To not want to go to the airport 3 hours before?

[JennaRink]

Since we started dating he has always been strict about time keeping. Was always very early to our dates and he's on the spectrum.

We are going for a long weekend next week, the flight is 2 hours. He says he wants to go 3 hours before the flight.

I don't want to do this. I haven't come from a family that spent 3 hours in the airport and I never go earlier than 2. I see it as a waste of time.

But it seems ridiculous not to go together. On the other hand, why should I agree to go at his time?

I'll probably end up just booking the early bus.

Not to say I'll do it every time.

I’m like your partner and my husband is you. We’ve been married 24 years. We have learnt to compromise on the airport situation. It’s 2.5 hours for us now. Of course I’d prefer 3! I can’t sleep the night before as I’m so anxious about missing the flight for whatever reason. If we get through everywhere quickly we will sit down for a meal and a drink, if not, the meal comes on the plane with us (Pret). Both have happened in equal measure. Just be kind and compromise.

He is on the spectrum so may not be able to see your view. What is he like if he feels he is late to something?

what about you go when he wants but he pays for a lounge so you can relax before flight.

like others have said. Are you still going to be annoyed by this in 5, 10 , 20 years time as he will always be ND and you have to make adaptations or deal
with the fall out.

But if you booked the later bus and missed your flight, it'd be hilarious.

After we missed a flight a few years ago (for the very first time - due to an extra bit of traffic on the motorway and extra queues at security), I now prefer to get there extra early, even though we never check bags in. (We fly to Italy twice a year to see husband's parents, so we keep some things at their house like toiletries.) Better to arrive early and relax, than to miss a flight and have to pay for a new one!!

Wouldn't it just 🙂

and I don't think I could give him the satisfaction!

Last time I went to Gatwick Airport, it took me two hours to check in and go through security and I almost missed my flight. They were literally callinh people whose flights were about go at the front. We were all running to the gate . There is a reason why airlines now say three hours, back in the Day, two hours was fine as wasn’t so many people travelling

Another early airport person here! Sorry but I’m with your OH. I know three hours isn’t stipulated unless it’s an international flight, but there is a fair amount can go wrong- traffic jam, long queues at security, airports are big and time consuming to move through, and I enjoy mooching around the shops and having a couple glasses of wine at a relaxed pace. I always find it goes very quickly. Plus I can’t wait to be on holiday and looking forward to something always makes me inclined to be early! I’m not sure this is a hill I’d die on.

What is so bad about that? It means you'll never be late!

Autism is not a mental health condition. It is a neurodevelopmental disorder (some prefer the word condition to disorder). You can’t medicate or train people out of it. Those who try - often those who carry out ABA therapy - are basically training the autistic person to go against all of their natural instincts. This eventually becomes exhausting and autistic burnout happens from all the masking (trying to act not autistic).

Assuming you knew he was autistic when you first got together? I would say it’s a reasonable request that won’t cause as much disruption to you as it would him.

This would so be me! Haha ..

all it takes it for one time where you miss yoir flight or you running as fast you bloody can to the gate. your name being called over the intercom usually does the trick and you will always be early for the airport then. airports are not calm.quick places anymore.

I get there 3 hours before for short haul, longer for long haul. My teenage kids despair of me, my friends are similar to me to get there very early. Always find after going through security & buying any food/duty free only time for couple drinks & sometimes food before the plane gate is called. I would rather be there early, the only stressful part is security once you are through there you can relax. That’s when my holiday begins! I recommend a lounge too, you can eat & drink and wait for plane

I arrived at Heathrow T5 this morning, 2.5 hours before a domestic flight. Nothing to check in/bag drop, but I spent 35 minutes in the security queue. If I'd been headed for a big flight, only got there two hours before, and had a bag drop as well, I'd have been panicking.

One guy begged to be allowed to jump the queue, but the staff member herding us said that she was only allowed to fast track a max of 20 people and she'd already reached her limit.

Many airlines recommend 3 hours before departure. I'm travelling next week and received the attached.

When my adult kids said 3 hours was too early when we went away in the summer, I told them they could arrive later if they wanted to.

It's not three hours early is it, it's three hours before the flight. Not excessively early really. Do you like him much OP as you're making a big deal over not much here

This! 3 hours early would be 5 hours before a flight scheduled departure.

I would want to be at the airport 3 hours before. Check-in and security take forever (try Luton, bloody awful) and 2 hours doesn't leave much lee-way for being stuck in traffic etc.

The bag drop for the airline opens 2.5 hours before departure

For that reason I don't see much reason to arrive a whole hour earlier. Unless to be sure no traffic issues.

No, but yours doesn’t trump his either. His disability should be accommodated. Which means he can get there early. You’re the one complaining about not wanting to travel separately, that doesn’t seem to be an issue for him, so that’s the compromise. Doing it your way isn’t a compromise.

Bag drop says 2.5hopurs but for like of ryain air they group all their flights on the same set of desks so if they don't have the machines they q will be miles long. As said all ready we got to the airport three hours before flight stood in q for bag drop nearly an hour, security nearly just as long - that was two hours gone - gate at the end of the building nearly half an hours walk - only half an hour to go to loo, get something to eat and quick look in duty free

Whilst I think three hours is too early unless you have to rely on certain train companies to get there who might cancel journeys, I agree with the importance of time keeping.

I don't 'give it a couple of minutes' for people to join work calls, for example.

Hope your holiday is a lovely time OP.

For all this I think I'm going to go early.

This thread and my partner has instilled a seed of paranoia. I now can't shake this feeling ill be late if I don't.

I'm actually on the way to an airport just now. Aimed for 3 hours before and should probably get there 2 hours 45 before depending on my bus connection. Left slightly later than I originally planned (washing machines lie about time remaining) but had built in faff time to my intended departure and could have sucked up last minute airport parking charges if trains had been up the creek ahead of time.

I've never missed a plane that was my fault (missed connections due to still being on the other plane tho) but did miss my Eurostar at age 20 by 5 minutes after a series of unfortunate events on my local bus/regional train route to Paris (missed intended bus, next one didn't show and walking with luggage is slow so missed train and had to wait 1 hour for next one. Then got my wallet lifted on the metro. Fortunately the Eurostar was up the creek and the ticket office just put tearful me on the next one on Christmas Eve, since then I've been more careful ...