Entering Australia - Grrrrr !!!!

[MAN Flyer]

Why can't it always be like that....

Well, I panned it, so it's only fair I praise it when it's different.

A visit to PER this week saw me in my taxi, with checked luggage, 20 minutes after leaving the aircraft.

No jobsworth silly questions from the immigration robot, and no secondary robot, period. This by default meant no repeat of same questions asked again 30 seconds after answering them. Bag on carousel pretty quick, scanned through machine and waved through without a murmur.

Differences to last time ?. Our SQ225 was the only flight arriving then and.....a new Passport...... The other one was with me (as it's got my current Vietnam Visa) but even though that still had a valid visa (unless it auto cancels with the new one), it stayed in the pocket.

[Kiwi]

Nice when it works as it should. Meanwhile this week I spent over 2 hours to enter NZ. Ugg.

Not fun at the best of times, let alone when it is wee hours of the morning and I have a 5am wakeup call (and 40 minute cab ride from the airport to get to my place).

[Rejuvenated]

I have found Aussie immigration to be the worst among all advanced nations I have entered, in particular SYD & MEL.

[MAN Flyer]

Just thought I'd update another visit down under last week, which again was a very pleasant experience.

Arrived at BNE early morning on SQ and was at the Avis desk in arrivals within 15 minutes of walking off the aircraft.

Departing from SYD it was nice to see no Hand Luggage Police harrassing people, through the Fast Track and was airside past security 6 or 7 minutes after checking in.

[AsiaCommuter]

I have found Aussie immigration to be the worst among all advanced nations I have entered, in particular SYD & MEL.

I think Osaka KIX has to be up there too.... Whether it's the morning or evening SQ flight, it seems there is always a single immigration officer for the foreigners vs. many for local passengers. For the morning flight I always seem to be stuck behind a tonne of European passengers from the Air France flight. After waiting 30 minutes or more and after all the local passengers are cleared they allow foreigners to user the Japanese queues.

For a country of efficiencies this is an exception

[kapitan]

I had the most pleasant surprised when I arrived at MEL on the 9th Dec with TG465.... was about the second person in line at immigration, there were no other planes arriving.... immigration looked at my passport, stamped and no questions asked.... I was expecting a tough time at customs, all ready for questions and opening of luggage bags, but the custom officer took my form, looked at it and pointed me to the exit..... was out in about 15 minutes after stepping off the plane........ but my driver was late !!!!!.... I had three smokes before he arrived.....

[lee_apromise]

but my driver was late !!!!!.... I had three smokes before he arrived.....

You gotta tell us what kinds of cigs you smoke so we can estimate the time !!

[GreekLunatic]

When i went overseas to Greece last year when we landed and got our luggage we were suprised there were no checks of it. Comming back home to Melbourne i was suprised that they just put our luggage through the xray machine and within 20 mins of our plane landing we were out .

[MAN Flyer]

Just thought I'd update another visit down under last week, which again was a very pleasant experience.

Arrived at BNE early morning on SQ and was at the Avis desk in arrivals within 15 minutes of walking off the aircraft.

Departing from SYD it was nice to see no Hand Luggage Police harrassing people, through the Fast Track and was airside past security 6 or 7 minutes after checking in.

Had another very pleasant BNE arrival and departure experience again last month, again at the car hire desk within 15 mins. I also got back to BNE just under an hour prior to the earlier SQ flight to SIN leaving and was allowed to jump on that, with no hand luggage police anywhere to be seen.

While I can't say going to Australia for less than 24 hours is something that could in any way be described as fun, if I have to do it BNE seem to be the best way in and out.

[Kyo]

I found ADL super easy to speed in and out also

[MSPeconomist]

I wish I could say the same about Cairns. I have experienced long lines, well over an hour, to have baggage Xrayed upon arrival. Very frustrating, although they did seem to be finding a lot of forbidden food.

[kapitan]

Arrived MEL on the 11th May at about noon with TG. Given a Fasttrack card, but there's no need to use it as I was first at immigration. Got passport stamped and went to pick up luggage, had to wait about 10 minutes before it came, walked straight through Customs without being stopped. Custom officer looked at my form, found answers ok, and waved me through.

No problems at all with this arrival, of course I did not stay back to look at those pax behind me, am glad to be out for some fresh air....

[MAN Flyer]

I waltzed through SYD last weekend in 10-15 minutes. Unfortunately they somehow took a dislike to me at AKL a couple of days ago, which led to some bizarre conversations....

[9V-JKL]

Unfortunately they somehow took a dislike to me at AKL a couple of days ago, which led to some bizarre conversations....

Go on....

I reckon 'cos you chose to stay in a Novotel.... you know what I mean...

[MAN Flyer]

Go on....

I reckon 'cos you chose to stay in a Novotel.... you know what I mean...

I got stopped three times and got asked exactly the same questions by all of them.

What business are you in ?.
How long have you been doing it ?.
Where are you going in NZ ?
What companies are you visiting ?.

No problem with any of that, but three times ?. They also all asked me 'who' I was visiting at eash of the companies, so by the third time I asked the guy ; 'Why, did you used to work there ?.'. When he said no I said what use will the names be to him then, and he just said he was just asking.

Next time I'll book a conference room in advance so I can answer all the questions once. Or I'll tick Tourism instead.

The have a new Novotel right next to the international terminal and it's just too handy when you have a load of domestic flights over a period of days to stay there rather then schlep into the city and back. I like Auckland, but I've been there a few times so I just couldn't be bothered going backwards and forwards for three days.