Long delays reported by the UK Passport Office

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• memesweeper says:

  25 Jun25 June 10:31

  The delays for passports are because of what? A response to covid-19? Government workers are essential workers, and much of government is working normally, so why not the Passport Office?

  • Lady London says:

    25 Jun25 June 12:11

    Cos the employees are privileged public-service scaredy-cats. Not sure about the management’s talents and commitment either. They’re there to provide a service and their management should have come up with a plan to open at least partially at first as we all work to restart.

    If it’s good enough for supermarket workers to work behind perspex screens and other workers to use available protection measures and start work again then why do public service workers think they’re too dainty not to have to serve the public.

• Paul says:

  25 Jun25 June 10:39

  You cannot actually select the F seats for the Amsterdam trips – even if you’re a Gold, like me. Once you pay for the booking and get confirmation, you get a message saying the seats weren’t able to be selected and you’re then plonked in the CW cabin instead. F cabin is blocked off, as is often the case on these flights, and the “illusion” of picking a seat in the F cabin is false.

  • Genghis says:

    25 Jun25 June 12:22

    And even if you can select seats for FLUB, it doesn’t mean to say you get to fly it.
    I remember having an equipment swap 788->789 and selected an F seat but when I got to check in, my CW seat was selected with F area blocked off. Moved up through after speaking to CC through post meal.

• John Ingram says:

  25 Jun25 June 10:42

  Hello my wife and I have just re-newed our passports and the process was simple and very fast.
  We had seats on BA booked for Barbados departing mid August and our passports expired in May 2020. We held off applying as the Passport website asked for patience with the Corona Virus epidemic.
  We held off as long as we thought we could and applied online on 11th June, posted our old passports on 12th June. My new passport was issued on 17th and arrived by TNT on 19th June.My application went through the Glasgow office and my wife’s application went via Durham (don’t know why). My wife’s passport is scheduled to be delivered today 25th June.
  We have in last few days re-scheduled our flights to Barbados until next year but that was also fairly easy via the BA Exec Club and a very helpful BA employee called Kate.

  • Jeff 99 says:

    25 Jun25 June 12:56

    Good post. It appears it’s easy to get a renewal if you use your initiative (I might be expecting too much from most people there)

    • Doc says:

      25 Jun25 June 14:12

      Does not always work Jeff.
      I used my initiative and applied for renewing my passport on the 29th May and still awaiting to get my new passport. Was also sent to the Durham and so far have had emails and texts to say they are sorry that it is taking longer than usual due to covid-19 etc.
      So it appears that it is completely pot luck.

      • babyg says:

        25 Jun25 June 18:15

        did you include future booked flight details? I believe this helps (trying this route myself ATM).

• Tom says:

  25 Jun25 June 11:31

  “Irrespective of UK travel guidelines, UK citizens cannot enter the Netherlands until at least 6th July”

  Please DO NOT spread false info like this. I even travelled 2 days ago to NL from UK. It has always been possible (the whole crisis long) to travel to NL. The only thing is it’s advising people from UK/Sweden not to travel to NL. They rather you don’t come but it’s not a BAN! There are daily boats going to NL full of UK (and NL) people and all are allowed into the country!

  • Josh says:

    25 Jun25 June 12:11

    Hopefully, your reasons for travelling were essential.

• Phillip says:

  25 Jun25 June 11:40

  Just as a point of reference… as a Gold member, on a flight between Toronto and London, originally scheduled for a 787-8 without First, there was a substitution with a 787-9 with First. I booked in one of the First seats, checked in online etc, only to get to the airport and be told they’re closing off the First cabin altogether and just got pushed to what was left in the Club cabin.

• Antonio says:

  26 Jun26 June 15:53

  Looks like the airframe has been changed back to a narrowbody…

• Josh says:

  28 Jun28 June 10:14

  Seems like the delays are only affecting some people, I renewed my passport on the 10th June and received my new one on the 27th June – faster than when I did it 4 years ago!

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