A family of four missed their easyJet flight home from Málaga because bag drop-off times did not allow for long queues caused by the EU's new Entry/Exit System (EES). Despite arriving three hours early, the bag drop did not open until two hours before departure, and it took 47 minutes to drop luggage, leaving only 53 minutes to clear security and reach the gate. With two young children and a backlog at security, they could not board, along with five other passengers.
The EES, introduced last October, requires non-EU travellers to have their photo and fingerprints taken at the border. Even those who have already submitted biometrics on their outward journey must join queues for their return flight. The system aims to prevent overstaying but has led to a 70% increase in security processing times, according to Airports Council International. Lisbon airport suspended the system in December when waits reached seven hours.
EasyJet admitted that airlines can decide when bag drop opens but has no plans to change its current two-hour window. It acknowledged abnormally long queues on the day and advised passengers to allow extra time, but the family argued that extra time is useless if bag drop is inflexible. The airline offered cheaper “rescue fares” for stranded passengers, but the family paid an additional £1,000 to get home.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said that “operational, regulatory, and commercial realities” prevent a common approach to opening bag drops earlier. IATA has warned that the full rollout of EES poses an operational risk before the summer peak and urged member states to consider suspending the system at peak periods and to reinforce staffing. The best advice for travellers is to pack everything into a cabin bag and skip luggage check-in to avoid missing flights.
