Passengers at London Luton Airport and Manchester Airport can now skip standard security queues by pre-booking a dedicated time slot, with Luton offering the service entirely free of charge. The schemes, which require only a quick online registration, are designed to reduce stress and waiting times for travellers.
How Luton's free Prebook Security works
London Luton Airport operates a service called Prebook Security, allowing passengers to reserve a 30-minute window for passing through security. The booking can be made from as early as four days before travel up to 60 minutes before the planned arrival at the airport. The service is completely free and available from 3am to 3pm, covering most early morning and daytime flights.
To use it, passengers visit the Prebook Security page on Luton Airport's website and click 'book a slot'. After entering flight details, they choose a half-hour slot that suits them. Once registered, a QR code is issued, which must be shown to security staff to access the dedicated lane.
Not every flight is eligible, and slots on popular routes at peak times can book up quickly, so early booking is advised.
Manchester's Timeslot: low-cost alternative
Manchester Airport uses a similar system called Timeslot, which can be booked up to 60 days in advance for up to six passengers. Unlike Luton's free service, Manchester's slots are not always free; they range from £0 to £4.99, with last-minute bookings or slots on busy early morning routes at the higher end. However, this remains cheaper than the airport's fast track service, which starts at £5.49.
The Timeslot service operates from 3am to 10pm. Passengers enter their flight details on the TimeSlot website to see recommended times, then choose a slot and register to receive a QR code to show at security.
Other European airports and expert advice
Consumer group Which? has compiled a list of European airports offering free security pre-booking, including Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Rome, Düsseldorf, Cologne, Hamburg, Hannover, and Lyon. This could benefit organised travellers returning to the UK.
Which? also advised on the value of premium security lanes: "On a typical day for most passengers, paying for airport fast track is a waste of money. Our latest survey revealed that passengers are likely to wait less than 20 minutes, on average, in the standard queue."
The group added that paying to skip queues may be worthwhile during peak holiday periods, at large busy airports, during operational disruptions, or when travellers are running late or have tight connections.
