Heading to Spain this summer? Brace yourself! Two airports have been dubbed the ‘worst’ for passport control delays, according to UK travellers. If you’re jetting off to Tenerife South or Lanzarote, you might want to pack your patience along with your passport!
Ryanair has already sounded the alarm, warning holidaymakers of potential chaos at various European airports, thanks to the new Entry/Exit System (EES). This digital check-in process, which swaps out old-fashioned passport stamping for hi-tech facial recognition and fingerprinting, is creating bottlenecks instead of speeding things up! Lisbon, Madrid, Alicante, Milan, Paris, and Berlin are just some of the hot spots experiencing these delays.
And if you’re thinking it’ll just be a slight inconvenience, think again. Over the weekend, Ryanair’s chief, Michael O’Leary, made it clear: flights will not wait for anyone stuck in these queues.
Meanwhile, there’s more travel turbulence ahead at Palma Airport in Mallorca. Ongoing strike action by key staff is leading to disruptions with baggage handling and check-in services running behind. Swissport teams have also planned walkouts on August 1, 4, and 8 over pay disputes, just when everyone is trying to catch their summer break.
Top tip for savvy travellers: consider sticking to hand luggage to avoid lost bags and move through the airport faster. Let’s hope for a smoother and sunnier journey despite the hiccups! Bon voyage! ✈️🌞