Short story - tuesday night, busy airport, high season, security and border controls are on top form with barely any delays.
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Trip report really but as I'm here ...
I got to the airport in the car at 9pm on tuesday night. Handed the car over and walked into departures expecting chaos. It was really quiet.
Then to security, no queue there either... great.
Then up the stairs to Duty Free to buy a few "things" for the guys back home... Ah... there's a queue. The cashier queue stretched half way through the Duty Free area... Oh well, couldn't find any Amber Golden Virginia T******o so I passed it by.
I'd eaten at Calvari Hills cafe before we left home2 so no need for Maccys today.... just as well, that was rammed too...
Down the elevator in the passport control. There were some small queues for the -12 and 12-18 passport booths but the only delay at the E Gates was me helping another traveller to use the machine (they were standing in the wrong lane using the passport scanner on the left!).
Through there, no stamps obvs so into Duty Free part 2.... still no GV but the missus found some cosmetics and we walked straight up to the cashier and paid, so off into Terminal A
That was really busy and alas our plane was an hour late so I sat by the EES machines while flight after flight arrived fully laden with Brits. While a few of them were struggling to actually locate the way into the sorting zone (Brahms and Liszt or over burdened with tired children) everyone was passing by just fine with the exception of the families using passport booths... I didn't really pay much attention to those queues.
So there were are, high season, a large volume of flights. Lots of people being driven around on the assistance wagons. No dramas.
Just dont bother using duty free 1 unless you really need something specific. Duty free 2 is fine