EasyJet passengers describe EU border ‘nightmare’
EasyJet passengers describe EU border ‘nightmare’
Over 100 stranded travelers at Milan’s Linate airport reported spending thousands on emergency travel arrangements to return to the UK after their EasyJet flight left without them. The crisis was attributed to delays stemming from the European Union’s new entry-exit system, which passengers called a “nightmare” for their journeys.
More than 100 individuals missed their scheduled flight to Manchester on Sunday, trapped in passport control lines that the airline deemed “unacceptable.” Some travelers experienced severe distress, with reports of vomiting and fainting during biometric and facial recognition checks introduced under the European Entry-Exit System (EES) on Friday.
System Challenges and Passenger Struggles
The EES mandates that third-country nationals, including UK residents, must register biometric data such as facial scans and fingerprints upon entry to the Schengen area. Additional checks are required at departure. According to ACI Europe and A4E, industry groups representing airports and airlines, initial reports show wait times of two to three hours during peak hours at border checkpoints.
Carol Boon, a 59-year-old from Staffordshire, described the ordeal as “just horrible.” She had planned a long weekend getaway in Milan with five others, paying for an apartment to await their Tuesday flight to Gatwick. The group faced a “very stressful” situation, marked by arguments and at least one person fainting and another vomiting.
“Even if we were there five hours before, we weren’t told the gate number until about 90 mins before, so there was nothing we could have done,” Boon said. “It was just disgusting the way they spoke to us.”
Max Hume, 56, from Leeds, recounted spending over £1,800 to reroute his trip via Luxembourg, allowing him to return to the UK sooner. “EasyJet offered us £19 and a flight on Thursday,” he said, “but we would have had to pay £300.”
Adam Hoijard, from Wirral, and his family arrived three hours early at the airport, only to wait for hours before the queue “freaked out and feeling sick.” The family spent £1,000 to book a flight to London Gatwick, with Hoijard noting his five-year-old son was “lying in bed crying” after the ordeal.
“How much time can you leave to wait in a queue and be told to wait?” Hoijard added, criticizing the blame placed on passengers for delays.
EasyJet acknowledged the challenges, offering “free flight transfers to those affected” and apologizing for the disruptions. The airline stated the issues were “outside of our control” and urged border authorities to utilize available flexibilities to prevent future delays. However, with the EES now fully operational, only partial suspension is permitted, despite calls for greater adaptability ahead of the summer travel peak.