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How to get fast track immigration at London Heathrow LHR

If you aren’t familiar with fast track immigration it’s a service that is provided that allows passengers to bypass the LONNNNNNNNGGGGG lines at immigration and “fast track” themselves through a short one. It’s one of those things that makes traveling international so much easier. Immigration can often take an hour, sometimes two, just to get through. Having a fast track pass makes the trip much, much better. So here’s how to get fast track immigration at London Heathrow LHR

• Fly in a premium cabin
• Carry elite airline status
• Registered Travel ( e-gate as well )
• Buy Fast Track Immigration

Fly in a premium cabin

 

If you’re in business or higher, the odds are extremely high that you will be given a fast track pass. This doesn’t have to be a paid ticket, you’ll be given a pass for fast track using points as well. Check out the list of Fast Track Participating Airlines. Look at the arrival column – the middle one. *List courtesy of www.heathrow.com

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Fast Track immigration is also given for airline status.

One world – Sapphire, Emerald

For instance, Terminal 5 is the BA terminal. So the only airlines you’ll receive Fast Track with are BA and Iberia. Both owned by the parent company, IAG. However, as you can see below…multiple airlines gain Fast Track access with status in terminal 3. Now, the One World website says that only One World Emerald gains access. However, when I flew BA I was given a fast track and it specifically mentioned Sapphires as having access. Look at the feature picture.

Get approved for Registered Traveler –

Want to reaaaaaallly fast track your immigration process? Get the UK’s version of Global Entry: Registered Traveler. Here are the deets from the official site as to who is eligible and how much it costs.

Note: You can no longer apply for this program if you’re from the following countries: Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea or the United States.

Instead you may be able to use the e-gates

What airports is it available?

• Birmingham
• Bristol
• Cardiff
• East Midlands
• Edinburgh
• Gatwick
• Glasgow
• Heathrow
• London City
• Luton
• Manchester
• Southend
• Stansted

You can also use it at these Eurostar locations:

• Brussels
• Lille
• Paris

Who’s Eligible?

• Gotta be 18_
• Get a visa or visit the UK 4 times in 24 months
• Need a passport

Eligible Passports are:

• Africa
  • Botswana, Namibia, Seychelles.
• Asia
  • Brunei, Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region passports only), Macao Special Administrative Region, Malaysia, Maldives, Taiwan (if your passport has a personal ID number on the photo page).
• Europe
  • Andorra, Monaco, Vatican City State.
• Middle East
  • Israel.
• North America
  • Bahamas, Mexico, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
• Oceania
  • Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga.
• South and Central America
  • Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay.

What’s the cost?

• £70 for a year
• if you don’t get approved you’ll get 50 back
• £50 to renew

Heathrow now sells Departure fast track

You can go here to book:

As describe by Heathrow, the parameters for booking:

• Book a time-slot approximately two hours before your flight is scheduled to depart

• On arrival at Heathrow, after check-in, proceed to the Fast Track security area in the terminal of your departure ( if you are travelling through Terminal 5, please proceed to the North Fast Track Security area )

• To gain access present your booking confirmation to the officer at the desk.

 

I checked the pricing on a random date out of T3 and it was pretty fair IMO. Note, you’d also get this fast track security if traveling in a premium cabin/status so it would only be purposeful without those perks. As a point of comparison, prices haven’t moved since 2019.