AIBU to pick the early flight?

[4fingerKitKat]

I’m lying awake flip-flopping over this so I’m going to hand it over to the mumsnet AIBU jury.

Summer holiday with DC 8 and 10, not naturally early risers. 2.5 hour flight to a nice beach resort where we are staying 2 nights before moving on. Easyjet from Luton airport.

I have choice of 2 flights: 6:30am or 1:30pm. No difference in price.

6:30am cons:
-extra £150 for airport hotel.
-early start, esp for DC who are difficult to rouse early and unlikely to sleep

6:30am pros
-No stress about travel to airport as will be in walking distance
-flight less likely to be delayed
-arrive at lunchtime so get whole afternoon and evening to enjoy pool etc and relax

1:30pm cons
-risk of train issues etc = stress on the day
-will only arrive mid evening
-delays more likely and would cut into very limited evening time in resort

1:30pm pros
-can leave home after breakfast about 9am
-full night sleep for everyone
-if flight is on time and picking up bags, hire car etc is smooth we should get a bit of time to use pool etc before bed.

I think I am erring towards the early flight but I can’t believe I would choose a flight that involves being up about 3:30am when there’s an option to fly at a civilised time.

YANBU - take the early flight!
YABU - lunchtime flight!

Done the early flight with DC a few times and it's been great. Wouldn't get a hotel before. Into car at 2, might fall back asleep, might not. Excitement of breakfast at 4am, sleep on flight, in hotel pool by mid-afternoon. Lovely job.

Thanks for all the input!

Just to clear up a couple of questions:

1. We’d only get an airport hotel if we had an early flight as there should be ample time to get to the airport for an afternoon flight. It’s a fairly straightforward hour on the train to Lution from home. However we have had some stressy times before with train cancellations on the way to the airport!
2. We are on a longer holiday not a 2 night break but only staying at the resort for 2 nights then moving on and staying 10 nights elsewhere - it’s kind of just a time filler as it worked out better to tack a couple of extra days on for various reasons. But it would be nice to get the most out of our time there.

I think final call might be with DH!

One thing to consider is check in time. You say you arrive at lunchtime but your room probably won’t be ready for another few hours.

I always take the early option and i have a 7yr old, been doing that since she was a baby.
We either drive to the airport or get a taxi, can't be bothered with airport hotels. Love getting to my hotel around lunchtime, get a bite to eat then snooze on a sun lounger

Actually as the train ride is only an hour, I've changed my mind and am saying go with the 1.30pm flight. Even if you leave loads of extra time, you will still only be leaving the house at say 8.30/9 am as opposed to all the hassle of getting stuff ready for one night paying £150 for the hotel, and then still having to get up at silly o'clock.

Early flight for me. Yes I'm knackered but it's a complete waste of day if travelling later. I'd rather be there knackered than still travelling. Long lunch then sit by the pool. Kids sleep and then casual meal out in the evening before early bed.

I'd say definitely the 6.30 flight. Do you have to stay at the airport hotel? Could you not park at the airport and not bother with going to bed? My daughter always found it really exciting if we set off on holiday in the middle of the night, and had a nap in the car on the way to the airport and then again on the plane.

Same here ! Absolutely hate early flights , I remember having to leave the house at 3.30 am for a flight and not being able to sleep in case no one woke up ! Far too stressful, exhausted when we got there !

That sounds horrendous! 😆

If we stay at the airport everyone should get 5-6 hours sleep which isn’t too bad.

I'm about to book at 5.20am flight in October. With 8 and 6 year old. Will be our 4th early flight with them.

Only time it's gone at all wrong was one where I forgot their shoes because we lift them straight from bed to car. Had a separate bag packed for quick clothing change in car park but not shoes. Fortunately had wellies in car anyway but first stop after breakfast at our destination was a shoeshop. So as long as you don't do that it's all good!

I would go with the early flight, the kids will be excited for their holiday so won’t mind getting up early.

I love early morning flights and always choose them when I can.

This. It's totally a urban myth about the extra holiday time, you'll all be too tired and grumpy to enjoy the first day. Very early flights ime are a recipe for arguments among the adults and bickering and tears among the kids.

Keep in mind that if you're all in one hotel room, and temperature is usually warmer than normal bedroom, plus you know you have to get up really early, you're unlikely to sleep well.

I'm usually on team early flight all the way, but I just don't think it's worth it here.

Could you extend your stay at the resort by leaving late in the day after second night? Or indeed extend for another night if you think you'll all enjoy it ?

You can see from the responses that this is a very personal decision. Everyone has different priorities.

Ideally, a 10am flight would probably be best, but given the options that you do have, if it was me I would go for the early flight.

I've never stayed in a hotel room where I couldn't adjust the temperature!

I agree! Staying up all night sounds like by far the worst option!

I would choose the early flight, but see if your airline offers previous day check-in, and plan to be airport at 4:45/5am. That way you can sleep until 4am (not that’s much better than 3am 😂).

I have a 6am flight tomorrow. We’ve spent the last two weeks wondering what the hell were we thinking when we booked it. I think there must have been a big cost saving and we’re only 15 minutes from the airport, but omg. I’m not particularly looking forward to it!

@CloudywMeatballs I had a really stuffy one at Geneva airport and I was sharing with a friend so I couldn't take off my night shirt. No air con and windows didn't open.

Early flight, every time. Just kick the kids out of bed - they'll cope - and you'll have the joy of being on the beach by lunchtime.

OMG - it's totally not an urban myth. Adrenaline and excitement gets you through the first bit and onto the plane and then you can just have a chilled afternoon and early night. Snooze if/when you want/need to, put no expectations on anyone. A middle of the day flight is just a day of holiday wasted.
The kids in question here are 8 and 10 - perfectly able to manage. If we were talking small kids/toddlers then maybe it would be different, but at that age it's fine.

That sounds miserable. I've never stayed in a hotel without air conditioning.

I have never felt tired after an early flight.
I might feel generally tired after a full day of travelling.
Last few have been around 9am ...by the time we landed and got transfers plus time differences we have only reached the hotel at 3/4pm local time - missed lunch and a wait for dinner but room ready and time to sit by pool for an hour or two.
Any later flight and I would feel we had definitely missed a full day.

It mag depend how much you are paying for the hotel and what is on offer. If yob are paying a lit for an AI hotel with activities then you want to use them. Uts it's just b&B it matters far less.

As you are moving on at your own pace nit getting the return flight home it's entirely your decision.

Lots of hotels Don't have aircon...or don't have individual control units.
Certainly older UK hotels don't and stayed in a travel lodge in London where every room had a family in it and we all had doors propped open and fans on
but AC used to be virtually unheard of in Greece until a couples of years ago.

Interesting. I didn't know that. Almost all the hotels I've stayed in have been in the US (and I've never been to Greece!). I would hate to stay in a hotel where I couldn't control the temperature in my room. It would seem very odd to me.