Thinking there is no premium passport on return to GWCK

[babyeye]

Hi can anyone help please

Just had a mare coming back thru stansted last week for passports on return to uk

Trying to book fast track passport on return I've got the security on way out understood
On the airport website they offer

"Premium passport control" but it says unavailable, can anyone help? It seems that the only one unavailable is Monday 31st October, it's ghosted out. Is this because we didn't book with the flights is there a way around this? Have three kids and can't be doing two hours again in the queue for passports

Thank you

If your a uk passpoholder they have automatic pass port readers

Passport holder

We came back earlier in the week, and queues weren't too bad at LGW at all, I'd estimate maybe 20mins? Or, if kids are 12+, the e-gates were empty. We were 25mins from landing to leaving the airport!

You can't use the automatic ones with under 12s though. We did Gatwick on Thursday and it wasn't too bad, took longer at Easter (about 45 mins). I wasn't aware of any Premium one coming back in. The shortest queues were for the non-European passport holders!

It's closed right now?

Sometimes they just close the fast track passport lanes (usually when they are really busy and just need all the lanes open).

Agree that it can take a while to get through passport control (and yes it's an automatic gate thing at the end but you can still queue for 60 mins to get to them). When I returned last time the fast track lane was closed going out and coming back

I flew into Gatwick on 25/8 and we were through passport control in about 10 minutes.
I flew out of Gatwick this last Wednesday and did bag drop with no queuing whatsoever (the desks were all open and empty) and security in less than 5 minutes.

Although on flying out of LGW a couple of weeks ago, the security hold up was if your bag needed to be searched (that was at least a 30 minute wait at the time).

Flying back in we were straight through passport control, but it was very late in the evening.

Echoing what others have said- flew into Gatwick last weekend, middle of the after and there would have been absolutely no point in having a premium queue as passport control could not have been any quicker. Completely different to last time we passed through in April when it was chaos.
I don't know if it's a sign things have improved permanently, or if it just varies a lot depending on time of year- may be worth checking back nearer the time and seeing if the option becomes available?

Booked Gatwick South Terminal Premium Security for 4am outward bound. Got there only to find out it doesn’t open until 4.45. Had booked to ease that path of a family member with mobility issues. So only options were to retreat quite a distance and wait, or use the usual channels. Obviously now asking for a refund as was sold a time slot that wasn’t available. Staff on hand at the entrance to security were constantly being asked the same question about premium and were exasperated at having to explain time and again to travellers had been sold a time slot that didn’t exist. Apologies for slight detour of thread.

5 months 3 and 6 means we can't use the electronic which is a pain

Massively reassuring to read this

Stnstd was 2 hrs

Shit show