Summer holidays: at which airports you have to wait a long time

There are no cancellations, delays or long waiting times at the airport of the state capital of Thuringia. An airport spokesperson said that although there were more flight movements again, flight handling was not a problem as the staff were very well located.

The capital’s airport is preparing for a large influx of travelers. The airport company expects up to three million passengers during the summer holidays. This is about one million more people than last year’s summer holidays. The airport has made the best possible preparations over the past few weeks and months. Additionally, there are currently no short-term illness notes that could cause bottlenecks, an airport spokesperson said. However, there will be occasional waiting times and delays.

The Cockpit pilots association, on the other hand, expects one significant proof of patience for many travelers also at BER. Like other airports in Germany, BER is also expected to have major problems coping with the large number of tourists, Matthias Baier, a member of the Cockpit board, told RBB news radio.

Airport Chief Michael Eggenschwiler announced that passengers will also need to be prepared for waiting times at Hamburg Airport. There is a lack of staff in many places. According to an airport spokesperson, there are longer waiting times, especially in the morning hours. Despite the low staff situation of the airlines at the airport, it has recently been possible to increase staff again. According to the federal police, the waiting time before security checks was an hour and a half early Thursday morning.

To cope with the rush of the next few days, Fuhlsbüttel airport opened earlier. On Fridays, doors open at 3:15 am and security checks begin at 3:30 am.

There are also long lines for check-in at Hanover Airport. Recently, however, a suitcase chaos in Hanover made headlines. Hundreds of suitcases lined up at Hannover-Langenhagen airport.

In particular, the service provider AHS was criticized, which takes care of a large part of the handling of Hanover airport. Currently, an amount of lost baggage is reported five times a day, AHS writes in a statement. Passengers and their checked baggage often do not arrive at the same time. The service provider sees a reason in the insufficient transfer times.

According to an airport spokesperson, there is also a relatively high level of non-punctuality and long waiting times, especially for baggage. Currently, the loading of departing aircraft and the baggage of passengers in transit is a priority. Those who finish their trip in Frankfurt, therefore, sometimes have to wait two hours for their suitcases.

Franconian airport made nationwide negative news during the Pentecost holiday. At that time, 1,700 bags were left. The fault was a technical failure, the personnel situation and changes in the flight plan. The airport described the problems as a “chain of circumstances”.

The staff situation remains tense. The largest recruitment campaign in the airport’s history has been underway since December. 50 new employees are expected in June and July alone, the spokesperson said. The staff situation will then return to the pre-crown level.

The airline must offer an alternative flight. Affected passengers can accept the rebooking offered or request a refund. Changing your booking is usually quite easy with the same airlines.

If the airline does not offer a suitable alternative flight, passengers can also look for a suitable offer. However, Simone Meisel from the Consumer Advice Center Saxony-Anhalt recommends booking such flights only after having consulted the airline in writing (eg by e-mail): “These hotlines are usually outsourced to service providers. Eventually, no one will be able to remember a one-time call. It is important here to also document direct contact with the airline or tour operator so that we can provide evidence in the event of a legal dispute. ”