footballfanatic

are there fast-track security lanes at t5 for AA PLT on a BA codeshare? they seem to just guide people down the narrow aisle along the wall to any of the open security lanes on the right. also, do you have to check in at aa connections desk on the return if you have ba-printed boarding passes? everytime i've done it, they just rip up my boarding passes and hand me aa-printed ones (and put the sticker on my passport)

stifle

Sort of. There are lanes designated as fast-track, which as a oneworld sapphire you should get access to, but they are not especially fast.

Can't say whether you need to see the AA connections desk; why don't you ask next time?

GadgetFreak

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

I have been told by AA personnel in London while connecting T5 to an AA flight in T3 that I should skip the connections desk and get my new boarding pass with the sticker in the AA lounge in T3. I have since done that multiple times. But I believe you have to do one or the other.

BrewerSEA

Non-BA oneworld elites do not get FastTrack access at LHR T5 if flying in Y.

gaobest

Hi all
I've posted about an award ticket involving IB/BA for my MIL, but have some T3-T5 connection questions...

The flight is initially SVQ (Sevilla) to MAD, with IB.
Then MAD-LHR with IB (albeit operated by BA), in Business Plus; even if operated by BA, I assume it's a 2-class plane. This arrives in T3.
Then she must go to T5 for LHR-ORD with BA in F. Total 2 hr layover.

Will IB in SVQ issue the BP for MAD-LHR and the BA BP for LHR-ORD?

Will she have to go through security and/or passport control in T5? If so, will IB give her fast track pass or how does she get it? I can't imagine IB having a T5 security fast track pass on the plane.

I initially assumed that it was just a terminal connection, like when I've flown FCO-FRA-SFO and didn't need to pass security at FRA. I'm trying to help give info to make the flying experience easy (she's 2MM AA lifer but last flew internationally in 2006).

stifle

Thanks for the correction. As I said, it seems unlikely to matter
IB should issue all three boarding passes in SVQ. Whether it will or not is anybody's guess. If I were your MIL, I would OLCI for the MAD-LHR and LHR-ORD before getting to SVQ. She will be in Club Europe for the MAD-LHR segment.

I am assuming for now that you're correct in saying the flight will arrive at terminal 3. BA metal flights from MAD now go to and from terminal 5, though, so you may wish to double-check.

She will have to clear security, but not passport control, at LHR (because the UK doesn't trust any other country's security). By following the purple signs once she deplanes at T3, she will be led to an airside transit bus to get to T5. Fast-track at LHR is normally done by a notation on your boarding pass rather than a voucher, and if she OLCIs then the notation will appear on her LHR-ORD boarding pass). I can't remember whether there is a fast-track option at transit security.

Once she's airside at LHR T5, she should then make her way to the Concorde Room

carlosdca

I've used the fast track lane @T5 a few times.

I do not remember seeing any notation on my BA BPs. They just checked whether I was in business or not.

One time, I was traveling in Y (LHR-Berlin) but I had seat 4A that is usually a Club Europe seat but since BA moves its divider to accommodate more Y pax and less CE pax, I was lucky to grab that seat when I checked in online.

The regular lines look horribly long, so I decided to try to use the fast track lane using the OW Sapphire status (which I know does not really help, but I decided to try anyway). I got there and asked "Can I use this lane?". She saw the 4A on my boarding pass and said "Yes, you are in business!!" and let me go through. Same thing upstairs.

anabolism

The IRIS enrollment office in T5 has a sign saying "IRIS is closed until further notice," and a couple of UK immigration officers who saw us reading it, and told us "IRIS is shut down." Slow, massive, endless lines for us, I suppose.

Sometimes, the FasTrak security lines are just as bad as the regular, but often they're better. I've seen them turn away OneWorld elites and people who arrived on AA in J, but whose BA connection was in Y.

Is there an airport where intl-intl connections don't have to go through security?

Yes, there is FasTrak sBP scanning (downstairs) and also security (upstairs) at T5. Note that, after clearing security, turn right and you'll walk into the CCR at the far end. J and F lounges are in the same space as the CCR, but to get in to them you must go down and then back up. The CCR has its own entrance, just past the BA elite security area.

kmandrew

Does anyone know if we can check our bags all the way from PRG to ORD, with a 22 hour layover at LHR (BA/AA), we want to get downtown as quickly as possible without having to take the time to drop our bags at the hotel? Another choice might be to carry on (booked F) then leave the bags in either BA or AA lounge but I assume neither would allow overnight storage.

anabolism

You should be able to check your bags through, since the 22 hours is technically a connection not a stop-off. But, with that much time, if it was me, I'd check-in to a hotel, then visit London and sleep (with the order depending on the schedule).

BrewerSEA

Off the top of my head, CMB. I bet there are a couple other examples though.

GadgetFreak

Sri Lanka? When I was there there about 6 years ago they I had to go through 2 or maybe 3 security screenings when departing. It was the most security i have ever seen. And none on connections?

stifle

AMS, FRA, and CDG, to name three, except when coming from or going to a non-Schengen country. Also at DUB if arriving at and departing from the 200-series gates.
This is true if originating at LHR. However, the transit security checkpoint is a different one to the one you're thinking of.

BrewerSEA

Sri Lanka is much safer now than 6 years ago, so not surprising. I definitely did not have to go through any WTMD or have my bp checked at any point before the GA as I was boarding the plane when I did BKK-CMB-DXB last month.

But that's part of the point of the Schengen area isn't it? Elimination of border controls?

anabolism

If you're connecting from one Schengen-country to another, it's not really an intl-intl connections, since Schengen eliminates usual border formalities internally.

As for LHR, I'm talking specifically about transit. E.g., arrive T3, take bus to T5, go through BP scanning (downstairs), go through security (upstairs). I'm not sure it's much different if one originates at LHR and departs from T5 (last time I did that I was flying out BA F, so used the BA F check-in and security area, which is right next to lounges).