Passport checks at boarding

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  • Anonymous
    Guest

    DavidGordon10
    Participant

    This subject came up on a recent thread about LH, and I am giving it an airing in its own right.

    I appreciate that many countries are tough on airlines that do not check passports carefully, and verify that each traveller is eligible to enter the destination country. However, this can be organised well: or badly.

    Here are four examples, two of each.

    I am regularly on the CPH – LHR route. The examination of the passports at the gate is seamless with the reading of the boarding card. I only actually realised that it was being done when, on one occasion, a UK immgration officer was present “just to check that they are doing it right”, as he told me, and he told me they were.

    In contrast, one of the negative experiences of FRA is the chaos at gates loading UK flights. There is a separate passport check: if you arrive at the gate close to the boarding time, you may not hear the announcement about this separate check, and then end up in a tussle as you try to board (on one occasion I heard the gate agent say to the passport checker “I advise you not to annoy this passenger (me) any more”).

    I met similar chaos this weekend, boarding at CLT for LHR. The business lounge called the flight after boarding was well under way, but did not mention the passport check. So I was summarily bounced out of the boarding line, off to the desk for someone to take a perfunctory glance at my passport, and then had to cross the crowds in one boarding line to get to the other. I was livid by the time I was on board.

    Boarding for departure from the USA to Europe does not have to be as disorganised. My most recent previous two experiences (at JFK for PRG and IAD for CPH) were as smooth as boarding in CPH.

    Can airports and airlines be persuaded to get their act together? Smooth and hassle-free boarding is an important part of making the flight experience positive.


    PeterCoultas
    Participant

    At ARN security and passport check, ticket, of course then transferring at LHR to Leeds queue to show ticket, queue to show passport, queue to have picture taken, queue for security, queue to show ticket again, queue to let them see photo has not changed….if I hadn’t queue jumped it could have taken longer than a brazilian 9 hour detention!


    pdtraveller
    Participant

    The reason is to provide the UK authorities with evidence the checks are being one in order to successfully appeal and asylum request where the passport has been lost or destroyed. If an airline can show they take all reasonable steps then an appeal is more likely though never guaranteed.

    Seems everyone in the UK is now border control except perhaps border on troll themselves.


    pdtraveller
    Participant

    The reason is to provide the UK authorities with evidence the checks are being one in order to successfully appeal and asylum request where the passport has been lost or destroyed. If an airline can show they take all reasonable steps then an appeal is more likely though never guaranteed.

    Seems everyone in the UK is now border control except perhaps border on troll themselves.


    DavidGordon10
    Participant

    Of course, comprisons of CPH (my example) and ARN (yours) invites humour about Scandinavian national stereotypes. The Swedish sometimes regard Danes as no more than a bunch of untamed hooligans – hence the general ease of passing through CPH. My Danish colleagues sometimes (jokingly, I think) refer to the Swedes as so buttoned-up that they are incapable of any social interaction whatever – and maybe that is why ARN can be very slow….


    MartynSinclair
    Participant

    Through FRA the security check and passport checks are delaying departures. Often you will see the BA managers looking exasperated in the way FRA security are “just doing their job”.


    DavidGordon10
    Participant

    Exacty Martyn, I am usually on LH, so there are no LH managers to look exasperated – but it is so unnecessary. Other Schengen area airports that are busy like FRA manage to get you on the plane with much less fuss.

    I have never boarded at MUC or DUS to get back to the UK. Are they as bad?


    MartynSinclair
    Participant

    FRA seems to be out on a limb although Berlin is not far behind. Do not use Munich and DUS from memory was not as bad.

    The last rub down from security in FRA was again very intrusive and my backward “jerk” / smile and groan, seemed to make a point to robotic guy who very quickly backed off…..


    SimonRowberry
    Participant

    The most intensive passport checking I experienced was at DEL, before an LH flight back to MUC or FRA (forget which).

    My passport was checked at the top of the air bridge, again halfway down, and a third time at the door of the plane. This was during Business Class boarding, and there were so few of us in the air bridge, the people doing the checks could see each other and also see that the same people were being checked 3 times for the same thing.

    Hey ho. I guess it helps the Indian employment statistics.

    Simon


    PaulRWoods
    Participant

    If travelling through Germany with a passport of a country not using German as a general language DO NOT speak German at all with immigration officers, policemen and customs officers! I repeat: DO NOT SPEAK ANY GERMAN! Doing otherwise will certainly lead to the same treatment experienced by the Brasilian travelling via Heathrow!
    From frequent experience I can tell that not fitting their perception of a foreigner e.g. by speaking fluent German will cause a lot of trouble for any traveller.


    LuganoPirate
    Participant

    I’m puzzled by that comment Paul. Could you explain why?


    PaulRWoods
    Participant

    @LuganoPirate
    Why not speak German with German officials when coming into Germany: I am British, born in The Netherlands and speak better German than most Germans. Already the birthplace “Amsterdam” raises eyebrows and then speaking flawless German gets all the alarmbells ringing and frequently leads to being kept for hours at airports or border posts (luckily those are gone) until the British authorities (most of the time the consulate in Duesseldorf) confirms that everything is correct.
    It also happens – but not as often – with the Dutch marechaussee (= constabulary).
    It seems to me that all those guys do not expect a British national to speak their respective languages fluently and therefore think that my passport must be a fake.


    lostantipod
    Participant

    As an Australian who lived in Germany a decade ago, regularly commuting by air, and still greets German border control in German language and can answer their basic questions, I can honestly say ive never been delayed unnecessarily. And I go there at least a few times a year still, mostly on business and sometimes forleisure. Viel spass !


    MartynSinclair
    Participant

    @PaulRWoods – any chance of some German lessons?? 🙂

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