Eurostar Carte Blanche minor changes

[manolan]

Eurostar are currently trialling a change whereby Carte Blanche card holders travelling on a lower class ticket cannot use the Business Premier gates at St Pancras, but have to go to the counter in that area. Depending on who is there, you may have to show both your ticket and your Carte Blanche card (in the app, even if the app is showing your status on the ticket page).

Apparently this is an 8 week trial and we are in at least the second week since this has now happened to me twice. If no one complains, it will become policy.

Eurostar staff that I chatted to hate it because it makes much more work for them. They reckon it is to encourage people to sign up to the trial of the useless face recognition check-in (which would, indeed, avoid this rigmarole).

If you have Carte Blanche and regularly travel on non Business Premier tickets, as I do, I encourage you to complain.

[Lady London]

It’s the thin end of the wedge. They’ll be restricting lounge access next.

[anuj]

I’ve never been on Eurostar, what part of the process does the face check in avoid? Apparently you still have to show your passport to border staff, is their a pre departure lounge check at the counters usually?

[John]

It avoids scanning your ticket and having eurostar staff swipe your passport to tell the UKBF database who has left the UK.

The Schengen entry process is not affected

[katef]

When the face recognition works, its a really smooth trip through the St Pancras arrangements. I’ve only used it a few times so it’s about a 50-50 pass to fall rate.

I was told by the staff this week that if I’ve booked a trip for multiple passengers, using the 2 period extra at the weekend in my Carre Blance, that they can also register for the iProov and then we could all use it on the trip, even though the seats weren’t in Business Premier.

Anyone else been told that?

[Gagravarr]

You don’t need to be in Business Premier or a Carte Blanche holder to use iProov, it’s available to any Eurostar customers. (They just don’t tell anyone else about it so you need to know to try!)

I’m back down to no Eurostar status, and had no issues using it a few weeks ago on a cheap ticket. My wife has never had any Eurostar status and likewise had no issues with using iProov and the dedicated gate/queue.

[nike85]

I believe they offer iProov to Bonvoy Elites staying at the Renaissance too.

Gagravarr wrote:

You don’t need to be in Business Premier or a Carte Blanche holder to use iProov, it’s available to any Eurostar customers…

I second this statement!

[manolan]

This “trial” is continuing. Seemingly they have no qualms about upsetting their CB (now Etoile) members.