Thailand trip

On Wed, 05 Nov 2003 12:36:08 +0800, Chris Blunt
wrote:

On Wed, 05 Nov 2003 02:44:10 GMT, (Wah Shizzle)
wrote:

On Wed, 05 Nov 2003 02:49:46 GMT, (Miguel Cruz) wrote:


Required in what sense? The only time I was 2 hours early for a flight I
fell asleep in the airport and missed it.

Required for something nowadays called International Security , or did
you sleep through the last 3 years also.

Which takes all of 10 minutes to complete.


Try doing it at JFK in NYC in 10 min.

(Miguel Cruz) wrote in message ...
The Man wrote:
(Miguel Cruz) wrote:
Likewise, the state police request that you not drive 57 in a 55 mile per
hour zone.

Ahh so you must be one of the morons who check in 10 mins before
departure and make the plane late for everyone

Maybe twice in the past few years I've been the last person on the plane,
and they weren't international flights (just Southwest 1-hour hops).

Fact is there's just a whole lot of sitting around in the departure lounge
to look forward to if you get there that early.
[snip]

It's actually been getting quicker for me internationally that pre 9-11.
I used to budget 2- 3 hours before international flights out of major
airports. On more than one occasion, I've used it all. Nominally,
these days, getting there 2 hours is an assurance that you'll get
through in about 20 minutes. The hard part is having the kahoonahs to
do something like Miguel is talking about. There is this weird sorta
curve you experience. As the flight approaches, the time it takes
gets longer, more folks are arriving and checking in. Then, at some
point, folks stop arriving and it actually takes LESS time.

Now it is very airport and time of day dependent. For example,
on some airlines, like Virgin out of MCO for example, they only
have a couple of flights a day. However, BA out of Gatwick may
have a boat load. So you can find yourself in line with a bunch
of folks whose flights leave after yours.

One of the bigger risks you actually run is with checked luggage.
They need a finite amount of time to get your luggage through and
onto the plane. If you aren't on it, they have to take your luggage
off, but under some circumstances, if you're on it, but your luggagge
isn't, they can still leave. So arriving late might get you on
the plane, but your luggage won't. Miguel travels almost exclusively
with carry on so this isn't an issue for him.

Domestically I had an odd experience. I went up to get through
security, and we practically walked straight through. We were there
3 hours early (went to the airport with folks leaving earlier). I
got stopped at security because I had forgotten to remove my pocket
knife. I had to go back and mail it to myself. When I returned about
10 minutes later, there was a HUGE line at security. Half hour
later, you could walk straight through again.

Airports experience surges, the smaller, the bigger the impact
of the surges. If you are familar with the airport, and their surges,
you can easily show up with in the hour of your departure and
still get on your plane. In some cases, even when your wrong,
the airline will tend to work with you to get you on (unless they
are heavily overbooked, then you may have effectively just "volunteered"
to be bumped).

The Man wrote:
Ahh so you must be one of the morons who check in 10 mins before
departure and make the plane late for everyone

Nonsense.. Many airlines REQUIRE you to be at the GATE 15 or 20 minutes
before departure. The only time I have not made this is when I was
connecting and the first flight arrived late. Then, they usually let
you board. If you want to be safe and arrive at the airport, fine.
But there is NO way I am showing up at 5AM for a 7AM Saturday flight to
SNA. If I miss the required time to be at the gate, it is not your
problem. If he checks in 10 minutes before flight time, and he was
required to be at the gate 20 minutes before, then he will be denied
boarding. I suspect the cause of planes departing late because of late
arriving passengers is usually do to connections or abnormal security
delays.

(Miguel Cruz) wrote in message ...
Wah Shizzle wrote:
(Tchiowa) wrote:
That's plenty of time. Check in at Don Muang isn't as bad as some
other airports. I arrive about 90 minutes before a flight (just in
case) and usually spend only 10-15 minutes on check in, if that.

I hope that is not for an international flight , as checking in at
least 2 hours prior to takeoff is standard and required on most
flights.

Required in what sense? The only time I was 2 hours early for a flight I
fell asleep in the airport and missed it.

It is not required in Bangkok. The New Jersey shape-shifter is just
trying to pick fights. I don't think there is an actual requirement
anywhere. But there are "recommendations". In SFO they were
recommending arriving 3 hours before flight time.

Wah Shizzle wrote:

On Wed, 05 Nov 2003 12:36:08 +0800, Chris Blunt
wrote:


On Wed, 05 Nov 2003 02:44:10 GMT, (Wah Shizzle)
wrote:


On Wed, 05 Nov 2003 02:49:46 GMT, (Miguel Cruz) wrote:



Required in what sense? The only time I was 2 hours early for a flight I
fell asleep in the airport and missed it.

Required for something nowadays called International Security , or did
you sleep through the last 3 years also.

Try doing it at JFK in NYC in 10 min.


Easy at certain times.. This 2 hours "all of the time" for "all
airports" is nonsense. They don't even make distinctions for class or ff
status when they tell you this. If I fly AA out of SJC, I can pick up
my BP in advance from my computer printer, or at a kiosk at the airport
(must be 30 minutes before departure time). I can take the FF line, and
be at the gate in under 10 minutes. I can't remember a security line
taking more than a few minutes except for one at LAS shortly after 9.11

Chris Blunt wrote in message . ..
On Wed, 05 Nov 2003 02:30:54 GMT, (Wah Shizzle)
wrote:

On 4 Nov 2003 15:33:25 -0800, (Tchiowa) wrote:

That's plenty of time. Check in at Don Muang isn't as bad as some
other airports. I arrive about 90 minutes before a flight (just in
case) and usually spend only 10-15 minutes on check in, if that.


I hope that is not for an international flight , as checking in at
least 2 hours prior to takeoff is standard and required on most
flights.

I normally leave even less time than Tchiowa does. I can't remember
the last time I checked-in more than an hour before the flight was due
to depart. I take around 20 international flights a year, and haven't
missed one yet. You spend time standing in check-in queues if you
want, I've got better things to do with my time.

I agree. The biggest reason I plan to arrive 90 minutes before flight
is not so much check-in time but "just in case" to allow for traffic
problems. If I plan for 90 minutes and traffic is bad I still have
plenty of time once at the airport. I don't like feeling rushed when
I'm getting ready for a flight.

me wrote:
There is this weird sorta curve you experience. As the flight approaches,
the time it takes gets longer, more folks are arriving and checking in.
Then, at some point, folks stop arriving and it actually takes LESS time.

Exactly. This is especially true with foreign airlines (i.e., airlines who
not based in the country you're flying from). They usually have lulls
between flights, so if you arrive after the rush, say 45 minutes prior,
you'll often have zero waiting.

miguel
--
See the world from your web browser: http://travel.u.nu/

On 5 Nov 2003 11:55:53 -0800, (Tchiowa) wrote:





It is not required in Bangkok. The New Jersey shape-shifter is just
trying to pick fights.

Bwahahahhahahahaaa!!!!!!!!!

shape-shifter?

Is that after I bitch slap you John........




LOL

On 5 Nov 2003 11:55:53 -0800, (Tchiowa) wrote:



It is not required in Bangkok. The New Jersey shape-shifter is just
trying to pick fights.

Like your recent visa fiasco?

Anyway Tchiowa , I'll be in Thailand laying around the Nana Hotel with
your wife in less than one month.

Care to drop by?

ROTFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!

On Wed, 05 Nov 2003 14:28:10 GMT, (Wah Shizzle)
wrote:

On Wed, 05 Nov 2003 12:36:08 +0800, Chris Blunt
wrote:

On Wed, 05 Nov 2003 02:44:10 GMT, (Wah Shizzle)
wrote:

On Wed, 05 Nov 2003 02:49:46 GMT, (Miguel Cruz) wrote:


Required in what sense? The only time I was 2 hours early for a flight I
fell asleep in the airport and missed it.

Required for something nowadays called International Security , or did
you sleep through the last 3 years also.

Which takes all of 10 minutes to complete.


Try doing it at JFK in NYC in 10 min.

I'll have to take your word for that, but we started off talking
specifically about BKK.

I think a lot depends on how often you fly, and how well you know the
airport. I use BKK (and 3 or 4 other airports) several times a year.
After a while you get to be able to predict within a couple of minutes
how long its going to take to you complete each stage of the departure
process, right up to arrival at the gate. If I were using an airport I
was unfamiliar with I'd allow plenty of extra time.