Manchester is my home airport, and in the past few months a new Fast Track system has been introduced. It used to be that you just waved your BP or FF card at the person on the barrier and they would wave you through to the fast track lane with a cheery smile. They've replaced this with automated barriers and a two lane system.

Lane 1 is for "Fast Track" and has an automated barrier. It is only for people who have purchased Fast Track either with their parking or at an airport vending machine, but there are no instructions to say that this is the case. This leads to a queue building up at the barrier as people with FF cards, business class tickets and the usual blaggers try to get through. Even when one has the correct voucher (as I have had on the past three occasions) the barrier does not open and one is instructed to seek assistance by the barrier screen. Totally useless.

Lane 2 is the "Priority" lane and is for business class, FF, disability and travellers with children, but again, there is nothing to say that this is the case. To make matters worse, if you have a FF card you actually have to go to the airline check in counter to get a Priority sticker on your BP and they won't let you through without one. It totally defeats the object of online check in and annoys the hell out of frequent travellers. Great job!

The first time I encountered this new system was in T2. I had checked in online and was travelling with only hand luggage so went straight to security. I headed for the entrance to the priority lane and showed my *G card and was told that I couldn't enter as "this is the Priority lane". I was sent back (several hundred yards and a long staircase) to get a sticker that ended up being stuck to my *G card. I was stopped again by the same woman because the sticker was not on my boarding pass. I had a mobile boarding pass on my phone... At this point I walked through anyway and ignored the protests. When I got to the barriers I walked up to the Fast Track gate and was told off like a schoolboy because "you are Priority, not Fast Track - you are in the wrong lane". I moved to the other side and had the other barrier opened by the same person, only to find that both gates ended up in the same queue for the same screening point!

I've since had no better luck with the new system, whether it be ridiculous pedantry about how the rules are (inconsistently) applied or scanners not working or hold ups due to queues of people being confused. The actual staff have practically begged me to make a complaint in writing because they are at their wits end with how badly it has been implemented.

If you've had a bad experience with the new system then please also write to the airport management to complain so we can get this changed.