How long before flight?

Elodie · 18 Jan 20, 11:05 AM

Just figuring out what’s best to do about hotels the night before our flight. We fly from Manchester at 9:20am, and I understand we need to have checked in and be ready to go through security by 7:20am. How early should we arrive to allow time to find our way through the airport, check in, and make our way to security?

Can you tell I haven’t flown for over 20 years, and even then I wasn’t the one responsible for timings etc?!

Rachhh · 18 Jan 20, 11:09 AM

Originally Posted by Elodie

Just figuring out what’s best to do about hotels the night before our flight. We fly from Manchester at 9:20am, and I understand we need to have checked in and be ready to go through security by 7:20am. How early should we allow time to find our way through the airport, check in, and make our way to security?

Can you tell I haven’t flown for over 20 years, and even then I wasn’t the one responsible for timings etc?!

It’s generally recommend that you are at the airport 3 hours before the scheduled departure time for long haul. So I’d aim to be at check in for 6:20am. But then I am an overly cautious person who would rather be 1 hour early than 1 hour late

Elodie · 18 Jan 20, 11:25 AM

Thanks - if there’s any chance at all that it will take us an hour to get through the airport to security, then we will definitely be there at 6:20am. I’m not taking any chances on missing that flight!

Lisbon · 18 Jan 20, 12:15 PM

We use twighlight check in the night before and they take your mobile number for any problems, if youre flying with virgin you can do this.
If so we give ourselves two hours and this still seems too long, all you have to do is go through security and walk to your date
Rob

Guest · 18 Jan 20, 12:39 PM

Originally Posted by Elodie

Just figuring out what’s best to do about hotels the night before our flight. We fly from Manchester at 9:20am, and I understand we need to have checked in and be ready to go through security by 7:20am. How early should we arrive to allow time to find our way through the airport, check in, and make our way to security?

Can you tell I haven’t flown for over 20 years, and even then I wasn’t the one responsible for timings etc?!

If you are flying down to London first then two hours is fine, if you are flying straight to Orlando then I would allow a minimum of three hours. I tend to be overly cautious and have been known to turn up earlier than that if I know the check in desks will be open (e.g. BA will be open most of the time).

Elodie · 20 Jan 20, 08:39 AM

Originally Posted by Lisbon

We use twighlight check in the night before and they take your mobile number for any problems, if youre flying with virgin you can do this.
If so we give ourselves two hours and this still seems too long, all you have to do is go through security and walk to your date
Rob

We’re with Lufthansa and I believe they only offer twilight check in at certain German airports. I think we’ll allow three hours in total.

Elodie · 20 Jan 20, 08:39 AM

Originally Posted by Claudette

If you are flying down to London first then two hours is fine, if you are flying straight to Orlando then I would allow a minimum of three hours. I tend to be overly cautious and have been known to turn up earlier than that if I know the check in desks will be open (e.g. BA will be open most of the time).

We’re flying to Frankfurt, then Orlando, so I think we’d best allow three hours.

lizzie145 · 20 Jan 20, 10:16 AM

Price a hotel at the airport if you aren't already booked.

Manchester can be very busy, well they all can, and some of the gates are a long walk from the security

dreamadream · 20 Jan 20, 10:55 AM

I would definitely look at staying over night. All it takes is one unexpected road closure on your journey or a car issue and you miss your flight. This happened to us years ago.
We always stay over night now, drop the bags the night before, relaxed dinner, and extra time in bed before a long flight day.

thefourDs · 20 Jan 20, 02:02 PM

We fly from London airports, if we are advised 3 hours then we get there 3 earlier. I don’t really see the point in not listening to the advice given by the travel agent, imagine getting caught in a huge line at security or something happening causing a delay and you missing your flight, not worth the risk!

18 Jan 20, 12:15 PM	#4
	18 Jan 20, 12:15 PM Lisbon Imagineer
Lisbon Imagineer Join Date: Jul 10 theDIBB Guidebook Pages Created: 1	We use twighlight check in the night before and they take your mobile number for any problems, if youre flying with virgin you can do this. If so we give ourselves two hours and this still seems too long, all you have to do is go through security and walk to your date Rob