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Old Mar 26, 2012, 7:05 am
  #46  
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Originally Posted by nicolas75
Any idea if it is the same for passport control when landing at LHR?
Well, fast-track lanes at LHR have always been unavailable to EU passport holders (and they are not open in the afternoon IIRC) ... I am not counting on this changing, but would be delighted to be proven wrong .

Last edited by JOUY31; Mar 26, 2012 at 8:46 am
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Old Mar 26, 2012, 7:25 am
  #47  
 
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Originally Posted by nicolas75
Now access is open to Elite members
Just show your boarding pass, no need to show your Plat card

Any idea if it is the same for passport control when landing at LHR?
This would be good for the summer months, especially with the olympics coming up. It's getting busier already. Didn't notice it last week and I'm not travelling this week so I can't check it out.
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Old Mar 26, 2012, 7:40 am
  #48  
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Originally Posted by JOUY31
Well, fast-track lanes at LHR have always been unavailable to EU passport holders (and they are not open in the afternoon IIRC) ... I am not counting on this changing, but would be delighted to be proven wrong .
Hi JOUY31. Not sure that I understand what you mean.
UK passport controls have special lanes for EU biometric passports (those issued since 2005 or 2006). I don't know at T4, but at T5 there is a fast track lane for immigration and another one for security.
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Old Mar 26, 2012, 7:55 am
  #49  
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Originally Posted by brunos
Hi JOUY31. Not sure that I understand what you mean.
UK passport controls have special lanes for EU biometric passports (those issued since 2005 or 2006). I don't know at T4, but at T5 there is a fast track lane for immigration and another one for security.
Fast track is the term used to describe those lanes which are manually checked by an immigration officer albeit with priority, not automated control lanes, whether of the Iris variety or the new e-gates for biometric passports.

Fast track lanes at LHR have always, in principle, be reserved for non-EU passport holders, on the assumption (usually right but not always) that ordinary EU lanes are in any event faster than fast-track (non-EU) lanes.
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Old Mar 26, 2012, 8:43 am
  #50  
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Originally Posted by NickB
Fast track is the term used to describe those lanes which are manually checked by an immigration officer albeit with priority, not automated control lanes, whether of the Iris variety or the new e-gates for biometric passports.

Fast track lanes at LHR have always, in principle, be reserved for non-EU passport holders, on the assumption (usually right but not always) that ordinary EU lanes are in any event faster than fast-track (non-EU) lanes.
Thanks for the speedy and comprehensive answer to brunos.
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Old Mar 28, 2012, 3:25 am
  #51  
 
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I have been recently on T4.
The biometric control is for all electronic passport holders (EU citizens too).

Usually it goes faster but the last 2 times I had to pass through normal checks because my passport didn't work anymore there.
I still do not understand why it worked the first time and then it stopped.
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Old Apr 3, 2012, 3:13 am
  #52  
 
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Re-reading the thread for the last few posts I think the conversation has moved from Fast-Track security to Fast-Track immigration.

Anyway this is my update at LHR for security. There are no signs on the Fast-Track security lane for SkyTeam Elite members but I chanced it anyway on Monday morning. My BP failed the check (Econ) by the gatekeeper but I said I was SkyTeam Platinum and he pressed an override button on the screen and let me through. I still can't find anything that says this is a benefit on-line. Did anyone find anything?
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Old Apr 3, 2012, 5:13 am
  #53  
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Originally Posted by NickB
Fast track is the term used to describe those lanes which are manually checked by an immigration officer albeit with priority, not automated control lanes, whether of the Iris variety or the new e-gates for biometric passports.

Fast track lanes at LHR have always, in principle, be reserved for non-EU passport holders, on the assumption (usually right but not always) that ordinary EU lanes are in any event faster than fast-track (non-EU) lanes.
I think that it is a bit confusing as fasttrack can refer to immigration and to security.

I respectfully disagree in the case that concerns me most, namely transfers at T5. There is a fast-track immigration lane(s)where a BA staff checks your BP (as BAEC Gold, I get fasttracked). Then you walk directly to the immigration officers in charge of fasttrack (usually no wait). Then you walk upstairs and get into fastrack security lanes which are much faster than the normal ones.
I know that this is OT, but JOUY31 was making a general statement about LHR.
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Old Apr 3, 2012, 6:04 am
  #54  
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Originally Posted by nicolas75
Any idea if it is the same for passport control when landing at LHR?
Well, fast-track lanes at LHR have always been unavailable to EU passport holders (and they are not open in the afternoon IIRC) ... I am not counting on this changing, but would be delighted to be proven wrong .

Originally Posted by brunos
I think that it is a bit confusing as fasttrack can refer to immigration and to security.

I respectfully disagree in the case that concerns me most, namely transfers at T5. There is a fast-track immigration lane(s)where a BA staff checks your BP (as BAEC Gold, I get fasttracked). Then you walk directly to the immigration officers in charge of fasttrack (usually no wait). Then you walk upstairs and get into fastrack security lanes which are much faster than the normal ones.
I know that this is OT, but JOUY31 was making a general statement about LHR.
Actually, I was making a general statement regarding LHR, irrespective of airlines, answering nicolas75's question about fast track passport check upon landing, commenting about what BAA & UKBA have signs for immigration fast-track lanes, which is, as NickB has mentioned, fast track manned immigration lanes upon arrival.

For T5: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...on-lhr-t5.html, but I have never been able to use fast track upon arrival in T1, T3 or T4, either.

Regarding departures and transfers, British authorities should generalize document checks upon departures from LHR, but, in my personal experience, it is not always the case today.

Last edited by JOUY31; Apr 3, 2012 at 10:04 am
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Old Apr 6, 2012, 6:36 am
  #55  
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GVA update. The ticket desk hands out priority lane stickers to Plat. So not the check-in desk. Dont know about Gold or Silver but non-status accompanying Plat not eligible.
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Old Mar 18, 2013, 9:49 am
  #56  
 
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FastTrack @ LHR

Last few experiences during peak hours - the normal mile long queue has ended up moving faster than one person manned fast track. This is at T4 - I believe T5 is a lot better.
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