Artur

Just wanted to share some idiosyncrasies at the ZRH airport when connecting with AA 65 to JFK.

On a business trip to Berlin, I decided for my return TXL- JFK, to fly via ZRH instead via LHR, because I would arrive in JFK 3 hours earlier and thought that transferring through ZRH would be much easier than LHR.

Booking the trip with one leg TXL-ZRH on Swiss was a piece of cake on aa.com. Only when checking-in in TXL, I could not get a boarding pass for my connecting flight AA 65, because the systems are not linked. OLCI and mobile app did not work either for this itinerary. Going to the transfer desk in ZRH, I was informed that I could get my BP only at the gate. The AA lounge cannot help either.

Here comes the Catch 22, when trying to go through security at the E gates, the Swiss TSA equivalent adamantly refused to let me pass without a valid BP, even after I explained the situation to him and imploring that I would miss my flight. After much heated exchange I showed him my checked luggage ticket which softened him up and I finally could get to the gate.

I discussed the situation with the AA GA, and she acknowledged the problem and suggested the next time when I only have carry on, to have security call them at the gate and confirm that OP is on the PAX list. Also the AA security at the gate is much more intense than in LHR, it takes 20 minutes (!).

Just wanted everybody connecting through ZRH to AA be aware of this pit fall and avoid unpleasant situations.

Spiff

Please file a complaint with AA about this ridiculous nonsense. "security" doesn't take 20 minutes at the gate at other stations. There's no excuse for this.

sts603

Are you sure AA has any control over it?

mvoight

Interesing.. You chose ZRH due to potential connection issues at LHR?
Like what? I flew TXL-LHR-ORD and had no connection issues. I don't even remember going through security at LHR. I thought I just walked airside to the transfer bus and went to T3 to AA

Spiff

Unless you had a private airside transfer, you went through Flight Connections and therefore LHR's "security" experience.

sts603

Plus gate security.

JohnAx

AA does have security people doing a mandatory 'interview' of all outbound pax at LHR - basically an intense and very serious version of 'has anyone touched your bags?'. It just takes a few minutes, but the lines tend to move slowly. Assuming the interviewers are well trained - they seem to take themselves seriously, at least - it may be the best piece of security in the entire process.

hillrider

The systems ARE linked (they even sold reciprocal codeshares in the past!), and have received boarding passes in the past.

I've seen AA stations inhibiting the issuance of boarding passes by other airlines for a specific flights in name of "security". Or it could have been that the EDIFACT link between LX and AA was down (it seems to have a pretty poor reliability).

hillrider

ZRH is a far better airport (AA nonsense subject of this thread apart) to connect. It's compact and fast.

LHR is a sprawl, and the security lines (you must have been grogged, because you can't connect there without going through security) are always long, sometimes ridiculously so. And if you're connecting to T5 you have yet an additional line, the "conformance" one, where they will simply refuse to allow you to try to make your connection unless you're at that desk (after queuing up for it) at least 35 minutes before your next flight. If they block you you're off to a "rebooking" desk, whose staffing seems to be based on ensuring that at all times there's a line of 50-75 people for it.

Connecting at LHR may not have "issues", but it's definitely not an easy connection.

yabadoo

I have to agree with this. I've had to travel to Europe from JFK and have been making connections to BA at LHR. First of all, early in the morning at 6-7am there are a bunch of longhaul flights that come in so generally speaking T3, T4 and T5 are pretty busy.
However, making the connection from T3 and T5 in a short time frame is like doing a military obstacle course and a test of strength of your knees and legs.
The last two times I arrived at LHR from JFK, the AA gates at T3 were the furthest away from the central TS area and are at least a 12 minute walk to the connection area where you catch the transit bus to take you airside to T5. There was a long line here, had to wait about 10 minutes. Trip to T5 takes 10 minutes. Then once you get into T5 it's a bit more chaotic, long lines for people connecting to other flights, then security and then again at boarding. Hence, when you count the number of lines you have to maneouver and wait in, plus walking fast to get from/to gates, it really is a hassle if you have to make a quick connection. Even if you're in F or J, the priority lines, if they are available, do not move much faster.
What I did not understand was when I was returning to JFK and connecting in LHR, I went to the AC and before I could get to the AC desk, a AA "securitate" agent interrogated me with the routine questions, but then at the gate there was another security interrogation, same questions etc. Why does AA bother with this? If I had not gone to the AC I porbably would have had one less security drill to go through.

nbevan

The person who does the grilling is supposed to put a sticker on your BP. So you may get the grilling at check-in (I have had it at Park Lane), at the AC, or if you arrive at the gate without a sticker, you get the grilling there.

tenmoc

This is my biggest issues with "security". If our shoes are supposed to be an issue, why can I wear them through security at almost every airport around the world flying back into the states, but here I have to take them off?

Because it makes my non flying momma at home feel better. It has the same function as an escape hatch in a submarine.

jcf27

I ran into a similar situation like the OP. Luckily I was able to get thru showing just he arrival BP + a copy of the itin.

And yes, I take ZRH over LHR for connections anytime !!!


--J

QueenOfCoach

Do you often have these enormous lapses in memory?

I typically go through at least three security checks when connecting at LHR. I fly LAX-LHR-DUS and back at least once, sometimes twice, a year.

ESpen36

MAD is the same situation. If arriving at T4S from non-Schengen and transferring to any AA flight, you cannot stay airside in T4S unless you already have your AA boarding pass issued. There is a security checkpoint prior to passport control that will let you go right back into the departures area, but you MUST have an actual boarding pass, not an itinerary or bag tags or whatever.

But how do you get an AA boarding pass?

For some ridiculous reason, the IB transfer desk prior to passport control (right across from the security checkpoint) is not able to issue AA boarding passes (or any boarding passes except those for IB-operated flights). Grrr...

So, if you lack a boarding pass, you must clear passport control, go downstairs, ride the tram to T4, exit customs, go upstairs, check in at the AA ticket counter, go back downstairs, ride the tram back to T4S, and go back upstairs. Adds at least 30 minutes, which can cause you to miss the AA flight, or more commonly, the 1-hour minimum check-in time for AA. Big nuisance! The only suggestion I have is to keep your AA flight on a separate PNR and try to do OLCI, as the airside security WILL accept web-generated boarding passes.

(Note that even if you are successful getting through the airside transfer security checkpoint, you will have to go to the AA "Connecting Passenger" counter to deal with the ICTS agents and answer the baggage security questions. My question about this whole rigamarole with ICTS is, if it really works to keep avaiation safer, why don't we have it in the USA? And if it contributes nothing, hence why it doesn't happen Stateside, why does AA spend money contracting with ICTS to do this questioning at overseas stations?)