Travel

Before you travel it’s important to check the validity of your passport. Holiday makers whose passports fail to meet the EU's requirements are being refused boarding. So, we advise you to always check if your passport needs renewal at the time of booking your trip, not just before heading to the airport. It’s your responsibility to make sure your passport is valid. You can’t claim compensation if you are turned away at the airport.   What are the requirements? Brexit brought about some changes for Jersey travellers. Our requirements for entering the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein (known as the Schengen Area) have altered since January 2021. You can also only stay for a maximum of 90 days within a six-month period in Schengen countries. Prior to Brexit, you could have stayed as long as you liked. Holders of British and Jersey passports are now classified as third-country nationals under the Schengen Border Code. Our passports must now meet the following criteria: Be issued within the last 10 years of the date of arrival in a EU/Schengen country. Have at least 3 months of validity remaining on the date of departure from the last EU/Schengen country visited. Or at least 6 months of validity if you are staying in the Schengen Area for up to 90 days - it is possible that the actual requirement checked will be at least 6 months of validity remaining from the date of arrival. It’s important to check because before 2018 passports were issued for longer than ten years – the UK Passport Office would add any validity leftover on to your current passport if you renewed early. EU countries not in the Schengen Area include: Romania Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Travel to Ireland is subject to separate Common Travel Area arrangements. British citizens don’t technically need a passport to visit Ireland – only a valid ID. However, some airlines, including Ryanair, insist you have a valid passport so it's best to carry one.   Current passport processing time Standard Service - approximately 30 working days (6 weeks). Express Service - approximately 10 working days (2 weeks).    Advice from the Jersey Passport Office Always apply for a new passport at least 10 weeks before you intend to travel.  Do not book any travel until you have your new passport.  

Are you thinking about jetting off for some sunshine, soaking up some culture on a mini-break, or visiting some loved ones abroad? If you are, then there’s a number of potential scams that you should be aware of when booking your next trip. Which? magazine have highlighted a recently released report from Lloyds Banking Group warning their customers about holiday scams. Their findings show that between November 2021 and March 2024, the most common travel scams were: Fake flight tickets – most of these scams take place on social media where scammers create fake adverts or pretend to sell airline tickets they’re no longer using, for an upfront payment. They then disappear once they have been paid. Fake holiday home or cottage rentals – scammers use booking websites such as Airbnb, with a fake photo. They will take deposits or upfront payments through the legitimate site, then ask for further payments via bank transfer or PayPal. It’s not until the victims arrive at their holiday accommodation that they find out it’s not legitimate.   Caravan purchase scams – scammers lure their victims by using photos of the caravans that they’ve taken either from real adverts or from Googe. They then offer temping deals for payments up-front. Booking scams – after hacking into booking systems and posing as genuine hotels on real booking sites such as Booking.com, scammers then steal banking or card details. Camping trips – one of the most common holiday scams is when holidaymakers are duped into the purchase of camping items on social media. Which? magazine gives a guide on how to get your money back if you’ve been scammed in the ways above. Tips on how to prevent holiday scams Lloyds Bank offer the following advice on how to evade scammers when booking your next trip: Book directly with the airline or hotel. Use reliable retailers to book through.  Check the reviews on websites such as TripAdvisor to check what you’re booking before you do it. Always use a credit or debit card. You’ll have some protection if anything untoward happens.  When booking on Booking.com or Airbnb only ever pay through their system, never agree to pay directly with the vender. If you receive a message asking for more money, always query it. You can do this by contacting the hotel directly by telephone or contact Booking.com directly to confirm things.  Be very careful when buying items on social media. Always visit in person and view the merchandise before handing over any money. If it looks to good to be true, it usually is! Don’t be rushed into anything. Always take notice of warnings from your bank and follow any advice provided. If you’re not sure if these are genuine, call your branch or pop in and ask them. 

Jersey Airport have issued an important update about British Airways flights. From 1 September 2023 all British Airways passengers will be required to show photographic ID for domestic flights when checking in and out at the departure gate. For details on requirements go to: Passports, visas and API | Information | British Airways  

We’re often contacted by islanders asking what to do when they think they’ve been scammed. If you think you've been targeted by fraudsters or fallen victim to a scam and lost money, report it to the States of Jersey Police on 612 612 or visit fraudprevention.je Get advice about cyber security by calling 500 050 or emailing hello@cert.je. CERTJE is run by security experts who can advise on risk and provide expert assistance in the case of a cyber security incident. Check out the latest scams with Which?: The latest scam alerts from Which? - Which? News

The terrible wildfires in Greece and other parts of Europe have made travel and holiday plans uncertain for lots of people. If you’ve been affected by travel disruption or are preparing to go away, Which? have put together a help guide to travel advice and compensation. Find out more here.

Most airlines let you check in a fully collapsible pushchair for free, but some different restrictions apply regarding the size and weight of the pushchair and where it needs to be stored on the plane. To avoid being hit by extra charges when you check in make sure you’re aware of the restrictions. If you're flying with Jet2, for example, you’ll need to make sure that it weighs no more than 10kg. But with British Airways, the dimensions of your pushchair must not exceed 117 x 38 x 38cm. In Which magazine last month, they published a handy chart that gives details of the requirements for each airline. Airline Hold or cabin Weight or size restriction Air Canada Hold Must not exceed 25.5 x 92cm when folded. Larger strollers are subject to space limitations on the day, so are not guaranteed. Aer Lingus Hold  None. Air Malta  Hold  None. American Airlines Hold Stollers over 9kg must be handed in at the check-in desk. All other stollers can be checked in at the gate before boarding. British Airways  Hold Must not exceed 117 x 38 x 38cm. Cathay Pacific  Both No restrictions for the hold. Storing in the cabin is permitted if there is space on the day - must not exceed 7kg and 36 x 23 x 56cm Delta Hold None. EasyJet  Hold  None. Emirates Both For the cabin: ask at the check-in whether there's space on-board. No weight or size restrictions  Etihad Airways  Hold None. Eurowings  Both No restrictions for the hold. For the cabin: it must be a 'pocket buggy' - see airline's size restrictions for carry-on baggage. Jet2 Hold Must not exceed 10kg KLM Both For the cabin: must not exceed 15 x 30 x 100cm Lurthansa Both No restrictions for the hold. For storing in the cabin, it must be a 'pocket buggy' - see airline's size restrictions for carry-on baggage.  Malaysia Airlines  Hold  Max weight: 10kg Norwegian  Hold  None. Qatar Airways  Hold  None. Ryanair  Hold  None. SAS Hold Max weight: 23kg. Singapore Airlines Both Sum of length, width and height of stroller should not exceed 115cm for cabin. Max weight: 7kg Swiss Both No restrictions for the hold. For storing in the cabin, it must be a 'pocket buggy' - see airline's size restrictions for carry-on baggage.  TAP Air Portugal  Hold  None. TUI Hold  None. United Airlines  Both No restrictions for the hold. For the cabin: must not exceed 9 x 14 x 22in Virgin Atlantic Both No restrictions for the hold. For in the cabin, the following foldable buggies are permitted: GB Pocket, Britax Holiday, Silver Cross Jet, Babyzen YoYo. Vueling Both For the cabin: must not exceed 55 x 40 x 20cm. Max weight 10kg. Wizz Air Hold  None. For other handy travel tips check out our latest newsletter.