Malaga airport

NoodleDoodleMan

Has anybody flown back to the UK from Malaga (AGP) over the past few months ?

We had a nightmare experience there on 12/05/2024 due to the abscence of airport staff managing the very long and slow moving line of passengers in the passport control queue to board various outbound flights. 

It snaked all the way back past the retail shops to the fast food outlets and duty free shopping area.... exacerbated by queue jumping "wiseguys" causing issues.

After realising we were likely to miss the final boarding call I 'phoned the TUI UK emergency number and explained the problem.

There were no TUI representatives airside (that's standard) so nobody to directly approach for help.

That call apparently initiated remedial action as I heard later - TUI called Malaga airport and prompted action via senior management.

Staff did appear and started to supervise matters - however we were still over an hour waiting in line and only just made the final call, along with several others for that same flight in the same predicament.

The next day I submitted a letter to TUI in Luton via our local travel agent, however there was no meaningful response.

I explained this was not a complaint against TUI per se - however they, as our travel provider were the appropriate agency to take up the issue.

As we are off to the same hotel with TUI this May and I'd like to think there will be no repeat performance.

Any insights gratefully appreciated......and apologies for the long winded explanation.

Doshwaster

I use Malaga regularly and passport delays on arrival and departure are common. They are about to roll out automated passport gates which should speed things up but the basic problem is that it is a popular destination which is struggling to cope with passenger numbers. 

Just not sure what you want TUI to do about it.  

400ixl

Other than the obvious answer of get to the airport earlier.

You make yourself aware to the airport staff who can take necessary action to get you moved forward in the queue. Nothing to do with the travel operator.

Always worked for me when it comes to departure queues. Only real time it has been an issue is in the US where it is the immigration queue for a connecting flight which is the issue.

la531983

Doshwaster said:

I use Malaga regularly and passport delays on arrival and departure are common. They are about to roll out automated passport gates which should speed things up but the basic problem is that it is a popular destination which is struggling to cope with passenger numbers. 

Just not sure what you want TUI to do about it.  

Well if they are collecting people up on coaches and they know the airport is likely to be like that they could bring the times of transfers forward, but thats about it really and they may not know as such short notice. Also wouldnt help flight only passengers either.

Doshwaster

la531983 said:

Doshwaster said:

I use Malaga regularly and passport delays on arrival and departure are common. They are about to roll out automated passport gates which should speed things up but the basic problem is that it is a popular destination which is struggling to cope with passenger numbers. 

Just not sure what you want TUI to do about it.  

Well if they are collecting people up on coaches and they know the airport is likely to be like that they could bring the times of transfers forward, but thats about it really and they may not know as such short notice. Also wouldnt help flight only passengers either.

One cause of the problems is that at Malaga, like many other airports, exact gates aren't announced until an hour before departure though you will know you are at one of the non-Schengen gates on a flight to the UK (usually C gates from memory) but almost all of the restaurants, shops and other facilities are before passport control which means people hang around until 60 mins before their flight and then find themselves in a long queue.

Other airports just seem better laid out or managed better to cope with flights to the UK now needing a passports stamp. 

katejo

I flew back from there on a group trip in September 2024 and didn't have any problems 

la531983

Doshwaster said:

la531983 said:

Doshwaster said:

I use Malaga regularly and passport delays on arrival and departure are common. They are about to roll out automated passport gates which should speed things up but the basic problem is that it is a popular destination which is struggling to cope with passenger numbers. 

Just not sure what you want TUI to do about it.  

Well if they are collecting people up on coaches and they know the airport is likely to be like that they could bring the times of transfers forward, but thats about it really and they may not know as such short notice. Also wouldnt help flight only passengers either.

One cause of the problems is that at Malaga, like many other airports, exact gates aren't announced until an hour before departure though you will know you are at one of the non-Schengen gates on a flight to the UK (usually C gates from memory) but almost all of the restaurants, shops and other facilities are before passport control which means people hang around until 60 mins before their flight and then find themselves in a long queue.

Other airports just seem better laid out or managed better to cope with flights to the UK now needing a passports stamp. 

Indeed, these airport need some facilities after the Schengen check. Vienna and Palma does it well, Gran Canaria another that does it poorly, so does vary from airport to airport.

ellenvan

We came back via Malaga airport in November no issue at all. We always however travel midweek as less people about. Even though you don't know the exact gate , we go through passport control asap. Then plenty of seating at other side to await gate showing on boards.

daveyjp

Used it about a month ago.  Arrived two hours before the flight and unexpectedly had a bag to check in as it contained liquids above the limit.  Despite that we were through to airside within a few minutes and passport control had no queue whatsoever.  I do appreciate this was early December when passengers numbers are far lower than in summer.

It is to some degree also due to Brexit as UK passengers are now sent to the none EU passport control area and I have found in a number of EU airports this can be a fair distance, has far fewer staff and the area after passport control can be too small if there are a number of none EU flights leaving close together, especially if one is a 300+ seater long haul which is delayed.

Doshwaster

la531983 said:

Doshwaster said:

la531983 said:

Doshwaster said:

I use Malaga regularly and passport delays on arrival and departure are common. They are about to roll out automated passport gates which should speed things up but the basic problem is that it is a popular destination which is struggling to cope with passenger numbers. 

Just not sure what you want TUI to do about it.  

Well if they are collecting people up on coaches and they know the airport is likely to be like that they could bring the times of transfers forward, but thats about it really and they may not know as such short notice. Also wouldnt help flight only passengers either.

One cause of the problems is that at Malaga, like many other airports, exact gates aren't announced until an hour before departure though you will know you are at one of the non-Schengen gates on a flight to the UK (usually C gates from memory) but almost all of the restaurants, shops and other facilities are before passport control which means people hang around until 60 mins before their flight and then find themselves in a long queue.

Other airports just seem better laid out or managed better to cope with flights to the UK now needing a passports stamp. 

Indeed, these airport need some facilities after the Schengen check. Vienna and Palma does it well, Gran Canaria another that does it poorly, so does vary from airport to airport.

Tenerife South is also poor for non-Schengen gates which are at the far end of the terminal.  Go through passport control too early and there is very little on the other side. But stay in Schengenland too long, where all of the shops and restaurants are, and you risk being stuck in a long queue at passport control.

At Munich you have to walk a very circuitous route through the terminal to get stamped out of Schengen 

Yes, it's all down to Brexit but it's against forum rules for me to say what I think about that!

TELLIT01

It might be informative if you can find out how far in advance of flight time TUI are getting their customers to that airport.  It's normally 2 hours or thereabout.  If they are getting them there much earlier it would suggest it's a pretty standard problem.