Passengers arriving at Heathrow Airport in London were caught in “mega queues” on Wednesday as e-passport gates failed for the third time in two months.
Among the frustrated passengers was Clive Wratten, chief executive of the Business Travel Association (BTA), who was returning from a trip to the US.
Heathrow Airport told him and other passengers an e-gate failure was to blame for the lengthy delay.
The e-gate system has repeatedly malfunctioned in recent months as use has increased due to coronavirus lockdowns being lifted and international travel beginning to make a recovery.
“Saddens me to say this as past experiences good but arrival @HeathrowAirport this morning to find not a single e-gate working in T5 & yes you guessed mega queues,” Mr Wratten tweeted.
“Such a disappointing way to greet returning nationals and valuable guests from all around the world.
“You know you are in for a horrible experience entering Britain when the water trolley turns up.”
Bex, another stuck passenger, tweeted her displeasure at Heathrow.
“We are meant to be a leading country, not a developing one,” she said.
Heathrow Airport tweeted: “We’re aware of an issue impacting the e-gates, which are staffed and operated by Border Force.”
On Wednesday the people in the longest queues had to wait about two hours.
In Terminal 5, queues snaked around the arrivals halls and moved slowly as border officials were forced to check documents manually.
“The e-gate technology is quite fragile,” said Lucy Moreton, a spokeswoman for the Immigration Services Union. “You’ll find e-gates out at one location or another almost every day.”
The problem affected Border Force e-gates at a number of ports, a spokeswoman for the Home Office said.
“We are working to resolve the issue as soon as possible and apologise to all passengers for the inconvenience caused,” she said.
The border chaos threatens to mar the return of international travel as restrictions on more destinations are lifted.
The US this week lifted entry restrictions on foreign visitors after 20 months of restrictions.
Airlines have reported a surge in bookings and transatlantic journeys are filling up.
Gatwick, London’s second-largest hub, was not affected by the e-gate failure, a spokesman for the airport said on Wednesday.
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Chelsea 3 (Abraham 11', 17', 74')
Luton Town 1 (Clark 30')
Man of the match Abraham (Chelsea)
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Stamp duty timeline
December 2014: Former UK finance minister George Osbourne reforms stamp duty, replacing the slab system with a blended rate scheme, with the top rate increasing to 12 per cent from 10 per cent:
Up to £125,000 - 0%; £125,000 to £250,000 – 2%; £250,000 to £925,000 – 5%; £925,000 to £1.5m: 10%; Over £1.5m – 12%
April 2016: New 3% surcharge applied to any buy-to-let properties or additional homes purchased.
July 2020: Rishi Sunak unveils SDLT holiday, with no tax to pay on the first £500,000, with buyers saving up to £15,000.
March 2021: Mr Sunak decides the fate of SDLT holiday at his March 3 budget, with expectations he will extend the perk unti June.
April 2021: 2% SDLT surcharge added to property transactions made by overseas buyers.
How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
Western Region Asia Cup T20 Qualifier
Sun Feb 23 – Thu Feb 27, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the Asia qualifier in Malaysia in August
Group A
Bahrain, Maldives, Oman, Qatar
Group B
UAE, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia
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%3Cp%3EEtihad%20Airways%20operates%20seasonal%20flights%20from%20Abu%20Dhabi%20to%20Nice%20C%C3%B4te%20d'Azur%20Airport.%20Services%20depart%20the%20UAE%20on%20Wednesdays%20and%20Sundays%20with%20outbound%20flights%20stopping%20briefly%20in%20Rome%2C%20return%20flights%20are%20non-stop.%20Fares%20start%20from%20Dh3%2C315%2C%20flights%20operate%20until%20September%2018%2C%202022.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20Radisson%20Blu%20Hotel%20Nice%20offers%20a%20western%20location%20right%20on%20Promenade%20des%20Anglais%20with%20rooms%20overlooking%20the%20Bay%20of%20Angels.%20Stays%20are%20priced%20from%20%E2%82%AC101%20(%24114)%2C%20including%20taxes.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 630bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh810,000
