charlesrhona

A warning to those travelling in CE through LCA. To get through Fastrack the Check In Desk Agent has to give you a voucher. They also require to stamp your boarding card so that access can be gained to the Aspire Lounge. We had our boarding cards stamped but no Fastrack voucher was given. As a result we were refused entry via Fastrack. Queues were not too bad so we did not make an issue of it but once through passport control the person manning the Fastrack entrance approached us and advised that failure to give Fastrack vouchers was common and that the Check In staff had been advised not to give these out unless asked in order to save BA being billed for use of Fastrack I can imagine that with 12 rows of CE being very common on LCA flights and 3 flights daily from LHR this will amount to a significant saving each year. I am almost certain I knew about this before hand but forgot to ask on check-in.

PlaneSpeaking

Hi charlesrhona,

Many thanks for this - we go through LCA on BA CE fairly regularly and I often wondered how to gain access to Fastrack. As you say, it’s rarely busy but good to know all the same - thanks so much for sharing.

Dover2Golf

Fastrack vouchers must be a BA thing, Aegean certainly don't give them and a boarding pass is sufficient.

HoneymoonFlyer

Any experience on the latest situation at LCA with regards to Fastrack (if even in operation at the moment?) and lounge (if open and if BA CE passengers have access?).

steve170461

There was nothing available when we came through there in November.

SK AAR

Fasttrack or not is really not an issue/concern currently. There are hardly any lines for security checks anywhere.

PlaneSpeaking

Actually, the security lines were pretty long to get into LCA when we arrived a couple of weeks ago but this would have been due to checking everyone’s COVID status, whether tested or vaccinated. Apart from our fellow BA passengers, everyone else in the snaking queue was either Israeli or Russian at the time we arrived although to be fair, it still didn’t take much more than 40 minutes from aircraft to car hire desk. I think the airport will be relatively busy but it should be a lot easier to clear security when departing with nothing to check other than passports and we’ve never found Fasttrack was needed here, even pre-COVID. As for the lounge, PFO has been closed for months but I understand the Aspire lounge at LCA is open, however, I’m unsure if BA Gold/CE will automatically be given access so we have our Priority Pass cards with us just in case. Failing that, I think the Aegean lounge is open if you have Star Alliance Gold. We’re passing through LCA on Sunday so I’ll let you know.

HoneymoonFlyer

Thanks all. We travelled LCA to LHR yesterday, CE with no meaningful status. No Fastrack and no lounge because ‘BA still hasn’t made an agreement’ according to the check in desk. Lines for outbound passport control weren’t great, felt similar to pre-Covid - but then when travelling at the moment I think you sign up to the risk of such things. Check in and security OK. Boarding abysmal with a really, really lame attempt to board families etc first before by row, which was ignored and then unenforced.

HAF

Wondering if having oneworld status changes the eligibility for lounge access - i think the answer is no based on the access rules posted for the LCA lounge. What a disgrace for BA and the CE experience!

• Royal Jordanian
• S7 Airlines
• Qatar Airways
• Access for eligible customers traveling on these oneworld member airlines only.

PlaneSpeaking

It was the same thing in Paphos for quite a while - BA stopped paying Hermes for CE passengers to access the lounge there and I think it’s actually still the case, assuming the lounge ever reopens. BA won’t even offer a voucher for CE passengers to use in the airport which is pretty rotten. Perhaps it’s on Mr Doyle’s to-do list but if it isn’t, it certainly should be.

PlaneSpeaking

Boarding the 665 now. Passport security wanted to know inside leg measurement in addition to looking at every stamp in passport. No fast track. No lounge but had Priority Pass so was able to access Aspire. Pre-packed sandwiches, beer, red, white, rose but no spirits. Boarding beyond bonkers. Kids and disabled first, then from back rows to front BUT CE, Gold and Silver don’t have to wait!

PlaneSpeaking

Just landed. Super flight. Why? Because it was BA crew.

HAF

Awesome! were you in CE? How was the catering/ food options? and was it a full flight?

PlaneSpeaking

Full flight - please see previous threads for the answers to your other questions

HAF

Seems that BA has renewed its access to Aspire lounge at LCA - this is positive progress