After our amazing JetBlue Mint flight between New York and London, things quickly went south.
London Heathrow immigration lines galore
JetBlue is based at Terminal 2 Heathrow Airport. We arrived at Terminal 2B. This is the far end of the pier and requires a long walk to reach immigration. There have been so many horror stories lately about the wait times at Heathrow Immigration.
As we made our long trek to the terminal's main area, there was not a soul to be seen. I felt relieved that we arrived on time and had no problems. It seemed like most of the arrivals came from Africa, India and the Middle East. I thought that 10 AM was a good time for them to arrive.
It's wrong.
OMG! As we entered the main immigration hall This is the longest immigration line I have ever seen. They had created overflow queues that were so large people could not fit in the regular queuing area.
No matter what passport they have, all passengers were allowed to use one line. It ran in all directions in the terminal. The line ran about half a mile. I did not take many pictures as I was respectful of people's privacy and did not want to be yelled upon. However, the following should give you an idea of what I mean (and this is just a small part of the line).
Heathrow Terminal 2 Immigration Checkpoint
Heathrow Terminal 2 Immigration Checkpoint
The queue managers deserve credit. They designed the line so that you didn't know how long you would have to wait. It just kept going. It was always possible that you thought you might be near the end of the line but you were soon to be sent in the other direction.
It suffices to say that the vibe was also interesting. You had people like these (honestly 18+ months into this pandemic, is it a joke or does this person have a different understanding about how coronavirus spreads? ()
Today, satan!
On the opposite end of this spectrum, or perhaps the same spectrum depending on your perspective, was the lady behind me. She took off her mask and kept complaining about how she was going get coronavirus from this line. She would not stop talking and kept telling me that they call her the queen of Addis.
Amused, I overheard one of the queue control personnel tell a colleague how many people will say Im a diplomat or im a NATO specialist in order to jump the bloody line.
The line was extremely long but it moved very quickly, I must admit. It got so long that there was no room for more people, they opened the e-gates and let everyone through.
I believe that the intention was to screen many applicants in light of the UK's entry requirements. However, they abandoned that goal.
The wait took just over 90 minutes. The line moved much faster than I expected given its length. It was also the longest I have ever seen. I think it tied Cancun Airport for the longest wait at immigration.
Why is Heathrow's immigration line so long?
This is a common practice at Heathrow in recent weeks as the country opens up. There has not been much accountability from officials at Heathrow Airport or Border Force.
Officials simply acknowledged that delays are caused by additional spot checks to ensure passengers comply with UK Government's most recent entry requirements.
This doesn't do justice to the severity of the delays that were being experienced even weeks after the country largely reopened. Officials at airports haven't been able tell how long the average wait time has been. They have simply said that they are investigating.
The following was stated by a spokesperson for the Home Office about wait times:
Protecting the safety and well-being of the public is our top priority. This means that passengers may have to be prepared to wait longer to cross the border. We will not compromise on border security. Our vital mission of keeping the border safe and ensuring that passengers comply with current health regulations is what we will continue to do.
It seems that Border Force has a shortage of personnel, and officers insist on extra checks for many passengers.
Let me be clear: I am not trying to make you feel guilty for choosing to travel to UK for non-essential purposes. The wait times seem ridiculous and absurd to me.
Most travelers are familiar with the horror stories from Heathrow immigration. If you're traveling for other reasons than essential, you already know what you're getting into and can make a decision to take that risk.
It seems a little disingenuous to say that Heathrow puts us in danger while we are travelling for leisure. However, the likelihood of contracting coronavirus is low in areas with a lot of mask use, at least when compared to other venues where they are not the norm.
Nonetheless, Heathrow is an absolute cluster-you-know-what right now
Bottom line
Heathrow Airport wait times are quite long nowadays. If you plan to enter the UK via the airport, be prepared for that. Before you go to the toilet, make sure you bring water.
The immigration checkpoint was the most crowded I have ever seen. However, it moved quickly and I was done in 90 minutes.
What was your experience with Heathrow when you arrived in the UK from abroad?
