AIBU to ask if people are arriving at airports four hours early?✈️

[Netcurtainnelly]

Can you post here whether you are turning up to the airport 4 hours early this Summer for check in please? I ve just read it might be necessary.🤔😭😱 Before making a decision?

Holiday and Check in Post.♥️
Want to hear what it's really like.

Absolutely not.

Not if they are flying to Cape Verde 😉

Of course not. Why would I?

No. I've already been on my summer holiday but arrived approximately two hours in advance and it was absolutely fine.

I think you mean when returning from Europe. The queues at immgration to LEAVE the country you have just been on holiday to can be huge.

Well, I would… because I need to allow a couple of hours for delays - to get to any airport by road requires a stretch on the M25. Our normal trip to Gatwick, for example, takes 1.5 hours. Last time we went, it took 7 hours (yes, we did miss the flight). If all goes well, the extra time we allow for the journey means we have 3.5 to 4 hours at the airport. Which is considerably less stressful than worrying about the sign saying ‘Congestion Ahead’.

I’ve never arrived more than 2 hours before a flight and I’m still often stood around like an idiot.

We did travelling to Europe this summer as National Express arrived 4 hours early. Couldn't hand over suitcases before 1.5 hours of departure. BA.
It's wasn't a choice but waste of time.

Nope.

There's generally no need ex-UK.

Leaving Europe for the UK is a case of "it depends"..no need at all at the regional airport we use in Europe but it's not a major holiday destination...

possibly but this would only be when you’re leaving certain destination countries

We nearly always do night before at hotel or Airbnb nearby - unless it’s evening flight

Manchester is our closest airport (sadly). We always plan to arrive there around 4 hours ahead of flight departure. Simply because of the awful traffic/road network which often has delays/closures so a "normal" one hour journey can easily be 2 or 3! Secondly, security clearance times at Manchester are variable - you can be through the hall with virtually no queue at all some days and be stuck in a long queue right out into the check in area other days. We've also once been stuck in the car park for over an hour to wait for the "courtesy" shuttle bus to the airport. Dangerous not allowing a couple of extra hours for such delays at the hell hole called Manchester airport! Once we "planned" as usual to be there 4 hours prior to departure, but the roads were snarled up, then a long wait for the shuttle bus and then a long queue in Security - we only just made it and were the last to board, and that was literally running through the airport to get to the boarding gate.

We're not going to the airport early.
That's because we're not going to any airport!
We've binned off foreign holidays this year.

Three hours, security queues so long during the summer holidays.

My DD just flew to Miami en route to South America. We showed up 2.5 hours before flight time at Heathrow. There was quite a queue and the automatic check in didn’t work for her so she had to check in at a different line than those just dropping off luggage. She didn’t have time to get something to eat or shop after security but did not have to rush at all.

I have done three return flights this year and as people have already said flying out of the UK isn't the issue. We have found two hours is fine.

Coming home from Europe is the problem. We were warned to arrive four hours before our flight home from Corfu. We were stuck outside queuing to get into the airport for over an hour, then another hour inside the airport to check in. Then it took about another 45 mins to do security and passport control (this would have been much longer if they hadn't suspended the exit/entry finger print system)

Malaga was ok when we flew back but our friends flew back a few days before us and were stuck in queues for hours so I think it depends on the day of the week. Our arrival at Malaga took a couple of hours even though they have lots of finger print scanners open.

I've been to Germany and Spain in the last month.

Leaving Leeds Bradford, there was a long queue at security but I still had plenty of time on arriving 2 hours before - at Leeds they pull you through the fast track queue if it gets to 1 hour before departure, I got through after about 50 mins.

Leaving Manchester was quick for them - 5/10 mins. Lots of waiting around.

Leaving Spain was very quick, no queue for passport control at all. 2 hours was a bit much but I go generally stick to that unless I know you can reliably get through quicker - I had never been to that airport before.

Leaving Germany took nearly an hour to go through passport control so after walking through the airport, getting through security and looking in the shops, we didn't have to wait at the gate for much time at all.

I wouldn't arrive 4 hours ahead because I think it's hardly ever necessary. Most of those who miss their flights will have dawdled through the airport and loitered in the bar/shops and expected to get straight to the gate without much delay at outward passport control.

The other consideration is that airports don't want people to turn up 4 hours early as that massively increases the number of people they have waiting and at peak times they just don't have the space for everyone. Plus a lot of airlines won't accept a checked bag more than 2/3 hours before take off.

Not when flying out, no, just the usual two hours short haul and three hours long haul.

I have done a couple of TUI trips this year and both arranged return transfers to arrive at airport three hours before departure, short haul.

I’ve just gone Birmingham to Malaga and back and I was a bit nervy. Ryanair opened bag drop 3 hours before flight so decided to get there for then.
Brum was a breeze, security line was 10ish minutes.
Even more anxious about coming back so stuck to 3 hours and it was even easier.
Largest queue was for the free water fountain.
Didn’t have EES to do on the way back just an E-Gate to get through to our gate. No queue for security either just wafted straight though.

I’d read horror stories about Malaga being horrendous and people missing their flights but it was probably the smoothest experience I’ve had at an airport.

No lol.

My mum definitely would though.

Leaving UK - no. Returning as the sole UK passport holder who’s not yet got their EES - yeah!

No. Bag drop off tends to open 2-2.5h before flight departure. Assuming you have luggage, arriving earlier is pointless.

We usually opt to be at the airport car parking company 4 hours prior for long haul flights to enable time to transfer etc, we always have a lounge booked which is for 3 hours. Would knock an hour off for short haul.

No, I usually arrive 3 hours early but this weekend BA didn’t open bag drop until 2 hours before our flight so 🙄