Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > Misc. Forums > Passengers & SLF (Self Loading Freight)
Reload this Page >

Current international arrival experiences at LHR, LGW, other UK airports

Passengers & SLF (Self Loading Freight) If you are regularly a passenger on any airline then why not post your questions here?

Current international arrival experiences at LHR, LGW, other UK airports

Old 2nd Aug 2021, 12:28
  #1 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: He was here a moment ago
Posts: 305
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Current international arrival experiences at LHR, LGW, other UK airports

What are current waiting times and conditions at immigration at LHR and LGW?

Due to family reasons might need to high tail it back to the UK next week, but everyone I know who has flown into LHR as a passenger has reported horror stories about long, dense queues with everyone arriving from everywhere piled in together.

Can choose between LHR and LGW, or with a bit of effort KLM via AMS to my local airport (NWI). The latter seems appealing because arrival is unlikely to take more than 10 minutes.

Thoughts and recommendations appreciated.
ara01jbb is offline  
Old 2nd Aug 2021, 13:33
  #2 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: In a Bar
Posts: 242
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Arrived LHR 24/7/21 around 19:00 from Faro and it was an absolute breeze! Directed straight to the e-gates at immigration, No.1 in the queue, straight through, no hassle.
Jn14:6 is offline  
Old 2nd Aug 2021, 15:58
  #3 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Limbricht
Posts: 2,193
Received 4 Likes on 3 Posts
Covid or no Covid queues at large international airports can, to a large extend, depend on the time of arrival. Hence "horror stories" versus "it was a breeze*.
Avman is offline  
Old 2nd Aug 2021, 18:00
  #4 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Reading, UK
Posts: 15,786
Received 196 Likes on 90 Posts
One assumes that the OP was anticipating a string of anecdotes, rather than any kind of comprehensive analysis.
DaveReidUK is online now  
Old 2nd Aug 2021, 20:14
  #5 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: London
Posts: 90
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Twice through Stansted in the last fortnight and less than 15 minutes both times
STN Ramp Rat is offline  
Old 2nd Aug 2021, 20:36
  #6 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Limbricht
Posts: 2,193
Received 4 Likes on 3 Posts
Doesn't mean a thing really. What day of the week? What time of the day?
Avman is offline  
Old 2nd Aug 2021, 21:14
  #7 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: He was here a moment ago
Posts: 305
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Well if it helps, arriving LGW 0830-0900 next Monday.
ara01jbb is offline  
Old 3rd Aug 2021, 12:59
  #8 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Southampton
Posts: 858
Received 33 Likes on 16 Posts
I did Gatwick last week, arriving around 4pm. We were on the motorway by 4.50.

Mind you, a lot of that was due to being the only aircraft at the time, and that was half empty.

I noticed two weeks previously when we went out, that there were just 42 scheduled departures on the board for the whole day.
Saintsman is offline  
Old 3rd Aug 2021, 20:06
  #9 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Reading, UK
Posts: 15,786
Received 196 Likes on 90 Posts
Originally Posted by Saintsman
noticed two weeks previously when we went out, that there were just 42 scheduled departures on the board for the whole day.
Look like movements must have increased rapidly there - Heathrow's WebTrak system, whose area of coverage includes Gatwick, recorded 119 arrivals and 120 departures at LGW yesterday.
DaveReidUK is online now  
Old 3rd Aug 2021, 20:11
  #10 (permalink)  
Paxing All Over The World
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Hertfordshire, UK.
Age: 67
Posts: 10,126
Received 58 Likes on 48 Posts
This was Tweeted today by John Nicholson MP
My friend Luis has just been detained for more than half an hour at Heathrow. He has lived and paid taxes in England for twenty five years, runs a successful business and had all the required paperwork. Customs officials could find “no record” of him they said.
Some things don't change.
PAXboy is offline  
Old 4th Aug 2021, 12:08
  #11 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: There and here
Posts: 2,848
Received 18 Likes on 15 Posts
That's crazy! Surely after living/working/taxes/monthly services bills and coming/going through the airports there MUST be a sign of him in the system after 25 years ??? Perhaps we're not being monitored 24/7 after all
SpringHeeledJack is offline  
Old 4th Aug 2021, 12:40
  #12 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Reading, UK
Posts: 15,786
Received 196 Likes on 90 Posts
Originally Posted by SpringHeeledJack
That's crazy! Surely after living/working/taxes/monthly services bills and coming/going through the airports there MUST be a sign of him in the system after 25 years ??? Perhaps we're not being monitored 24/7 after all
"The system" ? Now there's an optimist.

If all the disparate bits of gov.uk could manage to talk to each other, we wouldn't be hearing stories like this.
DaveReidUK is online now  
Old 4th Aug 2021, 14:22
  #13 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: There and here
Posts: 2,848
Received 18 Likes on 15 Posts
Yes that's true, however there would have to be evidence of that persons life in the UK in several accessible databases for Border UK to see, unless of course the story is missing some elements.
SpringHeeledJack is offline  
Old 4th Aug 2021, 17:36
  #14 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Beyond the Blue Horizon
Age: 63
Posts: 1,235
Received 109 Likes on 65 Posts
Came through Manchester today with no issues from Europe. Nice not to have to even think of quarantine at last. Mrs Mac came through as well having spent most of July in Germany post a holiday in Majorca. Seemed sensible as she could work from there as her offices are being re modled for “new world”. I can see them being changed back in a few years. In Germany we have done nothing to our offices apart from stressing common sense 🙂🙂

Cheers
Mr Mac
Mr Mac is offline  
Old 4th Aug 2021, 18:33
  #15 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2020
Location: Somewhere or other
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I've travelled through Heathrow, Luton and Stansted in the last six weeks.
  • Luton was a breeze, no e-gates in operation but it was 2am, straight up to a desk and no need to check passenger locator etc.
  • Stansted was horrific, queues didn't fit into the hall, about two hour wait, two stage process with all documents manually checked and then had to use e-gates moments after a manual passport check. This was about 6pm on a Monday.
  • Heathrow T2, no e-gates in operation, but no queue for desks and no need to check passenger locator etc. This was midday on a Tuesday.
an.other is offline  
Old 4th Aug 2021, 19:44
  #16 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Nov 2019
Location: Saudi Arabia
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by ara01jbb
What are current waiting times and conditions at immigration at LHR and LGW?

Due to family reasons might need to high tail it back to the UK next week, but everyone I know who has flown into LHR as a passenger has reported horror stories about long, dense queues with everyone arriving from everywhere piled in together.

Can choose between LHR and LGW, or with a bit of effort KLM via AMS to my local airport (NWI). The latter seems appealing because arrival is unlikely to take more than 10 minutes.

Thoughts and recommendations appreciated.
Will also be travelling to LHR in the coming weeks, keeping my fingers crossed!
j8naid is offline  
Old 5th Aug 2021, 11:18
  #17 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Timbuktu
Posts: 962
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Stansted recently, 20min queue for e-gates. No check of any other kind of paperwork. Apparently nothing checked anymore. Green and amber list arrivals could go unchecked at UK border - as passengers face travel chaos at e-gates (inews.co.uk)
Booglebox is offline  
Old 5th Aug 2021, 11:28
  #18 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Northumberland
Posts: 8,445
Received 68 Likes on 46 Posts
Originally Posted by DaveReidUK
"The system" ? Now there's an optimist.

If all the disparate bits of gov.uk could manage to talk to each other, we wouldn't be hearing stories like this.
And it would be illegal under the data protection laws designed to protect us. Can't have yr cake and eat it!
SWBKCB is online now  
Old 5th Aug 2021, 11:33
  #19 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Northumberland
Posts: 8,445
Received 68 Likes on 46 Posts
Originally Posted by SpringHeeledJack
Yes that's true, however there would have to be evidence of that persons life in the UK in several accessible databases for Border UK to see, unless of course the story is missing some elements.
Customs officials? Wouldn't it be Border Force?
SWBKCB is online now  
Old 5th Aug 2021, 13:26
  #20 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Reading, UK
Posts: 15,786
Received 196 Likes on 90 Posts
Originally Posted by SWBKCB
And it would be illegal under the data protection laws designed to protect us. Can't have yr cake and eat it!
I disagree. If Big Brother is able to link, say, my National Insurance, NHS and passport numbers I have no problem with that if it makes my life easier, nor do I see why that would contravene any legislation.

With the safeguard, obviously, that any given user is only given access to what he/she needs in order to do their job.
DaveReidUK is online now  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.