Immigration Fast Track at LHR T2
Apr 24, 2024 | 11:41 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: LON, BOM
Programs: SK Diamond, AI Gold
Posts: 355
Immigration Fast Track at LHR T2
Hi all,
As someone with a non-EU/EEA passport, I used to look forward to the immigration fast track on arrival at LHR T2 when travelling in J/F on most long-haul Star Alliance inbound flights (NH, AI, SQ, UA, and even TK, but not shorter flights like LH, LX etc).
This was obviously shut down during the pandemic, but wanted to know what the current status is, whether the immigration fast track lane is open for J/F pax post pandemic. Since 2020, the only times I have flown into LHR T2 has been on LH, LX or SK, which doesn't give fast track access anyway. Any information would be much appreciated!
As someone with a non-EU/EEA passport, I used to look forward to the immigration fast track on arrival at LHR T2 when travelling in J/F on most long-haul Star Alliance inbound flights (NH, AI, SQ, UA, and even TK, but not shorter flights like LH, LX etc).
This was obviously shut down during the pandemic, but wanted to know what the current status is, whether the immigration fast track lane is open for J/F pax post pandemic. Since 2020, the only times I have flown into LHR T2 has been on LH, LX or SK, which doesn't give fast track access anyway. Any information would be much appreciated!
Apr 25, 2024 | 4:20 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: LON, BOM
Programs: SK Diamond, AI Gold
Posts: 355
Thanks HogwartsExpress, are all the Fast Track lanes across terminals (as shown in the picture below) now closed? Last I flew into LHR was in April 2023 when this lane was still active (I may have incorrectly thought this was active) in T2 (but I flew on LH so no Fast Track anyway).
Edit: Looks like Fast Track at immigration is no longer a thing, but was briefly brought back for a 3 month trial in Jan 2024, as this article highlights.
Edit: Looks like Fast Track at immigration is no longer a thing, but was briefly brought back for a 3 month trial in Jan 2024, as this article highlights.
Last edited by RanChin; Apr 25, 2024 at 4:24 am Reason: incorrect information
Apr 26, 2024 | 10:12 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,883
No fast track but with a lot of passengers eligible for the e-gates (including US passports) I don't think regular lines are that crazy unless you arrive after a few flights from the middle/far east.
Apr 29, 2024 | 6:16 pm
#5
Join Date: Mar 2023
Location: Under the Big Oak Tree
Programs: Air Bukovina Elite, Circassian Air Gold, Carthaginian Airlines Platinum
Posts: 969
Thanks HogwartsExpress, are all the Fast Track lanes across terminals (as shown in the picture below) now closed? Last I flew into LHR was in April 2023 when this lane was still active (I may have incorrectly thought this was active) in T2 (but I flew on LH so no Fast Track anyway).
Edit: Looks like Fast Track at immigration is no longer a thing, but was briefly brought back for a 3 month trial in Jan 2024, as this article highlights.
Edit: Looks like Fast Track at immigration is no longer a thing, but was briefly brought back for a 3 month trial in Jan 2024, as this article highlights.
The e-gate expansion has made a major difference in wait times in my experience, by pulling most of the low-risk traffic out of the main lanes and leaving officers free to assist travelers whose arrival may be a bit more complicated (such as visa checks, etc.) The staffed lanes usually have MUCH shorter lines now, and although you can even see a FastTrack sign in the photo above, I'm not sure bringing it back would be that impactful.