Fingerprinting compulsory at LHR terminal 1

[Haven't a clue]

AFAIK that's what happens with transit pax at LHR all the time!

[Donkey497]

Haven't a Clue wrote:

Perhaps the reason for the lack of photos at EDI etc is because international arrivals cannot transit airside, and must clear immigration before any onward journey?

I wonder what would happen if we became part of the EU Shengen (?sp?) common travel area.....

Been through quite a few schengen transits recently - never had photograph 1 taken, never had fingerprint 1 taken or digit 1 scanned.

I hate to invoke Godwin's Law, but it seems we are rapidly heading for the proverbial big brother society here in the UK & the last place that got out of hand was............

[10secondsurvey]

Just for clarification, the fingerprinting is used for pax using BA transiting from a foreign originating flight to Terminal 1 domestic. It is done in flight connections. Yesterday, I arrived into T1 and rather than using fast track in flight connections, I went to arrivals instead, then went through security in T1 domestic. One advantage (a major advantage to me) with BA was that when flying club, and going via flight connections, there was the BA fast track, but of course to use that now, I'd have to let the goons take my fingerprints (which I ain't doing).

So, in future, as the advantage with BA has gone, my choice of flights will vary, and BA will lose out. In addition, the fingerprinting nonsense is also going to be standard practice in the super duper duper (if we believe the hype) T5.

Woofrey, it is explained on the BA website, as being the following;

'This procedure is needed as the British Airports Authority has introduced a common departure lounge to allow International and UK Domestic transferring customers to use the same retail, leisure and dining facilities in Terminal 1.'


So, it is not for security, but so we can all access the 'enhanced' leisure retail opportunities.

This current government want to know too too much about everyone. It is dangerous for democracy, and freedom. Those who say, it's ok, it's not important, are deluding themselves. In any democracy, totalitarianism is just around the corner, and drip by drip, the changes happen, until suddenly everyone realises what has happened and it too late. Maybe it is symbolic that of all countries in Europe, nobody in the UK has experienced totalitarianism in any recent history, but ask people from Germany, Portugal, italy or Spain (the most recent), and they know what it is like.

I am a totally law abiding citizen, but I think the clowns at LHR are just abusing an individuals right to freedom and privacy under the law. If other airlines start requiring fingerprints, then I'll use different airports. If it become compulsory everywhere, then I will know freedom and democracy is dead.

The case highlighted by A2QFI above, is also an important reason, which everyone should read up on. Essentially, if they have your prints, they might well find you guilty of a crime by mistake (or intentionally!) - and it ain't easy to appeal positive ID from fingerprint evidence, as juries think it is 100% proof of guilt. There are many links and detil on the story, partly unveiled by BBC Panorama, at;

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/...st/5112568.stm

Anyway, the bottom line is, the advantage of using BA is lost for me now, so I'll use others instead, and although I'm one of their frequent flyers, I'm sure they won't really care, as is evidenced by their recent response to a pax problem in business traveller magazine.