Bits: BA to buy Finnair?, new eGates at T5 – or pay £12.50 at Gatwick, free Azimo FX transfers

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• Drolma-la says:

  26 Oct26 October 08:22

  For FX transfer, one oft-ignored but extremely important consideration is which bank the FX company uses to transfer from and which bank you are transferring to. If these two banks are the same, you can often avoid a hefty at the receiving end of the transfer. As for the vagaries of exchange rates, there’s a comparison engine for that. But I’ve found that the overall cost of the transfer is best when the question of the banks at either end is taken into consideration.

• Mr(s) Entitled says:

  26 Oct26 October 08:49

  Wait, BA care about the ‘regions’?

  • Rob says:

    26 Oct26 October 09:03

    IAG cares! Raft of new Vueling routes just announced.

    • James67 says:

      26 Oct26 October 09:15

      LCC flights region to region are welcome but not all that we need, more region to hub routes on international carriers are much more needed in my view. However, to be fair to IAG we have seen increased connectivity from the regions to MAD so hopefully we can expect same to DUB and HEL.

      • Erico1875 says:

        26 Oct26 October 11:01

        If you are a cash buyer, choice from Scotland is excellent. You can get almost anywhere without going near London.
        With Avios, esp shorthaul, its a pain since they did away with the free connection

        • James67 says:

          26 Oct26 October 11:43

          The free connection more of a loss for those wanting a free Lonon stopover. Where cheap direct flights were available, say SK to CPH for around £80, avios were a waste of time anyway unless you were avios rich and/or had a familh and wanted to save some cash.

    • Erico1875 says:

      26 Oct26 October 14:31

      “IAG cares! Raft of new Vueling routes just announced”
      Thanks

      EDI to Alicante and Milan.

      Can these be booked with Avios?

      • Erico1875 says:

        26 Oct26 October 14:40

        Strange. Above was from Routesonline.

        EDI website says Its Rome (FCO) Paris (ORY) and Alicante

      • Rob says:

        26 Oct26 October 14:52

        Yes, via Iberia Plus. More tomorrow.

        • Erico1875 says:

          26 Oct26 October 15:21

          Brill. 🙂

        • James67 says:

          26 Oct26 October 15:56

          Always double check the fare before plashing out youravios though, there might nit be much difference compared to tax and fees.

• James Alexander says:

  26 Oct26 October 09:18

  Where are these T5 gates?
  I’m sick of arriving T5 from USA connecting to UK and being forced into long lines where (like yesterday) there’s only 2 or 3 officers while gates are flying open. Paying 1st or Club gets non EU px thru fasttrack yet we Brits who pay 1st or Biz get no help to speed us en route to tight connections.

• Chris says:

  26 Oct26 October 09:40

  I have to confess that having spent over half an hour trying to get through security at Gatwick just last week I would quite happily pay the £12.50 and leave a tip!

  It was not a nice experience at all.

  • Aeronaut says:

    26 Oct26 October 10:33

    Through security (outbound, i.e. flying out) or through passport control (inbound, i.e. after flying in)?

    I suspect the latter.

  • Frenske says:

    26 Oct26 October 21:20

    Yeah I was wondering what they would do if the £12.50 scheme doesn’t take off. Lower the amount of security staff to increase queue lengths and hold a big pointy arrow to their new service.

• CV3V says:

  26 Oct26 October 10:34

  As a follow on to James comments, can anyone advise on whether fast track immigration / security for business class passengers on an non EU passport at T5 exists? On one busy night, my OH tried to transfer through on Fast Track Immigration after BA crew gave them a pass. On presenting the pass at the immigration queue they were told Heathrow doesn’t accept them as BA had stopped paying for the service! (they should take the signs down if that’s the case). They then ended up in a 40 min queue for the non EU passports.

• Gulz says:

  26 Oct26 October 11:21

  On the topic of Azimo, does anyone know that a transfer paid for on a credit card is considered a purchase or a cash withdrawal?

• Simmo says:

  26 Oct26 October 11:40

  Has anybody tried to book these Premium lanes at Gatwick?
  At the payment page there is the following 3 options:

  Paypal, Credit Card or No Payment Option

  No payment option….. ????????????? Huh?????????? – Seems to go through with a booking reference? What do they want you to do pay when there?

• James67 says:

  26 Oct26 October 12:07

  Sort of OT but still on the subject of immigration at UK airports, just curious if anybody else hates all those cordons they have to control queues and passenger flow at checkin, security, immigration, boarding etc? In UK airports they are everywhere and excessive, and at quiet times a hindrance rather than a help. I think they must have a negative effect of visitors first impressions because they are increasingly rare at airports outside the UK and all the airport functions largely continue in an orderly manner. On passing through the new DOH airport for the first time the most noticeabke thing to me, apart from the gruesone teddy, was the lack of obstacles, cordons, barriers etc and it was much more pleasant as a result.

  • CV3V says:

    26 Oct26 October 16:27

    Agreed, once when I arrived into DXB for a connecting flight the security was chaos. I watched one little group of people walk off down a corridor and looking above them saw a sign marked as ‘connections’, deciding to take a gamble I followed them and after a few minutes walk arrived at a fully staffed security area with no queues! At T5 connections I always seem to end up in the roped off area with the largest queue for immigration, always been tempted to dodge under the ropes to use the e gates on the assumption I missed a sign somewhere that gave me the option to use them!

    Has EDI sorted out how to work its new security screening area? I never want a repeat of the chaos there, queues were back up through the food area!

    • James67 says:

      26 Oct26 October 21:08

      It can be chaotic but at lots of airports, even very busy ones, it usually works just fine without the barriers. I’m visually impaired so works to my advantage speeding me through airports. At EDI I get through a gate to the right and straight to front of a security screen. Downside is they pester me to get out of the lounge early to get to the plane on time for preboarding. Heathrow is a nightmare for me navigating all the barriers. If it’s not busy I just duck under them or unfasten them and take straight route to screening. Usually once i or somebody else starts it, lot’s of others then follow like sheep and staff never complain. It’s a different story if busy; then I usally just ask staff for assistance so that I don’t inconvenie ce other passengers.

    • Alan says:

      27 Oct27 October 00:19

      I must say sometimes at T5 I’ve found it quicker to go out through the eGates landside and back through normal security than wait for connection immigration/security!

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