For many travelers, there is nothing more frustrating than a long line at security.
While even the airport with the longest wait times in the U.S. (surprise, it's Newark) still averages at just 23 minutes, the sight of a stretching line of people as you're rushing to make a flight is a bad start to a trip and one of the most common sources of people's travel anxiety.
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While programs such as TSA Pre-Check and Global Entry can get one quicker clearance for a period of several years, they are designed specifically for a certain type of low-risk traveler and are subject to an application and approval — some airports are also experimenting with just letting passengers book a time slot in which they cross security.
It could grow bigger
On Oct. 3, London's main airport launched a six-month trial program called Heathrow Timeslot — those passing through Heathrow's Terminal 3 for a flight with American Airlines (AAL) -), Delta (DAL) -), Emirates or Virgin Atlantic (SPCE) -) are now able to go online, enter the details of their flight and select a time period in which they will arrive for security screening.
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Once that's done, travelers will be able to arrive at the screening and bypass the regular line to pass security. The service is currently free and meant to show Heathrow management how interested passengers are as well as whether it will help things run more smoothly.
For those who think that booking a time means being able to rush in at the last minute, the airport is still telling passengers to arrive five minutes before the scheduled time and no less than 45 minutes before one's flight in order to leave time for unexpected situations.
"This new trial will give passengers that extra added bit of certainty and reassurance ahead of their journey and we think it will be particularly popular for those with families or nervous travelers who may want a bit more confidence in their journeys," Heathrow's Operational Planning Director Mark Powell said in a statement. "We look forward to seeing the data come in to give us some learnings on how we can roll this out more widely across Heathrow."
Heathrow Airport under pressure to improve check-in and security
Since the rebound in post-pandemic travel, speeding up the check-in and security processes has been a top priority for Heathrow authorities.
As the busiest airport in Europe and a major hub for flights for all over the world, Heathrow has been struggling to manage crowds amid wider understaffing across the airport and airline industry. In 2022, the airport temporarily put a cap on the number of people who could leave the airport on a given day to manage overcrowding.
Photos of out-the-door lines and reports of some people waiting to check in for several hours have also been circulating on social media while Delta once even flew a plane with no passengers but over 1,000 pieces of lost luggage to Detroit just to transport all the stranded bags that had accumulated due to a dearth of baggage handlers.
