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What return of liquid limits at airports means for travel in Spain

After news that the European Commission will temporarily reintroduce limits on liquids in hand luggage at certain airports around Europe, many are wondering what this means for travellers in Spain.

Published: 13 August 2024 13:10 CEST
Updated: 17 August 2024 08:01 CEST
What return of liquid limits at airports means for travel in Spain
EU limits on liquids for air travel have been in place in Spain and the EU since 2006. (Photo by ANDREAS SOLARO / AFP)

The European Commission (EC) recently announced that it will temporarily reintroduce limits to liquids carried in hand luggage at some airports around Europe.

For the last several years travellers around Europe have been looking forward to being rid of pesky hand luggage restrictions on liquids and electronic devices across all airports. In Spain, some airports have already spent millions on new high-tech scanners and were even beginning to phase them in to be able to scrap the rules.

However, following the EC decision, in certain airports the 100ml limit will now actually be reintroduced on liquids, aerosols, and gels (known as LAGs).

This comes after concerns emerged about the reliability of new EDSCB scanners installed in airports around the continent.

In a press note the EC states: “The European Commission will temporarily enforce restrictions on liquid screening at EU airports utilising Explosive Detection Systems for Cabin Baggage (EDSCB). 

“These systems, installed in certain EU airports, currently allow passengers to carry liquid containers exceeding 100ml.”

READ ALSO: In detail: Who is exempt from Europe’s EES passport checks?

What does this mean for travellers?

Basically, if you’re travelling through an airport that has already installed the new EDSCB scanners, you’ll soon need to abide by the old rules on carrying liquids in hand luggage.

If you travel through airports that are yet to install them, nothing changes.

What about electronic devices?

The other time-saving benefit of these new EDSCB scanners is that you no longer need to take out your electronic devices from your hand luggage.

According to the latest EC information available, the temporary rule change will not affect this.

When does this change come into effect?

From September 1st 2024. Per the EC statement: “Effective from 1 September 2024, the maximum allowed size for individual liquid containers will revert to the standard 100ml for airports operating this type of equipment.”

Airports that already limit liquids to 100ml or that have not deployed EDSCB equipment will not be affected by this change.

Why are they doing this?

The EC claims this is a “precautionary measure” due to a technical issue and not due to a heightened security risk.

This is according to a decision taken by the Airports Council International (ACI) when it was revising EU Aviation Security Regulations, which has introduced severe restrictions on the use of these new sorts of scanners.

Due to their state-of-the-art technology they previously allowed travellers around Europe to carry liquids in their hand luggage without the 100ml restriction, but the technical measure means this has been scrapped for now.

Why are there limits on liquids in airports?

EU Aviation Security Regulations limits liquids, aerosols, and gels to 100ml. This is because traditional security equipment cannot detect liquid explosives effectively.

However, there are often exceptions made for medicines and baby products.

What does this mean for Spain?

It depends where you’re travelling from.  According to Aena, Spain’s airport network, the new scanners have so far only been installed at Madrid’s Barajas and Barcelona’s El Prat airports, where they have been undergoing trial periods over the summer. 

This means that, from September 1st, liquids will be limited to 100ml there as before.

If you’re going through security at other Spanish airports, nothing will change for now and you’ll be limited to 100ml liquids in your carry on luggage, as you would’ve been before anyway.

Spanish media reports suggest that by the end of 2024 they will also be installed at Palma de Mallorca airport, before expanding to the rest of the airports in Spain.

However, though the EC describes the reintroduction of this liquid limit rules as “temporary”, it is unclear how long the rules will be in place for. 

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TRAVEL NEWS

Is Wizz Air’s €499 ‘all you can fly’ pass worth it for travellers in Spain?

Low-cost Hungarian airline Wizz Air recently launched an “all you can fly" pass to tempt frequent flyers into signing up for a €499 annual subscription. Are there any catches, where can you fly to from Spain and who should consider this offer?

Published: 21 August 2024 11:45 CEST
Is Wizz Air's €499 'all you can fly' pass worth it for travellers in Spain?

Wizz’s ‘all you can fly scheme’ is essentially an annual travel season ticket, and a full year’s subscription costs €499 for a limited period before going up to €599. 

The price includes access to hundreds of routes across the world, many of which are in Spain.

“We are thrilled to be the first to introduce this one-of-a-kind membership for travellers in Europe,” Wizz Air spokesperson Silvia Mosquera said in the press. “The membership will give customers hundreds of spontaneous travel options for a fixed price, giving them freedom to fly whenever is convenient without paying extra.”

Something worth noting is that, according to the Wizz Air website, “you are only able to book flights up to 3-days (72 hours) before departure.”

It also warns that “seats are subject to availability” so it suggests like having the annual pass doesn’t guarantee you a seat, especially during peak travel times. There are in fact blackout dates where you can’t use the pass: New Year’s Eve, Christmas Eve etc

Similarly, there’s also the following: “By signing up for All You Can Fly, you cannot terminate your membership before the 12-months membership commitment period is over. The membership cannot be transferred to another passenger.

The All You Can Fly is designed for individual travellers, so you cannot book All You Can Fly tickets for others.”

That means you can’t use your subscription to buy flights for you and the family, sadly. 

Nor do flights bought via the annual pass include carry-on or checked baggage. Adding extra luggage or seats will cost you extra, as it would anyway.

Apart from the €499 subscription fee and the baggage fees, each pass holder has to pay an extra €9.99 flat fee per flight.

Spanish destinations

Wizz Air flies to a whole host of Spanish cities including Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Málaga, Mallorca, Menorca, Alicante, Castellón, Girona, Zaragoza, Bilbao, Santander, Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura.

In terms of flying from Spain abroad, the Wizz Air “all you can fly” pass looks like it could be useful if you often travel to central and Eastern Europe.

Barcelona has Wizz Air flights to Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Serbia.

Madrid has Wizz Air flights to Romania, Moldova, Hungary and Italy.

Alicante has Wizz Air flights to Romina, Hungary, Poland and Italy.

Málaga has Wizz Air flights to Romania, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, the UK and Lithuania.

Valencia has Wizz Air flights to Romania, Hungary, Poland, Italy and Albania.

Castellón has Wizz Air flights to Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Italy and Albania.

Mallorca has Wizz Air flights to Romania, Poland, Hungary and Italy.

Seville has Wizz Air flights to Romania, Italy and Poland.

Gran Canaria has Wizz Air flights to Hungary.

Tenerife has Wizz Air flights to Romania, Italy, Hungary, Poland and Austria. 

Fuerteventura has Wizz Air flights to Poland.

Bilbao has Wizz Air flights to Austria and Poland.

Santander has Wizz Air flights to Romania, Poland, North Macedonia and Albania.

Girona has Wizz Air flights to Hungary.

Zaragoza has Wizz Air flights to Romania.

Is Wizz Air €499 ‘all you can fly’ pass worth it for travellers in Spain?

This really depends on your personal circumstances and preferences.

Although there are many Wizz Air links to Spain, the destinations available to Spain-based travellers are mainly central and eastern European countries. There is the option of connecting with another Wizz flight to be able to reach other destinations in Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and even the Maldives (here is their full route map), but this will mean extra time in transit and fees.

It’s worth noting as well that Wizz was voted as the worst airline in 2024 by UK consumer group Which?, for its common delays, poorly rated customer service, subpar seat comfort and  – crucially for this ‘all you can fly’ offer – high charges for luggage.

There are also some pretty negative comments about the Hungarian airline on Spanish travel forums, but that’s arguably the case with most if not all airlines.

To really make the most of Wizz Air’s scheme from Spain, you need to be a solo traveller who travels light, can leave at the last minute and flies frequently. Perhaps the countries which Wizz has direct flight routes to and from Spain are of interest to you as well.

There are of course a few catches to watch out for, but it’s certainly an interesting offer for unfussy digital nomads and avid travellers with lots of free time and flexibility.

Make sure to read the small print carefully before signing up to the offer.

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