AIBU: flight departure arrangements

[TiverMeShimbers]

More of a WWYD.

Flight leaves at 06:00 on Monday morning.

You have to leave your home before 20:00 on Sunday night (can leave earlier)

Airport is 4 hours from your home.

You have arranged meet & greet airport car parking at the airport drop off zone.

Would you:

a) Leave home at 17:00. Drive to airport hotel. Go to sleep at 21:00 Leave at 03:20 to take car to meet & greet airport car parking at 03:30. (Cost = £85)

b) Leave home at 17:00. Drive to friend's house 1 hr from airport. Go to sleep at 21:00. Leave at 02:30 to take car to meet & greet airport car parking at 03:30.

c) Leave home at 20:00. Go straight to meet & greet airport car parking at 00:00. Stay up in airport all night until your flight leaves.

Opinions welcome about what would be the least hideous option.

thank you!

[NeckguardUnbespoke]

shops and services are closed at night after the last departure and until the first morning departure

Indeed, and not just at regional airports, the same's true even at big places. It's not worth the larger restaurants keeping going for minimal trade at 2 in the morning.

[Whisky2014]

A

[Mistigri]

Thanks neckguard. I had a quick look at the website of the only regional UK airport I use regularly (Bristol) and it is indeed open 24 hours, but shops and services are closed at night after the last departure and until the first morning departure - worth knowing bearing in mind.

[NeckguardUnbespoke]

Will a regional UK airport even be open all night?

Some used to close on the departures side from last flight until an hour before first flight, but it's not common now other than at "shed and a strip of grass" places.

[PHeadPH]

I can see the thinking in choosing c). I know I wouldn't sleep regardless where I was so I might as well be at the airport. Depends on the airport though.

[Mistigri]

Will a regional UK airport even be open all night?

[AssembleTheMinions]

We are doing exactly this next week. Airport 4 hours away and meet and greet booked. We will leave around lunchtime and spend the rest of the evening relaxing. Up at 3.00 for a 5 min drive to the airport. Flight at 6am. We booked a premier inn for £29.

I would far rather hang around the airport for an extra hour or so having breakfast and a mooch round the shops than having to gallop to the gate and pray that there are no queues at security.

[namechangeparents]

I don't think arriving an hour before if the flight is at 6am is madness and I'm usually at airports far too early but if I am flying before say 9am I don't leave as early as if I am going later.

Caveat - if you are flying on a charter flight then maybe you do need to be there 2 hours before as there might be hideous queues, even at a regional airport.

I live half an hour or so from my nearest airport and so I leave home 3 hours before the plane goes. My next nearest is about 55 mins away and I still leave home 3 hours before as it's much smaller and there aren't generally queues. Last time I left 4 hours before because I was flying Friday night of half term. It took 1 hour 30 to get there, so I was glad I'd built in plenty of delay time.

Anyway to come back to your dilemma, I think I'd stay in airport hotel and check in at 4.

[NeckguardUnbespoke]

That's why getting there the night before is good if you're a panicker.

Or anyway: for early morning flights at anything other than the airport 20 minutes' drive from home I stay the night, and have been tempted even for the local airport. But morning flights are shit, and it's worth paying quite a lot of money to not get them, especially with children.

[LyndaNotLinda]

That's why getting there the night before is good if you're a panicker. My parents always do it. Drop the bags and your car the night before, stay in the airport hotel and stroll over to go through security an hour before the flight leaves.

I have spent far too many hours of my life hanging round in airports so my goal is always to get in and out as fast as possible!

[Oysterbabe]

I like to get places nice and early. DH is only happy if we are sprinting so as not to miss it. Any time waiting he considers wasted time. Does my fucking head in.

[OnTheEdgeOfItAll]

Same here buttercup! You are not alone. I just don't understand the need to be so last minute, a puncture or an accident blocking the road and you miss your flight. So not worth it for me!

[storminabuttercup]

I'm quite envious of all you chilled out lot who get to the airport with just a short time to go! I am a major panicker and insist that we allow an extra hour than usual to get to the airport, make sure we are there as soon as check in opens so allow time to drop car off, then we usually have a couple of hours in the airport but then I like to wander round the shops, have a nice (as nice as it can be in an airport) meal, a coffee and then a nice stroll to the gate, I never feel like I'm hanging around. Although I would love to be less stressed about the whole thing, I'm usually a huge ball off stress until I get through security then I chill out!

[NeckguardUnbespoke]

Lynda I didn't think you could fly international from London city

You can fly to New York from LCY, and most of its flights are to European capitals and business centres. In fact it's the opposite: there are very few domestic flights in and out of LCY, because they aren't economic uses of slots. I seem to recall that LCY claims your can arrive ten minutes before flight time and make it; I've done it in 15 minutes from the DLR to plane with children in tow.

a big regional airport like Birmingham?

I've done carpark to plane in 25 minutes on hand luggage at BHX, although I don't advise this and I was Quite Flustered by the time I got there.

I think the bag drops for checked baggage close 45 minutes before take off for European destinations, so if you're checking bags you need to be there an hour before. Kerb to plane in an hour at BHX is leisurely: the gates are all relatively close because of the design of the terminal.

[AppleMagic]

You can fly to New York and Dublin from London City. Probably others too.

[MrEBear]

Lynda I didn't think you could fly international from London city and what has city got to compare with a big regional airport like Birmingham?

[lampygirl]

Id probably do c or d of cancelling the meet and greet and doing hotel and park together. I'm tight though and hotels seem superfluous. I always fly before 7am if possible as usually the 'daytime' flights have more chance of little kids and the airports are busier. For Europe I usually aim for 90 mins before, so I can buy food/drink before getting on the plane, less if not checking a usually outsized luggage bag. Touch wood not missed and flight yet

[LyndaNotLinda]

You aren't advised to be there 3 hours before MrEBear unless it's long haul. Shorthaul 2 hours is ample. You can go through in about 20 mins at London City.

[anotherdayanothersquabble]

If its any consolation, my parents get on a bus at 1am, it takes 3.5 hours but I think it's free / cheaper than a hotel, then take a 6am flight to visit me. They arrive shattered, sleep for three days then go home! There is a Better flight with a more expensive airline but they refuse the pay the extra!!

[ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe]

Not sure it's doable, but could you drive then to the airport in the morning and they can leave their car with you?

[MrEBear]

I certainly wouldn't try to get through any airport including checkin, bag drop, security etc in less than 2.5 hours. Some big planes start boarding 45 mins before takeoff.

If it was a domestic flight an hour is ok but not for international when regardless of airport you are advised to be there 3 hrs before.

[TinySalmon]

Option A

[tibbawyrots]

I would go for A every time. It extends the holiday by a night. :)

Nice hotel, meal and couple of glasses of wine before bed. Lovely.

[NeckguardUnbespoke]

Isn't the whole point of meet and greet and online checkin that you don't need to get to the airport until closer to the flight than otherwise? Or are these the last two people left on earth who don't checkin online?

[GirlOverboard]

I would definitely go for Option C. It's only about 5 hours of actual waiting time. I would bring a picnic, watch some TV on my tablet, read a book/newspaper, listen to some music, browse the shops. The time would fly by. If I was tired I'd have a nap at the airport or on the plane.