How to get through airport security faster

Is it really worth paying to get through the airport quicker? After an hour of standing in a stagnant line, it will certainly seems like it.

It was about the time I realised I had been standing in the immigration line at Bangkok airport for an hour and had barely moved that I figured there had to be a better way.

A little weary after the nine-and-a-half-hour flight from Sydney and with no idea of when I would be through the passport control desk, the excitement of embarking on my latest adventure had already waned. As it turns out, there is a far better way to arrive. And like most good things, it comes at a cost.

A bit of disclosure here – my track record with passport control at arrivals is not good. If you ever see me in a line, change to another one immediately. No matter what hack I have been told, like “the left line always moves fastest” or “check out which line has two agents processing and join it”, it has never worked for me. I can be first off the plane, and yet still be waiting in line as I watch people who were in the back row of economy join other lines and then sail through well before me.

But on my next overseas trip, I’m planning to throw some dollars at the problem to ensure I am through the immigration process within minutes, picking up my bag and heading to a taxi, all within the same time I am usually still somewhere near the back of a line.

In some airports, it’s called a priority line, in others it’s an express line or fast track or fast pass, and then it gets a little bit fancy at some others where it’s known as a VIP experience. Whatever the label, it is basically a service that streamlines the process from stepping off the plane on the airside all the way through to stepping into a taxi on the landside.

Which comes at a cost, and while it’s a great deal at some airports, it gets way more expensive at others, with the difference sometimes running into thousands of dollars.

It is basically a service that streamlines the process from stepping off the plane on the airside all the way through to stepping into a taxi on the landside. Picture: iStock.

At Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, the meet-and-greet service has a host meet passengers as they depart the plane, then lead the way through the terminal to the fast-track lane, where passport control is an easy walk-up service, skipping the long main immigration line. The fast-track process takes a matter of minutes and, on Expedia, the fee is $93.

At Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport, the Fasttrack service offers the same skip-the-main-queue process to allow a smooth pass through all the steps of immigration, for $71.

AirAsia has recently introduced the Fast Pass service, which offers a dedicated priority lane for passengers arriving into Kuala Lumpur airport. The special service costs from $20.

Paradigm is an airport concierge service based in Italy, providing meet-and-greet express services throughout airports across the world. Paradigm director Gabriel Solieri says the demand for these fast-track airport arrival services has never been so high.

At Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, the meet-and-greet service has a host meet passengers as they depart the plane. Picture: iStock.

“It’s gone up about 200 per cent this year; at first because as we were coming out of Covid, many people did not want to be stuck in lines for hours with lots of other people around them,” he says. “But more recently, we are seeing all kinds of passengers, not just executive travellers, willing to pay extra for a service that will get them out of having to stand in line and instead through customs and out of the airport as quickly as possible. A big shift has taken place.” This year, Paradigm has seen a big increase in demand for arrivals into Paris, Athens and Singapore. “The cost varies from airport to airport – in Paris, it’s about €269 ($450), while in Athens it can be close to €150,” Gabriel says.

A fast-track service is also available for passengers on such carriers as Singapore Airlines when flying upfront in the suites, first and business sections through select airports such as Istanbul, Paris, Delhi and Jakarta.

At other airports where regular priority lane services are not available, it’s a big step-up to a VIP express experience. In Los Angeles through Universal Sky Services, the passenger is met at the plane, transferred to a VIP lounge where all the immigration procedures are dealt with at the VIP salon, with bags delivered to the passenger. The cost through Universal Sky is from $US1495 (about $2365). At London Heathrow, a similar Premium VIP assistance package is available for $5235. This is where you’ll most likely spot international royalty and Hollywood stars.

While it’s a little steep to pay more for a fast-track service than you’ve paid for the actual airline ticket, I have already worked the $98 fee for the priority arrival service into the budget for my next trip to Bangkok later this year. It might prove to be the best dollars I spend all trip.

Originally published as How to get through airport security faster