When will Australia get modern entry procedures?

[drron]

Haven't been through Indian departure process for about 2-3 years. But is struck me as relatively easy and straightforward*.

* compared to what it was 10 years earlier. OMG that was something else, IIRC you had to show your boarding pass to about half a dozen people between check in and stepping onto the plane. And passport to at least 3 of those, maybe more. Last time I flew out it was only about three people.

I am leaving on a cruise ship. Wanted a departure card we hadn’t been told about. Then they decided it wasn’t a problem as they could print it out anyway.

 

[JustSlash]

The major delay at SYD and MEL is invariably very slow luggage arrival on the carousel, and a slow queue for customs.

This!! Couldn’t agree more. While I do think the physical card system could be improved (and ideally moved online), the biggest bottleneck is almost always baggage arrival. We were recently back from overseas and, despite clearing immigration with hundreds of people lining up for the green/yellow card (around a 30-minute wait), we got to the carousel to find not a single bag out yet. Ended up waiting close to 45mins before all luggage arrived and we could finally exit.

In contrast, on our trip through Singapore, we cleared immigration in about 15–20 minutes. By the time we reached the baggage carousel, unloading had already finished and our bags were neatly placed to the side with others, presumably cleared to make room for the next flight.

 

[serfty]

On a recent SQ inbound flight, paper arrival forms were not handed out. I had to ask, and was given one after a few minutes. Did this mean most on the aircraft had to find a paper form once they alighted, and then fill it out? I carry a pen, but I bet many passengers do not.

Inbound flights to Singapore basically do not promote paper arrival forms.

Those who have not completed theirs online generally get to use the tablets lined up in the arrivals hall before proceeding through the auto gates. There are plenty of staff to assist.

 

[elanshin]

Singapore basically do not promote paper arrival forms. I am surprised one was available.

Those who have not completed theirs online generally get to use the tablets lined up in the arrivals hall before proceeding through the auto gates. There are plenty of staff to assist.

I think i read that as a flight from SIN to Aus on SQ.

 

[serfty]

I think i read that as a flight from SIN to Aus on SQ.

Yes, you could be right.

 

[justinbrett]

Trial has been underway for almost 18months now mostly on flights from NZ to BNE and more recently SYR.

A five-year wait for Australia’s digital arrivals card?

That orange ‘incoming passenger card’ could still be with us for some time to come...

www.executivetraveller.com

It's all QF arrivals into BNE. I used it arriving from the US last year.

 

[Pushka]

The thing is, we had a fully implemented digital arrivals immigration card previously which worked exactly like Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia etc. You went to a website before hand, filled out a form and received a QR code.

However, the link was poorly communicated. Then when you got on the plane you were asked to fill out a paper form again and then hand both that in and scan the QR code on exit through customs. The government then shelved the multi-million dollar system saying it was too confusing?

I'm not sure how this new system is any better. You now have to download every airlines app you travel on instead of going to a website. Great if you always fly a single airline.
What happens to the people who book cheapest flight of the day and don't have the airlines app? What if you hadn't checked in on the app?

If you are talking of the one introduced just after Covid, it was a Cluster.

 

[anat0l]

...implement something which is being done in almost every other developed nation.

So outsource the job to the company that implemented the systems in almost every other developed nation.

What, we won't trust an international outfit with a job that handles critical national data? Looks like we barely trust the Australian outfits trying to do the job!

Seriously (and I mean seriously, not wanting BS answers), what kinds of issues or faults would the project team be looking for to the extent that they have to have a small scale trial and can't just plonk a solution in place?

 

[kpro]

Seriously (and I mean seriously, not wanting BS answers), what kinds of issues or faults would the project team be looking for to the extent that they have to have a small scale trial and can't just plonk a solution in place?

The current implementation is only back-end API's for the consumer client side. Meaning they need to provide every airline with a UI guide, API documentation and dev support. Then each airline undergoes testing and integration to verify this function and ensure their app works seamlessly with whatever API's and front end application/UI are on the border control side.

So it makes sense that you'd pilot the process with a few airlines first before opening up the gates. Could easily be avoided by say, using a generic website that everyone goes to.

 

[elanshin]

So outsource the job to the company that implemented the systems in almost every other developed nation.

What, we won't trust an international outfit with a job that handles critical national data? Looks like we barely trust the Australian outfits trying to do the job!

Seriously (and I mean seriously, not wanting BS answers), what kinds of issues or faults would the project team be looking for to the extent that they have to have a small scale trial and can't just plonk a solution in place?

I dont think its that there's noone capable of doing this in this country, nor that they couldn't find someone to do it.

It just meant that joe smo who went to school with someone who happens to run an "IT" or "consulting" business wasn't going to get some kickback from the projects. And somehow the millions spent ended up with a bad product.

 

[Warragul]

So outsource the job to the company that implemented the systems in almost every other developed nation.

What, we won't trust an international outfit with a job that handles critical national data? Looks like we barely trust the Australian outfits trying to do the job!

Seriously (and I mean seriously, not wanting BS answers), what kinds of issues or faults would the project team be looking for to the extent that they have to have a small scale trial and can't just plonk a solution in place?

The current automatic system we have was implemented by foreign companies, there are several who have done so globally. One of them was involved in the now binned electronic declaration system.

Having been involved in several software implementations in the agency involved here, I've never seen a off the shelf product get up an running without changes ( oops 'we don't change we customise' )- software incompatibility, data not processed and/or managed in accordance with data security standards or Australian Privacy Principles for example.

The best bit about a small trial is building up the numbers to see if all the parts talk and behave nicely as the loads increase with real life data, not automated stress and volume testing.

Having a real person with a family name of NULL created havoc many moons ago.

 

[justinbrett]

So it makes sense that you'd pilot the process with a few airlines first before opening up the gates. Could easily be avoided by say, using a generic website that everyone goes to.

I much prefer a system integrated with the airline websites/apps. In the long run this is a much better customer experience.

I'm sure when it's rolled out wider there will be a generic version that sits on a government website alongside the airline implementations.

 

[moa999]

much prefer a system integrated with the airline websites/apps.

For solo adult travellers agree

How does the current QF implementation work for a family however?

 

[kpro]

I much prefer a system integrated with the airline websites/apps. In the long run this is a much better customer experience.

For solo adult travellers agree

For solo tech-savvy travelers that fly on the same couple of airlines every time, this is a yes.

Take your everyday traveler that is on Jetstar one day, China Eastern the next day and then Delta the trip after. Now they have to download 3 different apps, possibly on multiple peoples phones, find and type in a PNR or create an account and then navigate what is a slightly different interface each time.

I would say get the base (generic) version up and running smoothly first, and then expand to custom solutions that help frequent flyers of specific airlines.

 

[Brucetiki]

The arrival card is simple and there’s usually plenty of time on the inbound flight to fill it out.

But on the flip side it would improve the experience for some:
- frequent travellers who could save their profile, so don’t have to fill out same info every time , and
- those who don’t speak English so well by having an online version in multiple languages. It is a legal declaration after all.

But then Border Security would lose all it's content for new episodes

 

[justinbrett]

Take your everyday traveler that is on Jetstar one day, China Eastern the next day and then Delta the trip after. Now they have to download 3 different apps, possibly on multiple peoples phones, find and type in a PNR or create an account and then navigate what is a slightly different interface each time.

That's the way travel is going. Won't be long before apps are essential for all airlines - Ryanair is leading the way (sounds like a joke but how many people board aircraft with mobile BPs these days? The vast majority in my experience).

Check in counters will just have a QR code, doesn't need to be the airline app, just a page on the airline website. Really no different to a lot of processes already such as US contact tracing.

Every country arrivals website is different, if anything building these on the airline websites will make it more consistent, not less.

 

[Quickstatus]

those who don’t speak English so well by having an online version in multiple languages. It is a legal declaration after all.

While the IPC must be completed in English, the ABF does have samples in other languages that people can dowload (scroll down)

I have no problem with IPC continuing in card form
I can still write with a pen....

 

[Seat0B]

I can still write with a pen....

…but can people read your handwriting (joking)

 

[Quickstatus]

but can people read your handwriting (joking)

The ABF seems to be able or maybe they dont bother reading?. Just capitalise all the writing. I don't even put each letter precisely into each box.

 

[justinbrett]

I have no problem with IPC continuing in card form
I can still write with a pen....

It will probably go like Japan, paper still exists but isn’t distributed to airlines. If you don’t want to go digital you have to fill it out inside the terminal which costs you a fair whack of time.

Unless you are a regular and keep a stash handy.