Prepare your trip
- Check-in on time and keep the right documents ready
- The quantity of liquids & gels in your hand luggage is restricted.
- Kiss your loved ones goodbye in advance and plan other useful things ahead as well
You have picked your destination and booked your journey. Hoorah ! Here are a few tips to make your trip go smoothly.
Tip 1: Prepare your travel documents
Rules are changing fast concerning required documents:
- Documents required during COVID-19 per country. See more.
- For more information on your standard travel documents, please click here.
Tip 2: Pack your luggage smartly & correctly
Hand or hold luggage? Not everything is allowed in your hand luggage therefore:
- The rules on restricted liquids and gels in your hand baggage are still in force. View more information here.
- What is allowed in your hand luggage?
- What is allowed in your hold luggage?
For your own comfort while travelling, we recommend that you travel as lightly as possible. You’ll have your hands free and you’ll will get through security screening more rapidly. Also know that, trolleys are not allowed in and past the security control area, which means you’ll have to carry everything yourself. So the less carry-on baggage you have, the more convenient it will be for you.
If you are travelling with children, then you probably will carry more with you anyway. Small, foldable prams can usually be taken up to the entrance of the plane.
Tip 3: Reserve or book in advance
A lot of things can be arranged in advance, so that you have your head and hands free to enjoy. A few examples:
- Reserve a parking space close to the terminal
- Ask for special assistance (e.g. wheelchair) at least 48 hours in advance.
- Book a fast lane to get through security faster
- Order in advance your favourite perfume and simply pick it up at the airport.
- ...
Would you like to see it all in a handy overview? Enter your flight details in our Travel Planner and view each step of your journey in advance.
Tip 4: Come to the airport well ahead of your departure time
Do you want to know when best to be at the airport? We are happy to advise you on the ideal time to arrive at the airport. Enter your date and destination and we’ll tell you when best to walk into the terminal. To be as accurate as possible, we calculate this for the 5 coming days. So it's best to have a look a few days before you travel.
Please be aware: Wearing a face mask is mandatory everywhere at the airport and on the plane
Tip 5: A pleasant goodbye and a warm welcome
In the current circumstances, only persons travelling themselves or having travelled and airport staff are admitted to the Departure hall. People accompanying wheelchair users or minors can also access the terminal. You can take a moment to say goodbye on the drop-off area or outside in front of the terminal building.
Picking someone up? You’re welcome to wait for them in the Arrivals hall (not the Departures hall). Please remember: a warm welcome is a welcome with those 3 golden rules:
- please keep a 1.5 metre distance from others
- wear a face mask as from 6 years old and
- wash and disinfect your hands.
Psst, 1 more thing: Travel well-insured
Take out the appropriate insurance when travelling. Which part of the trip do you wish to insure?
- Cancellation insurance covers - subject to conditions - inability to travel from the day of booking to the day of departure. This insurance is usually taken out at the time of booking or up to 30 days before departure.
- A travel assistance insurance covers (medical) costs - subject to conditions - once you have left on your trip until the end of the trip. You can book this insurance up to the time of departure.
- Luggage insurance. Such an insurance may include damage, theft and delay.
You can take out this insurance separately or in a bundle.
In addition, things are different depending on whether you have composed your trip yourself or purchased a package holiday:
- You can book your flight and hotel separately (yourself), online or with a travel agent. When only booking a flight during this COVID-19 period, you can check whether a (free) rebooking guarantee included.
- A "package tour" is a trip with at least 2 travel services (e.g. transport and overnight stays) which you book directly together as 1 whole. The sale of package holidays is protected by Belgian law. Click here for more information. In this COVID-19 period, tour operators more frequently offer extra insurance, which may even include repatriation.