ibrandsguest

My parents are flying to the UK and they are taking US after all. I have a Special Dividends Trial Silver to give them.

Other than maybe an exit row, faster security and a better baggage allowance, does Silver status get anything on a trans-Atlantic flight, such as "Fast Track" pass through UK custom? (United gave me one of those when I was flying UA as a US Gold years ago, which I liked.)

Also, if a ticket is bought and then I give the person Trial Silver status after the ticket is bought, I assume that the person can then try for an exit row or Preferred seat, just as if the person were Silver all along?

Thanks.

apeortdz

Silver will not give them Fast Track in London.

Silver will give them the ability to change seats to a "preferred" seat.

pa3lsvt

If you give the Trial Silver after ticketing, US will have to be called to "refresh" the DM number of the PNR. Otherwise, the new Silver status won't show up (as it will reflect what was the case at the time of booking). Once that's complete the Preferred/Exit seating can be selected.

lhrsfo

There is no Fast Track through Customs. Business Class passengers get offered Fast Track through Immigration, but Customs is a separate agency and process.

Dave Noble

Indeed there is no fast track in customs , but there is rarely anything to hold anyone up betweern collecting baggage and getting landside.

Fast track for 1st and business class through immigration can make a lot of difference though

GUWonder

Yes. The line issue problem is almost wholly with UKBA and the immigration/passport control process. It's very uncommon to encounter a customs line at LHR, although if you or many others get pulled for a customs search in or after the baggage claim area, there is some chance of having a line -- just not common.

dcpatti

The last time I flew US in Envoy they were still not giving Immigration fast track passes (one of the many reasons I preferred LGW over LHR was the significantly shorter lines for passport control).

If they are flying into LHR they should try to sit as close to the middle door of the plane as possible, as usually they will deplane from that middle door and the fewer people ahead of you off the plane = the fewer people ahead of you in line, assuming you walk briskly once off the plane.

At MAN and GLA it is not so brutal. Fast Track is nice but not as critical as the lines are much more manageable.

You can occasionally find Fast Track passes for LHR and other airports on offer in Coupon Connection, assuming you've got the right post count and account age to get access to that forum. The CC rules have recently changed so make sure you read them carefully before trying to make a trade. If you present a Fast Track pass issued by an airline other than the one you are flying, it doesn't usually cause any issues. For a while I was hoarding passes from Virgin Atlantic, which they give you when you fly Upper Class, as my husband is a UK citizen and their lines are so short, might as well save his pass to save me some heartache when we fly coach.... all gone now unfortunately

Flyer78

Out of curiosity, when was this (pre/post *A exit?) Three flights in the last year, all en Envoy, all with fast-track; but not since we left *A, though that shouldn't really have anything to do with it...

phlwookie

My experience in the past several years is also that I've gotten the fast track cards when arriving LHR consistently on US in business (into CDG as well).

dcpatti

Thinking back, my last trip to LHR in Envoy was all the way back in November. No wonder my mother in law is so mad at us for not visiting!

apeortdz

For the record, I believe One World Emerald (CP) gets Fast Track even if you are in Y. I know that won't help the OP, but I thought I would mention it for the subsequent posters.

Dave Noble

You believe incorrectly however. There is Fast Track security for some airlines as a OW benefit but Fast Track through immigration is not a benefit

apeortdz

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...migration.html

Dave Noble

That is very specifically a benefit to those travelling on BA and not a OW benefit and not a listed benefit for US

From http://www.oneworld.com/ffp/emerald-privileges

There is no Emerald benefit for fast track immigration , just fast track security

jchock1

It appears according to this http://www.heathrowairport.com/heath...ies/fast-track that US customers are supposed to get Fast track for arriving and departing, but not connecting, in LHR. AA customers do get connecting Fast Track service.

I'm connecting from US in C (terminal 3) to TG in F (terminal 2) in Jan 2015. The minimum connecting time is a whopping 75 minutes, and it looks like I am not eligible for Fast Track connecting service.

I don't have a concern over missing my connecting flight, but my question is: is there really a different Fast Track card issued to arriving vs. connecting passengers on AA? Assuming I do receive a Fast Track card for arriving passengers, how likely is that to work for my connection?

I'm arriving into LHR at 7:05am from CLT on Jan 2. I'm imagining the day after New Year's will be somewhat slow.

I thought I'd see if others flying US have been able to use their arrival Fast Track cards for connections, and whether it saved them any time at all.