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Rules around travel to Europe are changing – make sure you’re prepared by following a travel expert’s tips.

Nobody wants to face those dreaded airport queues; there’s nothing to ruin the start of a holiday than being stuck in a long queue, stressing about whether you’ll make your flight, surrounded by equally frustrated travellers.

From April 10, new biometric checks will become mandatory for all non-EU travellers entering the Schengen Area which will include Brits. Traditional passport stamping is now replaced by fingerprint scans and facial recognition. While it is meant to be a quick process, major international hubs are already reporting long queues of up to four hours for the service, especially at airports that host multiple airlines.

With that in mind, Jane Bolton, a travel expert at Erna Low, has shared four simple but essential tips to help passengers avoid unnecessary delays and start their trip without delays.

Arrive earlier than you think you need to

“Airport wait times can vary, but with the new EES checks, queues of up to four hours are expected at peak times,” Jane explains. “In the past, travellers were advised to arrive two hours before a domestic flight and three hours for an international flight. Now, it’s worth allowing more time than usual.”

To be extra prepared, Jane would recommend arriving three to four hours before the flight to account for additional biometric checks slowing down border processing – especially if you’re flying during busier holiday periods.

Consider fast-track options where possible

But spending so much time in airports isn’t exactly everyone’s idea of fun. In that case, fast-track security could be worth the investment. “As long queues are expected, passengers should opt for alternative time-saving methods where possible,” Jane says. “Purchasing fast-track tickets for security is a great method for reducing the time needed prior to a flight.” Typically costing between £3 and £12, these passes can help you bypass long security lines, a price she says is “a relatively small investment for peace of mind.”

Plan carefully if you’re travelling with family

Under the new system, families might even face additional challenges – children under 12 are exempt from fingerprinting and facial recognition, but they must be linked to a registered adult. “For families or large parties travelling, allowing extra time at the airport is essential,” Jane explains. “This process will take longer than average, so plan ahead and keep all documents ready.”

Double-check your passport before you go

Since Brexit, Jane says, one of the most common mistakes travellers make is assuming their passport is valid everywhere, at any point. “Your passport must have been issued less than 10 years before your travel date and be valid for at least three months after departure,” Jane says. She stresses that, while most would know their passport is expired, some wouldn’t think to check one thing that also matters: the issue date. She explains: “For example, a passport issued in March 2015 and expiring in December 2025 won’t be valid for EU travel after March 2025.” Failing to check this could mean being turned away at the airport before your trip even begins.

Disabled mum Carol Hutchins was left ‘very upset’ after missing her TUI holiday to Fuerteventura from Manchester Airport

A disabled woman has been left “very upset” after missing her holiday to the Canary Islands due to issues with her mobility scooter battery.

Carol Hutchins had been eagerly anticipating a sunny getaway at the TUI Magic Life Hotel in Fuerteventura with her daughter, Layla, scheduled for late October. However, the mother-and-daughter pair’s dream holiday came to an abrupt end at Manchester Airport, where staff informed them Carol’s scooter couldn’t be loaded onto the aircraft.

Carol has been left “very upset” by the cancelled holiday and the fact she’s more than £1,000 out of pocket. There is no indication that TUI failed to follow protocol. However, Carol and Layla’s experience acts as a cautionary tale for Brits travelling abroad with a mobility scooter.

A TUI spokesperson said: “We’re sorry that Ms Hutchins wasn’t able to travel on her holiday, and we recognise how upsetting that must have been for her. This was due to them not having the required documentation and battery identification information for their electric mobility aid, which meant it couldn’t be cleared to fly under safety guidance. The TUI airport team supported her on the day and explored alternative options, which she chose not to accept.”

Carol arranged her holiday to the sun-drenched Canary Islands at the TUI Doncaster branch on 23 October 2025. As the reservation was made within a fortnight of departure, the travel agent contacted the welfare team while Carol was in the shop, to ensure the mobility scooter was included in the booking. When a mobility aid is included in a holiday booking, customers are sent the Conditions of Carriage, which contain crucial instructions passengers must adhere to before their flight, reports the Mirror.

They specify: “The battery or batteries should clearly be labelled showing the type and the watt-hour (Wh) rating. Failure to show this can lead to refusal of battery or batteries. Please carry the manufacturer’s operating instructions with you, which will help you and the airport staff to block the vehicle’s electric circuits and remove the battery if necessary.”

According to TUI, the Conditions of Carriage were sent to Ms Hutchins four times via email as her booking was amended, and provided twice more alongside ticket documentation.

When Carol and Layla arrived at Manchester Airport on October 29, her battery lacked any visible identification label, meaning airport personnel could not lawfully approve it under safety regulations.

An on-site duty manager liaised with the resort team in Fuerteventura to locate an alternative mobility scooter she could utilise during her holiday.

However, according to Layla, Carol did not feel at ease travelling without her own scooter or with the prospect that she might be without one for a time once at her destination.

According to TUI, Carol and Layla declined the offer of two alternative flights and goodwill vouchers.

TUI’s website features a section that outlines what customers using mobility scooters need to know and do before they travel.

Before flying with your electric mobility aid, you’ll need to:

• Check your battery type and specifications
• Provide battery details to TUI in advance
• Bring manufacturer documentation to the airport

TUI accepts these battery types:

• Non-spillable batteries (like AGM, Gel Cell, SLA)
• Lithium batteries with specific watt-hour limits:
• Single battery: maximum 300Wh
• Two batteries: maximum 160Wh each
• However, wet cell (spillable) batteries are not permitted on TUI flights.

Important pre-flight steps:

• Share your device’s battery details with TUI as early as possible
• Bring manufacturer documentation showing battery specifications
• If documentation is unavailable, check the British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA) website or contact your device manufacturer
• Remember that spare or removable batteries must be carried in the cabin

ATLANTA — Regardless of politics or destination, American air travelers are unified by one desire: It’s time to pay Transportation Security Administration employees.

“Everybody got bills they have to pay, and it’s horrible,” said Patrice Clark, whose trip to Las Vegas began Saturday with a nearly four-hour wait in a security line at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. “Times are hard for everybody at this point. Working and not getting paid and gas prices are extremely high — like everybody needs their money. They need to pay them.”

TSA officers haven’t gotten a paycheck since the Department of Homeland Security partly shut down on Feb. 14. Democrats balked at funding the agency, demanding changes to immigration enforcement by federal agents after the shooting deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis.

Some travelers arrive 4 hours early

Christian Childress is a private flight attendant, so when he is working, he doesn’t wait in TSA lines. But he frequently goes through a checkpoint when flying commercial to get to his job.

Childress, who lives in Redwood City in Northern California, said shutdown effects have been “hit or miss” thus far. He came to the Atlanta airport nearly three hours before his 1:30 p.m. Saturday flight to Nashville for a leisure trip. Some passengers have been arriving even earlier in Atlanta — the world’s busiest airport — worried about missing flights.

“Issue No. 1 should be paying the people who need to get paid and keeping our air travel system secure,” Childress said. “Then they can debate whatever they want to debate about Homeland Security.”

Democrats have tried to advance legislation to fund TSA separately, but Republicans have refused, saying funding for the entire Department of Homeland Security must be approved. So the shutdown continues.

Some passengers said it is time for Democrats to relent.

“I don’t want to go between the Democrats and the Republicans, but I think the Democrats are holding everything up because they can’t get their way,” said Tyrone Williams, a retiree from the Atlanta suburb of Ellenwood. He was queued up for screening before his flight to Philadelphia on Saturday.

Atlanta’s checkpoint wait time was as high as 90 minutes Saturday morning before melting away to nothing in the afternoon on what is typically one of the slowest days of the week for air travel. Staffing shortages have forced some airports to close checkpoints at times, with wait times swinging dramatically.

ICE at airports

Concerns about long airport lines are increasingly capturing attention.

President Trump has announced plans to order Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to take a role in airport security starting Monday, which he says will continue until Democrats agree to fund the Department of Homeland Security.

He said ICE agents would bring the administration’s immigration crackdown into the nation’s airports, arresting “all Illegal Immigrants” with a focus on those from Somalia.

“I look forward to moving ICE in on Monday, and have already told them to, “GET READY.” NO MORE WAITING, NO MORE GAMES!” Trump wrote.

Funding for the whole department failed to advance in the Senate on Friday after Democrats declined to support a bill. On Saturday, in a rare weekend session, the GOP-led Senate rejected the Democrats’ motion to take up legislation to fund TSA.

Travelers ‘grateful’ for unpaid TSA workers

The vast majority of employees at TSA are considered essential, and roughly 50,000 continue to work without pay during the funding lapse. Nationwide on Thursday, about 10% of TSA officers missed work, the department reported. Absentee rates were two or three times higher in places.

Merissa Thomas arrived in Las Vegas on Saturday after a quick trip through a checkpoint at Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C.

“I’m so grateful for people who are willing to sacrifice a lot to make sure we’re safe,” Thomas said.

Union leaders and federal officials say TSA officers are under financial pressure. Airport screeners have spent nearly half of the last 172 days with paychecks delayed by politics — 43 days last fall during the longest government shutdown in history, four days earlier this year during a brief funding lapse, and now 37 days and counting during the current shutdown.

At least 376 officers have quit since this shutdown began, according to officials, exacerbating turnover at an agency that historically has had some of the U.S. government’s highest attrition and lowest employee morale.

“From now on I would drive wherever I have to go until they get this figured out,” said Clark, the delayed traveler. “It was horrible.”

Amy writes for the Associated Press. AP writers Collin Binkley in West Palm Beach, Fla., Ty O’Neil in Las Vegas and Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington contributed to this report.

James Martin has been vocal about his three stone weight loss and has even shared his favourite two-ingredient breakfast that he enjoys as part of his new diet

Celebrity chef James Martin has shared his go-to two-ingredient breakfast following his impressive 3st weight loss, describing the meal as “simple and very tasty”.

The presenter of James Martin’s Saturday Morning on ITV recently travelled to Spain, gathering his favourite regional recipes for a new cookbook called ‘James Martin’s Spanish Adventure’.

The 53-year-old’s remarkable three-stone transformation has reportedly seen fish makeup 80 per cent of his diet nowadays, though he hasn’t given up his beloved butter.

He explained that the recipes featured in his books have been “specifically created” using ingredients they found during their travels. However, his absolute favourite dish can be whipped up at home using just two simple ingredients.

James revealed to Hello!: “Grilled tomatoes on toast. It’s very simple and very tasty. And the barbecued leeks with lardons and hazelnuts.”.

During an appearance on the Spooning with Mark Wogan podcast, James disclosed that his passion for motor racing motivated his significant weight loss, as he would “struggle to get out of them”.

He explained: “It comes down to the fact that I race cars, or I still try and race a few cars and I actually struggle to get out of them now. Getting in them, you kind of fall in them, but then you’ve got to get out of them and it just doesn’t look very good.” Nevertheless, it appears that another of his passions, butter, continues to feature prominently in his diet. The chef’s devotion to the dairy staple is legendary, having written an extensive 517-page tome on the subject.

Named ‘Butter: Comforting, Delicious, Versatile – Over 130 Recipes Celebrating Butter’, James joked that whilst others were releasing books on nutritious eating approximately five years ago, he’d “brought out a book on butter”.

The Home Comforts presenter’s weight loss wasn’t achieved through gym sessions, though, instead attributing it to his “farmer’s kid” upbringing, explaining that he enjoys “simple food” and “great ingredients”.

Indeed, he was candid about avoiding the gym, stating, “I don’t go”, and revealing that his weight loss simply comes down to being able to “get my a**e in and out of a car.”

He explained: “I’m a farmer’s kid, I like pure food, I like simple food and just love great ingredients. I like simple cooking, but also bringing out the flavour of the ingredients is more important than anything else.”

James is back on our screens today for Saturday Morning on ITV1 at 9.25am.

An airline captain with 35 years of experience shares his strategy for managing jet lag on long-haul flights cutting recovery time from days to just hours

During the late 1970s, a new range of travel options opened for holidaymakers as transatlantic journeys became much more affordable. Yet whilst the monetary cost of long-haul travel has steadily declined, the toll it takes on the body has remained unchanged.

Jet lag stems from several contributing elements, including the oxygen-poor cabin environment on aeroplanes, but the primary culprit is an abrupt shift between time zones. The body’s internal clock cannot adapt swiftly enough, and it’s typical for long-distance passengers to experience sleep disturbances alongside digestive problems.

Flying eastwards can trigger particularly brutal jet lag, with over-60s generally suffering more severely than their younger counterparts. Veteran travellers often swear by solutions like melatonin or strong coffee, but naturally the best source of wisdom on combating jet lag comes from airline personnel themselves.

Alfonso de Bertodano, an airline captain with 35 years of experience, has a straightforward and proven strategy: “To avoid jet lag, if I’m going to be in a place for two or three days, I try to meet up with people who are eating lunch or dinner at their usual time. Otherwise, it will take you six days to get over it”.

Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, Alfonso continued: “The reality is that I try to change my schedule as little as possible. I arrive at my destination at 8pm, which is 2am in Spain, and I go straight to bed. I don’t go out for dinner, I don’t go out for a drink.”

Alfonso, an airline pilot who needs to be alert and refreshed for his job, shared: “I set myself a countdown of seven or eight hours and get up at whatever time it is, regardless of what time it is in that country.

“That way, I maintain my Spanish schedule. Because jet lag isn’t just about sleep. It’s about muscle tone, it’s about the digestive tract… It’s not the same to feed your body at 3 in the morning as it is to feed it at 10 or 11 at night.”

He emphasised that mingling with locals and adapting to their routine as swiftly as possible is the secret to overcoming jet lag. “The ideal thing is to be with people who are having breakfast, lunch or dinner at their usual time, and you’re with them maintaining neural activity, brain activity and muscle tone activity,” advised the pilot.

Alfonso further added: “You’ll adjust much more quickly than if you do it on your own. And when you return, it’s exactly the same. That’s why when you arrive, you might sleep for a little whilst, but I immediately set my alarm clock to wake myself up and get on with my daily life,” explained the aircraft commander.

“It’s tiring, but you get your body used to performing like that. In the end, you have to control your body because if you let your body control you, you’ll end up curing your jet lag, or getting over your jet lag, in six days instead of 24 or 48 hours.”