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Getting airside

Published: 17/03/2008 - Filed under: Archive » 2008 » April 2008 » Guide to T5 »

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Guide to T5: Getting airside

Ten minutes from the terminal entrance to the other side of security? That’s the average time BA claims it will take passengers to get airside at T5, thanks to a combination of new technology and an innovative processing system.
 
CHECK-IN

According to BA, online check-in and 96 self-service kiosks arranged in small clusters will account for 80 per cent of passengers, and staff will be on hand to sort out problems. Check-in will close 45 minutes before departure (one hour for online check-in), and passengers arriving early will be offered the option of an earlier flight (subject to availability). 
 
Behind the self-service kiosks is a line of manned fast bag-drop points. BA says passengers will never have more than one other person in front of them at either the self-service kiosks or the bag-drop points, and claims that checking luggage should only take 90 seconds.

At the back of the landside area are 54 customer-service desks. If you have problems using the self-service kiosks, or are taking excess baggage, you’ll have to check in here – however, this may be a lengthy process, as these desks will also handle ticket sales, flight changes and other customer queries. There will be premium desks in this area, but otherwise there are no premium services except for a private check-in area at the south end of the terminal for first class and Gold card passengers.

As BA is the only carrier at T5, passengers can check in anywhere, but premium customers will probably gravitate towards the south of the building, where most of the lounges are situated. The exception will be those heading for the domestic/shorthaul lounge, which is located at the north end, or those flying from satellite building T5B.

PASSPORT & VISA CHECKS

If you’re flying long-haul or to Moscow, St Petersburg, Prague or Kiev, and you’ve checked in online or at a kiosk at the terminal, you will need to go to one of the Passport and Visa Check desks before going to security. If you have luggage for the hold, your passport and visa will be checked at a fast bag-drop or customer-service desk.

SECURITY

There are two security areas, with 14 lanes in the north zone (where the public transport links emerge) and four in the south, including fast-track lanes at each end. 

The security conveyor belts now have two exits – one for possessions which have passed the check, and the other for baggage requiring examination – to avoid queues of trays (and therefore people) stacking up. The trays will also be on an automatic-return system.

Before security, passengers for domestic flights will be fingerprinted and photographed. This is to enable domestic and international passengers to use the same facilities airside, while preventing them swapping documents to evade immigration controls. The data will then be checked at the boarding gate, and destroyed within 24 hours. The system was trialled at T1 during February and March, and according to BAA has worked well.

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