Gold Fast Track

[mcmbenjamin]

quote:FC Website
Fast track through Immigration & Security on departure at London Heathrow and Gatwick for Flying Club Gold members and one guest (who should also be travelling with Virgin Atlantic on the same day), regardless of class of service.

are they refering to the fast track when going on a flight (walking in the metal detector) or on arrival ( the normal LONG LINE where they stamp your passport?)

Thank you for your help, I am planning a bunch of travel overseas and want that feature as i hate those lines.

FastTrack is a neon pass you're given either at check-in or on board (UC) that allows you to breeze right through immigration in the UK. It is WONDERFUl as it cuts what is too often a weary hour's wait if you are unfortunate to arrive at the same time as several other planes full of non-EU arrivals.

How great it would be if this was a regular PE benefit as well...

RR

[mcmbenjamin]

Thanks roadrunner - I thank you for your help.

Hi,

ON deaprture UC and FC Gold pax at LHR & LGW can use the Fast Track line to go through security ( the metal detector) without having to go through ( the usually longer line).

On arrival the pink card is handed out to UC pax to use Fast TRack immigration ( ususally of most benefit to non eu passport holders) as this line is shorter too.

Regards

TBS

Make sure the check-in staff put the little gold sticker on your boarding pass to use the LHR fast track ( sometimes its fast other time not so:D)

If you have a british or E.U. passport, the normal immigration line is often quicker, especially if you arrive after lots of flights from asia.

Cheers,
VS045

Fast track is wonderful but only experienced it overseas not at LHR or LGW.

Perhpas this is something BAA should do but at Auckland Airport they have a fast track which is for all premium customers and all pax who have transited from a domestic service to an international service. On my first time of arriving in it (Express into/out NZL printed on boarding pass) I had gone wrong and it was for NZ passport holders but having a GB passport proved me wrong! I was in and out of all security checks within 2mins flat compared to the 25mins my friends had to wait in line! Its a super service and perhaps BAA should extend fast track- after all its never busy!

[mcmbenjamin]

Wow, a year has past since I started this thread! Interesting how my question has progressed.

Say a VS gold cardholder was traveling in Y. Without starting a huge debate, would it be out of line to ask for an arrival FastTrack pass?

I know that I am not entitled by any means but would be handy as I have very important appointments to keep in London on Friday and do not want to be tardy!

I thought as long as you are Au, you can receive fast track at LHR regardless of the class you are travelling in, just like Clubhouse access.

I've always been unsure whether it gets you fast track back in the UK. I know the UK queue is always longer than foreign nationals but sometime it can still be a 30 minute wait if the loads are full and you were at the back of the plane..

Dean

I always had the same thought as Wolves maybe we are wrong.[:?]

[preiffer]

Fast-track security (OUT of LHR) is given to all Au members, regardless of class of travel (it's a gold sticker on your boarding pass).

In all the times I've tried experimenting with fast-track back IN through immigration (despite the fact that the EU line is often physically longer), the fast-track line has always taken more time to get through. Even when there were only 7/8 people in-front, the EU line of 40-50 people still cleared faster as they're not processing International Visitors.

Not sure if FT immigration vouchers are a gold benefit or not, regardless of travel - but if you have an EU passport, you really ARE better off sticking to the EU line. (Some of the more "thorough" Fast-track immigration dragons insist on this anyway, when they see a purple book in your hand).

[RichardMannion]

Very true - inbound Fast Track is only of use for non-EU passengers. Like it was said earlier, I do wish that BAA would take a leaf out of airports such as SIN for implemenation of Fast Track. That is how it should be done.

The other thing that is annoying is when you roll-up with an Economy or Premium Economy VS ticket complete with the Gold sticker and the monkey says its only for Business/First Class customers. Irony is for the latter really, as a W Class customer has paid the higher rate of APD so in absolute theory is entitled to the business/first benefits at the airport. But to be honest, as pointed out before, there is very little (if any at all) time saving with outbound Fast Track at LHR.

Thanks,
Richard

Originally posted by preiffer

Not sure if FT immigration vouchers are a gold benefit or not, regardless of travel

No it isn't - if you recal, one of our gold card members was quite miffed at not getting a fast track pink slip, even though other pax did.[}:)]

Reading from one of the aforementioned neon (pink) passes that I may have in my possesion ' NOTE Fast Track Arrivals is available for passengers who are not members of the European Union'
Additioanlly I too have experimented with both lines and the EU one is always quicker even though it always looks shorter.

[mcmbenjamin]

Well thank you for your help. I do have a 'pink pass' saved up so if the International Visitor line is too long I will use FastTrack. I cannot use the EU line as, well I as not a EU citizen.

Hmmm wonder if there is an eBay market for all my little pink passes!

Hmmm (and ahem)--Immigration Fast Track neon tix are often left sort of "lying around" in PE (nr galley) and UC (bar) prior to deboarding....quite tempting if just up to stretch. I have never quite determined if PE are supposed to get them or is it just for those with open eyes--and hands? On some flights they are handed round and on others not. This is sort of one of those "are the airplane salt and peppers up for grabs or not" questions.

Another note: I have twice gotten a colleague through on my pass, just sort of waved the one and said we couldn't locate the other just now. Not a problem and leaves a nice little number of squashed neon tags in the passport case saved up for a rainy day.

Still, after our last encounter with immigration at Logan, I would steer by the rules unless you are willing to risk a contretemps with the US authorities. I believe in these cases, they usually (no, strike that, always) come up winner.

I did take a look, the other day at that certain angle one V-Flyer eagle-eye mentioned in Heathrow immigration, where a quick duck under the rope discretely pops you into the Fast Track lane, but I figger that hall probably has every centimetre of area double- covered by cameras. Probably a good idea to stay in proper line as don't really fancy having to identify my arse going under the rope in video loop to immigration....

Humbly,
RR[V]

I have to say, even with an EU passport, the fasttrack imigration lane has been quicker on occassion. In these circumstances, the Indian rope trick ha worked fine - I should of course say malfix rope trick as it is designed for PE pax without a slip . I am quite happy to say I thought I was in the wrong line a I was flying upper/premium. I may look stupid - but hey, I'm used to it.

Originally posted by mcmbenjamin
Say a VS gold cardholder was traveling in Y. Without starting a huge debate, would it be out of line to ask for an arrival FastTrack pass?

Hmmm, although it's stated as an UC benefit only, I don't think you'd be out of line to ask for one - as long as you did it discreetly (and remember, don't complain if you don't get it )

Cheers

Michael

Originally posted by mcmbenjamin
I do have a 'pink pass' saved up

If you're lucky, you might end up going home with a few more

Cheers

Michael

[RichardMannion]

Stop it with the 'pink pass' talk, this is a family forum....

Thanks,
Richard

Ummm. What is family inappropriate about pink passes?

Right, well ahh.. back on topic;)

When my grandmother has travelled PE and not UC, she has been able to get a pass if she asks discreetly, although I suppose it might be an age thing[:?]

Cheers,
VS045

[mcmbenjamin]

Originally posted by mcuth

If you're lucky, you might end up going home with a few more

How kind

Originally posted by RichardMannionVery true - inbound Fast Track is only of use for non-EU passengers.

Interesting Richard[:?].
On the VS pink passes it says

NOTE: Fast Track Arrivals is available for passengers who are not members of the European Union.

On the pink passes that SQ hands out reads...

NOTE: European Union Nationals have the choice of clearing immigration either through the channel designated for then or through the Fast Track Lane.

On the red passes that SQ hands out in KUL reads...

Note: Malaysian Electronic Passport holders may also clear immigration through the Autogates.

Never asked for the pass at KLIA.

Now the only question is how I got a SQ Fast Track pink pass [i]

[preiffer]

Maybe you set up a website, Ben? - sqfasttrack.com? [:p]