Birmingham Airport’s fast track service is called Express Lane. It’s a separate queue into Zone B security, and you pre-book it on the official Birmingham Airport website for £7.00 per person. Children aged 4 and under go free with a paying adult. The airport says it only accepts tickets bought through its own website or through certain airline partners. Passes from other resale sites won’t get you through.
This guide covers how to book Express Lane properly, how the time slots work and where to go in the terminal. It also names the sellers Birmingham Airport has warned about, and explains how to fit a booked slot around your journey to the airport.
Birmingham Airport Express Lane at a glance
| What you need to know | Details |
|---|---|
| Official name | Express Lane |
| Price | £7.00 per person, pre-booked online |
| Children | Aged 4 and under free, with a paying adult |
| Where it is | Zone B security entrance only |
| Where to book | The official Birmingham Airport website, or certain airline partners |
| Availability | Limited tickets per time slot; sold out slots come off sale |
| Proof of purchase | Barcode and booking confirmation from the official site |
Prices and rules can change. Check the Express Lane page on the Birmingham Airport website before you book.
How to book Birmingham Airport fast track
- Go to the Birmingham Airport website directly. Type the address yourself rather than clicking a search advert.
- Choose your date and time slot. Pick a slot close to when you expect to reach security.
- Add every paying traveller. Children aged 4 and under don’t need to pay but must be with a paying adult.
- Save your confirmation. You’ll need to show the barcode and booking confirmation at the Express Lane entrance.
The airport currently says it will accept your email confirmation as proof of purchase while it fixes a temporary issue with its QR codes. That only applies to confirmations from the official website.
The fake sellers to avoid
Birmingham Airport has published a warning that Express Lane can only be booked through its own website, or through certain airline partners. It names several companies that claim to sell Express Lane for BHX, and it says their passes are not valid at the airport:
- MyTripOnline
- fasttrack.flights
- Travibly
- Uptrip.co
- FlyBirmingham
The airport has said the list isn’t exhaustive. If a website sells “Birmingham Airport fast track” and you didn’t reach it from the airport’s own website, treat it with caution.
How to spot an unofficial site
- The price is higher than £7 per person. Resale sites often add a large mark-up.
- The web address isn’t birminghamairport.co.uk. Look closely, as some addresses are designed to look similar.
- It offers fast track at “all UK airports”. Official Express Lane tickets for BHX come from BHX.
- It says it will send your pass “later”. The official booking gives you a confirmation straight away.
If you’ve already paid an unofficial seller, contact them for a refund, and speak to your card provider if they won’t help. Then book a genuine ticket through the airport’s website if slots are still available.
Where to go: Zone B security
Express Lane is only available at the Zone B security entrance. There’s no Express Lane in Zone A. The airport says anyone with an Express Lane ticket should go to Zone B.
That matters most for Jet2 passengers. Jet2 checks in at Zone A, so after bag drop you’ll need to walk to the Zone B security entrance to use your Express Lane ticket. Allow a few extra minutes for that.
Time slots and when to arrive
How slots work
Each time slot has a limited number of tickets. Once a slot is full, the airport takes it off sale. As a result, early-morning slots at school holiday peaks can sell out well in advance.
Your ticket needs to match the time you actually reach security. Earlier guidance from the airport allowed one hour either side of the booked time. It also said tickets that don’t match the slot would be refused. Check the current terms when you book, and choose a slot that realistically fits your journey.
Changes and refunds
The airport’s security FAQs say changes or cancellations are only possible more than 24 hours before the booked date of travel. NCP handles pre-booked tickets, so contact NCP for booking queries. Check the terms before you pay, especially if your plans might change.
Buying on the day
The airport has previously sold a limited number of Express Lane tickets at the terminal. However, availability isn’t guaranteed and slots at busy times can sell out. If fast track matters to you, book in advance.
Is Birmingham Airport fast track worth it?
When it’s worth paying for
- Early-morning departures during school holidays, when the main security queues build up quickly.
- Families with young children, as under-5s go free and a shorter queue can make a big difference.
- Business travellers with tight schedules or lounge bookings.
- Anyone who’s already checked in, for example with hand luggage only or after using the day-before bag drop.
When it may not be needed
- Quiet times of day, when the normal queue is short anyway.
- Mid-week, off-peak flights outside school holidays.
- If you’re not sure when you’ll reach the airport. A missed slot means a wasted ticket.
Express Lane gets you to the security scanners faster, but you go through the same checks as everyone else. Pack your liquids and electronics correctly, so you don’t lose the time you saved at the trays.
Planning your airport taxi around a fast track slot
A fast track slot only helps if you reach the airport on time. When you book a taxi, tell us:
- your flight time and airline
- whether you’ve booked Express Lane, and for what time
- whether you need to check in bags first, or you’re going straight to security
- how many passengers and suitcases are travelling
We’ll plan the pickup time so you reach the terminal comfortably before your slot, with time for check-in if you need it. For early flights, our guide to late-night and early-morning taxis explains how these bookings work.
Taxis drop off at Premium Set Down, right outside the terminal, which is the closest point to Zone B. With NET Airport Transfers, the price you agree when you book is what you pay, with nothing added afterwards.
If you’d like a pickup timed around your Express Lane slot, you can get a fixed-price quote and add your slot time in the booking notes.
Fast track when you land
Birmingham Airport also sells Premium Arrivals Fast Track, a separate service for getting through arrivals more quickly. It’s booked separately from Express Lane.
For the journey home, our Birmingham Airport transfers include flight monitoring and meet-and-greet. Your driver waits inside the terminal with a name board, so if fast track gets you through arrivals quickly, your ride is already there.
Families, groups and business travellers
Families using fast track often travel with plenty of luggage. The Mercedes V-Class seats up to seven passengers, with room for cases and car seats.
Companies whose staff fly regularly from Birmingham can use our corporate travel service. Journeys are invoiced monthly instead of paid trip by trip.
We collect from across the region, including through our Birmingham taxi service. Our coverage area page lists every town we serve.
Book your Birmingham Airport taxi
NET Airport Transfers runs pre-booked, fixed-price taxis to and from Birmingham Airport across the Midlands. Tell us your flight time and Express Lane slot, and we’ll plan a pickup that gets you to security on time. Book your airport taxi online, or contact us for family, group and business bookings.
