Yes, Bristol Airport has a paid Fast Track security lane. Booking in advance through Holiday Extras costs from £6 per person, or from £7 per person if you book direct with the airport on the day or ahead. It runs from 3am to 7pm and lets you skip the main security queue. Checked August 2026.
What Fast Track costs and how to book it
Bristol Airport sells Fast Track security directly on its own website from £7 per person. Third-party resellers, including Holiday Extras and its partner brands Purple Parking and Airparks, sell the same product from £6 per person when booked in advance, typically pitched as a saving of around 20 percent versus paying on the day. Either route gives you access to the same dedicated lane; the price gap simply reflects advance online booking versus buying at the airport.
| Booking route | Typical price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Direct with Bristol Airport | From £7 per person | Book online or, subject to availability, on the day |
| Holiday Extras / Purple Parking / Airparks | From £6 per person | Advance booking discount, usually the cheaper option |
What you actually get
Fast Track gives you a separate, shorter security lane rather than the main queue used by most passengers. It does not change your check-in process, baggage allowance or boarding time, and it is entirely separate from airline priority boarding. It runs from 3am to 7pm, so if your flight departs outside that window, check availability before booking.
Neither Bristol Airport nor the resellers publish a specific "you'll save X minutes" figure, and queue times vary a lot by time of day and season. Treat Fast Track as a way to avoid the least predictable part of your airport visit rather than a guaranteed fixed time saving, and if you want a specific estimate for your travel date, check the airport's live security wait information closer to the time.
Is it worth it?
Fast Track tends to pay off most on the mornings and school-holiday peaks when the standard queue is longest, or if you are travelling with young children, are short on connection time, or simply prefer certainty over the small cost. If you are flying at a quiet time of day, such as a late morning midweek departure outside school holidays, the standard queue is often quick enough on its own and you may not need it.
It is worth comparing against other ways to speed up your airport morning, such as booking a fixed-price taxi with flight tracking so your pickup time adjusts automatically, or choosing a closer car park to cut your walk to the terminal.
How to book
Book Fast Track either through Bristol Airport's own website under its security or "at the airport" section, or through Holiday Extras (which also white-labels the same product via Purple Parking and Airparks). Booking a few days ahead, rather than on the morning of travel, is the more reliable way to guarantee the discounted advance rate and confirm availability for your specific flight time.
Fast Track versus other ways to save time
Fast Track only addresses the security queue. If your goal is a smoother morning overall, it is worth thinking about the whole journey rather than just this one step:
- Parking choice: a car park closer to the terminal cuts your walking time, which can matter more than the security queue on a tight connection.
- Drop-off timing: if someone is dropping you off, using the paid Drop and Go zone right outside the terminal is faster than the free Waiting Zone at the Car Rental Centre, which needs a shuttle transfer.
- Taxi with flight tracking: a pre-booked, flight-tracked transfer means your pickup adjusts automatically if your flight is early or delayed, so you are not rushing to the airport for a queue that has not built up yet.
None of these replace Fast Track if the security queue itself is your main concern, but combining a well-timed arrival with Fast Track is the most reliable way to keep your whole pre-flight process predictable.
Who tends to need it most
Families travelling with young children often value Fast Track because it removes one of the more stressful, less predictable parts of the airport experience, particularly during school holidays when the terminal is busiest. Business travellers on tight morning schedules, and anyone connecting onward from a delayed arrival elsewhere, are the other groups most likely to find it worth the modest cost. Solo leisure travellers flying at off-peak times are the group least likely to need it, since the standard queue at quieter periods is often only a few minutes.
Practical tips
- Book in advance rather than relying on availability on the day, especially in peak summer and half-term weeks.
- Fast Track only covers security. It does not include lounge access, priority check-in or priority boarding, which are sold separately.
- Arrive with enough buffer regardless. Fast Track reduces queue time, not the time you need for bag drop, walking through the terminal, or a delayed departure.
- If you are travelling as a family or group, check whether the booking covers everyone in your party under one price or per person.