Yes, hahahaha!
:glugglug

the whole 'other passports' thing has gotten much more difficult at heathrow over the last year. It could be just me but Heathrow's lines have been hell. I am an American but my passport is stamped with a residency stamp from the UK.

That means that usually they will let me go through the EU line. Not anymore, you have have to go through the 'other passports' line and it has been huge lately.

The last time I did it there was a reason because it was a couple days before the Commonwealth Games and half of Canada and Africa were landing in Heathrow.

There are a number of airports in the London area - LHR, LGW, stanstead, Luton and London City. If you were flying from Europe the other ones would be more of an option but as its USA it is almost always LHR or LGW.

The Heathrow Express has made traveling from LHR much easier. It is a service that takes 15 minutes to get into central London. The only thing is that it goes into Paddington which doesn't have all that many hotels around it. So, chances are you are going to need to get a cab or a bus to your hotel. Busses are confusing for most people their first time in London and with luggage a nightmare.

So, that leaves a cab but I am not being silly when I say that the cab system at Paddington is the most hectic I have seen anywhere. Not just in the UK but in the world.

Last time I used the Heathrow Express it took me 15 minutes to get to Paddington and another hour to get into a cab and even then they made me share it with three other people - but pay full price.

That is interesting Sarah as I've had exactly the opposite experience at Heathrow. I've never waited an unpleasant amount of time there whereas Gatwick has always been hell.

I've got an American passport with a permanent leave to remain in the UK visa (as I'm married to a Brit) and they always make me stand in the other passports line. I've only bunked it once myself - Landed in Gatwick after an 8 hour flight from Orlando to Brussels, a 6 hour layover and then an hour in a tiny Virgin jet back to Gatwick. It seemed we landed at the same time as about 8 other international flights, most of them african and asian and there was at LEAST a 3 hour line at immigration. I had the beginnings of a nasty sinus infection so I thought 'Fuck this' and went through the EU line with my husband. The officer made a fuss that I was in the wrong line so I shouted and cried that there was no fucking way I was waiting for 3 hours with a pounding sinus headache while my husband waited on the other side and so he gave me a nasty look, stamped my passport and off we went. I suppose being an emotional girl does have its advantages sometimes.

Anyway, long story short I suppose it all depends on when you hit the immigration at the various airports.

yup, true. Sounds like we have the same stamp because I am married to a Brit too. I'm going for dual citizenship so I hope when I have both passports they will just let me go through the local line on both ends.

I've been thinking about that but haven't looked into it too closely. Are there that many benefits other than easier airport arrivals? I don't wanna give up my US citizenship (even though I've gotta fill in that stupid 'I don't make any money in the USA' tax form every year - still can't get over how idiotic that is) and didn't think there were that many perks going through all the paperwork to get dual citizenship. Have I missed something? Please let me know if you think there are some big benefits I'm missing.

You don't have to give up your US citizenship. If that was the case i would never consider it. I did worry so I contacted the US embassy and the British home office and then both told me you don't have to give up your US citizenship. The US Embassy said that the only way you will have your citizenship taken away is if you write some formal letter asking to have it taken away.

Benifits? Well, the prime one for me is that if my husband were to die I would be allowed to stay here without any question. Not only that but I would stay on the rent book for our flat. I don't know if I would want to stay here forever if something happened to him when I was still relativly young but the truth is that my life is here now and I don't want to be forced to leave.

Also, it make it a lot easier to get a pension (social secruity). Plus, claim benifits if you ever have to. For me it is a peace of mind thing. I don't want to be forced to leave and if our husbands were to die (god forbid) they could if they felt the need.

Also, if you are American and earning money in American dollars (ie sponsor checks) you have to pay US taxes. It sucks but it is something I have been dealing with all this year. It has been a pain in the ass.

Virgin Atlantic all the way! Premium Economy is the best way to go. regular is kinda cramped. If you try hard enough you should be able to find a cheap flight directly through Virgin and just upgrade a notch from there.

I would go BA first class or buisness Class if you can, I've done the Vancouver - London route 7 or 8 times now and wouldn't fly with anybody else, the new seating they have now on most transatlantic routes is really good, makes the flight go really quickly when you are comfortable and the food and service is excellent.

I've been through Heathrow and Gatwick and bunch of times and will always fly into and out of Heathrow if I can. Everytime I've been through Gatwick it's been a nightmare, especially the luggage collection, I was once in there for over 90 mins toe to toe with hundreds of other pissed off peeps waiting becuase they got backed up.

holy shit this is an old thread. someone was bored. :)

Duh, didn't even notice :mad:

Looks like Stevo bumped it to bust Quiets balls. :winkwink:

Damn... neither did I.

End of thread, everybody keeps replying to this year old message :winkwink: and i apologize if i "bust" anyone, its just me and my curiosity / silly sense of humor...

The concorde is really cool...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/905000..._flames150.jpg

I didn't notice it was an old thread either. *shrug*

Thanks to Stevo for bumping it though as I've gotten some good information from my fellow American living in England, Sarah.

Sarah, thanks for the info, it seems it might be worth the paperwork after all. I'll look into it after the baby is born. :thumbsup

If you have the money fly United Business class. Its almost the same as first, less the champagne.

Also I use to fly to London almost every week and I always took the 9:00 AM out of JFK. That way, you get to London around 9:00 PM, go to sleep, and don't feel all that bad the next day.