 Poster: A snowHead
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We are scheduled to land back at Gatwick 4:30 on the Saturday afternoon after half term.
How busy is the passport control likely to be? We are flying BA.
Thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Local Gatwick user, though tend to avoid travelling on a Saturday as kids are now all adult. Are you asking because of onward travel plans?
TBH it's anyone's guess..with children up to 12 years old you have to be checked by a human rather than the electronic passport gates, though in my experience that makes little difference with the time it all takes. I think you had best reckon on 30 mins min to wait. On the plus side, your bags should be on the carousel by the time you get to the baggage hall.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I've experienced everything from 10 min queues, to hour long drags. there's no way of telling. Good luck. Oh, and it makes no difference which airline you are with 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Timberwolf wrote: |
| I've experienced everything from 10 min queues, to hour long drags. there's no way of telling. Good luck. Oh, and it makes no difference which airline you are with |
Airline makes a difference, Only in so much as meaning we are coming into South Terminal. Which was why mentioned it. Not sure if the different terminals have different issues?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Don't worry about it - now we've taken back control of our borders I expect they'll be gearing up to open more than 20% of the electronic gates which is LGW BAU.
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@Dave of the Marmottes, 
As pointed out above we can’t use the automated ones due to having children with us... we were looking at those last April with no queues at all (did jokingly suggest we the girls could meet us at the baggage reclaim) as almost everybody coming in on the fligt also had kids which was why they were traveling that week. Same, I suspect, will be true for half term - the vast majority of people stuck travelling that week have kids with them.
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@NickyJ, the advantage of coming into the South is that you won't find the contents of an entire A380 in front of you, other than that entirely unpredictable.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@NickyJ, just spend the £28 on premium passport, you know you want to! If you don’t, I’ll wave smugly as we go past 
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| snowdave wrote: |
| @NickyJ, just spend the £28 on premium passport, you know you want to! If you don’t, I’ll wave smugly as we go past |
More than that as travelling with my sister and her two as well. Can’t ask her to pay for it! If it was just us I would TBH. May still do but as pointed out by hubby and above. That delay at passport control just means no waiting at Baggage reclaim.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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You can pay £7 each for fast track and skip the arrival queues
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Nadenoodlee wrote: |
| You can pay £7 each for fast track and skip the arrival queues |
Hence trying to work out whether it is worth paying for
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Always worth paying for @NickyJ, for the knowledge you won’t have to queue in any instance and being able to make travel plans etc around it. And they’re rather lovely and polite.
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You know it makes sense.
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We've been 2 hours from touch down to getting car back at Gatwick before now with ski kit - and not at half term. We've also been through in a quarter of the time. I think it's just a bit luck of the draw at Gatwick.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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You're going to hate me, but we got priority in both directions for free. Turns out the car park we booked has temporarily moved (not far, by all accounts) and to apologise for the inconvenience, we've all been given fast track passes in both directions. We went for the valet parking because our car is filthy and long overdue a proper wash as we just haven't had the time, felt we were probably overpaying, but with this offer, not quite so much!
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Poster: A snowHead
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@sparklies, not at all - pleased for you
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Worth booking Passport Fast Track
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Maybe I've just been lucky, but the last few times I've arrived at LGW wait time has been under 5 minutes. The last of those was an evening flight and there was no queue at all - the staff were sitting at their desks waiting for people to arrive.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@thelem, half term or not?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@NickyJ, I'm struggling to remember which flight is which now. Last time was coming home from the PSB, arriving 15:25 on Sat 8th Dec. I was there last Feb half term, but arriving 06:30 Saturday so maybe a quiet time (just long haul flights arriving).
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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When we came back from The Family Bash last year it wasn’t horrendous, but not flown back into Gatwick at halfterm before so not sure if it is worse.
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So I went in to book this and just checked their terms and conditions.
Not particularly liking
“2.4 If your flight is delayed en route, use of the Premium Lane will be granted at the sole discretion of the airport host in the passport control area”
Now although I get why - by being delayed could mean too many people trying got use that lane within the time you arriving and hacking off those that haven’t been delayed... but further reading of the T&Cs indicate that should this happen we won’t be refunded.
Given the odds of NOT being delayed in some aspect feel rather low, is this likely to be an issue?
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I queried this and have in writing from them that if due to delays we don’t get access, then they will refund.
Also discovered that by registering for My gatwick we got 20% off the price. So booked it for return.
We can also get 20%, of premium security as well, but going to risk without.
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