How early should you arrive for your flight at Tenerife South Airport if you're heading back home?
For my flight from Tenerife South Airport to Warsaw Modlin, I arrived a solid 2.5 hours before departure.
1. First, I had to make my way to the airport from the town where I was staying. My journey back to Poland started in El Medano, taking two buses with a transfer in San Isidro. The entire trip took about 40 minutes, with the first leg from El Medano to San Isidro being 15 minutes.
2. Next, I waited approximately 10-15 minutes for the bus from San Isidro to Tenerife South Airport.
The ride from San Isidro to the airport is quick – just two stops and you're right at the entrance to the departures hall.
3. I went to the airline's office where I purchased my ticket to ask how early I should queue for check-in. The agent told me one hour. This, I quickly learned, was a mistake, and I warn everyone against it.
4. This is a very small airport but handles a huge number of passengers. When I approached check-in one hour before my departure, I was among the very last. Passenger check-in was incredibly slow. As I finally reached the check-in desk, the agent announced he was going on break and couldn't process me. He directed me to the queue next door. Looking behind me, I saw at least 100 people. Luckily, two tourists (I'm not sure from which country) let me cut in, which saved me time.
5. It turned out to be a mere formality because I had already completed my online check-in 24 hours before departure. I highly recommend this to everyone!
6. A small problem arose because I was travelling with sports baggage: a kitesurfing board, kite, and accessories. I was told I needed to take my sports baggage to a separate counter on the other side of the hall. So, I ran to the far end of the airport.
7. It’s fortunate that the airport is small, but it's still about 100 metres, pushing through other tourists.
I located the designated counter for sports baggage, having already checked in my regular luggage at the first desk.
Rushing, nerves, and the general airport buzz are not the best companions.
8. My sports baggage was checked and tagged. My job was to deliver it to the special baggage drop-off point.
Before placing the sports baggage, I double-checked if it would be put on a trolley that would go directly to my plane.
9. After dropping off my sports baggage, I proceeded to passenger security.
As standard, I had to empty small items from my pockets, remove my belt, keys, and other metal objects.
I placed my hand luggage on the conveyor belt for X-ray screening.
I showed my documents and made it through to the other side.
I emptied the trays and put everything back into my pockets along with my documents.
10. I then headed downstairs and, within 5 minutes, was on the tarmac ready to board the plane.
11. Next time I fly, I'll minimise the items in my pockets, as retrieving small change from those trays is surprisingly tricky.
12. I strongly suggest everyone keep a close eye on their trays, especially those containing documents, wallets, and phones, to prevent accidental mix-ups or someone mistakenly taking them.
13. Getting through airport check-in and security requires significant concentration.
14. I once had an experience at another airport where I had shampoo in my carry-on bag. The security agent told me to throw it away. I wasn't allowed to take that bottle onboard the plane.
15. You are not permitted to carry open containers like drink bottles, shampoos, and similar liquids that exceed volume limits onto the plane.
16. For anyone reading this article, especially those travelling with sports equipment like surfboards, windsurfing gear, or bicycles, I strongly advise getting in line as early as possible. I made it, as they say, by the skin of my teeth!