Why do passengers turn up late, surely everyone knows if an airline say, we will close out desk,at 1 hr before departure, they wont keep it open, even if you turn up 3 mins late, you have now missed your flight
I always try to be at the airport at least 4-5 hrs before my flight, and most times I stay overnight at one of the airport hotels
On occassions I have been flying from Glasgow airport, and I only stay 30 min from airport, but I always book into one of the airport hotels, which allows me to relax, and if I feel like it, go for a walk about in the airport
Day of my flight, 10am flight, have breakfast in hotel, then head across and check in my case, glasgow-manchester, arrive in manchester, so another overnight stay in the radison, and spend most of the day in manchester
Same here, we only stay 20 minutes from Glasgow Airport and we always arrive about 3-4 hours in advance of the check in time.
We normally book an airport hotel the night before and class it as an extra night of our holiday. I still like to be by the check-in desks 3 hours before and would never relax if I got there with less than 2.5 hours to spare.
As a rule of thumb we are alaways there three hours before hand
I'd even go so far in saying that for me being bang on time would still be late.
I do sometimes admire those that can just carry on relaxing in the bar or shops even after the gate number has been announced on screen .They just saunter on up completely unruffled in their own chilled out time . I'm up and running , flapping and going into sergent major mode with screams of "come on ,move it , we've got a gate number up". My cheeks get all hot & flushed and I come out in a stress rash .
Even with the invention of online check in for budget flights , I know I dont need to stress and be there 2-3 hours before but I just can't help myself.
As for sitting down for a relaxing airport breakfast , no such thing for me . I'm stressing if my full english + extra toast is not coming through those flappy doors within about 5 minutes flat . I'm tapping my fingers on the table, continually looking at my watch and getting up to check the board . Then when it does arrive I bolt it down so fast just incase the plane leaves without me , even though theres still no ruddy gate number up.
I really must learn the art of "Chill" .
Got to be early , i couldn't cope if i was running late, like to be at airport at least 3 hours in front of departure time
I like to get to the airport, dump my bags then mooch round the shops. I don't go through to security though until 'go to gate' appears as I'm not keen on hanging around airside.
I was once late on the plane though! I was getting a flight from Izmir and the plane had come from Northern Cyprus first. I saw it come in and assumed I had plenty of time but it was actually only stopping down for about 20 minutes so by the time I got on I must have been the last passenger! I felt so awful, it annoys me so much when people get on the plane late so I felt really bad.
Apart from Easyjet I always fly with airlines that pre-assign seats so I'm one of those people that board last, waiting till the queue has all but disappeared.
I'm the same - cannot stand running late for anything. Couple of years ago, I accompanied daughter down to London on an EasyJet flight so she could get her visa to go to America. We left our house in loads of time to get to Edinburgh Airport for the flight, only to get onto the city bypass and find traffic at a standstill because there had been an accident! With nowhere else to go, and no way of getting off the bypass to try to go by another route, my stress levels were going through the roof! Fortunately, we got moving again and made it to check-in with minutes to spare, but it's not an experience I'd be in a hurry to repeat.
Judith you must be one of those "The plane won't leave without me " people .
It never has done yet Lyn. There's always a first time though
We get there about 3 to 3.5 hours before the flight, check in and go through security as soon as...then we can go for the breakfast and a mooch about the shops. Rob is forever asking me to check the screen to see if the Gate number has flashed up yet, if the flight is running on time etc..
and it does my box in...
Depending on what time the actual flight is, we may check into a premier inn the night before. The last few flights have been from Manchester and we have had to check in at daft o clock in the morning...and we go to the Gate straight away..but do not join in the mad rush to get on the plane..
From my point of view, once we are at the airport and through security,,,it is time to relax. I like people watching. I would relax alot more if Rob was chilled out....
Once our gate's displayed I'm nagging everyone to get a move on (a bit like Lyn but without the stress rash lol) as I like to make sure we reach the gate in time. Some of these gates take ages to get to. However, once seated at the gate I stay there until everybody else has gone through because I like to be with the last boarding. I can't be bothered with sitting in the cramped seat for ages before take off.
However, once seated at the gate I stay there until everybody else has gone through because I like to be with the last boarding. I can't be bothered with sitting in the cramped seat for ages before take off.
You clearly havnt flown Ryanair or Easyjet shirley
We always get there 3 hours before the flight is due and after check in head right for security. Once we are through security then all is well. We have something to eat browse the shops and wait for the gate number. When get number comes up we then make our way there.
Anyway this time I will be checking in then straight through security as I have found out that I can smoke at the airport as long as I buy a drink at the bar
So, I could well be the annoying passenger who runs to the gate and is last to board if I'm on business but I'll be there 3-4 hours before and have some food etc if I'm going on hols.
If it's an early morning flight, we also stay in a hotel the night before, I just can't risk any hold-ups on the way!
I remember we sailed on the QM2 from Southampton a few years back and we were checking in at 12pm and I heard a woman ask what time was final check in, she was told 3pm, she then said her hubby still had to get their from London! I would have been having kittens! Don't know if he ever made it on time (hope he did)
Up until this point he had always holidayed with us so wasnt that familiar with how the airport screens worked , only that he had to check his flight number .
Off he went on the Gatwick flyer bus , I knew I should of taken him myself .Well about 6 hours later he returned home complaining & shouting that the plane had gone without him .
I actually got hold of the operations department of the airline and they gave me the whole story of how he was the first person to arrive at checkin .He was remembered as my dad always was wherever he went. That was the last they saw of him . Lord knows what he was looking at on the board or more than likely he had fallen asleep after a beer. The flight had been called in the normal way, 3 final calls had been put out for him on the airport tanoy , The checkin staff remembering him had gone looking before his bag was finally off loaded and dumped back onto the tarmac. . Yes it really was funny at the time and still is.
He was fuming when he got back but feeling pretty stupid .
Anyhow the operations department managed to sort him out another flight 2 days later & salvage his holiday at no extra cost. I took him that time and every subsequent time he flew after that , making sure he got assistance and looked like royalty on the back of one of those buggies that zap you down to the gate.
I do miss him . Such a huge personality and a gap that can never be filed.
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