Is using airport fast-track services fair?

[Nigelinoz]

Source:
Is using airport fast-track services fair? -Times Online

Should business travellers get through the airport faster than other passengers? It’s a question that has been taxing me in recent weeks.
My nearest airport is Luton and it is one I use all the time. The airport recently introduced a pay-as-you-go fast channel that lets you skip to the front of the queue. At the top of the escalators into departures, you can now peek through and see whether there is a winding snake of holidaymakers and, if so, choose to pay £3 to go right to the front.
What really got me thinking was a Meet and Assist service offered by a company called DiamondAir International that I tried recently. When I was first told about what the company did, I was surprised that the airports and airlines allowed it. Arriving into the airport – in my case Gatwick – I was met at the gate of a plane by one of the company’s employees, John. We zoomed off at high speed to customs and jumped right to the front of the passport queue. A neat trick if you can get away with it. John, it seems, knows everyone and can make things go more smoothly

Very interesting question, I haven't heard of any similar schemes operating in Australia though.

 

[Dave Noble]

Australia has Express Pass immigration and customs facilities for business/1st passengers

As far as the Luton model being fair, it seems remarkably egalitarian. Those who wish to pay for the express service can without the need to buy an expensive flight ticket

Dave

 

[opusman]

As far as the Luton model being fair, it seems remarkably egalitarian. Those who wish to pay for the express service can without the need to buy an expensive flight ticket

Egalitarian but ultimately self-defeating as more people learn about the option; how long until the express queue is slower than the normal one? Much the same as the J/QP bag drop queue at MEL is often slower than the Y one.

 

[Moody]

What's egalitarian about creating an "us-and-them" situation by deliberately causing a problem for the majority to suffer from so that the minority will pay to avoid it?

Sounds more like building elitism based on greed - just like private schools.

 

[Travel Guru]

Very interesting question, I haven't heard of any similar schemes operating in Australia though.

I'm not aware of any meet and greet at the gate services in Australia, but I do know that it is something that can be organised in quite a few locations now, though as with everything, comes at a price.

TG

 

[v8Statesman]

Sounds more like building elitism based on greed - just like private schools.

Arhh, yes, the viscous grease the world is built on. What would we ever do with out it ?

 

[samh004]

The express cards from Qantas and Cathay Pacific are great. We try to keep a few of them saved up, and luckily, customs don't seem to take them away after we use them, so they get used quite a lot.

 

[simongr]

Arhh, yes, the viscous grease the world is built on. What would we ever do with out it ?

Live in peace and harmony?

I think the question itself is about as relevant as asking "Is it right that some people can buy Porsches and other people have to buy Fords?"

if you were going to ban express lanes then you might as well ban business/first class, hotels above a 1* and give everyone just what they need to live.

 

[Travel Guru]

Live in peace and harmony?

I think the question itself is about as relevant as asking "Is it right that some people can buy Porsches and other people have to buy Fords?"

if you were going to ban express lanes then you might as well ban business/first class, hotels above a 1* and give everyone just what they need to live.

HAHA! Well said.

TG

 

[Will]

As far as the Luton model being fair, it seems remarkably egalitarian.

Yes, egalitarian like "The law in its majesty makes no distinction between rich and poor; both are forbidden to sleep under the bridges of Paris."

The rich and poor alike are free to pay more money for better service...

 

[SnowYeti]

Australia has Express Pass immigration and customs facilities for business/1st passengers

As far as the Luton model being fair, it seems remarkably egalitarian. Those who wish to pay for the express service can without the need to buy an expensive flight ticket

Dave

Was given an express pass while in PE too on Qantas ...

 

[simongr]

Was given an express pass while in PE too on Qantas ...

Do you have any status with the arline?

 

[SnowYeti]

Do you have any status with the arline?

Yes but everyone else in the cabin was given one too!

 

[AviationNZ]

Live in peace and harmony?

I think the question itself is about as relevant as asking "Is it right that some people can buy Porsches and other people have to buy Fords?"

if you were going to ban express lanes then you might as well ban business/first class, hotels above a 1* and give everyone just what they need to live.

Completely agree!!!

 

[Dave Noble]

Yes, egalitarian like "The law in its majesty makes no distinction between rich and poor; both are forbidden to sleep under the bridges of Paris."

The rich and poor alike are free to pay more money for better service...

Yawn. Good to just take 1 word out of the reply and made silly comments.

Australia offers express outbound immigration clearance and security to those in 1st or business class. This provides the same type of facility but greatly restricted in who can use it. This is just available to all on a pay as you go option.

Like with lounges, airlines provide them for passengers in 1st or business class plus some allow those who wish to pay for lounge access to do so

Dave

 

[NYCguy]

I'm not aware of any meet and greet at the gate services in Australia...

UA have been quietly doing this for UGS pax arriving at SYD and MEL for some time now.

 

[Zardoz]

Think there are two separate issues here –customs & immigration and security checkpoints.

In the case of Express Passes, given that customs & immigration is a government department, I question why anyone should be given priority treatment when being processed? You don’t (and shouldn’t) get to go to the front of the line at Vicroads just because you are registering a Porsche, instead of a Ford.
Maybe airlines pay C & I for this service, but if they do, doesn’t it almost have a tinge of corruption? If not, why does C & I permit it?

Security may well be different as I believe in many cases this is done by contracted private companies (correct me if I’m wrong). So, while being a company may give it some legitimacy to charge for priority, still feel a mandatory “service” of this nature that (supposedly) is done in the interests of all, should treat all the same.

PS. Long time lurker. Appreciate all the useful info here.

 

[harvyk]

Let's put it another way. I did a bit of flying in the US last week, and because of my QF status I was given priority "AAccess" by AA when it came to security lines. Now is it fair that I could by-pass some very long lines just because of who I am in the eye's of the airlines? Well yes, it's not like it's an elite club which only a select few can be part of. If you want to the statuses, all you need to do is fly a lot, it's not rocket science. Likewise with the line skipping, if you want to skip lines or be fast tracked through airports then you pay your money (and fly a lot) and away you go.

Now if I'm a once in a while holiday traveller I probably wouldn't see the value of paying to be fast tracked so I'd simply suck it and see in the pleb line. However as someone who travels very frequently and has spent a lot of time in airports, I want my time there to be as short as possible, so I might think it's good value. Either way I had a choice.

That said, I have on more than one occasion chosen the pleb line's because the business lines where taking longer to get through.

 

[Mal]

You don’t (and shouldn’t) get to go to the front of the line at Vicroads just because you are registering a Porsche, instead of a Ford.
Maybe airlines pay C & I for this service, but if they do, doesn’t it almost have a tinge of corruption? If not, why does C & I permit it?

Welcome

You have interesting points, but ultimately even Govt services have "priority" queues and "general public" queues. I bet certain car dealers have access into VicRoads systems to register cars (either directly or through a 3rd party). Also, there is probably also a "dealer" window at the bigger VicRoads places where dealers can walk straight up and transact.

Ultimately services such as Customs/Immigration need to actually become revenue generating or at least self sustaining. Arrival taxes help with some of this, charging airlines also is part of it as well.

 

[Dave Noble]

In fact the govt is responsible for the APEC card , one stated benefit of which is to provide expedited access through immigration formalities

Availablle pretty much to anyone prepared to pay for one, not that different a concept except that it is a period pass rather than a one off

Dave