Lanzarote airport actual chaos or exaggerated drama

[Halfblindbunny]

So I have booked for us to go to Lanzarote first week of summer holidays. Massive treat for us all and post DS2s GCSEs. We rarely go abroad and haven't even been anywhere in the summer holidays or as far a field as Lanzarote.

But all I've heard since is how horrific the airport is. Ryanair leaving passengers behind because they can't get checked in, through security and through the EES system in the 2 hrs and can't start the process earlier than 2 hrs as bag drop doesn't open until then.

It's really causing me anxiety but I don't know if it's really horrific or not. People are blaming EES but a lot of the queues are before bag drop so nothing to do with EES.

Anyone been recently or knows more about it than me. Do I need to be trying to cram everyone's stuff into hand luggage only so we don't have to do the bag drop part?

It was lovely until Wednesday then cold and wet. I flew home yesterday but friends still there and it's miserable. Another friend flew out an hour after me and sat on plane in the torrential rain !

Went in July last year and it was truly awful. Woman in a wheelchair faced marble steps going to the coach that took us to the plane. Queues were massive, empty seats on the plane as people had missed flights etc etc
I will never go back

If you can change your holiday then do. Came through airport today and it’s a nightmare. So many people saying they won’t be coming back. Probably the worst airport experience I’ve had and I’ve travelled all over the world!

I went there in February, not the half term week . Arrived mid day on a Thursday. Total chaos 2 and a half hours to get through immigration. One hour queue for taxi . On the return, the British Airways check in desk for bag drop did not open until 2 hrs before flight departing, I was near head of queue but sole BA rep took do
lomg processing bags, oversize golf bags, bike boxes etc it took 1 hr 20 mins to check in . Dash to long security queue the fortunately the passport queue was not long but plane took off without some passengers . Even the BA captain said “ there are always issues with this dreadful airport “.

Surely if you believed you were about to miss your flight you would go to the front of the queue? Ive done that several times. It happened at Atlanta airport when a woman was going down the queue sending various people to the front. I just followed one group and no one stopped me. The people at the front of the queue dont know that there isnt a staff member further down chcking tickets and sending people to the front. You just have to use your initiative.

Oh no! Unfortunately we can't change it. I have decided on hand luggage only so at least we will miss out the check in queue. Im not too bothered about long queues to get out the airport as we are arriving late at night so I think that will be ok. It's the coming home is an issue. I absolutely can't miss the flight coming back!

The baggage was not an issue it’s the long snaking lines for finger prints then another long line for passport machines then finally if your passport doesn’t work which literally 100s weren’t you join a third queue to see an actual human. It’s bloody horrendous.

I understand but presumably if you don't have to check a bag in you can get to the airport before bag drop/check in opens and therefore be in those queues earlier. Or am I missing something?

It’s been hitting the news . 89 Ryan air passengers missed flights in last few days.

This is probably a stupid question but are the delays related to having a UK passport?

I'm going soon but I have an EU passport.

I was flying back from Malaga recently and almost missed my flight as I didn't realise that they checked your passports AFTER you'd gone through security. The queue was horrendous, the passport machines weren't staffed and took ages. The only reason I didn't miss my flight was because it was late. It was so stressful.

Is it just Spain that does this, or are all European airports like this now?

It’s new regulations for those outside uk. So if you have European passport you will be fine I think. Brexit- the gift that keeps on giving!

So I answered my own question! Yes, but it's being rolled out over time. It was a shock as last year I've been to Thailand and America and you just walked to the gate.

www.which.co.uk/news/article/uk-holidaymakers-to-pay-6-visa-fee-to-visit-europe-after-brexit-aappf7l2djli-aaPPf7l2djLI?campaign=travel

We had problems February last year. Started with us not being able to get the whole group checked in online as BA wouldn’t open enough desks coupled with huge queues to get through security.

We came back from there on the end Saturday of Feb half term and the bag drop for EasyJet was carnage. I had accidentally bought speedy boarding on one of my tickets so used the bag drop there but our friends in the usual bag drop queue had to get called ahead of everyone to drop off their bags as the queue moved so slowly. My advice would be to get there 3 hours before and queue as soon as you get there. Ignore what time it says bag drop opened. Once through the machines for the new check were plentiful and had no queues. It was just the bag drop before customs. They also still require your liquids in plastic bags which UK airports don’t going out so don’t get caught out with that.

Are non EU visitors treated differently at the airport to EU visitors at entry and exit points ?
Or is the chaos for everyone ?

I'm just back - it was horrendous!!! Huge delays on arrival, massive queues (hundreds & hundreds) - barely any staff, no obvious system in place. Half the scanners not working. We were 'at the front' & still took well over an hour to get through - the poor people 'at the back' .....
The scanners wouldn't work for me but the solitary staff member manning them insisted I keep trying before eventually relenting & sending me to yet another queue.
When I eventually made it through the luggage belt wasn't working, so another long wait!!

It wasn't much better on way back, we got called to the gate at 1100, for an 1150 take off, we dutifully queued for 40 minutes before they actually opened the gate. Ten minutes to process an entire flight & board them was never, ever going to work! They had just two scanners in action & just one weary chap stamping passports.
So, our take off was delayed.

It was absolute chaos. They need way more staff, they need more scanners (which actually work) & a proper system to manage incoming passengers.

They lumped everyone in together - it didn't make any difference what passport you had or whether your details were already on system.

Manual passport checks, post security, for those leaving the Schengen zone have been routine at many airports in countries like France for donkey's years, even well pre Brexit....

For info I came out of a regional French airport on a flight to the UK a few days ago still the manual check only, no changes at all....

We had similar issues going into Faro the other year, before the new system. God knows how bad that is now.

For my sins, we're booked to go to Lanzarote next year. 😬

I would seriously look at only taking hand luggage. Checking in bags means you can't allow more time for everything else as you have to wait till it opens. The last time I checked bags it was incredibly stressful due to being under staffed and I swore never again.

Thank you. Yes I have decided this is the way forward. We have a villa with washing machine so should be fine packing light. Do you now how early you can get to the airport if you don't have to check in bags?

Yes it's carnage some days but as peoples experience shows it's not all day, every day.
A lot depends on the day and time you travel. TUI fly from a lot of regional airports in the UK on Thursday and Sunday. If you arrive on a Thursday there might be a dozen other UK flights arriving within a couple of hours.
The airport seems understaffed and the new ees system isn't very efficient. You have to queue twice, first to register on the EES system, then the electronic passport gates, then they insist on stamping the passport as well.

If you're going on any other days than Thursday or Sunday you'll be fine.

Luggage no problem as by the time you've got through it's all waiting for you.

It's the checking it in on the way home I'm concerned about not picking it up on arrival really.