Anyone who flies on vacation in the next few days must expect longer waiting times. There are currently delays in all critical areas of the airport. Specifically, with baggage drop-off, security checks and also at the gate when boarding.
This is due to the increasing summer travel traffic, as Jens Fehlinger, program manager at Lufthansa, explains. At the airports, employees not only have to check ID documents and travel bookings, they also have to pay attention to entry regulations.
Vaccination certificates, negative test confirmations and recovery documents are checked at the check-in counter. On average, the process takes several minutes per passenger. The check is mostly done manually and requires additional time for each process. Travelers should not only have their CovPass app with the digital barcode ready, they should also have the original paper proof to hand.
Test and recovery records cause problems
There is a multitude of formats, especially for the test and recovery records that are in circulation in Germany. The employees at the airport would first have to look for the important items such as name, date of birth, address of the laboratory, test procedure and date on the documents and then compare them with the travel data.
It is important that the documents are available in German or English. The name of the person being tested must also match the information on the identity card and the passenger information on the travel booking.
The date of departure and the test date apply to the proof of recovery. If more than 180 days have passed, the proof of recovery is invalid. Those affected then have to go to the test. The name, ideally the date of birth, the test procedure, the test date, the positive result and the contact details of the laboratory should be noted on the proof of recovery.
Because the airline is liable for the correct implementation of the Corona requirements, documents are also checked at the security check and at the gate before boarding. At the same time, many travelers use the unbureaucratic bag drop-off principle. The suitcases are handed in automatically at special baggage counters – and without employees. The check-in is then carried out digitally via smartphone. At the security check, the officers only take a “mandatory look” at proof of vaccination, recovery and tests.
This is another reason why it is important to have additional and intensive checking of documents at the gate.
Waiting times of up to two hours?
In the coming weeks, the largest airline in Europe is expecting increasing numbers of passengers, especially in European traffic. Lufthansa would currently carry around 40 percent of the pre-crisis passengers. At the peak at the weekend, 50 percent come together, according to Fehlinger.
The international transport association IATA had already warned of the chaos at the airport (FOCUS Online reported). The authority appealed to politicians and airports to quickly turn to digital solutions.
According to IATA, anyone who wants to travel today during the corona pandemic must plan at least 1.5 hours in advance. During this time, vacationers would, for example, carry out check-in, security and border controls, baggage drop-off and a possible customs declaration. In some cases, the waiting time is even three hours per passenger and trip.
According to the model calculation, the IATA put the waiting time in extreme cases at 5.5 hours – when the airport is occupied at 75 percent. This is the case under normal conditions before the travel rush in August.
It’s faster at the airport!
- Get to the check-in counter in good time. Ideally you should plan two hours for check-in, security control and boarding. FOCUS Online advises: Before departure, set the time on the smartphone for 30 minutes and plan a coffee at the gate. This way you can be sure that you are not under extreme time pressure. At the gate itself, you can waste time reading a good book.
- Keep identification documents, travel bookings and your Covid documents close at hand in your handbag or travel bag.
- Look at your evidence. Where is your name Where is the testing procedure? Where is the date? Ideally, help employees navigate through the document.
- Hand in bulky baggage in good time.
- Weigh your suitcase and hand luggage in advance, also pay attention to the dimensions – preferably already at home. Within the EU, there is an upper limit of 23 kilograms, depending on the airline and tariff. If the suitcase weighs more, you have to unpack or pay.
So-called “luggage scales” are helpful when weighing. Depending on the manufacturer and dealer, they cost between 7 and 30 euros. The special scales look like this:
You can also buy them online. For example here (4.99 euros), here and here.
- If you have little luggage, you can also use the drop-off counter. In individual cases, you still have to have your COVID-19 evidence checked by employees.