Travellers Chelsea and James tested out the premium fast-track airport service – but claimed it only works if you follow the rules
Travel gurus Chelsea and James, known as Cheapholidayexp on Instagram, decided to put airport Fast Track services to the test during their Easter holiday travels back in April.
The pair meticulously timed their attempts to navigate through security, with Chelsea seen holding a small plastic bag for her carry-on liquids.
Upon reaching the security queue, Chelsea was pleasantly surprised when an extra lane opened up. She commented: “It’s really not too bad. How’s he doing? I don’t think there was any queue for the premium is the problem.”
Meanwhile, James’ footage showed him breezing through to security without having to wait in line. However, it took Chelsea just eight minutes and 22 seconds to pass through the regular security checks, reports Birmingham Live.
She speculated: “Now there is a chance he will have been stopped because he gets stopped all the time. So hopefully that’s on our side.”
In a surprising turn of events, Chelsea managed to beat James through security, who had his bags pulled aside for inspection. Upon reuniting, she quizzed him, “How was your £6? ” To which he responded, “waste of money.”
James’ total time clocked in at 16 minutes and 30 seconds. When Chelsea asked why he was stopped, he simply said: “Camera.”
Chelsea concluded: “So it doesn’t matter if you’ve paid for premium or not, if you don’t follow the rules, you’re gonna get stopped. So not only was I quicker, I saved money too.”
The service creators shared their experience, noting that while the service promises speed, it can be hampered if your bags need to be checked. They recounted how security flagged a camera left in the bag, causing a delay.
The duo believed James could have breezed through security in no time had his bag not caused a hiccup. They added a word of advice: “It’s tough because some security lines say just laptops, whilst others say electronics. Basically, it’s always worth a quick ask when you’re unpacking your bits.”
They shared their unexpected twist on social media, posting: “I wasn’t expecting this twist. Some of you SWEAR by Fast Track but is it worth the £6?! We decided to test it out!! Save this for the future and tag someone you’ve had this argument with!!”
Commenting on their decision to try out Fast Track during a busy travel period, they said: “As we were travelling at peak times (hello a Saturday in the Easter holidays!) we decided to test out whether Fast Track was worth the cost or not. Naturally, James went with the fancy premium service and I stuck with normal FREE security.”
For those considering the airport fast track option, the pair’s ultimate tip is to purchase it before arriving at the airport. They pointed out that pre-booking can lead to savings of £2 compared to buying it on the day.
James’ sluggish airport experience was exacerbated by the sheer volume of travellers in his queue. They said in their Instagram caption: “There are loads of reasons that more people were being pulled in his queue, and here’s a few of them: More families were using this area with more items and therefore more chance of error in things being placed through security.”
They also highlighted logistical issues on the day James opted for premium service: “On the day James used premium, they only had one bag checking area available for two security scanners. As Premium was quiet, the airport was feeding normal security through to this area too which means it has potential to slow down a premium user’s journey should their bags get pulled.”