Express Path

[Cruiser Elite]

Oh give me a break - give me a break!

My 'wad' of Express Path Cards that I have accumulated over last 10 years or so - maybe 50 in total -is likely to put an airline at risk if I distribute them to 10 or 12 recipients? Give me a break!

OK you aspiring criminals whom I have promised Express Cards to you are now on notice - if your conscious allows you to use said Express Path cards you can still have them - if not then light your cigars with them.

 

[AusTraveller]

Oh give me a break - give me a break!

My 'wad' of Express Path Cards that I have accumulated over last 10 years or so - maybe 50 in total -is likely to put an airline at risk if I distribute them to 10 or 12 recipients? Give me a break!

OK you aspiring criminals whom I have promised Express Cards to you are now on notice - if your conscious allows you to use said Express Path cards you can still have them - if not then light your cigars with them.

Maybe the criminals fly first class on their ill gotten gains and have their own express passes so everyone need not worry

 

[bass_ke]

Be careful when using express path cards when you are not entitled too.

As long as you have the card, you will always be able to use the express lane however airlines submit data to the National Passenger Facilitation Committee and Australian Customs and any airline that is observed to have more passengers using them than there should be run the risk of loosing the ability of handing them out.

So if your flying Airline A and use an Airline B express path that you didn't use last time, Airline B is at risk.

Or if you flew Airline C in Business and didn't need to use the card and used it while flying in Y the next trip (and not of high status), Airline C is at risk.

I'd hope ACBPS had better things to do than sorting express cards into piles by airline.

 

[NM]

But if you didn't use the pass on one trip, then wouldn't the issuing airline be "below quota", so using it later just balances the ledger? Might be a different result if someone was printing their own.

 

[milehighclub]

I have to make a correction. The NPFC and Australian Customs set the guidelines for the express path program.

Each airport is responsible for monitoring the program and last year the airport authorities reported an abuse of the program. Further reporting guidelines were introduced with the understanding that continued abuse of the program could result in the loss of express cards for that airline.

There are number of airlines currently on warning and should the airport authorities make a complaint against the airline, the airline could have their ability to issue express cards revoked.

I don't know how the data is recorded or what sample they take but the airports are saying that there is more people using it than there should be so imagine it's quite specific as opposed to a broad number of passengers.

It's a combination of both passenger using previous cards, and airlines handing them out when they shouldn't be (a check-in agent being nice cause it's your birthday and they don't want you to queue)

 

[TheInsider]

Absolutly there have been a few airlines that have been told to watch out for over use of the cards. Also they have been told, if they continue, their express cards will no longer be accepted and will no longer be part of the program.

 

[rickylee]

Each airport is responsible for monitoring the program and last year the airport authorities reported an abuse of the program. Further reporting guidelines were introduced with the understanding that continued abuse of the program could result in the loss of express cards for that airline. There are number of airlines currently on warning and should the airport authorities make a complaint against the airline, the airline could have their ability to issue express cards revoked.

I must confess that I have heard the same.

 

[defurax]

I admit that I give express passes to SWMBO when she's traveling without me...
Some airlines put a lot more effort in the design of their Express pass, this one is from SB:

 

[rickylee]

Well, a fancy design sure makes it easy for them to track usage rates ...

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Well at least one hardened criminal will be safe on any flt I am on - with APEC I never use EC's - so just follow me onto flt with the EC I gave you and save your other half needing to bake that hacksaw blade laden cake.

You guys pushing this line don't think their might be more EC's unused than are actually abused by llegitimate usage? Again - give me a break please.

 

[rickylee]

Break given with pleasure.

I think there is a difference between express cards given or obtained from the airline where the passenger is otherwise unentitled (so the number of express cards would exceed eligible passengers), and express cards given or obtained from an eligible passenger who doesn't use it (so the number of express cards would still be the same as eligible passengers). All this talk about the airlines being penalised only occurs with the former situation, not the latter.

 

[will2rob]

If customs are so concerned about misuse, why do they only retain the cards 50% of the time at best when you go through customs?

 

[rickylee]

If customs are so concerned about misuse, why do they only retain the cards 50% of the time at best when you go through customs?

Because they like their usage statistics to be only 50% nonsense instead being a complete nonsense.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

If customs are so concerned about misuse, why do they only retain the cards 50% of the time at best when you go through customs?

Because they like their usage statistics to be only 50% nonsense instead being a complete nonsense.

Careful what you guys post here - you might put Australian Customs 'at risk'!

 

[NM]

of course this could easily be remedied if they enforced surrendering the pass when used. The outbound passes are valid for both security screening and immigration processing, so perhaps either have the line guard at security screening "stamp" the pass as "used" or have it perforated in two parts like a traditional boarding pass where the Security Screening section is torn off at that point. And ensure the immigration officials actually collect them if you are in the express lane (in my experience its collected maybe 10% of the time).

Similar for arrivals. When used for immigration processing, a stub is removed or its stamped as used. And collected when you enter the express customs line.

The problem with unsurrendered passes being reused is not caused by the airlines, but caused by the airport authorities not collecting or making them as having been used. Why penalise teh airlines and their passengers because the airport or immigration/customs officials don't collect them?

 

[rickylee]

The problem with unsurrendered passes being reused is not caused by the airlines, but caused by the airport authorities not collecting or making them as having been used. Why penalise teh airlines and their passengers because the airport or immigration/customs officials don't collect them?

I agree, wholeheartedly.

 

[TomVexille]

So is the issue unsurrendered passes, or that people like Cruiser Elite have many surplus since they use things like APEC cards?

 

[rickylee]

I think the issue is that there are more cards in circulation than there should be - that is the fault of airlines being too generous or liberal with these cards; also pertinently, they do not always collect the cards, so the statistics with which the airports use to warn the airlines about systematic abuse is cough anyway.

So, in short, Cruiser Elite is not at fault in any way, and I am not just saying that because he is sending me some extra cards (as a QF WP I am entitled to them anyway but I am often asleep through an entire flight and forget to ask for them).

 

[TomVexille]

I think the issue is that there are more cards in circulation than there should be - that is the fault of airlines being too generous or liberal with these cards; also pertinently, they do not always collect the cards, so the statistics with which the airports use to warn the airlines about systematic abuse is cough anyway.

So, in short, Cruiser Elite is not at fault in any way, and I am not just saying that because he is sending me some extra cards (as a QF WP I am entitled to them anyway but I am often asleep through an entire flight and forget to ask for them).

But who decides who is eligible for a card? Is it up to the airlines, the airport, or Customs and Immigration? And do they got to all J and F pax? Or all status pax? or both?

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Good people just a tip - if you pm me seeking some EC's with a message along the lines - "if you still have some to spare would greatly appreciate if you could send some my way" will get a lot more consideration than - "I need a minimum of 3 outgoing and incoming" - just sayin'.