Minimum time required to leave to airport before flight
Jul 16, 2001 | 7:00 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Bangkok, Madrid, Miami
Programs: AA Plt, BA Silver, UA Premier, SIA PPS, SL Exec, HH, Hyatt, Starwood, Marriott
Posts: 164
Minimum time required to leave to airport before flight
As a follow up to my posting on "...big deal about lounge access" I posted this below in "Flyertalk Airports", but it seems that very few people go there (I only went to post this), thus I am posting it here. I am sorry if this is a breach of etiquette. Please advise.
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I would like hear comments on the MINIMUM amount of time one needs to arrive to an airport and make it into an international flight, and also when to leave to the airport from downtown The intention being minimizing iddle time at the airport.
From my own experience, a few below:
SIN: 35, 55 minutes. Arriving at the counter 35 minutes before the flights gets you in, even if needing to check luggage. As for travel time, it is 20 minutes, so leaving 55 minutes before the flight cuts it.
HKG: 45, 90 minutes. 45 minutes for taxi to train station, plus ride, etc., thus start journey to airport 90 minutes before flight.
BKK: 40, 75 minutes.
KUL: 40, 90.
MAD: 50, 80
LHR: 60, 105
MIA: 45, 70
Please remember, that I am talking real MINIMUM time from the downtown area of the nearest major city. Of course I am not accounting for unforseen events (like heavy traffic), but for what would be expected under mostly "normal" circumstances.
Thanks
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The trouble with resisting temptation is...that you may not get another chance :-)
[This message has been edited by Anagnorisis (edited 07-16-2001).]
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I would like hear comments on the MINIMUM amount of time one needs to arrive to an airport and make it into an international flight, and also when to leave to the airport from downtown The intention being minimizing iddle time at the airport.
From my own experience, a few below:
SIN: 35, 55 minutes. Arriving at the counter 35 minutes before the flights gets you in, even if needing to check luggage. As for travel time, it is 20 minutes, so leaving 55 minutes before the flight cuts it.
HKG: 45, 90 minutes. 45 minutes for taxi to train station, plus ride, etc., thus start journey to airport 90 minutes before flight.
BKK: 40, 75 minutes.
KUL: 40, 90.
MAD: 50, 80
LHR: 60, 105
MIA: 45, 70
Please remember, that I am talking real MINIMUM time from the downtown area of the nearest major city. Of course I am not accounting for unforseen events (like heavy traffic), but for what would be expected under mostly "normal" circumstances.
Thanks
------------------
The trouble with resisting temptation is...that you may not get another chance :-)
[This message has been edited by Anagnorisis (edited 07-16-2001).]
Jul 16, 2001 | 10:15 pm
#3
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Hong Kong
Posts: 4
Although for HK 90 minutes is enough, I usually leave 100 min before hand so that I can check in at the Airport Express counter down-town (counter closes 90 min before departure). That comes in handy when flying coach on busy flights - increases chances of getting a nicer seat.
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Jul 17, 2001 | 12:07 am
#4
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Brasil and Hong Kong
Posts: 894
Anagnorisis? Chart? I think I know these guys...
Well, living in DB, one can take the bus just 1 hour before boarding. Of course it depends on luck, your status, how full is the flight, customs, etc. But I did it once, with luggage (although I do not recommend this experience).
Toxa
Well, living in DB, one can take the bus just 1 hour before boarding. Of course it depends on luck, your status, how full is the flight, customs, etc. But I did it once, with luggage (although I do not recommend this experience).
Toxa
Jul 17, 2001 | 6:17 pm
#6
Join Date: Apr 2000
Posts: 1,950
PHX, outside of rush hour, I could leave home or office 45 minutes before a Southwest flight, maybe less if I had a ride. Las Vegas is about the same. But I don't cut it this close. I usually allow 90 minutes, and try and get a decent seat.
An older biography of Bill Gates called "Hard Drive" talks about his early-days hobby of seeing how close he could cut it. It sounds like having a Porsche helped...
An older biography of Bill Gates called "Hard Drive" talks about his early-days hobby of seeing how close he could cut it. It sounds like having a Porsche helped...
Jul 18, 2001 | 3:59 am
#7
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: HKG
Posts: 566
Shortest for HKG from downtown would be 63 mins (23 mins for the train + 40 mins before the departure time the check in desk closes).
If you check in at the Airport Express earlier in the day, you could could push it to about 45 mins from downtown, but this is a bit extreme. That said, I did it once in 37 mins from Kowloon, but this is *not* recommended...
If you check in at the Airport Express earlier in the day, you could could push it to about 45 mins from downtown, but this is a bit extreme. That said, I did it once in 37 mins from Kowloon, but this is *not* recommended...
Jul 18, 2001 | 5:34 am
#8
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Da Nang, Vietnam
Programs: Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles Platinum
Posts: 2,426
45 minutes travel time to LHR from central London ?
Well I suppose it does depend on your time of departure & method of travel. I would never think of allowing LESS than an hour travel time, and thats if I was using the Paddington Express ( supposedly ) the quick method.
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Continental Airlines
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
NorthwestAirlines
Well I suppose it does depend on your time of departure & method of travel. I would never think of allowing LESS than an hour travel time, and thats if I was using the Paddington Express ( supposedly ) the quick method.
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Continental Airlines
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
NorthwestAirlines
Jul 19, 2001 | 9:26 am
#9
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Brasil and Hong Kong
Posts: 894
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Cris L:
I would never think of allowing LESS than an hour travel time.</font>
I would never think of allowing LESS than an hour travel time.</font>
Jul 19, 2001 | 2:44 pm
#10
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PDX: Hilton Diamond, Alaska MVP Gold
Posts: 380
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by The View:
55 for SIN seems about right, but 75 for BKK is a bit tight. For BKK I would add 10 minutes, say 85 minutes.
</font>
55 for SIN seems about right, but 75 for BKK is a bit tight. For BKK I would add 10 minutes, say 85 minutes.
</font>
However, if it was Friday afternoon, I don't know if I would be comfortable with 85 minutes.
CS
Jul 19, 2001 | 5:44 pm
#11
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Santa Cruz, CA USA
Programs: AA, UA, WN, HH, Marriott
Posts: 7,293
When I was talking flying lessons and instructors were emphasizing the importance of understanding potential weather problems, we were given the following slogan - "It's better to be down here wishing you were up there than up there wishing you were down here."
Applying that philosophy to the question of the thread - I'd rather be there wishing I had left later than on the road wishing I had left earlier. For me the compulsive worrier, I would add 30-60 minutes to all of the above times for an international flight.
Applying that philosophy to the question of the thread - I'd rather be there wishing I had left later than on the road wishing I had left earlier. For me the compulsive worrier, I would add 30-60 minutes to all of the above times for an international flight.
Jul 19, 2001 | 10:31 pm
#12
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: BKK when I'm not in Princeton
Programs: UA MP:1P for life, TG:Gold, CO:Gold
Posts: 2,017
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by JerryFF:
When I was talking flying lessons and instructors were emphasizing the importance of understanding potential weather problems, we were given the following slogan - "It's better to be down here wishing you were up there than up there wishing you were down here."
Applying that philosophy to the question of the thread - I'd rather be there wishing I had left later than on the road wishing I had left earlier. For me the compulsive worrier, I would add 30-60 minutes to all of the above times for an international flight. </font>
When I was talking flying lessons and instructors were emphasizing the importance of understanding potential weather problems, we were given the following slogan - "It's better to be down here wishing you were up there than up there wishing you were down here."
Applying that philosophy to the question of the thread - I'd rather be there wishing I had left later than on the road wishing I had left earlier. For me the compulsive worrier, I would add 30-60 minutes to all of the above times for an international flight. </font>
As a pilot, the plane does not leave without you, so if you're a bit late, no problem (fired CX pilots aside), but as a pax...