Crew lane for arriving crew, not!
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Twiggs,is it a crew channel?
Or is it a passenger channel?
The people posting here are talking about a dedicated crew channel.
Not something meant for other people that crew can use UNTIL too many crew start using it and AQIS and Customs shut it down for us.
Or is it a passenger channel?
The people posting here are talking about a dedicated crew channel.
Not something meant for other people that crew can use UNTIL too many crew start using it and AQIS and Customs shut it down for us.
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It's no wonder people here don't believe you're crew Twiggs.This is just the same double meaning rubbish we get from the company.
So does the sign say "FOR ALL CREW and INVITED PASSENGERS"
Is there are sign above the lane stating that this is a crew lane?
YES or NO
Not a priority lane or express lane but a CREW LANE.
YES or NO
Also what happens to crew that have something to declare?
How long do the rest of the crew have to wait for them on the crew bus?
If there was a dedicated crew channel for AQIS and Customs this would not be as big a problem as it is at present.
So does the sign say "FOR ALL CREW and INVITED PASSENGERS"
Is there are sign above the lane stating that this is a crew lane?
YES or NO
Not a priority lane or express lane but a CREW LANE.
YES or NO
Also what happens to crew that have something to declare?
How long do the rest of the crew have to wait for them on the crew bus?
If there was a dedicated crew channel for AQIS and Customs this would not be as big a problem as it is at present.
Ok, so let me see I have this correct. At Sydney there is no deicated lane for CREW either at C or Q. We need however, just that for all Crew, which many other places have.
Jungle Juice,
Having flown through Sydney twice in the past few months I can tell you although the lane is not CREW ONLY of the three crews I have seen in the baggage hall with me ALL have used it and they have been the ONLY ones using it.
Calm down a bit, twiggs is doing a great job to try and explain whats going on!
Having flown through Sydney twice in the past few months I can tell you although the lane is not CREW ONLY of the three crews I have seen in the baggage hall with me ALL have used it and they have been the ONLY ones using it.
Calm down a bit, twiggs is doing a great job to try and explain whats going on!
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The Express Lane through Quarantine is only available to crew who have nothing to declare, or have been "stamped" by roaming Quarantine officials walking through the baggage hall.
Note we have been expressly told that we are under no circumstances to approach these roaming staff... they have to approach us (if they want to).
So, the choice is to join the hour long queue, or get a few crew together and stand somewhere in the officials field of vision and look tired so they hopefully come and stamp you.
Pretty pathetic really.
Note we have been expressly told that we are under no circumstances to approach these roaming staff... they have to approach us (if they want to).
So, the choice is to join the hour long queue, or get a few crew together and stand somewhere in the officials field of vision and look tired so they hopefully come and stamp you.
Pretty pathetic really.
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Smartgate
Both E-passport and Smartgate are INOP and have been for over a month.
Today..01/02/2009 it took 45 mins to clear immigation and another 50 mins to clear customs.
This on top of a 17.45 hour Tour of duty
Sydney Sux !!!!
Today..01/02/2009 it took 45 mins to clear immigation and another 50 mins to clear customs.
This on top of a 17.45 hour Tour of duty
Sydney Sux !!!!
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I can tell you although the lane is not CREW ONLY of the three crews I have seen in the baggage hall with me ALL have used it and they have been the ONLY ones using it.
Calm down a bit, twiggs is doing a great job to try and explain whats going on!
Calm down a bit, twiggs is doing a great job to try and explain whats going on!
Your info is interesting in that you are saying that you had enough time to stand around inside the customs hall and watch 3 separate entire crews use the express lane!
Not only that but that they were the only ones including all the passengers to use it!
It does not sound like a very efficient idea if no passengers are using it.If this continues,the trial will not go for very long.
The other problem is that some crew if not the majority have something to declare.It might only be some food or something they have purchased OS.
That means they will be in the normal time consuming line and this is the whole idea of the thread.
This is why this thread is about getting a dedicated crew channel to clear customs and AQIS.
Not so we can use a lane for travellers who do not have anything to declare.
If AQIS and customs let crew through IF they don't have anything to declare then it is only a matter of time before some crew think it's a great idea to avoid paying duty or being checked.
when sooner or later one is caught then we are back to square one and crew are not allowed to use the express lane.
The only way to solve this is to have a dedicated crew lane to clear customs and AQIS.
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I have not flown for a while now and have not gone through Sydney since taking VR and so I don't know what is happening in Sydney...
But there seems to be some conflicting information about a crew channel..
Is there a channel or lane specifically for crew (meaning operating crew not paxing crew or passengers) to clear quarantine & customs in Sydney?
Or
Is it a trial for a lane for those pax who do not have anything to declare and if you're operating crew and have nothing to declare you can use this express lane as well?
Anyone care to clear this up?
But there seems to be some conflicting information about a crew channel..
Sydney with the dedicated lane for crew with nothing to declare. Even if you have something to declare and you get a green stamp you are straight out anyway.
Or
Is it a trial for a lane for those pax who do not have anything to declare and if you're operating crew and have nothing to declare you can use this express lane as well?
The Express Lane through Quarantine is only available to crew who have nothing to declare, or have been "stamped" by roaming Quarantine officials walking through the baggage hall.
Sorry Juice, you misunderstood my post.
The lane I am describing is open to the same people who can use the 'special lane' at customs, (ASEAN people, D Passport holders and crew).
I flew international on two occasions on one of those occasions another flight had arrived at the same time so thats where the three crews come from.
I am not sure if the crew had things to declare, there was a machine there from what I remember and they all left very quickly.
I'd say this is good enough (without being a crew member), its going to have the same number of people at the customs desks which you seem happy about.
Just my observations.
The lane I am describing is open to the same people who can use the 'special lane' at customs, (ASEAN people, D Passport holders and crew).
I flew international on two occasions on one of those occasions another flight had arrived at the same time so thats where the three crews come from.
I am not sure if the crew had things to declare, there was a machine there from what I remember and they all left very quickly.
I'd say this is good enough (without being a crew member), its going to have the same number of people at the customs desks which you seem happy about.
Just my observations.
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McGrath50
The machines..passport biometric readers... have been out of use for a month.
All international crews clear immigation in the Q adjacent to these machines.
Also in these Qs are pax who require special assistance...those in wheelchairs,the aged and infirmed and unaccompanied minors.
Arrive in Sydney at between 0630 and 0900 and that Q can extend back to and beyond the rear glass partition of the immigration area.
No reason has been put forward as to why the biometric readers are Inop.
The speed and efficiency of these readers also makes the adjacent Q much shorter as they allow Australian based crew quicker ingress.
The Express Lane for pax Customs clearance has several conditions attached to its use...no food and nothing of Customs and Quarantine significance.It also applies to Premium Frequent Flyer Categories only.
Crew using this Q must adhere to the same criteria as the pax.
Even then pax and crew baggage from this Q may be subject to quarantine scans.
On a good day with the bimetric readers both working and using the Express Line it can still take half an hour.
On a bad day it can take two hours if the readers are down and you need to declare an itme of food or something of Quarantine significance such as orchids from SIN or a wooden frame from BKK.
Factor in the collection of hold checked luggage...well... you get the picture
All international crews clear immigation in the Q adjacent to these machines.
Also in these Qs are pax who require special assistance...those in wheelchairs,the aged and infirmed and unaccompanied minors.
Arrive in Sydney at between 0630 and 0900 and that Q can extend back to and beyond the rear glass partition of the immigration area.
No reason has been put forward as to why the biometric readers are Inop.
The speed and efficiency of these readers also makes the adjacent Q much shorter as they allow Australian based crew quicker ingress.
The Express Lane for pax Customs clearance has several conditions attached to its use...no food and nothing of Customs and Quarantine significance.It also applies to Premium Frequent Flyer Categories only.
Crew using this Q must adhere to the same criteria as the pax.
Even then pax and crew baggage from this Q may be subject to quarantine scans.
On a good day with the bimetric readers both working and using the Express Line it can still take half an hour.
On a bad day it can take two hours if the readers are down and you need to declare an itme of food or something of Quarantine significance such as orchids from SIN or a wooden frame from BKK.
Factor in the collection of hold checked luggage...well... you get the picture
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Chocks Plus 40
Qantas allows 40 mins for Immigration and Customs clearance.
About time they bumped it up to an hour.
Either that or they introduce pre clearance whereby crew are able to submit details from the port preceding arrival into Sydney(or Australia in general).
This could be facilitated by registration online through the Dept of Immigation and AQUIS
A small admin charge could apply.This is the 21st Century surely it couldnt be that hard.
Oh...but wait...we are talking about Australia where the public service still thinks its 1926...or is that 1826?
About time they bumped it up to an hour.
Either that or they introduce pre clearance whereby crew are able to submit details from the port preceding arrival into Sydney(or Australia in general).
This could be facilitated by registration online through the Dept of Immigation and AQUIS
A small admin charge could apply.This is the 21st Century surely it couldnt be that hard.
Oh...but wait...we are talking about Australia where the public service still thinks its 1926...or is that 1826?
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YoDawg..Its About Crew..Get it? Crew
Your connections with Customs and Quarantine appear to serve you well.
Your description of Qantas Crew is appropriate for 1978.
The allowances for both pax and crew have changed significantly over the last two years.
Many of the items you enumerated are cheaper now in Australia.
Any way its all irrelevant.
The clearance procedures have been explained and they are grossly ineffective and unfair.
Like another poster here I am going to start taking naps in the Customs Hall until they sort this crap out.
NB Twiggs has been known to be a little confused.
Your description of Qantas Crew is appropriate for 1978.
The allowances for both pax and crew have changed significantly over the last two years.
Many of the items you enumerated are cheaper now in Australia.
Any way its all irrelevant.
The clearance procedures have been explained and they are grossly ineffective and unfair.
Like another poster here I am going to start taking naps in the Customs Hall until they sort this crap out.
NB Twiggs has been known to be a little confused.
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It is true that Smartgate has been inoperative in Sydney for a few weeks.
I believe it is just a temporary situation until the upgrading to the next version of Smartgate is introduced to Sydney, as has already been implemented in BNE and MEL.
Yes there have been some delays at passport control while this is being sorted.
Big deal! It will be running again in a few weeks.
This has not affected the express lane for quarantine.
I have found it to provide myself and others on my crew with a very quick exit from the arrivals hall in Sydney over the past few months, even when I have had declared items thanks to a green stamp from the roving AQIS staff.
I believe it is just a temporary situation until the upgrading to the next version of Smartgate is introduced to Sydney, as has already been implemented in BNE and MEL.
Yes there have been some delays at passport control while this is being sorted.
Big deal! It will be running again in a few weeks.
This has not affected the express lane for quarantine.
I have found it to provide myself and others on my crew with a very quick exit from the arrivals hall in Sydney over the past few months, even when I have had declared items thanks to a green stamp from the roving AQIS staff.
How many of the complainants here are people with ASIC cards who are PPLs, morons and arrive as commercial pax who then try to use dedicated crew lanes? Now, before the critics jump in, there are poeple who do this - they have boasted about it in other forums. (A quick search will probly lead you to these posts.)
I rang Mac Airports today and was told they totally agree with the need for a dedicated crew lane for both C and Q, and have conveyed this strongly to the Fed Gov, but it is the Feds area of responsibility. So if you want things to change you need to talk to the Fed Minister for Transport. Who has his number!
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Right Direction
Now we are getting somewhere.
Twiggs:"my crew" indicates you are a CSM and most likely spend most of your time at the BOS desk.
Hence your defense of the indefensible.
Try getting out a bit more
Time of arrival also determines the length of time it takes to clear both Immigration and Customs.
You appear to arrive into Sydney at times when the number of arriving aircraft is low.
Try arriving at peak times:0600 to 0900.
It ain't pretty
Twiggs:"my crew" indicates you are a CSM and most likely spend most of your time at the BOS desk.
Hence your defense of the indefensible.
Try getting out a bit more
Time of arrival also determines the length of time it takes to clear both Immigration and Customs.
You appear to arrive into Sydney at times when the number of arriving aircraft is low.
Try arriving at peak times:0600 to 0900.
It ain't pretty