Since I always have my trusty pen at hand I have already filled out my immigration form and customs declaration (which has now expanded to include biosecurity and COVID questions). Oh, the hundreds of times that I have had to pointlessly declare my gender, marital status, and profession. I use ‘philologist’ as my profession, as ‘retired’ has flagged me more than once for secondary scrutiny of my assets.
I would say that broadly passengers are getting better behaved when the seatbelt sign turns off at the gate. I stay in my seat and then at the last moment, as it takes roughly five seconds for me to retrieve my bag.
Off the plane is one of the very few places that I hustle to pass as many passengers as possible. Despite immigration formalities are getting much better, the lines here can still be long, so every person I pass is real time saved.
A few places still have health workers in the corridors screening for sick passengers, so have COVID vaccination card at hand.
As with Border control at departure, at immigration have hat and sunglasses off, passport in hand and open, onward flight proof open on Tripit, screenshot of visa approval open. Hotel reservation screen shot available. Many, especially developed world points of entry have automatic passport scanners (if your passport is RFID chipped – look for a small symbol that looks like the Australian Aboriginal Flag). These will be scattered along the corridors leading to the Border control hall, so do not queue up at the first one that you see.
At customs I am nearly always the first person to pass through. Fairly regularly there is noone yet manning the post. Many places run your bag through an xray machine.
Depending on the airport the arrivals hall can hold between three cats and hundreds of expectant people with signs and offers of rides. I do not stop walking until I am through the crowd. I am now looking for the right kind of ATM, and bus or train transport (I never book these ahead of time). I prefer to walk when I can (as when I arrived in Vanuatu, 7km). Cash now in hand, and a little knowledge gained, I can decide whether I need to get a taxi. If, which is rare, I will be departing from this same airport I will have a quick look around to see if it is a comfortable place to wait.