Good Morning Britain's travel expert shared his tips to avoid queues at Manchester airport.
Simon Calder joined anchors Richard Madeley and Susanna Reid on Tuesday's edition of ITV's news programme. Passengers travelling from Manchester and Birmingham airport were met with queuing chaos yesterday.
Many holidaymakers took to social media to blast the airport as images showed lines stretching out of the terminal building as they faced delays due to long queues for security. Simon said the chaotic scenes are due to staff shortages as the aviation industry as the UK still recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.
READ MORE: ITV Good Morning Britain's Kate Garraway pleads for 'help' after Vic Reeves remark
Simon said the situation will "probably continue" and offered advice to anyone travelling from the airports in the coming months. He said: "Do not check in any baggage. If you want to go with British Airways for instance they will allow you to take 46kg of hand baggage.
"Then first of all, you're not queuing up there, you're not risking your luggage turning up in Athens when you've flown to Rome."
Richard hit back at the advice. He joked: "I would rather tell my wife that the flight was cancelled, then tell her she couldn't check in luggage. I just cannot see that happening in the universe I inhabit."
Staff at Manchester Airport have advised passengers to arrive at least three hours prior to their flight to reduce the extra queues. Simon also urged holidaymakers to not turn up too early before their flight. He said: "It sounds absolutely mad, but an awful lot of these queues are people who have got a flight at 10am turning up at 5am.
"Quite rationally for them because they think we're got to guarantee we make this flight, but that means the people with flights at 7am are stuck behind people who have got flights much later so it's very messy.
"All that will happen is money will get thrown at it. Most people will get to where they want to be, but wherever you're going, hope for the best, but be prepared for delay and disruption."
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV and the ITV Hub
Receive newsletters with the biggest and breaking TV and showbiz news by signing up here
