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A new EU digital border system just
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caused over 100 easyJet passengers to
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miss their flight from Milan to
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And here's the kicker, it wasn't the
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We are officially in the era of the EES,
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the entry exit system. It's a new
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biometric registration for all non-EU
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nationals, including the Brits. It
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requires facial scans and fingerprints.
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The good news, once you're in, it lasts
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3 years. Well, the bad news, the rollout
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We're talking tech failures, staff
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shortages, and queues stretching up to 3
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hours in major hubs like Malaga and
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Porto. So, who is liable if you're stuck
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in the queue and your plane takes off
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without you? Well, the short answer is
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you are. While airlines are responsible
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for mechanical delays or crew issues,
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border control is really outside the
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EasyJet held the Milan flight for an
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extra hour, but they eventually had to
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leave because their crew hit their
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safety regulated hours.
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Some passengers were left paying over a
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thousand pounds for last-minute flights
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home. And in the eyes of the law,
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getting through the border is a
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passenger's responsibility.
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You might think your travel insurance
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has your back, but don't count on it.
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Most policies require you to allow a
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reasonable time for security and border
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checks. If the queue is 3 hours and you
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only arrived 2 hours early, you're
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likely out of luck. The industry is
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currently urging border authorities to
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be more flexible, but until the tech
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stabilizes, the risks remain entirely on
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the travelers. Now, to avoid becoming
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headline, you need to change your
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airport strategy immediately. First,
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ditch the duty-free loitering. Head
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straight to the kiosks as soon as you
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land or arrive. Second, check your
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insurance policy specifically for
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administration or border delays. Many
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standard policies don't cover this. And
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finally, the 2-hour rule is dead. For
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Schengen travel this summer, 3 hours is
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the new minimum if you want to ensure
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you actually make it to the gate. This
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is the new reality of post-Brexit
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travel. It is digital, it is biometric,
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and right now is very slow. Now, have
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you been caught in one of these new EES
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queues yet? Let us know in the comments
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if it's bad as they say.
