EES & Returning to UK from European Airports

Garden_G1rl

Has anyone got any advice regarding returning from a European Airport recently with EES in place? Specifically, if you can’t check in your luggage until 2 hours before flight departure at a European airport, how can you get to the boarding gate on time to catch your flight, if the gate number is not shown immediately?  If the delays are because there are too many people trying to do their photo ID and fingerprint check and a shortage of staff…… it is not the passenger who is to blame for not getting to the boarding gate on time.

zagfles

You don't need to wait for the gate number before going through passport control. If you're not sure of the way look for any flight to any UK destination (or non Schengen) displaying a gate number and go that way, you'll go through passport control. If there aren't any ask someone.

eskbanker

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6667858/ees-returning-to-uk-from-european-airports

Are you referring to a specific recent incident, and, if so, where and when?

There was an issue in Milan that received some coverage but if it was widespread it would presumably be appearing more often?

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6664278/ees-and-missed-flights

NoodleDoodleMan

We returned from Malaga recently - no significant delays after clearing check in and security - which were both fairly quick.

One piece of advice learned from experience two summers ago - avoid Duty Free until you are airside.

It took longer to get through incoming passport control at Glasgow than if did outgoing at AGP.

HHarry

You’ll almost certainly have plenty of time, unless you dawdle in duty free or a bar.
It took 20 minutes to get through at Porto the other week - and we ended up sitting at the gate for an hour and 15 minutes.

The press are very quick to report on the few occasions when things go horribly wrong, but thousands of people are flying home without issue every day.

la531983

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81994776#Comment_81994776

This would be extremely poor advice in airports with more than one non Schengen area.

NoodleDoodleMan

Indeed - Malaga airport (for example) can use gates B or C for UK return flights, which are in opposite directions after security.

zagfles

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81995289#Comment_81995289

You can connect between these once through passport control (according to a destination expert on TA)

Malaga airport - Malaga Message Board - Tripadvisor

zagfles

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81995226#Comment_81995226

Interesting, which airports did you have in mind where you can't connect between the areas? I suspect this is pretty rare?

la531983

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81995611#Comment_81995611

Malaga just been mentioned.

Tenerife South has two areas also (A and C)

Point being its not universal.

zagfles

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81995616#Comment_81995616

See above for Malaga. They are connected. TFS seems to be more of a problem. Worth checking the specific airport, we flew out of Fuerteventura last autumn, even before the EES, and the passport control queue was massive and very slow, people were panicing because their gate closure time was imminient and asking the staff if they could jump the queue but they were told no and people in front were in the same situation anyway.

We'd gone to passport control well before the gate was announced, and even we didn't make the gate by the supposed closure time! We we were the first there, even though we arrived after the gate closure time on the boarding pass! Flight was delayed, not sure if anyone missed it. But at least we were chilled in the queue with everyone panicing around us!