Paid security screening divides air passengers’ opinions

Some air travelers fear that the security checkpoint “fast lane” may slow down when access to it can be purchased as an additional service.

The paid priority security check at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport divides air passengers’ opinions.

Finnair and Norwegian sell an additional service that allows you to go through security screening using your own lane.

Some passengers feel that the service speeds up travel, but others fear that it will slow down the priority lane.

Paid priority security screening at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport divides air passengers’ opinions, according to a survey by HS.

HS reported on Monday that some airlines have started selling an additional service that allows customers to access security screening through their own lane.

The service is sold by at least Finnair and Norwegian. Previously, priority security screening was only available to airline frequent flyers and those flying in business class.

In connection with the news, HS asked its readers about their experiences with the service. The survey received approximately 70 responses.

The same observations are repeated in the responses. Many feel that priority security screening speeds up travel. On the other hand, some are concerned about the service becoming available to everyone.

Juha Suhonen from Espoo also agrees. He is one of the readers who responded to the survey. Suhonen believes that the service will make things smoother at security checkpoints.

“Priority customers don’t need as much advice because they fly often.”

With this, Suhonen is suggesting that there are likely fewer passengers in the priority security check queue who fly less frequently.

Such passengers may need more guidance than usual, for example on what to look for in their luggage during security checks.

Suhonen himself can use priority security screening with the airline’s loyalty card. In ten years, he has not noticed any change in priority services.

Still, he sees the threat raised by many other respondents: from now on, priority security checks may also take longer if more and more people use the line.

Some respondents report that the queue for priority security is sometimes as long or even longer than the regular security lines.

Jani Ohtonen from Kokkola last traveled from Helsinki Airport a week ago on Wednesday at around 2 pm. Then the situation was the opposite. He noticed that the priority queue moved faster than the regular security check queue.

“I saved maybe 15–20 minutes of waiting time,” Ohtonen says.

The Priority service is free for Ohtonen. If it weren’t, he wouldn’t pay for it.

“However, you have to get to the airport a couple of hours before your flight, so I don’t think waiting 20 minutes longer is so bad that it’s worth paying 20 euros for it.”

According to Finnair, the service makes it easier to travel, among other things. Norwegian advertises that the service allows you to skip security check lines.

According to the airport company Finavia, security screening is a public administrative task for it, which is why all passengers must be treated equally.

So even if you purchase priority security access as an additional service from the airline, you may not be able to get through the security check faster than without paying extra.