Nice tip, plus you might have exposed a securiy loop-hole the geniuses at the airport missed.

But they let people into the French area without a border pass?

Actually they used to - I once returned a rental car to French side and  was trying to find a way to get to Swiss side for transport to Geneva.

When asked for advise some bored looking chap kept waving me to pass to general direction of Swiss side and suddenly found myself at the luggage area at the airport - did not exactly increase my confidence to the security in Geneva airport.

If I remember correctly these are 2 different things. When you go from the Swiss to French side at the airport (door next to British Airways check-in counter), you are technically in the French Airport, but have not entered the secured zone. Only way to ext is to go down the stairs and pass by baggage claim hall to pass the Swiss customs.

Just before the Swiss customs, you have the ability to pass a small security screening to get to the gates on the swiss side. For this, you will need a valid boarding pass. I wouldn't recommend it, since they might question why you are coming from France.

French side gates are only accessible if you pass through security in front of the AirFrance counters and rental car counters on the French Side. This queue is quite long when the easyjet to Paris and other French cities are about to leave.

Guy,

Two warnings:

1. I am very familiar with that route, and you should know it is not always open, only when there are connecting flights for planes arriving from France. Your wife was lucky. If anyone coming from Geneva goes through the trouble of going through to the French section, is lucky that there isn't anyone checking passports on the entrance to the French side, and there aren't many people crossing which means waiting for your turn (believe me, it does happen, as "reuterb" points out, when flights for French destinations are about to depart), comes back to the gate you are referring to and finds that it is closed, they are going to have to go through the baggage collection area, up to the departure area and into the security checks that they would have had to go to anyway.

2. Your wife happened to use that route at a time when there were few passengers going through that connecting gate. If she had arrived a bit earlier or a bit later, when the passengers from France with connecting flights for whom it is intended were going through it, she would have found that it takes a long time because it is just one screening gate for a large number of people, and there is no way to open more gates like there is upstairs.

So, try it if you feel lucky, but if you are not, you will end up waiting longer or having to go through the baggage collection area and upstairs to the normal gates.

Check the flight schedule for Sunday evening, when your wife used it, and you will find that what I just wrote fits my description. There was either a flight about to arrive from France or one had arrived sometime earlier and that is why that passage way and security screening area was open and empty.

Next time any of you arrives into Geneva, turn left just before you go into the baggage collection area and check out that screeing area, and you will see for yourself. It will either be closed or if open, you will see a line of people.

Well said.

I wouldn't recommend this tactic, under any circumstances.

The best trick is to leave home or your office earlier. If you get through security and have extra time, go shopping or have a coffee.

KEN///

My 2 centimes! 

It is a valid route from Secteur Francais to Swiss side. I always take the parking etc on the French side and stroll through to Swiss checkin etc. I have not used the single line secuirty check you are talking about for the simple fact that If I was running for a connection from my Paris flight to elsewhere and missed it due to a massive queue of lazy folks, I'd be pissed off to high heaven. And if this would occur, our little free pass into Swiss baggage, with quite French parking etc may be revoked. And as GUY B said, its nice to meet family and help with luggage etc. The simple fact is, I have in over 200 flights out of GVA have never spent longer than 40 minutes (Friday night) at security in GVA, and I think the folks do a damn awesome and fast screening in comparision to most other airports. 

There used to be a sign that you needed a boarding card to go through to swiss baggage hall from French side, but is now gone, as they are openly advertising Swiss shuttles, trains etc from the French side. 

@ Nir, no security breachs in place, as the only accesible area is the baggage carousels. All entries from gates are with one way automatic doors. 

Way I see it, enjoy teh walk through to Swiss side and vice versa, but don't abuse the security line. Its there as a convenience for those who need it. 

Contrary to my usual later routine I arrived 2 hours in advance earlier this year and missed my flight due to the queues at security. So not only did I queue for 2 hours with 2 very young children but I also had an additional 8 hr wait for the next free flight.

So even if you do arrive smugly in advance, that does not ensure that you'll catch your flight, as it relies on Geneva airport having appropriate resources for their scheduled volumes of passengers.

I spoke with many fellow frequent travellers who pass via the French side as routine without any issues. It is a route through security that is recognised by the airport.

Following Kevin's glowing praise for GVA security based on his strong 200 sample size, it's probably fair to consider my 2hr wait as the unfortunate exception rather than the rule. :)

Think so mate, tip for you if you with kids. Don't enter the security line at all. Look for Airport attendants hovering around Security. 'Geneva Angels' I think they are called and they will put you straight through the cabin crew centre aisle fast pass. See it every week, buggies etc, get in the centre line. 

Did you ask assistance from airport personnel and/or fellow passengers? They would have never allowed you to miss a plane.

Also 2h wait for security sems hard to imagine because Geneva airport just doesn't have that kind of capacity. in that scenario the que would be continued outside the building since even with the wait area in from of the security check full, it doesn't take more than half an hour for somebody to get through.

I agree. 2 hour wait for security seems a bit too much. 2 hour wait to check in in the easyjet counters seems normal though as it happened to us last christmas. In an hour we moved just 10 meters. To be fair though a bit before the flight they called those passengers forward and we checked in first. We had to wait 20 minutes to pass security though and literaly run to the gate but we made the flight. Just. 

Same here Maria. The 2hr delay was the combination of baggage check plus the 1hr20 security wait.

And no, unfortunately on this day i didnt see any people calling or ushering anyone through, probably because so many people were missing flights. The very long queue of people rebooking later flights verified that.

Clearly just the wrong day to travel.

But Kevin thanks for the top tip. I used to fly 2-3 countries a week for 3 years, but never with children, so i'm still learning.

Thanks for the feedback and good to know it operates only if French flights were coming in. 

Still I still think its nice to meet people at the baggage carousel rather than the riff raff outside 

We have also had the nasty experience of shuffling through the EasyJet check-in queues, only to have the "computers go down" just as we were about to check in, with complacement staff sitting back in their chairs with their arms folded saying they could [would not?] do nothing. Very frustrating and we were amazed that so many people took this debacle which lasted for some 20 minutes with equanimity. Seems a few missed their flights. Cheap air fares, cheap efficiency?

What i learned is that if i ever travel with easyjet and have luggage, im booking speedy boarding. Well worth the money. Otherwise security queues are not that bad if you get to the airport on time

Yes you might have a 2 hour long line at geneva airport security on all the big weekends of the charter ski season that starts mid december till end of april.

on big weekends such as whenever Geneva, VD,VS and French schools are on hollidays there are some times queues that extend from security right till Burger King restaurant. i know for a fact as i work at airport. i have even witnessed waiting lines at easyjet counter extending whole length of airport (starting at easyjet counter ending at entrance to french sector check in.)

at security for family's with kids of young age + pushchairs you can speak to a person wearing an orange vest named Airport Angels' and they will be able to usher you through the crew door.