The short answer: Frankfurt Airport runs a free time-slot service for security called FRA SmartWay. You reserve a slot up to 72 hours before departure, turn up in your window and use a dedicated lane. It is not a paid fast track and it is not available at every checkpoint — there are three.
Does Frankfurt Airport have a fast track?
Two different things go by that name at FRA. FRA SmartWay is the airport's own service: a booked time slot at the security checkpoint with access to a dedicated SmartWay lane, offered free of charge by the airport. Separately, fast lanes exist at the major checkpoints for passengers whose airline gives them access — premium cabins and frequent-flyer status. The second is your airline's product; the first is open to anyone with a booking.
How much does FRA SmartWay cost?
Nothing. The operator describes it as a free service, and no registration or account is needed — you give your name, e-mail, flight details and the size of your group.
Where can you use FRA SmartWay?
At three checkpoints, and the flight type matters:
| Checkpoint | Level | Flights covered |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal 1, Area A | Level 2 | Schengen flights only |
| Terminal 1, Area B | Level 2 | Schengen and non-Schengen |
| Terminal 3, Central Control | Level 3 | Schengen and non-Schengen |
If your flight leaves from a concourse served by another checkpoint, SmartWay will not help you — check which terminal and concourse you are departing from in our terminals guide before you plan around it.
How far in advance can you book a slot?
Booking opens 72 hours before departure, and slots are offered seven days a week across most of the day. Popular morning windows go first, so book as soon as the 72-hour mark passes if you are flying at peak time.
What happens if you arrive late — or too early?
There is a 15-minute grace period before your slot. Arrive more than 15 minutes early, or after your window has passed, and you join the regular lanes like everybody else. The slot is a reservation, not a ticket you can use whenever you like.
Do children need their own slot?
Yes, from the age of five. Children aged four and under can accompany a legal guardian who has a booking, without a slot of their own.
How many people can travel on one booking?
Up to five. Book the whole group in one reservation — and spell each name exactly as it appears on the flight booking, which the operator asks for explicitly.
Does FRA SmartWay work for connecting passengers?
The three SmartWay checkpoints are departure checkpoints in Terminal 1 (Areas A and B) and Terminal 3 (Central Control). The operator does not list the transfer checkpoints among them, so a passenger connecting through Frankfurt without leaving the secure area should not count on it. Plan your connection around the ordinary transfer route instead — see our layover guide.
Is it worth booking?
Our view: yes when you are flying at a busy hour from one of the three checkpoints, because it costs nothing and removes the one part of the journey whose length you cannot predict. It is worth less if you are travelling light at an off-peak hour, when the regular lanes move quickly anyway, and it is no use at all if your gate sits behind a different checkpoint. Book it, then still arrive with your usual margin — the slot governs when you are screened, not when your flight closes.
What else speeds up the airport?
- Walking-time displays at the checkpoints show how long it takes to reach the departure gates — use them rather than guessing.
- At the CT-scanner lanes, liquids and laptops stay inside your bag; see our Frankfurt Airport liquid rules.
- EasyPASS automated border control speeds up passport control for eligible travellers.
- Check in and drop your bag before the queue builds — the options are in our departures guide.
Sources
This page is compiled from the airport operator's own publications and the official transport operators listed below.
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