paying for fast track security

[man friday]

just flown through luton and was amazed to see the advertising in place for the new fast track security service.The entrance booth is still under construction.

is that what airport security is becoming, another oportunity for the airport authority to be relieve us of a couple of quid to avoid waiting in the line.

its either a necessary check, or it isn,t, not yet another money spinner for the oportunistic bstards!

[BladePilot]

All been done before at numerous airports world wide indeed I remember easyJ and LTN worked together back in the 90's to develop the easyFastrack for priority passengers (those who chose to pay an extra couple of £ to avoid the scrum in the 'normal' channels).

Anything 'fastTrack' was aimed at the premium passengers (First, Business, Carrier Loyalty card holders etc.) in fact the BAA used to promote their FastTrack service I believe they even registered the name as a trade mark. One downside was that when business travel was at it's absolute peak you could actually stand in line longer to get through the 'fast track' than the normal route! Many airlines used to (still do) pay the airport management companies directly to secure a fast track service for their premium passengers, just another add on to the First/Business ticket at the end of the day.

All for giving the 'normal' passengers more choice if the idea (whatever it is) works and if that involves an additional charge for the privilige then why not.

[Load Toad]

Were are all Daffy Ducked when the terrorists travel at the sharp end then...

[Final 3 Greens]

Fast Track

BAA definition.

A queue that says Fastrack over the entrance.

When the other queues get longer, send people into this queue, until it is the same length.

ZRH Airport definition

A premium service for those entitled to use it, that reduces the time to pass through the security processes

[Seat62K]

My experience of Fast Track in the UK, limited mainly to Terminal 4 at Heathrow admittedly, is that it's anything but fast and left me wondering how much slower it must have been for other travellers.

My favourite overseas airport with Fast Track has to be Vancouver: when I've used it, there has never been a queue.

And no, I wouldn't pay extra for it. Words like "fools" and "money" come to mind. Bit like paying for First Class on the Heathrow Express.

[Michael SWS]

Bit like paying for First Class on the Heathrow ExpressOr using the Heathrow Express at all.

Why pay £16.50 on Heathrow Express when the Heathrow Connect service is roughly half as much, and the Piccadilly Line is only £2.20?

[deltayankee]

I have a bad feeling about direct payment for fast track security because it is a financial disincentive to fix the queues. Airports actually have an interest in keeping lines long in this case.

Offering it "free" for premium passengers doesn't sound so bad and in many airports it is one of the best parts of flying business. And I also believe that it should always be offered for families with very small children. MAN do this, though I don't know if it is a rule or just because DYjr looked sweet that day.

[Seat62K]

Michael SWS,

Good point. I only used the Heathrow Express in the days when I could redeem BAA Worldpoints for half-price tickets (why did they withdraw that offer?; wasn't some sort of fraud suspected?). I find the Tube journey unbearable - especially as I have to travel from Liverpool St. - so settle for the Heathrow Connect these days.

Back to the topic now....

[PAXboy]

If we get started on BAA Worldpoints, I will have to repeat my assertion that they are the most useless, most worthless 'loyalty' scheme in existence.

Fast Track has become a commodity. If some carriers can split every component of the service into a saleable item - so will the airports.

[Michael SWS]

Good point. I only used the Heathrow Express in the days when I could redeem BAA Worldpoints for half-price tickets (why did they withdraw that offer?; wasn't some sort of fraud suspected?). I find the Tube journey unbearable - especially as I have to travel from Liverpool St. - so settle for the Heathrow Connect these days.The tube journey out to the airport can sometimes seem endless, but I think it's a matter of perception rather than reality. I'd say that coming from Liverpool Street there's only about 15 minutes between using the tube the whole way and getting to Paddington and changing to the train.

The biggest con, of course, is that when you buy a Heathrow Express ticket to Terminal 4 you have to get off at Terminals 1,2,3 and wait for the following Heathrow Connect service anyway.

[TightSlot]

Please start a new thread or come back on topic.

[raffele]

I wouldn't pay for fast track security - at the end of the day, you're still going to get through. As long as you're at the airport on time for your flight, a long queue shouldn't get in the way.

However, if I was travelling in a premium cabin I would expect it as one of the perks.

It is another example to make money, however I see that, like someone else has said, there will be an opportunity to fix the queue lengths on the other channels - not exactly improving the experience for all is it?

[1DC]

I have always found fast track fairly quick, perhaps i have been lucky. Mind you, if all of the x ray machines were fully manned and working at all times their wouldn't be a need for fast track...

[man friday]

1 DC,

You've just hit the nail on the head, in the last week at both Gatwick South and Luton at @half of the security xray machines have been unmanned.

surely all should be open at peak times to facilitate a smooth flow of passangers.

Or does that defeat the purpose of airport security, create a large line, in unpleasant surroundings, and then offer an opt out for £7.99!

Makes me wonder if additional security staff will be recruited for the Fast track, or will existing staff be used at the expense of the rest of us.

[Seat62K]

I'd have thought that it's in the airports' commercial interest to get punters to the shopping malls as soon as possible.

[deltayankee]

I'd have thought that it's in the airports' commercial interest to get punters to the shopping malls as soon as possible
Depends. If the airport gets a fixed rent from the shops they don't care. Or do they get a percentage?

Another post above seems to imply that fast track secure is somehow less secure. I don't think that is the case. It is faster just because there are enough machines and staff for the volume of traffic.

[RevMan2]

Fast Track at Manchester used to - depending on the level of thickness of the staff on duty on any given day - feed you into the end of the standard processing queue.

However, if I was travelling in a premium cabin I would expect it as one of the perks.

It's not a "perk" - it's part of a good premium product, which includes priority check-in, working space, fast security processing and your bags first off at the other end.

[racedo]

Depends. If the airport gets a fixed rent from the shops they don't care. Or do they get a percentage?

Rent + % based on turnover.

Numbers seem to be struggling in many places as apparently even McDonalds are giving up in Gatwick Nth Terminal.

[IainB]

NCL do a fast track connected to one of the short stay car parks. On the occasions I've used it, it works pretty well and saves me being tangled up in the tourists exiting the UK on a Tuesday morning.