The express card at customs didn't count for much. The queue master was waving people from the poverty queue through while us elite travellers with express cards waited.
This statement makes you sound like a complete pompous arse. I'm hope you are not because I enjoyed the rest of your report but trying to be clever (and I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt about not being a pompous arse) detracts from what is an otherwise good piece of writing.