More or less the same as above, minus the alcohol and it usually involves a visit to the kids play area. only four more sleeps to this years ritual

Arrive, check in, straight through to bar and have a pint of lager whatever the time of day.

Check in..straight through to go and grab a breakfast if we are outward bound ( a McDonalds or Burger King if we are homeward bound) and then a quick shop around for some reading materials etc and then we just mooch around. The kids usually visit the amusement bit or some shop where they can spend money on goodies and stuff,,a visit to the loo and then wander round impatiently checking the gate numbers etc until we can get on our plane!

We go to Malta on Tuesday.......

Get to check in early
Have breakfast
Go through security
Get a few small toiletries for when we get to our desitnation (after 10 hous to the caribbean we want a shower and hate waiting for our cases........ to be taken to our rooms at the hotel with the shower stuff in!)
Magazines
Books
Toilet
Starbucks
Go to gate, watch the idiots fight over who gets onto the plane first
Casually discard the empty coffee cup and walk on last

(after 10 hous to the caribbean we want a shower and hate waiting for our cases!)

So where do you shower then

Get through security, wander round every single shop (as we normally arrive 3 hrs before), read our magazines and eat sweets.

I normally have to spend quite some time persuading the other half that he doesn't want to spend xx£s on those car competitions!

Get to gate, check out the plane and decide what stuff we want with us on the flight and what can go in the overhead lockers.

3 weeks until honeymoon in Parga!

Get to check-in in plenty of time, but still have to join a long queue!
Wander round the shops and buy anything that catches the eye, usually chocolate.
Go through security.
Go round duty free and buy Bacardi for me and Whisky for him.
Go to bar, whatever time of day or night.
Check the screens for info.
Go to loo when flight called.
Go to departure gate.
Watch the melee of people trying to get on the plane first, even though their seats have been allocated!
Hours of boredom on plane.
Big sigh of relief when cases are picked up at destination!

12 sleeps to go, and counting!!

I find it really funny too watching everyone dive for the door as soon as the flight starts boarding, why, your seat's already been reserved!

I've now got a new ritual....
Get to the airport and get rid of the baggage ASAP...I hate queues.
Go outside and have a smoke.
Go and have a drink £3.60 for 2 regular coffees and maybe something to eat like a piece of toast at 50 pence a go...god how much does a whole loaf cost.?
Go back outside and have another fag.
Go to the loo.
Begrudgingly procedure through security with little interest in spending anymore in an overpriced rip off area and watch the mad rush when the flight is called.
Stand cursing when my case comes off last at the other end, but then relieved that it did come off.
Try not to get aggitated when 50 people on a bus are being held back for an hour because 2 passengers have took a taxi without letting anyone know....deep breath and calm thoughts needed.

Good plan...doubt I'll manage it

Sanjiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

sanji

you forgot about having a smoke before boarding the bus

you forgot about having a smoke before boarding the bus

Thanks Wiz, yes I did....or in the case of my last visit, waiting for an hour looking for 2 inconsiderate before the bus could leave the airport.

I had more than one..

Sanjiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

1. Arrive at check-in ridiculously early (arrived so early a few weeks ago -3½ hours before - they had to "open" the flight for us...)

2. Proceed to the reason for early check-in - yummy meal in Garfunkels - and surprisingly not overpriced compared to other airport outlets. If flying from Terminal 2 (Manchester) then it's a long hike over to T1 for this particular pleasure, hence the need for early check-in. Obviously if we're on a morning flight, then this step is off the list, we don't want a pizza, garlic bread and nice pint of lager at 6am!

3. Back to Terminal 2 and join the queue for security, wondering why there's a branch of Boots right next to security selling large bottles (over 100ml) of suncream etc...
Pretend we're queueing at Alton Towers for a great new ride, working our way round and round the tapes.
Laugh at the huge bins full of other people's confiscated suncreams from Boots... Laugh at people setting off the alarms.
Go through bariers and set off alarms because I forgot to take my belt off - well, my jeans would fall down otherwise...

4. Mooch round the shops, try out all the perfumes in duty free and decide which ones we'll be buying even cheaper when we get in resort.
Notice the length of the queue in WHSmith and leg it over there for our bottles of water, magazines, newspapers and the customary half-price bar of chocolate with every purchase.

5. Go to departure gate, weigh up people on our flight, try and figure out who might be staying at our hotel - hope that lot with the spoilt little darling are going to the other end of the island - hope the ones with the screaming baby are at the other end of the plane...
Prepare small drawstring bag with coin purse, mp3 player, pen, earplugs, drink etc for on flight, make sure all other precious possesions are securely stuffed into overhead locker bag.

6. Board plane, do the olympic speed stuffing bags into overhead locker and squeezing ourselves into seats so we're not in other people's way trying to get to their seats. Shake our heads at other people who aren't so considerate. Realise I've left something really important in the bag in the overhead locker and spend next 5 minutes hogging aisle space looking for it...

7. Fasten seat belts, wave to Concorde and the plane spotters as we pass the aviation viewing park - and then up, up and away!!!

8. Undo seat belts the very second the plane stops, stand up, get bags from overhead locker, squeeze ourselves into the aisle (don't want to be last off the plane) wait ages for doors to open and then go, go, GO!!!
Huff and puff at how bloomimg hot it is in August in the Med/Canaries strip off jackets, cardigans etc whilst doing a quick march through passport control and on to the luggage carousel (always nice to be first there - get a good spot...) look for a trolley, discover they're 1 euro and don't have any coins... Grab bags, find rep, find coach and we're off to the hotel!

Happy holidays

At arrival at the airport I-
Have a cig before checking luggage inn and chat to the other 'outcasts' asking where their going etc

Check luggage in with the hubby and kids, and son always insists on putting every suitcase on the conveyor belt whilst grinning at the check inn staff.

I go for another cig and chat to the same people also getting their much needed nicotine fix

Return to the family and proceed to the duty free shop with daughter, here we try every perfume on there is,and can never decide which one to buy

Proceed to boarding gate and usually wait till everyone else has got on the plane as hubby hates getting on first as it is boring just sitting their, he then takes his baches rescue remedy!

kids argue whos going to get the window seat

soon as we have taken off and the seatbelt sign comes on son dashes for the loo

I sit on the other side of the isle with a well needed miniature bottle of wine or 3

We always arrive "early" to be at the front of the queue, to find that everyone else has arrived earlier!

Depending on time of day, w'ell have a big cooked breakfast. Leave hubs in bar for a pint of Stella (if poss) no matter what time of day - while we test all the perfumes and makeup in duty free. Drag hubs away from bar to persuade him to buy some perfume. While he's up take him to bookshop/WHSmith to buy our 3 for 2 books, magazines, puzzle books, sweets, bottled water.

Go back to the bar and, depending on time of day, I'll have a nice glass of red or a bucks fizz or mango bellini.

It has taken me years and years and years to persuade my husband that it doesn't matter where you are in the queue to get on the plane, our seats are reserved and we can chill out (and I can have a last cig). He used to drive me mad as one of those people who almost run to the boarding gate to get on the plane first - just to sit there for half an hour while everyone else gets on.

Having said that I am in full training mode to get in the front of the boarding queue for my Ryainair flight in July

Get there early also (so it's you lot who are in front of me in the check in queue when I thought I was going to be first ) Have seats booked this year but will still go early just to get rid of the bags.

Straight through security (but this year will check first to make sure the smoking area is still there - if not will stay land side). Straight into bar for a few swift ones. Numerous visits to loo because of swift ones.

I'm with cyberspacekadette on this one and check out fellow passengers, hoping that Chucky and Damian are not on our flight. If spotted in queue give said 'darlings' a sly 'don't even go there near me' look

Try not to be too late getting on the plane as worried about fitting 'sandwich' holdall in the locker as someone usually always puts a suitcase in 'my' locker space. I'm another one who, crams the holdall in then realises I've left my magazines in there.

Up, up and away, then spend the next 3 hours turning round and glaring at the person behind me who insists on hauling themselves up out of their seat by my head rest resulting in me being twanged backwards and forwards.

When plane stops I'm up and out of my seat, bag down, and I block the aisle so those behind can't trap us in Off the plane, tittle the cases, where's the fag stop............get cases and off.

Ok .... get to the Airport early and like you, still behind a long queue of people who were there earlier. Husb smokes so its outside for a quick fix before going through to security (I have to go as well, as an ex-smoker there is still something about the smell that almost calms me before a flight ). Through security into departures. Things have probably changed this year but husb has another fix in the bar (no drinking though), then a cup of tea and a bacon roll. Then toilet break. Another cigarette. Then down to the duty free shop to buy "treat" for daughter and normally a book in Waterstones and papers, chewing gum and water in WHSmith. Sit and wait patiently at gate for call to board with another toilet break and/or cigarette in the meantime. Watch everyone run to the gate to be first on the plane, wait...wait...wait... then off we go. On plane, retrieve things for flight before take off. Sit down and pretend to be reading the in-flight magazine. Re-read the safety manual (again) then once we are up, can breathe (I hold my breath until we are leveling off, dont like take-off ).

When we get there, wait until everyone else has got off the plane as there really is no point in rushing. Retrieve luggage (which is normally just coming around the carousel for the first time - its all about timing ) and then race outside (for another cigarette), find coach, load cases and then probably another cigarette for husb whilst we wait for the rest of the passengers and then off.

This has made me really excited now

Arrive early as is practical - usually dependent on M40 or M6 depending which airport we're leaving from- but usually 3 hours before.

Check in baggage (sigh of relief to confirm that a couple of hours with the bathroom scales and packing/repacking means we DON'T have a case heavier than 23kg - might find hubby has been "supporting" the odd corner while it was on the baggage belt though!)

double-check that boarding cards match passport names (had a problem with that once) and take kids to Garfunkels despite the walk at Manchester (they don't have Garfunkels in both terminals and those walkways past the Rasisson seem to go on forever!). BTW Don't ever book an evening departure from Manchester as the place closes at 7pm (by the time our flight left as scheduled at 9pm this Easter the place was like morgue, even Smiths and Boots in the Dep Lounge were closed and kids had to eat a Burger King YUCK!!!!!!!!!).

Wander through security (or queue for hours in the case of LGW) and laugh at all the people who STILL haven't cottoned on to the handbaggage/liquids regulations. Wait to get frisked (I'm ALWAYS the mug who gets stopped for search - must look guilty or something.)

In Dep Lounge, don't stop moving til we board (panic if sat still too long), visit loo, visit duty free, visit loo, visit Boots (if open), visit loo, visit smiths (get the picture?). Eat Diazepam like smarties. Watch arrivals boards to see if we can work out where inbound aircraft has come from - FINALLY get gate number and walk down (or route-march 9 miles in the case of some LGW gates)

Board LAST - have a "thing" about those airbridges and absolutely refuse to queue on one - squeeze handbaggage into the only remaining space 16 rows back or work out way to get it under the seat in front and end up with even less legroom that expected!

Start to pray that they are not going to be missing 2 passengers (in the bar), have the headcount wrong (how many times DO they have to check that there are 2 empty seats?), the paperwork for despatch is with the right person at the right time (and at the right airport in one instance - in Egypt!), all the bells and whistles actually work,the deicing fluid has arrived, the Captain hasn't got stuck in a jam on the M6 and all of those other little irritants that can leave you stuck on an immobile tin tube for HOURS - in which case I will have run out of diazepam and be waving goodbye to the family as they depart and I don't/can't!!!

HOPE that the hostie doesn't ask for a twelth time if I'm OK (no I'm not, but I will be fine ONCE THEY GET THE TIN TUBE FLYING!!!) - use up three packs of kleenex, rub a hole through the armrest, put lapstrap on tightest setting, deep breathe until I hyperventilate, wish I could go to the loo/have a drink (not until airbourne)/invent another form of travel/go to the loo (yes,again!).......................

and finally we're flying , and the tail HASN'T scraped the ground on take-off and I'm unable to get off so start to realx and can finally have a G&T (and go to the loo!)....and I've got a holiday to look forward to!!!!

But coming home is a different matter.....................

Hi all
We try to check in as soon as possible, get through security. Perhaps have a cup of tea and a muffin. I can't drink coffee or alcohol before a flight else it makes me feel sick on the flight, especially at take off, landing, and the plane banking!!

Dawnie-Rob

Last July 2006; Like the rest arrive early at glasgow airport for my manchester flight, get my bags checked in, and get window seat.

Head up stairs, grab one of the bed couch seat, (no longer at glasgow airport), get some kip for the hour, before flight. Flight now called, head to departure lounge, see what I can buy, going to leave aftershave for manchester. Board the flight, listen to my mp3 player, and get my head down till we arrive at manchester.

Having arrived, head to 24hr checkin desk (mytravel), check my bags in, get seat, and then walk about airport, until departure is called. While waiting for flight, get something to eat, juice, and to pass the time play some of the games in the airport.

After going throgh security, head straight for duty free, try some aftershaves, beginning to smell nice, getting comment s from the ladies.

While I am waiting for flight to board, charge up my mp3 as it nearly out of power, and want to use during flight. Now flight has been called head to gate, look about and see if I recognise anyone from glasgow, so far no one, but on flight couple sitting next to me were from same town as me just outside glasgow

Flight now takes of, now my holiday begins.