- if needed, register on the EES system. This could be done via an app, via a kiosk, etc. They were supposed to be located away from the first line controls, so that passengers could register in peace.
Yes. Anyone who has been to China knows it works well there.
But Chinese airports are cathedrals and all the major airports (both Beijings, Shanghai Pudong, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Xian, Chengdu etc etc.) have vast amounts of space to put terminals for people to register far from the passport control desks.
Many of these airports built for expected passenger numbers in 2050 and even beyond - China is a country that builds for the future after all.
Unfortunately, what has happened is that some countries have created a truly idiotic implementation where the kiosks are being used for border control as well as EES registration. It makes zero sense, as it means chaos with people having problems with registration being mixed up with people who simply need to get through border control.
On top of this, many airports have dramatically reduced staffing levels. It's not uncommon to see as few as two people working on manual controls, meaning huge queues.
But this is the reality in Europe. We tend to have crappy infrastructure which is just good enough (or perhaps was good enough in 1994).
Many airports, most in fact, have little space.
And many airports have next to no staff and room as they have so few non-Schengen flights. What else could you expect of a small Polish regional airport which has five non-Schengen flights per week and the non-Schengen facilities consists of a small room with a couple of booths and a snake queue with enough room for about 50 passengers?
I think you'll find I am not a 'little Englander' and I actually work in a field that has been impacted badly by Brexit! I'm being a realist, which is given the number of journeys between the UK and 'Schengen land' this system just doesn't work. I am a bit surprised given the current debates about the EU and it's direction of travel they think the right thing to do is cause lots of nuisances to travellers - but on that point we seem to disagree
I'm not English btw
Apologies.
Though the 'punishing us for Brexit' shtick is total nonsense. The EU has actually been incredibly helpful and generous to us since Brexit.
We have to accept we are a third party. We are little different to American, Nigerian, Indian, Bolivian, Moldovan, Canadian citizens. That is how we should be treated.
We also seem to have this misguided idea Spain or Greece 'need' British tourists. They do to an extent, but anyone who has been to Majorca or Barcelona or Santorini know they are awash with tourists. Overrun in many places. I think they'd actually prefer fewer.
And even if we presume Spain does need us, Romania, Sweden, Denmark and France certainly don't.
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