Immigration procedures for inbound crews at LGW
 

For years we had been following the same procedures at LGW. When you arrive after operating a flight, a bus meets the crew at the foot of the aircraft and drives it to the crew clearance facility at Atlantic House, where the necessary immigration and customs paperwork is handed over, and from there the crew is driven landside to the hotel.

Around late 2015, this changed. Our company was advised that inbound operating crews could only continue using this procedure if they were intending to leave the UK as an Operating crew within the next 7 days. Those that did not meet this condition had to go through the terminal and pass UK Immigration and Customs like ordinary passengers.

At our company, we often arrive in the UK as crew, but then reposition the next day to another European city as passengers (CDG, AMS, for example), and operate an aircraft back to our home country from there.

Our crews found in this situation typically have to wait in line at Immigration anywhere from 40 to 90 minutes, often after operating a long haul night flight. Unlike most airports, where there are dedicated crew lines at Immigration, LGW has no such thing for crews do not normally enter the terminal for clearing Immigration.

It seems that some form of fast lane does exist, not for crews but for anyone, after payment and pre-registration.......

Any other crews facing the same issue ?

Edit: Maybe this post should be in "Airlines, Airports & Routes" ?

If the airline you work for is the one I think of, here at MAN they're allowed straight onto the bus to then be dropped off landside outside the terminal to check in for their next flight (as pax), not sure why it'd be different at LGW?

(Although I'm not sure why they opt to take a bus to checkin when it's probably quicker to walk :E)

The Memo our airline received is specifically for LGW.

How to make, what should be, an easy job difficult. These attitudes seems to be a real UK thing. I was astonished to be based at STN for a short while to find there is no crew channel. Arriving at the end of 'lates' around 23.30 was to find yourself at the back of many very long queues. Once I tried to jump the queue only to be admonished by a 'Border agent'. I then spoke to the supervisor asking why there was not a crew channel. A blank stare followed. I then asked if I could use the empty Channel Island entry desks. I was told that any agent at any desk was obliged to process me. Sounded a good solution; until the next day when a 'Border agent' admonished me for abusing the Channel Island entry route. You can not win. I still never found out why there is no crew channel. Local crew knowledge perhaps? The other admonishment was sneaking out with local crews via their local security pass channel. OMG. I was obviously a very undesirable person in disguise trying to slide into UK on false pretences.
Why are crew treated so disdainfully in UK?

It's not just a UK thing. Until very recently IAH didn't have a crew lane which resulted in clearance times well over an hour regularly. There STILL is no crew lane there, but at least now there is a lane for Mobile Passport app holders which reduces the time to mere minutes.