Avoid Heathrow airport!!!

[humsafar]

I think, the treatment at Hethrow, depends alot on you nationality, the country form where you departed and the country where you are heeding to.  but most importantly on you nationality

[maran1976]

I think, the treatment at Hethrow, depends alot on you nationality, the country form where you departed and the country where you are heeding to.  but most importantly on you nationality

true, every country has their own 'profiling' system .

[angelbrat]

If you are boarding a Canadian airline, then yes they will ask questions. The reason is, if for any reason you are refused entry into Canada, the Airline that bought you to Canada is obliged under Canadian law, to take you back to where you came from, at no cost to you or Canada.

No Airline wants a free passenger, so they ensure you are legally entitled to enter Canada before you board the plane.

So, it seems that Heathrow staff enforce this rule. It should be no problem to anyone that holds a valid visa to enter Canada at all.

Therefore, if the flight is cheaper via Heathrow and you are legally entitled to enter Canada, then I wouldn't worry too much at all.

[wilson]

May be, to avoid being detained on such serious offences people rip them off in the toilets and claim assylm in Canada. In assylum cases, proving nationality is a big headache . This is probably a step to minimize fradulent assylum cases.

Where you asked the above questions by the UK immigration or while waiting in a queue by the airline staff ? Because it was while you were seated by your gate, I presume it was the airline staff. It is again their liability/responsibility to fly back people with imporper papers.

I have been a resident of UK for almost a decade( Indian..) . I have flown in many a times, ans always been welcomed by immigration officials with a smile ( Indian Passport holder ). I have flown ot to US and Canada many a times, never faced anything. Its always a plesant experience with the immigration staff !

maran is correct.
The airline check-in staff is responsible to ensure a passenger travelling as immigrant to other country does carry the genuine documents and visa. That is the reason they verify and question. Most of the staff are usually polite while handling such passengers, but there are some people who may not be soft, which is irritating to passengers. I travelled via Heathrow with my wife twice on visit visa to Toronto (connecting  Air Canada) and once with PR visa. No one asked me any such questions. Only viewed the passports and verified the boarding pass. Only problem was we had to walk log way to reach the transit lounge and then to board the flight. Long line for Security check. There is no problem at Frankfurt too whereas instead of walking  you can get a train to reach the correct departure terminal.

[charninder]

Hi there,

After reading all the pages of the thread I find only one reason for asking so many questions to the prespective immigrants and that is security.  The person who was in plain clothes (not in uniform) may be an intelligence bureau person, he just wanted to ensure that the person who is boarding a plane from their airport is a genuine one and has not stolen or tampered the Visa documents.  After 9/11 the LHR authorities may be making such exercise and making random checks.  That's why a few passengers are cross-checked.  I see only one reason behind all this exercise i.e. terrorism and nothing else.  They just don't want to allow any fake person to avoid any mishappening in the airplane.  Moreover, if a person is deported from any country for any reason he/she is sent back to its home country and to any airline.

[qorax]

Just returned to Toronto tonight - uhh via Heathrow! Not a problem anywhere.

In fact my Dubai-Heathrow flight was delayed by 35 minutes, while I only had 2 hrs in between both flights... By the time I reached Transit Security it was just 35 minutes left for the connecting flight. When informed the same to the BA ground crew, she escorted me & my kids thru-n-thru to boarding Heathrow-Toronto, on priority. What's with racial profiling ehh?

Qorax

[schwarzeradler]

Just returned to Toronto tonight - uhh via Heathrow! Not a problem anywhere.

In fact my Dubai-Heathrow flight was delayed by 35 minutes, while I only had 2 hrs in between both flights... By the time I reached Transit Security it was just 35 minutes left for the connecting flight. When informed the same to the BA ground crew, she escorted me & my kids thru-n-thru to boarding Heathrow-Toronto, on priority. What's with racial profiling ehh?

Qorax

Their's absolutely nothing wrong with Heathrow (One of the busiest Airports in the world). I have been travelling from and to it for over 22 years and not a single time have I had an issue.

[BobbyB]

Just returned to Toronto tonight - uhh via Heathrow! Not a problem anywhere.

In fact my Dubai-Heathrow flight was delayed by 35 minutes, while I only had 2 hrs in between both flights... By the time I reached Transit Security it was just 35 minutes left for the connecting flight. When informed the same to the BA ground crew, she escorted me & my kids thru-n-thru to boarding Heathrow-Toronto, on priority. What's with racial profiling ehh?

Qorax

Their's absolutely nothing wrong with Heathrow (One of the busiest Airports in the world). I have been travelling from and to it for over 22 years and not a single time have I had an issue.

Fully agree with you both.
No issues.

[RPN]

Just returned to Toronto tonight - uhh via Heathrow! Not a problem anywhere.

In fact my Dubai-Heathrow flight was delayed by 35 minutes, while I only had 2 hrs in between both flights... By the time I reached Transit Security it was just 35 minutes left for the connecting flight. When informed the same to the BA ground crew, she escorted me & my kids thru-n-thru to boarding Heathrow-Toronto, on priority. What's with racial profiling ehh?

Qorax

I also did not find any difficulty while coming via Heathrow. Everyday thousand of people going to different places via Heathrow. If Heathrow airport would have that much trouble people would have avoideded long back.

RPN

[explorer101]

With the security check at Heathrow I feel more safe. I think security check is for our own safety. Those people at Heathrow are working for our own benifit. Let them do their job. Lets not criticise them for doing their job.