Arrival experience at tourist airports 2022
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Arrival experience at tourist airports 2022
Firstly let me say I am posting here as I am not sure if it should be here or airline and airports so MODS feel free to move.
With the upcoming summer holiday period and the ongoing topic of UK airports delays I thought it maybe useful for some information on arrival experiences at some of the more common tourist destinations. Most of my flying is for business so it is very rare that I get to places which are tourist oriented, however I am currently in Majorca and obviously came through Palma.
So first off it appears that most inbound UK flights go through one terminal and they use biometric scanning after which you proceed to a few desk where a couple of board custom officers stamp your passport (Brexit bonus!) and then you proceed to health check where you have to prove your COVID free status. I would suggest you print this on A4 as having it on a smart phone sounds great, but many seemed to have trouble finding it and as I have travelled throughout COVID it has been the method I have found to be quicker. Plane to baggage hall took around 40 min. I have travelled in to Madeira for work and a holiday and there they do not simply stamp your passport it is a biometric scan and stamp and cues were longer , and COVID check post passport with Madeira Health Check App or printed A4.
I have to point out I travel on a Swiss passport but Mrs Mac does not, but I being the dutiful husband cue with her as it would otherwise end in tears and they would be mine when she got through !!
Anyway I hope that may help some people doing the getaway this summer as to what to expect at those two destinations I would think there maybe others who can give information on Mainland Spain, Greece, Italy etc which maybe useful to fellow cabin members and passengers in general.
Cheers
Mr Mac
With the upcoming summer holiday period and the ongoing topic of UK airports delays I thought it maybe useful for some information on arrival experiences at some of the more common tourist destinations. Most of my flying is for business so it is very rare that I get to places which are tourist oriented, however I am currently in Majorca and obviously came through Palma.
So first off it appears that most inbound UK flights go through one terminal and they use biometric scanning after which you proceed to a few desk where a couple of board custom officers stamp your passport (Brexit bonus!) and then you proceed to health check where you have to prove your COVID free status. I would suggest you print this on A4 as having it on a smart phone sounds great, but many seemed to have trouble finding it and as I have travelled throughout COVID it has been the method I have found to be quicker. Plane to baggage hall took around 40 min. I have travelled in to Madeira for work and a holiday and there they do not simply stamp your passport it is a biometric scan and stamp and cues were longer , and COVID check post passport with Madeira Health Check App or printed A4.
I have to point out I travel on a Swiss passport but Mrs Mac does not, but I being the dutiful husband cue with her as it would otherwise end in tears and they would be mine when she got through !!
Anyway I hope that may help some people doing the getaway this summer as to what to expect at those two destinations I would think there maybe others who can give information on Mainland Spain, Greece, Italy etc which maybe useful to fellow cabin members and passengers in general.
Cheers
Mr Mac
Flew into Kos by easyJet from LGW on Thurs 2 June, 5 minute Q at bag drop, 5 minute Q at security left LGW about 40 mins late. Arrived Kos about 22.30. Short queue for passports to be stamped. No health check or request to see Covid jab evidence; 5 or 10 minute wait for suitcase to arrive on carousel, walked out of terminal, 10 minute wait for taxi. We were in Kos town about 1.5 hours after wheels hit the runway.
Return to Gatwick flight on Sat 11th June around 22.00 from Kos. Short 10 min check-in/bag drop Q. About 2 minute queue for security. Plane departed around 1/2 hour late. Arrived LGW approx. 00.15. No queue for passport machines, bags in baggage hall half hour after wheels hit the stand.
I think we had one of the better overall experiences of any travellers so far this summer.
Return to Gatwick flight on Sat 11th June around 22.00 from Kos. Short 10 min check-in/bag drop Q. About 2 minute queue for security. Plane departed around 1/2 hour late. Arrived LGW approx. 00.15. No queue for passport machines, bags in baggage hall half hour after wheels hit the stand.
I think we had one of the better overall experiences of any travellers so far this summer.
Flew to Faro from BRS on 19 May in morning. Somewhat lengthy walk to passport area with very few people in front of me. Passport checked no issue and another person stamped the passport. Nobody asked to see my Covid pass. Coming back on 26 May no real queue for passport check and passport was stamped by another person. It was slightly confusing as the outward stamp was on a different page than the inbound stamp. Rather more of a queue at BRS for passports with baggage taking a while although not as excessive as others have experienced.
N4790P
Opposite direction but I arrived as a tourist at LHR T2 yesterday at 0720. No queues at non UK immigration, no baggage issues and was outside the terminal within 30 mins of landing!
Not what the media had lead me to expect. Getting away from Heathrow was another story.
Not what the media had lead me to expect. Getting away from Heathrow was another story.
Went to Barcelona early April and Malaga beginning of May. In both cases a breeze.
However coming back to STN at midnight in May we found a huge queue for passport control. Easily over 45 minutes. A friend just came through Stansted late last night and reports the same sort of thing.
However coming back to STN at midnight in May we found a huge queue for passport control. Easily over 45 minutes. A friend just came through Stansted late last night and reports the same sort of thing.
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Flew into Melbourne Florida in May.
Bit of a building site, but tidy and staff to point you in the right direction
10 Minutes for luggage
Plenty of immigration staff - no queue.
Airport staff greeted with a goody bag with snacks and a bottle of water.
Car hire in temporary AC tent. Temporary AC toilets.
In car 15 mins after arrival
Going the other way, no queue for check in. No queue for cheerful secutity. Free sandwich and water in departure lounge (flying economy with Tui)
90 minute drive to Orlando
Bit of a building site, but tidy and staff to point you in the right direction
10 Minutes for luggage
Plenty of immigration staff - no queue.
Airport staff greeted with a goody bag with snacks and a bottle of water.
Car hire in temporary AC tent. Temporary AC toilets.
In car 15 mins after arrival
Going the other way, no queue for check in. No queue for cheerful secutity. Free sandwich and water in departure lounge (flying economy with Tui)
90 minute drive to Orlando
I've been through Alicante a few times this year with no problems, usually quick and simple. This has been midweek flights, though.
Went to Madrid T1 from BRS two weeks ago and apart fron the 30 minute wait in the 'rest of world' queue behind a flight from Buenos Aries, it was straightforward. I was waived through the Covid checkpoint after a cursory glance at my vax record, which was a new experience - the Spanish have scanned the QR code before, and the health form previously when that was required.
If you're going to Spain, my experience is that they've got their act together and have done for some time.
Went to Madrid T1 from BRS two weeks ago and apart fron the 30 minute wait in the 'rest of world' queue behind a flight from Buenos Aries, it was straightforward. I was waived through the Covid checkpoint after a cursory glance at my vax record, which was a new experience - the Spanish have scanned the QR code before, and the health form previously when that was required.
If you're going to Spain, my experience is that they've got their act together and have done for some time.
What's the experience like departing LHR Terminal 2. I'll be flying to Cairo next month with Egyptair and the flight was over 3 hours late leaving yesterday (Sunday) even though it arrived into LHR on time.
Yesterday afternoon's CAI flight (MS778, STD 15:00) pushed at 15:45 and MS780 (STD 22:10) taxied at about 23:00.
Incoming! Full plane from Far East. Arrived into Heathrow T4 last Thursday evening, no hold, straight down, short taxi, immediate debark, the passport machine worked on second swipe, and the luggage….
Didn’t appear. Cases came out in drubs and drabs and the conveyor belt kept getting switched off. No explanation, no information. As if the crew was rushing around from plane to plane unloading one container at a time. It took two hours for my second suitcase to appear.
Otherwise, no complaints apart from the £13 parkingrobbery.
Didn’t appear. Cases came out in drubs and drabs and the conveyor belt kept getting switched off. No explanation, no information. As if the crew was rushing around from plane to plane unloading one container at a time. It took two hours for my second suitcase to appear.
Otherwise, no complaints apart from the £13 parking
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Well outbound this evening from Palma to Munich with LH . I should have flown Tuesday but picked up a cold so checked for COVID but stayed on with 4 women in the house !! About 15min down at push but early arrival Munich. However some mighty big thunderstorms over France and Germany. The delay in terminal were minimal. Will report back on Mrs Mac return who will know doubt be partying in Deia as I type, with 3 girlfriends, who will all come through Manchester with Jet 2.
Cheers
Mr Mac
Cheers
Mr Mac
Paxing All Over The World
Wednesday evening, 29th.
Friends arrived STN. Their FR was late at MAD and they missed departure slot. Arrived right at end of day with several other flights. They had to queue to get to the immigration queue Altogther 45 mins just to get to the gate - which then refused one of them and sent to side queue which took even longer. They were glad that they had only hand luggage.
Friday afternoon, 1st July.
Collecting family at LHR T5 (also from MAD) They said that MAD was FULL and had to queue a long time for bag drop and the terminal was heaving, no time to go to the lounge.
Flight arrived within 10 mins of due time. The sailed through the family line of immigration.
Baggage ... I can confirm that the baggage problem is as bad as reported.
The bags arrived on two belts, so they had to watch carefully (along with all the others from the A320) and keep their baby happy.
After waiting for over an hour they were still waiting for two bags (they had been away for a month) and so mum came on through so that she could get to car to feed baby and another 15 mins later dad emerged with no bags as they were lost. He was given a lovely leaftlet on how to report.
He has asked for my help in crafting the letter to BA and I shall enjoy that. Part of that is that the on board meal (Row A in Club) was delivered BEFORE the drinks. In my experience, the food usually arrives long after the drinks.
Friends arrived STN. Their FR was late at MAD and they missed departure slot. Arrived right at end of day with several other flights. They had to queue to get to the immigration queue Altogther 45 mins just to get to the gate - which then refused one of them and sent to side queue which took even longer. They were glad that they had only hand luggage.
Friday afternoon, 1st July.
Collecting family at LHR T5 (also from MAD) They said that MAD was FULL and had to queue a long time for bag drop and the terminal was heaving, no time to go to the lounge.
Flight arrived within 10 mins of due time. The sailed through the family line of immigration.
Baggage ... I can confirm that the baggage problem is as bad as reported.
The bags arrived on two belts, so they had to watch carefully (along with all the others from the A320) and keep their baby happy.
After waiting for over an hour they were still waiting for two bags (they had been away for a month) and so mum came on through so that she could get to car to feed baby and another 15 mins later dad emerged with no bags as they were lost. He was given a lovely leaftlet on how to report.
He has asked for my help in crafting the letter to BA and I shall enjoy that. Part of that is that the on board meal (Row A in Club) was delivered BEFORE the drinks. In my experience, the food usually arrives long after the drinks.
MXP to EDI
Travelled Milan to Edinburgh last week with Easy. Boarding buses at Milan turned into a farce, people were kept so long waiting to drive to the aircraft they got off and started to berate the ground staff. Got on the aircraft and told we had a 2 hour slot delay. Apparently there was an issue offloading wheelchair passengers from the incoming flight. Slot delay was not Improved unfortunately . EDI passport control was totally overloaded as so was the baggage hall. People were climbing on the conveyor belt and into the tunnel to search for luggage. Was a Journey i Hope not to repeat again…..
All a bit of a lottery.
Geneva in April absolutely fine, very short queue at immigaration. (Departure from Zurich was fine early morning but horrendous at peak time).
Amsterdam 20 minute wait at immigration. Outbound (off-peak) 1 hour to go through security & immigartion but I heard a passenger complaining about two hour queues. I attived more than four hours before departure. The automated barrier wouldn't let me throuhgh but a kind lady let me through. (Really appreciated! No congestion airside but a bit grim landside.) However the airport seemed quiet on a Tuesday evening.
Heathrow arrivals - T2 20 minutes in April.
T3 a couple of weeks ago at 21:00. Gate available. We had to wait for a marshaller then a 15 minutes delay as the jetty would,t go on. I don't know if this was because we were in a KLM Embraer and the gates weren't designed for such a small aircraft. No queue at immigration at 21:30.
Moral, try and travel at quiet times if possible (which it often isn't).
Geneva in April absolutely fine, very short queue at immigaration. (Departure from Zurich was fine early morning but horrendous at peak time).
Amsterdam 20 minute wait at immigration. Outbound (off-peak) 1 hour to go through security & immigartion but I heard a passenger complaining about two hour queues. I attived more than four hours before departure. The automated barrier wouldn't let me throuhgh but a kind lady let me through. (Really appreciated! No congestion airside but a bit grim landside.) However the airport seemed quiet on a Tuesday evening.
Heathrow arrivals - T2 20 minutes in April.
T3 a couple of weeks ago at 21:00. Gate available. We had to wait for a marshaller then a 15 minutes delay as the jetty would,t go on. I don't know if this was because we were in a KLM Embraer and the gates weren't designed for such a small aircraft. No queue at immigration at 21:30.
Moral, try and travel at quiet times if possible (which it often isn't).
Last edited by Peter47; 9th Jul 2022 at 18:10.
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Paxing All Over The World
When standing in LHR T5 arrivals last Friday, waiting for family waiting for baggage - I thought: In March when this problem started to surface, someone in the airport should have thought about recruiting students for the summer. Whilst it is understandabale that the cost of recruitment and approvals for ramp working take time and are not cheap BUT the cost of all these canx flights? The terrible publicity? I know they are thinking they want to get back to normal with full time staff - but that might not be the best strategy at the moment.
I sit to be corrected.
I sit to be corrected.
Friend checking in at LHR today - breakdown of baggage belts at checkin = 2.5 hour "experience"
It just all seems too coincidental in the last months. I realise that things happen, breakdowns occur, sickness occurs causing staff shortages and so on, but somehow it just seems too many happenings for it to be random.
Easy t o fire people - only takes a day or so - but they all forgot it takes 3 months to hire and train people