Travel - would you go?

Flew our of Dublin last Friday morning. Got through security in about 10 minutes. No problem. Arrived in Malaga to find a long queue for passport control, but through in about 15 minutes. Another queue for Covid check, but again got through in about 15 minutes. All very efficient.
 
Anybody filled up the Irish Locator form for the return to Ireland or is it unnecessarily complicated.
I found the Spanish one a bit of a pain
 
almostthere said:
I hope to resume flying to European destinations in Spring 2022. However I will be flying in to the smaller airports rather than the busy ones.
I am trying to remember the various airports that I have flown in to in the past (mainly Ryanair) but cannot remember any detail.

So, hopefully someone can help me here. I am looking at the smaller airports. Those with one terminal. Maybe one runway. The type where you can walk to the terminal from the plane and are not squashed like sardines in to a small bus that drives 500 yds. Absolutely hated these before Covid but even worse during Covid).

I would be looking at Ryanair destinations and some Aer Lingus destinations in France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain....Portugal.....others?

I am looking for one, where I basically get off the plane, through passport control to a bus stop outside the door of the terminal to a waiting bus to take me to my destination.
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Any of the French regional airports are pretty much like that... Biarritz, La Rochelle, Montpellier, Carcassonne

Departing is a bit more awkward as they all have a holding room once you're through passport check. But you walk to the planes.
 
Black Sheep said:
Anybody filled up the Irish Locator form for the return to Ireland or is it unnecessarily complicated.
I found the Spanish one a bit of a pain
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1. The Irish Travel Locator Form is a doddle and can be completed in about two minutes (max). [To be completed within 72 hours of arrival time]
2. The Spanish Travel Locator Form is pretty long with lots of unneccessary information sought. Estimated Completion Time 20 minutes. [To be completed within 48 hours of time of departure].
 
I filled in the Irish pasanger locator form (very simple 5 min job) for my parents return journey from majorca two weeks in advance, and printed it out for them before they went on holidays. It was accepted without question on their return to knock at the weekend even though it wasn't done within the 72 hrs. We thought we'd chance it as we didn't want them fretting about having to do it on holidays and maybe having problems with Internet printers etc.
 
Just wondering how the Airport was this week as regard queues considering it was so bad last week. Also wondering if the people who missed flights because of the problems last week were accommodated by the airlines .
 
I just got back from travelling across several countries in Europe. Between Schengen countries there are no checks at all and for non-Schengen ones the vaccination cert worked smoothly. Every country I went to was more or less back to normal. People still wear masks in shops and public transport (except in Hungary, which felt strange) but there is a calm and relaxed feel to everything. There were enough tourists to make things lively but not yet overcrowding. Not all cross-border trains and buses are running a full schedule yet but there is enough capacity to make travel between countries easy with a bit of planning ahead. Prices in hotels and restaurants seemed at a normal level, in stark contrast to the orgy of profiteering and exploitation facing Irish staycationers this summer. Returning to Ireland wasn't a problem either. The vaccination cert and locator form are checked at the departure gate when boarding the flight to Ireland and these weren't checked again at passport control. Copious warnings about the alleged risks/difficulties of travelling to other EU countries seem to be little more than self-serving propaganda by Ireland's domestic hospitality industry.
 
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tomdublin said:
The vaccination cert and locator form are checked at the departure gate when boarding the flight to Ireland.
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I have my vaccination cert printed off in paper format. Is it possible to have your outward locator form printed off before you travel and is it acceptable at borders.
 
SlurrySlump said:
I have my vaccination cert printed off in paper format. Is it possible to have your outward locator form printed off before you travel and is it acceptable at borders.
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Do you mean the Irish passenger locator form? You are supposed to complete it electronically no more than 72 hours before arrival in Ireland. Paper and electronic copies are both OK (probably safest to have both).
 
almostthere said:
I hope to resume flying to European destinations in Spring 2022. However I will be flying in to the smaller airports rather than the busy ones.
I am trying to remember the various airports that I have flown in to in the past (mainly Ryanair) but cannot remember any detail.

So, hopefully someone can help me here. I am looking at the smaller airports. Those with one terminal. Maybe one runway. The type where you can walk to the terminal from the plane and are not squashed like sardines in to a small bus that drives 500 yds. Absolutely hated these before Covid but even worse during Covid).
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I contacted a Spanish airport owner about the practice of squeezing as many people on to the small bus that takes you from the plane to the terminal. This was the response I got (see below).... It would appear that it is the airline's responsibility not the airport's responsibility........so next time you are squashed in like sardines in the small bus, complain to the airline.

"First of all, allow me to inform you that I am sorry for the inconvenience you may have suffered while passing through our premises, in addition, I would like to thank you for your complaint which helps us to try to increase the quality of our customer service.



In this regard, I indicate that the airline is responsible for the transfer of passengers from the terminal to the aircraft.



Therefore, I must forward the claim to your airline company for processing, so that you can exercise your rights and any type of action that you deem appropriate for the effective protection of them, since this has an impact on the performance of the air transport contract concluded between a passenger and the air carrier when purchasing the air ticket."
 
Was there (Dublin Airport) on the way to Spain. No queues in the afternoon, though a staff member told me they had been quite busy in the mornings.
Maybe bring some food as the only food at the airport was sandwiches (cardboard) @€9 each, and no food on the plane, drinks only
 
I contacted Ryanair and I asked them to extend the expiry date on the replacement Gift Cards that they refunded to me for cancelled flights. They point blank refused. I had to use them this week.
I have now booked flights for a trip that I only sort of want to make....I just wanted to use them up......The cost of the flights to my preferred destination have trebled in cost for the same time next year as when I originally booked them.
 
Just back from Spain. No hassles but delays in Malaga airport due to it just not being as well run as Dublin Airport.
If you think the food in Dublin airport is expensive...
Nobody wearing masks there in bars or restaurants. The staff do, sometimes, but no customers.
The flight was like a grand tour for the audience of Live at 3. The plane smelled like a nursing home. I'd say the sales of rich tea biscuits and adult nappies in Ireland has plummeted since the restrictions were lifted.
 
SoylentGreen said:
I have now booked flights for a trip that I only sort of want to make....I just wanted to use them up......The cost of the flights to my preferred destination have trebled in cost for the same time next year as when I originally booked them.
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Well they have to pay for those vouchers somehow.
 
We went two Italy in August and back last Sunday, it was all pain free, just a bit of added bureaucracy with the EU Covid pass and locator form but nothing else. It takes 3 minutes to complete the Locator form. At the Milan airport it was taken at the passports check. Coming back it was taken at the boarding gate by the Aer Lingus staff. The flight was about 50% full gonig and coming back the same. We felt safe everywhere, almost everyone wearing the mask inside shops etc. hand sanitizer almost everywhere, however because of the extremely good weather we never had a single meal or pizzas inside but all outside at a good distance from the other tables so we all felt very safe. To be honest I felt more nervous in Donegal in early August where there was a much higher incidence than Italy and the weather wasn't so good so most times we were sitting inside for meals, drinks, etc.
 
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Looking at Flightradar website yesterday I note Aer Lingus is using one of its largest transatlantic planes for the Dublin/Málaga run (and in midweek and September - used pre Covid on weekends and in high season only). Seemingly many are heading abroad again.
 
Just saw a large room in a mediocre North inner city Dublin hotel advertised on Airbnb for 700 Euro per night. Ireland's hospitality industry might be signing its own death warrant.
 
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Leper said:
Looking at Flightradar website yesterday I note Aer Lingus is using one of its largest transatlantic planes for the Dublin/Málaga run (and in midweek and September - used pre Covid on weekends and in high season only). Seemingly many are heading abroad again.
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That's the one I was on. It was full.
 
Leper said:
1. The Irish Travel Locator Form is a doddle and can be completed in about two minutes (max). [To be completed within 72 hours of arrival time]
2. The Spanish Travel Locator Form is pretty long with lots of unneccessary information sought. Estimated Completion Time 20 minutes. [To be completed within 48 hours of time of departure].
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Arrived in Faro airport, quiet enough, no bus to terminal, connection strait to terminal building,(aer Lingus) not asked for Portugal locator form, carried on to Spain by car to hotel and not asked for Spanish locator form ,only passports as usual, all very safe in hotel and very clean, a good idea we noticed was no menus in resteraunts, you scan a QR code with your phone to view menu
 
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