Families traveling with kids this summer will find a new travel convenience at various UK airports. Starting today, children aged eight and above can utilize the eGates at 13 UK airports, which will streamline the journey back home for families. Formerly, only travelers aged 10 and older could access the eGates, leading families with younger children to endure longer waits in the family queue.
By lowering the age requirement, an estimated 1.5 million additional children will benefit from quicker passage through electronic gates and re-entry points. Children must be at least 120cm tall to be easily scanned by the biometric technology.
Alex Norris, the Minister for Border Security and Asylum, noted that this change will simplify travel for families with young children, making the post-holiday journey less cumbersome. Karen Dee, Chief Executive of AirportsUK, hailed this development as a positive step, stating that it will enhance the travel experience for families by reducing waiting times at borders.
The adjustment, effective at 13 major UK airports, involves eGates that are part of the government’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system. This change will also benefit residents of various countries outside the UK.
Tom Vaughan, a Travel Insurance Expert at Confused.com, praised the eGates rule modification for children, emphasizing the potential for shorter queues and smoother travel experiences for families. Vaughan highlighted the importance of ensuring that all family members have valid biometric passports for travel, particularly in light of evolving facial recognition technology.
As the summer holiday season progresses, it is essential for travelers to verify passport validity early to avoid any issues at border control. Confused.com’s passport checker tool can assist in identifying and resolving any passport-related concerns ahead of travel.