Shorter waits and less airport stress: Swissport offers holiday travel tips

Quick and smooth airport formalities are in the interests of everyone: the airport, the airlines, the ground handlers and (above all) the traveller. Switzerland’s three leading airports – Zurich, Geneva and Basel – are fully prepared for the peak travel days of the 2009 summer season. Swissport is familiar with such situations, and has already made the preparations required to manage the increased passenger flows as effectively as possible. Incidentally, 60% of Swiss International Air Lines customers from Zurich now use alternative check-in options such as web-check-in or the self-service machines on the check-in concourse, an increase of more than 50% since the same time last year.

Further useful travel tips:

* Always check your travel documents to see when you need to be at the airport (or find this out from the airport’s own website), and leave early enough to get there in good time.
* Use online check-in facilities. Full details are available on each airline’s website or at www.web-check-in.com. You can still select your seat, and will be able to print out your boarding pass, too.
* Use the self-service machines on the airport’s check-in concourse. Registered baggage can be handed in at the specially-designated desks.
* Use public transport. You can also check-in at numerous SBB railway stations (one day before, handing in your registered baggage and receiving your boarding pass). Further details at:
http://mct.sbb.ch/mct/reisemarkt/services/schalter/reisegepaeck/flyrail-baggage.htm
* Use the advance check-in facility, which enables you to check in for your flight the evening before from 20:00 onwards and receive your boarding pass, too. Travellers on SWISS can check in as early as 24 hours prior to departure.
* . Always keep your travel documents (ticket/passport etc.) conveniently to hand. Even with Schengen, these documents will be inspected at the gate. And don’t forget: you are only allowed up to 100 millilitres (per item/box) of any liquid, gel or cream in your carry-on baggage.

Swissport International Ltd., which is owned by Ferrovial, a leading global infrastructure and service corporation based in Spain, provides ground services for over 70 million passengers and 3.5 million tonnes of cargo a year on behalf of some 650 client companies. With its workforce of around 33 000 personnel, Swissport is active at 173 airports in 38 countries on five continents, and generated consolidated operating revenue of CHF 1.9 billion (EUR 1.2 billion or USD 1.7 billion) last year. www.swissport.com / www.ferrovial.com