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Quick answers · UK travellers
The questions UK travellers actually search — answered directly, kept current, and linked to the full guide when you need the detail.
Travel Answers is FlightLogic's plain-English answer hub for the UK's most-searched travel questions — 59 answers covering passports and visas, airport rules, flight delay rights, travel money, and health cover, each answered directly in the first sentence and kept current for UK travellers.
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For the Schengen area your passport must be less than 10 years old on the day you enter and valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave. UK passports issued before October 2018 can carry extra months that no longer count — check the issue date, not just the expiry. Renew early if either rule is close.
UK visitors can spend at most 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across the whole Schengen area without a visa. The window rolls — count backwards 180 days from any date and total your days inside. Overstays can mean fines and entry bans, and the EU's Entry/Exit System now logs crossings electronically.
Yes — UK passport holders visiting the USA for up to 90 days need an ESTA, applied for online before travel. Apply at least 72 hours before departure on the official esta.cbp.dhs.gov site (third-party sites charge mark-ups). An ESTA lasts two years or until your passport expires. Anyone who has visited certain restricted countries may need a full visa instead.
The UK Electronic Travel Authorisation is a pre-travel permission for visitors who do not need a visa — including EU, US, and Gulf nationals. It is applied for via the official UK ETA app or gov.uk, is linked to the passport, and covers multiple visits. British and Irish citizens never need one. Check gov.uk for current fees and covered nationalities.
Eventually, yes. ETIAS is the EU's pre-travel authorisation for visa-free visitors, including UK citizens, expected to follow the Entry/Exit System rollout. It will be an online application tied to your passport, valid for about three years. It was not yet mandatory as of mid-2026 — check the official europa.eu ETIAS page before assuming you need one.
No — every traveller, including newborns, needs their own passport. Child passports last 5 years (adult passports 10). Allow several weeks for first-time child applications, longer at Easter and summer peaks. If your child has a different surname to yours, carry evidence of your relationship, such as a birth certificate, in case border staff ask.
Assume yes — the 100ml rule still applies at most UK airports, though airports with new CT security scanners have permission for larger allowances at certain terminals. Rules also depend on your return airport abroad, which may still enforce 100ml. Pack to the 100ml standard for a stress-free trip and check your specific airport's security page before flying.
Two hours before a short-haul flight and three before long-haul remains the reliable rule. Add time for school-holiday peaks, first-wave departures (05:00–08:00), checked bags, and airports with long security walks. With hand luggage only, online check-in, and a quiet mid-afternoon departure, 90 minutes can suffice — our airport guides list typical security waits by terminal.
It varies by airline, and the differences are profitable for them. As a benchmark: a free small under-seat bag is typically around 40×20×25cm on Ryanair and 45×36×20cm on easyJet, while full-size cabin bags (roughly 55×40×20–25cm) are free on BA but paid extras on most low-cost carriers. Always check your specific fare — gate charges for oversized bags are steep. Our airline profiles list current baggage policies.
Returning to Great Britain you can bring 42 litres of beer, 18 litres of still wine, 4 litres of spirits OR 9 litres of sparkling wine/fortified wine, 200 cigarettes, and up to £390 of other goods without paying UK duty. Exceed any limit and you pay on the full amount of that category, not just the excess. Northern Ireland follows different EU-aligned rules.
Under UK261, flights arriving 3+ hours late pay £220 (under 1,500km), £350 (1,500–3,500km) or £520 (over 3,500km) — provided the cause was within the airline's control. Technical faults usually qualify; extreme weather and air traffic control strikes usually do not. Long-haul delays of 3–4 hours pay £260 rather than £520. Claim directly with the airline first; it is free.
You always have the right to choose between a full refund or rebooking on the next available flight — including on rival airlines where reasonable. If cancelled within 14 days of departure you may also be owed UK261 compensation, unless the cause was extraordinary. The airline must provide meals and, overnight, a hotel while you wait — keep receipts if they fail to.
Airlines are liable for roughly up to £1,000 (about 1,288 Special Drawing Rights) per passenger for lost, damaged, or delayed bags under the Montreal Convention. Report at the airport before leaving (get a PIR reference), submit written claims within 7 days for damage and 21 days for delays, and keep receipts for essentials bought while waiting. Travel insurance often tops this up.
Only after asking for volunteers first. If you are denied boarding involuntarily on a UK/EU departure, you are entitled to UK261 compensation (£220–£520 by distance) on the spot, plus a refund or rebooking, plus care while you wait. Voluntary offers are negotiable — never accept the first voucher figure if you can hold out.
ATOL protects flight-inclusive package holidays booked with UK travel firms: if the company collapses, you get a refund before travel or repatriation if you are already abroad. It does not cover airline insolvency on flight-only bookings, nor delays, illness, or cancellations you make — that is what travel insurance and Section 75 card protection are for.
A free UK GHIC gives you medically necessary state healthcare in the EU at the same cost as a local — free in some countries, part-charges in others. It is not travel insurance: it will not pay for mountain rescue, repatriation to the UK, private clinics, or cancelled trips. Carry both a GHIC and proper travel insurance. Apply free on the official NHS site; avoid paid application sites.
Yes — a GHIC covers state healthcare but not repatriation, which can cost tens of thousands of pounds after a serious accident. Good single-trip Europe cover is often only a few pounds a day; look for at least £2m medical cover, cancellation cover matching your trip cost, and honest declaration of pre-existing conditions, or claims can be refused.
Yes — always. Failing to declare a condition, even one you consider managed, lets an insurer refuse the entire claim, including unrelated ones in some cases. If mainstream insurers quote silly prices, specialist providers cover most conditions, and the MoneyHelper directory (free, government-backed) lists insurers for serious diagnoses.
Light exposure at the right time matters most: seek morning light after flying east, evening light after flying west. Shift sleep by an hour or two towards the destination for a few days before long trips, hydrate on board, skip alcohol, and hold out until local bedtime on arrival. Expect roughly one day of adjustment per time zone crossed eastwards.
It depends entirely on your network — free EU roaming is no longer guaranteed post-Brexit. Some UK networks include it, others charge daily fees (typically £2–£7). Check your plan before travelling, set a spend cap, and for longer trips an eSIM data plan is usually far cheaper than daily roaming charges.
Pay by card in the LOCAL currency, always. Choosing pounds at a terminal triggers dynamic currency conversion with poor rates. Standard UK debit and credit cards often add ~3% non-sterling fees, so a specialist fee-free card pays for itself quickly. Carry a little cash for markets and tips; airport bureau rates are consistently the worst.
If you paid by UK credit card and the individual item cost over £100 (and under £30,000), Section 75 makes the card provider jointly liable with the seller — powerful if an airline or hotel collapses or fails to deliver. Paying even the deposit by credit card can protect the whole booking. Debit cards have the weaker chargeback route instead.
Air Passenger Duty is charged on every departure from a UK airport and rises with distance and cabin class — long-haul premium cabins carry the highest rates, revised most Aprils. It is one reason starting a long-haul journey with a separate hop to Dublin or Amsterdam can price lower. APD is refundable if you do not fly — airlines rarely volunteer this.
No magic weekday exists — pricing is dynamic and route-specific. What reliably works: book long-haul roughly 2–5 months out and short-haul 1–3 months out, be flexible by a day or two, fly mid-week, and compare across a fare aggregator plus the airline's own site. Price alerts beat superstition every time.
Minimum connection times are the legal floor, not a plan. For stress-free transfers allow 60–90 minutes on a single ticket at an efficient hub, 2+ hours at sprawling airports (Heathrow between terminals, US immigration points), and 3+ hours on separate tickets — where a missed leg is your problem, not the airline's. Our airport guides include realistic transfer notes.
Yes, but pet passports issued in Great Britain are no longer valid. You need an Animal Health Certificate from a vet within 10 days of each trip (or the newer travel document where introduced), plus microchip and rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travelling. Tapeworm treatment is required for dogs re-entering the UK. Check gov.uk as the scheme is being reformed.
Not for most of Europe — a UK photocard licence covers driving in the EU. IDPs (£5.50 from larger Post Offices) are needed for some countries and for older paper licences; Japan and some US rental firms also expect one. If taking your own car, you need a UK sticker and insurance that explicitly covers Europe. Hiring abroad: /guides/car-hire-uk-travellers/.
Usually yes. Pre-booking lets you compare airport and city pick-ups without desk time pressure, and walk-up counter rates are priced for last-minute demand. Free-cancellation options still let you re-price closer to travel. Playbook: /guides/car-hire-uk-travellers/.
Often no — a standalone excess insurance policy bought before travel typically covers the same financial risk for less, though the hire company may still charge your card first and you reclaim afterwards. Decline the desk waiver once you have cover sorted. Details: /guides/car-hire-excess-insurance-uk/.
Full-to-full is usually the fairest: collect full, return full, pay pump price for what you used. Prepaid packages often charge for unused litres at a poor rate. Also pay in local currency — never "pay in pounds" at a foreign desk. Guide: /guides/car-hire-uk-travellers/.
Airport walk-up rates are consistently the worst on the high street — sometimes 10%+ below the interbank rate. Order online for airport collection if you must, but a fee-free card plus a small cash buffer beats bureau shopping entirely. Never buy currency on a credit card: it is treated as a cash advance with interest from day one.
UK CAA guidance says children under 12 should be seated close to accompanying adults, and airlines should do this without charging — but it is guidance, not strict law, and practice varies. Check in as early as possible, and if split at the gate, ask crew: they will almost always fix under-12 separations on board.
HM Passport Office advises allowing up to 3 weeks for standard online renewals, though quiet-season applications often complete faster. Never book travel until the new passport arrives. If genuinely urgent, the 1-week Fast Track or same-day Premium services cost considerably more and need an appointment. Check current processing advice on gov.uk before cutting it fine.
Yes — Uber operates at all Heathrow terminals, but you cannot be picked up at the terminal forecourt. After collecting your bags you request the ride in the app and walk to the designated pick-up area in the terminal's short-stay car park. At peak times the black-cab rank or the train into London is often quicker than a car in traffic.
The train is the best option for most travellers: Gatwick Express runs non-stop to Victoria in about 30 minutes, while Southern and Thameslink services cost less and serve London Bridge, Blackfriars, and St Pancras. Contactless and Oyster work on all of them. National Express coaches are the cheapest but slowest, and there is no Tube line to Gatwick.
The Stansted Express train to Liverpool Street takes around 45–50 minutes and is the standard route into the city. Coaches to Victoria and other points cost less but can take well over an hour in traffic. Stansted sits in Essex roughly 35 miles north-east of London, so taxis are expensive — only worth considering for groups or very late arrivals.
The train from the airport's own station to Manchester Piccadilly takes about 20 minutes and runs frequently through the day — it is the fastest option. The Metrolink tram also serves the airport and reaches the centre in around 35–45 minutes, handy if your stop is not near Piccadilly. A taxi typically takes 25–30 minutes outside rush hour.
Yes, overnight stays are tolerated landside, but expect a rough night — airside areas generally close after the last departures, so transit passengers are usually moved landside. Seating often has armrests, lights stay on, and security staff may wake you to check your boarding pass. For genuine rest, several hotels connect directly to the terminals and cheaper options sit a short shuttle ride away.
Yes — all major UK airports offer free Wi-Fi, usually after a quick registration page, though some cap free sessions at a few hours or throttle speeds. Paid premium tiers exist at several airports if you need faster connections. As with any public network, avoid sensitive logins or use a VPN.
Yes — solid food such as sandwiches, fruit, and snacks is fine through UK airport security. What catches people out is that the liquids rule covers more than drinks: spreads, soft cheese, hummus, yoghurt, and soups all count as liquids and must stay under 100ml. Baby food and milk for the journey are exempt in reasonable quantities. Anything liquid you want on board is cheaper bought after security.
Yes, but only in your hand luggage — power banks and spare lithium batteries are banned from checked bags on UK airlines. Most carriers allow up to 100Wh (roughly a 27,000mAh bank) without approval, and 100–160Wh only with the airline's permission. Protect the terminals against short-circuiting, and note some airlines now restrict using or charging power banks in flight — check your carrier's rules before you pack.
Usually no — most airlines accept a mobile boarding pass in their app or phone wallet. The exceptions matter, though: a handful of airports cannot scan mobile passes, and some low-cost airlines charge fees if you turn up without having checked in properly online. If your airline's confirmation mentions printing, take it seriously — otherwise a phone pass plus a full battery is enough.
If it is your fault, you have no automatic right to a refund or rebooking — and the airline can also cancel the rest of your itinerary, including the return leg, so call them before the flight departs if you know you will be late. Many airlines offer same-day rebooking for a fee, and genuine emergencies may be covered by travel insurance. If a delay on an earlier flight on the same ticket caused the miss, the airline must rebook you free of charge.
Generally no — on a standard non-refundable fare, cancelling voluntarily gets you only the government taxes back, minus the airline's admin fee, and some airlines make even that awkward to claim. Flexible and refundable fares are the exception, as is any cancellation the airline itself makes. For illness or emergencies, cancellation cover on travel insurance is the usual route to getting money back.
Almost never for scheduled flights — fares typically rise steeply in the final fortnight before departure as the cheapest fare buckets sell out. The surviving last-minute bargains are mostly unsold package-holiday charter seats and occasional pricing errors, not mainstream routes. If you must book late, total flexibility on destination and dates is the only reliable way to find a deal.
Booking direct with the airline is the safer choice, even if a third-party site is a few pounds cheaper. When schedules change or flights are cancelled, online travel agents make you go through them rather than the airline, which slows refunds and rebooking — sometimes badly. Use comparison sites to find the fare, then check the airline's own price before paying anyone else.
Two headline long-haul stories are Riyadh Air — daily Riyadh–Heathrow on Boeing 787-9s, plus a three-times-weekly Riyadh–Manchester service from July 2026 — and AirAsia X returning to Gatwick–Kuala Lumpur via Bahrain after leaving the UK in 2012 (launch moved into late August 2026). Confirm live schedules with each airline before you book.
Turkish Airlines flies non-stop from Manchester Terminal 2 to Istanbul Airport (IST) in about 4 hours 5–20 minutes, usually on an Airbus A321 or A321neo. Economy typically includes a hot meal, drinks and seatback entertainment; arrive three hours early, and allow 90+ minutes if you are connecting at IST.
Emirates flies non-stop from Manchester Terminal 2 to Dubai International (DXB) Terminal 3 in about 7 hours 5–50 minutes on an Airbus A380 or Boeing 777-300ER. Economy includes ICE entertainment and complimentary meals; arrive three hours early, and allow 90+ minutes if you are connecting at DXB.
Qatar Airways flies non-stop from Birmingham Airport's single terminal to Hamad International (DOH) in about 6 hours 40 minutes to 7 hours, usually on a Boeing 787-8. Economy includes Oryx One entertainment and complimentary meals; arrive three hours early, and allow a generous buffer if you are connecting at DOH.
A workable mid-range budget is roughly £40–£70 per person per day for food, local transport, and activities on top of flights and accommodation. Southern and Eastern Europe come in lower; Scandinavia, Switzerland, and Iceland can easily double that. A fee-free card plus a modest cash buffer covers almost everything — airports and hotel bureaux are the worst places to get currency.
Yes. UK passport holders normally complete EU Entry/Exit System biometrics — face, fingerprints and passport data — when entering and leaving the Schengen area (live since October 2025). This is separate from ETIAS, which you still cannot apply for. At busy Spanish leisure airports, leave extra time before hotel transfers and before bag drop on the way home.
Jet2 put Winter 2027/28 ski flights on sale in August 2026 from multiple UK airports into eight Alpine/Dolomite gateways including Geneva, Salzburg, Grenoble and Turin. Confirm live times and ski-baggage allowances on Jet2.com before you pay for a resort transfer.
Seek a refund or rebooking in writing first. On UK261/EU261-qualifying flights, strikes by an airline’s own cabin crew are generally not extraordinary circumstances, so fixed compensation may still apply when delay thresholds are met. Keep receipts for meals and hotels during long waits. Playbook: /guides/westjet-strike-cancellations-passenger-rights/.
After a weak first half of 2026, Aer Lingus has described mid-single-digit capacity reduction alongside cabin investments (Wi‑Fi, A330 refreshes, Premium Economy). Watch schedule-change emails on thinner routes and avoid brittle same-day Dublin Pre-Clearance stacks.
Yes — Schiphol is mid multi-year renewal with major pier and infrastructure works. Expect wayfinding changes and keep normal connection buffers; the airport is not closed. Use Schiphol’s own passenger updates for live project notices.
SAF is jet fuel from approved non-fossil feedstocks that can be blended with conventional kerosene in today’s aircraft. Lifecycle CO₂ can be much lower than fossil jet when the pathway is well documented, but a “SAF” badge on your booking rarely means the tanks held 100% alternative fuel — blends (often up to 50%) are still the norm. UK travellers should also know the SAF Mandate raises supplier blend shares through 2030 and 2040.
Industry fact sheets (including ATAG) put commercial aviation at roughly 2% of human-caused CO₂ in recent years — hundreds of millions of tonnes annually, not a rounding error, but not “most of the climate problem” either. About four-fifths of aviation CO₂ is from flights longer than roughly 1,500 km, where rail is rarely a substitute. Use a transparent route calculator if you want a personal estimate, and treat airline green badges as marketing until they state method and year.
No. Offsets pay for emission reductions or removals elsewhere; they do not remove the CO₂ your aircraft already emitted. They can be a voluntary contribution if you trust the project standard, but they are not the same as sustainable aviation fuel in the tank, and they never replace UK261 care or refund rights after a delay or cancellation.
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