Heathrow airport now selling Fast Track security access again

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• Terry says:

  26 May26 May 07:10

  Even better, to my mind, was the ability at Gatwick, before the pandemic, to pay for express border control. This doesn’t seem to have come back though🙉

  • Rob says:

    26 May26 May 07:27

    Stansted still does this.

  • Blair Waldorf Salad says:

    26 May26 May 08:18

    I paid for Gatwick passport fast track earlier this month

    • Toppcat says:

      26 May26 May 08:49

      Me too. It is definitely available, and makes such a difference with young kids.

• Tim says:

  26 May26 May 07:27

  “It’s worth noting that the ‘timeslot’ trial is still running at Terminal 3. This allows you to pre-book a security slot in a dedicated line, and there is no charge at all.“

  Last Thursday, it took ages to get through the Fast Track at T3. When you weren’t stationary due to overcrowding beyond the gate line, you moved at a snail’s pace. Lots of disquiet in the queue and at one point a duty manager appeared and asked the staff what was going on. Meanwhile, the regular non-priority queue was moving very quickly.

  • Tom says:

    26 May26 May 07:41

    Same at T4 a couple of days ago. There were maybe six people ahead of me and it still took over 10 minutes to get through as the staff made it clear they were in no rush at all. Other than in the T5 First Wing (where the staff are still occasionally rude) I find Heathrow security staff to be very poor overall. At least it’s not MAN, I guess.

    • icg2201 says:

      26 May26 May 08:03

      I flew through MAN T1 on Friday, going through security at around 10am. There was not a single person in front of me…the fastest security processing I’ve ever experienced, anywhere.

      • Tom says:

        26 May26 May 08:13

        I should perhaps have said at least it’s not MAN T3 – I can guarantee you 99.9% of the passengers that used Fast Track there on Friday did not have your experience.

        • Novice says:

          26 May26 May 11:27

          I time going through security in MAN now. I enjoy annoying the staff who for years have annoyed me. The fastest so far in security was 13 minutes. So it’s not fast at all.

        • icg2201 says:

          26 May26 May 17:15

          I didn’t use Fast Track – there was absolutely nobody in front of me at all!

    • The Jetset Boyz says:

      26 May26 May 08:07

      T4 Fast Track doesn’t have signage or staff encouraging more than one person at a time to load up the trays for the scanner.

      While going through a week ago there was a large Indian family – one was in a wheelchair and only two of them spoke English, and only one of them unloading at a time… that caused the queue to very quickly back up.

      Giving more than one person access to load up trays is a small tweak that definitely speeds things up.

      • Bagoly says:

        26 May26 May 12:07

        LGW gets this right with 5 loading places.

        BER has marked 3, but they are not wide enough, so passengers tend to do just 1 rather than 2.
        And I have twice had staff in the priority lane there who seemed very well-meaning – helpfully arranging the trays, but completely unaware that the limiting factor is nearly always the scanner, so not ensuring it was continually fed.
        Some staff don’t want to learn, but for those that do, explaining the idea of a critical path in a project would help enormously.

        • Novice says:

          26 May26 May 14:39

          This is my point Bagoly. Things seem to be designed/planned with little thought gone into how the whole process would work in reality.

          A bit like the scanners who everyone is waiting for. Staff who man these scanners still want to open your luggage.

          I actually once wrote a massive email and sent it as a complaint to MAN because of their shambles security. I have travelled enough countries to be able to compare services now and I was questioning the fact that why does the security seem so tight for flights leaving UK when it’s so lax for arrivals. I had been to African and South American countries where they just put your luggage case through a scanner quickly and that’s it. No opening it or checking anything else. Surely, if it was to keep UK safe wouldn’t they insist on making sure every plane that’s heading here has been through similar security.

          Doesn’t make sense to my logical mind.

          MAN just apologised to me that I wasn’t a satisfied customer and that’s it 😂

• Captain Haddock says:

  26 May26 May 08:24

  So, my understanding is that you can take one guest through Fastrack if you’re BA Silver. Would that mean purchasing two of these could then take a family of four through Fastrack, or will they say computer says no?

  • John says:

    26 May26 May 10:44

    I don’t see how the computer would say no to this.

    Anyway at the staffed gate the human makes the decision to let you in or not.

• HampshireHog says:

  26 May26 May 08:51

  Wonder if Mastercard will add Heathrow fast track?

• Gosia44 says:

  26 May26 May 08:58

  LHR T5 last Friday morning definitely not fast at the South Fast Track. Queue so long they had to suspend letting people through the gates for about 10 min. Too many people using the fast track these days and they want to add even more by charging £12??!?.
  Improvement is badly needed!

  • Blair Waldorf Salad says:

    26 May26 May 09:39

    I’ve said it before here – the single greatest improvement to security wait times (standard or fast track) would be to have a separate lane for the disabled/rarely travelled/nervous travellers/bewildered. Removing that cohort would vastly speed up tray loading times and tray rejection rates. And it would be a humane measure as I’ve seen many rarely travelled older people get into an anxious spiral once they do one wrong thing.

    • Gosia44 says:

      26 May26 May 09:46

      I would add families with children below 5 to that group. For some reason they tend to slow down the tray loading significantly.

      • John says:

        26 May26 May 10:46

        My child turned 5 this week. For the past 4 years it is other travellers who slow us down

      • Bagoly says:

        26 May26 May 12:04

        Didn’t LGW South use to have a special lane for families and disabled that was walled off? I remember it being marketed as to help them avoid the stress of the main lines, but might indeed have speeded up the main lines.

        • Gosia44 says:

          26 May26 May 17:34

          I was referring to the South Fast Track at Heathrow T5. Not sure about Gatwick.

    • Lady London says:

      26 May26 May 10:12

      +1,001 @BWS

      What would you put on a sign, though, to make these passengers self-identify themselves into that queue? Maybe “Infrequent Travellers Queue Here?” somewhow does not have that zip

    • Novice says:

      26 May26 May 11:37

      I agree with you BWS but I think for disabled people they can complain it’s discrimination because not all people using wheelchairs are old or slow. I don’t know about London but in my various trips to MAN, I have noticed that 90% are older or clueless wheelchair users. 10% are faster than all the groups mentioned including families and couples in security.

      But I understand what you mean.

      • HampshireHog says:

        26 May26 May 11:45

        Yes but wheelchair folk and their oft extended families all get to push to the front security and boarding now. Isn’t that discrimination against me?

        • BSI1978 says:

          26 May26 May 11:53

          Wow …

        • Novice says:

          26 May26 May 14:48

          Yh I think they should factor this in. If a wheelchair person is solo then they may go first but if are letting extended group go in same lane then no.

          My granny always goes separately in wheelchair lane with the airport wheelchair person. All the rest of the family go in the normal lane.

    • Alan Wheeler says:

      26 May26 May 22:19

      And you think it’s fair to expect all of these groups of people to admit they fit the descriptions?

• Nick G says:

  26 May26 May 09:03

  Wonder if it should be added on the platinum or gold card as a benefit…..

• Paul says:

  26 May26 May 09:03

  Rather than get excited at the prospect of Heather plundering your wallet to use their facilities, should there not be a campaign to simply insist that the service improves for everyone? Perhaps a proper service level
  Agreement with UK261 style penalties charges that make it worthwhile to deliver a service.
  You are paying up to £40 or more to simply walk through the doors and this does not include the iniquitous drop off fee, the outrageous Heathrow express and Elizabeth line access fees, or the scandalous parking charges.
  And all the while the worst smelling public lavs I know! The one in domestic arrival can be smelt in the baggage hall depending on the wind direction

  • qrfan says:

    26 May26 May 09:25

    Or how about a TSA pre-check equivalent that ensures any wombles who can’t understand basic security rules aren’t in the same queue as anyone who travels with any frequency? Forget the actual phsyical difference of what stays in your bag etc. – the main benefit is filtering out the clueless.

    • Blair Waldorf Salad says:

      26 May26 May 09:40

      Yes I’ve added similar above but just spotted this comment.

  • TGLoyalty says:

    26 May26 May 11:07

    You understand the reason it’s faster is because it limits access to the few? Simple supply / demand and they are matching that by charging a premium.

    The new scanners should make its faster for all as you’ll no longer mess around with taking things out of bags but let’s face it it’s usually people that don’t understand the rules that slow down clearing security not Heathrow staff or machinery

    • Qrfan says:

      26 May26 May 11:42

      That’s a really naive take. TSA pre costs $70 for 5 years – if you fly even once a year it’s a rounding error on your travel cost. The line moves faster as everyone in that line values their time enough to pay, and is switched on enough to have bothered in the first place.

      • TGLoyalty says:

        26 May26 May 12:25

        What’s a naive take ? TSA-pre isn’t the same as fast track security. Fast track security is quite simply smaller queues because they have paid to use it or they have travelled so much they get to join a smaller queue.

        It’s pre screened travellers it’s faster than the normal lines because the people know what they are doing … see the second half of my post which is about what slows down regular security …

• Lady London says:

  26 May26 May 10:26

  Do you think there’s a theme here Paul?

  – Want to pass through airport checkin or security in a reasonable time ? Pay. Or be élite so you (or your employer) paid already.

  – Want to receive medical treatment ? If it’s not an emergency, to get seen reasonably soon by a practitioner who can get you treatment reasonably soon then you have to pay.

  – Want your kids guaranteed to receive at least a reasonable minumum standard of education? You pay.

  – Dare to access an airport in a private vehicle even if it’s because you have very young children or an elderly parent that can’t walk? You pay.

  There’s a theme here that is not unlike some other countries. Hypocrisy – the countrty not stating how it works and the fact that basic rights and levels of service are no longer available without extra payment – seems to be a bit of it.

  • TGLoyalty says:

    26 May26 May 11:08

    Demand is high … supply is lower … matched with a limiting factor … money.

  • Novice says:

    26 May26 May 11:52

    Thanks to the US wannabe’s political party @Lady London. Now they want to stay in power for another few years to wreck the country further.

    I personally think the best solution for security to be faster is that when they check your passport just before security, they should check how many pages are full of stamps etc because that would show them if you are clueless or not. Then they should send you through to the lane depending on how many stamps you have. Admittedly, people with a lot of European travel will still get lumped with ppl who are clueless but I like to think vast majority of people who love to travel would have enough countries’ stamps to put them in the faster lane.

    That’s how I would do it if I was the person in charge.

    • Bagoly says:

      26 May26 May 12:01

      No, for the reason you mention about European travel.
      But based on number of flights taken in past 24 months might be more reasonable – the systems can provide the information

      • Novice says:

        26 May26 May 12:26

        See my post pg 2

    • Can2 says:

      26 May26 May 14:30

      Freq fliers are also freq passport renewers

      • Novice says:

        26 May26 May 14:53

        If they are that frequent then surely they might have a hassle the first couple times they get checked for being clueless then after that they should have enough stamps for no hassle.

        • TGLoyalty says:

          26 May26 May 16:57

          lol its the worst suggestion I’ve heard in a while. You don’t think there will be a backlog from people checking passports for stamps before they pass to security 😂

          If you’re a frequent traveller who knows what they are doing but not enough to have status or not inconvenienced enough to pay £12.50 then just join the same queue as everyone else.

          You both want cheap af fares where everything is unbundled and a service race to the bottom and the best possible service.

        • Novice says:

          26 May26 May 17:44

          TGLoyalty, how do I want cheap if 90% of my flights are booked with my own money and all business. I hardly ever use points and I don’t have an employer paying for my flights either.

          It takes a second to check for stamps and they already check the passport before you enter the lanes.

        • Novice says:

          26 May26 May 17:48

          Maybe you are happy with the shitty service and systems because you don’t pay for anything with your own money. Why would you care if business class passengers are treated same as economy class passengers on the ground if you haven’t paid for your flights?

        • Can2 says:

          26 May26 May 17:49

          I’d like to see you run an airport
          Or a playground for that matter

        • Can2 says:

          26 May26 May 17:50

          eBay would be filled with fake stamps just for that purpose.
          Market. Economics.

        • TGLoyalty says:

          26 May26 May 17:56

          @Novice if you pay for business you get fast track … if you pay for business at an airport without a proper fast track then either complain to your airline, stop booking business via them or try a different airport.

          It wasn’t specifically about you and your personal circumstances but the way the British public are thinking in general all across the country.

          They want the cheapest prices but the best service the two just aren’t compatible

        • TGLoyalty says:

          26 May26 May 17:58

          @Novice never had my passport checked before I enter security in the U.K. … they scan your boarding pass at the speed gate to let you in. So are we talking cross purposes.

        • Novice says:

          26 May26 May 18:29

          I have no choice but to use MAN unless I want to drive 4 hours to LHR. And I already said that airlines should be making it clear that premium passengers should have priority. But they don’t care about ground services.

          MAN doesn’t really seem to have a proper fast track. And just before you get in the lanes I am sure they have staff who quickly check your passport.

          I am not saying I have the perfect solutions but at least I am contributing ideas. A lot of people here just like to mock others’ ideas or opinions but can’t come up with anything themselves.

        • Novice says:

          26 May26 May 18:30

          Tgloyalty, that’s what I meant they check boarding pass which usually is in the passport well mine is anyway.

        • TGLoyalty says:

          26 May26 May 18:34

          The machine scans your boarding pass. The person at “fast track” is usually just checking your pass to see if you’re eligible if they checked every persons passport for stamps it would take about 3 minutes to scrap that policy. It’s not feasible.

        • Novice says:

          26 May26 May 19:52

          TGLoyalty, you may be right. I never said my suggestions were perfect. But surely, the persons’ flight class is written on the boarding pass so they can use my other solution which is to just have a separate business class lane where nobody can pay to get fast track.

          Also, the people saying about status… that status holders are somehow loyal so they deserve better treatment is not true. Vast majority of status holders have gained the status on their employers’ money so it is hardly loyalty if it isn’t even your choice/money. I bet the vast majority of these status holders travel on other airlines when they have a choice then they have the audacity to act like people who don’t hold status due to being leisure travellers as somehow inferior.

        • TGLoyalty says:

          26 May26 May 21:18

          Their money or their employers it’s their time and their bum in the seat and probably them that chose the airline or alliance when the flights were booked. It’s not who paid the bill but rather who decided on the product they’d fly/hotel they’d stay that matters. And if they’re flying business status doesn’t really matter unless they’re getting first service ilo business for example.

          I’ll have to say it again the airline is the one that’s letting you down because they should be the voice of the customer. If they want to pay for a dedicated first and/or business lane then I’m sure they could.

          Also not to Labour the point but you are simply paying for those ground services in your plane ticket. You aren’t any more special than the person paying £xx that the airport seems the value of the fast track service as the airline paid for you exactly what that eco customer paid (in fact they probably paid a bulk discount price so you paid less)

          The only place you’re “superior” is in the air even then eco customers can sometimes choose an exit row with more legroom and even buy a better meal and better drinks with the cash saving vs the bundled business fare.

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