Hi Everyone
We had the same experience last September. To be honest you almost expect this in Greece as the airports are never big enough to cope with demand unlike Spain and the Canaries.
You have just got to take a bottle of water and a chill pill because getting worked up aint gonna change a thing.
Personally I thought the reps did a fantastic job at the airport under very trying circumstances. They kept everyone together until it was time to take us inside. They were extremely well organised.
There is usually an open-air area when you get through passport control if you want a smoke.
This year we are flying to Kavala for Thassos. Has anyone any experience of the airport please? I expect it is like all the others.
Don't forget you are on GMT (Greek Maybe Time).
Yiamass, Jean

I've never been to a Greek airport that was different - there are plenty worse than Corfu.

The worst mistake you can make is to go through to the departure lounge as soon as you've booked in your baggage. At Corfu we've found the best idea is to go upstais to the arrivals lounge and restaurant. Prices are stupid, so bring your own refreshements. At least you'll be able to sit down in relative comfort.

Exactly Rich
Sometimes we just go back and sit outside until we know our plane has landed or until it's nearly departure time. Sometimes they squash you in the departure lounge like sardines.
roll on Kavala in July!
Yiamass, Jean

"The worst mistake you can make is to go through to the departure lounge as soon as you've booked in your baggage."

Agreed. I have possibly found a solution.

Get to the airport early. If you do a bit of scouting you can generally work out which will be your departure desk. Be the first to book in. This sometimes means you can also choose your seat.

Then leave the airport and walk back to the end of the approach road. On the other side of the main road is a small cafe-bar. Sit in peace and enjoy a normal priced drink and a sandwich.

About an hour before your flight is due to leave go back to the airport, through passport control (just shout "Excuse me my plane's leaving," if you think the queue's too long or too slow) go straight through the departure lounge and, if you've timed it right, straight onto the plane.

This cuts the "airport experience" down to a minimum.

If you visit regularly leave all your summer stuff in a suitcase with your hosts and just travel with hand luggage. Straight off the plane, out of the airport and into a taxi.

I have been to Kos and Zante and both airports were small, we didnt have too much of a problem tho. We were always gutted to be going home.

Off to Corfu in three weeks and i would expect the airport to be small. Whats the weather like at the mo? anyone?

EU regulations will mean a further change in check in procedures in Corfu, with baggage being scanned AFTER check in. We have been reduced to 2 scanners! The airport check in hall has been altered, and more use will be made of an extended covered outside area until the check in for each flight is opened. It unfortunate that we do not have more space where baggage is sorted for each aircraft, so scanning could be done after check in, automatically. Since that is not the case and having travelled out of both Gatwick and Heathrow this winter ,Corfu is no worse, and is far better organised. I have to say Corfu Airport deserves far more praise for the number of people it processes,especially at busy times, and its "on time "record under very difficult circumstances! Our organisation is exemplary, despite what it sometimes may seem to those queueing. If they knew what was going on behind the scenes to make sure they check in quickly and securely, and leave on time, they would be surprised. I confess early season travellers this year may suffer some inconvenience until new reps can be trained and until yet another (EU!!!) system is run in!

Hi Claire,
hope you have a great holiday. We were in Kassiopi for the first week in May Last year and the weather was lovely. We had one morning of rain but then the rest of the time the weather was hot enough for sunbathing around the pool most of the day. It was quite cool first thing in the morning and in the evenings though. Have fun!

Castaway Acharavi

You say the baggage will now be scanned AFTER check-in ! Hand baggage always was, so I presume you mean that the big suitcase scanners are no longer in the check-in hall. That should ease some of the congestion there as it took up a large amount of floor space, allowing for all the opened suitcases to be re-packed and closed up securely again.

Last year they seemed to ask for about 1 in 10 suitcases to be opened.

You also indicate there are changes to the queuing system and possible confusion by reps. Can you advise what independent travellers should do whilst waiting for the check-in desk to open and also how they can find out which desk it will be ?

Some check in desks have been removed and is where the two remaining scanners will be in place. So sadly congestion will not be improved. So you will check in with your luggage, then take your luggage to the scanners to be scanned,in the check in area, then they will go below. You will proceed through security where your hand baggage will be checked in the normal way. It will inevitably cause confusion for all until its been running for a few weeks. I fail to understand why the EU in its wisdom has made such a blanket decision considering the number of people that have to be moved through our airport at peak times. It seems it is not only Corfu that is affected by the reduction in number of scanners. So bring some water and a good book .
Suitcases containing bottles ( which you cant take in your hand luggage anyway) will be opened. Remember that if you havent travelled since last November hand baggage restrictions have changed ; you are only allowed one piece and not allowed liquids in containers bigger than 100ml, so dont pack your expensive 400ml bottle it will be taken off you. Purchases made AIRSIDE are ok as they will be given to you in a sealed bag which must not be opened until arrival.

Thanks

If I remember last year there were 4 scanners...2 on each side of the hall.

So have I got this right?
We queue up somewhere until the check-in desks open. Then we go to check-in and get seats and boarding passes organised etc and presumably our baggage weighed. Then WE take ALL our baggage including suitcases and join another large queue for the 2 scanners where eventually our suitcases get taken away to the baggage loading system.
If there are only 2 scanners covering ALL departures from Corfu the queue will be for mixed departures so the chances of losing suitcases seem to have multiplied.
Also if there any bottles in our suitcases we will have to open them (the suitcases I mean not the bottles) ??

If we can't take bottles in our hand luggage a good proportion of suitcases will therefore have to be opened with all the time and space that will take!! Do you know what happens then if we have bottles? Presumably some bottles will be confiscated.

Thats sounds about right. Though we have not been given full details ourselves yet. The bottles rule has been around a while. Its obviously a way explosives have been carried and why you are no longer allowed to take over 100ml containers on the plane. You are allowed to take bottles in luggage but as they will show up on the scanner they are likley to be checked.

We are going to Corfu for the first time in eight weeks and we usually take a bottle each in our suit case will there be any problem in taking a bottle each in our suitcase going out to Corfu.
we enjoy a drink in our hotel room at bedtime.

Tom

Absolutely no problem. Luggage coming from the Uk is automatically scanned after check in, they do not ask for cases to be opened. In any case as I said above you can still shop as normal airside... after security and hand baggage checks . Your purchases will be put in a sealed bag which has to say sealed until arrival. It is only because our scannining system in Corfu is different, that sometimes luggage containing bottles will be opened and checked. That does not mean you cannot take them. It is easy to check with your airline if in any doubts as to what you may carry.

Castaway Acharavi

How did you hear about these changes ?

I checked with 2 Corfu Travel agents but they have heard nothing about this. One has contacted Monarch who replied that there are no restrictions on bottles in checked-in luggage but only in hand-luggage. Surely the airlines using Corfu airport would have been informed about something which will affect their procedures and possibly their timetables !

Was this a 1st April notification or is it some local Corfu airport oddity ?

I did not say bottles are restricted, I said they MAY be checked! I was simply explaining why so many cases are opened at the airport when scanned.
The ONLY CHANGES there are , are regarding hand luggage, which became effective after the summer on 6th November 2006.

The information regarding the scanners comes from staff at Corfu airport.

I think it is if bottles/liquids of any kind are in your hand luggage of more than 100ml they confiscate it. At Gatwick they have a large glass case on show full of confiscated bottles of creams etc. Imagine how much that would add up to.. Recently we came back from Germany and I had a large tube of menthol cream (you cant get it here in the UK) as I had a cold. they checked it out and let it through, I had the box and instructions with it as well - it was in German though so they could read what it said.

They were even confiscating bottles of water that you were carrying in your hand. Its not worth the hassle or cost losing it all. You could buy it airside though and take it on the plane then. But, it did mean that we couldnt buy any cheapy last minit alcohol in the suprmarkets and take it on the plane in hand luggage, it had to be packed into the suitcase for the hold. Buying it airside seems to be no cheaper than buying it in the local supermarkets.

We have now moved onto plan B at the airport with regard to the scanning of hold luggage: We will still have 4 scanners. That is a relief. The departure hall will still have to be re organised as the scanning will be after check in.

Sueb2. You are exactly right.
It seems there is still a great deal of confusion regarding what is allowed in hand luggage.
This statement was issued by the Dept of transport:

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