UK airport offers genius service to skip queues at security — and you can get it free

With ever-changing liquid rules, school holiday chaos and people who just can’t follow instruction, going through airport security is rife with anxiety.

No matter how much time you give yourself, you somehow always end up watching the clock tick by, terrified your gate is about to close.

But there’s a little-known hack that can save you the stress of those dreaded queues.

TimeSlot is a service which allows passengers to schedule when they go through security.

It’s as simple as booking a delivery slot for your groceries: you simply go to the TimeSlot website, select your flight and a time you’d like to go through — and that’s pretty much it.

Currently availale at Manchester Airport at T2 and T3, the airport describes the system as ‘perfect for those organised travellers who like to stick to a schedule’. 

How does Manchester Airport’s TimeSlot service work?

Once you’ve booked online, you’ll get a confirmation email and a QR code. Simply arrive at the airport at your designated time, and head to the TimeSlot lane, where you show the QR code and your boarding pass for scanning.

Passengers can book up to 14 days in advance, although you’ll want to get in there quick during the busy holiday period. It’s available to book every day from T2 from 03:30am to 07:30am and 11:30am to 3:00pm, and in T3 from 4am to 6pm. 

The service is affordable, with some times even free of charge, and the most expensive at £4.99 per person. You can book groups up to six.

Be warned though, TimeSlot may not stick around forever. Heathrow trailed the service for six months in 2023, and it’s no longer available at the airport. Manchester is currently the only airport where TimeSlot is available to book.

What have people said about TimeSlot?

Travel influencer, Raimee, tried TimeSlot at Heathrow back in October 2023.

Speaking in a TikTok video, she said: ‘This is the coolest thing I’ve seen any airport do.’

Sharing screengrabs of Timeslot, Raimee continued: ‘You’ll make your way to the specific area in Heathrow – there are signs everywhere, you’ll be able to find it.’

The video shows Raimee taking her liquids out, and heading on through security.

Raimee, who is from the USA, adds: ‘I am not kidding when I say I got through Heathrow security in less than five minutes.’

I’m not flying from Manchester Airport — is there another way to beat the queues?

FastTrack, which is available at airports across the UK, allows travellers to bypass the crowds at security and join a different, shorter queue.

Prices vary, but at Heathrow, a FastTrack pass costs from £12.50 per person, at Edinburgh it’s £7 and at Bristol it’s £6.

You don’t book to arrive at a specific time, but rather you can use your pass to join the FastTrack queue whenever you choose.

TimeSlot on the other hand, is about scheduling in the specific time you’ll arrive and pass through security.

Is paying to jump the queue worth it?

According to Which?, the average time spent going through security at UK airports last year was 19 minutes. 

So, it depends on what kind of traveller you are. If you airports send you into a mild panic, you might want to do it for your own peace of mind. However, if you aren’t too concerned, you could think about saving yourself the cash, as you’ll likely be queing for less than 20 minutes.

It’s also worth considering when you’re flying (as queues will inevitably be longer during peak times) and how many of you are travelling. For example, FastTrack passes for a family of four at Heathrow Airport will set you back £50.

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