Simon Calder urges all Brits to make huge airport change this summer

Simon Calder urges all Brits to make huge airport change this summer The expert has warned holidaymakers not to miss their flights by making a simple mistake Travel expert Simon Calder has issued a stark warning to all Brits heading to Europe this summer. There have been major changes to entry requirements in European countries this year, leading to long delays for travellers. The new EU Entry/Exit System (ESS) was fully implemented on Friday 10, April, resulting in significant travel disruptions. Holidaymakers have found themselves in queues lasting hours as they try to pass through the digital border system. It has even seen some travellers missing their flights, leaving their holidays in tatters. The system is used at airport arrivals and departures in the EU and the Schengen area. Simon admitted the only "useful" advice he can give to holidaymakers is to "be prepared for anything" when it comes to the delays. He said on his podcast, The Travel Expert with Simon Calder: "It is annoying when you are on the way into a country, when you're standing in line for a couple of hours, when you would rather be on the beach or in my case, in the bar. "But when you are coming out and have a plane to catch, lots of people are saying get there three hours in advance. I guess we would say that, but ideally three hours in advance with cabin baggage and nothing to check in." Simon has warned holidaymakers to allow plenty of time for airport checks when departing from the EU and the Schengen area. He recommends not even checking in bags to save more time. His co-host on The Travel Expert podcast, Greg Dickinson, added: "It has been a complete scandal, and it will keep going." Greg explained that "one of the main frustrations" with the system is that travellers are submitting their biometric data multiple times. He said: "That shouldn't be happening. It should only happen on the first occasion [of entering the Schengen area]. "Part of this is because the machines aren't talking to each other. It is not as joined up as you would hope it would be. Many airports don't have a segregated lane for people who have had their ESS checks done already." Greg added on the podcast: "This isn't how it should be working, but in many cases, people are having their fingerprints taken on multiple occasions." Simon previously described the system as a "Euro shambles" before naming where in Europe is the worst impacted by the new process. The expert named Milan Malpensa, Lisbon, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Frankfurt and Copenhagen as the airports with the "worst" delays.