sueco6

Finland a socialist country, hmmm. I live in Sweden and find it more socialist than Finland.
AND, used the priority security at HEL in several occasions and have always met extremely polite and efficient staff members.

OH-LGG

About socialism in Finland: Lets go back in 2012 when someone made anonymous (of course) complaint about Priority Lane at HEL.


And Finavia had to explain that Priority lanes are not for faster security:
Statement:
http://www.oikeusasiamies.fi/Resourc...d=5.htx&id=885

R2

For the same reason we have priority luggage tags - to provide a perceived benefit and a sense of entitlement?

intuition

That was a pretty silly complaint. Wouldn't be surprised if it had been launched in sweden too (but a quick search revealed nothing).

While I think the complaint was rather silly, there are different sides to that general policy. It is mainly there to prevent corruption sneaking up on us, which is a good thing. If a building permit / daycare / road de-icing / etc could be expedited through personal contacts or cash that would be a slippery slope towards a very different society.
But where should the line be drawed? zero tolerance? If you cant find your passport the days before your dream vaccation you can pay extra to get express delivery - clearly in breach of the principle so should that be banned? So while I think the the principle is a good thing it must also be applied with reason.

Back to airports. Security is run as a monopoly and if they were to optimize for profit, they could easily remove staff from ordinary lines and thus create a faked demand for expedited services. Then just start selling priority passes and double revenue on the same number of staff.

JoWa

IIRC there were complaints also in Sweden many years back. But those were rejected on the grounds that the temporary passport service you mention had already set a precedent that priority public service for extra payment can be accepted at least in the travel sector.

aama

One thing they should add is one priority lane to the security nearest to the passport control (which used to be the "Las Palmas"-security because the old departure hall 4 was used only for charters).

It feels always akward to go upstairs and opposite direction whenever going to Non-Schengen. And I bet that a lot of FF/Biz travelers who aren't familiar with HEL and fly Non-Schengen, use the Schengen Lounge just because it's right in front of them as they come out of the priority security.

Courmisch

But IIRC, there are not that many lines there, was it 3 of them? so it might be impractical to set one aside. Unless you mean a separate queue leading to the same checkpoints (like CDG 2D for instance).

However, I don't think it would help much. Few priority passengers check-in at area 3xx to non-Schengen flights: JL, QR and SU or so.

The Silver wings staff regularly bounces customers, yes. That said, I've seen Schengen non-Oneworld customers sent off to Aspire, almost as often as non-Schengen Oneworld customers. (It's especially confusing for AF elites.)

intuition

They want as many passengers as possible to walk as far as possible and get exposed to as many commercial outlets as possible. That is the sad reality for today's airport design.

Like I said previously, they should replace busgate terminal with a separate entrance for direct access to non-schengen, with its own security and passport control. This solution would tie in P5, train-station and Hotels (Hilton and future Scandic).
That would bypass two "tax-free" mazes and drop you off at the lounge complex, literally within minutes.

CeruleanBlue

It's funny how the long line to the old priority security gate, that zig-zagged all the way to the café or front door, has been replaced by no line at all, now that the priority security point got moved upstairs. There is never any line at all when I pass through during morning rush hour.

Courmisch

It all makes sense. They cut our time at check-in, security and later boarding, so we can spend all our business and/or frequent fliers' monies in the airport shop In theory

heatsink

Anyone know what's going to happen if I take a +1 upstairs? We aren't on the same booking, unfortunately.

lkrt

As a Plat and travelling on AY code you're allowed to take anyone, really.

heatsink

Yeah, but the gates are automated now. Is it going to automatically let in the person behind me or what?

lkrt

I've always said "(S)he's my guest" after which they've taken a look at my boarding pass and told me to go through and then manually opened the gate for the guest.

wkndtraveler

There is a person guarding the automated priority security gate. You just tell him or her that you have a guest with you, just like in the lounge.