Huge queues and cancelled flights are adding to holidaymakers' stresses this year, with two in three European airports reporting flight delays and huge security queues. Although Newcastle and Teesside International Airports have avoided a lot of the problems, North East families travelling from London or Manchester have certainly felt the strain this year, due to staff shortages and high demands.
Although the two North East airports are currently advising people to arrive at the time their airline requests, with no need to turn up earlier, some airports are advising holidaymakers to arrive with extra time to spare - and there have been reports of some only just making it in time for boarding.
While there's not much you can control about a delayed or cancelled flight, you can certainly improve the queuing situation and give yourself more peace of mind. To help with this, travel agency, eShores have shared their best tips to avoid airport queuing for hours.
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Research the airlines and airports with fast-track options
The best and fastest way to skip queues in the airport is to get a fast track with your ticket. Several airports across the UK offer fast track options for passengers, which typically covers airport security, allowing passengers to speedily get through the process. However, in some cases, fast track options are reserved only for passengers holding First or Business class tickets.
Some airlines offer the fast-track option for as little as £5, enabling you to skip through the check-in queue, the security queue and the flight boarding queue. The fast-track tickets are often limited and they go on a first come first served basis. Find out if your departure airport offers fast track tickets here.
Speak to several members of staff
Airport staff communication may not always be perfect. If you know you paid for a fast-track ticket and security staff tell you otherwise, make sure to consult with at least one more staff member. Sometimes the validity of these tickets can be overlooked by staff that try to keep everyone in line, so definitely talk to other members of staff to avoid queueing needlessly.
Avoid check-in bags
This is not always practical for longer holidays, but if you think you can fit most of your essentials in a bag you can take on your flight, we’d certainly recommend you do this. Checking in baggage means you’ll need to arrive at the airport earlier, adding an extra queue to your waiting time. Airlines like Ryanair, for example, not only allow you to bring 10kg luggage (for an additional cost), but this package also comes with a priority ticket which lets you skip the security queue.
Fly from smaller airports
If you have the option, choose smaller regional airports such as Newcastle or Teesside during peak travel times. A smaller airport has fewer flights boarding around the same time which automatically makes the queues for both security and luggage check-in faster.
Have all your documents ready
There are few things more annoying than waiting in a queue and the person in front of you starts rifling through their bags to find their travel documents. Don't be that person. If you fly to a country requiring a negative Covid test to enter, ensure you have all your paperwork ready before you get to the airport, as this is likely to get checked before boarding. The same applies to checking in before the flight and having all the passports and travel documents ready before arriving.
Try the twilight check in
If you're travelling before midday with Jet2, you can use Jet2's twilight check-in service. The free service is available seven days a week and allows passengers to drop off their bags between 3pm and 8pm the day before their morning flight. The twilight service is available at most regional airports that Jet2 flies from, including Newcastle and Manchester. Just check-in online at least 24 hours before your flight, then allocate at least one person from your party to drop off up to six people's bags the night before- and don't forget boarding passes and passports. Tui offer a similar service, but only from Birmingham Airport, Gatwick north terminal and Manchester terminal two. Ryanair and EasyJet currently do not offer this.
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