Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To want to arrive at the airport 2hrs before flight?

119 replies

scarletslass · 21/05/2018 20:37

DP, DD(3), Mil and I are flying from Bristol airport soon, on a 6am flight. We live about an hour away. I think we need to get there the airport's recommended 2hours before the flight, DP thinks we need about an hour and a bit. I want to get there early to be able to dress DD (hoping she'll stay asleep in the car), get some breakfast and generally not be in a panic about delays, rushing etc. Who's right?

OP posts:
londonrach · 21/05/2018 20:56

Depends if youve carry on luggage you might get away with less than two hours. If you need to check in luggage leave at least 2 hours. Love flying from bristol

Quartz2208 · 21/05/2018 20:59

given the gates should shut 30 minutes before take off (and that is take off time not boarding time) if you take 45 minutes as being at the terminal (and not parking which is another 20 minutes) you have to check in/bag drop/get through security and get to the gate.

yeah 2 hours in the terminal makes sense

Sharkwithknees · 21/05/2018 21:00

Definitely 2 hours. I flew domestic recently and even that was a nightmare due to some holdup or another. Best to spend that one extra hour chilling in the airport rather than dashing/stressing or possibly missing your flight

rillette · 21/05/2018 21:04

Go on YouTube and stick on an old episode of Airline. Wink

Honeyroar · 21/05/2018 21:04

Much better to be there and having a stress free coffee or wander round the shops than panicking while late in traffic or a security line.

headintheproverbial · 21/05/2018 21:05

An hour is fine. I wouldn't dream of getting there 2 hours in advance for the first flight of the day!

Quartz2208 · 21/05/2018 21:08

6-7 am is the busiest time at Bristol meaning it will be busy for bag drop and security
For some reason people think that 6am is a quiet flying time - it isnt its one of the busiest times of the day

KennDodd · 21/05/2018 21:08

Where are you flying to? I fly from Bristol a fair bit, I arrive about an hour before (sometime less) this feels like plenty to me. I rarely have baggage though and don't like shopping so one hour still leaves loads of sitting around waiting.

shiklah · 21/05/2018 21:11

I missed a flight stuck in traffic on a grid locked motorway. I am there 3 hours early and often stay at a hotel at the airport a night before now!

toolazytothinkofausername · 21/05/2018 21:11

For short haul flights I always arrive 2 hours before the gate closes.

VivaKondo · 21/05/2018 21:11

You need the two hours.
Somefligyts are very busy and have very long queues to check in.
The you have passport control and security checks.

Unless you KNOW how busy the airport will be in that day and time, just arrive two hours before.

Original poster
scarletslass · 21/05/2018 21:12

Thanks all. Flying to spain, with luggage to check in. Read some of the replies to DP; apparently the long queues are because people arrive too early and are stuck at the back of them...Hmm Confused. Hopefully mil can talk sense into him!

OP posts:
Glumglowworm · 21/05/2018 21:14

Yanbu especially with a toddler

If you plan on arriving an hour before you flight but then the toddler does an explosive poo just before you leave or there’s a car accident blocking a main road or you take a wrong turning somewhere, you don’t have much leeway.

I find travelling quite stressful (although I enjoy it), I’m much more relaxed once I’m at the airport and checked in and know where I’m going!

GlitteryPineapples · 21/05/2018 21:23

We always arrive 2.5-3 hours beforehand, just came back from holiday this morning and on the way there there was an unexpectedly long check in queue, stood for over 35 mins which isn't normal for our local airport, then had to get through security, my boarding pass hadn't been printed correctly and wasn't noticed during check in so I had to go back and sort that out as couldn't get through security. We had a quick look about the shops and had some food and then toddler started the first of her explosive diarrhoea which was SO fun right before we needed to board the plane and on the plane! So you definitely need to leave more than just over an hour Shock we had no time to kill at all!

Over600Ecalypts · 21/05/2018 21:25

Definitely 2 hours - it will be less stressful for your DD. Having the extra time to explain what's going on will make it easier for her.

MismatchedPJs · 21/05/2018 21:30

For a tourist flight I would allow the 2 hours. Flying by yourself on a business trip is different.

But I would trust googlemaps for the travel time at that time in the morning. It should be significantly less than your usual travel time.

CocoaGin · 21/05/2018 21:31

For a 6am flight, I'd want to be in the terminal building for 5am. Bristol is our local airport and fairly small.

PyongyangKipperbang · 21/05/2018 21:35

Just do it your way and if he refuses to leave tell him to get a cab and go without him. Seriously! He doesnt get to risk your holiday for an extra hour in bed.

Tell him now that you are leaving at X time and he can either come with you or get a cab, but that thats when you are leaving.

I assume you have never flown with the little one before?!

Booboostwo · 21/05/2018 21:38

No bags, no children, fast track security and one hour is fine. Bags, a child that will need toilet and food, and potentially long queues at security, then two hours are a must. No point in being there much earlier as baggage drop off usually opens two hours before the flight anyway. My DH has the same argument as yours, I.e. Go early and there are queues, but then again he is always running in airports and just manages to get on the plane.

alphajuliet123 · 21/05/2018 21:38

Have a look at your airports departures for the same time the week before, see how many flights are going out at that time, who with and where to. Many will be commuter flights (London, Glasgow, Dublin, Belfast etc) most of whom won't have baggage to check in. Airlines try to cluster their flights together so you should be able to get an indication whether the check in desks are likely to be heaving with suitcase wielding holidaymakers or if there are just one or two flights. For example, at my local airport Jet2 has a huge check in lounge for all of their flights, I've got through in 5 minutes when quiet, I've queued for nearly an hour when busy. Definitely makes a difference!

BarbarianMum · 21/05/2018 21:39

Most flights are oversold. The first x people to get to check in get to fly. If you arrive after x people you are going nowhere, on line check in, seat reservation or no.

pasturesgreen · 21/05/2018 21:42

I actually missed a plane by cutting it a bit too fine. Early morning flight to Aberdeen, business trip so no checked luggage, thought less than an hour was plenty.
Turns out it wasn't, as a drunk on the tube pulled the emergency alarm and I was delayed by those all-important 15 minutes.
Cost me about £400 to buy a new ticket at the airport, so I'd say that was a very expensive lesson to learn Sad

GabsAlot · 21/05/2018 21:43

my dsis made a flight with an hour or just under to go but she didnt do it on purpose said she was panicking the whole way

does your dh do the run alot does he know what its like at that time-you never know whats going to happen on the roads

DitheringBlidiot · 21/05/2018 21:43

2 hours is what i aim to leave. Better safe than sorry and you can always go and get a coffee etc and have breakfast before you get on the flight. I’ve got a 6pm flight in a few weeks and we have booked the car park from 3pm onwards to allow for the shuttle to the terminal. It’s probably overkill but I’d rather get through security and sit around doing Sweet FA than be rushing and panicking.

HunterHearstHelmsley · 21/05/2018 21:45

Leave some wiggle room. If you aim for 2 hours early then at least there's some contingency. You'd have to be a bit thick to leave it until the last minute