Originally Posted by Schultzois

I had a recent experience with the Flagship check-in (which I didn't know about) at JFK prior to my flight from JFK to EZE in F.

I had actually already checked in all my bags at the "normal" premium zone, where they are always a delight, but I didn't go straight to security from there, as I had to go return a rental car (I had four large bags to check in, and didn't want to deal with the AirTrain until I had gotten rid of them).

When I came back from Hertz via the Airtrain, I literally stumbled across the Flagship check-in next to the elevator up from the Airtrain. Not having seen it before - and not seeing anyone else inside or out of it - I wasn't even sure if I could use it (although I figured as an F passenger flying to Buenos Aires, and with an Emerald card as well, I had no idea who they built this thing for if not.

They nicely welcomed me in (I think my name was on a list that the person outside the sliding door held), and as I was already all checked-in, just sent me down the corridor (and a beautifully designed one it is) to security. Here's where things start to fall apart....

Basically, if you're not a TSA Pre-check passenger, you get shuffled back into the general security line (having skipped a bit of the queue, but still it too probably 10-15 minutes for me to reach the X-rays and metal detectors. It's not even so much that it was so crowded, just that they seem to operate these lanes in an eeee xxxx ttt rrr eeee mmm eee lll yyy ssss lll ooo wwww manner. I'd have rather just skipped the whole thing and used the run-of-the-mill "Priority Acess" lane after that, even if I had to queue again, but it was too late by then.

I'm wondering if anyone else has this experience. Is the Flagship lane only useful if you also happen to have TSA pre-check? Do they assume you already do, since I guess that's something that is made easier for AA top elites (I'm Emerald, but not with AA, only BA)? I'll add that the TSA guy was really very friendly about it, and even without my asking called someone over to ask if he could get me into the pre-check lane without a wait (since the layout didn't seem right to him either), but his supervisor told him I'd have to wait in the general lines, and even seemed a bit sorry about that as well.

The rest of my flight was a pleasure, and I still can't really get over how more than half of the time the cabin crews on the EZE flights are the same people, and they are always both enthusiastic and consummately professional. True Flagship service.