Hi David.
I have been discussing this over the week-end with my hubby and I tend to agree with him that it all comes down to money and investment.
I read somewhere that of all the check-in desks in the UK, only half of them are able to read the bar coding that has other info about you encripted within your passport and all the other info that the Spanish want is the responsiblity of the airline...like data about the number of passengers and when the plane is expected to fly into the Schengen space and leave.

It would have been a more sensible approach for the EU countries to implement this EU directive all at the same time, they have known long enough about it, but again it all comes down to investment and in the meantime Joe Bloggs has to do the paperwork for them instead of one swipe of your passport that must take all of 2 seconds.

Sanjiiiiiiiiiiiii

All EU countries were expected to implement the API directive and procedures at the same time (next year) but Spain seems to have jumped the gun slightly by going ahead with it as from 13 June this year.

The travel industry had been trying to exert some pressure on Spain for a postponement, perhaps thinking that their appeals may be met with a response similar to that of the US when API was first being considered there. But Spain has refused to budge, leaving some of the travel industry unprepared.

However, some of the media coverage in the last couple of days is very much toned down compared to last week, and gone is the scaremongering and the suggestions of massive delays and holiday chaos. Even ABTA spokespersons are now being quoted as ruling to any major problems, completely contradicting warnings from ABTA spokespersons last week. Airlines and tour operators also seem confident now that no major disruption will be caused by API procedures.

But the fact remains that passengers will have to supply API details before the day of travel, or at check-in. Some airlines are now contacting passengers regarding existing bookings, while some are now collecting information at the time of booking.

Personally, I feel that API may be a minor inconvenience rather than a major problem. More delays and problems are likely to be caused by current hand luggage restrictions, which many passengers are still not complying with. The fact that so many banned items are being found deliberately hidden within other hand luggage contents shows that passengers are aware of the rules, but choosing to flout them. The ridiculous thing is that most of the items are not required during the flight, and so could quite easily be placed in hold luggage. Instead they choose to cause additional work for security staff, and disruption to other passengers. But that's a whole different topic (which can be found by clicking here). !!

David

Hi Ive been reading your advise and comments about this infromation that is needed by spain for us to give, IE, Passport number, Full name, Address.etc

i rang my tour operator this morning Cosmos
And asked them , and they replied in telling me that they knew nothing of this matter coming up in june
Im very confused, now
she said it may be best to contact the airline that im flying with MyTravel
Does anyone have a number so i can ring them , or does anyone now any info
Where travelling of to the canaries in july
And have a young child with us, and the last thing you want is to be satnding their form filling with children
Cheers denise

We booked our flights to Mallorca through Airtours, though they will be with Monarch.

At the moment, Airtours and Monarch are saying that the information will be collected at the airport check-in either by scanning passports or by entering it manually on to the system. I guess from this that it's not yet possible for Airtours or Monarch to collect it in advance.

offwego

Hi all, I just found this whilst browsing http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/aviation/international/advancepassinfo?page=1
may be of interest.

Went into First Choice yesterday to see if this info was required by them and they knew nothing about it. Best of all, they advised me to contact the British Embassy!!!

The Spanish Government have introduced new requirements meaning that air carriers have to provide certain personal information about all travellers on their aircraft to the Spanish authorities before the aircraft leaves the UK

Can someone please explain to me, if they are only collecting this info at the airport, how can they inform the Spainish authorities before the planes leaves the u.k. as there wouldn't be much time to do anything? Karen

Hi all
Just to let you know that Easyjet have sent emails to everyone who are flying from June 11th that they should let them have all the details via their website, and to view their booking and add the information there.
I got an email from them and I fly out the 9th June. I visited the website and it has stated that if anyone received emails who were flying before the 11th these were sent in error and don't have to send details regarding passports etc.

Dawnie-Rob

Can someone please explain to me, if they are only collecting this info at the airport, how can they inform the Spainish authorities before the planes leaves the u.k. as there wouldn't be much time to do anything? Karen

I would have thought that there would be enough time to email the data between check-in closing and the flight taking off. Faxes are pretty quick these days too :-)

SM

We're flying to Tenerife in August with MyTravel, but have so far not heard anything. As Tenerife is of Spanish Governance, does that mean that the Balearics and Caneries are covered by this new rule coming into force?

Hi

Just heard from Airtours that it's not possible to give the required info before check-in and that it will have to be done at the desk.

It would seem that some tour operators and airlines don't yet have the facilities for early API collection.

offwego

That is correct no Tour operators have the facility to input API details before travel so it will have to be done at the airport. Even for travel to the USA only a small number of operators can take details at the time of booking. When travel agents book a holiday on their computer with many op's there isn't even a space for a full first name! At the moment as far as I know it is only BA and possibly other scheduled airline websites where you can pre-provide this information. It's no good calling the tour ops as they have no way of taking the details.
When the inevitable happens and more countries start wanting more details for passengers then maybe this will change but I can't see that being any time soon!
If the travel agents don't know about API then they obviously don't read the papers but I can say that we have been told about it in internal emails.
I very much doubt any tour ops will be sending out letters to customers about it though.

Can I confirm
Is this for anyone travelling from any country into Spain or just the UK

Hi C and S ... am I right in thinking you are in Ireland ? The Irish media and travel industry appear to be saying even less about API than their counterparts in this country. However, as far as I am aware, travellers from ROI to Spain will be subject to the same API requirements and procedures as those from the UK.

David

We are due to fly to Mallorca next month.

In view of the comments in this thread, I have just typed a document in bold print, size 14 font, with the details required

Full name
nationality
d.o.b.
passport number

and printed off a copy, so it will be all ready to show at check in

Might save a minute or two .............

I'm not quite sure why they can't just take the details from the passport, but maybe I'm missing something?

ah re-reading the thread....not all airports have barcode scanners for the passports?????

Well my print-out won't do any harm, and if we don't actually need it, I won't be bovvered. I just want my holidayyyyyyyyyy

Were flying to Menorca on the 28th with Excel and they have mentioned nothing about this and nor is it on their website Our flight is at 5am from Gatwick so i am hopeing because it is early there won't be toomuch of a delay?

Anyone actually been on holiday and come back with info on the delays ect?

Many thanks

Hi cosmicbabe .. Excel have some info on THIS page of their website.

David

Hi, we flew to Murcia on Sat 16th and came back yesterday and there were no additonal delays, no passports details were taken at check in and no queues or forms to be filled in at Spanish passport control.

No different from normal.

Hi

Im travelling on mytravel to Futerventura in july from Gatwick, I eventually managed to email then asking then about information being collected.
I had a reply, and was told that , my passport would be swiped at check - in.
so this should not take very long at all.

I hope this may help anyone going away soon

denise