London Heathrow - Passport Control - Fast Track...

[Moonbase]

As the title says, we are traveling soon with access to the fast track lane at LHR.

My Thai wife has a Tourist Visa (will post about that another day), I would like to try and use the Fast Track lane (we will have passes) on arrival, coments from a thread I read back in July here, Suggest try it / use the long non-EU Passport queues.

I would guess that well presented with documents to hand we would be handled quickly by the two passport checkers that are normally on duty there. I would expect that having to check a real live tourist visa and stamp a passport would break up their duty period on that station?

The comment in the thread above about '..not splitting up families..' sounds good, does that have any referance on the UK Boarder Agency web site, I could not find one.

Any more, recent experiances?

[Moonbase]

Just to follow this up for the benefit for others. We used the fast track Passport control at LHR (T3), presented both passports half expecting to be turned away (having spent the past year reading about job's-worth Britain). My wife was asked the following questions: How long do you intend to stay in the UK? Is this for your first visit to the UK? I don't think there was anything else, Hope this is of aid to someone following our footsteps in future.

[Captain Chaos]

Do you mean the channel at LHR that is actually called "Fast Track"? Or do you mean the UK/EU lane?

If the former, how did you qualify to use "Fast Track" channel? Is all you need a business or first class ticket?

In the past Mrs CC and I have always flown into Birmingham as the immigration queues are generally reasonably short. However Brum is really just an overgrown regional airport and flying there adds time and money to the trip overall.

I just got back from the UK (solo trip) and flying direct from Singapore to LHR T3 on Sing Air is definitely preferable IMHO. Can afford biz class fares, as it's a 14 hour flight I need the legroom, but would want to be sure this would actually let us go through Fast Track!

Otherwise, as we'd be travelling together, can we just use the EU channel (in the same way as I use the Thai channel when we arrive together at BKK)?

CC

Edited March 23, 2009 by Captain Chaos

[7by7]

Fast track usually means using the Iris recognition immigration system (IRIS). To use it one has to first register.

I have been told by IOs at LHR T3 that allowing non-EU citizens accompanying an EU/UK citizen through the UK/EU channel is discretionary. One can ask but should be prepared to be sent to the back of the other queue.

[PhilHarries]

Last time I passed through T3 the "Fast Track - By invitation" line was hardly moving. I got through the UK/EU line in a fraction of the time some were queueing fast track.

[theoldgit]

I think he means the Fast Track channel for premium passengers, to which you get an invitation on the aircraft to the right of the EU lane as opposed to the iris scanner.

The Fast Track is for non EU Citizens, but I have often used it without a problem.

[7by7]

I think he means the Fast Track channel for premium passengers, to which you get an invitation on the aircraft to the right of the EU lane as opposed to the iris scanner.

I stand corrected.

[Captain Chaos]

I think he means the Fast Track channel for premium passengers, to which you get an invitation on the aircraft to the right of the EU lane as opposed to the iris scanner.

I stand corrected.

Sorry, yes I did mean that - plan is to fly biz class on TG to LHR so long as Mrs CC and I can use the fast track lane when we get there as have to get into London fairly pronto to catch a train up to the midlands.

Thanks for your replies.

CC

[PhilHarries]

I think he means the Fast Track channel for premium passengers, to which you get an invitation on the aircraft to the right of the EU lane as opposed to the iris scanner.

The Fast Track is for non EU Citizens, but I have often used it without a problem.

Yes that is the fast track I meant and all the time I was in the steadily moving regular EU queue the fast track was a slow train to nowhere. I guess by "fast track" they mean faster than the regular non-EU lines then but it's advantage wasn't immediately obvious to me. Possibly they had a glitsch with the computer, it was early morning way too early for IT help desk people to be functioning.

[Captain Chaos]

Yes that is the fast track I meant and all the time I was in the steadily moving regular EU queue the fast track was a slow train to nowhere. I guess by "fast track" they mean faster than the regular non-EU lines then but it's advantage wasn't immediately obvious to me. Possibly they had a glitsch with the computer, it was early morning way too early for IT help desk people to be functioning.

Point taken, although we'd probably be arriving in the evening anyway, guess if it's at snails pace we'd try to use the EU queue and hope the missus isn't turned away...

CC