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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Arriving at airport 2 hours prior to check in opening

158 replies

phoenix1973 · 07/04/2018 14:10

My oh insists on this....in case we get a puncture and miss our flight.
I hate it. Theres no seats so we're paying costa to rent seats.
Aibu?

OP posts:

Want2bSupermum · 07/04/2018 16:07

I leave work and rush for the airport to fly to my Dad on Thursday evenings about once a month. I arrive about an hour before departure and rush through security to the gate. I don't have much on me as only going for 2-3 days. My return flight is at 9am from Manchester. I leave the house at 6am, drive like a bat out of hell to get to the airport for 7am as I have to drop the rental car off and get to check in. The security line at Manchester can be really bad on Sunday mornings. I've had to rush to the front before because they were calling my flight.

This time of year is generally ok. It's the summer that's awful at Manchester airport. Tourists carry so much hand luggage and take forever to get through security. I have global entry which helps.

inthegarage · 07/04/2018 16:09

Get a taxi and allow a short amount of time for having to get a second one if original taxi gets a puncture. Or get separate taxis spaced 2 hrs apart!

Vitalogy · 07/04/2018 16:14

No seating by gates in Belfast airport either.

opinionatedfreak · 07/04/2018 16:24

Having missed a flight because bagdrop at stansted took so long I'm now the one at the airport super early.

ForalltheSaints · 07/04/2018 16:25

I think that someone as cautious or paranoid as the OPs OH needs help for a mental health issue.

With a bit of planning and knowledge of the options available as a back-up this could be avoided. The hotel near the airport or indeed a taxi to the airport seems better, or even using the train.

Airports and security times do vary, especially as some airports seem incapable of planning for school holidays and any other busy time.

mogulfield · 07/04/2018 16:26

I love to get there 4 hours before an international flight, have a few drinks/shop and relax. I’ve nearly missed a flight before, never again!
I have also been upgraded to first by being the first person to check in with BA.

LoniceraJaponica · 07/04/2018 16:29

"The security line at Manchester can be really bad on Sunday mornings"

It is really busy for early morning flights every morning

Last year when we flew early afternoon I got chatting to one of the shop assistants. I commented on the fact that it wasn't as busy as usual, and was told that their quietest time is around lunchtime/early afternoon, and the busiest times are early morning and late afternoon.

CookPassBabtridge · 07/04/2018 16:30

I've always been relaxed about times and it's never gone wrong, but last year we went to spain in October, not even half term and the queues were huge for some reason. We had got there two hours early and were sweaty palmed the whole way around, only just got on! Always early now. I like airports so it's not an issue!

snewsname · 07/04/2018 16:36

I like to leave plenty of time but it would depend on the time of day and where it is, as to whether two hours is unreasonable or not.

A 6am flight doesn't need that long. A mid day flight may, because of traffic jams etc.

ineedaholidaynow · 07/04/2018 16:36

DH and I were in the car a few months ago, not going to an airport, but the travel news came on and there were 2 hour delays on main road to Gatwick. We both looked at each other and DH said out loud exactly what I was thinking "if we were in that we would be getting divorced before we got to go on holiday"

I am the worrier and like to leave early and DH is get there at the last minute sort of person. We try and compromise. Also I may tell DH a slight white lie about what time we need to get somewhere so we can at least factor in 15 minutes leeway.

Want2bSupermum · 07/04/2018 16:37

lonicera My flight back last week the line wasn't too bad. I was through in 35mins. In summer it can take over an hour. The policies on taking holidays during school holidays has a big impact. I have avoided the Easter holidays for this reason.

littlepill · 07/04/2018 16:40

I used to feel like you, but someone I know allowed 5 hours to get to Gatwick (we live an hour away) and she STILL missed her flight due to an unexpected crash. She had to go back the next day!

So now....we all arrive early and make use of the lounge. I get it free on my credit card!

KatharinaRosalie · 07/04/2018 16:42

I guess depends what we're talking about. If it's your once in a lifetime holiday then sure, why not. But I travel a lot for work - it would double my working hours if I got there 4-5 hours earlier.

snewsname · 07/04/2018 16:45

I've been stuck in plenty of traffic jams, thanking my lucky stars I wasn't flying anywhere that day because you'd probably have missed the flight unless you were super early.

I'm always early. Only ever caught one by the skin of my teeth but the stress of that ensured I'm always early.

BIWI · 07/04/2018 16:50

It's weird reading this, from the airport lounge I'm in now

I'm coming back from Brazil. When I arrived last Monday the journey from the airport to my hotel took 2 hours. So I allowed 2 hours to get here today, and it took 45 minutes.

Thankfully as it's for work, I'm flying in style, so have access to the lounge, so plenty of seats, food and drink rather than roughing it.

But the point being, you never know what the local conditions are en route to the airport. Far better to have to hang around at the airport than be all stressed out and risk missing your flight.

littlepill · 07/04/2018 16:50

I guess depends what we're talking about. If it's your once in a lifetime holiday then sure, why not. But I travel a lot for work - it would double my working hours if I got there 4-5 hours earlier.

Agree! It would be annoying to have to travel for work and allow more than half a day on top! As my friend's case demonstrated, the world doesn't end cos you miss a flight, anyway, they just send you on the next one (if you are insured).

JennyJames · 07/04/2018 16:59

I think that someone as cautious or paranoid as the OPs OH needs help for a mental health issue.

I always get to an airport a few hours before I fly, and I can assure you, my mental health is fine

AjasLipstick · 07/04/2018 17:11

We always go early. Once, DH brought his old passport...he had to drive home and get his proper one. Thank GOD we'd arrived so early! We were flying long haul too!

LoniceraJaponica · 07/04/2018 17:12

I agree that this remark was uncalled for JennyJames

Kazzyhoward · 07/04/2018 17:13

After having far too many close shaves due either to ridiculous security/passport queues, long check in queues, or traffic jams, we plan to arrive an hour before check in opens. Sometimes, we arrive even earlier, there are no queues, and we end up spending 2/3 hours just sitting around in one area or another. But still there are times when we hit delays at every turn and only just make it even with planning to arrive far too early. You just never know these days - roads are worsening, airport security is a law to itself, etc.

italiancortado · 07/04/2018 17:23

I think that someone as cautious or paranoid as the OPs OH needs help for a mental health issue

That's just nasty. Did it make you feel good?

Seniorcitizen1 · 07/04/2018 17:24

We are going to Italy in June. Flight is at 6am. We aim to be there by 3am - although check in online there is still baggage drop plus there are dozens of flights leaving around that time and getting through security is a lengthy process as never enough lines. In departure lounge will have a bit of breakfast and then sit on some of the hindreds of seats nicely chilled out.

eurochick · 07/04/2018 17:30

I guess it depends how often you fly. If it's once a year on holiday then you are only wasting a few hours a year. I fly most weeks for work and no way am I going to hang around soulless airports for needless hours. My standard is to aim to arrive 1hr15 before the flight. That gives a bit of leeway if something goes wrong and time to pick up breakfast at the airport if all goes to plan.

5foot5 · 07/04/2018 17:34

I am always in the early camp.
Last summer we were flying back from Barcelona with Jet2. We got to the airport an hour before check in opened, i.e. 3 hours before the flight, and there was already a MASSIVE queue which we joined.

When check in opened it turned out they had sent a plane that wasn't big enough so scores of people near the end of the queue got bumped and had to wait EIGHT hours for another flight. We got the last seats!!! Never been so glad to be an early bird.

Kazzyhoward · 07/04/2018 17:36

Also depends on the airport. I used to use Blackpool and you could be checked in and airside within about 15 minutes. Now use Liverpool quite a bit, and likewise it's usually very quick, maybe half an hour. But Manchester is a pain in the neck, much larger, so takes longer to navigate from one stage to other, but also because of it's size, longer queues at every stage, general chaos and disorganisation etc. I'd probably risk Blackpool or Liverpool as little as an hour before flighttime, but I'd never risk such tight schedules at the hell hole known as Manchester especially having to navigate the car park known as the M60.

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