February 13, 2009
Flying into London's Heathrow or New York's JFK airports? Then steel yourself for the world's longest wait for passport clearance and luggage and, in the US, some of the rudest passport staff, a global survey shows.
Online travel network WAYN (Where Are You Now?) recently surveyed 2,250 travellers about passport control, baggage handling, customs and security at major international airports.
London's Heathrow was voted the worst for long passport control queues by all travellers, including Britons, followed by JFK in New York and Los Angeles airport.
Heathrow again was voted the worse airport for baggage, followed by JFK and Los Angeles. The three airports were seen as having the longest wait at the carousel, and the most likely to damage luggage.
Passport staff, however, added an extra irritant for passengers landing at JFK and other international US airports, who voted US immigration as the rudest in the world, ahead of India and Russia.
By contrast, Heathrow's passport control officers were seen as the most friendly in the world after Australia.
"Competition among countries to attract tourists is becoming increasingly fierce," Jerome Touze, joint CEO of WAYN, said in a statement.
"Our survey would suggest that the US customs and immigration need address their attitude toward visitors, simplify the form filling, generally be a lot more welcoming and better reflect the personality of the American people."
Travellers seeking to get out of the airport quickly should head to Amsterdam's Schiphol, Singapore's Changi or Frankfurt, all which were voted as having the shortest immigration queues.
JFK and Heathrow were voted as having the best security by 18 percent and 15 percent of travellers, and the airports where bag searches and frisking passengers are common.
Travellers believed that Bangkok, Amsterdam and Rome have the least thorough security, the survey showed.
(Reuters)
Flying into London's Heathrow or New York's JFK airports? Then steel yourself for the world's longest wait for passport clearance and luggage and, in the US, some of the rudest passport staff, a global survey shows.
Online travel network WAYN (Where Are You Now?) recently surveyed 2,250 travellers about passport control, baggage handling, customs and security at major international airports.
London's Heathrow was voted the worst for long passport control queues by all travellers, including Britons, followed by JFK in New York and Los Angeles airport.
Heathrow again was voted the worse airport for baggage, followed by JFK and Los Angeles. The three airports were seen as having the longest wait at the carousel, and the most likely to damage luggage.
Passport staff, however, added an extra irritant for passengers landing at JFK and other international US airports, who voted US immigration as the rudest in the world, ahead of India and Russia.
By contrast, Heathrow's passport control officers were seen as the most friendly in the world after Australia.
"Competition among countries to attract tourists is becoming increasingly fierce," Jerome Touze, joint CEO of WAYN, said in a statement.
"Our survey would suggest that the US customs and immigration need address their attitude toward visitors, simplify the form filling, generally be a lot more welcoming and better reflect the personality of the American people."
Travellers seeking to get out of the airport quickly should head to Amsterdam's Schiphol, Singapore's Changi or Frankfurt, all which were voted as having the shortest immigration queues.
JFK and Heathrow were voted as having the best security by 18 percent and 15 percent of travellers, and the airports where bag searches and frisking passengers are common.
Travellers believed that Bangkok, Amsterdam and Rome have the least thorough security, the survey showed.
(Reuters)
