Fast Track At Heathrow

[Rinrada]

Checked in for tonights TG flight and reconed time from saying Hello to suzi on the desk to hitting the Lounge was no more than 15 minutes...No bad....or rather getting better.

Also on the way through i noticed that they have opened up the Iris scan Security thingy registration office again (before was on trial)......g\Gotta have some of that....

Anyway for all you up front honest travellers who are not dodging anything...Banks,police,ex wifes...etc...Easy ...quick looksee in the camera..scanned...smiled etc and i am now secured to use the machine on arrival anywhere in...well at least the UK...maybe others ..got to read the Bumft....

Well done the Home Office.....no more PP control or immigration.....

Asked them if they wanted a DNA sample but they only Larffed.....

Anyway wont know how good it is until I head back in a couple of weeks.......Time for a(another ) G&T.....Rought Innit..

Right next stop Singapores Kris Lounge--then the Red Cap...and a final one before the budgie takes orfff in... ....????

[Spee]

Checked in for tonights TG flight and reconed time from saying Hello to suzi on the desk to hitting the Lounge was no more than 15 minutes...No bad....or rather getting better.

Also on the way through i noticed that they have opened up the Iris scan Security thingy registration office again (before was on trial)......g\Gotta have some of that....

Anyway for all you up front honest travellers who are not dodging anything...Banks,police,ex wifes...etc...Easy ...quick looksee in the camera..scanned...smiled etc and i am now secured to use the machine on arrival anywhere in...well at least the UK...maybe others ..got to read the Bumft....

I'm no fan of government intrusion and I'm quite suspicious of what governments may eventually do with this confidential data. However, I was in T3 last Saturday to pick up my boss and his wife. The place was a <deleted>' zoo, mobbed with more people than I've ever seen before. It took them approximately 90 minutes to get through the immigration, collect their bags and pop out into the lobby. On the way home, they told me with an iris scan on the books, they could have strolled right through with no wait at all. I gotta admit, I'm giving it some serious consideration, too. Hmmmm .................................

[londonthai]

good if you don't have british/eu passport and each time you enter you have to que for half an hour to get your passport stamped/interrogated. Saves on changing passport once is full of stamps

[pointofview]

So strange how people celabrate their loss of liberty - and look forward to total enslavement

Just because you have nothing to hide doesnt mean you will have any special privilages.

"Make yourselves sheep and the wolves will eat you." ~ Benjamin Franklin

Edited September 19, 2007 by pointofview

[Cobalt60]

I did it, signed up, got my eyes scanned, came back from Thailand Monday, sailed past all the poor saps waiting at immigration.....hooray....... spent more time at the luggage reclaim instead.

[pointofview]

I did it, signed up, got my eyes scanned, came back from Thailand Monday, sailed past all the poor saps waiting at immigration.....hooray....... spent more time at the luggage reclaim instead.

"They that give up essential liberty to obtain temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." ~ Benjamin Franklin

[wileycoyote]

How long did the procedure take ?

Was there any charge ?

Wiley Coyote

[Spee]

I did it, signed up, got my eyes scanned, came back from Thailand Monday, sailed past all the poor saps waiting at immigration.....hooray....... spent more time at the luggage reclaim instead.

"They that give up essential liberty to obtain temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." ~ Benjamin Franklin

What I don't get is I've been fingerprinted many times in my life by state, federal and military authorities for a variety of reasons (military service, handgun permit, etc.). Why can't the airport authorities use the handprint? Why does it now have to be the eyeprint? What is it going to be in 10 years? A bodily fluid specimen for my dna? Where does it end? When will the government decide to use this personal and confidential information for other uses well beyond the original purpose? That's when the whole concept and scenario start getting a little scary. Having the information systems cracked and seeing this information going into others' hands is potentially even a worse scenario.

[Lucifer]

I did it, signed up, got my eyes scanned, came back from Thailand Monday, sailed past all the poor saps waiting at immigration.....hooray....... spent more time at the luggage reclaim instead.

"They that give up essential liberty to obtain temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." ~ Benjamin Franklin

What I don't get is I've been fingerprinted many times in my life by state, federal and military authorities for a variety of reasons (military service, handgun permit, etc.). Why can't the airport authorities use the handprint? Why does it now have to be the eyeprint? What is it going to be in 10 years? A bodily fluid specimen for my dna? Where does it end? When will the government decide to use this personal and confidential information for other uses well beyond the original purpose? That's when the whole concept and scenario start getting a little scary. Having the information systems cracked and seeing this information going into others' hands is potentially even a worse scenario.

Yes, you're gonna have to piss into a machine.

So start practising.

Edited September 19, 2007 by Lucifer

[steve73]

How long did the procedure take ?

Was there any charge ?

Wiley Coyote

Takes about 5 minutes to register and get the initial scan. No Charge.

Then about 20 seconds to clear immigration (unless too many peeps sign up of course - hint hint).

But as coyote said, you then wait an age foe your bags to show up.

Now if only they put priority on the bags of passengers with IRIS scans it would be really good.

[pointofview]

I did it, signed up, got my eyes scanned, came back from Thailand Monday, sailed past all the poor saps waiting at immigration.....hooray....... spent more time at the luggage reclaim instead.

"They that give up essential liberty to obtain temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." ~ Benjamin Franklin

What I don't get is I've been fingerprinted many times in my life by state, federal and military authorities for a variety of reasons (military service, handgun permit, etc.). Why can't the airport authorities use the handprint? Why does it now have to be the eyeprint? What is it going to be in 10 years? A bodily fluid specimen for my dna? Where does it end? When will the government decide to use this personal and confidential information for other uses well beyond the original purpose? That's when the whole concept and scenario start getting a little scary. Having the information systems cracked and seeing this information going into others' hands is potentially even a worse scenario.

Yes, you're gonna have to piss into a machine.

So start practising.

"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free." - Goethe

If you are happy to believe that this information being in government hands is for your benefit then enjoy your sleep!

[samran]

I keep missing out on it over the years. Flying out of terminal 2 at LHR...no sir, registration is in terminal 4 sir. At Luton, sorry, only at Gatwick and LHR. At Gatwick T2, Sorry sir, only at T1.

So I'm force to join the non-EU plebs line each and every time on the way back in.

Sod it all. Now you fellas are changing the visa rules on me, my HSMP visa is gonna lapse while I live here in LOS. ###### you home office!!!

[Rinrada]

How long did the procedure take ?

Was there any charge ?

Wiley Coyote

Only took about 5 minutes and No charge......incid great flight and we took off from H-T3 on time.

Bizzi seats are nice,good films/ents and no complaints about the service,food or booze.....KKKrup TG

Now in the Domi Lounge at Su-wannA-P before heading up to Chiangers....

Loss of Liberty mon glut max.... Benny F should have stuck to his lightning conductors....

[JonnyF]

Hmmm, exchanging liberty for convenience - no thanks.

One of a few reasons I left the UK.

[samran]

Hmmm, exchanging liberty for convenience - no thanks.

One of a few reasons I left the UK.

I take it you won't be travelling anywhere anymore then, with biometic passports being the standard from now on....

[wileycoyote]

Ta Rinrada

Wiley Coyote

[JonnyF]

Hmmm, exchanging liberty for convenience - no thanks.

One of a few reasons I left the UK.

I take it you won't be travelling anywhere anymore then, with biometic passports being the standard from now on....

I think there's a difference between having a biometric passport forced upon you against your will by an increasingly interfering government, and volunteering for such measures to save a few minutes at the airport.

Maybe you think they're the same thing?

[samran]

Hmmm, exchanging liberty for convenience - no thanks.

One of a few reasons I left the UK.

I take it you won't be travelling anywhere anymore then, with biometic passports being the standard from now on....

I think there's a difference between having a biometric passport forced upon you against your will by an increasingly interfering government, and volunteering for such measures to save a few minutes at the airport.

Maybe you think they're the same thing?

well, apart from your iris to uniquely identify you, the information will be the same on both.

But we all make our choices. I've worked for goverment long enough to know that most governments are incapbable of co-ordinating a shag in brothel, so I'm probably less concerned about them than you are...

[JonnyF]

Hmmm, exchanging liberty for convenience - no thanks.

One of a few reasons I left the UK.

I take it you won't be travelling anywhere anymore then, with biometic passports being the standard from now on....

I think there's a difference between having a biometric passport forced upon you against your will by an increasingly interfering government, and volunteering for such measures to save a few minutes at the airport.

Maybe you think they're the same thing?

well, apart from your iris to uniquely identify you, the information will be the same on both.

But we all make our choices. I've worked for goverment long enough to know that most governments are incapbable of co-ordinating a shag in brothel, so I'm probably less concerned about them than you are...

Hmmmm, you talk about choices, but if I had a choice (I don't since I need a passport) then I wouldn't be objecting. Personally it's the principle behind these information databases that I object to, and the incompetence of governments that you talk of only increases the likelihood that the information gets into the wrong hands

[Trevor]

I did it, signed up, got my eyes scanned, came back from Thailand Monday, sailed past all the poor saps waiting at immigration.....hooray....... spent more time at the luggage reclaim instead.

So, for EU-ers, where the T3 queues are reasonable and quick to pass, there is still no time advantage as you have to await your bag on the carousel. What is the 'Fast Track' lane through security departing, and through immigration arriving? How does one apply or qualify?

I returned to T3 on Thai at 6.30 pm 12th September 2007. Their 747s are getting quite worn now after 15-18 years, but I guess safe enough on this long-haul non-stop milk run with experienced crews.

What really shocked me were the non-EU immigration queues right back to the entrance doors of the hall. Must have been 600-800 people in there. No ticket queueing system -- could take a lesson from Thai banks and airline offices -- so how to use the bathroom without losing one's place in the line? And refreshments ... maybe a vending machine taking UK coins only dispensing toxic pop. Imagine arriving on first class only to suffer 2 hours of ignominy in there? Surely the wealthy will travel elsewhere? Britain's loss. Basically still a nation of Basil Fawlty shopkeepers with an attitude. And none of the ancient luggage carts run smoothly. The price of BAA delegating management to a hard-nosed spanish company purely interested in profits. Only bright spot: the customs officers in T3 mostly appear to be on continuous leave-of-absence.

Edited September 20, 2007 by Trevor

[pointofview]

Hmmm, exchanging liberty for convenience - no thanks.

One of a few reasons I left the UK.

I take it you won't be travelling anywhere anymore then, with biometic passports being the standard from now on....

I think there's a difference between having a biometric passport forced upon you against your will by an increasingly interfering government, and volunteering for such measures to save a few minutes at the airport.

Maybe you think they're the same thing?

What the short sighted plebs are volunteering for now will become compulsary very soon - sooner than you may think.

"It is the duty of the patriot to protect their country from its government" - Thomas Paine

Edited September 20, 2007 by pointofview

[JonnyF]

Hmmm, exchanging liberty for convenience - no thanks.

One of a few reasons I left the UK.

I take it you won't be travelling anywhere anymore then, with biometic passports being the standard from now on....

I think there's a difference between having a biometric passport forced upon you against your will by an increasingly interfering government, and volunteering for such measures to save a few minutes at the airport.

Maybe you think they're the same thing?

What the short sighted plebs are volunteering for now will become compulsary very soon - sooner than you may think.

"It is the duty of the patriot to protect their country from its government" - Thomas Paine

100% agreed.

I can't believe how easily people accept this stuff - people criticize the Thai's for blind acceptance of authority, and then volunteer for retina scans and biometric passports

[pointofview]

Was there any charge ?

Wiley Coyote

Edited September 20, 2007 by pointofview

[pointofview]

How long did the procedure take ?

Was there any charge ?

Wiley Coyote

Takes about 5 minutes to register and get the initial scan. No Charge.

"Freedom is not free"

[tolsti]

Going to do it before I fly next month from LHR.. just hoping it will still be open when I get checked in as the EY flight doesn't leave till 21.20 (ish)

http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/applying/iris/

gives info and FAQ

[pointofview]

Going to do it before I fly next month from LHR.. just hoping it will still be open when I get checked in as the EY flight doesn't leave till 21.20 (ish)

http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/applying/iris/

gives info and FAQ

Make yourselves sheep and the wolves will eat you." ~ Benjamin Franklin

[Trevor]

I have my reservations about the safety of iris scanners. Remember how Lasik was supposed to be safe? Yet it has caused untold problems in those electing for this sight-correction surgery. Prefer to wait a while for the technology to shake down potential safety concerns.

And another thing: our irises both reflect and change with the level of toxins in our bodies. Irises become clearer, brighter, and display fewer striations after years of following a raw-food, animal/vegetable-fat diet which binds and eliminates toxins.

[simon43]

A few months ago I flew from Heathrow to Bangkok on BA First Class (well actually, I used 120,000 Air Miles ...). They xrayed me in that new body scanner which displays you stark naked to the operator. Needless to say, the suspiciously large bulk in my trousers was quickly identified as not being drugs

Simon

[samran]

Going to do it before I fly next month from LHR.. just hoping it will still be open when I get checked in as the EY flight doesn't leave till 21.20 (ish)

http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/applying/iris/

gives info and FAQ

Make yourselves sheep and the wolves will eat you." ~ Benjamin Franklin

I'll get the mint sauce now and lather my body in it then...

[pointofview]

Going to do it before I fly next month from LHR.. just hoping it will still be open when I get checked in as the EY flight doesn't leave till 21.20 (ish)

http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/applying/iris/

gives info and FAQ

Make yourselves sheep and the wolves will eat you." ~ Benjamin Franklin

I'll get the mint sauce now and lather my body in it then...

Nothing much i can say to such a comment - othere than ignorance must be bliss, for now!