SkyPriority vs Immigration
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 179
SkyPriority vs Immigration
This perhaps has been / is being discussed somewhere else ... if so please delete.
From KLM.com web site for instance:
With SkyPriority, you will enjoy a red-carpet treatment at the airport. [...]
Faster security and passport clearance
Where available, access dedicated lines to help clear you through immigration and security faster.
While this seems to work well in some places, in others (including a favorite hub) it is far from reality. Some even believe the 'dedicated lines' are slower, and often the Airport staff, when asked which is faster, advise to go to the non-priority lines. I do not have hard data.
In some countries (the UK perhaps) false or misleading advertising is prohibited, I believe. Has anyone challenged the Airlines with this SkyPriority Red Carpet thing?
I believe the Airlines should CLOSE the so called priority lines whenever they would become slower (in average over some reasonable period of time, of course).
From KLM.com web site for instance:
With SkyPriority, you will enjoy a red-carpet treatment at the airport. [...]
Faster security and passport clearance
Where available, access dedicated lines to help clear you through immigration and security faster.
While this seems to work well in some places, in others (including a favorite hub) it is far from reality. Some even believe the 'dedicated lines' are slower, and often the Airport staff, when asked which is faster, advise to go to the non-priority lines. I do not have hard data.
In some countries (the UK perhaps) false or misleading advertising is prohibited, I believe. Has anyone challenged the Airlines with this SkyPriority Red Carpet thing?
I believe the Airlines should CLOSE the so called priority lines whenever they would become slower (in average over some reasonable period of time, of course).
#4
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: CPT,AMS
Posts: 4,409
The airlines are not responsible for the immigration lines, you often see similar issues with the EU vs. non-EU queues at immigration.
#6
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: CPT,AMS
Posts: 4,409
And what is wrong with what they advertise?
In most airports I've been through, priority queues are most of the time quicker than non-priority queues, of course you can't avoid it completely, it only takes one family that requires some extra documentation in the queue to clog it for some time, or said family travelling in J for the first time in their life and have no clue about what they need to take out of their bag for security etc.
If at a specific airport there is an issue with the priority queue being constantly slower than the non-priority one, then this should be addresses with the airport/immigration authorities, but I don't see why it makes the advertisement a false one.
In most airports I've been through, priority queues are most of the time quicker than non-priority queues, of course you can't avoid it completely, it only takes one family that requires some extra documentation in the queue to clog it for some time, or said family travelling in J for the first time in their life and have no clue about what they need to take out of their bag for security etc.
If at a specific airport there is an issue with the priority queue being constantly slower than the non-priority one, then this should be addresses with the airport/immigration authorities, but I don't see why it makes the advertisement a false one.
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 179
And what is wrong with what they advertise?
In most airports I've been through, priority queues are most of the time quicker than non-priority queues, of course you can't avoid it completely, it only takes one family that requires some extra documentation in the queue to clog it for some time, or said family travelling in J for the first time in their life and have no clue about what they need to take out of their bag for security etc.
If at a specific airport there is an issue with the priority queue being constantly slower than the non-priority one, then this should be addresses with the airport/immigration authorities, but I don't see why it makes the advertisement a false one.
In most airports I've been through, priority queues are most of the time quicker than non-priority queues, of course you can't avoid it completely, it only takes one family that requires some extra documentation in the queue to clog it for some time, or said family travelling in J for the first time in their life and have no clue about what they need to take out of their bag for security etc.
If at a specific airport there is an issue with the priority queue being constantly slower than the non-priority one, then this should be addresses with the airport/immigration authorities, but I don't see why it makes the advertisement a false one.
I disagree. It is of course >99% avoidable, but could be quite expensive.
I believe that at a specific airport, there is (was?) general feeling that skyPriority can be slower. If this is real and consistent, it would then mean that the advertisement is false or misleading.
#8
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: CPT,AMS
Posts: 4,409
So should they remove the advertisement because in one airport (out of probably few hundreds?) passengers have a general feeling (not even backed up by hard data) that it is always slower?
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 179
Actually you agree with me, even if it is avoidable in 99%, you still can't completely avoid it, in some airports it is handled better, in some less, either way it is not controlled by the airline.
So should they remove the advertisement because in one airport (out of probably few hundreds?) passengers have a general feeling (not even backed up by hard data) that it is always slower?
So should they remove the advertisement because in one airport (out of probably few hundreds?) passengers have a general feeling (not even backed up by hard data) that it is always slower?
What I wrote is this:
- should remove the so-called "priority" lines at certain places, or certain times of the day, if indeed they would end up slower.
And is it OK to advertise on something you have "no control" of?
#10
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: CPT,AMS
Posts: 4,409
I don't see a problem with that.
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 179
#12
Join Date: May 2009
Location: AMS
Posts: 2,043
So: the airline advertises that you are entitled to use the priority lanes if available, but whether or not you should actually use them is something you should decide for yourself when you are there and able to judge for yourself what is the better option at that moment.
#13
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: CPT,AMS
Posts: 4,409
But that doesn't give any specific airline control over when they are open, how well they are staffed etc.
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 179
@CyBeR Thanks for that information.
While your statement, edited by me below, is IMO 100% accurate:
what the airline actually advertises, however, is (repeat quote here)
"Faster security and passport clearance
Where available, access dedicated lines to help clear you through immigration and security faster."
again IMO this is misleading. It could be better for the KLM statement to read exactly word-for-word as you wrote.
While your statement, edited by me below, is IMO 100% accurate:
"Faster security and passport clearance
Where available, access dedicated lines to help clear you through immigration and security faster."
again IMO this is misleading. It could be better for the KLM statement to read exactly word-for-word as you wrote.
#15
Join Date: May 2009
Location: AMS
Posts: 2,043