I've just returned from Europe and avoided EES queues thanks to a simple choice

A return trip from Europe is credited with avoiding EES queues thanks to timing, but the account contrasts a smooth experience with reports of longer delays elsewhere in the rollout. The traveler returned after the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) came into force, noting that initial checks at Vienna Airport in December added only minutes. As the checks rolled out, experiences varied widely, from kiosks not yet working to deserted lines and hour-long waits. On a 7:50 p.m. flight from Palermo, the traveler arrived after 4 p.m., found no queue at passport control, and cleared with only nine people ahead, with EES machines reportedly not in use and one booth open. The same article recounts May travel by the traveler’s parents: Lisbon saw over an hour and a half in a queue with only two booths processing documents, and they reached the gate 20 minutes before closing.