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FAQ

If you have a question, you will find answers to frequently asked questions about a range of subjects here.

The following categories are available for selection:

At the airport

Unfortunately, only departing passengers can buy items from the duty-free shop.

In the Dortmund Airport terminal there is a public WiFi network that gives you access to the Internet. You can buy hotspot tickets for 3 euros (1 hour) and 5 euros (2 hours) at the information desk (departures level) and the West Bar + Shop, which allow you to use the WiFi network.

Dortmund Airport newsletter subscribers get 60 minutes of free access to the WiFi network in the terminal every day. Subscribe at www.dortmund-airport.de/wlan.

Note: The newsletter and subscription are currently only available on the German version of the site.

You are not allowed to stay in the terminal overnight. The terminal is closed at night.

The terminal is open from 3.30 a.m. until midnight every day.

At Dortmund Airport, smoking is only permitted in the designated areas in front of the terminal building. Smoking is prohibited inside the terminal (this also applies to the visitor terrace and the apron). In the security area, i.e. after the security check, a smokers' lounge is available to departing passengers.

If you lose something on board the aircraft, in the terminal or in the airport busses, then please complete the service form on the Lost and Found office page.

If you find something, you can also hand it in to the employees at the Lost and Found office counter. You will find the counter on the arrivals level (Level 0), next to the baggage claims.

Yes, the visitors' terrace is on the gallery level (level 2). Entrance is free. You can find more information at Visitors' Terrace.

Unfortunately, you can't. There is no money transfer or currency exchange outlet at Dortmund Airport at the moment. However, there are ATMs provided by a number of different banks.

If the gate is not shown on your boarding pass, you can find the information on the airport website Departures or on the information screens in the terminal (after the security checkpoint).

Dogs and other animals are not permitted in the terminal. This does not include assistance dogs and animals that are to be transported by air.

Yes, but some of the airlines that fly from Dortmund do not have a desk in the terminal. Where this is the case, the travel agencies at the airport will be happy to help you.

Yes, there are several companies that offer sightseeing flights from Dortmund. You can find more information at Sightseeing Flights.

There is only one central exit for all incoming passengers on the arrivals level (level 0) close to the lifts and escalators.

1. Tax-free goods in checked luggage

If your tax-free goods are in a suitcase that you will be checking in, please go to the customs office before you check in (arrival level/level 0). You can check in your luggage containing tax-free goods after you have clarified the formalities with the customs. You may be accompanied by customs officers to the baggage return so they can ensure that the good are actually physically exported.

2. Tax-free goods in hand luggage

If your tax-free goods are in your hand luggage, first check in your checked baggage and then go to the customs office (arrival level/level 0) with your hand luggage.

The customs office can be found on the arrivals level/level 0, to the left of the exit in the baggage return hall. You will receive an export confirmation from the customs office two hours before departure. The goods are randomly compared there with the accompanying invoices and certificates, stamped upon compliance with and fulfilment of all conditions, and returned to you.

More information can be found on the website of the Customs Authority

Baggage

No, we cannot store baggage for security reasons.

You can only take small quantities of liquids in your hand luggage. There is a total ban on hazardous substances. You can find more detailed information at Baggage and Security.

Unfortunately, it is currently not possible to buy suitcases at the airport.

No, unfortunately there is no prayer room or a quiet room at the airport at the moment.

This varies depending on the airline and the type of ticket. Baggage

Whether excess baggage is permitted and what the charges are depends on each individual airline. Baggage

Each airline has different regulations on hand luggage. Please contact the airline or your tour operator to find out more. You can find further information at Baggage.

If you are taking larger items of sports equipment with you which exceed the free check-in limit, you must inform your airline when you book the ticket. You should report first of all to the check-in desk at the airport. You can then hand in your special luggage at the bulky luggage desk (departure level).

Most airlines allow passengers with disabilities to take their wheelchairs with them. However, you should inform the airline about this when you book your ticket. If you have a battery-powered wheelchair, the battery must be disconnected and the battery terminals prevented from short-circuiting when you check the wheelchair in. You should report first of all to the check-in desk at the airport. You can then hand in your wheelchair at the bulky luggage desk (desk 01). You can find more information and important forms on the Accessible Travel page.

Getting to and from the airport

The terminal's address is: Flughafenring 2, 44319 Dortmund

The Kiss & Fly zone in front of the terminal on the departures level (level 1) can be used to pick up or drop off passengers free of charge. However, there is a charge for parking in the zone. You can find more information at Parking at the airport.

The Kiss & Fly zone in front of the terminal on the departures level (level 1) can be used to pick up or drop off passengers free of charge. However, there is a charge for parking in the zone. You can find more information at Parking at the Airport.

The AirportExpress connects Dortmund Airport with Dortmund main railway station. The AirportShuttle stops at Holzwickede train station. You can travel to Dortmund Airport on the VKU No. 41 bus (from Unna) or the No. 490 (from Dortmund-Aplerbeck). You will find more information and timetables under Getting Here by Bus and Train.

Car rental

If you return your rental car outside of the rental car company business hours, you can drop the keys into one of the lockboxes provided. These are located in the immediate vicinity of the taxi rank, outside the terminal.

The car rental companies' desks are on the arrivals level (level 0). The rental cars are ready for collection in car park P1.

Parking

You can't reserve a parking space, but Dortmund Airport offers a car park guarantee for the lowest-priced car parks (P3, P6 and P7). Car park guarantee

Yes. Only vehicles with a maximum height of 2 metres can use car parks P1, P2, P4 and P5.

There is a regular shuttle bus service between car parks P3, P4, P5, P6 and P7. There is a charge for using the shuttle bus. Parking at the Airport

The following types of payment are accepted at the payment machines: Coins (0.50 euros and above) and notes (up to 50 euros), debit cards, credit cards (Visa, Mastercard®, American Express). 

Yes. When you pay by card, a separate receipt is issued. When you pay cash, the car park ticket is the receipt. When you leave the car park, the parking ticket is ejected by the machine.

Passengers with disabilities can park free of charge in the designated spaces in car parks P1 and P2. You must display a disabled badge with the code "aG" (severely disabled), "Bl" (blind), "H" (helpless) or "B" (constant assistance required).

Important: The free car park exit ticket will be issued at the information desk on the day of your return flight. You will need to show your flight ticket. Please be aware that we cannot reimburse you at a later date.
For this reason, online booking of the parking space is unfortunately not possible.

Booking a parking space online 

Bookings can be made exclusively through the Dortmund Airport website under parken.dormund-airport.de.

Payment can currently be made exclusively by credit card via the online booking machine. The following credit cards are accepted: Pay Pal, VISA, MasterCard, Diners Club Card and American Express.

No. No processing fee will be charged.

Yes. If you would like a bill, you can indicate this while booking. You can then download a receipt as a PDF.

Not all rates offer a cancellation option – low-cost offers in particular may not be cancelled. A chargeable cancellation option can be booked with these tariffs. If you have selected a rate with a cancellation option, you must cancel at least 2 hours before the planned reservation start – free of charge. Cancellation is possible via booking management on the website.

You can comfortably change your parking slot reservation in the self-service area of the online parking shop. You can adjust your reservation for free up to 2 hours before your planned entry.

To access your reservation you need your reservation reference and email address. You can access the self-service area via the following link:

https://parken.dortmund-airport.de/book/DTM/ParkingManageBooking?cmd=login&lang=en-gb

Should the parking price change due to the change in reservation, the previous reservation will be automatically cancelled and refunded. The complete new parking price will then be charged for the changed reservation.

You can choose your parking space freely after entering the booked car park or parking area – your booking guarantees you an open parking space.

Upon completion of the booking process, you will receive a confirmation by email. Please print this e-mail – it contains a QR code, which you have to show the barcode scanner at the entrance gate. After it detects the QR code, your final parking ticket will be issued automatically. The barrier will open as soon as you have removed the parking ticket.

If the QR code is not read correctly, please press the call button.

If you depart within the booked parking period, you can exit the car park/parking area directly using the parking ticket you received upon entering at the entrance gate. If you have exceeded the booked parking period, please go to one of the ticket machines to pay the additional amount.

The booking entitles you to one-time entry and exit.

Travelling with children

Yes, as long as the child travelling is registered with the airline as an unaccompanied minor (UM). You can then accompany them into the security area with an escort pass. You can obtain this pass at the information desk on departure level 1 by presenting your identity card or passport. Your identity document or passport will be returned to you when you return the escort pass.

Please note: The child may only be accompanied by one person. Furthermore, you must wait at the boarding gate until the aircraft has taken off.

Not every airline allows children to fly unaccompanied. Please check with your airline or tour operator for the applicable requirements.

There are baby changing facilities on every level of the terminal in the public area and the security area.

Dortmund airport provides free courtesy buggies for small children at the terminal once you have been through the security check. You can use them in the secure area and return them at the gate when boarding.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to take your own buggy into the secure area. Please hand it in at the bulky baggage counter so it can be loaded onto the aircraft.

The minimum age for children travelling alone varies between 5 and 16, depending on the airline. Please contact the airline or your tour operator directly to find out more. You will generally have to pay an additional charge.

You can take medicines and special food, such as baby food, which you will need during the flight, in your hand luggage. You may have to provide accompanying documentation.

Travelling with animals

Yes, but you must keep it on a lead.

ome airlines do not allow you to take animals on board. You must always inform the airline in advance if you plan to bring an animal with you. You should report to the check-in desk at the airport.

Some airlines do not allow you to take animals into the cabin. Please contact the airline or your tour operator to find out more before booking your flight.

Checking in

The check-in desks open 2.5 hours before the scheduled departure time.

This depends on the airline. They generally close 30 to 40 minutes before the scheduled departure time.

The airline Eurowings is offering this service at Dortmund Airport during the summer flight schedule. This service is not offered in the winter months. Further information here.

Yes, self bag drop machines are available at counters 12 and 13 for flights operated by Wizz Air. More information here.

We recommend that you check in two-and-a-half hours before your flight is scheduled to depart. You should be at the gate at least 40 minutes before your flight departs.

This varies depending on the airline and the type of ticket. Some airlines charge extra for this service. Please contact your airline directly. 

Security checkpoint

Anyone who would like to enter the secure area must go through a security check. This means that pregnant women also have to pass through the scanner at the security check.

The following is information on the pass-through metal detectors: The metal detectors generate a low-frequency magnetic field to detect metal. The electromagnetic field that is generated is comparable to common household devices or other electronic devices.

The radiation is harmless.

The carry-on luggage security check with x-ray uses a very low degree of radiation. Radiation damage to devices that are turned off is therefore almost impossible.

The security checkpoint is operated on behalf of the Münster district authority. The service will be provided by a security company from 1 January 2015.

Depending on the volume of passengers and their flight destinations or boarding gates, you will be sent to checkpoint A, B or C. Information about which checkpoint you need to go to can be found on the departure screens in the terminal, or when you check in your luggage. You can also find information about the checkpoints on the departures page of the Dortmund Airport website. Airport employees will be happy to help should you have any further questions.

Book a flight

Sparfluege is a TUI product that forms the basis for the Dortmund Airport reservation system. Don't be surprised when the customer service representatives on our hotline also answer with Sparfluege.

Furthermore, you'll also encounter the term Sparfluege in the General Terms and Conditions (GTAC). In order to book a flight via the Dortmund Airport website, you must first agree to the GTAC of Sparfluege and TUI.

The service team of our partner RMK nurflug.de GmbH based in Frankfurt (Powered by specials.de) is there for you from Monday to Friday:

Monday-Friday: 11 am - 5 pm
phone: +49.6109.505-47458
e-mail: buchung@specials.de

You have booked a service with our previous partner sparfluege.de/TUI4U? Then please contact the following customer hotline:

Monday-Friday: 8 am - 8 pm | Saturday: 10 am - 6 pm
phone: +49.421-5250543
e-mail: service@sparfluege.de

Flight tickets are documents and cannot be transferred to third parties. For this reason, it is important that the passenger data is entered correctly. Incorrect ticket information can result in denial of entry into the destination country.

Some airlines do not allow changes or cancellations or may charge additional fees for these services. Please consider this when making your reservations.

The option to change or cancel depends on the specific airfare conditions for the individual flight. By selecting a flight and entering the personal information of the passengers, you accept the General Terms and Conditions as well as the flight provisions of the respective airline. If changes to the flight are allowed, then these are subject to the availability and price of the new flight.

Because the information is accessed from an international databank, the flight terms are usually in English. If you have selected an especially lowcost fare, then these are often subject to certain restrictions and are therefore ineligible for change or cancellation. Our service team will be happy to help you if you've already booked a ticket and wish to know about the conditions of your reservation. Please have your reservation number at hand so that we can assist you. 

Please note that flight changes or cancellations can only be processed by email. TUI reserves the right to assess a processing fee for TUI flight changes or cancellations.

Our service hotline will be happy to assist you with inquiries about refunds and invoices: 
Mon – Sat 8:00 am – 10:00 pm
Sun & holidays 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Service Hotline: +49.421.5250543

Yes, you'll find the e-ticket information at the top right between the date and customer number.

Credit card refunds will include the ticket amount (minus any cancellation fees) as well as any applicable taxes. TUI 4U processing fees are non-refundable.

You can rest easy knowing that your security is assured during booking and payment. All of our customer transactions are encrypted with SSL (Secure Sockets Layer).

The SSL encryption method is available in most common Web browsers like Microsoft Internet Explorer or Firefox. SSL connections offer a high level of security. All of your transactions are protected thanks to the powerful encryption technology of SSL. SSL encrypts your credit card number, name, address, telephone number, etc. before you send it via the Internet. That makes your order via the Internet as safe as by phone. SSL encryption is a standard component enabled by default in all browsers.

If your browser does not support secure transactions or if you prefer not to make your reservations online, then you may call our service team at +49.421.5250543 and make your reservations by phone.

On 24 February 2011, our partner, TUI 4 U GmbH, became the first consolidator in Germany to receive the PCI DSS Compliance and Trustwave security seal.

Prior to this, TUI 4U was required to undergo an extensive certification procedure for the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. The PCI data security standard contains binding regulations with re-spect to the processing, storage and sharing of card data to protect against theft and abuse. Accordingly, the network architecture and handling of critical information was thoroughly reviewed.

E-ticket stands for electronic ticket. Because the ticket is in electronic form, you will not be issued a paper ticket prior to departure.

E-tickets are commonplace for most large airlines. Conventional paper tickets are no longer required. The proof of ticket purchase is stored in the airline's computer system.  When you purchase e-tickets via the Dortmund Airport website, then you will receive a payment confirmation as a proof of purchase.

You will need the following documents for check-in with your e-ticket at the airport:

  • personal identification card or passport
  • receipt with confirmation code (booking number)
  • the credit card used to purchase the e-ticket, if applicable (self-service check-in kiosk)
  • frequent flyer card, if available, to review mileage credit if desired
  • If you did not use your own credit card to purchase your e-ticket, then please go to the airline's, check-in desk and present your personal identification card or passport.

Because you can prove your identity with a passport or other document, such as a driving licence.

A refund that does not require airline involvement takes just a few days. If refund authorisation is re-quired from the airline, then we no longer have control over processing times. This is the case for lost documents, PTAs, goodwill refunds and partial refunds. In some cases, the processing time can take up to 12 months. However, we stay in constant contact with the airlines in order to obtain refunds as quickly as possible. After authorisation from the airline, the refund will be issued promptly.

WiFi in the terminal

The WiFi network at Dortmund Airport is provided by telecommunications company DOKOM21. This WiFi is subject to a charge – with the following restrictions:

The websites of the DSW21 Group (www.dsw21.de, www.dew21.de, www.dokom21.de, www.dortmunder-hafen.de, www.dogewo21.de etc.) can be accessed free of charge via this WiFi network.

Dortmund Airport newsletter subscribers get 60 minutes of free access to the WiFi network in the terminal every day. Subscribe at www.dortmund-airport.de/wlan.

Note: The newsletter and subscription are currently only available on the German version of the site.

The WiFi network can be used on any Internet-enabled mobile device – such as a notebook, smartphone, PDA, etc. – with an Internet browser installed.

The device must also have a Wireless LAN interface (often referred to as WiFi or WLAN). Refer to the product specifications of your device for more information.

If you have configured your device so that the Wireless LAN interface shows all available networks (SSID), simply select the DOKOM21 WiFi network with the name "DOKOM21 HotSpot @ Airport".
You can buy hotspot tickets at the information desk and at the West Bar + Shop, which allow you to use the WiFi network. You can find more information at www.dortmund-airport.de/wlan-im-terminal.

Once your device is connected to the "DOKOM21 HotSpot @ Airport" WiFi network, open your browser and go to any website (e.g. www.google.de, www.gmx.de, www.bvb.de, etc.). You will then be automatically redirected to the DOKOM21 login page and prompted to enter your user data. Don't forget to accept the DOKOM general terms and conditions and terms of use.

Most smartphones or tablets redirect you to the login page automatically.

Note: You can access the Dortmund Airport website and the websites of the other companies in the DSW21 Group (DSW21, DEW21, DOKOM21 etc.) free of charge via the DOKOM21 WiFi network. These sites do not therefore redirect you to the login page.

You can find out how much credit you have left by visiting the DOKOM21 hotspot website. Go to https://hotspot.dokom21.de/1725/Check/ and enter your access details (username and password). Your current usage and remaining balance will then be displayed.
If you have any questions or problems, you can contact DOKOM21 Customer Service by calling +49.231.930-1000 or sending an e-mail to stoerungen@dokom21.de.

With open WiFi hotSpots, wireless encryption is not generally used for free access. DOKOM21 therefore does not use wireless encryption. 

Wireless encryption merely secures your WiFi network against unauthorised access by third parties, which would be counterproductive in the case of a free WiFi hotspot.

The WiFi connection is unsecured and it is therefore theoretically possible for data being uploaded and downloaded to and from the Internet to be recorded and analysed. However, this risk does not apply just to DOKOM21 open hotspots – it applies to the Internet as a whole, though only if you do not visit SSL-encrypted websites.

The DOKOM21 hotspot login page has high-grade SSL encryption.

If you can't find the information you need here, please send us your question using the contact form.

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