Flight check in times

[Mimi1967]

Hi

My flight leaves at 6.30am. According to my tickets I need to arrive 3 hours in advance? I just wondered if that is really the case. I have flown lots and have never been told to be there so far in advance....but I have not done a fly cruise before.

 

Thanks for any help.

Mimi

[Thejuggler]

Check the current performance figures from wherever you are flying from. In recent years we have arrived three hours before at Manchester and had to go straight to the gate as it took 2.5 hours from arriving to get through check in and security!

 

In June last year it was about 90 minutes at 3 in the morning, there was a very long queue at security when we arrived, but more staff were brought in so no major problems.

 

From Leeds last August it took 30 minutes, the flight delay of an hour made the VIP lounge with inclusive food and drink very good value.

[the english lady]

Hi

My flight leaves at 6.30am. According to my tickets I need to arrive 3 hours in advance? I just wondered if that is really the case. I have flown lots and have never been told to be there so far in advance....but I have not done a fly cruise before.

 

Thanks for any help.

Mimi

 

Which airport are you flying from.? If its one of the biggies I would rather be in good time and through check in/security and sat in the terminal, than cutting it finer and getting to the airport less than 3 hours to find there is a huge long q at security I was going to have to join.

Up to you really. If you miss the flight you will miss the cruise...

One of the reasons we stopped flying was because we were having to get to the airport earlier and earlier (that was not the only reason).

[weylady]

How early do you have to be at bournemouth airport please.

[peteukmcr]

How early do you have to be at bournemouth airport please.

Depends where you are flying to.

 

Bournemouth airport advice is to check your itinerary, ticket or contact your airline as it is up to them as to when the latest time is that you can check in or drop your bags (if already checked in online). After the deadline you will not be accepted for travel. This is regardless of the time it may take to pass through security. The airline will also advise the latest time you need to present yourself at the gate for boarding. Again after this time, you may be refused boarding.

 

http://www.bournemouthairport.com/at-the-airport/security-and-fasttrack/

Edited August 9, 2016 by peteukmcr

[kruzseeka]

How early do you have to be at bournemouth airport please.

 

Our tickets for Bournemouth just say the check-in desks are open 4 hours before your flight - but doesn't say when you should aim to check in. Our experience of Bournemouth is that there isn't usually too much of a wait there. A couple of hours before should be fine especially as you haven't got a trek to a departure lounge - but you can never be sure of these things one day may be very different to another. But we find it a very relaxed experience from a small regional airport compared with the huge airports and we generally go earlier with an idea of getting a drink and something to eat in the restaurant once through security.

[annieuk]

I agree with the English Lady - don't forget to allow time in case there's a traffic jam or accident on the way. That road into Bournemouth can get jammed. We have always gone with the 4 hours, I know Bournemouth isn't like Gatwick but I'd rather be sat at the airport that fuming in a car worrying that we're going to be late.

[kruzseeka]

I agree with the English Lady - don't forget to allow time in case there's a traffic jam or accident on the way. That road into Bournemouth can get jammed. We have always gone with the 4 hours, I know Bournemouth isn't like Gatwick but I'd rather be sat at the airport that fuming in a car worrying that we're going to be late.

 

I do agree - I'm happy to sit and wait and not be in a panic worrying about getting there in time. And you are so right about the traffic congestion hereabouts. Bournemouth was in the news as the '7th most congested 'city' in the country' - technically not a city but no dispute about the weight of traffic! Even for Southampton sailings we have to build in a big margin as although on paper it should be a doddle getting to Southampton 2+ hour jams are not uncommon on the Spur Road. (And that's the main access road for the airport too)

[weylady]

Thank you for your replies our flight is at 10.20am so we aim to be there 2hrs before, we have flown from bournemouth before for land holidays but never to Genoa

[brynmelyndavid]

We're flying from Manchester at 12.05pm but even so we've booked a hotel and parking deal for the night before. We've found in the past that being able to walk into the airport on the morning of the flight is worth almost anything in terms of peace of mind, etc. No one can predict if a motorway is going to closed because of an accident - if it is you will miss the flight. I'd rather know that I can go the day before and relax. In fact I treat it as part of the holiday. I got an excellent deal at the on-site Hilton which not only includes a room for the night prior to the flight but also 15 days parking and even dinner! I shall wander over to the airport probably no later than 3 hours prior to the flight as we've never had any problem getting through security at Manchester.

 

On our return the hotel parking is also easy as we don't have far to go to recover our car so again it's as relaxing as it can be after an overnight flight and no sleep!

[NauticalMiss]

We're flying from Manchester at 12.05pm but even so we've booked a hotel and parking deal for the night before. We've found in the past that being able to walk into the airport on the morning of the flight is worth almost anything in terms of peace of mind, etc. No one can predict if a motorway is going to closed because of an accident - if it is you will miss the flight. I'd rather know that I can go the day before and relax. In fact I treat it as part of the holiday. I got an excellent deal at the on-site Hilton which not only includes a room for the night prior to the flight but also 15 days parking and even dinner! I shall wander over to the airport probably no later than 3 hours prior to the flight as we've never had any problem getting through security at Manchester.

 

On our return the hotel parking is also easy as we don't have far to go to recover our car so again it's as relaxing as it can be after an overnight flight and no sleep!

 

This is exactly the sort of thing that we do. Our holiday starts the minute we leave the house; so if we stay overnight at the airport, it starts one day sooner - yay :D

[StLucia]

We had an overnight hotel at Birmingham for our July fly cruise. Walked across to the gate 2 hours before flight time, security and check in was very quiet. We did pre book our flight seats. No way we were going to go through at 3am. Never understood why charter flights request such an early check in when scheduled can do it in far less.

[peteukmcr]

We're flying from Manchester at 12.05pm but even so we've booked a hotel and parking deal for the night before. We've found in the past that being able to walk into the airport on the morning of the flight is worth almost anything in terms of peace of mind, etc. No one can predict if a motorway is going to closed because of an accident - if it is you will miss the flight. I'd rather know that I can go the day before and relax. In fact I treat it as part of the holiday. I got an excellent deal at the on-site Hilton which not only includes a room for the night prior to the flight but also 15 days parking and even dinner! I shall wander over to the airport probably no later than 3 hours prior to the flight as we've never had any problem getting through security at Manchester.

 

On our return the hotel parking is also easy as we don't have far to go to recover our car so again it's as relaxing as it can be after an overnight flight and no sleep!

Agree with your plans. Even though we only live 9 miles from Manchester Airport we stay over the night before, especially when we have a 07:15 departure coming up on a weekday. There have been several closures of the M56 recently impacting travellers trying to reach the airport and being midweek, although we travel in the opposite direction to rush hour, so for peace of mind we'll stay close by. Normally use one of the Premier Inns which often have offers of £39 rooms, but this time I've got the Radisson at a special rate which is connected to the terminals by a covered walkway, so makes check in even easier. Edited August 11, 2016 by peteukmcr

[peteukmcr]

We had an overnight hotel at Birmingham for our July fly cruise. Walked across to the gate 2 hours before flight time, security and check in was very quiet. We did pre book our flight seats. No way we were going to go through at 3am. Never understood why charter flights request such an early check in when scheduled can do it in far less.

To be fair, even scheduled airlines can, and often will specify 3 hours for check in, unless it is a 'domestic' flight, especially for destinations such as the US where additional security checks are required even prior to check in.

 

Although many times things run smoothly, there are so many processes involved in the departure of an aircraft (check in, security, baggage loading, cleaning of the plane, loading of refreshments, and also the actual boarding of passengers) that any issue with any one of the these can cause delays, so 'lead times' are created to ensure as smooth an operation as possible.

 

You'd be surprised at the number of clients who leave themselves insufficient time to get to the airport and due to circumstances out of their control end up calling us with excuses like 'I'm stuck on the motorway', 'the train is delayed', 'I was late leaving the office', and 'my flight leaves in 30 minutes, could you call the airline?'. Call the airline and do what? The airline will close check in and refuse you boarding if you're not there in good time. Always check the time check in closes. They won't hold flights for one person. If you don't get there in time, any scheduled airline will consider you a 'no show' and cancel that and any return flight you have booked, refusing any refund, even if, under normal circumstances a refund was possible if the flight was cancelled before departure.

 

Charter flights are non-refundable in most cases, as are low cost carriers, although the return flight may not be cancelled automatically if you don't take the outbound flight. That depends on the airline T&C's.

 

One main thing to also bear in mind, if you know you can't make a flight and want to change it (if that is allowed), with certain airlines there are deadlines on when any changes must be completed. One major scheduled UK airline insists that all changes are completed no less than 2 hours prior to departure. So if it's 14:00 and you know you can't make your flight at 15:00, but you want to change to a flight at 16:00, it's too late.

 

The motto is, always read the details on your ticket, and if it's not clearly stated, check with the airline or your TA.

[NauticalMiss]

We had an overnight hotel at Birmingham for our July fly cruise. Walked across to the gate 2 hours before flight time, security and check in was very quiet. We did pre book our flight seats. No way we were going to go through at 3am. Never understood why charter flights request such an early check in when scheduled can do it in far less.

 

Hi St Lucia, that's very interesting. We have never flown from BHX but have decided to do so for a Fly/Cruise next May. We've stayed at the Premier Inn when going to the NEC and it's not far from the airport I think? On-site would be better though for a 6:00am flight! Which hotel do you stay at, and what are the parking arrangements? TIA

[CCFC]

I've stayed at the Ibis and the Novatel at Birmingham airport, both a 30 second walk from the terminal. The Novatel is quite more expensive and I wouldn't use it again. Plenty of NCP car parks to use.

[NauticalMiss]

I've stayed at the Ibis and the Novatel at Birmingham airport, both a 30 second walk from the terminal. The Novatel is quite more expensive and I wouldn't use it again. Plenty of NCP car parks to use.

 

Thanks CCFC. Both hotels are now on my radar :D