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TRAVEL NEWS

Will liquids soon be allowed through airport security in Spain?

Some countries including the UK have announced that the 100ml liquid rule at airport security may soon be eliminated. So when is this likely to happen at Spanish airports?

Will liquids soon be allowed through airport security in Spain?
When will the liquid rule be eliminated at airports in Spain? Photo: TOR WENNSTROM / LEHTIKUVA / AFP

Liquids have been prohibited on airplanes in many countries around the world since 2006, after a failed terrorist plot on a plane from London involving liquid explosives.

It’s still commonplace at airport security to see people throwing out bottles of water they’ve forgotten about or trying to stuff as many 100ml bottles as they can into one small clear plastic bag. 

While it’s annoying to have to decant your shower gels, shampoos and other bathroom liquids into 100ml containers, it’s also meant that if you only have hand luggage you can’t travel with bottles of wine, jars of local honey, or olive oils. In fact, any type of gel, paste or emulsion has been banned for years.

And as it’s particularly common to travel around Europe with hand luggage only, it’s often meant that those travelling to and from Spain haven’t been able to bring their favourite bottle, spread or jam from back home or have had to leave a liquid Christmas gift behind.  

But this could all be about to change as new enhanced x-ray technology has been invented and is being rolled out across the world.

In March 2022, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in the US announced that it had purchased new x-ray systems for some of its airports.

Then in November 2022, Ireland said it would be trialling these new machines at airports in Dublin and Cork, possibly putting an end to the 100ml liquid rule, as well as the necessity to remove laptops from bags.

In mid-December 2022, the UK government also announced it would be using this technology and that liquid security rules would be eliminated at its airports from June 2024.

The enhanced x-ray machines are also being rolled out in the Netherlands and in Finland. 

What does this mean for Spain?

In early December, director of Mallorca’s Palma Airport Tomás Melgar announced that after its renovation, Mallorca would become the first airport in Spain to have these new x-ray machines and remove the 100ml liquid rule.

The airport “will be equipped with more modern technology in terms of safety and quality, meaning passengers will not have to remove items from their hand luggage, including liquids or electronic devices, such as computers”, he said in a statement.

The renovations are part of a four-year project costing €559 million, which began in November 2022.

This means that the rule may not be lifted at Mallorca Airport until renovations are completed in 2026.  

Currently, nothing more is known about when the rest of Spain may get these new scanners. Neither the airport group AENA or the Ministry of Public Works have released a statement so far.

Spain may introduce them at the same time as the UK in 2024 or we may have to wait a little longer, until 2026, when it seems they’ll at least be operational in Mallorca.

The good news is, however, that whenever Spain gets them, those travelling here from the UK will most likely be able to bring jars of Marmite and marmalade or bottles of dandelion and burdock drink in their hand luggage from June 2024 onwards.

Those travelling from other countries may have to wait, depending on where they’re coming from.

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TRAIN TRAVEL

The new compensation rules for train delays and cancellations with Spain’s Renfe

Renfe, Spain’s national rail company, has changed the way in which you can get compensation for delays, as well as the amount of refund you are entitled to.

The new compensation rules for train delays and cancellations with Spain's Renfe

This changes will apply to Ave, Avlo, Alvia, Euromed and Intercity trains on journeys from July 1st.

This decision comes after a meeting of the company’s Board of Directors who wanted to introduce a similar commitment to punctuality as other competing companies such as Ouigo and Iryo.

But this is not necessarily good news, because now customers will only receive compensation when the delay times are greater and the amounts will be less. 

For example, up until now if an AVE train was delayed 30 minutes you would receive a 100 percent refund, now it’s only if the delay exceeds 90 minutes, a whole hour and a half delay.

What are the new refund amounts and how long do the delays have to be?

Here’s a full breakdown of the new amounts:

Until now, 50 percent was refunded for delays of more than 15 minutes and 100 percent if they were more than 30 minutes.

Now the refunds will be 50 percent for delays of more than 60 minutes and 100 percent for those that exceed 90 minutes.

This means for example that if your train is now delayed up to 45 minutes, you won’t receive any compensation from Renfe at all.

How will the new refund system work?

You will still be able to get your refund in cash or on your card, as always, but there are now other options too including greater refund amounts, depending on what you choose. These are:

  • A refund of 200 percent of the amount depending on the delay time via a new points system managed through the Más Renfe card ‘Renfecitos’. 
  • Compensation as a voucher to buy another ticket. In this case, the refund will be 150 percent of the amount for both delays of 60 minutes and those greater than 90 minutes.

If you choose the refund of the amount on your bank card, you can request it at renfe.com or at the station ticket offices and travel agencies.

If you choose the refund voucher, you can only get it online. In this case you have a maximum of three months from the date of travel to request compensation and a maximum of six months from when you have obtained the discount code to purchase the new ticket.

If you choose to be refunded with Renfe Points, you must also do this online. This option is only available for tickets purchased with a credit/debit card or cash. The points will be credited directly to your account and you have a maximum of three months from the date of travel to request compensation and a maximum of three years to use the points.

To claim delays on Avlo trains, you can do this through the automatic compensation system at www.avlorenfe.com or www.renfe.com. Compensation is paid through the same payment method as you used to purchase your ticket. You will have a maximum period of three months from the date of the trip to request it.

For compensation for delays on integrated tickets, you can apply for compensation at points of sale and customer service at the stations.

In 2023 Renfe paid out €42 million to its customers in compensation for delays. An amount that could have risen to almost €70 million if all affected users had requested compensation.

With this change, Renfe seeks to reduce the amount.

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