Terminal 3 experience.
Arrived back from Tenerife with Vueling last night. Terminal 3 arrivals experience was a shambles.
We disembarked down the gate 53/54 end then had to walk past a crowded passport control to join the rear of the queue which was back to gate 50 in the other direction. At the front of the queue MAG staff were directing as many people as possible to use the e-passport readers, which proved to be slower than the queue for the limited number of manned desks. Half the desks available were unmanned. (Someone who I was travelling with didn't have an e-passport and got through quicker. There was also one of the e-gates out of action).
There was a clear them and us relationship between MAG staff and border control. One member of MAG staff was heard to say to another that the queue was back to 50 now. Another said there was nothing they could do.
When we finally got through passport control we waited up to 50 mins for the bags from our flight to appear on the belt. An inaudible announcement was made in the baggage hall, to which one man shouted over towards the info office "we didn't hear a bl#%*y thing" which made everyone laugh. The belt then false started a couple of times before bags began to appear with a sarcastic cheer from all waiting. Passengers from other flights appeared from border control expecting their bags on the belt, only to find our bags were yet to arrive. I understand that bags can't be whizzed out straight away, but it was obvious that there were not enough resources to cope with multiple holiday flights arriving at the same time. The meet and greet service was however excellent as usual.
This contrasts with our outbound experience of T3 departures which was hassle free, with very little queuing required and friendly service from all staff encountered. The retail and catering offer in T3 is also much improved from what I remember from my last visit a few years ago. First time flying with Vueling, was impressed and would consider them again in the future.