bmi diamond club - LHR T1 FastTrack - UA PAX Only!?

I came through LHR T1 this morning and for the past few weeks I have happily used the FastTrack lane to speed through security.

I was told this morning that the FastTrack lane was for United passengers only so I lined up with everyone else meaning less time in the new lounge :(

Does anybody know what *G card holders be entitled to?

I came through LHR T1 this morning and for the past few weeks I have happily used the FastTrack lane to speed through security.

I was told this morning that the FastTrack lane was for United passengers only so I lined up with everyone else meaning less time in the new lounge :(

Does anybody know what *G card holders be entitled to?

I can't answer your query but it's certainly a good question for bmi customer services. Either you are allowed and the BAA staff need educating else you aren't and bmi don't look so clever. If United can arrange to treat there status pax better, why can't bmi?

Don't know how this fits in, but a particularly chatty Fast Track official in T3 told me the rule is: C or F or sticker on the BP.

At the time I was using BMI gold with an SQ Economy BP. It was the small sticker that SQ put on the BP that got me into the Fast Track, not the gold card. (Though it was the gold card that prompted SQ to sticker the BP.)

Meanwhile EVA won't sticker my EVA BPs. No Fast Track unless I'm in C with them.

That's just my T3 experience. But I did ask him if it applied to other terminals, and he said it did.

Maybe United sticker the BPs? And LHR have clamped down on non-stickering airlines?

At the time I was using BMI gold with an SQ Economy BP. It was the small sticker that SQ put on the BP that got me into the Fast Track, not the gold card. (Though it was the gold card that prompted SQ to sticker the BP.)


Interesting. Was that a one-off or has that generally been your experience? Did you have to ask? I never even knew this was a benefit for bmi Gold members and in my experience I have never been offered Fast Track when flying SQ Y. Why didn't someone tell me! :p

...It was the small sticker that SQ put on the BP...Red, circular, about 1/4" or 1/2 cm across? Or have they changed?

Interesting. Was that a one-off or has that generally been your experience? Did you have to ask? I never even knew this was a benefit for bmi Gold members and in my experience I have never been offered Fast Track when flying SQ Y. Why didn't someone tell me! :p

3 flights on SQ in Y out of LHR with BMI *gold. Each time a sticker. (A very small round one, with the SQ logo.) I was told to use the fast track the first time, can't remember if they said anything after that, but used it for the other SQ Y flights. I hadn't appreciated it was the sticker that got me in. I assumed it was an SQ/*gold perk and just showed my BMI gold card with the BP at the Fast Track receptionist.

Must be a couple of years ago now, as I've been demoted and am no longer *gold.

The "conversation" happened when I went to the non-fast track with my EVA premium economy (branded "Elite") BP. The non-fast track bloke said "you should use Fast Track on this because its business class". I said it wasn't and then he said he wasn't sure. So he took me to Fast Track and left me with his colleague. The colleague said no problem this time, but I wasn't entitled. The BP has to be a real C or F one or stickered. I told him I had a gold card with EVA and he said "well they should sticker the card then we know to let you through". I suppose its reasonable they can't be expected to recognise the various elite levels of various FF programmes. I commented "I suppose the idea is that they then have to pay you for the stickers then". He said "something like that I'm sure".

The only thing is, the stickers did have an SQ logo on them, rather than any kind of BAA thing.

Next time with EVA, I asked about a sticker at check-in. Their check-in staff were Air Canada. The guy said "sorry, EVA don't do stickers". He seemed to know about them.

To me its logical. Fast Track is a service BAA sell to the airlines. I can imagine for C/F its easy to track the numbers. If airlines want to make the service available to other PAX, then there must be a way of the revenue being collected.

But as I say, this is just my T3 experience, and somewhat limited at that.

Red, circular, about 1/4" or 1/2 cm across? Or have they changed?

Yep.. almost a fluorescent colour. It might have changed since..

Actually I assumed the stickers were a message to the welcoming SQ FAs. But in Y that's probably expecting too much! (And I didn't notice any difference... and anyway isn't the status printed on the BP anyway...)

On my last 3 flights in SQ Y from LHR as bmi Gold I was never offered Fast Track. On one occasion the check-in agent even forgot to priority check my bags. As I didn't ask for a Fast Track sticker I have no idea if this benefit was still being offered last year. Anyway, thanks for the info jimbo99.

On my last 3 flights in SQ Y from LHR as bmi Gold I was never offered Fast Track. On one occasion the check-in agent even forgot to priority check my bags. As I didn't ask for a Fast Track sticker I have no idea if this benefit was still being offered last year. Anyway, thanks for the info jimbo99.

Perhaps its been withdrawn. I didn't ask for it (not knowing it was a benefit).. just the one check-in guy mentioned it, the others didn't. But each time I got through.

Good luck! I'm interested to know the outcome... I've been using SQ as a stick to beat EVA with.. so don't want to misrepresent the current situation.

(PS ... and EVA don't properly priority tag for their golds. Just a "club" sticker, which sometimes makes a difference and sometimes doesn't.)

I came through LHR T1 this morning and for the past few weeks I have happily used the FastTrack lane to speed through security.

Does anybody know what *G card holders be entitled to?

This is when departing LHR?

I have a similar question about the immigration 'fast track' in LHR T3 upon arrival. What's the magic for getting in there?

I got in there once, but was too tired at the time to understand what had achieved this for me. As far as I could tell, everyone else had a 'priority' sticker from the airline, but some combination of my *G and C BP got me through.

...I have a similar question about the immigration 'fast track' in LHR T3 upon arrival. What's the magic for getting in there? ...You get a pink sleeve in which to place your landing card. The lane attendant collects it.

Sleeve distribution policy is up to the individual airline. Each sleeve identifies the airline that gave it to the traveler. Airlines pay for the number of sleeves with their logo that the lane attendants collect.

I have never arrived at LHR T3 on BD so I don't know what its policy is. AA's is to give them to J/F pax only. I once got one as top-tier elite in economy by asking nicely - but it was a favo(u)r, not a right.

Sometimes you get one but don't use it. FAs may pass them out in the evening when Fastrack is closed. You may also see that the regular queues are so short it's not worth using Fastrack - which, with only two desks, can have bad delays on the rare occasions that the passengers at both have issues. (You pass the main area en route to Fastrack.) In those cases, you can save the sleeve to use on another occasion when you're not fortunate enough to get one.

3 flights on SQ in Y out of LHR with BMI *gold. Each time a sticker. (A very small round one, with the SQ logo.) I was told to use the fast track the first time, can't remember if they said anything after that, but used it for the other SQ Y flights. I hadn't appreciated it was the sticker that got me in. I assumed it was an SQ/*gold perk and just showed my BMI gold card with the BP at the Fast Track receptionist.


Lucky you! My experience is like UK flyer's. Many many times in SQ Y out of the UK, and only once a sticker (when I got turned back at MAN because the scanner wouldn't scan my OLCI print out, so I had to schlep back to check in to get the BP re-issued, and they then took pity on me... or maybe they took pity on me because they knew I'd have to spend the next hour in the Servisair excuse-for-a-lounge before being bussed to the plane - I will never know...)

As for T1, I'm not sure if the same system applies, but I wouldn't be surprised if it now does, as all the airlines pay per passenger (can you imagine bmi paying for *Gs to skip the queue?! ...that's bmi time!)

There was a point a while back (before the recent revamp) when there were *A branded queue separators at T1 international, but I never, ever saw that far right hand line operated as a *G fast track (in fact, I never saw it open ever, except for staff, wheelchairs and screaming kids) - YMMV

Does anybody know what *G card holders be entitled to?

Forget Star Gold, I flew full fare BIZ to Moscow last week and was told the same thing.

You get a pink sleeve in which to place your landing card. The lane attendant collects it.

Sleeve distribution policy is up to the individual airline. Each sleeve identifies the airline that gave it to the traveler. Airlines pay for the number of sleeves with their logo that the lane attendants collect.

AC have given me these when travelling in Y, as a *G. For some reason, though, I have had the impression that the fast track was for non-EU nationals, and therefore never used it. Am I wrong?

AC have given me these when travelling in Y, as a *G. For some reason, though, I have had the impression that the fast track was for non-EU nationals, and therefore never used it. Am I wrong?

EVA (the only airline I now have decent status with) will only give them to C flyers (not golds) who are non-EU nationals. But my understanding is that Fast Track is open to anyone. Just that in the past, it wasn't faster for EUs. Now sometimes it is and a friend of mine lies to the FAs to get a pass.

AC have given me these when travelling in Y, as a *G. For some reason, though, I have had the impression that the fast track was for non-EU nationals, and therefore never used it. Am I wrong?

Since we are not talking about transit passengers, there remain only two sorts of fast track applicable at LHR and they should not be confused for each other: one fast track procedure exists for immigration on arrival; a separate fast track procedure exists for the security check on departure.

You are talking about the fast track on arrival applicable to immigration. The immigration-related fast track is primarily to process non-EU/non-select-EFTA nationals granted such facility by their airline since the presumption ordinarily is that EU/select-EFTA nationals would process through quickly anyway.

So guys, any advance on whether T1 LHR Fast Track is available to BD *G or business passengers?

I fly Business BD domestic and am *G and during periods of heavy traffic wouldn't mind the 5-10 minute shortcut it might provide.

It's not exactly the end of the world as I don't think I've ever had to wait more than maybe 10 minutes tops, but it would be a bonus. It's always been empty whenever I've seen it though.

So guys, any advance on whether T1 LHR Fast Track is available to BD *G or business passengers?Last week (same day as the OP :eek:) I had the same experience as the OP - BMI C (international) boarding pass but sent back by the fast track police, as 'only UA C/F allowed'.

I was annoyed about the fact that yet another perk has been withdrawn without communication as far as I am aware.

Last week (same day as the OP :eek:) I had the same experience as the OP - BMI C (international) boarding pass but sent back by the fast track police, as 'only UA C/F allowed'.

I was annoyed about the fact that yet another perk has been withdrawn without communication as far as I am aware.

Partner and I had the exact same experience last Sat flying LHR/DUB with C class boarding passes AND our BG*G cards on display. If it's indeed only for UA premium pax then it should be labelled accordingly!

Just curious...... did BD pax have fast track access before UA showed up in T1?

I recall hearing that BA had a special premium check-in area with it own fast track security access. Or was that in T4?

In T3 it has been C or F only. I am in C on UA flights, but often flew SK economy and usually managed to get through fast track over in T3 by flashing gold card.

I am hearing that T1 security is not that bad (max 10 min.) I think T3 regular security can be quite slow, especially post Aug 10, 2006.

I was annoyed about the fact that yet another perk has been withdrawn without communication as far as I am aware.

This is what I don't understand - as far as I can recall, there was never any fast track at central security for BD. BA had Zone R (as you know well yourself ;)) and the fast track at central was there/marked but IIRC only actually for (i.e. paid for by) SAA pax and maybe LY pax? I do not ever recall getting/seeing any fast track on BD either by class or status?

To be fair, all my trips through T1 since the 'Dom vs. Int' merge have been very good indeed with virtually no queues for security anyway.

Edit: Sorry, gnaget, I duplicated some of what you said...but hopefully answered some of it too!

as far as I can recall, there was never any fast track at central security for BD

I can't recall any either, certainly nothing in the recent past.

Similar siutation at BRU at the moment : they have recently introduced a fast-track too, for a number of airlines, not BD though.

No queue again at T1 security but I did ask one (quite attractive) LHR girl about fast track for business class and she confirmed it is only for UA - presumably they're the only airline that actually pays for it...

The security seems much, much better than the old system to be honest (at least while BA were there) but probably about the same as the post BA departure domestic now that this new one has bedded in. Rarely a queue and at most 10 minutes when there is. Normally 0-5 mins top.

And also zero queue at domestic recheck - although that's pretty rare IME.

This is what I don't understand - as far as I can recall, there was never any fast track at central security for BD.I am pretty sure there was fast track access for BD C. However the times I used that must have been when flying LHR-AMS in C on BD :o Not very recent that is....

Now whether BD actually paid for it, or I have just been lucky more than a few times, is a good question.