Is automated passport clearence faster? - Your views

[scroobal]

Travellers

Could you post your views and share your experiences on whether the clearence is faster at Changi between enhanced Immigration Automated Clearance System (eIACS) and going thru the Singaporean / Resident Channel.

The automated channel requires passport scanning, after which fingerprint scanning takes place. The manual requires manual scanning of passport.

 

[SneeringTree]

Travellers

Could you post your views and share your experiences on whether the clearence is faster at Changi between enhanced Immigration Automated Clearance System (eIACS) and going thru the Singaporean / Resident Channel.

The automated channel requires passport scanning, after which fingerprint scanning takes place. The manual requires manual scanning of passport.

Assuming no lines in both counters, it is faster to let the immigration person take our passport and scan it for us. What they do is to look at out passport pic, look at us and then scan. Finito.

 

[Char_Azn]

Travellers

Could you post your views and share your experiences on whether the clearence is faster at Changi between enhanced Immigration Automated Clearance System (eIACS) and going thru the Singaporean / Resident Channel.

The automated channel requires passport scanning, after which fingerprint scanning takes place. The manual requires manual scanning of passport.

Commented on this before in the other thread. I personally feel that the automated one is faster however the manual one is also pretty fast so its pretty much down to perception of the person. Like I said in the other thread. I will time it the next time I travel and verify which one is faster my next trip is 2nd week of next month if U are prepared to wait

 

[SneeringTree]

Commented on this before in the other thread. I personally feel that the automated one is faster however the manual one is also pretty fast so its pretty much down to perception of the person. Like I said in the other thread. I will time it the next time I travel and verify which one is faster my next trip is 2nd week of next month if U are prepared to wait

Agree that they are both pretty fast. But I really feel that the automated is actually slightly slower. I can do "experiments" next time I fly to confirm.

 

[scroobal]

I know your views. Checking with others.

Commented on this before in the other thread. I personally feel that the automated one is faster however the manual one is also pretty fast so its pretty much down to perception of the person. Like I said in the other thread. I will time it the next time I travel and verify which one is faster my next trip is 2nd week of next month if U are prepared to wait

 

[0939]

One is about your finger print and the other your face. So you decide

 

[Cthulhu]

Manual clearing is faster. Automated only appear faster because the line is short. If there are a few blur sotongs in front of you, automated is very slow and frustrating.

 

[TeeKee]

Automated Clearance is definitely faster, few people can or know how to use it. So the queue is shorter. Sometimes even no queue at all...LOL...

But subjected to crashes and system unavailability..

 

[KuanTi01]

I have tried to find out which mode is faster. My personal opinion is that manual is faster.Auto sometimes cock-up as in computer hanging itself. Sometimes u also have people who are by nature, slow-motion and slow to react, if u know what I mean. No offence! In manual, the officer scan it for u while u smile and relac!

 

[yinyang]

Exit or returning?

On the latter, plumb for the auto gates if:
> You get a bunch of returnees in Q for personalised service (or sweets)...
> After a pig of long flight from states or europe (in cattle class) and in no frame of mind to suck up to expressionless face

 

[halsey02]

Automated Clearance is definitely faster, few people can or know how to use it. So the queue is shorter. Sometimes even no queue at all...LOL...

But subjected to crashes and system unavailability..

That is why people avoid the automated clearance..it is not user friendly, I have gotten stuck when the fingerprint reader doesn't read my fingerprint..and you have to wait for the ICA officer..aka the customs officer, to verify your passport, manually reset & over-ride so that the gantry can open and let you through...the ICA officer, will be, black as thunder, and give you the kind of look that is not pleasant...for you are asking a civil servant, whom you are partly paying for the salary, to do more work!

To improve the automated system to serve you better, you might in the future slot in your ezlonk, cash card whatever card..to pay a fee of 50c...the automated system will be flawless....don't believe me, ot will happen soon..or an ERP everyday rob people )gantry...

 

[Cestbon]

Both Automated/Manual speed are about the same. If average the speed of the PIC in manual counter.
I will Q in the shorter line. Just like others comment Automated slow are because of blur/idiot do not know how to use it.
In Airport and Ferry Terminal not so efficient because not many use to it.
In Woodland ICA you all can personally monitor or see how efficient the Automated line. Those travel in and out daily are use to it close eye also know. Speed ratio at the Woodland Automated are 3~5 times faster than manual line.

 

[johnny333]

The automated channel requires passport scanning, after which fingerprint scanning takes place. The manual requires manual scanning of passport.

My experience at Woodlands is to avoid & instead go to one of those idiots siting behind those desks.

I know how the system works & in my case there is a 70% to 80% chance of a system cockup when the system tries to read my thumb print. From my observation errors are normal & alot of people in a queue will face problems.

The delay in each case will add up to a long delay. So I just queue up for manual processing & while waiting watch the auto channel for fun, better than that show "Just for laughs"

 

[Lestat]

Both Automated/Manual speed are about the same. If average the speed of the PIC in manual counter.
I will Q in the shorter line. Just like others comment Automated slow are because of blur/idiot do not know how to use it.
In Airport and Ferry Terminal not so efficient because not many use to it.
In Woodland ICA you all can personally monitor or see how efficient the Automated line. Those travel in and out daily are use to it close eye also know. Speed ratio at the Woodland Automated are 3~5 times faster than manual line.

My sentiments too.

 

[halsey02]

My experience at Woodlands is to avoid & instead go to one of those idiots siting behind those desks.

I know how the system works & in my case there is a 70% to 80% chance of a system cockup when the system tries to read my thumb print. From my observation errors are normal & alot of people in a queue will face problems.

The delay in each case will add up to a long delay. So I just queue up for manual processing & while waiting watch the auto channel for fun, better than that show "Just for laughs"

Like I had siad, in the future, they would want you to slot in your ezlink, cash card, whatever card that can give money, for a fee of 50c.

Then, the system will be flawless, they will sing a song like this, the extra cost is "to upgrade our system, to provide you, with the most convenient & fastest clearance time"...

At the moment it is free...'free lunch' what do you expect?..Pay lah!..PAY!

 

[shOUTloud]

so far I always go for the automated one. faster all the time, esp on the return trip when there are so many foreigners queuing up at the manual line. I will just walk to the automated clearance, scan through and pick up my luggage

seriously, I am really not interested in talking to any immigration officers.

 

[johnny333]

Like I had siad, in the future, they would want you to slot in your ezlink, cash card, whatever card that can give money, for a fee of 50c.

!

Yeah, can give Malaysians subsidy for volume travel & penalise Sporeans for leaving paradise Mkt rate lah.

Then expect some kind of ERP(Elect People Pricing?) system to control the heavy human traffic.

 

[KKC007]

Travellers

Could you post your views and share your experiences on whether the clearence is faster at Changi between enhanced Immigration Automated Clearance System (eIACS) and going thru the Singaporean / Resident Channel.

The automated channel requires passport scanning, after which fingerprint scanning takes place. The manual requires manual scanning of passport.

I believe someone is sitting in some offices looking at faces too. I do not remember giving my finger prints to ICA, and yet I managed to get through the automated line.

My experience was the automated one was faster. I was travelling with 4 other people. I did manual while they used the automated one (inbound trip). The other 4 was through when I was halfway through the queue. There were at least 3 who got stuck inside the gate and had to come back out to the ICA counter.

 

[scroobal]

Looks like you and couple of chaps can tell the difference.

I personally fell into the trap of stereotyping automation with speed. After a couple of trips, I sensed that manual was faster. I called up a chap in ICA and complained that manual was faster. He told me that nowhere did ICA claim that it was faster. And he was right. ICA was spinning media releases using "express","convenience" and "on your own time" but never say faster.

He explained that enhanced Immigration Automated Clearance System (eIACS) had one additional security feature that is fingerprinting screening which manual does not have.(though using wrong passports by accidents or for illegal reasons). Just like all Chinese look the same to AngMo, I suppose immigration staff are challenged when looking at foreign photos on passports since we have foreigners who are residents in Singapore. He also said that it is save staff costs.

After that explanation, I did notice that when both both the automated and manual lanes were clear, and new arrivals came in, the manual one cleared first. The automated one had 2 stages, passport scanning first, gate opens, then fingerprint scanning, so natuarally longer compared to passport scanning only at manual.

I have since found that there are no plans to increase automated lanes as too many complaints about speed and issues with too wet or too dry fingerprints.

I suppose the only good use is when one wants to avoid bad customer service when facing disgruntled ICA staff that can spoil your trip.

Manual clearing is faster. Automated only appear faster because the line is short. If there are a few blur sotongs in front of you, automated is very slow and frustrating.

 

[johnny333]

I have since found that there are no plans to increase automated lanes as too many complaints about speed and issues with too wet or too dry fingerprints.

In other words the contractor(a GLC) has made its $$$ & moved on to other projects :p