Since last season ended last May, DID YOU KNOW the UK changed the entry rules for citizens of seven countries including the US:
WE CAN NOW USE THE ePASSPORT GATES (the scanners) entering the UK rather than crawl through the excessively slow manual lines. Woo hoo!
This new policy impacts citizens of the US, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore and South Korea. Excludes those with kids 12-under coming in to the UK.
All passports with chips (and all US passports have had chips since 2007) are eligible from these countries.
It gets better: The UK have also done away with the paper landing cards.
ePassport gates are available at 14 UK airports: London Heathrow Terminals 2, 3, 4 & 5, Gatwick, London City, Standstead plus Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, East Midland, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Luton, Manchester and Newcastle.
So, on your next trip over for Chelsea, do NOT waste time in the long lines.
Head for the ePassport gates, scan your passport and don't smile for the camera. :-(
Then go wait for your bags to come out on the other side.
All in all, great news.