Crew lane for arriving crew, not!
 

I guess it’s a hoary chestnut, but why doesn’t AQIS provide a “crew lane” for arriving crew?
At the end of long back of the clock flight wouldn’t it be nice to clear customs & quarantine with a minimum of fuss?
Any AQIS staff out there care to comment?

.... because this is Australia, and we can't be seen to be helping those pompous overpaid glorified crew who spend their lives swanning around the world.

There is in Sydney, but haven't noticed one anywhere else.
The only way to expedite your exit at other ports is to be given a green stamp from one of the AQIS staff in the baggage collection area.
Be careful though, you won't get one if you approach them.

The Sydney one is only a recent half-arsed attempt at a crew lane. It is a combined express card passenger lane and only for nothing to declare...or green stamped.

Most other Aussie ports have a purely dedicated crew lane. Sydney appears to be the only exception to this (unless it has changed in the last 3 weeks).

Perth has one for outgoing crew

inbound no

Perth has a inbound crew passport line ...on the RHS...which then comes back to center.

There is also a dedicated quarantine/customs lane on the RHS of the raceway - you wouldnt know it - but there are little white signs on the top of the raceway (Crew or assisted pax). An officer stands there to let you through to the xray....or directs you to quarantine - the raceway usually puts you in front of the pax.

Haven't passed through YBBN as crew in some time, so it may have changed, but Brisbane AQIS staff when I was last there seemed to go out of their way to ensure crew "knew their place" - at the back of the very long queue. There was certainly no dedicated crew lane.

There is a way to get through, if youve had the 'education'...
(and no I'm not talking bribery!!! :E)

There's a few little words one can write on the crew immigration form, if you have the right people on duty (read: not autonomous robot variety who follow everything to the last detail) that will get you into the right lane for processing quickly, but of course there's no way I'm repeating it here or everyone will use it!!! :}

The crew lane in Perth is a bit hit and miss, sometimes if they're really busy you still get shunted to the back of the queue, and yes after an all-nighter (flight that is :E) it's the straw that breaks the camel's back!

Wiley, I came through Brisbane International last week and it's just as bad as you remember. The crew lane for immigration is mixed with the 'Assisted Passengers' and Express Lane so be prepared for a looooooonnnng wait.
The 3 Jumbos worth of passengers were through the normal lanes long before any of the crew had got near the front. In the end they moved us all over to the vacant normal lanes. Reminded me why I try to avoid Brisbane. :ugh:

I'm sure your passengers (who have been sitting in the 30 inch seat pitch) are thinking exactly the same thing!:hmm:

I doubt the pax go through the process as regularly as the crew. :ok:

Customs and AQIS are flat out staffing the pax lanes, let alone an extra crew lane. You'll be searching your own bag and reading yourself the 'Declare everything' lecture if current trends continue. :ouch:

IIRC, management in Canberra were against the idea. BNE had an informal crew lane for a while that was stomped on by the fearless leaders as soon as they found out about it.

Lobby the Ministers!


Worrals

What , the pax that have been drinking booze, watching videos and sleeping for the last few hours ? :yuk:
Don't forget, we all travel as pax from time to time and don't expect any favours then.

I say again, in the 30 inch seat pitch!:E
So you've never expected an upgrade then?

Rather than mere passengers, perhaps you should start looking at them as customers! You know as in the customer comes first!:ooh:

Baggage handlers
 

Who cares how fast you get through if you wait 45+ minutes for the bags to arrive.
It's a game of F* U with our baggage handlers & customs/quarantine, certainly doesn't happen overseas and no I'm not just being precious.

Perhaps if we push the company to adjust our stand down town this issue could suddenly move into line with the rest of the world:\

I say again DRINKING BOOZE!
Besides 30 inches is not a problem for most normal sized people.

No I have never EXPECTED an upgrade.

The customer came first in the aircraft and when we reach the customs queue I become a customer with lots of frequent flyer points (for lack of a better description).:}

Mr Hughes,
When we depart on a trip, we use a dedicated crew channel, then after the passport/GD check we are permitted to go straight to the front of the queue at the x-ray machines, security staff will hold pax to allow us through.
At the end of a flight, again, crew have a dedicated channel for passport/DG checks.
I fail to see why this theme can't migrate to AQIS. AQIS do not have to roster a quarantine officer just for crew. They need only simply allow us through the tape when they see us waiting. It can't be that hard.

Yes a little one sided I know - but without the crew the majority of customs officers and quarantine officers would be unemployed. Like all industries one job tends to lead to other jobs and the flow on continues.


We are merely going through customs/AQIS as a matter of course for our employment. I don't believe we should be excluded from random screening, but as the customs/AQIS is a necessary part of us getting to or from work, I think a dedicated crew lane is essential. Why does Australia find it so hard to do - rest of the world does - are we a little behind the times here?

Hey if we get slowed down - I don't mind - as long as my company pays me for my time, and my company bills customs/aqis.

The people who'd be offended.. they'd be the same ones who are offended by crew going to the head of the queue at the outbound security checks, I suppose. So incredibly thick that they'd rather their flight departed late than see "them crews" get preferental treatment. Bogans.

Anyone who believes that someone who's been on his or her butt for the last eight to fifteen hours, even in a 30" pitch seat, is as in need to get to bed as a crewmember who, in the case of cabin crew, have walked for most of that time, is too thick to have his opinion considered.

Qanchor the problem is the airlines would have arrangements with Customs et al for an expeditious departure but there is nothing benefitting them having you out quickly at the other end.