WITH new travel requirements in action at airports across Europe, EES is set to cause travel chaos this summer.
While you’re likely to be and lengthy queues, there are a few ways to make it more manageable.
If you’re heading on holiday – you might get caught up in EES delaysCredit: Alamy
There have been reports of queues up to four-hours long to get through passport controlCredit: Alamy
With many Brits yet to register for EES, it’s predicted that those heading abroad for the holidays will be privy to delays.
Some destinations even out of season have reported queues of up to four hours.
These include airports at Brussels, Lisbon, Prague and .
So while you might not beat the queues – here are some tips from to make your next trip easier.
Sit at the front
First off is quite simple, at the front of the plane.
If you want to get to before the rest of the passengers on your flight, then by being at the front, you’ll be able to get off first.
You might have to join the queue of passengers on other flights – but not your own.
Early flights
When you’re booking, it might ease wait times if you go head out on one of the first flights of the day.
There are generally fewer scheduled flights and they .
So if you get an early flight, there’s less likely to be a backlog.
Whereas if you’re travelling in the early evening, there could still be passengers being processed who are plenty ahead of you.
Anticipate delays
If you are taking a , we’d advise to anticipate delays.
Of course this varies from airport to airport, but some travellers might find it will take longer to get through because of the EES requirements.
Similarly, if someone’s collecting you perhaps give them a bit more time – especially if they’re in one of the pick-up zones that costs .
Queues at Lanzarote Airport were up to 3-hours long for one Sun Travel reporter
Go for a bigger airport
If you can go to a bigger airport and take a longer road transfer, it could be worth it.
At a larger airport there’s likely to be more machines than at one of the smaller ones.
For example, Assistant Travel Editor found there were plenty more of the machines in ‘s Alicante Airport than in ‘s Salzburg.
So if you can fly into to a main hub and then continue from there, it could make your journey through the airport quicker.
Bring entertainment
If you have , or are generally just bored of queues (and who can blame you?) – think about entertainment.
It could be worth setting the kids up with an or something that will keep them occupied.
Also, bring a reserve of snacks because standing in line means no access to the airport’s cafes and shops.
Get into the priority lane
For those who are , make sure to let the airline know in advance as you would usually.
After landing, staff should escort you straight through to the front of border control queues.
Many major airports family lanes at passport control for families with young children (usually under 12 years old).
Use the plane facilities
Quite simply, if you are going to be waiting in line for yours, then you want to be comfortable.
So before landing, go to the toilet on the plane.
If you’re queueing along corridors before heading into border control, then the chances are there won’t be access to toilets.
Here's what you should expect to find when you get to an EES machine...
- Select your language
- Put your passport into the machine
- Place your fingers onto the scanner
- Look into the camera
- Answer series of short questions about the trip
e.g. where you’ll be staying, if you have a return journey booked and confirmation of travel insurance - Head to the e-gates
For more on what to .
And here’s the other .
The new EES systems are likely to cause delays to those heading on a summer holidayCredit: Alamy



