Fast track through immigration?

[dosborn]

I am tossing up between a more expensive QF flight to LHR versus cheaper EY. I am WP so would be giving up quite a few benefits if I take the EY.

As a WP do I get any preferential treatment when passing through immigration and customs at either end?

Many thanks

 

[samh004]

Leaving and arriving into Australia you get a fast track immigration and customs card, but if you have an e-passport, that’s apparently faster too.

As a WP your bags should be tagged well, though whether they’ll come out first is the question.

Not sure what you’ll get at LHR.

Don’t forget F lounges on the way.

 

[dosborn]

F lounges definitely in my sights - just need to build a strong argument for the domestic financial controller.

Better seats, lounges, check in, extra luggage, support in case of delay....

 

[trippin_the_rift]

As WP, you would also get priority security/immi when departing LHR.

The big question is, how much is the $$difference? This will help us justify it for you to take back to the moneyman

 

[moa999]

Access to lounges in the middle - ie shower at the stopover would be an important consideration for me, and may swing the financial controller

 

[dosborn]

The big question is, how much is the $$difference? This will help us justify it for you to take back to the moneyman

About $1k for four pax.

 

[Dave Noble]

About $1k for four pax.

With 4 passengers, unless 2 have lounge access rights, then there won't be access to lounges et al for all 4 so 2 would have to stay outside

I would have said that $1000 saving would be the way to go.

Dave

 

[dosborn]

1 x WP, 1 x QP and a 5yo and 3yo. What are my chances of swinging F lounge access? I am hoping the lounge staff will look kindly upon the children.

 

[anat0l]

1 x WP, 1 x QP and a 5yo and 3yo. What are my chances of swinging F lounge access? I am hoping the lounge staff will look kindly upon the children.

By the strict rules, no chance. Or at least your spouse may have to wait outside (and that's certainly not going to happen).

There is no harm in trying, however; I'd be a little bit miffed if QF didn't let you all in. I did see a family of 4 (dad, mum and two munchkins about the ages you describe) in the F Lounge once. I'm going to bet that the parents weren't both WPs/OWEs, or the whole family was travelling in F.

Of course, no problems to access the J Lounge unless you are flying EY.

What class are you intending to fly? The lists below assume you're flying Y.

Pros for EY:

• Cheaper
• Transit point in AUH

Note that if you fly EY you will only have lounge access to QPs only in Australia (and only 1 guest - again will rely on how nice the lounge staff are).

Pros for QF:

• Points / status to your existing account, taking advantage of your WP bonuses
• Lounge access at all points in your journey (i.e. SYD, SIN/BKK/HKG, LHR; N.B. not LHR T3 Arrivals unless you fly J or F). Note that at LHR you will only be able to access the J or Club lounges; the F lounge is only for oneworld Emeralds and the lounge dragons are very strict about the guesting rights (i.e. they will explicitly count children of any age as a guest).
• Status recognition (possibly better seat selection, being looked after by the crew a bit better)
• Express pass for outbound and inbound procedures to/from SYD (outbound = use Express immigration lane and security line; inbound = use Express immigration lane and customs line if and only if you have nothing to declare). AFAICT you do not get any preferential treatment in LHR even as a oneworld Emerald (i.e. you cannot use UK Fast Track). Anecdotal evidence has been controversially unclear about this one, but by the strict rules around the place it seems only BAEC elite members and BA J and F pax can use Fast Track.

Keeping this all in mind, $1000 is a fair amount. Sure, if you fly EY unless you go in premium class, you won't have any lounge access after SYD. But for QF, if you can't get into the F Lounge then you'll have to settle for the QP (J Lounge), i.e. not better off than if you had flown EY (except you will get in completely within the rules). Whether lounge access at the intermediate points or at LHR on the way back is important is up to you. Outbound immigration at SYD can be terrible without an Express pass, but you might just be able to put up with it (certainly paying an extra $1000 just to get an Express pass isn't worth it).

 

[dosborn]

What class are you intending to fly? The lists below assume you're flying Y.

Unless some sort of miracle occurs it will be whY. And departure ex MEL.

 

[Dave Noble]

For a shed load less than a $1000 should be able to get a priority pass card to provide for lounge access if that is a desperate need. Personally I go with the idea of spending the least time possible at airports

I would definitely not be relying on being able to take additional guests into the lounges if travelling in economy on a OW carrier. Work on the assumption that the ONE guest policy will limit to permitting ONE guest

Dave

 

[Dave Noble]

Of course, no problems to access the J Lounge unless you are flying EY.

The guest limit is still 1 ( Fly - The Qantas Club - Lounge Access )

Dave

 

[anat0l]

The guest limit is still 1 ( Fly - The Qantas Club - Lounge Access )

Dave

However the SO has QP, so if flying QF then that gives them both access & guesting rights independently.

With EY the only thing that works is WP's any time access, and yes the guest limit is 1.

 

[samh004]

A thousand all up, so $250 each. Do you need the cash, or are you comfortable without it?

1 x WP, 1 x QP and a 5yo and 3yo. What are my chances of swinging F lounge access? I am hoping the lounge staff will look kindly upon the children.

As everyone has said, not per the rules, but seeing as the children are so young you stand a small chance. My dad guested myself (over 18) and my sister (16 at the time) in and we’re all roughly the same height, so we didn’t look like kids.

If you do get them in, make sure they’re well behaved

 

[Dave Noble]

A thousand all up, so $250 each. Do you need the cash, or are you comfortable without it?

I know that I wouldn't pay $250 per person for possibly 4 lounge visits

Dave

 

[davidj-bell]

I am tossing up between a more expensive QF flight to LHR versus cheaper EY. I am WP so would be giving up quite a few benefits if I take the EY.

As a WP do I get any preferential treatment when passing through immigration and customs at either end?

Many thanks

My understanding is any fast track immigration from Australia and into the UK is based on class of travel (except if you're on an EU/EEA passport into the UK, you can't use the fast track, why not is beyond me), but whether EY offers that I don't know. I know I got the fast track out of Melbourne with QF, but as I'm on a UK passport into the UK, I had to join the normal queue, so can't recall if I was offered a fast track immigration (I think I was).there appears to be immigration checks out of T3 these days, (it was there when I flew out in oct, but my family flew out the day before and they didn't have any immigration checks, so I don't know if this was a one-off or is permanent), but there was no fast track queue. If this is permanent, then I find it a bit odd, as there wasn't any out of T5 when I went out in december.You can use the fast track security though.

 

[Sprucegoose]

If you do get them in, make sure they’re well behaved

Always assume Sam that people are good parents.

SPRUCE

 

[JohnK]

My recent experience flying SQ SYD-SIN-BKK return was not too bad.

On the outbound flight at SYD on Boxing Day got to immigration and there was 7-8 people in the queue and I got through in around 4-5 minutes. Perhaps I could have gotten through in 1-2 minutes with fast track immigration access. Not a huge defference. The queues at security were small.

On the inbound flight into SYD arrived around 11:00am, collected duty free, waited at immigration for around 3-4 minutes (most people went into the non-Australian passport queues) and then waited around 10 minutes for the first lot of luggage to arrive on the carousel. Fast track immigration would not have made any difference here. Collected luggage then went over to oversize baggage to collect golf clubs and go into queue for quarantine. Took around 10 minutes but was waived through without any x-ray. Then walked off toward Marsh St the long way. Should have walked through the car park instead of walking thorugh the taxi waiting area.

All up I may have gained 10 minutes by using fast track immigration. Sometimes one is better off saving money and foregoing some of the benefits....

 

[samh004]

Always assume Sam that people are good parents.

SPRUCE

Good parents ≠ well behaved kids. Just saying.

 

[Mal]

As a WP do I get any preferential treatment when passing through immigration and customs at either end?

As discussed, Fast Track ex/to -SYD/MEL/BNE

Fast Track at LHR inbound T3 - no. Only class of service counts. [Although the Qantas website is now very vague about this and perhaps it has also been recently introduced for WP's as well as they mention Fast Track for "security and immigration". I presume this is the random Passport checks that sometimes occur when leaving T3 rather than inbound, so will stick by my answer of "no", but YMMV.]
Fast Track at LHR outbound - yes. T3 has a Fast Track line for WP's.

Stretching the benefits over the family may be hit and miss.

BA lounges are normally fairly strict about guest rules - and also apply this to children. Qantas is more flexible, so you will probably only really have an issue at LHR - potentially also SYD F, but if refused then dump the kids in the J lounge and enjoy the F lounge with your partner. (I'm only kidding here - you should just retreat to the J lounge, or pick your favourite child and guest them into the F while partner and other child slums it in J!).