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AIBU?

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Original poster

To reject this holiday

31 replies

AngryBananaSund · 17/09/2020 18:45

August 2021, beautiful Greece island, great hotel, reasonable price

But

The only flights we can get arrive late evening , but leave to go home at midnight! The latest we could stay in our room is 12, so that’s nine hours of hanging around before we left for the airport!

This is my idea of hell. We could leave the luggage with the hotel and use the poolside showers, but nine hours of minding the passports, devices etc that we wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving there, no real place to have a rest and just killing time for nine hours

Or is it just me?

OP posts:
OllyBJolly · 17/09/2020 18:47

Is there an option to pay for a room for the day? That's what I do if we have an evening flight.

OwlinaTree · 17/09/2020 18:53

Often you can pay for a late check out. One place we stayed let us use a room to shower and change in the late afternoon before we headed off.

BluebellsGreenbells · 17/09/2020 18:55

Drop the bags to the airport and head out for the day and evening meal.

It wouldn’t bother me.

CalmdownJanet · 17/09/2020 18:57

Are you booking your accommodation separately or as a package? If separately just book an extra night and have the room right up till when you leave. If booked as a package you can generally pay a fee to keep the room until the evening anyway

Lincslady53 · 17/09/2020 19:03

I like that last day. Relaxing by the pool, cases packed, no having to think about excursions or what else you should be doing. Relaxing lunch in the hotel, quick shower at the end of the day before dinner, then off to the airport, nap on the plane and a drive back home from the airport on empty roads. I would have loved to have had that experience this year. Sounds bliss.

SeasonFinale · 17/09/2020 19:04

Often there is a room available for guest to go to shower before they leave for the airport.

Ragwort · 17/09/2020 19:06

I wouldn't be booking any holiday for next year .... who knows what the situation will be.

timeforawine · 17/09/2020 19:09

I've done it a few times, not ideal but if it's somewhere i want to go and they are the only flights then i just go with it.
Hotel has suitcase storage, i don't go in the pool but chill out and read, put warm clothes in hand luggage and change on the plane or in the airport

NancyNightmare · 17/09/2020 19:18

Could you leave a day earlier and get a flight the night before you are due to check out anyway? If the hotel won't let you pay for an additional day / night.

shiningstar2 · 17/09/2020 19:27

I prefer a flight about lunch time. Straight to the airport after breakfast and on our way. We would definitely book the extra time for a late check out if we were flying late. Sometimes though we can't get the room we've had for the holiday and have to take another one. Not quite as convenient. Everything packed, drag cases elsewhere, take out pool things, shower things and travel clothes. Re plan the new safe. Better than being thrown out with 9 hours to kill though. I think, these days, I would only fly late if it was somewhere I was desperate to see and there was someway of getting that extra time. We often use a package, but when we don't it is a good idea to just book an extra night, must admit I hadn't thought of that option. Thanks for that idea CalmDownJanet Smile

MintyMabel · 17/09/2020 19:47

Depending on the island, it may be the only flight available. This is how package companies manage to keep it cheap by buying up unpopular flight times at airports.

I did it when I was younger but would never do it again.

MintyMabel · 17/09/2020 19:49

If booked as a package you can generally pay a fee to keep the room until the evening anyway

Our agent told us we could do that, but when we tried the hotel said they were fully booked and could only give us an extra couple of hours (at the full nightly rate, of course)

AntiHop · 17/09/2020 19:50

Will you be there with kids?

Fantabulous1 · 17/09/2020 20:15

I've done this on 2 holidays. I am a nervous flyer so it affected my anxiety because I was so tired from the lack of sleep.

We were allowed to stay at the hotel after checkout so we hung around the pool area/lounge area / local town until it was time to head out to the airport. They locked our bags away in their luggage hold rooms. This was pre-kids. I wouldnt do this now with them in tow now.

Laiste · 17/09/2020 20:19

Kids - no way.

Just me and DH (and no commitments the day we got home) then yes.

FippertyGibbett · 17/09/2020 20:22

No, I wouldn’t do those flight times.
Did it once before but never again !!

IHeartKingThistle · 17/09/2020 20:24

We do this but get a hire car so spend the day exploring, have a leisurely meal and mosey on to the airport.

AllsortsofAwkward · 17/09/2020 20:29

We paid for a late checkout had the use of the hotel and facilities food showered nap had our tea then go the bus to the airport was fab.

CoRhona · 17/09/2020 20:47

We love leaving as late as possible!

Original poster
AngryBananaSund · 17/09/2020 21:48

The hotels idea of late checkout was 12 and there were no other available rooms. (We even tried getting none package flights home, and even these were badly timed) In the end we went with another destination where flights were much better timed.

OP posts:
RedPandaFluff · 17/09/2020 21:48

I've done this before, @AngryBananaSund, and it was totally fine. You just need to be super-organised and have everything you need for the day easily accessible in your luggage.

KarlKennedysDurianFruit · 17/09/2020 21:54

DH and I used to book very early morning flights out and late flights back to maximise the time at the destination, we pretty much always hire a car though and live really close to one airport and less than an hour from two others and not much further from another, so had plenty of options and would often fly out from one and back to another. Wouldn't do it with DC though

Boobissue · 18/09/2020 07:41

I wouldn't be booking any holiday for next year .... who knows what the situation will be.

You be on every thread bringing it back to CV!!
It's not the question being asked!

OP without children I'd do it, with (young) children I don't think so.

Frazzled2207 · 18/09/2020 07:45

I’m a wuss with stuff like this. If it’s the only flight option available I just wouldn’t be going. I have plenty of friends that would though and seem to be completely ok with taking their 3 yo on a plane at midnight.

Frazzled2207 · 18/09/2020 07:46

If you do go then getting a hire car so that you can explore for the day -
And drop it at the airport- is a good idea.

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