[Travel] Airports and flying

[Guinness Boy]

Parents who are confined to flying within school holidays can only dream of such an experience.

Five years and counting...

When I fly on my own, or with colleagues, for business it's the easiest thing in the world. Turn up with hand luggage only three hours before the flight, book priority security or a lounge or both. Have a coffee and breakfast if it's early or a beer and something light to eat if later. Go to the gate when called, sit in pre-booked seat, read good book, get off, get in pre-booked taxi or get an Uber. Job. Done.

I'd rather attach a pair of dog leads to my eyes using hooks and be taken for a drag by a pair of angry Staffies than fly with my wife and children in August.

 

[HeaviestTed]

Fucks sake I’m now getting adverts for Vueling - top top, if you don’t want to make travelling more stressful then avoid them.

If you need to contact them it is impossible unless you say you are going to give them some money.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

It’s still easier than ever to fly from Gatwick, planes done generally leave from the same gate each time and there’s no short cuts through security etc.

Other than that, I get your point

I normally leave the Premier Inn exactly 70 mins before my flight departs, use the Fasttrack (benefit of Easyjet Plus) and the gate (which is usally over the North Terminal bridge) comes up on my phone whilst I am leisurely walking over that way. I then continue walking to the gate. They then call the Speedyboarders (benefit of Easyjet Plus) and I'm on my way. I have got the timing pretty much perfect now.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

When I fly on my own, or with colleagues, for business it's the easiest thing in the world. Turn up with hand luggage only three hours before the flight, book priority security or a lounge or both. Have a coffee and breakfast if it's early or a beer and something light to eat if later. Go to the gate when called, sit in pre-booked seat, read good book, get off, get in pre-booked taxi or get an Uber. Job. Done.

This is what I had in mind when I had to fly to Belfast recently.
All went well until pretty much the moment you would expect to be led out to the plane.
At that point there was an announcement on the tannoy asking us all to return to departures as the plane had suffered a birdstrike on landing and needed to be checked by an engineer.
9hours I was waiting. 9 f***ing hours in Newcastle f***ing Aiport departures.
I couldn't even drink because I had to pick up a hire car at the other end. On the way back I met a couple who'd been on the same flight and had passed the time drinking an entire bottle of vodka. Good idea that, much better value than the prices in the airport bars.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Speaking for myself, the one delight of the covid lockdown was that there was no risk of having to go to an airport and fly anywhere.

I’m not a nervous flyer, but I absolutely loathe the entire airport process, being herded about like cattle and then moved from one waiting area to another. Queuing and then queuing again. I find it unbelievable that airports haven’t found better, less intrusive ways of managing security and keeping people moving than the current systems.

I’ve deliberately avoided flying post-Covid, and haven’t missed it at all, but now my partner informs me that a trip that requires flying (to visit family) is on the horizon. Has anything changed?

Am I being a precious snowflake by being so annoyed by the whole airport circus, or do others find it equally inhuman and frustrating?

Are some airports better than others?

And yes, this is absolutely an idle off-season post to pass the long weeks until we’re back in action.

I found it hard to square the bold declarations that terrorists would never win with the absurd nonsense to which you allude. I took a domestic flight to Glasgow recently. I needed my passport for identity (a photo driving license was allowable, but . . .why?). I wasn't allowed any bottled water unless I bought it after passport control. I had to put my toiletries in a clear bag. I had to have all my carry on stuff X rayed. I have said before that I'd be happy to show a cartoon of The Prophet as a sign I'm not an Islamic terrorist. The whole thing is just a money making racket if you ask me. The new £5 drop off charge is justified as a way of paying for this shit. Someone is getting rich on the back of our victory against terrorism.

 

[BBassic]

I hate flying and I hate crowds so airports are hell on earth as far as I'm concerned. A place I loathe going to in order to board a flight I'd rather not be on.

Alas I do enjoy holidays so every now and then a deal must unfortunately be struck with The Devil of the Departure Lounge. This deal involves having a pint, popping on my noise cancelling headphones and making sure I'm wherever I need to be with ample time to spare.

It's a miserable experience but the holiday tends to make up for it.

 

[PeterT]

I hate flying and I hate crowds so airports are hell on earth as far as I'm concerned. A place I loathe going to in order to board a flight I'd rather not be on.

Alas I do enjoy holidays so every now and then a deal must unfortunately be struck with The Devil of the Departure Lounge. This deal involves having a pint, popping on my noise cancelling headphones and making sure I'm wherever I need to be with ample time to spare.

It's a miserable experience but the holiday tends to make up for it.

If it’s not a silly question, how does that work from a watching football perspective? If I hated crowds, I think I would hate the experience of a live game, certainly one with 32,000 people there at least.

 

[BBassic]

If it’s not a silly question, how does that work from a watching football perspective? If I hated crowds, I think I would hate the experience of a live game, certainly one with 32,000 people there at least.

Not silly at all! I've actually given up my ST this season precisely because of the crowds.

I was able, before COVID, to get on with the crowds etc. because I'd always done it. After COVID and having that prolonged period where there were no crowds to find myself in at all I've lost the ability to cope with them.

When you factor in the travel and the sardine can train carriages I just couldn't deal with it.

 

[PeterT]

Not silly at all! I've actually given up my ST this season precisely because of the crowds.

I was able, before COVID, to get on with the crowds etc. because I'd always done it. After COVID and having that prolonged period where there were no crowds to find myself in at all I've lost the ability to cope with them.

When you factor in the travel and the sardine can train carriages I just couldn't deal with it.

Sorry to hear that and thanks for the reply.

Covid hit me and my missus quite hard both health and confidence wise and we struggled initially to go back to what we were doing before but have almost got back there bit by bit (although I still have long Covid). We did change a few things though like giving up our season tickets which were in a lively corner of the ground (NE corner) and started instead buying tickets match by match that were a bit more tucked away. We have avoided things like packed indoor concerts, still feel uneasy about them. We also have avoided match day trains and buses and generally drive if we can, so I know what you mean about all of that.

I hope you feel able to get back to the Amex at some point, but fully get what you are saying.

 

[SteveU]

I normally leave the Premier Inn exactly 70 mins before my flight departs, use the Fasttrack (benefit of Easyjet Plus) and the gate (which is usally over the North Terminal bridge) comes up on my phone whilst I am leisurely walking over that way. I then continue walking to the gate. They then call the Speedyboarders (benefit of Easyjet Plus) and I'm on my way. I have got the timing pretty much perfect now.

Extra cost makes the experience better no doubt.

We were looking into EasyJet plus, is it worth it?

 

[SteveU]

I should add to my earlier points that flying with kids in the school holidays is like capital punishment and I will also be quite happy to never fly long haul again.

 

[Wrong-Direction]

Security queue at Amsterdam Airport was like 4 hours last year, what made it worse was the 4 day stag do hangover

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Extra cost makes the experience better no doubt.

We were looking into EasyJet plus, is it worth it?

The benefits for me are
1) Can choose seat.
2) Fast track security at most airports
3) Can take two items as hand luggage
4) Speedy boarding.

but I guess you need to fly a few times to justify the cost.

 

[Uncle Buck]

It’s still easier than ever to fly from Gatwick, planes done generally leave from the same gate each time and there’s no short cuts through security etc.

Other than that, I get your point

The Berlin ones do not generally go from the same gate! Easy enough to work out end of the airport. Gate announced 1 hour before the gates 100 plus. Less than an hour, then Wetherspoons end gates (North Terminal).

Fast Track security in the North Terminal helps.

 

[NorthstandRacoon]

I used to work in aviation, and still have a soft spot for the industry....but I find I'm enjoying flying less and less, and also becoming a lot more aware of the hellish future that climate change is creating. So I've just been to Bergen and back by train/ferry. Amazingly, pretty much everything (16 different trains and two ferries) went to plan. And the whole travelling experience was great - especially in Norway. The scenery was stunning. And the beauty of a train or ferry means you actually arrive in the centre of the city. Of course you still need to go through security and wait around a bit when leaving and returning to the UK (via Eurostar), but it's definitely less hassle than an airport. If you live anywhere near London then taking the train instead of a short-haul flight is worth considering. It won't be cheaper, and it won't be quicker, but it's a completely different, more pleasant experience. And better for the planet.

This I also completely understand. It is a huge concern of mine, climatd change. My industry is one of the worst for pollution. General aviation like cars is taking a lead with electrical power, then low and behokd where the rich people and yheir greed come into play, its all about profits. Spend all they want on new efficient aircraft, it is still burning co2. The lack of progress and missed targets say it all.

 

[Petunia]

This is what I had in mind when I had to fly to Belfast recently.
All went well until pretty much the moment you would expect to be led out to the plane.
At that point there was an announcement on the tannoy asking us all to return to departures as the plane had suffered a birdstrike on landing and needed to be checked by an engineer.
9hours I was waiting. 9 f***ing hours in Newcastle f***ing Aiport departures.
I couldn't even drink because I had to pick up a hire car at the other end. On the way back I met a couple who'd been on the same flight and had passed the time drinking an entire bottle of vodka. Good idea that, much better value than the prices in the airport bars.

Last year I arrived at Melbourne airport at midday for my 15.15 flight back to the UK. Lovely, enough time for something to eat, a couple of drinks and a stroll through duty-free.
At 14.00 came the first text message that the flight was delayed….until 21.00. I teamed up with a few others and we paid to go into a lounge…..
Around 19.00 came the next text message that the flight was delayed…..until 02.00
I was very, very drunk when we eventually took off at 03.40 but I slept well

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

Last year I arrived at Melbourne airport at midday for my 15.15 flight back to the UK. Lovely, enough time for something to eat, a couple of drinks and a stroll through duty-free.
At 14.00 came the first text message that the flight was delayed….until 21.00. I teamed up with a few others and we paid to go into a lounge…..
Around 19.00 came the next text message that the flight was delayed…..until 02.00
I was very, very drunk when we eventually took off at 03.40 but I slept well

We're you told why the flight was delayed, or is that memory lost in a bottle somewhere in the lounge?

 

[Petunia]

We're you told why the flight was delayed, or is that memory lost in a bottle somewhere in the lounge?

There was no contact from Qantas whatsoever! A couple of us tried to find out a couple of times but absolutely nothing. I even rearranged my flight back and came home with Emirates.
I will never fly with Qantas again!

 

[dazzer6666]

Flew out of Gatwick on Sunday - virtually every single flight was delayed, ours by a couple of hours. Wherever we can now we try to use BA (have lounge access and fast track security which at an absolutely mobbed Gatwick is great) and fly business if going long haul. Would rather travel less frequently than fly economy these days, but when we do fly say Easyjet we tend to take checked luggage (Mrs ALWAYS overpacks ) and board late rather than early to avoid the scrum to get on and for the overhead bins.

 

[Skuller]

Try the train. I’m three weeks into a month’s inter-railing around Europe. I’m doing it with a seven-days rail travel within a month, 1st class, over-65 inter-rail pass (£350). And that includes my train from Seaford to St Pancras and Eurostar. I use accommodation within a 20 minute walk of a city’s central railway station. So, for a 10am train to my next destination, I leave the accommodation at 9:15. If that were a flight I’d be getting up at 6 to catch a bus taking half an hour to get to an airport two hours before take-off. Looking out of a train window is more than a little better than looking out of a plane’s window.