[Anonymous]

[Bucksnet]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/9238733/Theresa-May-summoned-to-Downing-Street-to-explain-Heathrow-chaos.html

They’re still pushing the maximum 90 minute wait cover up line.

May needs to go, and maybe she will in a re-shuffle after the elections this week.

[LPPSKrisflyer]

At least Cameron is finally taking notice!

May should have gone by now, I hope we don’t have to wait too long but I have a nasty feeling she may sacrifice Green.

[VintageKrug]

It will be Green for the chop.

[Tete_de_cuvee]

and now we’ll be paying to fix it.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2137567/Heathrow-queues-Passengers-face-paying-passport-checks-end-airport-delay-chaos.html

[Bucksnet]

Maybe this has been the plan all along – to get passengers to pay more. BAA would pay for extra staff, pass the cost on to the airlines, who will then increase ticket prices.

It makes sense for international arrivals to pay for the service as they are the ones who are using it, not departures, not domestic and not the public through general taxation. Airports could compete with each other to offer the best service.

I would pay extra for an excellent service, but I fear that tickets will go up with only a slight improvement in the service.

[LuganoPirate]

Coming to an airport near you – soon.

I wonder which airport border force will be the first to charge passengers directly to enter the country? “Please have your passport and credit card ready for presentation!”

[MartynSinclair]

I agree that this is not a happy situation, especially leading up to the Olympics.

However, what makes the UKBA situation, in terms of length of time to clear any different to the waiting times endured by aliens entering USA?

I am not promoting a tit for tat,but highlighting that UKBA is not the only border heaving.

I know there is a staffing issue and also Europe interfering with UKBA protocol.

I am all for efficient border control but would far prefer to see UK citizens being treated far more fairly than worry too much whether it takes a visitor 30 minutes or 1 hour to clear.

I have experienced a 3 hour wait in the USA, whilst US citizens in the same entry hall get through in a few minutes.

[FlyingChinaman]

Martyn: I am in total agreement with you on streamlining the entry of the UK/EU passport holders as it will automatically free up the UK Border’s “limited” resources to process the non-EU travellers.

The suggestion of passengers paying EXTRA money to fast track UK Immigration is ridiculous!!!!!!!! The whole world would come down on Britain.

[MartynSinclair]

“The suggestion of passengers paying EXTRA money to fast track UK Immigration is ridiculous!!!!!!!! ” – how ridiculous???

We can learn from our cousins across the pond:

** Create a system to gather data from passengers in advance of their trip to UK

** Create an online application system

** Make this system free for the first 21 days (thinking about those last minute decisions to visit UK for Olympics)

** Then introduce an online payment system and gradually increase charges.

** call it a visa waiver programme or an Olympic surcharge

Think about the jobs it will create, the income being generated and the streamlining possibilities, especially for UK citizens.

If the USA can get away with such a clever system, why cant UKBA??

[VintageKrug]

The problem is, we already pay for these services through passenger facility charges. And especially at LHR, they’re not inexpensive.

I think pre-clearance, as outlined above, would be a sensible move.

I also see nothing wrong with charging those from overseas a modest sum to cover the administration required to make pre-clearance a reality. I think ESTA is about $20/£15 for two years…?

I’d have more of an issue if it was an annual £150+ fee for UK/EU nationals to access an IRIS equivalent. In my opinion you shouldn’t have to pay to enter your own country, and that’s a very important principle. Further, everyone should expect a “reasonable” waiting time, and in my view that’s about ten minutes for UK Nationals, and up to 45 minutes for non-EU nationals.

What do you think we should charge for an ESTA-equivalent?

[FlyingChinaman]

Martyn: You have an obsession with US Immigration entry process!!!!

Now back to the real subject, IMHO, this is the FRIST time VK is completely right with his post.

Passengers are already mourning how much they are paying to use UK gateway airports (LHR to be specific). Just fake any booking to London and from any country outside the EU and see compare the big difference in the airport EXPENSES against other majoring European cities. I regularly hearing this complaint from my friends all around the world on this matter.

[SimonS1]

I agree it is a logical idea. More and more countries seem to be levying a ‘small charge’ for the border control, I was charged about £15 to get into Qatar the other week.

Trouble is people would see it as the thin end of the wedge, another charged to be ramped up extortionately like the APD.

And with the government record on major data projects you would have to question whether they lack the competence to be able to deliver it properly. Would it be made to work for example of would all the data just disappear down a black hole meaning it would become another back door way of immigration.

[VintageKrug]

Chinaman, you need to be clear what element is TAX and what is FEES (including airport fees and passenger facility charges). You can get a breakdown on what’s what using ITA.

[esselle]

Perhaps a departure tax would be a more efficient way of dealing with this. No need to pay in advance, no need to pay on arrival, thus no delays coming in.

Pax make their own arrangements to pay before going through outbound control, so less time wasted.

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