Luftfahrt-Bundesamt

Passenger information at the beginning of the holiday season

Date 2023.07.07

In connection with the start of the holiday season, we would like to advise that there may be waiting times at airports during check-in and at security and border controls. For a safe and stress-free journey, please take note of the following information.

Preparing for the journey and starting the journey 

Travellers can help to reduce waiting times through good personal preparation and cooperation.

Before starting their journey, they should make sure that their travel documents are valid and complete. They should find out in advance which documents and health certificates (vaccination, convalescence and test certificates) they have to show at the check-in at the airport and in which form they have to be presented for examination.

Travellers should arrive at the airport on time and proceed to check-in immediately after arriving at the airport, then to the aviation security checkpoint and then on to their departure gate.

Some airlines and airports offer digital and contactless check-in and baggage check-in services, or the option of an evening-before check-in. We recommend that travellers check the website of their airline and the relevant airport for specifics and recommendations regarding check-in and passing through security checks before starting their journey.

In order to facilitate the conduct of aviation security checks and to avoid delays for themselves and their fellow passengers, travellers should inform themselves in advance on the website of the Federal Police, www.bundespolizei.de, about the valid regulations for taking hand luggage, electronic devices, liquids etc. with them.

At the border police exit control, travellers should have their travel documents ready at hand and make sure that no other documents are in their passport, for example, and that no protective covers are used.

Entry requirements

We recommend that travellers check the current status of their booked flight and the currently valid entry regulations of their travel or transit country before starting their journey. Changes may occur at short notice due to the current situation. General information on the current situation can be found, among other places, on the website

of the Federal Foreign Office at

https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/visa-service/visabestimmungen-node

https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/ReiseUndSicherheit

Air passenger rights 

Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004 grants passengers rights in the event of flight cancellation, denied boarding and long delay for travellers departing on flights within the territory of the European Union or departing on flights from third countries to destinations in the European Union operated by European air carriers. The obligation is always incumbent on the operating air carrier.

In the event of flight cancellation or denied boarding, passengers have the choice between full reimbursement of the ticket costs and re-routing to their final destination. In the event of a flight delay of more than five hours, affected passengers can choose not to be carried and have their ticket costs reimbursed. Air carriers must also provide passengers with reasonable assistance in relation to the waiting time. This may also include hotel accommodation. The care services do not apply in cases where the passenger has agreed to a full refund of his or her ticket costs. The same also applies if the passenger decides at his or her own request to take a replacement flight at a later date.

Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 also stipulates, under certain conditions, the payment of a lump-sum distance-related compensation. This does not apply if the operating air carrier informs the passengers concerned more than 14 days before the scheduled departure time about the cancellation. There is also no right to compensation if the cancellation was caused by extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided.

Passengers who have booked a package tour should contact their tour operator in the event of flight disruptions. Passengers who did not receive any assistance from the air carrier and had to provide for themselves are advised to keep receipts and invoices and claim the costs from the carrier afterwards.

Passengers affected who decide of their own accord not to take their booked flight or to travel at a later date should contact the respective airline or tour operator directly and find out about the options offered in each case. Such situations are not covered by Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004. The possibilities for reimbursement in these cases depend on the general terms and conditions of the respective airline and the type or tariff of the respective ticket booked.

Claims based on Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004 must be asserted directly by the passengers against the operating air carrier after the affected flight. This applies to the reimbursement of ticket costs, any compensation payment to which passengers may be entitled, and also to the expenses incurred by the passengers in individual cases for meals and/or hotel accommodation.

If claims are rejected by the air carrier or the air carrier has not decided on the claims within two months, affected passengers have the option of enforcing their claims free of charge by contacting the conciliation board for local public transport (Schlichtungsstelle für den öffentlichen Personennahverkehr e. V., söp) or the official conciliation board at the Federal Office of Justice. Further information on conciliation in air transport and the responsibilities of the aforementioned conciliation bodies can be found on our website.

Passengers can still file a complaint with the Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (Federal Aviation Office) in its function as national enforcement body for Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004. Please note, however, that we are not authorised to assert civil claims of individual passengers against air carriers. The Luftfahrt-Bundesamt monitors compliance with passenger rights in the sense of supervision under commercial law and carries out fine proceedings in this context in order to prevent future violations of Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004.

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