Slow Processing of Inbound PAX at SYD T1

[moa999]

Plus why are we still scanning the machine readable page. Every AU passport would be chipped these days (ePassport came in from late 2005)

 

[elanshin]

Plus why are we still scanning the machine readable page. Every AU passport would be chipped these days (ePassport came in from late 2005)

Our machines aren't just for Aus Passports now. Also im pretty sure it's doing it as additional security checks on the actual page.

 

[Warragul]

Plus why are we still scanning the machine readable page. Every AU passport would be chipped these days (ePassport came in from late 2005)

The international standards for (e)passports, require that they use at least Basic Access Control (BAC) or higher level of security. The relevant part of that to scanning the MRZ to use Smartgate is that the check digits contained in the MRZ are required and be correct to be able to read and extract the data on the chip.

2-Access to ePassport chip

 

[RooFlyer]

MRZ

Meaning & significance, please?

 

[moa999]

Meaning & significance, please?

Machine readable zone.. or those weird two lines at the bottom of the picture page.

 

[Warragul]

And contains much the same information as on the chip, other than the photo.

 

[Daver6]

SYD international arrivals is one spot where an APEC card is incredibly beneficial. It really is a rubbish airport to deal with and transfer to a domestic flight.

 

[serfty]

Interestingly, myself and another member landed on a CX flight somewhat later same morning, disembarking the aircraft 9:10am. I was through in 16 minutes, including purchasing duty free. At 9:26am I was landside searching for the terminal transfer bus stop which had been relocated.

 

[RooFlyer]

Yes, it's the Arrivals at the end of curfew that's the killer.

 

[Kiwi_Flyer]

(And just wandering off on another tangent, I wonder what the emergency evacuation procedure would be in that immigration hall in case of, say, fire alarm- there must be hundreds of people jammed in there at peaks. How would it go if there was smoke, or the smell of smoke?)

Some years ago I was arriving at AKL on an international flight when there was a fire in international baggage claim. We didn't need to evacuate but were held before immigration for several hours. Pax on later arriving flights were either held on the apron (once at capacity inside) or were not allowed to disembark their a/c.

 

[Flyfrequently]

Bring on WSI!

Just gone through SYD international arrivals, immigration etc. Ticket machines 15 deep - kiosks same. Non Oz queues very very long.

Bus Int—>Dom stuck half way due to a queue of planes waiting to cross in front, in turn delayed by a plane with a problem departing dom gate.

Something for me to look forward to next week @RooFlyer
May I ask, how long did it take from disembarking to get over to Domestic?

 

[RooFlyer]

May I ask, how long did it take from disembarking to get over to Domestic?

I think a bit over an hour. I didn't have to wait for bags and got straight onto the bus (which was then delayed mid-journey)

 

[Mwenenzi]

As already alluded to, it'd be sensible to turn directly to online arrival cards. Why we'd need our convoluted paper-based process with four steps is a mystery (arrival card > ticket > e-gate > quarantine check where the card & ticket are returned back to the authorities present).

Have entered AU at BNE & MEL in recent times via the new 2 kiosks and then submitted the written arrival card at the final customs/bio security manual check before getting to land side. At BNE these kiosks (printers) were a few steps from each other.

NZ has 1 kiosk that seem to do what the 2 AU (new) kiosks do (without printing another bit of paper). Then a manual arrival card or online arrival card, linked to passport, for customs/bio security. The e arrival card - passport swipe does seem slower than the manual card.

 

[RealtimeY]

SYD international arrivals is one spot where an APEC card is incredibly beneficial

Is the ABTC line reliably fast during morning rush?

 

[Daver6]

Is the ABTC line reliably fast during morning rush?

At SYD, yes. It's also the crew lane though. You're always going to be ahead of the crew from your flight, but could be stuck behind the crew of another flight. It's only happened to me once and it wasn't too bad. Otherwise there is generally no line.

In MEL it's not as good, although only used it the once. Basically it's just a separate line that takes you to the front of the regular pleb line waiting for immigration officers. So you feel like a bit of a douche pushing to the front. It's also the crew lane. They didn't have dedicated staff for crew/APEC.

 

[Warragul]

At SYD, yes. It's also the crew lane though. You're always going to be ahead of the crew from your flight, but could be stuck behind the crew of another flight. It's only happened to me once and it wasn't too bad. Otherwise there is generally no line.

You could be gazumped by another crew as well. They are entitled to priority over everyone in the crew lane, even if its a 'shared' lane. Some crews feel like a douche as well (fell its a bad look for the company) pushing in. Many use Smartgate too, which reduces the odds of gazumping.

 

[Daver6]

You could be gazumped by another crew as well. They are entitled to priority over everyone in the crew lane, even if its a 'shared' lane. Some crews feel like a douche as well (fell its a bad look for the company) pushing in. Many use Smartgate too, which reduces the odds of gazumping.

First I hear of that. Nothing signposted to say crew can push past others. Where did you get that from?

 

[Warragul]

First I hear of that. Nothing signposted to say crew can push past others. Where did you get that from?

Staff instruction when I worked at SYD, an ICAO standard/ recommended practice apparently. Annex 9 on facilitation perhaps. Related to crew being on minimum rest, not being delayed etc.

Pre- Smart gate days, QF crew were very aware of this.

 

[andye]

The secret is to ignore the staff that's asking if you filled your card out and get right to the immigration gates where there's a bunch more machines. But everyone being good citizens line up before then and thus those machines are almost always empty

I did this last trip and it bit me in the bum

 

[sqrt()]

Global entry is an example of how good/easy this process can be made. Funny that the alternative in the US is usually at least a 30 minute wait (or a whole lot more) in the pleb queue. To be honest though, I’d rather not import “pay to avoid queue” systems like GE, precheck, clear etc. (not that I dont use them )