Originally Posted by
DrBernardo
CWS - when were you last in Basel? Nowadays I only fly from there infrequently, and sometime in the last couple of months they have reconfigured the passport controls on arrival (now just a single bank of desks/cabins - no Swiss/French segregation). It could be they reconfigured the transfer staircase at the same time.
In any case, that transfer staircase puts you into the central security zone, which in my experience is highly variable. Sometimes you can breeze through, but sometimes (if there's a big Easyjet bank of flights leaving) it can be heaving. I always use the French-end departure security, as it's invariably the fastest - so BarbicanLondon I think I'd be tempted to just come out of the baggage hall on the French side to get to landside arrivals, go up two sets of escalators and back thro the normal departing pax security. Only take you a minute or two extra walking distance.
I've just done a BSL/Basel same plane turnaround and can confirm that the transfer route is now firmly closed. There's a no entry sign next to the lift. The stairs are still open but when you reach the glass door at the top there's a sign advising transfer passengers need to go landslide, up to level 4 (departure gates) and back through security and then passport control.
No biggie - very similar to DUB/Dublin and Good/Good is a fair assessment.
For BA752/753 (first flight from Heathrow and return on same plane) used gate 30 at BSL.