Travel Light to Avoid Missing Flights Due to EU Entry/Exit System Delays
Travellers heading to the EU face the risk of missing flights because bag drop-off times do not accommodate the extended queues caused by a new security system.
My family of four missed our easyJet flight home from Málaga despite following airport advice to arrive three hours before departure. The bag drop-off, however, only opened two hours prior to the flight.
It took us an additional 47 minutes to drop off our luggage due to long queues, leaving just 53 minutes to clear security and reach the gate.
With two young children and a backlog at security, making the flight was impossible. Five other passengers also failed to board that day. MP, London
Impact of the EU Entry/Exit System (EES)
Your family was affected by the EU entry/exit system (EES), introduced last October, which requires travellers from outside the EU to have their photo and fingerprints taken and registered at the border.
Even those who have submitted biometrics on their outbound journey must still queue with those who have not for their return flight.
The system aims to prevent visitors from overstaying; however, it has resulted in a 70% increase in security processing times, according to Airports Council International.
Lisbon airport was forced to suspend the system in December when waits reached seven hours. EasyJet acknowledged that airlines determine when their bag drop opens but currently maintain a two-hour window.
EasyJet also admitted there were unusually long queues on the day your family travelled and that passengers were warned to allow extra time.
I argued that advising passengers to allow "additional time" is ineffective if bag drop times are inflexible. The airline highlighted its cheaper "rescue fares" for stranded passengers. You paid an extra £1,000 to return home.
Industry Response and Recommendations
I contacted the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the airline trade body, to ask if it would recommend carriers open bag drops earlier to accommodate the security delays. The response was effectively "no."
"Operational, regulatory, and commercial realities" prevent a common approach, it says, adding: "We have repeatedly warned the full rollout of the EES in its current form poses an operational risk before the summer peak. We have urged member states to extend the possibility of partly, or fully, suspending EES at peak periods, and to take immediate steps to reinforce staffing … and eliminate redundant checks."
The best option for travellers wanting to ensure they board their flights is to pack everything into a cabin bag and avoid checked luggage.
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