Heathrow Airport now selling Fast Track security access, including at Terminal 5

Not a lot of people know what Heathrow Airport sells Fast Track security access.  You can find it on the Heathrow website here.

The price is not exactly a bargain at £12.50 per person.  It does not vary by terminal.

For comparison, Gatwick Airport charges £5 and discounts this to £4 via the MyGatwick portal.  More interestingly, you also get it for free if you spend £6 to reserve your place in the No 1 Lounges lounge which guarantees you entry if you are planning to use a Priority Pass or Lounge Club card.

The problem with this service, even if you can swallow the cost, is that Fast Track is usually not that fast.  In fact, the main benefit of this new service as far as I’m concerned is that it may encourage Heathrow to make Fast Track genuinely ‘fast’.

Take my last three visits to the ‘super premium’ Heathrow Terminal 5 First Wing where – on two occasions – we have been stuck in a lengthy queue and with only one of the two security belts operational.

There is a little quirk to the new Heathrow Fast Track service.  In Terminal 5, you can only use it at North Security – although this is the one nearest the tube and Heathrow Express exit.  The Fast Track lane at the North end of Terminal 5 is probably the best-kept secret at Heathrow because it is totally separate to the main security lanes, separated by some shops.

You can find out more on the Heathrow Airport website here.

PS.  You earn Heathrow Rewards points if you do choose to pay the £12.50

How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (December 2021)

As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!

There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:

British Airways American Express

5,000 Avios for signing up, no annual fee and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending ….. Read our full review

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

25,000 Avios and the UK’s most valuable credit card perk – the 2-4-1 companion voucher Read our full review

You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points, such as:

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & two airport lounge passes Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express

30,000 points and an unbeatable set of travel benefits – for a fee Read our full review

Run your own business?

We recommend Capital On Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, along with a sign-up bonus worth 10,500 Avios:

Capital On Tap Business Rewards Visa

The most generous Avios Visa or Mastercard for a limited company Read our full review

You should also consider the British Airways Accelerating Business credit card. This is open to sole traders as well as limited companies and has a 30,000 Avios sign-up bonus:

British Airways Accelerating Business American Express

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Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.

(Want to earn more Avios?  Click here to visit our home page for our latest articles on earning and spending your Avios points and click here to see how to earn more Avios this month from offers and promotions.)