Int'l F-arrivals (ground staff assistance for priority clearance of immigration?)
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Denmark, SK*G ( EBD), BA (silver), FB (Silver)
Posts: 489
Int'l F-arrivals (ground staff assistance for priority clearance of immigration?)
Flying into SFO on Global first from FRA.
Will I be able to expect (or request) ground staff assistance for priority clearance of immigration? I know LX meets F-class pax and offers this and LH does it for HONs in both C and F (essentially just escorting Pax to the front of the line). Does UA do something similar - or will I have to face the crowds and endless lines of non-US -citizen immigration ? Im *G (but on SK not UA).
Will I be able to expect (or request) ground staff assistance for priority clearance of immigration? I know LX meets F-class pax and offers this and LH does it for HONs in both C and F (essentially just escorting Pax to the front of the line). Does UA do something similar - or will I have to face the crowds and endless lines of non-US -citizen immigration ? Im *G (but on SK not UA).
#2
Join Date: Nov 2004
Programs: Amanjunkie
Posts: 752
Flying into SFO on Global first from FRA.
Will I be able to expect (or request) ground staff assistance for priority clearance of immigration? I know LX meets F-class pax and offers this and LH does it for HONs in both C and F (essentially just escorting Pax to the front of the line). Does UA do something similar - or will I have to face the crowds and endless lines of non-US -citizen immigration ? Im *G (but on SK not UA).
Will I be able to expect (or request) ground staff assistance for priority clearance of immigration? I know LX meets F-class pax and offers this and LH does it for HONs in both C and F (essentially just escorting Pax to the front of the line). Does UA do something similar - or will I have to face the crowds and endless lines of non-US -citizen immigration ? Im *G (but on SK not UA).
#3
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP, Hilton GLD, Marriott Plat, NEXUS/GE
Posts: 2,872
Flying into SFO on Global first from FRA.
Will I be able to expect (or request) ground staff assistance for priority clearance of immigration? I know LX meets F-class pax and offers this and LH does it for HONs in both C and F (essentially just escorting Pax to the front of the line). Does UA do something similar - or will I have to face the crowds and endless lines of non-US -citizen immigration ? Im *G (but on SK not UA).
Will I be able to expect (or request) ground staff assistance for priority clearance of immigration? I know LX meets F-class pax and offers this and LH does it for HONs in both C and F (essentially just escorting Pax to the front of the line). Does UA do something similar - or will I have to face the crowds and endless lines of non-US -citizen immigration ? Im *G (but on SK not UA).
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Northeast Kansas | Colorado Native
Programs: Amex Gold/Plat, UA *G, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Gold, NEXUS, TSA Disparager Unobtanium
Posts: 21,603
#7
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: NYC: UA 1K, DL Platinum, AAirpass, Avis PC
Posts: 4,599
#9
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: South Louisiana
Posts: 193
Flying into SFO on Global first from FRA.
Will I be able to expect (or request) ground staff assistance for priority clearance of immigration? I know LX meets F-class pax and offers this and LH does it for HONs in both C and F (essentially just escorting Pax to the front of the line). Does UA do something similar - or will I have to face the crowds and endless lines of non-US -citizen immigration ? Im *G (but on SK not UA).
Will I be able to expect (or request) ground staff assistance for priority clearance of immigration? I know LX meets F-class pax and offers this and LH does it for HONs in both C and F (essentially just escorting Pax to the front of the line). Does UA do something similar - or will I have to face the crowds and endless lines of non-US -citizen immigration ? Im *G (but on SK not UA).
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
Programs: UA 1K1.75MM, Hyatt Globalist, abandoned Marriott LTT (RIP SPG), Hertz PC
Posts: 21,167
Not true (much to my surprise) - my in-laws came in HKG-ORD in int'l F this week (1 1K with two GMs) - they were met by a (believe) GS agent and were escorted off the plane, and I *think* (need to verify) maybe a shorter security lane.
They were 50 minutes late, but still had over 2 hours for a connection, so wasn't that tight.
They were 50 minutes late, but still had over 2 hours for a connection, so wasn't that tight.
#11
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: London
Programs: UA 1 .6 MM,Ethiad Gold,Virgin Silver,Marriott Gold,HHonors Diamond,SPG Gold,BA Blue (ish)
Posts: 669
Been met twice once in ORD and once in LAX -consisted of lounge pass handover in ORD and making a connection in LAX -no passport line jumping regretfully
#12
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: What I write is my opinion alone..don't read into it anything not written.
Posts: 9,686
Eliminating those who have bought Global Entry, regardless of how much you pay for your ticket, the immigration/inspection fees for any passenger of a given country are the same. This goes to the govt and IMHO should be not treated with favoritism. Perhaps if the DHS wants to price differentialy based on line wait, this would be a system worth looking into, but as it is now, it is a flat fee vs a scaled fee tax for a service that should be equal to all.
#13
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Raleigh
Programs: United GS 2MM,, Marriott/Starwood Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 754
Other than the misconnect cases, I've been met a few other times. Mostly in ORD I think, to give me an F lounge invitation.
Also every time I have flown into Dubai United has arranged a "marhaba" escort. I don't know if that has been for F or, perhaps, for GS.
Lots of airports have fast track lines, both for arriving and departing passengers. Just like domestic first-class security lines. Are you ethically opposed to that? Why don't we eliminate the crew lines as well, if we are going to be socialist about it.
Also every time I have flown into Dubai United has arranged a "marhaba" escort. I don't know if that has been for F or, perhaps, for GS.
Eliminating those who have bought Global Entry, regardless of how much you pay for your ticket, the immigration/inspection fees for any passenger of a given country are the same. This goes to the govt and IMHO should be not treated with favoritism. Perhaps if the DHS wants to price differentialy based on line wait, this would be a system worth looking into, but as it is now, it is a flat fee vs a scaled fee tax for a service that should be equal to all.
Last edited by FlyinHawaiian; Aug 4, 2012 at 6:08 pm Reason: merge
#14
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Springfield,MO,USA
Programs: UA 1K MM, HH Diamond, Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 1,604
At ORD no help for immigration/customs but access to GS side entrance to security checkpoint if connecting from International Terminal to Domestic. Does not have to be full fare Global First.
#15
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Dubai / NYC
Programs: EK-IO, UA-1K2MM, ETIHAD-GOLD, SPG-PLAT LIFETIME, JUMEIRAH SERIUS GOLD
Posts: 5,220
LH/LX also offer this service in DXB (UA does not) for all F pax.
Eliminating those who have bought Global Entry, regardless of how much you pay for your ticket, the immigration/inspection fees for any passenger of a given country are the same. This goes to the govt and IMHO should be not treated with favoritism. Perhaps if the DHS wants to price differentialy based on line wait, this would be a system worth looking into, but as it is now, it is a flat fee vs a scaled fee tax for a service that should be equal to all.
Some airlines just take it further and escort passengers to/thru fast track. I don't see a problem with this (ESPECIALLY now that airports/countries are adding substantial luxury taxes to F/J tickets)
Last edited by iluv2fly; Aug 4, 2012 at 10:59 am Reason: merge