AugustusM

Was just through there and it was only one line which moved fairly quickly. We actually got ours first and then went back to the LH lounge to chill which I'm glad we did this way since the wife got snagged for full probing experience in the screening area off to the side.

1P

Pre-Covid, I never saw more than one line. But the more annoying thing was that they issued the stickers at a different gate some distance away from the actual departure gate. Why on earth? If you didn't happen to spot the sign on your way from lounge to gate, you would miss your flight, guaranteed.

RobOnLI

Seems a couple of people have seen the double line and a few haven't. No rhyme or reason. Maybe weekday vs weekend. I'm flying through FRA this weekend (I normally go through weekdays). Will see again if they have the separate lines or not.

-RM

JAaronT

Try flying out of Munich, there’s the total goat rodeo.

Hit the US area “where are you going?”
“San Francisco”
points me to middle moving walkway
get to end of walkway, sticker questions. I pass the test. “Go ahead”
Start walking towards the next flogging. Two guys standing off to the side “What did they say to you!?”
me: <very confused look> “I’m sorry?”
guys: “What did they say to you!?”
<more confused look>
<German stare>
”Go ahead?”
Germans smile and chuckle “ok, go ahead”
Get to x-ray and nude-o-scope. Dismantle carefully packed bags and selected ensemble
X-ray organizer picks up my travel folio and starts leafing though the old boarding passes sticking out of the pocket on the back (without asking or saying a word)
”what do you need?”
<keeps leafing>
”Do you need my boarding pass? It’s not in there, it’s on my phone”
(can’t remember if I dug out my phone for this or not)
Wait an eternity for bags to move (German efficiency is a myth)
4 of 5 bins selected for secondary (including my sneakers? Same happened to the guy behind me)
Reconstitute my belongings and wardrobe, present my self to next gauntlet
”what do you need this time”
”Passport and boarding pass”
Hand him passport, show him phone
”I need ze paper boarding pass, I have to stamp it”
<voice getting increasingly more frustrated> “Well you’re going to have to stamp my phone, I don’t have a paper one”
Guy smiles and tenor changes to a pleasant one “Not today! I write it out”
Proceeds to copy my name and flight info to a card stock blank BP, stamps it
”Have a nice flight”
Approach boarding door
”Scan”
scan my phone and board. No check of passport or this stamp I just got

I approached the first feat of strength about 40 minutes before departure and I was the only one, there were only about 50 people on the 777 MUC-SFO. I can’t imagine what a mess this would have been if all three flights departing to the US at the same time had been full.

50Kthehardway

Only flown out of BRU once and don't remember how it went. FRA, I've proactively asked about the sticker at the gate after learning about it here. But I swear, I have also gotten my sticker in the United Club....at LHR maybe? Though last two LHR departures, to paraphrase Phil Collins, "no sticker required."

Do UCs ever do the sticker thing? thx

AirbusFan2B

All of this is due to extra special requirements by USA, correct? Then they keep you in a dedicated USA area. Have mostly experienced at FRA and MUC. I also remember stickers at LHR for USA specifically at UC. Agree that it’s easy to miss as not always transparent what the process is.

gmt4

The FRA double line isn't an exclusive J or status pax thing, its a way to divide and shorten the line and spread people across one of the three or four small white podiums. It can be long at peak times. It generally starts in the bottleneck hallway immediately before the UA gates, after the Lufthansa Service center. Perhaps someone walked past the end line and got directed to the front towards a podium or said hey- I'm a xxxx status member, thou shalt let me proceed to the front. But that's it.

What I don't understand is how people can be down at check in and drop off bags, get paper BPs and presumably a sticker and still get rolled up in the line at FRA. I always check bags, get the sticker from the initial screener, and simply flash it as I walk by at the Z gates. Never had an issue. The line up at Z is for those who do not have one, and the final check for a sticker is at the gate upon BP and passport check at boarding.

BRU has a similar process, though the reps at the gates aren't as aggressive as FRA. But they are there.

hirohito888

There are usually 2 lines at FRA, one for 1K/Polaris on the left and and other for general passengers on the right as you walk towards the UA gates.


Probably because of US security requirements but there's no consistency to what airports and what airlines. You see segregation at FRA, MUC, IST for US-bound flights, but nothing at CDG or LIS or NRT or HND.

canadiancow

And that explains why I was ready to reply "What the heck are you talking about? I've never seen this."

Apparently all my ex-EU flights have been on non-US airlines, and I have never had to deal with this sticker nonsense.

Repooc17

DUB-CPH-ORD on SAS, no stamps since I connected at CPH, made myself known at the gate by answering a few questions under 30 seconds, arrived in the US and cleared customs and immigration in under 5 minutes after deplaning.

No fuzz, no lines, none of this sticker nonsense.

RetiredATLATC

Wonder whether I'll be asked tomorrow when checking my bag in the night before @ FRA. Flying LH J on Wednesday

Ted

I think it is fair to say that this all goes back to PA103.

At least at some stations this can be done in the lounge as well. At one time if you showed up at the UA Club in LHR with no sticker, they would have the proper security person at the lounge reception who would get you the questions and do your sticker.

bocastephen

ICTS is a useless of a bygone era - are these people honestly so stupid to think a terrorist is going to answer "yes, there is a bomb in my bag" or "no I didn't pack my bag, but my boyfriend who I just met a couple days ago and is from Tunisia offered to pack my bag for me, as long as I promised not to look inside"

It's (past) time to get rid of them and the stupid stickers.

PushingTin

Bzzzt. Wrong answer. It also asks about and scans your passport,and only then says “Travel Ready”. It cover immigration because one the way to the EU I was surprised to see that you need a VISA for the EU…. Unless you are there for a short stay (months). I had never seen that.
No UC at BRU, it was a “Diamond Club”.

So what good does it do to hand our stickers at the ticket counter then?

Everyone keeps talking about FRA and MUC, but this was BRU. I never had issues in FRA/MUC. Though in the past I’ve been more OCD about asking the gate person if everything was in order. When you get through immigration and your BP says “Travel Ready”, I kind of believe them. I thought the sticker in the past was mainly to make sure that you had all your ducks in a row- ticket, passport, VISA, etc.

jasonp622

I have seen a separate sticker line at FRA my last two trips through