KARFA

Conformance is now after immigration. There are several automatic gates. I can't remember if there are ones specifically marked as fast track, but it shouldn't be likely you face queues at that point.

In terms of security, the escalators to north security are very clearly marked for fast track only and now seemed to be policed regularly by a HAL agent who check eligibility.

My recent experiences at north security when coming up from FCC have been very good but i am sure it may not always be.

orbitmic

I agree. In general, I think that BA/LHR have put less thought into the (various forms of) connecting experience than into the O/D passengers. I appreciate that London being a bigger O/D market than any other in Europe, but you can feel how much better connections have been thought through at HEL, MUC, or ZRH and I'm still persuaded that the connecting market - and particularly the connecting premium market - is what makes the ultimate difference between losses and profitability in the long term in that it is the truly competitive market (no business person in their right mind would choose a connecting flight on SQ or EY over a nonstop on rubbish airlines like KU or MS but when you have to connect anyway, then everything becomes relevant) and serves to hedge the airline's risk in case of economic downturn, one of which might sadly and conceivably affect the British economy in the not too distant future.

schrodingerdog

Well, you can concentrate in the premium market, but the problem is that LH in MUC manage to provide this very same service to every passenger, irrespective of status or class of service, which not also manage to keep happy the premium people, but also helps to keep the peasants that travel in the back very very happy.

simons1

Indeed, you can make the same general point about Europe.

Someone posted the other day about how a party of 4 were offered return upgrades to Frankfurt in business class for Ł350. Cheap as chips, yet someone else will usually be along afterwards to say how fantastic it is that CE is looking so full these days and that premium cabin numbers have never been higher.

Tobias-UK

They are indeed, and when you get to the top of the escalators you see a big queue because the HAL agent has removed the tensa barrier to fill the lane up with non-Fart Track passengers. Frustrating

simons1

Sounds like a stinker of a decision.

orbitmic

sadly a general issue at lhr where some Hal agents clearly consider fast track an optional system. I have regularly had this problem at t3 connections (arriving from t5). Normal line very full so Hal agents take regular passengers to fast track till it's just as bad. Very annoying.

Tobias-UK

Hahahaha - oops

A Freudian slip, perhaps?

woglet86

Yes this is consistent with my last experience using T5 connections. Luckily the crowd was let in just after us, but I felt bad for the next fast track passengers.

LCSinTexas

Could it be that this (DOM-INT) transfer service is an "entry" to possible more advanced transfers (INT-INT), giving BA a chance to debug this level before diving into the tougher task?

One could hope...

tigertanaka

This was my experience too on Thursday. When challenging the agent he said no fast track "because we are busy today".

I suspect it is to do with keeping the wait times down so in a vague attempt to mess up their statistics, I found a 3 year old boarding pass on my phone and scanned that at the entrance to the bag scanners.

AMS changed their system a year or so ago. If you were doing anything other than a Schenghen>Schenghen connection, all bags were scanned.

These days if you come from a country with trusted security levels (UK, IRE, AUS, USA, CAN etc), there is no bag scanning anymore - you just walk off the plane into the terminal and walk to your gate (passport check for Schenghen flights of course).

Coming from a less trusted country (less say Turkey), there is a hand luggage scan for all passengers immediately after leaving the plane. After this, passengers enter the terminal and walk to their gate or to immigration.

Works really well compared to the INT>DOM hell at T5.

Tobias-UK

Which is the very time you would want Fast Track to be operating effectively.

Brighterside

Had a very perplexed CSD on the Newcastle to Heathrow flight at 6am yesterday come to advise that he had been informed that we would be met by someone at the gate and be taken over to T3 by private transfer. We were as surprised as he was as we were connecting to the Miami flight with 3 hours spare.

He went back to double check as it seemed odd but he came back and checked that we didn't need to go to the VAT claims area as the driver would need to take us to a different area. He did say that it was rather unusual in the circumstances and just to look for someone with our names on a board when we got off and if they weren't there just to proceed with the normal T5-T3 connection. He also had a word with us on the airbridge when we got off to repeat the same thing.

No prizes for guessing what actually happened

godsavethepoints

Hello FTers.

Has anyone managed to get a Jaguar transfer during a tight connection? There had been news about increasing the service - so curious to hear data points. Cheers all.

corporate-wage-slave

Latest update on this, Concierge Key passengers on a BA T5 UK domestic flight connecting to an AA flight from T3 are now being targeted for this, in that direction only. I'm not entirely sure that it avoids security at T3 in this case since the AA Connections hall is built into Flight Connections and thus Security, so specific reports from CKs (or indeed BAECs) going specifically to AA flights would be welcome.

The booking needs to be made under one PNR/Locator. A BA staff member, holding a Concierge Key sign, or just the passenger name, will be at the connector vestibule on the airbrige, the stairs to the apron and the Jaguar (or Jaaaaaag as I think we now need to call it) should be right by the steps.

[Now I've got to get the get the summon up the strength to post something on this to the AA forum.....]