Brexit and its implications for British, HU and any other citizens

I've never had any issues with any airlines other than Ryanair and one airline I vow never to fly again with, none of the family will either. My cousin who is a pilot days they are a dreadful company and wouldn't work fir them as they treat their staff badly.

Gosh back in 2019 we landed at the airport in Las Vegas.If anyone has done an 18 hour plus trip then may understand.They advertise a 14 to 18 hour arrival time but do not add the lay over time so your time clock is going bonkers with a min; 24 hour mix up plus the difference in time zones. We were almost the last to leave our flight and for some reason I could not find my passport fast enough.I could Give a àààà and just sat down to dig into my bag to locate it. Right there in the line for passport control. Thinking I am home and all is good, no, all is bad!Triggered Homeland security protocols.The took a every scan known to man on us.I am defo in the system!NWO stuff! - @Marilyn Tassy

You don't need to worry about Homeland Security right now because many of those thugs are not being paid and neither are the wannabe "agents" known as TSA.

It's become rather complicated for dual and triple nationals.  My bro used to enter the UK on his Australian passport simply because he wanted to assert his rights as an Australian.  Those were the days when you didn't need these electronic travel authorisations (ETAs).   

That gets weird as entering and leaving on different passports is now linked in to other paperwork.  Inter-EU it should be fine, just use EU passport.  Outside Schengen gets more complicated.

I really don't know how it's going to work going out of the UK for my kids.  It seems like it could work like this:

Leaving HU

Book Ticket:  Use HU passport details

Check In:  British Passport (therefore no ETA required UK), HU passport ready on standby if need to show if check-in shows HU passport details needed. Check In staff might need evidence of ETA.   

HU passports:  HU passport at e-gates

UK passports:  Enter UK on British passport (complies with new rules)

Leaving UK

Check In:  Show HU passport (therefore no ETIAS needed)

UK passports:  There are no British passport checks leaving the UK

HU passports:  Use HU passport e-gates

(Link) The Dutch don't allow their citizens to retain their Dutch nationality if they voluntarily elect to apply for another country's citizenship; so if my wife applied for UK citizenship, she would lose her Dutch passport. They do permit it if they gain the non-Dutch citizenship through no fault of their own (so in our case, the fact their father was a British citizen means they were British). We had to declare their UK passports when my wife took our trouwboekje to the Dutch Consulate in Düsseldorf to add them to it.
It's never a good idea to use a different passport which you used at check-in, when you get to your destination. It flags up on the flight manifest, which the Immigration staff use at passport control and will at the very least mean more questions and if it happens while something else is going on which has caused extra scrutiny for whatever reason, you can get moved to the interesting persons queue. I only did it once when I tried to jump the queue at IAD by going through the US citizens queue while wearing a British Army uniform, travelling on a NATO travel order and showing my old US passport. I then got into trouble for having half a sandwich and banana in my combat jacket pockets. - @Cynic

Maybe just being open about the different passports is the best idea.   And then you don't need the ETA, ETIAS and blah-blah. I've never known check in personnel to be that diligent on passport checks when there's an actual passport checking desk to airside.

My kids always used HU passports to leave HU and UK passports to enter the UK.  No-one ever said a word about it.

And of course, there are no passport checks leaving the UK.

You could have eaten the sandwich and banana.

I've never had any issues with any airlines other than Ryanair and one airline I vow never to fly again with, none of the family will either. My cousin who is a pilot days they are a dreadful company and wouldn't work fir them as they treat their staff badly. - @SimCityAT

Ryanair I also vowed never to use but I am using them again due to Wizzair withdrawing services to Liverpool.   Their loss. Ryanair has taken up the slack.

I don't like their 737s.  The seats have weird spacing and narrow places at the aisle ends on where to put your feet.  The middle seat has a large space and the window is just normal.  But the aisle under seat space is really narrow.

Wizzair was using Airbus and it's a much nicer plane than the ancient 737 designs Ryanair uses.

HU:

I came through BUD airport this morning. 

There's a new set of lines drawn on the ground, one goes to the EES machines and the other is for EU e-gates plus a completely separate queue for permanent residents.  The PR queue was blocked so I asked about it and I was let through.  One other person quickly joined me in the PR queue as we had one immigration officer each.    It's such a load of nonsense.  But in any case, I was into the baggage hall in just a few minutes and I was outside waiting for pickup within 15m of disembarking the plane.   

I didn't see anyone using the EES machines but I guess they were slower off the plane.

Meanwhile, while taxying to the terminal, I saw 3 x El Al planes parked away from all other planes plus 1 x other Israeli airline plane from an unknown airline.  I reckon they are there for safe-keeping as there was security around them.  There was however, one El Al plane at the gates.  I suppose they are keeping the parked planes away from Tel Aviv in case they are hit by missiles.

...Meanwhile, while taxying to the terminal, I saw 3 x El Al planes parked away from all other planes plus 1 x other Israeli airline plane from an unknown airline. I reckon they are there for safe-keeping as there was security around them. There was however, one El Al plane at the gates. I suppose they are keeping the parked planes away from Tel Aviv in case they are hit by missiles. - @fluffy2560

Either that or their departure for Ben Gurion has been, shall we say, delayed.

EU flight cancellations:

I was booked on Fly Dubai to get here but then it was twice cancelled so I made my own way back via Saudi.

As of this morning, Fly Dubai is trying to issue me with a voucher and not a refund. 

Vouchers are optional but can be rejected in favour of a cash refund. 

They also said they sent me a voucher which has not been received. 

Avoid FlyDubai.

(p.s. this has happened to me before - it was LOT Polish Airlines last time and it was during COVID)

Today's the day:

EU fingerprint and photo travel rules come into force

"The EU's new digital border system which requires fingerprints and photos alongside a passport scan is set to be fully operational from Friday [10 April 2026].

This was the deadline for the Entry/Exit System or EES, to be active at every Schengen border crossing point in all 29 participating countries.

The system began being gradually introduced from October to strengthen security and ultimately make travel smoother, though due to some hiccups, not every point will be fully rolling it out."

Couldn't be worse timing - my daughter and BF are inbound literally as I type this. 

Update:  Report is EES machines not working - all done manually with a Passport jobsworth.  50 minutes to get past passports.  Another Brexit benefit.

Switzerland Joins Germany, Greece, US, France, Spain, Italy and More Countries in Suspending New Biometric Checks After UK Tourists Face Lengthy Airport Delays and Missed Flights Across Europe - Travel And Tour World https://share.google/eigjMdDTlK39u4Fjy

HU Update:

Exit process at BUD airport has a special queue for the RP holders.   I saw a lot of Chinese people who were being hassled by the border guards.   None of the Chinese travellers could speak English.  It seems they had not got their RPs with them and they were in the wrong queue.

Anyway, the RP queue is blocked off so you have to ask them to open it up but there is a dedicated border officer for RPs.

Inbound, I don't know yet.

I can confirm at BUD there's an inbound EU queue which includes RP card holders.   I was in the RP queue and 5 people were in front of me.   They block off the RP queue and you have to ask to get through.  I had to wait about 10 minutes in total for the scanning.  They scan the passport and the RP which seems a bit OTT.

There were 100s of Chinese (presumably) people on the Chinese flight arrival in the non-EU queue and the cops were moving through the lines registering people.  The EES machines were not in use. I've never seen them being used by anyone.  That queue length looked like a good 1h wait and it was getting longer by the minute.

It seems to me, the entire thing is a major inconvenience for anyone without an RP.   Considering the millions of tourists from the UK entering popular places like Spain or Greece or France, no wonder they are often suspending EES for the summer season. 

Just been through passports at BUD airport and despite the RP, we are back to passport stamping again.

When I said stamps were not necessary, miserable guy said "new system". What that means I do not know.  If he meant EES, RP holders are not subject to it. Obviously he was asleep at the morning briefing.

They have new non-touch scanners for fingerprints.

The RP queue remains and it is useful for skipping the crowds. Unfortunately there are several Chinese planes leaving at the same time so the EES queue remains problematic.

I entered Hungary via Germany in March.

I did show them my RP and US passport in Germany and it was  easy.

I had used the wheelchair service for all connections except the one from Germany to Hungary and only because the connection was tight and I did not wish to miss the flight.

In line I waited but the clock was ticking fast, I opened up and asked the line if they minded if I jumped the line because my flight was tight. Everyone was nice and let me pass.

I always have airport assistance, so I never have trouble with security. I flash my Article 50 Card and passport for a matter of seconds in Amsterdam, because I would not make the connecting flights, and it's a damn long walk between gates, which seem like miles.

Arriving B19 and having to get to D21 in 1.5 hours is not possible, maybe if I were a lot younger and not with a bad back. I do prefer having 4 hours stopover, so I am not rushed.

I always have airport assistance, so I never have trouble with security. I flash my Article 50 Card and passport for a matter of seconds in Amsterdam, because I would not make the connecting flights, and it's a damn long walk between gates, which seem like miles.

Arriving B19 and having to get to D21 in 1.5 hours is not possible, maybe if I were a lot younger and not with a bad back. I do prefer having 4 hours stopover, so I am not rushed. - @SimCityAT

Yes, I used the assistance service because I too have weak knees and standing in long lines for hours if needed is not going to happen.

As I was traveling alone on a long haul I wanted to make it as easy for myself as possible.

Going from Budapest with assistance is not needed; They seem to have no official service workers just a few random chairs you can use but they also do not give out passes for anyone to help you through to your gate so I suppose you would be rolling yourself around.

I used United Airlines and they had people waiting as you left the plane and they whisked you off through the airport, security and to your gate.

I would of defo gotten lost in SFO airport without them.

I tipped at every connection but this one old Asian guy in SFO on my return flight was really hustling for tips; Pissed me off really since he kept huffing and puffing as he pushed me. I weight about 51 to 53 kilos on a good day so why take that job if you can not push a light weight like me?

He kept saying he needed water and it cost $6.00 a bottle.

I told him flat out that I refile my water bottle at the water stations. Then he asked if he could let me out before my gate because he was tired!

I even had suggested before that for him to sit and I would push him!

I tipped him and went off to my gate without looking back, no $6.00 for him though!

I do not care, lived in Vegas and know a hustler when I see one.

No one else was like that, all fast, nice and grateful for     a tip.

A few days later in Vegas I drove my rental car to the Vegas airport to pick up my SIL.

Was going to meet her at baggage claim.

Walked through the doors of the airport and their was a private driver finishing up bussines with 2 middle aged men.

As I passed them at the door in they tipped him a $20. and he was all sweet with honey with them.

He smiled and looked at me; I causally asked if he knew where the baggage claim was for the airline she was flying in on. He said yes, to follow him as he was meeting more private car clients there. I told him he could walk with me but I was not tipping!

I passed through BUD immigration last night.   No passport stamp.

I was through in seconds in the RP queue.   I was just asked where I came from.

They were hassling people at Customs but I'm an old geezer with a walking stick.  Hardly likely to interest anyone about anything.

Interestingly, when they see the stick, I usually get promoted to an early position in the queue.  They do this in Europe but rarely happens in the UK.

I passed through BUD immigration last night. No passport stamp.
I was through in seconds in the RP queue. I was just asked where I came from.

They were hassling people at Customs but I'm an old geezer with a walking stick. Hardly likely to interest anyone about anything.

Interestingly, when they see the stick, I usually get promoted to an early position in the queue. They do this in Europe but rarely happens in the UK. - @fluffy2560

Re walking stick; try asking for assistance at the time of booking

I passed through BUD immigration last night. No passport stamp.
I was through in seconds in the RP queue. I was just asked where I came from.

They were hassling people at Customs but I'm an old geezer with a walking stick. Hardly likely to interest anyone about anything.

Interestingly, when they see the stick, I usually get promoted to an early position in the queue. They do this in Europe but rarely happens in the UK. - @fluffy2560
Re walking stick; try asking for assistance at the time of booking
- @Cynic

I don't need the stick all the time so doesn't truly warrant assistance.   

Most of the time I do walk slower than other people though. 

And the stick is like an extra leg to help with balance.

Growing old is not that much fun.  Youth is of course, wasted on the young.

I passed through BUD immigration last night. No passport stamp.
I was through in seconds in the RP queue. I was just asked where I came from.

They were hassling people at Customs but I'm an old geezer with a walking stick. Hardly likely to interest anyone about anything.

Interestingly, when they see the stick, I usually get promoted to an early position in the queue. They do this in Europe but rarely happens in the UK. - @fluffy2560
Re walking stick; try asking for assistance at the time of booking
- @Cynic
I don't need the stick all the time so doesn't truly warrant assistance.
Most of the time I do walk slower than other people though.

And the stick is like an extra leg to help with balance.

Growing old is not that much fun. Youth is of course, wasted on the young. - @fluffy2560

My wife used the assistance scheme at Schiphol last week; she tells me they were amazing and would recommend using them to everyone.

I passed through BUD immigration last night. No passport stamp.
I was through in seconds in the RP queue. I was just asked where I came from.

They were hassling people at Customs but I'm an old geezer with a walking stick. Hardly likely to interest anyone about anything.

Interestingly, when they see the stick, I usually get promoted to an early position in the queue. They do this in Europe but rarely happens in the UK. - @fluffy2560
Re walking stick; try asking for assistance at the time of booking
- @Cynic
I don't need the stick all the time so doesn't truly warrant assistance.
Most of the time I do walk slower than other people though.

And the stick is like an extra leg to help with balance.

Growing old is not that much fun. Youth is of course, wasted on the young. - @fluffy2560
My wife used the assistance scheme at Schiphol last week; she tells me they were amazing and would recommend using them to everyone.
- @Cynic

Oh, I swear by it, use it all the time, and so does my 85 year old dad. They really are so lovely, friendly and polite at Schiphol.

I passed through BUD immigration last night. No passport stamp.
I was through in seconds in the RP queue. I was just asked where I came from.

They were hassling people at Customs but I'm an old geezer with a walking stick. Hardly likely to interest anyone about anything.

Interestingly, when they see the stick, I usually get promoted to an early position in the queue. They do this in Europe but rarely happens in the UK. - @fluffy2560
Re walking stick; try asking for assistance at the time of booking
- @Cynic
I don't need the stick all the time so doesn't truly warrant assistance.
Most of the time I do walk slower than other people though.

And the stick is like an extra leg to help with balance.

Growing old is not that much fun. Youth is of course, wasted on the young. - @fluffy2560
My wife used the assistance scheme at Schiphol last week; she tells me they were amazing and would recommend using them to everyone.
- @Cynic
Oh, I swear by it, use it all the time, and so does my 85 year old dad. They really are so lovely, friendly and polite at Schiphol. - @SimCityAT

I haven't flown on KLM for years as they charge too much for luggage.   Very rare they come up now on ticket searches. I used Schipol many times when I was working in The Hague/Den Haag.  They used to call Schipol, London's 3rd airport way back then.

FR:

Dover ferry delays: Bank holiday queues grow as Entry-Exit System slows crossings to France

Passengers travelling from the UK warned to expect long waits

The port is preparing for around 18,000 travellers between Friday and Sunday, with May 23 expected to be the busiest day.

Ferry passengers travelling from the UK to France via the Port of Dover are warned to expect significant delays this weekend as the bank holiday coincides with the full rollout of the EU’s Entry-Exit System (EES).

The port is preparing for around 18,000 travellers between Friday and Sunday, with May 23 expected to be the busiest day. -

I was at Dover post-Brexit but pre-EES and it took about 90m to get past French passport control.  It must be even worse now.  France does not have RP queues. I just heard on the radio, they've suspended EES at Dover due to massive queues and 5h waits!

LONDON, May 23 (Reuters) - Britain's government proposed the creation of a single market for goods with the European Union in what would be an ambitious ​reset of its post-Brexit ties with the bloc, but Brussels ‌has rejected the idea, British media reported.

The Guardian said the EU instead suggested Britain should join a customs union or agree to deeper economic alignment via the ​European Economic Area, both of which would require Prime Minister ​Keir Starmer to reverse his refusal to allow free movement ⁠of workers.

LONDON, May 23 (Reuters) - Britain's government proposed the creation of a single market for goods with the European Union in what would be an ambitious ​reset of its post-Brexit ties with the bloc, but Brussels ‌has rejected the idea, British media reported.The Guardian said the EU instead suggested Britain should join a customs union or agree to deeper economic alignment via the ​European Economic Area, both of which would require Prime Minister ​Keir Starmer to reverse his refusal to allow free movement ⁠of workers. - @SimCityAT

Free movement works both ways.   I regularly take taxis in the UK and they are either Polish, Hungarian or Ukrainian.  People will fill these jobs that British don't want to do.  I think it's great to have diversity.

Discussions I read recently were about one hit wonder Reform's policies mainly being about immigration but as we know from news reports, immigration is way down.   So what else has Farage got in his portfolio of BS. 

Latest border news:

French authorities 'suspend new EU border checks' as holidaymakers at Dover face three-hour tailbacks

Airports and EES:

EU border delays 'not bearable' over summer, warns airport boss

The boss of Berlin Airport has said non-EU nationals arriving in the German capital are having to queue for up to two hours under a new digital border system, and warned the situation is "not bearable over the summer".

Aletta von Massenbach told the BBC that at one terminal in Berlin, where Ryanair and Wizz Air operate, waiting times can run between "an hour to two hours".

Under the EU's new Entry-Exit System (EES) travellers from outside the bloc must register biometric information when entering most European countries, which is checked when they leave.

Airports and airlines say the system is not working. The European Commission (EC) says it is willing to offer more support.

EU is not likely to do anything to change EES as it's flagship border strategy.   Lots of stories of people missing  their planes and having to buy new tickets after airlines said it wasn't their fault.  No, it's not, it's the EU governments. 

And in my case, the UK government nitwits and Farage who took us out of the EU.  Caused nothing but trouble and intending to cause more destruction in the UK too.

Travelled via BUD today (Monday 6th) from T2B (non-Schengen).  My arrival would be LPL (Liverpool - a crappy airport at the best of time).

There's construction at BUD T2B and the boarding card scanners were not working across the board.  There's a diversion to a new entry point between T2B and T2A.   The queue is larger but there are more luggage and person scanners so it goes relatively fast.  It still made me nervous.  I arrived early just to make sure. 15m wait.

Some UK passengers complained about me "queue jumping" at boarding.   It was just ignorant.  I waved my stick and just said, "look, I'm slow and I'm walking".   They should have let me on along with the babies and kids but didn't.   Who abuses someone with a stick?   Ignorant twits.  I hope they feel guilty. I took the elevator down the gates and beat the complainers queueing on the steps to the boarding area.  So tough luck.

Anyway, some kid about 10 threw up on the row opposite my row and what a mess.  It was all over the seat, the carpet and his carry on.   The flight attendants have a cleaning kit and they had to use two and the bags were labelled "hazardous waste".   They blocked the row and moved the family to the back of the plane.  OK, well nothing we can say about that except, what did his Mum and Dad let him eat?  Maybe nothing.

Anyway at Liverpool, massive passport queue. about 6 or 7 desks open and 3 closed (why?) and multiple planes arriving the same time.   Took a good 25m to get through.  No passport reading machines for self-service.   LPL needs a major revamp but I've been saying that for some years.

I didn't use my own advice not to travel mid-June until early September. 

Wow, how dam ignorant of people to question why you went ahead.

Hope one day, sooner then later, they find out what it is like to need aid.

I do have an evil streak in me, karma for all!

People seem to lack any brains, not that they ever were all that but these days they have forgotten to keep their inner voice inside.Dummies.

Barfing on a plane, where were those barf bags?

I got sick on a long haul once and the flight attendant gave me a huge trash bag; I asked her if I should fill it up!

Smart ass me!

My own fault, took a few too many relax pills and drank too much.

Paid for it with a headache for hours. No one saw me really get ill, I got straight up and went into the WC.

Good thing they had extra seats on the flight or the kid would be stewing in it for hours! Yuck!

It has been on my mind about those idiots making a stink about a disabled person being  ahead of them;

In the US I know there are laws against it, probably in the EU as well.

I will bet anything they were tourists on a super budget ticket who live at home and still have mommy holding their hands.In their mid 20,s but stuck in their teen years. Never did anything and never will.

People find nerve when in a group. Next time tell them you are a VIP, a Very Ill person.

Actually they do not need to know anything, not their darn bees wax.

I had some heavy set clod in his mid 20,s walk into me when I was using my cane years ago and he kicked it! I told him to F off but did not give him my full wrath because my husband dislikes a public sense.

Honestly I have no problem telling anyone off if it is needed but I have to take into account my husband getting upset.

IDK, was raised to defend ourselves against all comers.Mom had no time to settle scores so made us do it ourselves.

It used to be unheard of in Hungary for people to get so personal and rude.

Forget it,rude people are miserable souls and best to avoid anything to do with them.

It will be smoother on the way home.

A new online system to pre-authorise entry to the EU is set to be delayed until next year, after the chaotic rollout of a separate electronic border-check system disrupted visits  https://ft.trib.al/y2p59Sn

With assistance via Munich:

I travelled inbound to BUD via MUC (Munich)and all I can say is the assistance from Lufthansa was exemplary.  I had a personalised helper, there's a special passports queue in the bowels of the building (absolutely no queues), my own minibus and it was all very slickly done.  I reached the next gate in perhaps 20m. I had anticipated 1h at least and that would have been too much.

What really surprised me is they had special keys to unlock elevators, doors, and so on.  The guy was super efficient and spoke OK English but in the end we spoke German.   Everyone was super kind.   

When I reached BUD, I just skipped the help and went straight to Baggage Claim as it was Schengen area. I didn't need help there. Got my bag in the scrum there (lots of tourists) and I was out quickly and Mrs F zoomed in to collect me.  I go upstairs to departures and there's 5m free for a pickup (even though it's supposed to be for drop off).  With good planning, it's easy to do a drive by pickup in less than 5m.

Summary is that assistance is really useful but a bit OTT. I am walking wounded. I can walk and climb stairs easily albeit slowly.  I don't need a wheelchair. I definitely needed the help on the long walking stretches but they could have put me in a golf cart equally well.

As for booking assistance, I did it online via Lufthansa and received a confirmation.  They (the airport workers) knew all about me.  It was noted on my boarding card - I was in the category "Pre-boarding" so I could go with the kids and business class passengers.  That was useful. I could get my seat without the scrum usually with people fighting over the luggage racks etc.

So, despite my fears, it was all OK and very organised.  Definitely recommend it.

On arrival in BUD, the next day, Mrs F and I were doing power gardening like it was going out of fashion. And now, today, Saturday, I'm screwed up with back pain from over use.  Great!  But at least I am here now.  I will be taking it easy.  I think I need to do some weight training to build core strength.  I  have a weight training machine in storage. I think I will clear the cellar and install it there.

BTW, more airports/airlines are complaining about EES during the summer and want it suspended for summer months.  I think that's a good idea.  Leaving BUD at non-Schengen was fraught and stressful due to large queues.

With assistance via Munich:
I travelled inbound to BUD via MUC (Munich)and all I can say is the assistance from Lufthansa was exemplary. I had a personalised helper, there's a special passports queue in the bowels of the building (absolutely no queues), my own minibus and it was all very slickly done. I reached the next gate in perhaps 20m. I had anticipated 1h at least and that would have been too much.

What really surprised me is they had special keys to unlock elevators, doors, and so on. The guy was super efficient and spoke OK English but in the end we spoke German. Everyone was super kind.

When I reached BUD, I just skipped the help and went straight to Baggage Claim as it was Schengen area. I didn't need help there. Got my bag in the scrum there (lots of tourists) and I was out quickly and Mrs F zoomed in to collect me. I go upstairs to departures and there's 5m free for a pickup (even though it's supposed to be for drop off). With good planning, it's easy to do a drive by pickup in less than 5m.

Summary is that assistance is really useful but a bit OTT. I am walking wounded. I can walk and climb stairs easily albeit slowly. I don't need a wheelchair. I definitely needed the help on the long walking stretches but they could have put me in a golf cart equally well.

As for booking assistance, I did it online via Lufthansa and received a confirmation. They (the airport workers) knew all about me. It was noted on my boarding card - I was in the category "Pre-boarding" so I could go with the kids and business class passengers. That was useful. I could get my seat without the scrum usually with people fighting over the luggage racks etc.

So, despite my fears, it was all OK and very organised. Definitely recommend it.

On arrival in BUD, the next day, Mrs F and I were doing power gardening like it was going out of fashion. And now, today, Saturday, I'm screwed up with back pain from over use. Great! But at least I am here now. I will be taking it easy. I think I need to do some weight training to build core strength. I have a weight training machine in storage. I think I will clear the cellar and install it there.

BTW, more airports/airlines are complaining about EES during the summer and want it suspended for summer months. I think that's a good idea. Leaving BUD at non-Schengen was fraught and stressful due to large queues. - @fluffy2560

We found the same with KLM at Schiphol.

With assistance via Munich:
I travelled inbound to BUD via MUC (Munich)and all I can say is the assistance from Lufthansa was exemplary. I had a personalised helper, there's a special passports queue in the bowels of the building (absolutely no queues), my own minibus and it was all very slickly done. I reached the next gate in perhaps 20m. I had anticipated 1h at least and that would have been too much.

What really surprised me is they had special keys to unlock elevators, doors, and so on. The guy was super efficient and spoke OK English but in the end we spoke German. Everyone was super kind.

When I reached BUD, I just skipped the help and went straight to Baggage Claim as it was Schengen area. I didn't need help there. Got my bag in the scrum there (lots of tourists) and I was out quickly and Mrs F zoomed in to collect me. I go upstairs to departures and there's 5m free for a pickup (even though it's supposed to be for drop off). With good planning, it's easy to do a drive by pickup in less than 5m.

Summary is that assistance is really useful but a bit OTT. I am walking wounded. I can walk and climb stairs easily albeit slowly. I don't need a wheelchair. I definitely needed the help on the long walking stretches but they could have put me in a golf cart equally well.

As for booking assistance, I did it online via Lufthansa and received a confirmation. They (the airport workers) knew all about me. It was noted on my boarding card - I was in the category "Pre-boarding" so I could go with the kids and business class passengers. That was useful. I could get my seat without the scrum usually with people fighting over the luggage racks etc.

So, despite my fears, it was all OK and very organised. Definitely recommend it.

On arrival in BUD, the next day, Mrs F and I were doing power gardening like it was going out of fashion. And now, today, Saturday, I'm screwed up with back pain from over use. Great! But at least I am here now. I will be taking it easy. I think I need to do some weight training to build core strength. I have a weight training machine in storage. I think I will clear the cellar and install it there.

BTW, more airports/airlines are complaining about EES during the summer and want it suspended for summer months. I think that's a good idea. Leaving BUD at non-Schengen was fraught and stressful due to large queues. - @fluffy2560
We found the same with KLM at Schiphol.
- @Cynic

Yeah, you just sale through immigration, no waiting and sat on the buggy, you flash your passport and residency card, taken to the gate and then put on the plane first even before priority and first class.

BTW, more airports/airlines are complaining about EES during the summer and want it suspended for summer months. I think that's a good idea. Leaving BUD at non-Schengen was fraught and stressful due to large queues. - @fluffy2560
We found the same with KLM at Schiphol.
- @Cynic
Yeah, you just sail through immigration, no waiting and sat on the buggy, you flash your passport and residency card, taken to the gate and then put on the plane first even before priority and first class.
- @SimCityAT

Yup, smooth as silk, special areas, no worries. Passport dude looked like he had been given the worst job of the day.  Weirdly, there's no "low" window for wheelchair users.  Presumably the helpers hand over the paperwork.   But like all that passport checking, for 99.99% of travellers in Europe, it's totally unnecessary.  Like border control theatre.

Helper took me directly to the aircraft steps but really I didn't need that level of help.  But when booking there are different options and none of them really was applicable so I just chose the lowest one. They still wanted to push me about in a chair.  I felt a bit of a fraud but I didn't when I was taken by bus to the other side of the airport - Munich is really spread out so inter-terminal travel is quite long.  My plane arrived gates K and my connection left from gates G.

Amsterdam does it properly

Amsterdam does it properly - @SimCityAT

They have a contraption like that in Budapest but it is so sloooowww.... It goes to different planes to collect people so it wastes passengers time getting out of the airport.   I don't need anything like that at all.  I used it with my Dad when he came to visit so I saw it in action directly.   In Munich I had just a minibus with low steps so quite possibly they have different types of buses according to what you need.

@fluffy2560

At Leeds/Bradford, they use the in-flight catering truck.