SCSA

I'm a UK resident.i don't use registered traveller because it's expensive, and until lately I've relied on Fast Track

I'm now coming up on my 45th.minute queuing in "fast" track at T5 with at least 10 to go It's gotten progressively worse over the past six months Does anyone know why? Are BA letting too many people use it?

Boeing77W

Vinotraveller

If you are talking about inbound flight connections then it is always much faster these days to exit landside using the e-gates and then use the First Wing to go airside again (assuming you are a BAEC GCH). Edit - I am assuming you have a UK passport, possibly I am not correct).

SCSA

I'm referring to Fast Track immigration, which is why I mentioned Registered Traveller

KARFA

I am slightly confused like Boeing77W.

If you are arriving an entering the UK with a UK/EU/EEA passport you can use the e-passport gates. I don't think I have experienced much in the way of queuing to use them for a while now. Typically there are machines free or there are only 1/2 people waiting per machine. Yesterday I came through and there were several machines free to pick from. There is no fast track immigration for UK/EU/EEA passport holders.

If you are connecting you can either exit landside or go through connections. For connections on to UK/DUB flights you do have to go through immigration but since they got the 5 e-passport gates there I have rarely seen any waiting for them, they can be used by UK/EU/EEA passport holders.

As noted above registered traveller has no relevance to UK/EU/EEA passport holders.

KARFA

Now I am really confused! There has never been any fast track immigration for UK/EU/EEA passport holders at T5 for arrivals.

SCSA

I'm a UK RESIDENT, not a citizen or passport holder I travel on a non EU passport.

KARFA

Aha, I see. Thanks, now I understand

SCSA

If I was a UK passport holder this thread would not have been started obviously.

aristoph

You really should just suck it up and get Registered Traveller.

Andriyko

Too many eligible passengers (through class of service or status) and only 2 or 3 agents processing people (plus, it takes longer to process non UK/EEA passport holders).
There is nothing fast about immigration fast track at LHR, so the advice is to join the general queue if you see more than 5-10 people already in the fast track line.

flatlander

Fast track at Heathrow is pretty strictly policed and the criteria have not changed recenly; it's non-EU only and Club/First/OW Emerald/OW Sapphire only. Therefore I doubt the number of people eligible to use it has changed recently either. My guess would be that either Border Farce staffing has changed or the BF are taking longer to process people with the same staffing level. My cynical bet is on option 2.

My recommendation to you is to suck it up and pay for Registered Traveller if you value your time.

SCSA

Classic FT thread: Two people telling me I posted wrong and one person criticising my life choices. I did it one year, but the machines didn't work with my passport. I found I was spending more time in the EU manual queue than Fast Track. So I let it lapse

Does anyone know what's going on with the queue?

SCSA

I think you are right, as evidenced by the look of people who were spending a long time being questioned at the desks. I'm seeing it all over Europe tbh, even at Schengen exit checks.

Andriyko

Nothing is going on with the queue. The slowness of the queue is built into the design - only dedicated agents process passengers from the FT line. Things would have been different were eligible passengers allowed to go to any available agent, but this is not the case. Often, only two agents process the FT line. If there is a problem with a passenger's documents then one of the agents will basically stop processing other people until he or she has resolved the issue with the 'problem' passenger. This delays things. If, on average, it takes 2-3 minutes to process a non-UK/EEA passenger, you can calculate how much time it will take for 2 agents to process 20 or 30 people; add possible problem cases and you can see why it does not work.