. They utter contempt that is shown by US immigration has to be seen to be believed. The expression "people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones" springs to mind.

[Jim Avery]

Try landing at a US airport and not being a US citizen then. They utter contempt that is shown by US immigration has to be seen to be believed. The expression "people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones" springs to mind.

 

I could not agree with you more. My relatives will not come over any more due to the extreme treatment of foreign visitors. I feel that the US immigration/TSA, etc. are completely out of control. We are all treated as criminals. Frisking Granny, searching 7 year olds and other absurdities. In the history of aviation, terrorist acts have been performed by a very small, well defined group of young males. In fact, we recently flew domestically from Florida to Phoenix, Arizona. TSA treated us terribly and we make the same trip 6 times a year. Believe me, I was not in any way trashing Britain. As I stated, I was partially raised there and have much family there. It is also my home in mind if not by citizenship.

[ToadOfToadHall]

Believe me, I was not in any way trashing Britain.

 

In which case, I shall apologise and withdraw with "glasses houses" comment.

 

Mind you, I've been 6 times to the States ( 5 by plane, once by ship ) and never really had too much of a delay now I think about it.