Welcome to Mumsnet's holiday forum. Discuss all international travel here, including both shorthaul and longhaul trips. Related topics: UK holidays & day trips, skiing, camping & campervans.
Welcome to Mumsnet's holiday forum. Discuss all international travel here, including both shorthaul and longhaul trips. Related topics: UK holidays & day trips, skiing, camping & campervans.
Holidays
How long are airport queues at the moment?
BrieAndChilli · 05/04/2022 16:50
We have a 7am flight from Gatwick on the 16th? Are there already massive queues at 4/5am? Just trying to work out what time to get there
maddy68 · 05/04/2022 18:02
It's only Manchester security that's an issue but now post brexit passport control does take much longer
TulipCat · 05/04/2022 18:05
I think the OP is referring to the queues caused by a massive increase in demand this week, coupled with staff shortages at Heathrow. I don't know about Gatwick, but we queued for three hours to check in at Heathrow on Saturday. Flight was delayed anyway so we made it, but wouldn't have otherwise.
Harridan1981 · 05/04/2022 18:06
We're going from Gatwick at 0710 on the 15th, so watching with interest 😬
Xiaoxiong · 05/04/2022 18:21
I had a 12.30 flight from Heathrow T2 on Sunday and queued for nearly 2 hours - the people in the holding pen next to mine for another airline had been there for over 3 hours. I had to make a fuss at security as that was taking forever too and then sprint to the gate to make the plane.
Hopefully you will be ok with an early flight but show up early if you can. I was also travelling to Asia so v strict with copious paperwork checks for covid which really slowed up the check in.
Dogmum40 · 05/04/2022 21:41
I’m flying from Manchester on Sunday morning at 6:30 so thinking of getting there at 3am 😩so if anyone has any experience of Manchester at the moment that would be great
Oblomov22 · 05/04/2022 21:49
We are flying from Gatwick tomorrow. Gatwick has been horrendous since Friday, as has Luton and Manchester.
Harridan1981 · 05/04/2022 21:52
Which bit is causing the hold up? Is it security? Baggage etc?
TulipCat · 05/04/2022 23:18
@Harridan1981
In our case at Heathrow it was check in. Lack of groundstaff plus an IT glitch caused a massive queue. Nobody had been able to check in online and there weren't enough check in desks open to process everyone.
BrieAndChilli · 05/04/2022 23:21
We are going with easyJet so another worry is they will cancel the flight!!!!!
We have already checked in online but will have hold baggage.
BrieAndChilli · 05/04/2022 23:23
I’m also hoping that as we are going on Easter Saturday most people will be flying on the Friday if just going for the weekend or earlier in the week if going for longer Easter holiday?!!
pleaseletmesleeptonight · 05/04/2022 23:31
Could you afford to stay overnight and get the super early?? Front of queue?
I've always managed to scrap the money for that and a taxi so zero stress with parking and queues.
Xiaoxiong · 06/04/2022 14:22
@Harridan1981 - agree with @TulipCat that it was check-in, far too many people and not enough check-in desks (though the ones they had seemed to be manned) so the queues were enormous.
Then once I got to the front of the queue, there was so much covid-related paperwork to be checked for each person that it took much longer than usual to actually be checked in.
Finally when I got to security it was full of people who seemed to have no idea what to do - huge amounts of stuff in 10 different trays, metal in their pockets, bottles of water in their bags, faffing about, taking forever to get through. No quick business travellers, it was all families or tourists who apparently had never flown before (or so long ago they had forgotten how it all worked).
katedan · 06/04/2022 15:47
@Oblomov22
Oblomov22, how did you get on this morning at Gatwick? We are due to fly from Gatwick Sunday morning and trying to work out if 3 hours before flight will be enough time to get through check in and security.
victoriaaurora · 06/04/2022 18:00
Just got back from a quick trip to Portugal. Huge queues to get back in through passport controls but it was super fast at Gatwick - I have never seen a queue move so quickly. We were through in 10 mins. Getting back though security was pretty slow though (I had to get a connection). Allow plenty of time for that. I don't think arriving 2.5 hours before is unreasonable.
The longest queue was in Portugal to get through passport control to be honest. About half an hour wait.
Oblomov22 · 10/04/2022 06:38
Kate Dan, it was totally fine. We did an EasyJet bag drop in Gatwick north terminal at 8am, and then was through security with no queues at all in about 20 minutes. Do we arrived in food hall main part hours before we'd expected, because we'd allowed extra time! 
vdbfamily · 10/04/2022 07:36
We flew from Gatwick on Friday afternoon. Told to allow 2 and a half hours for security and were through in less than 30 minutes including both me and DD having extra search etc. My advice, don't wear a sequinned top through the body scanner🤣🤣
BookwormButNoTime · 10/04/2022 08:39
We flew out of Heathrow on 26th March and back home yesterday. Queues were none existent. We literally were off the plane and in the baggage hall (with our bags!!!!) within 15 minutes. Fastest I have ever managed it.
Our taxi driver said that two days ago you couldn’t even get into the short stay collection car park and traffic was backed up to the M25 as it was taking over three hours from plane to baggage hall. I guess it’s going to depend on a day to day basis.
jellybeanteaparty · 10/04/2022 11:58
Flying next weekend and easyJet have cancelled our flight and booked us onto an alternative flight (same time, same country - different airport!!)
katedan · 11/04/2022 18:51
Just wanted to update as I was really worried about queues at Gatwick and missing our flight etc, we travelled yesterday (sunday) from Gatwick and it was a breeze, we arrived 3 hours before departure for a European destination and we were checked in and through security in less than 20 minutes, the check in lady from Wizzair was wonderful and said it is media hype and although they are busy it is being handled really well, give yourself plenty of time and you will be fine.
VeggieTables · 13/04/2022 10:19
I'm flying from Gatwick this morning; arrived at 8.25am, through bag check and security (although I paid £5 per person for premium security, just in case) and I was through to airside in 20 minutes: would've been quicker if my husband hadn't left his iPad in his bag. It is quite quiet airside, so I think (personal opinion) a lot of the news coverage is media hype (probably to divert attention off of other news), although I can't comment for the other airports: I hope this puts some people at ease, as I was stressing about it no end!!
Alsonification · 13/04/2022 10:29
I flew out of Gatwick to Dublin on Sunday on the 17:35 flight. Got to Gatwick at 2pm and got through security in 10 mins. It was pretty quiet.
Aposterhasnoname · 13/04/2022 10:34
@maddy68
Breezed through passport control in fifteen minutes a fortnight ago. Bag collection on the other hand…,..,
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