Airport fast track: is it worth paying to speed up security and passport control?

The average time spent going through security at UK airports last year was 19 minutes. For passport control - when coming back into the country - it was just 17 minutes.

These figures are based on estimates from thousands of travellers who took part in our annual airports survey. Official statistics from the airports themselves insist that queue times are even shorter - as little as five minutes to pass security at most big airports.

The implication is that for most of us, most of the time, paying for fast-track security or passport control is a waste of money.

A family of four would pay £190 on a return trip through Heathrow Airport - to knock, at best, a few minutes off queue times.

But there are rare occasions at some airports where you might consider paying. We have queue time estimates for security and passport control for 30 major UK airports.

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What does airport fast track promise?

Fast-track security promises passengers a stress-free experience so they have more time to relax, eat and shop. It operates on our worry that the wait at airport security will be long, and suggests we pay to skip to the front of the queue.

Press stories and images such as those seen at Birmingham Airport last year - where security queues snaked all the way outside the terminal - encourage the view that you might need to skip the queue, to avoid missing your flight.

Should I book airport security fast track?

Our research found that at most airports, you shouldn't bother. Passengers at Gatwick, Heathrow and Edinburgh estimated that queue times were just over 15 minutes. Many airports are even faster. 

According to the airports' own data, queues are much shorter. Even one of the worst airports for queues in our survey, Manchester, told us last year that '97% of our passengers queued for less than 15 minutes to get through security, and 90% waited for less than 10 minutes'.

Luton Airport told us this year that average queue waiting times are just six minutes. 

When we looked at the terms and conditions of using fast track, many airports don't even guarantee that fast-track queues will be quicker.

One airport, Leeds Bradford, told us last year that its fast-track security is 52% quicker than the ordinary queue - but other large airports didn't reply when we asked how much quicker fast track is.

Queue times at airport security 

When should I book fast-track security at Birmingham Airport?

Birmingham Airport had the highest estimate of security queue times in our survey - almost half an hour. This is partly because, early last year, it became one of the first large airports to introduce the latest security scanners. It was then hit by government changes to the rules around the operation of the scanners, causing major disruption. Queues were so long in May and June 2024 that they ended up outside the main entrance. Some passengers missed their flights as a result.

However, the queues have gone back to normal since then. We'd only advise booking fast track if there's another significant issue with the security lanes.

Should I book fast-track security at Heathrow Airport?

Queue time estimates at the worst Heathrow terminal, Terminal 4 (23 minutes) were six minutes higher than at the best - Terminal 5 (17 minutes). 

But security queues at the airport are rarely long at any terminal. According to its official figures, published online, queues take less than five minutes on average at every terminal. This is only a measure of waiting time (they deduct time spent walking from one part of the queue area to another), but it does suggest that paying for 'fast track' would be a waste of money.

When should I book fast-track security at Manchester Airport?

Manchester Airport is the lowest-rated airport in our survey and got just one star for security queues last year (look out for an updated airports table in September). This is partly a reflection of its queue times, but also takes in passengers' experience of those queues - how efficient, friendly and relaxed they are.

However, even at Manchester, it hardly seems worth paying extra to knock a few minutes off your queue time.  A family of four could pay £100 to use fast-track security and passport queues (prices vary by terminal) but they'd most likely only get through a few minutes quicker than everybody else.

When might you want to pay for fast-track security?

You’re most likely to feel the benefit of fast track when travelling at peak times of the day, during the holidays, and at the most overcrowded airports. This is even more likely to be the case if there is strike action or other delays.

Early morning, before 9am, is usually the busiest time. We asked the UK's biggest airports when their queues are longest, and those that replied all said queues are longest between 4am and 9am, for the first flights of the day. The quietest times are typically in the afternoons and evenings. 

Unfortunately, when you most need fast track it might not be available. During the worst periods for Birmingham Airport last year, fast-track security was suspended to prioritise getting as many people through as fast as possible.

What does passport fast-track promise?

The implication of fast-track passport control passes is that the queues when you arrive back in the UK can be excessive.

Birmingham Airport promises that by spending £20 on Premium Arrivals Fast Track, you can 'skip the long general queue' at arrivals. Third-party providers of fast-track passes make similar promises of avoiding long queues at other airports.

They suggest that the fast track is best for business travellers, families with small children and older people who might struggle to stand for long periods of time.

Should I book passport control fast-track

No - it's much more expensive than fast track for security queues - and it's unlikely to be worth it. Our passenger estimate of queue times at Birmingham Airport is only 20 minutes - and at most other airports it's less. Average times will be higher in the peak summer season, but unless you're hearing of reports of long delays, or you're in a great hurry, you still shouldn't be waiting for long.

Many airports don't have fast-track passport control - but at those which do, it ranges from £15 (Gatwick, Glasgow and Manchester) to £35 (Heathrow at peak times).

Bear in mind that it's never worth booking fast-track passport control if you've got luggage to collect. You'll just spend more time waiting by the luggage carousel.

Keep an eye on our coverage of strikes and other disruptions to see if there's industrial action at your airport this summer. That could add to queue times.

Passenger estimates of queuing time at passport control

Airport fast-track security and passport queue costs compared 

We’ve researched schemes at 11 of the UK's largest airports. Fees are usually higher where you can book on the day.

Fast track: why you should read the small print 

There's one reason for booking fast track – to get through faster – but some airports admit that can't guaranteed. There are other caveats to watch out for before you part with your money.

• Not always guaranteed Birmingham, East Midlands, Manchester and Stansted airports all say they can’t guarantee that the fast-track lane will be quicker than the standard lanes.
• No freebies for kids Some airports require all passengers, even babies and infants, to buy a fast-track ticket. A family of four could pay £190 to bypass the queues at Heathrow Airport - security and passport - despite its official statistics telling us that queues are minimal.
• No buggies If you’re travelling with young children, you might be tempted to pay extra for fast track. But be warned that some schemes, such as those at East Midlands, Manchester and Stansted, won’t let you through with pushchairs, prams or car seats.
• Advance bookings While Gatwick and Glasgow allow only advance bookings, you can buy fast-track tickets in the terminal at most other airports, although this may be more expensive. At East Midlands, Manchester and Stansted, the turn-up price is the same, so you could wait to see how long the queues are before shelling out. However, you do have to book at least an hour before your flight departs.