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"Please plan to arrive at least 2 hours before departure..."

"Please plan to arrive at least 2 hours before departure..."

Old Jun 5, 2019, 9:17 am
  #46  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: midwest
Programs: DL PM, Marriott Gold
Posts: 920
Three Hours for Summer 2019 Mornings?

Just got a "Tips For Your MSP > MCI Trip" email. There's an image that says
Longer TSA Morning Wait Times
Plan to arrive 3 hours early
Honestly, what's the point of flying? Three hours in advance to check in. 90 minutes gate-to-gate. Deplane from row 15, shuttle bus to rental car, and even with Fastbreak, that's probably 30 mins combined. Five hours of 'travel' time. To cover about a 6.5 hour drive. Seamlessly. Hah.



RaflW is offline  
Old Jun 5, 2019, 9:32 am
  #47  
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: SAN
Programs: AA CK, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 839
Originally Posted by adambrau
I don't fly Delta but with Pre-check, Global Entry (not applicable to how early you arrive at airport), and Global Services I still plan to arrive 2 hours before any flight. Especially if I am leaving to EWR during NYC rush hour the car ride time can vary immensely. Whether for work or leisure, the couple of times I have arrived at the airport late while sweating it out in a cab - it's just not worth it. I think every US airport is different but as those up thread have mentioned - it's better be early than late!
Im pretty much in this camp as well. Id rather relax in the lounge for a bit before boarding than be sweating it out in traffic or finding the PreCheck line closed with a mob scene at regular security. I actually missed an international flight stuck in Rome traffic a few years ago and it set me back 24 hours. Those ghosts of missed flights past never seem to fade away.
AA100k is offline  
Old Jun 5, 2019, 9:35 am
  #48  
 
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: LAX/BUR, RDU
Programs: DL SM, AAdvantage, SPG
Posts: 1,360
Originally Posted by RaflW
Just got a "Tips For Your MSP > MCI Trip" email. There's an image that says


Honestly, what's the point of flying? Three hours in advance to check in. 90 minutes gate-to-gate. Deplane from row 15, shuttle bus to rental car, and even with Fastbreak, that's probably 30 mins combined. Five hours of 'travel' time. To cover about a 6.5 hour drive. Seamlessly. Hah.



Don't they just say these things to give common flyers a warning?

Maybe it's because I never have to check a bag or go to a lounge, but I arrive at the airport 90-120 minutes before departure and make it with quite a bit of time before boarding. Even in the morning, the security lines can be long, but it almost never takes >40 minutes to go through.
FlyerWx is offline  
Old Jun 5, 2019, 10:48 am
  #49  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: midwest
Programs: DL PM, Marriott Gold
Posts: 920
We have been pretty consistent at 2 hours for domestic in the past 6 months. Nine times out of 10, we have lots of gate time (which I don't mind). I'm just wondering if things really are that bad at MSP this summer? I mean, 180 mins used to be the international advised check in!

Or is this for families with no elite status, multiple checked bags, unsure about belts and baby bottles, etc?
RaflW is offline  
Old Jun 5, 2019, 2:37 pm
  #50  
 
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 277
Originally Posted by RaflW
Or is this for families with no elite status, multiple checked bags, unsure about belts and baby bottles, etc?
Yes. The standard advice for air travel across the industry is that you should drive 2 hours prior to domestic flights and 3 hours for international ones. I think theres a few reasons:
* this advice goes to people who ask and look for it. They tend to be more comfortable with time leftover than the reverse,
* Despite TSAs target times, plenty of airport security lines can get really bad, especially in the standard lines. These days I get annoyed if CLEAR+PreCheck takes me more than 4 minutes, but in the past Ive spent 45 minutes trying to get through LAX terminal 5 and that was just a normal business day morning with nothing gone wrong.
* Its really easy to rack up time spent on bus transfers depending on the airport and your transit method. It might take 15 minutes for the parking lot bus to arrive, 20+ more minutes to the terminal (think LAX terminal 7), at some airports you have to wait for another internal tram to switch terminals...
gregsfortytwo is offline  
Old Jun 5, 2019, 3:56 pm
  #51  
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: MSP
Programs: DL DM, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 610
MSP gets pretty wild during the summer family travel season. If you're checking bags the lines can be absolutely insane, even for Sky Priority.
bretthexum is offline  
Old Jun 5, 2019, 11:47 pm
  #52  
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: VPS
Programs: IHG Diamond, Delta PM, Hilton Gold, Accor Gold, Marriott Silver
Posts: 7,210
I get these for VPS, which is tiny enough that theres never more than 3-4 people in the PreCheck line and is barely open two hours before the pre-dawn flights depart. Even during peak summer travel, 60 for domestic is still perfectly adequate unless there are concerns about summertime ATL weather that might require GA assistance in rebooking
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Old Jun 6, 2019, 12:07 am
  #53  
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Posts: 100,327
Originally Posted by bretthexum
MSP gets pretty wild during the summer family travel season. If you're checking bags the lines can be absolutely insane, even for Sky Priority.
IME spring break is worse, including not being able to get into the parking ramps.
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Old Jun 6, 2019, 8:46 am
  #54  
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: DTW
Programs: DL - PM, (NW - Plat), AA - Gold, Marriott - Plat, Avis - First
Posts: 954
They send that because the once-a-year travel all have a different expectation and time requirements to make a flight.

Here is my typical Monday morning for an 8:30am flight:
T-180: Wake-up, Get in 5 Mile run,Return, shower, grab breakfast
T-90: Leave House, drive to airport
T-50: Enter Parking Garage, walk into terminal
T-45: Enter Pre-Check Line
T-40: Through TSA, walk to gate, rest stop
T-30: Arrive at Gate

Here is the typical once-a-year traveler routine. No joke this is their routine. They are the people that need to be there to set-up camp in the gate area before I've even left the house for the airport.

T-300
Leave house, stop at McDonalds Drive-through

T-240:
Park at off-site parking
Unload 6 oversized bags
Wait for Shuttle
Ride Shuttle
Unload Shuttle
Multiple elevator rides to departure level
Get in wrong line to check bags
Stare confused at kiosk
Ask for help
Get in proper line
Wait in line
Not have the proper documents
Unstuff and repack overweight bags
Fumble with credit cards to pay bag fees
Check bags with agent
Act confused about security line to use
Fumble with carryon bags
Attempt to get in Precheck line, get send back by agent
Get in proper security line
Wait 20-30 minutes in security line
Fumble with ID
Fumble more with carryons
Unpack everything for TSA
Remove shoes, belts, wallets
Remove $5 of change from pocket
Set-up detector
Get selected for secondary screening
Wait for secondary screening

T-180
Clear security
Fumble with carryones
Use bathroom
Eat at a sit-down restaurant
Stare at gate monitors
Ride the tram
Stand on moving walkways
Use bathroom again
Find gate area

T-120
Set-up camp at gate area across 10 chairs
Fumble with carryons
Charge every electronic device using all available plugs
Use bathroom again
Go buy more stuff from the newsstand
Go buy more food to carry-on to plane
Use bathroom again
Fumble with carryons

T-60
Stand up to be gate lice
Use bathroom again
Be ready to board
Attempt to board in wrong zone
lost_perspicacity likes this.
DTWflyer is offline  
Old Jun 6, 2019, 10:42 am
  #55  
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: MSP
Programs: DL DM, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 610
Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
IME spring break is worse, including not being able to get into the parking ramps.
I know... this years spring break was the worst I've ever seen. What chaos.
bretthexum is offline  

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