Fast Track for oneworld Sapphire for US departure at PHL?
Oct 19, 2014, 1:04 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2005
Programs: Eurostar Carte Blanche, SBB-CFF-FFS GA-AG, SNCF Grand Voyageur LeClub
Posts: 7,832
Fast Track for oneworld Sapphire for US departure at PHL?
I am flying on a US regional flight from PHL. I have a BA Gold card.
Is there a fast track at TSA security control that I can use? I remember that it worked for flighs on AA, but does that now include US?
If there is a fast track, where is it?
Thanks
Is there a fast track at TSA security control that I can use? I remember that it worked for flighs on AA, but does that now include US?
If there is a fast track, where is it?
Thanks
Oct 19, 2014, 3:07 am
#2
formerly bdohmen
Join Date: Jun 2013
Programs: Still dealing with the loss of my BA Concorde Room Card
Posts: 488
Fast Track for oneworld Sapphire for US departure at PHL?
It should but I haven't used every terminal yet so I am not sure if they all do. You will definitely get lounge access but you have to show your card with your boarding pass
Oct 20, 2014, 6:04 pm
#3
Join Date: May 2010
Location: PHL
Programs: AA EXP, UA *S, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium, Hyatt Exp, IHG Plat, National EE, Sixt Plat
Posts: 648
Fast Track for oneworld Sapphire for US departure at PHL?
There should be a preferred lane open at every terminal except F unless you're flying really late at night, in which case you shouldn't have a wait anyway.
There's a 'Definitive Guide to PHL' thread in the US sub-community that may be of interest to you (Sorry... can't direct link from my phone.)
There's a 'Definitive Guide to PHL' thread in the US sub-community that may be of interest to you (Sorry... can't direct link from my phone.)
Oct 24, 2014, 12:53 am
#4
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: TPE / HSZ
Programs: CX GO (=SPH), IHG Diamond Amb, Hertz 5*, Accor, Hilton, National
Posts: 6,436
3 weeks ago the response I got from US is that EMDs get security lane priority, but not SPHs and RBYs, unlike AA. When flying in US in Aug., Sep., and Oct., "Preferred" was not on my BP, and I am a CX GO (also SPH).
Oct 26, 2014, 4:02 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2005
Programs: Eurostar Carte Blanche, SBB-CFF-FFS GA-AG, SNCF Grand Voyageur LeClub
Posts: 7,832
Thanks for all the tips.
My PHL experience ended up to be bewildering. I think I have never had to deal with so many brain-amputated people in a short time.
For check-in I went to Terminal C as between this thread and the PHL wiki I had figured out there should be a preferred lane at every terminal except F which I could use thanks to my BA Gold card (which is Emerald, not Sapphire, my bad), and that the shuttle from C would be a shorter ride than from A. TSA Pre sometimes appears on my BP, sometimes not, so I didn't want to take chances and at least have the fast lane thanks to my OW status.
So I go to the US Airways First Class check-in counter. There a lady asks me "Are you flying First Class" - "I am not, I am going on a regional flight which does not have First Class but I have a oneworld Emerald card", and I showed her my BA Gold card. - "Sir, you need to use the American Airlines counter for that" - "But I fly on a genuine US Airways flight, and look here, on your signboard it says oneworld Emerald" - "Sir, you can try, but if the machine won't let you, you'll have to go to American Airlines".
So I approached the check-in machine. To identify myself I typed in my BA number, and my reservation was promptly found. The screen then offered my "Preferred Access for fast lane at security and earlier boarding" for USD 31. I called an agent and asked whether I needed to buy this or whether my card wouldn't give me these privileges anyway. He said, "Don't pay, your card will give you the privileges, I'll do it for you". Same thing for the one piece of luggage that I wanted to check, he explained that he would take care of it. "Sir, your card wasn't in there" - "Well, that would be surprising, given that I have used the card number to access my booking" - "No, the card wasn't in there" - Whatever...
So he took my bag, labeled it, gave me the boarding pass. I then asked where that fast lane was. He didn't understand the question. "You just explained to me that you'll give me a boarding pass or that my BA Card will give me access to the fast lane at security. Where is the fast lane security access?" - "Do you have TSA Pre?" - "No, I talk about the Preferred Access which was offered to me by the machine for USD 31 which you explained to me I'll have anyway thanks to my card" - "Sir, I don't know, that is a different company, just go up there to security". (this is not a case of mis-informed, this is a case of low IQ)
I then asked whether there was a lounge in the terminal that I was leaving from. "I don't know where the British Airways lounge is" - "But I don't look for the British Airways lounge, but I am flying on this US Airways flight you have just checked me in for, and I want to use the lounge if possible in the terminal that I am flying out of. Where is that lounge?" - "Do you have membership?" - "I have my BA Gold card" - "But you need membership" - "I don't understand. I have a BA Gold card which is oneworld Emerald, so I do have lounge access, I just want to know where the lounge is closest to my departure gate". He then looked terrorised, waved his arms in front of his face and howled "I don't know anything about this, just go to the club after the Dunkin Donuts".
Now comes the best part: between the moment that I have received my boarding pass and the moment that I arrived at the top of the stairs to access security about two minutes must have passed. I look at the screen again to see which gate my flight leaves from - and I see "cancelled". Either the flight had been cancelled in the past two minutes or that moron that US Airways dressed up in their uniform had just checked me in for a flight that had been cancelled without telling me.
I went down again, went to the check-in counter, and was wise enough to talk to someone who seemed awake and not functionally illiterate and asked about the cancellation. Indeed, the flight had been cancelled since some time "like so many flights this morning because of overcrowding of the entire East Coast air space". I should go to the club, they'd take care of me and put me on a new flight. It was impossible to retrieve my luggage, which I would have taken as hand luggage then just to be more flexible.
At security there either was no fast lane - except TSA Pre - or it was there and the TSA people that I asked didn't understand my question and shook their heads in the direction of a very long line.
I took the shuttle to terminal F, went to the club, where they took my boarding pass and told me "be at your gate 20 minutes before" - "But this flight is cancelled" - "You still should be at that gate 20 minutes before departure" - "But there won't be any departure. The flight is cancelled" - "OK, let me check. (pause). Indeed, that flight is cancelled" - "And now? How am I going to arrive at my destination?" - "We can put you on the next flight." - "OK, fine, at what time is that? Is that not going to be cancelled?" - etc., she ripped my BP, threw it in the dustbin and gave me a new boarding pass - "What will happen to my luggage?" - "It will be on the same flight" - "Will you then re-edit my luggage ticket?" - "No, just keep the one that you have" - "But you have just tossed it in the bin" - "Oh..." - after some archeology in her dustbin which I just hoped was not full of half empty coffee cups and remains of danish and bananas she retrieved my old BP and peeled off the old luggage ticket, which she gave to me.
Wow. I know that airlines are under cost pressure and that they won't be hiring PhDs for their ground staff. But never have I dealth with so many people unable to understand a question, have a meaningful answer or idea where to get that answer, connect the dots and be pro-active about solving an apparent issue.
My PHL experience ended up to be bewildering. I think I have never had to deal with so many brain-amputated people in a short time.
For check-in I went to Terminal C as between this thread and the PHL wiki I had figured out there should be a preferred lane at every terminal except F which I could use thanks to my BA Gold card (which is Emerald, not Sapphire, my bad), and that the shuttle from C would be a shorter ride than from A. TSA Pre sometimes appears on my BP, sometimes not, so I didn't want to take chances and at least have the fast lane thanks to my OW status.
So I go to the US Airways First Class check-in counter. There a lady asks me "Are you flying First Class" - "I am not, I am going on a regional flight which does not have First Class but I have a oneworld Emerald card", and I showed her my BA Gold card. - "Sir, you need to use the American Airlines counter for that" - "But I fly on a genuine US Airways flight, and look here, on your signboard it says oneworld Emerald" - "Sir, you can try, but if the machine won't let you, you'll have to go to American Airlines".
So I approached the check-in machine. To identify myself I typed in my BA number, and my reservation was promptly found. The screen then offered my "Preferred Access for fast lane at security and earlier boarding" for USD 31. I called an agent and asked whether I needed to buy this or whether my card wouldn't give me these privileges anyway. He said, "Don't pay, your card will give you the privileges, I'll do it for you". Same thing for the one piece of luggage that I wanted to check, he explained that he would take care of it. "Sir, your card wasn't in there" - "Well, that would be surprising, given that I have used the card number to access my booking" - "No, the card wasn't in there" - Whatever...
So he took my bag, labeled it, gave me the boarding pass. I then asked where that fast lane was. He didn't understand the question. "You just explained to me that you'll give me a boarding pass or that my BA Card will give me access to the fast lane at security. Where is the fast lane security access?" - "Do you have TSA Pre?" - "No, I talk about the Preferred Access which was offered to me by the machine for USD 31 which you explained to me I'll have anyway thanks to my card" - "Sir, I don't know, that is a different company, just go up there to security".
(this is not a case of mis-informed, this is a case of low IQ)I then asked whether there was a lounge in the terminal that I was leaving from. "I don't know where the British Airways lounge is" - "But I don't look for the British Airways lounge, but I am flying on this US Airways flight you have just checked me in for, and I want to use the lounge if possible in the terminal that I am flying out of. Where is that lounge?" - "Do you have membership?" - "I have my BA Gold card" - "But you need membership" - "I don't understand. I have a BA Gold card which is oneworld Emerald, so I do have lounge access, I just want to know where the lounge is closest to my departure gate". He then looked terrorised, waved his arms in front of his face and howled "I don't know anything about this, just go to the club after the Dunkin Donuts".
Now comes the best part: between the moment that I have received my boarding pass and the moment that I arrived at the top of the stairs to access security about two minutes must have passed. I look at the screen again to see which gate my flight leaves from - and I see "cancelled". Either the flight had been cancelled in the past two minutes or that moron that US Airways dressed up in their uniform had just checked me in for a flight that had been cancelled without telling me.
I went down again, went to the check-in counter, and was wise enough to talk to someone who seemed awake and not functionally illiterate and asked about the cancellation. Indeed, the flight had been cancelled since some time "like so many flights this morning because of overcrowding of the entire East Coast air space". I should go to the club, they'd take care of me and put me on a new flight. It was impossible to retrieve my luggage, which I would have taken as hand luggage then just to be more flexible.
At security there either was no fast lane - except TSA Pre - or it was there and the TSA people that I asked didn't understand my question and shook their heads in the direction of a very long line.
I took the shuttle to terminal F, went to the club, where they took my boarding pass and told me "be at your gate 20 minutes before" - "But this flight is cancelled" - "You still should be at that gate 20 minutes before departure" - "But there won't be any departure. The flight is cancelled" - "OK, let me check. (pause). Indeed, that flight is cancelled" - "And now? How am I going to arrive at my destination?" - "We can put you on the next flight." - "OK, fine, at what time is that? Is that not going to be cancelled?" - etc., she ripped my BP, threw it in the dustbin and gave me a new boarding pass - "What will happen to my luggage?" - "It will be on the same flight" - "Will you then re-edit my luggage ticket?" - "No, just keep the one that you have" - "But you have just tossed it in the bin" - "Oh..." - after some archeology in her dustbin which I just hoped was not full of half empty coffee cups and remains of danish and bananas she retrieved my old BP and peeled off the old luggage ticket, which she gave to me.
Wow. I know that airlines are under cost pressure and that they won't be hiring PhDs for their ground staff. But never have I dealth with so many people unable to understand a question, have a meaningful answer or idea where to get that answer, connect the dots and be pro-active about solving an apparent issue.