Easter and spring holidays 2022: good preparation makes for easier travel
The lifting of pandemic-related measures in Switzerland is making it easier to travel again. Zurich Airport is expecting increased traffic volumes over the Easter weekend and spring holidays. Zurich Airport and its partners are ready, and passengers can also help us to maintain as smooth an operation as possible by being well prepared. Anyone who can check-in the night before or online and who checks in their baggage at the self bag drop machines can save time and avoid long queues.
Over Easter, Zurich Airport is expecting an average of 70,000 passengers per day, which amounts to around 70% of passenger traffic before the coronavirus pandemic. Around 60 airlines will be serving 191 destinations from Zurich, including the popular Easter getaways of London, Berlin, Palma de Mallorca, Amsterdam and Dubai. Even if passenger volumes remain lower than usual, there will be some departure peaks during the day when several flights take off within a short time. By making sure they are well prepared for their journey, passengers can help to make passenger processes such as check-in, the security check and passport control run smoothly, and thus shorten waiting times.
Before departure
Many foreign countries still have pandemic-related travel regulations in place. It is therefore recommended that you find out about the regulations for your airline and destination country in good time before your departure. If you need a Covid test, it is best to do this the day before departure or to plan enough time to do this before check-in, taking into account the waiting time to receive the result. There are various testing options at Zurich Airport.
Many airlines offer passengers comprehensive information about travel restrictions on their websites. For example, passengers travelling with Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) can refer to the comprehensive SWISS Travel briefings to find out about the important steps they need to take and current restrictions in each destination country. In addition to the SWISS Service Center, passengers can also use the 24/7 SWISS Chat Assistant “Nelly” for queries related to rebooking flights, additional baggage or flight status, and for support with rebookings and refunds in the event of last-minute flight cancellations.
Save time when checking in
As travel restrictions still apply to many destinations, the check-in time for each passenger can take up to four times longer owing to the Covid documentation check. It is therefore worth planning in more time than usual on your day of departure and arriving at the airport three hours before departure. Most airlines offer web or mobile check-in, or advance check-in the evening before, including printing baggage labels at home and bag drop at Zurich Airport. All of these services shorten waiting times on the day of departure. Passengers are requested to have their documents ready for efficient check-in when it is their turn. Information about the various check-in options and desk opening times can be found on Zurich Airport's website or on the individual airline’s website. Families with children can use the Family counter in Check-in 1.
To save time and to have certainty, SWISS recommends that its passengers use the digital document check up to eight hours before departure. This service ensures that all of the correct documents can be shown at check-in. Zurich Airport recommends using similar prior document checking services offered by other airlines whenever possible.
Check-in baggage yourself thanks to self bag drop
A new baggage check-in service also saves time: After checking-in online, passengers flying with Lufthansa Group (SWISS, Edelweiss, Lufthansa and Austrian) can now hand in their bags themselves using the self bag drop machines at Zurich Airport. Ten machines are available at both Check-in 2, Row 5 and Check-in 3. Passengers can check in their baggage at the new machines from 23 hours before their flight during the respective operating hours. With self bag drop the evening before, there are no waiting times before check-in on the day of departure.
Hassle-free security checks
For a relaxed journey through the security checks and to avoid waiting times, we also ask passengers to check the website of Zurich Airport in advance to see which items should be packed in check-in baggage and which items go in hand baggage. For security reasons, certain items may not be taken on board the aircraft.
Measures on board
Pandemic-related measures on board may vary depending on the airline and route. Here, too, it is important to be informed well in advance. SWISS, Edelweiss and Helvetic have partially removed the requirement to wear a mask on board as of 1 April for passengers and flight crew. The requirement to wear a mask still applies to flights for which the regulations of the destination country mandate that masks are worn on board.
Regulations of the destination country
Parking and mobility at Zurich Airport
As Switzerland's most accessible location, Zurich Airport is very well served by public transport. If required, travel by public transport can be supplemented by attractive solutions for luggage transport. Public transport offers are also available for very early departure times, such as the "early train" with departure at 4:33am from Zurich main station. All information on the timetable and luggage transport can be found at SBB website. There is also a wide range of parking options at Zurich Airport. To make your journey even more convenient, parking can be booked online in advance at attractive conditions.
