So here's another data point, and a bit of a wrinkle in the system.

Went through the First Wing at sparrow-fart on Friday morning for a day trip to Nice (Avios redemption)... as you'd expect, zero queue and arguably world-record time from First Wing to First Lounge... once the gates let me through, that is.

The issue is that when scanning your boarding pass or app / mobile pass, the gates will only accept a booking in F or your Oneworld status being Emerald. Otherwise, in the words of Monty Python's Black Knight, "None shall pass!"

In my case, I'd made a redemption booking in economy and the pass held my BAEC status of Silver - I was accessing the First Wing using my Qantas Platinum (Oneworld Emerald) card, and while a flash of said card would suffice for a human, this was a "Computer says no" moment.

Even the one manned desk to the right of the automated lanes was unable to get me through, her system similarly denying me entry.

One of the BA staffers said they'd encountered this a few times already – a non-eligible BAEC status listed on the boarding pass but the traveller holding an eligible Oneworld Emerald card – and they've suggested to BA that the system be modified to drop the status-based eligibility check, on the basis that the 'welcome' staff who check your boarding pass or the checkin staff will weed out ineligible class-based flyers and check Oneworld Emerald cards if need be.

In the end, the fix was to go into the booking and change my BAEC Silver frequent flyer number to my Qantas Platinum number, after which all went smoothly.