Prague’s Václav Havel Airport (PRG) has quietly rolled out a new premium “Private Check-in Service” aimed at time-pressed business travellers and high-net-worth leisure passengers departing on Schengen flights from Terminal 2. For a flat fee of CZK 1,950 (€79) per person, customers hand over their passports and baggage to a dedicated agent at a desk in the departure hall while they relax in the refurbished FastTrack Lounge. When the paperwork is done, they proceed through an exclusive security lane that bypasses the main screening filter.
Airport management says the bundle—combining concierge check-in, lounge access and fast-track security—forms part of its “Ready for the Future” strategy to smooth passenger flow before the EU’s mandatory Entry/Exit System (EES) reaches full capacity in 2026. By diverting a slice of intra-Schengen traffic into a pre-booked premium channel, PRG hopes to free floor space and staff for the more labour-intensive biometric procedures that non-EU travellers will face in Terminal 1.
![Prague Airport Launches Premium “Private Check-in Service” to Cut Schengen Queues]()
Corporate travel managers have long complained that Monday-morning and Thursday-evening peaks can turn the single Terminal 2 security checkpoint into a bottleneck, risking missed connections on shuttle routes to Frankfurt, Paris and Amsterdam. Early adopters of the service include several Prague-based shared-service centres and foreign embassies whose staff commute weekly within the Schengen Area. HR directors say the extra cost is offset by shorter “door-to-desk” times, lower traveller stress and fewer duty-of-care incidents.
The airport is capping capacity at roughly 60 passengers per hour until demand is clear, but officials hint at scaling up during December’s Christmas-market surge and major 2026 conferences. Reservations must be made at least 24 hours before departure, and operating hours run from 06:00 to 21:00. Families can book too: children under three enter free, while those aged 3-14 pay CZK 720. If uptake is strong, PRG may extend the model to selected long-haul departures once EES kiosks arrive in Terminal 1 next spring.
Airport management says the bundle—combining concierge check-in, lounge access and fast-track security—forms part of its “Ready for the Future” strategy to smooth passenger flow before the EU’s mandatory Entry/Exit System (EES) reaches full capacity in 2026. By diverting a slice of intra-Schengen traffic into a pre-booked premium channel, PRG hopes to free floor space and staff for the more labour-intensive biometric procedures that non-EU travellers will face in Terminal 1.
Corporate travel managers have long complained that Monday-morning and Thursday-evening peaks can turn the single Terminal 2 security checkpoint into a bottleneck, risking missed connections on shuttle routes to Frankfurt, Paris and Amsterdam. Early adopters of the service include several Prague-based shared-service centres and foreign embassies whose staff commute weekly within the Schengen Area. HR directors say the extra cost is offset by shorter “door-to-desk” times, lower traveller stress and fewer duty-of-care incidents.
The airport is capping capacity at roughly 60 passengers per hour until demand is clear, but officials hint at scaling up during December’s Christmas-market surge and major 2026 conferences. Reservations must be made at least 24 hours before departure, and operating hours run from 06:00 to 21:00. Families can book too: children under three enter free, while those aged 3-14 pay CZK 720. If uptake is strong, PRG may extend the model to selected long-haul departures once EES kiosks arrive in Terminal 1 next spring.
