Fast Track Heathrow Terminal 5 Arrivals
 

I have a flight Madrid to Heathrow T5 on Iberia.

If i am a BA Silver or Gold will I still be able to use Fast Track because its an Iberia flight?

Thanks

Yes, absolutely.

As seen on the BA website passport control

Thank you all for responding

If you are going through Fast Track arrivals, you need to hold a non-EU passport to use Fast Track when arriving at T5.

This is only available on a non-EU passport (technically) and requires a special voucher that BA have on board.

You can request one if in J/F, or are a Gold/Silver equivalent BAEC member. Best time is when the FC hand out landing cards. However sometimes they don't have them on board.
I tend to only use if necessary. If travelling with Mrs TJH I will use the EU lane, or the non-EU of its empty. As a result I always have a supply, in case there's none on board. The dragon at LHR tends to be fairly absolute in their demands for a voucher - I think because they charge BA per use.

The lane isn't so fast - although on a morning when a few US or Asia flights arrive it's a god-send.

I think it's more than "technically". EEA + Swiss are not allowed to use this Fast Track, the only exception would be children who were under 12 and are EEA or Swiss and their parents chose not to go via the EEA lanes (which they are also allowed to do). LHR T5 doesn't need a voucher, T3 does.

i say technically because practically they do from time to time use the lane and, at the desk, are passed. Occasionally it is quicker that EU (it was on tuesday morning at T5 as I beat my EU colleague). As for not needing the voucher, I've had at least one refusal without a voucher at T5, despite also being told a Gold/Silver card is sufficient. I think that's a case of technically v practically again!

Voucher does seem important. My recent T5 experience was fine as I was given the fast track voucher onboard.

On a T3 experience a few weeks before, I was not offered (nor was it ever mentioned) a voucher, and I was hung up in the long morning queue. I had the impression that if you could show eligibility (such as arriving J/F boarding card) it wouldn't be a problem. I frankly don't understand why they use the voucher system... it seems more prone to abuse (people might keep them for ineligible trips) and the benefit of Fast Track is clearly advertised for J/F, so why would it be so hard for that to be the filter.

My only understanding (and this seems almost laughable) is that since I understand the carrier pays for fast track service, perhaps they need to actually buy the voucher and then give it out. If true, then that also involves a lot of waste as I'm sure there are plenty of vouchers handed out that never need to be used.

And would it still be so hard to have it depend on the boarding pass? Even if it's a billing situation, the lounges somehow sort it out with their partners using boarding pass scanning. The Chinese Wall between BA and LHR really seems inexplicable to me at times.

Well I know my understanding of this has been queried elsewhere, but my take on this is that T5 requires no voucher, but it is obviously helpful if you have it. BA pick up the entire bill anyway. T3 requires a voucher due to different airlines, with different frequent flyer schemes (not all oneworld at that), all with different arrangements with HAL/UKBF. The voucher is only paid for when used, or rather, the cost allocation between airlines is divided up by passenger usage, and the vouchers are used as the main (but not only) mechanism of arriving at the allocation. So there isn't a waste in the terms that you suggested, issuing a voucher has no immediate cost.

Thanks for your always well-informed explanations. All what you say makes relative sense... especially with regards to difference between T3 and T5 handling.

I still have no idea why they can't simply do the same thing using boarding cards - at least within the BA/AA/IB network that covers a huge amount of the traffic... My next T3 flight is on VS - I'll be sure to get a voucher!

One additional mention... retaining a system that requires an actual onboard cabin crew to verify eligibility, find a piece of paper, and make sure the passenger knows why it's being offered seems especially ludicrous in an environment where cabin crew are being asked to do at least as much as before with fewer people. This is so easy to automate, and then leave the vouchers for oddball carriers where that's still easier.

It has to be a system that comprehensively works, and from HAL's point of view puts the onus on the airlines to get it right. Whether the job experience lad on his second day at TOM airport is going to get the boarding card properly marked up to HAL's standards is perhaps wishful thinking. Vouchers are simple and easy, you just need the crew to be properly trained......

Sorry to bump an old thread, but I have a question about this. I have amex plat card, but no really high travel level with AA or BA, actually any airline for that matter lol. Anyways, I'm flying LAX > LHR > NCE with a 1:20min lay over in LHR. Arriving at T5 and departing T5. Since it's so short, I was thinking of begging someone on-board the flight to give me a voucher so I can zip through customs. Is it even necessary if I'm staying in T5 or is there even a possibility if I plead my case to a stewardess they might give me and my wife a voucher ?
Thanks!

There is no need for any begging. With 1hr 20mins, you are 20mins above MCT so should comfortably make it, providing no major delays. Even 40min delay, you'll still make it.

Oh perfect then. Someone was telling me that 90 min is recommended so I was getting a little stressed out.