LHR T4 Immigration E gates closed Until May!

Arriving this week approx 7am into T4 at LHR, there were huge queues for Immigration, with 4 aircraft arriving roughly the same time. I was not aware that All the E-reader gates, were boarded off, for “Upgrades”, with the excellent Iris readers having been removed some time back.
On spending 3/4 of an hr to get to the 4 manned desks for UK/EU passports, the officer informed me “They are closed until May”!

Perhaps other BT forum travellers can post if this is the same in the other terminals?

Other airports take a weekend or a few days to install new gates of this sort, not 2-3 months! Another example of LHR and its Management, and how organised services are in the UK for us travellers. Amsterdam/ Sydney has been fully refurbished, E-reader gates, Privium Iris readers in NL, as well as Officers coming out when queues develop. KUL now also use finger biometrics, on entry and exit.

The Far East and Amsterdam show us how it can be done, LHR shows me often the worst “management”, and non customer orientated attitude, with Security and Immigration services…which we pay for on our tickets!
With common sense, I see the UK does not have exit Passport control, and I find this completely stupid, and irresponsible. It defies logic, and no wonder we do not know who has left, where they are, and who they are. It would be shocking to see the entries, compared to the exit numbers!

There were long lines at T4 passport control when I arrived from Amsterdam in late Feb (no doubt in part due to the closure of the e-gates). Thankfully, the lines were fast moving and I was through in about 10 minutes.

Was the same at T3 at 7pm last night, no extra gates due to upgrades….queues were approx 25 minutes.

E-gates were inoperative at Brussels when I passed through this weekend. Don’t know if it was just a temporary problem, or if they are about to replace them all as well. Queues were ridiculous.

A Colleague came through T4 this morning, and waited over an hr to get through Immigration.

Why they cannot replace gates one at a time, or a group at a time, and have retained the Iris gates, reflects on how ignorantly Management operate at LHR

So many other Airports have updated their technology, without needing 3 months to change a basic E-gate, Sydney for one good example.

Came through T4 earlier this week – took an hour to get through the EU line. Recently travelled through Perth, Brisbane and Wellington numerous times – never had to wait at the E gates more than about 5 minutes.

Experience at T5 isn’t much better – waited 45 minutes a couple of months ago

Heathrow is a joke, but then again so is UK Immigration staffing – never more than 3-4 on duty.

Welcome home indeed

I arrived yesterday from Paris at LHR having transited from an inbound EZE flight. We circled for 20 minutes prior to landing having arrived early, EU passport holders were then diverted down one tunnel with ” others ” diverted down a second tunnel. When we emerged in the Immigration hall the ” others were already there ” not sure how, we then waited 40 minutes whilst around 7 immigration officers chatted and operated 5 desks. It is frankly nothing short of appalling. In my view any attempt at increasing runway capacity at LHR would be totally negated by lack of immigration staff and not only that but the time it takes for them to process you. yesterday I stood for a minute whilst I was examined against passport photo, then the passport is scanned, then I am asked where I have been and why? I am not sure they need to ask this- I am all for checking people on the way in and in fact on the way out but UK is the only place in Europe that I get asked these questions. In most of mainland Europe they make a cursory check of the passport and sometimes scan it and you are through. LHR is almost as bad at NYC and frankly the immigration service needs to up their game.