Priority Lanes/Fast Tracks Security
#46
Moderator: Flying Blue (Air France & KLM), France and TravelBuzz!
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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
#47
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: London, UK
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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.
#48
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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.
#49
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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.
#50
Moderator: Flying Blue (Air France & KLM), France and TravelBuzz!
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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.
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.
#51
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: MIL, PAR
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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.
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.
#52
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold, FB Plat
Posts: 396
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?
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?
#53
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Hong Kong, France
Programs: FB , BA Gold
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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.
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 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.
#54
Moderator: Flying Blue (Air France & KLM), France and TravelBuzz!
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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 .
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.
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.
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
#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.
#56
Join Date: Feb 2012
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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.