With Christmas getting closer, thousands of Scots are gearing up to take to the skies this festive season, either travelling abroad or heading home to see family.
Across the UK, five million people are expected to travel through airports to get to their destinations. Over the next few days, airports across the country will be busier than ever, especially Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Travel journalist Simon Calder, who used to work as an Airport Security Officer, has issued travellers with his top tips to get through security quickly this Christmas.
He has pinpointed two items in particular which could see you fall foul of airport security and lead to your bags being unpacked at the scanners. And there is one thing you shouldn’t do if you want to sail through in a timely manner.
Simon said: “While you’re packing your cabin luggage, remember those liquids rules apply. And it’s also worth making sure that your hand baggage is compliant with all the security rules.
“In particular, please don’t pack any Christmas crackers, don’t take snow domes (they are classed as liquids), and if you are bringing presents, then please don’t wrap them in advance because the security staff might just have to unwrap them for you to check what’s inside.”
Simon’s travel hacks come after he previously lifted the lid on hidden baggage charges. The travel expert warned that people might have to fork out, on average, an extra £55, if they go over their weight limit.
Confused.com has found that almost a third of holidaymakers have fallen foul of charges for overweight baggage. And Simon said that this issue is more prevalent at Christmastime when folk are bringing gifts to and from loved ones.
He added: “It’s going to be an extremely busy Christmas at both Edinburgh and Glasgow airports, and research from Confused.com shows that one in three people have ended up paying extra because they didn’t properly check the baggage rules, and of those, two out of five are unfortunately put over the limit because they are carrying Christmas gifts.
“It is really important this Christmas to check in advance what you’re allowed to take on board without paying any extra, and it’s also worth making sure that your hand baggage is compliant with all the security rules.
The survey found that 40 per cent of travellers hit with fees said the extra weight came from gifts received from loved ones, which could be higher at this time of year.
And a similar number said they feel blindsided by hidden baggage fees, with costs reaching up to £65 for some airlines when only 1kg over the limit. In addition, 16 per cent of people ended up paying over £100 in fees for extra weight.
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