Delays linked to new biometric border checks have already been reported at airports including Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport, Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport, Barcelona–El Prat Airport, Lisbon Airport and Geneva Airport.
Passengers have reported long waits in passport halls, missed onward connections and confusion over new entry procedures.
According to Jürgen Himmelmann, Global Work and Travel co-founder, travellers should now treat airport timing as a key part of trip planning rather than focusing only on finding the cheapest fare.
Himmelmann said: "The biggest shift for travellers this summer is that arrival time matters much more than it used to.
"People are used to thinking carefully about the cheapest flight or the shortest journey, but this year they also need to think about when that flight lands and what happens immediately afterwards."
He warned that late afternoon arrivals and weekend flights carry a greater risk of delays.
Himmelmann said: "If you are landing at a busy European airport late in the afternoon, during a weekend peak, or with a tight connection afterwards, you are giving yourself very little room if border queues are longer than expected."
The travel expert recommends flying into Europe between Tuesday and Thursday mornings wherever possible.
He explained: "Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday morning arrivals are often a better choice than landing late on a Friday, Saturday afternoon or Sunday evening, when airports are dealing with weekend breaks, family holidays and returning travellers at the same time."
Travellers are also being advised to avoid booking tight onward connections such as cruises, trains or second flights on the same day as arrival.
Himmelmann added: "The travellers most at risk are not always the ones who face the longest queue. They are the ones who have booked themselves into a corner."
He also urged passengers to keep arrival day flexible and avoid packing too many plans into the first evening of a trip.
Himmelmann said: "Arrival day should be the day you get through the airport, reach your accommodation, check in, eat, rest and reset."
He added: "Choose the flight that gives you the best chance of recovering from a delay, not just the one that looks cheapest on the booking page."
