Flying to Europe? Here’s what to know about airport problems in London, Paris and Amsterdam
Some European hubs are so crowded they’re capping the number of daily departing passengers. Here’s what travellers need to know.
Travelling to Europe this summer is getting a whole lot harder. For much of the northern summer, staff shortages and a surge of travellers have led to long lines at security and passport control, disarray at baggage claim and crowded terminals in Europe. Now, multiple airports are implementing caps on the number of people that can fly out of them each day.
London’s Heathrow Airport is limiting the number of departing passengers to 100,000 through September. The airport also requested that airlines no longer sell new tickets for flights from the airport through the end of summer.
Gatwick, another London Airport, has also imposed a cap on daily passengers, as has Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport.
“It is almost surprisingly commonplace throughout the continent, considering how drastic a move this is,” says Scott Keyes, founder of the travel-deals website Scott’s Cheap Flights.
Passengers caps aren’t the only airport-related problems jetsetters will encounter. Workers have recently gone on strike at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, causing cancellations and other headaches.
Some airlines have proactively cancelled flights because of the crunch at airports. British Airways has cut roughly 30,000 flights since the start of summer, not including last-minute or operational cancellations.
For passengers, all of these developments and decisions are leading to changed itineraries, heightened anxiety and confusion. Here’s what travellers need to know about flying to and from Europe right now:
My flight out of Heathrow was cancelled. What should I do now?
Prepare to be flexible. In the event a flight is cancelled, the airline is obligated to get you on another plane, travel-industry professionals say. The problem is that most flights will be fully booked, or close to it.
“I wouldn’t expect them to be able to rebook you on the same day, necessarily,” says Leslie Overton, director of travel operations at Fora, a travel agency. “It might have to be a day or two afterwards; it might be a week afterwards. You might have to fight them to get closer.”
Consider whether you could fly into another airport at your destination or out of another airport near where you are. London has six major airports – including London City, Luton and Stansted – and some of these offer long-haul international flights.
Or you could fly from English hubs such as Manchester or Birmingham and travel to them by train from London. That is what Overton recommends. Travelling by train to Manchester or Birmingham takes roughly 90 minutes to 2½ hours, with Birmingham a bit faster. Travelling through Scotland or Ireland may also be easier. “Be a little bit more creative and constructive in your planning,” Overton says.
Before your travel date, look up other itineraries that could work for you to have in your back pocket should your flight be cancelled. Doing your research before talking to an airline representative can improve your chances of getting on another flight quickly.
Remember, British and European Union rules require airlines to compensate passengers for delayed or cancelled flights. That said, having travel insurance can be useful for covering any costs you may encounter, especially since it may take over a day for you to be put on another flight.
My flight out of Heathrow is a go. What should I expect?
While the policies the airport has announced for the remainder of summer are designed to reduce some of the congestion and disorder, they won’t eliminate the problems entirely.
Plan to get to the airport well before your flight’s departure. Heathrow advises travellers to arrive at least three hours before their flight.
Find other ways to make your travel experience go smoothly. When at passport control or security, have all your travel documents handy. You also may want to skip checking a bag if you can, says Matt Berna, managing director at tour operator Intrepid Travel North America.
“If you can really test yourself to travel light, you can take pressure off the system,” he says.
How will these airport policies affect airfares?
It is too soon to know the exact impact, but higher prices are likely, travel agents and executives say.
The biggest impact will be in availability of seats on flights through the rest of the summer. Getting a flight to or from London won’t be impossible, but will likely become more expensive due to the limited space for passengers, travel professionals say.
The effects of Heathrow’s new policies won’t be limited to passengers travelling for vacations in the Britain, since Heathrow is a hub for connecting flights to other destinations in Europe and beyond.
Fares this summer to Europe were already quite high because of the boom in international travel. “You’re talking about last-minute summer flights, when fares are especially expensive, and that’s before even getting into the artificial capacity cuts that we’re now seeing,” Keyes says.
I haven’t booked my trip to Europe yet. What should I do?
For starters, consider flying in the middle of the week. Delays and cancellations tend to accumulate on the weekends when more people are travelling.
Look at airports beyond the major hubs. Travel experts say airports in secondary cities aren’t seeing the crowds and delays you often find in places such as Paris or Frankfurt.
Online travel agencies often allow travellers to research flights to airports near major hubs for alternative options. A travel agent could also assist in determining routes that avoid airports seeing significant disruptions. People travelling for leisure could reconsider their travel plans entirely and voyage to parts of Europe that aren’t seeing these airport-related fiascos. Airports in many parts of southern Europe have largely avoided the issues seen elsewhere in the continent, Keyes says. As a bonus, vacations in places such as Spain and Portugal tend to be more affordable – and your dollar will stretch even further these days.
–The Wall Street Journal