Drat! Missed my flight...

[valentinoxxx 4]

Guess where I should have been right now guys. Yes, Pattaya - getting ready to head out to the bright lights and the go go bars for the evening.....

 

This is the SECOND blunder that you have made with this booking.

 

Why the &^%$ didn'T you check in online???

You already knew this was possible. You could have done so before you left the house.

That way you can just roll up one hour before the flight leaves. As I do.

 

At least you've alerted others.

[Sybarite 1]

This is the SECOND blunder that you have made with this booking.

 

Why the &^%$ didn'T you check in online???

You already knew this was possible. You could have done so before you left the house.

That way you can just roll up one hour before the flight leaves. As I do.

 

At least you've alerted others.

Yep, I was hoping that you wouldn't see this thread!

 

You got me the best deal on a flight from London to Bangkok ever...and I only went and bolloxed it up.

[joekicker 53]

The main purpose of arriving 2 or 3 hours before the flight for me was to ensure that you get the best seat possible.

 

Have to disagree with the reasoning here. I think you should think this from a different direction, and then reject or accept it.

 

The main purpose of arriving 2 or 3 hours before the flight is to ensure you get on that flight. Never mind that I haven't booked a seat at the aiport for... hmmm, 10 years because of agent/online ease in doing that. The truth is that all seats depart and arrive at the same time. In the worst case, you'll get a "lousy seat" and still arrive at the same time as the people in the wonderful seats anyhow. Even shoehorned into a middle seat, you'll still get to the far-end immigration before the guy in the window seat, eh?

 

I wouldn't arrive at the airport one MINUTE early to choose a seat. But I'd arrive an hour early to make sure I get on the flight I've spent money and time planning to last the next 24 hours of my life leading to a new place I want to go.

 

I don't PLAN to arrive at the airport 15 minutes before check-in cutoff. But if I get a flat tyre or there is a lane-blocking accident between me and the airport, I should have time to arrive by then, in a pinch, and make the flight I have spent a fair amount of gelt plus planning time on. In fact, that hour-early airport arrival *IS* part of my planning.

 

Compared with a drive followed by a 16-hour or 24-hour flight time (or more) and a wait for luggage and immigration followed by another wait and a drive at the OTHER end, an hour or even (horrors!) two hours sitting in the airport reading or browsing the duty-free money trees is close to nothing. My flights often involve three, four, five hours sitting at an airport in transit anyhow.

 

If time is REALLY money, then the only way to make money is not to fly on long international flights at all. Come on. How much money do you make during the flight? If an hour of your time is REALLY important money, then save the REAL hour - the one you spent booking and planning the flight. Don't do it. Use that hour to make money, plus the day going to and the day returning.

 

Like I say, I think you're using the wrong logic. In the end, it's entirely Up To You. But I'm the one bitxhing about the hot weather and my late-night hangover in Thailand today and you're not, so at least have a think about the revised logic.

[short 215]

Sybarite, for this stupid move, you are hereby banished to Hell (club).

[Emil 0]

I just returned from LOS today and while waiting in the Red Carpet lounge for my last leg of the flight (SFO to Sacramento) I was thinking of pulling a Sybarite and hang in the lounge until the boarding process began. I decided to leave 15 minutes prior in case Murphy's Law kicked in and sure enough it did for United Airlines. They had overbooked this flight and as soon as they began the anouncement, I jumped to my feet and headed to the counter. Before they could ask for a volunteer to give up their seat I was at the counter volunteering. A 3 hour wait for a later flight and a $600 voucher on a futher flight.

 

I use to bitch about arriving at Sacramento airport 2 hours early for the short flight to SFO on my LOS trips. Afterall the others on that same flight who didn't have an international connection were only required to get there 1 hour early. Was told that they needed the extra time to do background check for the international flight but knew this was BS because in the past they would ask me if I would be interested in leaving on a flight that was leaving in 20 minutes if they had open seats. I don't bitch anymore because about a year ago SFO had bad weather and flights arriving where pushed back a few hours. They put those of us that had international connections on a mini van and drove us the 90 miles to the airport. This was a weekday during early morning commute and I just barely made the flight, if I had arrived only one hour early I wouldn't have made my flight.

[hybrid 1]

i did this about a 2 years ago ..

had a flight booked on etihad from manchester . overslept of all things .. lol and when i wke up i uad 90 minutes to travel 110 miles to the airport . so i phoned expedia told them i'd broken dwon on the motorway.

they canceled the ticket , less a £200 surcharge , and sold me a new one..

took 3 months to get the part refund ..

in all the round trip cost over £1200 i think just for the airfare .. was worth every penny though

[Eneukman 1]

I usually plan to get to the airport 3hrs before the scheduled departure. That way I can choose my seat and take my time in the airport without feeling rushed.

 

More importantly it gives you a buffer if something goes wrong either on your way or at the airport, and believe me things do go wrong.

 

I guess some people would say I'm over cautious, but guess what? I've never missed my plane!

 

I would say that that's just plain common sense, especially if you have a connecting flight as I always did when I lived in Scotland. I've had a one hour delay on my flight from Edinburgh - there was a fire alarm going off in the international departures area of Terminal 1 at Heathrow once, which caused a delay in getting to the bus for Terminal 4! Fog at Heathrow has resulted in the plane circling for about an hour and then being forced to abort the landing because visibility was too low for safe use of the automated landing system!

 

Short transit times are also not a good idea. On my way back to Scotland at the end of May, I had, in theory, a 2 1/2 transit time at Dubai. The plane was half an hour late landing and because of construction work at the terminal building landed some distance away. The bus took half an hour to reach the terminal building. Then the queues for the security check were almost out the door.

 

I had been in the Emirates lounge for no more than 15 minutes when boarding was announced and in the 10 minutes or so that it took me to reach the gate boarding had already started and they were making the final call. I was a bit surprised as there was still an hour to go but it was yet another bus transfer to the plane!

 

Alan

[valentinoxxx 4]

The only time I turned up for a flight much more than an hour before departure was when I went to Israel.

 

Missed the first flight. Turned up late again the second time. Barstewards let me on to the flight.

[Sybarite 1]

I'm giving some thought at the moment as to asking MM to close this thread.

 

I thought it would serve as a timely reminder to others that no matter how many times you have flown to Thailand you can't afford to become complacent and start rolling up near to the cut off time for check-in...confident that you can blag your way on to the plane if you are late.

 

After all, no one wants you to miss your flight to the land of sin do they?!

 

But people keep mentioning the matter in other threads that I am posting in...and I am understandably getting more than a little hacked off.

[glassdude007 7]

i now believe in..............KARMA..........

[dontcha 53]

fuck the begrudgers,and forget about your expensive mishap and have a real nice time on your holiday

[valentinoxxx 4]

I'm giving some thought at the moment as to asking MM to close this thread.

 

I thought it would serve as a timely reminder to others that no matter how many times you have flown to Thailand you can't afford to become complacent and start rolling up near to the cut off time for check-in...confident that you can blag your way on to the plane if you are late.

 

After all, no one wants you to miss your flight to the land of sin do they?!

 

But people keep mentioning the matter in other threads that I am posting in...and I am understandably getting more than a little hacked off.

 

Try to remember where you are...... A fair amount of those who frequent these boards are seriously lacking in social skills and/or any kind of decorum.

[joekicker 53]

I'm giving some thought at the moment as to asking MM to close this thread.

 

snip snip snip

 

people keep mentioning the matter in other threads that I am posting in...and I am understandably getting more than a little hacked off. ang2

 

What do these two statements have to do with each other? Or do you think closing a thread is like that flashing light in Men in Black and we all will forget this thread the moment it's closed?

 

Anyway, MM doesn't close threads like that, not up to now anyhow. Take your medicine. All you've done here is pile more poop on your own head, and I suspect this new tack will show up in other threads against you as well.

[stevoman 2]

What do these two statements have to do with each other? Or do you think closing a thread is like that flashing light in Men in Black and we all will forget this thread the moment it's closed?

 

Anyway, MM doesn't close threads like that, not up to now anyhow. Take your medicine. All you've done here is pile more poop on your own head, and I suspect this new tack will show up in other threads against you as well.

 

Surprisingly "Joe" we agree on all this,and with his latest banal request to close the thread,IMHO will only serve to heap yet more ridicule against him!

Seems strange he can "Dish it out",yet starts throwing his toys out of his pram when criticised for his STUPID blunder.

The part I liked is when he stated in an earlier post that "Time is money"!, well it's certainly the correct in his case!

[papillon 695]

Yep, I was hoping that you wouldn't see this thread!

 

You got me the best deal on a flight from London to Bangkok ever...and I only went and bolloxed it up.

 

Double Dickhead of the year

 

 

I'm giving some thought at the moment as to asking MM to close this thread.

 

I thought it would serve as a timely reminder to others that no matter how many times you have flown to Thailand you can't afford to become complacent and start rolling up near to the cut off time for check-in...confident that you can blag your way on to the plane if you are late.

 

After all, no one wants you to miss your flight to the land of sin do they?!

 

But people keep mentioning the matter in other threads that I am posting in...and I am understandably getting more than a little hacked off.

 

 

You'd think that somebody who purportedly flies to LOS four times a year would know the drill

 

[Emil 0]

The part I liked is when he stated in an earlier post that "Time is money"!, well it's certainly the correct in his case!

 

Well if he's getting paid for all the time he spends on this board posting his words of wisdom, then he should be able to afford the additional money he had to pay for his flight.

Edited October 18, 2008 by Emil

[rightsaid 44]

Hands up, I was one of those who mentioned it on another thread. So I'll ask the same question here..............

 

 

 

So how are you enjoying your vacation?

 

Can we expect a trip report?

[TheFiend 1,181]

I always get to the airport in time for check-in opening, even though as a frequent flyer I get priority check in.... In these days of increased security at airports it makes sense...

[stevoman 2]

Hands up, I was one of those who mentioned it on another thread. So I'll ask the same question here..............

So how are you enjoying your vacation?

 

Can we expect a trip report?

 

That's a CLASSIC Alf!

[ThaiLearner 18]

Even though i book my seat on line I always like to give myself as much time as possible to get my flight.

 

The transport you have taken could breakdown or there could be a delay due to an accident. If you give yourself plenty of time and still cannot make a flight due to circumstance beyond your control then you can claim on your travel insurance.

 

In march 2007 it took me nearly 3 hours to check in and get through security (check in was the easy part) September 2007 it took me about 90 minutes and in June 2008 I arrived just before check in opened was first to check in and with in 20 minutes i was looking around duty free.

 

Nice and easy and no stress .

 

I cannot see why people try and leave it so late .

[MC_Ldop 40]

I thought it would serve as a timely reminder to others that no matter how many times you have flown to Thailand you can't afford to become complacent and start rolling up near to the cut off time for check-in...confident that you can blag your way on to the plane if you are late.

 

Pfft. The number of times you fly to Thailand has nothing to do with getting to the airport in a timely fashion, like any sensible person would.

[glynbuk 29]

Last time i flew out of Heathrow, there was a car crash on the roads around the airport which

caused horrendous delays and although i was staying at a heathrow hotel, the heathrow hoppa

bus was massively delayed.

 

I arrived late for my flight but they announced that the airline crew bus was delayed and the

departure was an hour late, so i was ok.

 

Now i make sure i am early for every flight and enjoy sitting around people watching whilst i wait.

[mister_handy 124]

I'm shocked that two people in this thread said that they usually select their seats at the airport. Do most of you do that? I always select online and check periodically for a better seat. Seatguru.com is your friend.

 

My impression is that a lot of non-US airlines don't allow everyone to book their seats in advance - sometimes only higher fares or elite FF members, or sometimes only very limited pools of seats available in advance, or sometimes no advance seats at all in coach.

 

Personally, I'm surprised anyone would schedule their arrival time to the airport to be so close to the time when check in closes. I mean it's not as if it's a movie, it's your vacation, you miss the flight, your vacation's fucked.

 

Exactly.

 

Like for most people, time is money, and I hate sitting at an airport for an hour or two with little to do. I had to rush from work and so wanted to waste as little time as possible.

 

"Time is money" is true for relatively few people I know; if you're on salary, you don't get paid a dime extra for staying late, it's just for the goodwill of the boss at best.

 

Further, an extra hour of your time would have to be pretty darn valuable to make the regular $100 or GBP75 change fee that you'd be risking cheaper than the extra time at the airport (and, as a hint, most people with time that valuable find ways to work on the road via mobile phone or notebook computer.)

 

I wasn't aware that with many airlines you could book seats on line.

 

Pretty much every single airline in the US bar one (Southwest, which has no preassigned seats at all.) All of the international ones I've flown do, bar the couple of Asian cheapies on the Southwest model (Tiger and Air Asia.)

 

The main purpose of arriving 2 or 3 hours before the flight for me was to ensure that you get the best seat possible. As I had already had my seat allocated, this made me more relaxed about my arrival time at the airport.

 

Well, now you know better. Sorry to hear that it was such an expensive and disappointing lesson!

 

People regularly turn up with an hour to an hour and a half to go on international flights and still get on their flight as most airlines have a 45 minute cut off for check in for international flight.

 

Sure, but it's gambling. Also, some of them may have elite status with the airline and be able to use priority lines, etc, which make it less of a gamble for them.

 

If there are queues for check - in you can normally tell your departure time to one of the attendants and go straight to the front of any check in queue to be checked in immediately

 

I haven't seen them do that with any regularity in years in the US; they stopped, or at least mostly stopped, when the lines got long in late 2001. I guess they're more lenient on your side of the Atlantic, but there is an old saying "poor planning on your part does not make for an emergency on our part."

 

The airport staff do not want you to miss the flight anymore than you do and will bend over backwards e.g. allow you to walk on with luggage that would normally need to be checked in.

 

Once again, I assume the airlines must be nicer where you are. This might have been true once in the US but has long since ceased to be in this day of the TSA and very tight airline budgets.

 

However, having not missed a flight before, this is just a timely reminder not to FUCK with the airlines because international flights are not something to be fucked with.

 

Also, take extra care with promotional fares. If it was a normal fare then the guy at the airport sales desk could have booked me on to the next available flight for that airline for a smallish charge of £75. However, as my fare was promotional it was completely restricted - so no changes or refunds.

 

Always best to know the T&C you're flying under! One thing to be aware of on this side of the Atlantic is what's called the "flat tire rule" - a lot of fares which are otherwise only changeable in advance (for a fee) and which expire without being changeable if you're a no-show can be changed (sometimes for free, usually for the regular fee) rather than expiring if you show up close to the right time at the airport and make a good excuse...

 

 

Although, you may get preferential treatment at the check in counter. You usually aren't granted the same courtesy by customs/immigration.

 

Or by the security guys; we don't have customs or immigration on the way out of the US, but the security checks after you check in are quite bad enough and those guys generally have no flexibility about the lines.

 

Also if you've ever sat on the tarmac waiting to taxi out, there's nothing more annoying for the plane having to wait because of those who cut it fine.

 

Indeed.

Edited October 21, 2008 by mister_handy

[Sybarite 1]

Forget the financial costs, it's the thoughts about what you could have been doing if you weren't stuck at home that really hurt.

[theuknaughtyboy 0]

I'm giving some thought at the moment as to asking MM to close this thread.

 

 

May be MM also closed the checkin desk too.

Don't be a wanker, you posted your miss fortune or was it your incompetence.

 

For the record, I did nearly miss my flight once as I left my passport, boarding card and mobile phone in one of the duty free shops. However, at least I had two hours to track it down and still enough time to have a few beers in the airline lounge.