Them new passport border machine things

[scooterscot]

*rant thread*
Flew into Edinburgh last night. What was a working system is now a complete up. First we're sat on the plane for near 40 minutes after parking at the gate cause no steps were available. Disembarking some while later three plane loads are met with a row of new passport self service machines. A human would have processed me three times faster is my guess. And I was not alone, a lot of frustrations amongst travellers. They must have spent a fortune, and for what? To put some people out of a job to save some pennies down the line?

What is it with this incessant need to automate everything? It doesn't work.

[Lockhouse]

There's worse;

If you leave your passport next to a magnetised mobile phone case or similar it can get wiped of the magnetic information so no longer works in the automated lane. Mine was accidentally wiped like Vera Lynn - don't know where, don't know when..... So on the way back from Italy last summer when I tell the customs wallah it doesn't work in the machines they don't believe me and feel compelled to try it half a dozen times (which started off amusing) then they felt need to call the supervisor and I get whisked out of the way for half an hour whilst all these Johnny Foreigner types just waltz in past me.

Never happened with the nice blue ones.

[original PM]

*rant thread*
Flew into Edinburgh last night. What was a working system is now a complete up. First we're sat on the plane for near 40 minutes after parking at the gate cause no steps were available. Disembarking some while later three plane loads are met with a row of new passport self service machines. A human would have processed me three times faster is my guess. And I was not alone, a lot of frustrations amongst travellers. They must have spent a fortune, and for what? To put some people out of a job to save some pennies down the line?

What is it with this incessant need to automate everything? It doesn't work.

Luddite!

But I do agree with you - happened last year to me and my brothers going into Manchester - almost zero queue to see a human but they only let you do that if you did not have a biometric passport - if you had one you had to use the machines - which were maybe 50% effective at best.

:sigh:

[scooterscot]

should add, after a day of travel and arriving into another country, for some it is the 1st time, you want a 'Welcome home' (as I used to get), or 'Welcome to Scotland etc'. Now you're greeted by a cold lump or steal & blinding bright light.

Them things are a mistake.

[woohoo]

I flew American Airlines (BA partner) in the US and it's a shambles. First off, just don't fly AA as a BA partner, just don't.

Anyway, we arrived at the airport early and had to wait until the staff arrived (fair enough), they then proceeded to turn on the check-in machines. 4 staff, 6 machines. Nearly everyone had issues with the check-in machines. At the end of it, a luggage sticker is printed off you are then supposed to attach this to your luggage.

Sounds easy right, well the on-screen instructions stay on screen for about 10 seconds then you are supposed to figure out how to attach this and not obscure the bar code. Anyway, we tried to figure it out and couldn't, so started watching other people figure it out. In the end a member of staff helped and a small crowd gathered round.

oh AA wanted to charge us 100 dollars for being 1lb over the weight limit. Despite both cases together being under the limit. Just a shambles.

[d000hg]

Are these the new machines that have been around for ten years, or some other ones?

They used to be great because 90% of people didn't have the new passports, so you never faced a queue.

[Mordac]

*rant thread*
Flew into Edinburgh last night. What was a working system is now a complete up. First we're sat on the plane for near 40 minutes after parking at the gate cause no steps were available. Disembarking some while later three plane loads are met with a row of new passport self service machines. A human would have processed me three times faster is my guess. And I was not alone, a lot of frustrations amongst travellers. They must have spent a fortune, and for what? To put some people out of a job to save some pennies down the line?

What is it with this incessant need to automate everything? It doesn't work.

As long as they are compatible with the new British Passports. Are you getting one Scooty?

[xoggoth]

ID is a problem at all levels of importance, just trying to find a National trust card among all the other cards in yer wallet is a pain. When I get to be world dictator you will all be micro chipped at birth, things will be much easier.

[Mordac]

ID is a problem at all levels of importance, just trying to find a National trust card among all the other cards in yer wallet is a pain. When I get to be world dictator you will all be micro chipped at birth, things will be much easier.

Why, how many other fun organisations do you belong to Xog?

[Eirikur]

Use them almost monthly on Heathrow T5 and flying through.
Looking at the non EU/Uk queues which take at least 2 to 3 hours I'm wondering how that will be after Brexit