bethany102399
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Post by bethany102399 on May 24, 2022 14:04:53 GMT
We're getting ready to get on a plane for some forced family fun in a few weeks and I'm hearing horror stories from recent travelers. The news was covering people who were trapped in line for over 2 hours (to check bags) and missed their flight. I've seen lines out the door from friends who are traveling and am telling DH we need to hit the airport before our 2 hour window for check in. He thinks I'm being silly, but he's the one strolling in 45 minutes before a flight and always seems to make it.
I've already got anxiety about this trip, am I being silly or do we need to hustle to the airport before our 2 hour window? What have been your experiences. I just want to hit the beach!
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Post by ~summer~ on May 24, 2022 14:07:08 GMT
I’ve done 3 plane trips in past 6 weeks and I’d say all were totally fine. Security/TSA has been fast, no delays, everyone very polite etc.
These were 2 shorter flights along west coast plus a long flight to Kennedy.
Eta - I always show up about 1hour 15 minutes before flight and that is plenty of time.
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tincin
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Jul 25, 2014 4:55:32 GMT
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Post by tincin on May 24, 2022 14:08:47 GMT
I’ve always given myself 3 hours for international travel. I can’t remember the last time I flew to another state.
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Post by sideways on May 24, 2022 14:12:39 GMT
We flew last week and the week before. Except for a very grumpy TSA agent at DTW, everything was fine.
FYI, Some airports have self-check kiosks now. You get your own luggage tag and then take your tagged luggage to the counter. It was like that at DTW, but PHX still had it where you take your bag to the counter and they tag it there. So, just be aware that self-check may be a possibility.
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Post by librarylady on May 24, 2022 14:13:01 GMT
Depends upon the airport where you must check in.
I always give myself 2 hours. If problems being reported at your local airport, I would allow even longer...better safe than left behind.
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casii
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Post by casii on May 24, 2022 14:14:35 GMT
It probably depends on where you're flying from and flying to. I can fly out of the 3 major airports closest to me with no issues, but I usually give more leeway to airports that have massive tourist traffic. When I flew home from Orlando, curbside bag check was insane, the AA lines were pretty bad, but that was maybe 30 minutes total. TSA for people without pre-check was maybe 20-30 minutes. I have pre-check and still waited for about 20 minutes because there was a hold up a couple of times with folks who were trying to bring large parties through and only a few of them had pre-check.
I say there's no harm to err on the side of being generous with your time vs strolling in 45 minutes to take off. My DH is the same way and honestly it's stressful to travel with him. LOL Nothing wrong with having time to hit the ladies room, grab a drink, buy a magazine you'd never normally buy vs speed walking to hit your gate as they announce they're boarding.
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smartypants71
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Posts: 5,696
Location: Houston, TX
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Post by smartypants71 on May 24, 2022 14:20:55 GMT
It depends on the airport. Our big international airport here is a big dumpster fire at the moment due to construction. I would go extra early for that one.
We are leaving for Turks & Caicos on Friday, and we purposely chose an airline that wasn't leaving from that airport.
My advice is to leave whenever you feel most comfortable. There's no harm in getting there early.
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keithurbanlovinpea
Pearl Clutcher
Flowing with the go...
Posts: 4,254
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Post by keithurbanlovinpea on May 24, 2022 14:28:08 GMT
You can usually check TSA times on your airport's website, depending on the size of the airport. I always start from ensuring that my bags get checked in no later than the 45 minute to one hour prior mark, then I back up from there depending on TSA's wait time. I will caveat all of this to say we have Global Entry and almost always get TSA pre-check so that helps
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bethany102399
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,513
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Post by bethany102399 on May 24, 2022 14:33:09 GMT
FYI, Some airports have self-check kiosks now. You get your own luggage tag and then take your tagged luggage to the counter. That has been our experience with Southwest. I guess the issue is that there aren't enough people working the counter to take your bag once you check in at the kiosk. I say there's no harm to err on the side of being generous with your time vs strolling in 45 minutes to take off. My DH is the same way and honestly it's stressful to travel with him. LOL Nothing wrong with having time to hit the ladies room, grab a drink, buy a magazine you'd never normally buy vs speed walking to hit your gate as they announce they're boarding. Right? I love traveling without DH, he loves to use the skycap which I hate (yes I'm cheap plus I've had too many try to grab my bag assuming I don't want to struggle with it on my own and get it checked) and likes to rush to the gate. His parents lived in Atlanta for years, so lots of time in and out of Hartsfield with infants, then toddlers, then young kids. I NEED time to get through it. Thanks for the reassurance. If you see a grumpy husband and 2 teenagers at KCI in a couple of weeks feel free to wave at the frantic looking mom with them. I used to love planning a trip, but post covid has left me really anxious. |
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DEX
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by DEX on May 24, 2022 15:45:43 GMT
One of the things I discovered is to reserve a seat as close to the front as you can and arrive early for boarding. When you barely make it to the gate before boarding closes, I panic when I can't find an empty spot in the overhead bin. If I get on board with my group, there are always spots above. Then I don't have to put my bag 2-3 seats away in the overhead bin.
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Anita
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Posts: 5,642
Location: Kansas City -ish
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Post by Anita on May 24, 2022 15:50:05 GMT
I've flown out of KCI three times in the last few months and I have two more trips in the next month. I've had no issues on the KCI end. Return trips have been a little more stressful, but the lines at KCI haven't been bad at all. That said, a lot of it has to do with what time you fly. My tip is, if you don't already have it, get TSA precheck for future trips. That literally saved me hours coming back from Newark last month.
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Post by PNWMom on May 24, 2022 16:00:17 GMT
We flew home from Maui a month ago and waited in line for TSA for TWO HOURS and literally had to sprint through the airport with preschoolers to make our flight. The door was only still open because my sister and disabled mother had gotten special assistance through TSA and were at the gate having panic attacks that the rest of us (sister’s teenagers/husband and my family) weren’t going to make the flight. We were at the airport about 2 1/2 hours before our flight. So, give Maui lots of time.
We flew to/from Seattle and also to Montana within the past month and had zero airport delays and could have breezed in an hour ahead of time with no problems.
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Post by scrapmaven on May 24, 2022 16:00:55 GMT
I flew in March. Everyone was masked. It was the rule in March. No one complained and it was a very easy experience. On my return flight Southwest had a computer malfunction that am and all flights were delayed. However, I was rerouted and it worked just fine.
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Post by stormsts on May 24, 2022 16:13:25 GMT
Have taken two trips in the last three weeks. Only on the way home this past weekend did I feel harried. There definitely was not enough help even though we self checked in at the kiosk. TSA was extemely busy but we had no problems because we do TSA pre check. I probably wouldn't cut it any closer than checking in two hours before your departure.
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Post by Really Red on May 24, 2022 16:20:00 GMT
Tell us what airports you are using - that really does make a difference. I flew in and out of Dulles with zero issues - no bad security or anything. It helped that I was 5 hours in advance for one flight because I was carpooling with someone. If you have an Amex, you can use lounges. They are my favorite thing!
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Post by craftedbys on May 24, 2022 16:30:11 GMT
Definitely depends on the airport and airline.
DD flew last week and insisted on getting to the Memphis airport 2 hours early for her 9:30am flight.
Had her bag checked at the counter and was through security in less an 25 minutes. She said the line at Starbucks was worse.
Of course TSA rifled through her suitcase and lost one of her favorite shirts. Can't file a claim because she didn't take a picture of said shirt actually inside of the suitcase. SMH.
Good luck with your flight.
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Post by MichyM on May 24, 2022 16:35:49 GMT
Also, prepare yourself mentally for potential flight cancellations. A day before I was to fly home last month, my flight was cancelled and they had rebooked me on a flight 2 days later. It took 3 phone calls and at least 90 minutes to sort it out and get me on a flight (out of a different airport) that was marginally more acceptable.
I’ll be honest, I am not traveling this summer by plane if I can help it. Hoping things settle down a bit in the fall.
Good luck!
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amom23
Drama Llama
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Post by amom23 on May 24, 2022 16:48:41 GMT
I flew recently and didn't have any trouble with security or late/cancelled flights, etc. Everything was pretty much normal. I didn't check a bag though as it's always such a waste of time IMO.
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Post by ExpatBackHome on May 24, 2022 16:48:52 GMT
Our flight was cancelled the day before we were to leave for spring break. Then we had to find another flight (different airline), destination and hotel, etc. My husband also traveled for work. Our air travel experience in the US has been horrible compared to our experience the past 4 years flying in and out of Dubai. Good luck!!
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Post by bianca42 on May 24, 2022 17:29:55 GMT
uggg....I'm flying for work in August and my flight leaves at 6:30am. I'm flying out of Syracuse NY, so hopefully I don't have to be there more than 2 hours early.
Coming home, I'm flying out of San Antonio. My flight leaves 1 hours after the conference ends, so it looks like I'll be leaving the conference early to make sure I make the flight.
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Post by catck on May 24, 2022 17:31:38 GMT
I have just returned from the UK after visiting family. No problem with security lines but when I checked in for my return flight to the US I was told that I needed a Covid test before they would let me on the plane! This was despite my checking the day before to ensure there were no test requirements for vaccinated passengers. Luckily I was able to get one done at Gatwick airport in time to catch my plane. When I handed over the test result they also asked for my vaccination papers which I had with me.
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bethany102399
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,513
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Post by bethany102399 on May 24, 2022 17:32:03 GMT
We're flying out of Kansas City to Charleston in a few weeks. Anita did you see the story on 41 about the people who missed their flight? That's what's got me like  . I've seen the TSA Lines which are normally breeze through go half way down the concourse from local travelers as well. We have to drop the dog off at the kennel that morning and then it's just hanging around so I'm feeling like we can hang at home or hang at the airport, I'd rather hang at the airport and KNOW I'm getting on the plane. I actually made this trip, by myself, last April and was rerouted all over the place on the trip home. I've been keeping a close eye on the flights both out and home but they're totally full so fingers crossed that they'll go. |
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Post by flanz on May 24, 2022 17:56:03 GMT
It depends on the airport. Our big international airport here is a big dumpster fire at the moment due to construction. I would go extra early for that one. We are leaving for Turks & Caicos on Friday, and we purposely chose an airline that wasn't leaving from that airport. My advice is to leave whenever you feel most comfortable. There's no harm in getting there early. Have a wonderful time! I hear it's gorgeous !!! |
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Anita
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Location: Kansas City -ish
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Post by Anita on May 24, 2022 18:50:18 GMT
We're flying out of Kansas City to Charleston in a few weeks. Anita Anita Anita did you see the story on 41 about the people who missed their flight? That's what's got me like  . I've seen the TSA Lines which are normally breeze through go half way down the concourse from local travelers as well. We have to drop the dog off at the kennel that morning and then it's just hanging around so I'm feeling like we can hang at home or hang at the airport, I'd rather hang at the airport and KNOW I'm getting on the plane. I actually made this trip, by myself, last April and was rerouted all over the place on the trip home. I've been keeping a close eye on the flights both out and home but they're totally full so fingers crossed that they'll go. I did not! I will have to look that up. Maybe I'm just leaving at times that are less congested?
ETA: If it makes any difference, all my flights have been through Delta.
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on May 24, 2022 19:11:57 GMT
DH flew United a month ago to Mexico City and had the worst (and weirdest) experience ever. They wouldn't let him get his boarding pass online (pretty normal for international) so he arrived early to IAH to check in at the desk (carry-on luggage only). He was issued a boarding pass and then went through security. When they called for boarding (he was Business class) he went to board and the boarding pass reader kept giving an error. The staff pulled him aside and tried to print a new pass for him. Problem was he had disappeared from the system. Totally gone - poof! They brought in a manager and he couldn't find his ticket either! Between the front desk and check-in in less than an hour his ticket disappeared! They had to totally redo his ticket with a new one, put him on the next flight and by then he'd missed his connecting flight. The other guy from his company made the original flight with no problems whatsoever.
On the return trip, they overnighted in Mexico City. DH got up super early and went straight to the terminal to get his return boarding pass. He made it through security and was having breakfast when the other 4 guys finally showed up. They had tried to check in and all of their reservations had disappeared from the system. No where to be found. They finally got new tickets on standby and finally made it on the flight, but all lost their Business class seats.
DH said the other strange thing was in Mexico City. They arrived back at the airport and he went then (6:30 pm) to get his boarding pass. He said the entire international check-in desk area was closed. United, Delta, American, Lufthansa, and others were all completely shut down. A security guard said they would not reopen until after midnight.
So if you are flying soon check, double-check and recheck your flights. And then still be prepared for something to go haywire.
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Post by cadoodlebug on May 24, 2022 19:12:54 GMT
We had some hiccups on our recent trip to Ireland. The outbound flight from SF was delayed over an hour because the incoming flight had an unruly passenger who damaged 6 seats! The police were there to greet the passenger. Because we had an awesome tailwind, we were actually on time into Newark.
On our return flight from Belfast to London, our tour director wanted us at the airport 2 1/2 hours early and the guy who arranges the tours was complaining. Good thing she won because when we went to check in, they had our names in the system but there weren't any e-tickets. They wanted US to figure it out. Luckily our tour director's flight was cancelled so she was still there to help us. Took well over an hour to sort out and the plane was boarding when we got through TSA security which was way harder than the US. Evidently flights are being cancelled left and right because of a lack of personnel. We flew United on 3 of the legs and they were all great flights.
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Post by cadoodlebug on May 24, 2022 19:17:15 GMT
I have just returned from the UK after visiting family. No problem with security lines but when I checked in for my return flight to the US I was told that I needed a Covid test before they would let me on the plane! This was despite my checking the day before to ensure there were no test requirements for vaccinated passengers. Luckily I was able to get one done at Gatwick airport in time to catch my plane. When I handed over the test result they also asked for my vaccination papers which I had with me. Yes, we had to have a health professional come to our hotel to give PCR tests to 27 of us before we could leave Belfast. He charged everyone $55 ~ the tour director was pissed. And we too had to show our Covid vaccine cards before we could get through security. |
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bethany102399
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by bethany102399 on May 24, 2022 19:51:28 GMT
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bethany102399
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,513
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Post by bethany102399 on May 24, 2022 19:53:38 GMT
in all fairness, I've flown twice post pandemic and while Orlando was a nightmare - so. many. people. Charleston last April was not bad. What helps is Charleston is such a small airport, they don't get the traffic the bigger airports do.
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Post by peasapie on May 24, 2022 20:28:08 GMT
I haven’t had any problems recently with air travel. It’s usually snow or storms that causes an issue for me with delays and cancellations, but nothing like that lately.
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. I've seen the TSA Lines which are normally breeze through go half way down the concourse from local travelers as well. 
. I've seen the TSA Lines which are normally breeze through go half way down the concourse from local travelers as well. 
