Departure & Security
Check-in, security and hand luggage: the rules, the queues and how to get through faster.
Departure & Security
BER Airport Departures: Terminal 1 or 2, security without a slot, and a detour-prone journey
Departing Berlin BER in 2026: the three airlines that check in at Terminal 2, why Terminal 5 is gone, evening-before bag drop, CT scanners instead of BER Runway, the 2.5-hour rule and this autumn's rail engineering works.
Sophie Bauer25 September 2026
Departure & Security
Düsseldorf Airport Departures: one hall, three piers, three security checks
Departing Düsseldorf Airport: the central check-in hall, the checkpoints at piers A, B and C, DUSgateway, the SkyTrain from the long-distance station, the S11 and U80, and how much time to allow (as of 2026).
Sophie Bauer25 September 2026
Departure & Security
EasyPASS in Germany 2026: Who Can Use the Border eGates and How They Work
EasyPASS in 2026: EU passport holders from age 12, eight airports with 255 eGates, EasyPASS-RTP for US, UK, Korean, Taiwanese and Hong Kong travellers — and where the EES fits in.
Sophie Bauer25 September 2026
Departure & Security
Hamburg Airport Departures: two terminals, one security check, one slot
Departing Hamburg Airport: which airlines check in at Terminal 1 or 2, the central security checkpoint in the Airport Plaza, Slot & Fly, evening-before check-in and how much time to allow (as of 2026).
Sophie Bauer25 September 2026
Departure & Security
Power Banks on a Plane in 2026: Cabin Bags, Watt-Hours and Which Airlines Ban Using Them
Power banks on a plane in 2026: cabin baggage only, two at most, the 100 and 160 Wh thresholds — and which airlines ban charging on board, from Lufthansa to Ryanair and Wizz Air (as of September 2026).
Sophie Bauer25 September 2026
Departure & Security
Sports Equipment on a Plane 2026: Skis, Bikes, Golf Bags and Surfboards — Fees and Rules at Five Airlines
Flying with sports equipment in 2026: what skis, bikes, golf bags and surfboards cost at five airlines, the size and weight limits, how a bike must be boxed, and where the oversize desks are at Frankfurt and Munich.
Sophie Bauer25 September 2026
Departure & Security
Turkish Airlines Hand Luggage 2026: 8 kg overhead, 4 kg under the seat, and the AJet exception
Turkish Airlines hand luggage 2026: a 55 × 40 × 23 cm cabin bag up to 8 kg plus a 40 × 30 × 15 cm personal item up to 4 kg, two bags in Business, domestic flights, and why AJet's Basic fare no longer includes a cabin bag (as of September 2026).
Sophie Bauer25 September 2026
Departure & Security
Wizz Air Hand Luggage 2026: 40 × 30 × 20 Free, a Trolley Only With WIZZ Priority
Wizz Air hand luggage in 2026: a free 40 × 30 × 20 cm bag up to 10 kg, a 55 × 40 × 23 cm trolley only with WIZZ Priority, what Priority costs online and at the airport, and what awaits at the gate (as of September 2026).
Sophie Bauer25 September 2026
Departure & Security
Condor Hand Luggage 2026: Sizes, the 8 kg Rule and the Full Fare Matrix
Condor hand luggage 2026: 55 × 40 × 23 cm since 1 May, eight kilos for case and bag combined, Economy Zero from €9.99 — plus gate charges and the reservable overhead bin. As of 2026.
Sophie Bauer17 September 2026
Departure & Security
easyJet Hand Luggage 2026: Sizes, 15 kg and the €70 Gate Fee
easyJet hand luggage 2026: a free 45 × 36 × 20 cm bag at up to 15 kg, a paid 56 × 45 × 25 cm large cabin bag, €70 at the boarding gate — and why a better seat no longer buys you a second bag. As of 2026.
Sophie Bauer17 September 2026
Departure & Security
Frankfurt Airport Departures: How Much Time You Actually Need
Departing from Frankfurt Airport: booking a free FRA SmartWay security slot, realistic queue times, and how early to arrive for Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 (as of 2026).
Sophie Bauer17 September 2026
Departure & Security
Strikes, Delays and Cancellations: What You Are Actually Owed
EU air passenger rights under Regulation 261/2004: compensation of 250, 400 or 600 euros, the three-hour threshold that comes from case law, care owed even during a strike, and why an ATC walkout counts differently from an airline's own staff.
Sophie Bauer17 September 2026
Departure & Security
Food in Hand Luggage: What Gets Through Security — and What You Cannot Bring Home
Food in hand luggage 2026: why yoghurt, soft cheese and honey count as liquids at security, how the baby-food exemption actually works, and which foods the EU bans on the way back in.
Sophie Bauer17 September 2026
Departure & Security
Flying With a Dog or Cat: Eight Kilos, the Microchip and the Cabin-or-Hold Question
What a dog or cat may weigh in the cabin, the point at which the animal has to travel in the hold, why snub-nosed breeds are excluded, what the EU pet passport actually requires — and where animals are handed over at Frankfurt and Munich.
Sophie Bauer17 September 2026
Departure & Security
Excess Baggage Fees 2026: What an Overweight Case Really Costs
Excess baggage in 2026: why the same case costs double at the desk, where the 23 kg, 32 kg and 158 cm limits sit — and when repacking or shipping beats paying.
Sophie Bauer24 August 2026
Departure & Security
VAT Refund at the Airport 2026: Getting German Tax Free Right
German VAT refunds explained: who qualifies, why 50.01 euros per receipt matters, why customs comes before bag drop, and what actually lands in your account.
Sophie Bauer19 August 2026
Departure & Security
Backpack as Hand Luggage: Personal Item or Cabin Bag?
Backpacks as hand luggage: when one counts as a free personal item under the seat, when it counts as a full cabin bag, which styles cause gate trouble, and how to pack them right.
Sophie Bauer17 August 2026
Departure & Security
Eurowings Hand Luggage 2026: BASIC, SMART and BIZclass Compared
Eurowings hand luggage 2026: dimensions for the small bag and the cabin case, what BASIC, SMART and BIZclass actually include, plus a comparison with Lufthansa and Ryanair. As of 2026.
Sophie Bauer14 August 2026
Departure & Security
Liquids in Hand Luggage 2026: The 100 ml Rule Still Applies — Mostly
Liquids in hand luggage 2026: the 100 ml rule still applies, with two litres on CT lanes at Frankfurt and Munich. Exemptions, duty-free and the transfer trap.
Sophie Bauer14 August 2026
Departure & Security
Departures at Stuttgart Airport: Four Terminals, One Booked Slot
Departing from Stuttgart Airport: which terminal, when you need to be there, and how to book a free time slot for the security check in advance.
Sophie Bauer14 August 2026
Departure & Security
Hand Luggage Sizes 2026: What Each Airline Actually Allows
Hand luggage sizes 2026 compared: Lufthansa, Ryanair, Eurowings, easyJet, Wizz and Condor — plus the one case size that clears all six airlines.
Sophie Bauer12 August 2026
Departure & Security
Airport Security Checkpoint 2026: How the Screening Process Actually Works
Airport security in Germany 2026: body scanners instead of arches, CT scanners that let laptops and liquids stay put, realistic queue times, and pat-down triggers.
Sophie Bauer5 August 2026
Departure & Security
Electric Toothbrush on a Plane 2026: The Battery Rules for Hand Luggage
Electric toothbrushes, power banks and e-cigarettes in hand luggage: watt-hour limits, loose versus built-in batteries and what happens at security (as of 2026).
Sophie Bauer2 August 2026
Departure & Security
British Airways Hand Luggage 2026: Two Bags Included, Even on the Cheapest Fare
British Airways hand luggage 2026: cabin bag and personal item dimensions, why even the Basic fare keeps both pieces, and what applies flying from Frankfurt, Munich and Düsseldorf. As of 2026.
Sophie Bauer27 July 2026
Departure & Security
Cologne Bonn Airport Departures: two terminals, one time-slot system, round the clock
Departing from Cologne Bonn Airport: which terminal your airline uses, how CGN Gateway works, and why planes still take off here in the middle of the night.
Sophie Bauer24 July 2026
Departure & Security
Lufthansa Hand Luggage 2026: The Cabin Bag, the Personal Item and the New Basic Fare
Lufthansa hand luggage 2026: cabin bag and personal item dimensions, how Light, Classic, Flex and Business differ, and what the new Economy Basic fare now costs. As of 2026.
Sophie Bauer18 July 2026
Departure & Security
Ryanair Hand Luggage 2026: The Free Bag, the Priority Upgrade and the Gate Fee
Ryanair hand luggage 2026: the free bag's dimensions, what Priority & 2 Cabin Bags really buys you, and why the gate fee is so steep (as of 2026).
Sophie Bauer15 July 2026
Departure & Security
Frankfurt-Hahn Departures: Ryanair's Strict Deadlines, One Small Terminal
Departing from Frankfurt-Hahn: online check-in is compulsory, the bag drop deadline gets stricter from November 2026, and the small terminal leaves little room for error.
Sophie Bauer12 July 2026
Departure & Security
Munich Airport Departures: Terminal 2 for Star Alliance, Terminal 1 for Everyone Else
Departing Munich Airport: Terminal 2 belongs to Star Alliance, Terminal 1 to everyone else. The new pier, security checks and how much time you need (as of 2026).
Sophie Bauer9 July 2026