- Price: £25 off-peak, £35 peak
- Location: All Heathrow terminals
- Availability: Pre-book only, for arrivals between 06:00–21:00
- Book it at: heathrow.com
So, Heathrow has decided that arriving in the UK just isn’t thrilling enough without a cheeky surcharge. Enter Fast Track Arrivals, a shiny new way to skip the regular immigration line and feel very smug about it… or not.
Let’s break it down.
In This Post
What Is It?
Think of this as the E-gates for the E-gate-less. Heathrow now lets you pre-book a dedicated arrivals lane, no airline status or fancy boarding pass required. It’s open to anyone flying into any terminal, with any airline, and in any cabin class.
Whether you’ve flown First on Emirates or economy on BA, it’s all fair game as long as you cough up £25 (off-peak) or £35 (peak) per person. And yes, your toddler also needs a booking.
Who Actually Needs This?
Let’s be honest: if you’ve got access to the E-gates, skip this entirely and head straight to passport control like the rest of us frequent flyers. But if you:
- Hold a non-UK/EU/US passport,
- Are travelling with young kids (under 10 can’t use E-gates),
- Or just love the idea of skipping queues,
…then you might find this slightly overpriced shortcut mildly useful.
That said, for a family of four during peak hours, you’re looking at £140. That’s practically a British Airways Club Europe return to Geneva.
How Does It Work?
- Pre-book online (no airport sales).
- Pick a 1-hour window matching your flight’s ETA.
- Arrive, follow the signs, and show your confirmation to the Fast Track host.
- Hope there’s no queue to show your queue-jumping confirmation.
Time slots run from 06:00 to 21:00. You’ll need to cancel by 20:00 the day before if your flight gets cancelled, diverted, or delayed; otherwise, Heathrow gets to keep your cash.
Peak Time Breakdown
Because Heathrow loves complexity, peak times vary by terminal:
- T2: 06:00–09:00 & 18:00–21:00
- T3: 06:00–10:00 & 14:00–21:00
- T4: 06:00–09:00 & 12:00–21:00
- T5: 06:00–09:00 only
Outside those hours? It’s quieter anyway. Save your money for Pret.
Fine Print (Because There’s Always Fine Print)
- You can’t turn up late and expect guaranteed entry, Heathrow “will try” to accommodate you, but don’t count on it.
- Only six passengers can be booked in one go.
- Everyone in your booking must arrive together, or risk being turned away solo.
Bonus irony: Some airports have reported their fast track lanes moving slower than the regular queues. So don’t expect magic.
WingTips Verdict
If you’re E-gate eligible, skip it. Seriously. This isn’t for you.
But if you’re travelling with kids or hold a passport that makes UK immigration feel like the queue at a Taylor Swift concert, £25 might be a fair price to dodge the stress, once. For regulars, the cost adds up fast.
Would we use it if JFK offered this for inbound Brits? Absolutely.
Would we use it at Heathrow when flying Upper Class with a British passport? Not a chance.
Still Taxiing? Read On
