I mentioned previously, dreadful queuing arriving early morning at LHR T5 , despite (or perhaps because of) new staff trying to organize queues.
Latest news story here, I can confirm coming through LHR T5 again last Wednesday, mid-morning this time, but dreadful again. People directing passengers to queues, but no visible strategy as to why / where – queues to connections security as well as passport control ? As I’ve said before, I’ve seen longer queues in US and Aussie and Hong-Kong and Moscow immigration in the years following 9/11, but they seem to have got their act together. Again, it’s not the absolute time, but the equity of the queuing, and the validity of the information, that frays tempers.
The combination of the border-control staff working to tougher rules and the “greeters” not appearing to know what they’re doing is a disaster.
[Post Note 1st May – After yesterday’s parliamentary question on waiting times, both parties trading numerical stats on “times” – national averages – huh ? Forget the numbers folks, it’s the queuing equity that matters. And getting to immigration is part of the time to get through border control. Baggage and customs are a separate issue.]
[Post Note 3rd May – Apparently April 30th was in fact the worst day in recent experience.]