Nicoolio

Does anyone know why BA doesn't have Fast Track at LGW immigration? Is it the airport doesn't provide it, or BA won't pay for it? Was there ever a Fast Track arrivals at LGW?

corporate-wage-slave

No there hasn't been a BA provided fast track immigration at LGW ever, to the best of my recollection, and in the past LGW had a bigger non European passenger composition. Nowadays the routes are such that almost everyone is EEA and if over 12 years old, able to use the e-gates. There is a GAL provided, fast track immigration for anyone EEA or not, but it has to be paid for via the Gatwick Airport website,it's GAL that provides the service. It takes those clients more or less immediately to a UK Border Force agent on arrival into the UK Border area.

bisonrav

My non-EU wife loves coming in at Gatwick, because as the traffic is largely European, the queues for immigration are much shorter than Heathrow.

lfc84

I have used it late afternoon on a Sunday and it was very fast. However I was dissapointed to find that there was almost no queue at immigration so I could have got through just as quick without purchasing it.

Although at other times (around midnight) I have waited an hour.

Details on the website.

https://www.gatwickairport.com/at-th...sport-control/

PUCCI GALORE

No. Do you happen to know why there isn't a fast track at JFK or anywhere in the USA? It annoys me considerably that this is laid on in the UK but there is no reciprocation in the USA?

rossmacd

Global Entry is the fast-track option. And a fantastic option, I may add.

Nicoolio

Government incompetence and putting priorities in other places is my guess. I have, however, never seen any airline CEOs talking about it that I recall. Arrival experience in the US for non-US passport and green card holders is probably the worst in the world. A few airlines - LX, LH - escort F pax to the front of the line - so they have some type of arrangement. At JFK particularly, T7 can be tricky as sometimes the foreigner line stretches back so long it blocks access to the US nationals line. LAX, JFK, ORD, DFW, MIA are all miserable. As I tell my non-U.S. friends - If I didn't live here, I wouldn't bother with visiting - too much hassle - 1-3 hours in line.

In terms of my question, it wasn't intended to lay it on the UK -- at LHR T5 there is a Fast Track - so I wasn't aware why the situation at LGW - if it was an airport thing or a BA thing. In know in MAD (another IAG hub) there is no Fast Track for transit or immigration - a very nice but unhelpful IB employee told me he didn't have authority to help me out, and the only solution was to wait and run, which I did. Our flight was delayed about 25 minutes waiting for other pax caught in security/immigration, etc.

Andriyko

There is immigration fast track at LGW for those who are willing to pay for it (a very convenient service btw).

PUCCI GALORE

I wouldn't know but to me it is comparing apples and oranges. This is something that you have to sign up for and indeed have an interview. This is offered by the airlines and can be used by anyone who is not an EU citizen. I have no problem with that except that after all these years, it is still not offered arriving in the USA.

Nicoolio - I was being rather unfair to you judging from your rather knowledgeable comments - I'm sorry if I was a bit peremptory. I do get so bored with all the whining from AAnother forum about Fast Track woes at LHR. Personally I'd do away with it altogether and I have a mind to write to my MP and ask why this is permitted when there are no reciprocal arrangements (I know well why - it's about £££).
Anyway this thread is about increased use of Gatwick and all I would say is this. They can stretch that South Terminal until it is halfway to Croydon. They can put Lounges that put Buckingham Palace to shame - it is still after 60 years a one runway field. Thanks to the Labour government of the 1960s and 1970s - nothing was done and no we are all paying for it.

BA6948

Don't know if this is new, but Dubrovnik is going to be served 12 weekly in Summer 2018.

vectismanpaul

BA6948. Last summer I believe Dubrovnik was served up to 8 times a week. So an increase of 4 flights per week. I notice Paphos now has 2 flights on a Sunday for Summer 2018 an increase of 1 flight per week to 6.
I am surprised Paphos is not daily in Summer 2018. The five weekly flights last summer were always very busy. Very pleased though Paphos is now year round now apart from some gaps in January.

Nicoolio

Not a problem. I now see the VIP service is £7 which i would have gladly paid. If BA doesn't put that in their check-in info, they really should. I definitely don't recall seeing about the service from BA -- I don't really visit airport websites, which I guess I should.

BA6948

vectismanpaul

Just had a look at some BA schedules from Gatwick for Summer 2018. Increased frequencies on several routes in addition to those announced a few days ago.
Still hoping for some new destinations short haul/long haul.

BA6948