Tracking BA Fast Track and Priority Boarding
Jan 26, 2018, 2:04 pm
#451
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: York, UK
Programs: BAEC Gold, Honors Diamond
Posts: 1,184
Jan 26, 2018, 4:31 pm
#454
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold; FB Silver; SPG; IHG Gold
Posts: 2,991
T3 departure this evening from Gate 7. No visible priority queue so just joined normal queue for passport and boarding pass check and therefore missed Group 1 and subsequent groups and ended up queueing on airbridge and struggled to find space for bag despite being in CE. So whilst they seemed to enforce the group boarding, that wouldn't have been much use for any priority passengers that didn't turn up early because they, like me, would have been caught in the queue ( unless they barged to the front- which I didn't see) for BP check. So my first BA boarding experience of 2018 has been poor ( and not just the boarding it has to be said).
Jan 27, 2018, 1:33 am
#456
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,932
T3 departure this evening from Gate 7. No visible priority queue so just joined normal queue for passport and boarding pass check and therefore missed Group 1 and subsequent groups and ended up queueing on airbridge and struggled to find space for bag despite being in CE. So whilst they seemed to enforce the group boarding, that wouldn't have been much use for any priority passengers that didn't turn up early because they, like me, would have been caught in the queue
Jan 27, 2018, 3:01 am
#457
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold; FB Silver; SPG; IHG Gold
Posts: 2,991
Interesting. Did you see Group Boarding lanes set up all over T3 for the BA services? The problem at T3 is that entry desk for many gate areas, notably the shorthaul routes by gate 1 to 9. Now there is supposed to be a fast track to the side of gate 7 to allow you to avoid that first queue, it should have been on the far side, with the main queue for the desk on the entry area / near side. Gate 7 is awkward since it is in a corner behind the Emirates lounge so it's probably not the best gate for this, but there should be 2 agents on the entry desk, and one could be used for fast tracking group 1 and 2. Then in the inner gate area the main Group Boarding could take place, I suppose, but I suspect it would be difficult to enforce without a third agent (which there often is in T3 I guess).
Feb 7, 2018, 5:09 am
#458
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 1,197
A question on BCN... the wiki says this is on the left main of security. Was I supposed to go right to the far end and around the corner? I went to the left of the queues and ended up in a pretty large queue.
Once I was through security I noticed that there was a very quiet section on the far side, so I'm assuming it was supposed to be that. Signage wasn't great. =/
Once I was through security I noticed that there was a very quiet section on the far side, so I'm assuming it was supposed to be that. Signage wasn't great. =/
Feb 7, 2018, 5:11 am
#459
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: London
Programs: BA GGLfL
Posts: 1,342
A question on BCN... the wiki says this is on the left main of security. Was I supposed to go right to the far end and around the corner? I went to the left of the queues and ended up in a pretty large queue.
Once I was through security I noticed that there was a very quiet section on the far side, so I'm assuming it was supposed to be that. Signage wasn't great. =/
Once I was through security I noticed that there was a very quiet section on the far side, so I'm assuming it was supposed to be that. Signage wasn't great. =/
Feb 7, 2018, 5:20 am
#460
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Cornwall
Posts: 257
A note to anyone using FCO and trying to find the BA lounge in Terminal 3, Area E; the BA lounge is almost hidden. Go into the E area and walk towards the first gates on the ground floor. There is an Alitalia desk with an airport information desk at the same location. To the left of there is a small corridor with tiny signage indicating the lounge is left, up the stairs.
Feb 7, 2018, 9:34 am
#461
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: London, United Kingdom
Programs: BA Gold, TK *G, Virgin Flying Club, IHG Spire, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 34
I was in STR today and wasn’t able to pass through the fast track barrier with an ET electronic boarding pass as a Gold Card holder. There was nobody manning the barrier so just used the normal security which didn’t have much of a queue anyway. I generally fly CE but every time I have flown ET I have never successfully passed an automated fast track security barrier at any outstation. Should this work?
Feb 12, 2018, 4:16 pm
#462
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,607
Helsinki
It has been reportteri many times that BA is stingy and not paying for fast track in Helsinki. As a BA Gold travelling BA Club Europe from Helsinki I was prepared to show my AMEX card for fast track security. The person guarding the access asked me to scan the bording pass after which he would swipe the Amex card. We were both surprised that the gate opened immediately after scanning. And it was BA metal and not AY code share. Has anyone else tried the fast track with a BA boarding pass.
Feb 12, 2018, 11:10 pm
#463
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Diamond, IHG Spire
Posts: 1,243
It has been reportteri many times that BA is stingy and not paying for fast track in Helsinki. As a BA Gold travelling BA Club Europe from Helsinki I was prepared to show my AMEX card for fast track security. The person guarding the access asked me to scan the bording pass after which he would swipe the Amex card. We were both surprised that the gate opened immediately after scanning. And it was BA metal and not AY code share. Has anyone else tried the fast track with a BA boarding pass.
yes i I have been using fast track (upstairs in the main departure hall) without problem. I’m BA gold and was in CE so not sure which one triggers the gate.
Feb 12, 2018, 11:33 pm
#464
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Diamond, IHG Spire
Posts: 1,243
There was another gate/entry point on the far right, but 1) there was no Fast Track Boarding sign, 2) the agent there saw me loiter there as I wondered whether to walk straight up to her or not, and said nothing and gave me no encouragement or indication that it might be FT (so I assumed it wasn't) and 3) the said agent, at the time, seemed to be wandering back to speak to a lady with a buggy and baby that was sat in a " pen" behind her, leaving it unmanned and 4) when she wasn't dealing with mum was processing people from the main queue. Therefore I decided that it wasn't a fast track boarding area and joined the main queue. That said, as I was in the snaking queue two chaps did what I, with hindsight, should have done and marched up to that agent on the far side and got through so you are right it probably was a fast track boarding area, but there was no way of knowing- noting points 1-4 above. I fly from T3 a lot and this is normally not a problem, so hopefully a one off, but it wasn't impressive at all.
Feb 19, 2018, 2:27 pm
#465
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 84
I was in STR today and wasn’t able to pass through the fast track barrier with an ET electronic boarding pass as a Gold Card holder. There was nobody manning the barrier so just used the normal security which didn’t have much of a queue anyway. I generally fly CE but every time I have flown ET I have never successfully passed an automated fast track security barrier at any outstation. Should this work?
In December it worked fine in J as BA Gold.